Mehmal

Chapter 36

Zaryab was busy getting ready for his move, which was only a month away. The stress of relocating was already tough, and knowing that Mujtaba would be back the next day only added to his worries and Zaryab was uncertain about how to manage the situation at home.

He was overwhelmed and exhausted by the chaos of his life and felt a deep shame about facing Mehmal. She had left without a word, without a single complaint, and had taken nothing from him.

"Mehmal, you don't ask for anything from me. You give everything without saying a word," Zaryab remembered telling her. The memory of those words pierced him. "She will be my wife; either you stay or leave," he had declared, and now, those very words felt like a weight crushing his chest.

He closed his eyes, struggling to believe the pain he had caused. He had let her leave without trying to stop her or explain himself. His impatience led him to move forward with his engagement, and now he deeply regretted not stopping her.

Zaryab's heart was heavy with guilt. The thought of Mehmal suffering alone, of her never sharing her pain with him, was almost unbearable. He wondered how she managed to cope with the solitude and the betrayal.

Meanwhile, Mehmal was a wreck. She cried out during her prayers, her sobs audible to Sania outside. Hamad's news—that Zaryab and Mehmal were still legally married and that Zaryab wanted her to make a decision about the divorce—left her feeling utterly humiliated.

"Will you now add more to my suffering, Zaryab?" she thought bitterly. "At least respect what we had. I once carried your child, yet you treated me as an inconvenience while you planned your new life. I expected more from you."

She wiped her tears and completed her prayers. "Fine, Zaryab. If you want the divorce, I will give it to you."

Mehmal conveyed her decision to Emer. Despite his hesitation about being involved with a married woman, he assured her that he would wait for her in London, regardless of her decision.

When Zaryab arrived home late, Mujtaba had already been welcomed back by the family. The air was thick with unspoken tension. Zaryab and Mujtaba exchanged only formal greetings, their strained relationship evident. Zarmeena and Qureshi Sahab sat in painful silence during dinner.

Zarmeena finally broke the silence, asking Mujtaba about Sania. His response revealed the depth of Mehmal's suffering. "When I saw Sania Khalla, she was not well. Mehmal was in Palestine at the time, and Suleman allowed me to meet Sania only after several weeks. By then, she had begun to recover."

Tears welled in Zarmeena's eyes, and Zaryab felt a surge of guilt. His appetite vanished as he listened, the weight of his actions sinking in.

Mujtaba continued, his voice heavy with empathy and a hint of reproach. "I attended Uncle Sikandar's janaza. I couldn't have the courage to face Mehmal. She was devastated, grieving deeply, clinging to her fathe's feet. Her aunt struggled to manage her."

Zaryab's eyes brimmed with tears as Mujtaba recounted the events. Mujtaba's words cut deeply, serving as a painful reminder of Zaryab's failures.

"Mehmal lived alone, and Suleman forced her to join university and worked to keep herself occupied. After some time, she started to recover but then vanished unexpectedly," Mujtaba said, making Zaryab swallow hard, his throat tight with emotion.

"Later, when Suleman allowed me to meet Khalla, I waited to see Mehmal, but it wasn't the right moment. I saw her fiancé—a Turkish man, respectable and from an elite family in London. They seemed to be well-matched," Mujtaba concluded, his gaze fixed on Zaryab. The implication was clear: Mehmal had found someone worthy of her, while Zaryab was left to confront his guilt and regret.