Past sixty two hours were mentally, physically and emotionally exhausting for Edah. But what she witnessed in Mannat Mansion made her realize that the actual tragedy was yet to unfold.

“How could you do this?” The woman screamed at Edah’s husband, slapping him back and forth. He stood fixed on his spot, hanging his head down. Edah curled the edges of her bridal dupatta in sheer fear.

Her eyes ran from her husband to the girl who was dressed identical to her, just her lehenga was very expensive. It was silver in color, matching the tears in her eyes. Her henna was also deep in shade, just like Edah’s….

Alas! Both of them weren’t married to the men whose name they had written in their palms.

“I am ashamed of you, begairat.” Her gaze flitted to the man who growled. He was an inch taller than Haaris and was looking into his eyes, murderous. “I wish you weren’t my son.”

“All because someone came and told shit about me,” Haaris retaliated for the first time and craned his neck to glare at her. She immediately looked down, burning from the heat of his wrath. He gritted his teeth so hard that she was sure she heard a molar cracking. “This bitch is lying.”

Edah winced mutely and closed her eyes, dreading if he’d come and slap her. She even heard footsteps moving around her and she got more scared, fearing the consequences.

Haaris was screaming now, “I haven’t even touched this girl. Look at her! And look at me, for God’s sake. Her family forced her on me, and she fucking helped them. I didn’t do any such thing.”

“So you are saying you will not accept her?” Shahab growled behind her and she flinched when he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, protectively. She had forced Shahab to leave but he was adamant.

“I will keep my promise, but let me take you to your destination safely.” He had proclaimed, sitting beside her in the cab. Somewhere, Edah was glad that he didn’t give up. She came back in the present when their argument heated, “Is that why you left her at the airport so that you can come here and marry another girl?”

“Yes. I don’t give a shit about you and this thing.” Haaris waved a hand at her, disgustingly. “I’m not a lesser man but I will never accept someone else’s leftovers.” He spoke with such cruelty that Edah had to bite her lip to curb her sobs.

Leftovers!

That’s how he saw her, after ruining her life. She spared a quick, accusing look at him and realised too soon that his eyes were void, free from the sense of guilt. She turned her gaze away. She couldn’t look at him.

How was she going to spend her entire life with him?

Maybe this was for the best! She had asked Allah for a hint – his guidance – and HE was giving her one. She could look after herself. She would learn to do that. She wouldn’t wreck her life for a criminal, and if she got the guts someday, maybe she would…

“Haaris!! Allah! Leave him.” A screech tore her reverie and she gasped at the scene in front of her eyes. Haaris and Shahab were locked in a tough fight on the floor. Two younger men were wrenching them off each other.

The woman who was slapping Haaris had collapsed on the couch; a teenage girl trying to wake her up and another woman, a little older, was hugging the bride. Edah noticed that only two men were unshaken.

“Enough!” One of them finally stood up from his seat and glared at both Shahab and Haaris. “What do you both think you're doing? It’s my home.” He thundered at them. “You can do this awarapan outside.”

“Then please ask your nephew to take responsibility for what he has done. I won’t sit quietly and watch him walk all over my family’s prestige.” Shahab turned to the older man furiously.

Edah whitened like a ghost when the quiet boy moved fast and pushed Shahab in the wall, grabbing his collar, “You talk like that to my father one more time, and I will make sure your family has one more thing to cry about!”

“Please leave him!” Edah pleaded in a small voice, rushing to him. He didn’t glance at her but shoved Shahab aside and moved back to his father. Shahab staggered back and glared at the man, wiping the blood off his lip.

Tears finally rolled down her eyes. She hiccuped, passing him a handkerchief. Her eyes moved over Shahab and she sniffled more. It was a bad idea. How could she even think that her husband would accept her?

He had already made a great show in Muzaffarpur when the marriage was announced. She should’ve understood that he might have commitments. He might have a love interest. On cue, her eyes flitted to the girl who was staring at her with accusing eyes.

More tears!

She turned her face away and hid herself in Shahab’s shadow, “Let’s go!”

“Go where?” He scowled at her and she pressed her eyes close in pain, “Anywhere. Just… let’s leave from here. I don’t…”

“No!” He denied, arguably. “Until this man accepts to fulfill his duties as a faithful husband to you, I'm not going anywhere!”

“Wait forever, gentleman, because it will never happen.” Haaris scoffed with a mocking laugh, “I would rather chew on a dog’s bone than accept this girl as my wife.”

‘Then why did you have to ruin me?’ Edah wanted to scream at him, lunge and probably cause some damage to his proud face, but… she only hoped for the earth to split up and swallow her.

“Get your mouth zipped right now, Haaris Khan!” An old woman gritted her teeth and left her seat, the crown chair before she waddled to Haaris. “I am already ashamed of you. Don’t you make me question whether you really belong to this family?”

“Dadoo!” Haaris sounded despondent. She ignored him and squinted at Edah, making the girl feel self-conscious. At which, Shahab slipped an arm around her shoulder and Edah hesitated away from his touch.

“What’s your name?” Edah raised her head at the question and swallowed a thick lump, speaking softly. “Edah.”

“Did you really mean what you said about my grandson?”

Edah dropped her gaze and nodded a yes. She could hear the exasperated sigh from Haaris. She didn’t know why he was angry about it. She was already married to him. He had to repent his crime, then why was he denying the blame?

“And you are married to him?” The lady asked after a moment of pause. Edah gave another mute consent. She was expecting more questions but the lady came over to her and brushed a hand over her head, lovingly. “Then you have nothing to worry about. He will do what you want. He will accept you and this marriage!”

“Dadoo!” The bride spoke up, shakily. The woman didn’t spare her a glance. She held Edah’s tiny palm and turned to face Haaris. “If you don’t want her, you should object before you marry her. She is your wife and I accept her as my daughter-in-law.”

“You can’t do this to me, Dadoo. I will not…” Haaris shook with anger. “You can not do this to me.”

“Aapi!” A young girl shrieked, holding the bride who nearly fainted. Edah felt her heart squeezing for that girl. She had suffered that pain. She had been in her place.

She wanted to go and soothe the girl but her life was already in havoc. The older woman continued as if nothing happened. “We need to hold a Walima for Edah and Haaris.”

“I don’t accept this. Are you listening to me?” Haaris kicked a table. Another gasp. Another fit of tears. He rushed to the old lady and Edah finally stole a look at him. He was… tormented. If it wasn’t her own eyes, she might think he wasn’t the man who…

She looked away, not wanting to think about it. Haaris knelt with tears in his eyes and pleaded his grandmother. “I swear, Dadoo. I don’t even know this girl. I have not…”

“Look in her eyes, Haaris!” The lady spoke, hotly. “Look in her eyes and tell me if you find lies. She can barely stand without shaking and she is trying to trap you? She is not lying. I am sure of it.”

Edah stared at her in gratitude, her sobs betraying her once again. Haaris didn’t look at her, turned his face and clenched his jaw. He sniffed and got up, shaking his head. “I don’t care. I’ll not accept her.”

He finally looked at her, and what Edah saw in his eyes made her feel dirty. The more he stared at her, the more she feared the aftermath of her marriage. She knew that he would take it out on her.

“Even when I am drunk, I will never force myself on a girl,” Haaris spoke, gritting his teeth. “And then a girl like her! Never. I won’t even piss at her, leave alone ....”

A tight slap quietened him and Edah felt her head spinning. Haaris’s father grabbed his collars and shook him. “A word out of your mouth and I will you with my bare hands.”

“Chacha, calm down!” The guy who had warned Shahab spoke, distancing the man from Haaris. He made the older man relax on the couch and rubbed a hand on his jaw, “Guests will start coming over any minute. We need to think of how to pose things in front of the media. All these things can wait.”

“I have decided.” The lady spoke in a calm voice, still holding Edah’s palm and glanced at her granddaughter on the couch. “Things will happen how they were originally planned.”