Kashmakash

Part 30

All the elders, including Hyder and Naajiya, had assembled in Agha Jaan's room following the events that transpired a few hours earlier at the store.

'Hyder, aise kaise baat kari tumne apni chachi se. Tameez bhool gaye ho' Agha Jaan scolded.

'Abbu, wo sharminda hai. Jaane dijiye kuch galatfehmi ho gayi thi' Areeb tried to defuse the situation before Agha Jaan could dig further.

'Maine kuch galat nahi kiya' Hyder responded without making eye contact with anyone in particular.

'Sahi kyu tha, ye batane ki zahmat uthayenge' Agha Jaan's anger flared. He had always valued the family's reputation above all else, and today, he witnessed the eldest grandchild behaving rudely toward an elder, especially outside of covers of their home.

'Abbu kuch nahi hai. Usko laga Naaziya ke liye bola gaya' Areeb implored Hyder to remain silent. 'Hyder Allah ke liye chup ho jao'.

'Bolne de Bhai saab. Sabko pata chale iss ghar mein kya kya raj dafn hai.' Farheen challenged. It was the first time she had spoken since the incident, and her voice carried bitterness and anger.

'Itni akad se kya bol rahi hai. Bilkul sharm nahi bachi hai...Iss aurat ne mujhe abuse kiya tha' Hyder finally revealed the painful truth, leaving everyone in the room in shock.

'Usne apko maara?' Daado spoke trying to correct Hyder thinking what she understood the situation incorrectly.

'Sexual abuse' Naajiya stated as she held Hyder's trembling hand. When he had broken down in front of her, she had thought that he had moved past the trauma after sharing it with her, but she was mistaken. Such trauma never truly disappears and can linger for years, if not a lifetime.

Before anyone could react, a loud slap resonated in the room. Farheen stood with her hand on her cheek, facing an infuriated Salma. 'Sharm nahi aayi ye karte hue batzaat ladki. Kya bigada tha mere bete ne tumhara?'

'Badla tha Baji. Bhool to nahi gayi, aap logo ne kya kiya tha' Farheen spoke bitterly. Salma's eyes widened in realization. 'P..P..par. mere bete ne kya kiya tha?'

'Aaj aapko uska dard mehssos ho raha hai. Par mere maa baap aur mera dard to aap mein se kissi ko dikha nahi tha tab. Pair pakade the meine aap sab ke, iss kamre mein har ek insaan ke, tab kya bola tha aapne, mere ghar ki izzat ko bachane ka yahi rasta hai. Aaj pucho Hyder se usse mujhe dekh kar kaisa lagta hai' she said, laughing manically.

'Abu aap pareshan na ho; isko main dekhta hu' Arif said, pulling her out of the room. Nobody stopped Arif as they were to stunned to react.

Agha Jaan looked at Daadi's horrified face with guilt and sadness. They knew that they would face the consequences of their actions, but never in their dreams did they imagine that their deeds would hurt their grandchildren. If it were possible, they would turn back time and ensure justice for Farheen.

Salma sat heavily on a chair, reminded of the past and how it would now haunt her. Hyder and Naajiya gazed at the elders in confusion. They couldn't quite make sense of what was discussed in the room, but one thing was evident: Farheen had been treated unfairly and had sought a revenge, a very cruel revenge.

***

Loud noises were heard from Arif's room, they could hear painful cries of Farheen. Zain and Shohaib were vigorously pounding on their parents' door, asking for their father to open it. As the door swung open, they were met with the sight of their mother brutally beaten, her dress was torn, hair was a mess and had injuries at multiple places, some bleeding while few turned blue. Shohaib hurried to his mother and embraced her, while Zain, upon seeing her condition, was filled with anger.

'How dare you do this to my mother' Zain yelled at his father.

'Tameez se baat karo apne baap se. Aur aisi aurton ke saath yahi hota hai' Arif scoffed.

Zain grabbed Arif's collar, 'Bola tha naa dubara meri maa ko haath mat lagana warna haath tod dunga'

Arif smirked upon hearing his son's threat, further infuriating Zain, and in his rage, Zain landed a punch on Arif's face.

'Stay the f**k away from her' He walked away from Arif, who had fallen from the impact of the punch, and went to tend to his mother.

***

Inayat ran her fingers through Naajiya's hair when Naajiya broke the silence. 'Ammi, Farheen tayi ke saath kya hua tha?'

Inayat sighed heavily but decided to tell her daughter the truth, knowing that the biggest victim of their crimes was her fiancé. 'Arif bhai had raped Farheen when she was minor'.

Naaziya sat up, shocked by the revelation. 'Kya??'

She was too stunned to react, so she put her head back on the bed's headrest and turned towards her mother. Shohaib, who had come to seek Inayat's help in tending to his mother, stood rooted upon hearing Inayat's words.

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This family's like a real-life soap opera, isn't it? Reminds me of one of those dramatic shows by Ekta Kapoor 😨😨😨😨😨

Hopefully, the younger generation can step in and make things less complicated. They might just be the ray of sunshine this family needs. 😄