He could believe in himself that he was committed to prayers, yet he still feared he would lose his grip. He wanted to keep himself so busy that he wouldn't have to think about anything.
It was raining outside, and Zaryab was lost in thoughts of Mehmal. "How long have I been calling you?" Zarmina said, shaking his shoulders.
"If you go there now, we'll be alone," she added. "Zaryab, I don't think Mehmal will come back. Please don't take her to court. She's your wife and my niece. Don't make me more ashamed in front of Sania. Just talk to her, and if she doesn't agree, then let her go. She deserves better in-laws. If I had known you'd do all this, I'd never have let you marry her." Zarmina stirred the tea, placed it in front of Zaryab, then poured herself a cup and added sugar.
"Hamad has sent a wedding card. The wedding is in two weeks. I'm worried about Mujtaba," she said. Zaryab took the cup and replied, "I understand he's in the same state as I am. If I'm still here, we'll go to the wedding, but you and Baba should go and fulfill your responsibilities." He took a sip just as Mujtaba walked in, greeting them.
"Assalam-o-Alaikum," Mujtaba said. Zaryab just nodded, while Zarmina smiled and handed Mujtaba a teacup, pouring herself more tea.
"I went to Tayi Ami's house to offer condolences," Mujtaba said, and Zarmina nodded.
"I'm surprised Zaryab's new wife is already forming alliances in the family," Mujtaba added, sipping his tea. "Mujtaba, please stop. Can we not sit in peace?" Zarmina said. Zaryab, though not offended, was confused.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked Mujtaba.
"I went to Tayi Ami's house. Your soon-to-be bride was there. I was shocked and didn't greet her, so I left without answering her greetings," Mujtaba replied, shocking both Zarmina and Zaryab.
Seeing their reactions, Mujtaba put down his cup. "What are you staring at? Your bride-to-be is already working on how to be a perfect bahu. She's playing typical games, aligning with Baba's side because she knows Mehmal left. Thank God Mehmal got out of this mess. I don't know what you saw in her, but one thing's for sure, Zaryab—you deserve someone like her, not a woman like Mehmal. She's lucky to be out of this family."
Zaryab's anger flared. "She's still my wife, and we're not divorced yet!" he yelled at Mujtaba. His expression turned cold. "I've called off the wedding. I want nothing to do with her anymore. Don't call her my bride. My bride is Mehmal. She's my wife, the mother of my child, and the one I love," he said furiously.
"Anaya meant so much to you that you ignored everything else—your home, your wife, your child, your siblings. You destroyed your own house. I warned you the consequences wouldn't be good. You did so much for her that you became a sinner, and in the end, you didn't even marry her," Mujtaba said, shaking his head. "She was something, wasn't she?" he added.
"That madness is over. Mehmal needs to get over it too," Zaryab said.
"Quiet, both of you," Zarmina interjected. Both brothers looked at their mother as she continued, "Zaryab, Mujtaba is right. Why was she there? Didn't you tell her and her father that you don't want to marry her and that you want to reconcile with your wife?" Zaryab, realizing the seriousness of the situation, stopped arguing with Mujtaba and started focusing on why Anaya had shown up at his uncle's house.
"Did they clear things up? The chances of Mehmal finding out are slim. Someone must have given Anaya the courage to do this, but who?" Mujtaba said, earning a sharp look from Zaryab.
"Mujtaba is right, Zaryab. She went there with someone's support, and she couldn't have done that without yours," Zarmina added, pressing Zaryab for an answer.
YOU ARE READING
Mehmal
Romance"I'm taking another wife." Mehmal's heart shattere. Zaryab insisted that he still loved her and that he would treat them both equally. However, Mehmal was adamant: "I don't want this," she replied. Zaryab, holding both of her hands, insisted that h...
