Scrambled Tales

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"You two are thinking about divorce?"

"What's wrong with you two?"

"What were two you even thinking?"

The voices rang through the premises of Sayyed residence.
The lounge area was filled with people from both families.

Two weeks have passed since Mishkhat left.
A week since she send the divorce papers.
Three days since the elders came to know about it.

And it was utter chaos since then.

And it was all excepted for Mishkhat.
She was ready, he wasn't.

"Who's idea was it?" Umera asked, almost seething with anger, almost greeting her teeth.

"Mishkhat's." Hamza Sayyed whispered, pain was evident in his voice.

Pain concealed with frustration, anger and helplessness.

He is helpless right now.

He is tired right now.

Tried without even trying.

He just wanted to make this marriage work. But that seems like a lost dream right now.

"And why ain't I even surprised?" Nirma, Hamza's sister scoffed.

Mishkhat's head almost snapped at her but she controlled. It's not the time, yet.

"You are not doing this. Shadi ko waqt hi kitna hua hai aur abhi se rishta todne ki baat kar rahe ho?" Umera said, looking at Mishkhat, taunting her.

"Mishkhat ap bina koshish kiye hi peeche haat rahe ho." Mustafa, Mishkhat's father said after minutes of silence.

"That's what I am saying to her, Uncle. She isn't even trying to give this a chance, to give us a chance. She is walking out of it. This isn't right. That's not how relationships work out." Hamza said shaking his head.

That's not how relationships work.

"Rich coming from you." Mishkhat scoffed, for the first time in this hour she uttered something.

Hamza's eyes found hers and he withdraws them the very next second. As if it's a sin.

It is one.

He shouldn't have said that. He really shouldn't have.

For Hamza Sayyed never had any idea, how a relationship works, let alone theirs.

"Mishkhat he isn't wrong." Her father again started but Nirma cut him off.

"He is definitely wrong. But your daughter surely is. How can she just ask for a divorce, unless she is seeing someone else." And with that Mishkhat lost it.

The last thread has been broken.

Her eyes searched for his and he isn't even looking at her. Hamza Sayyed had been a coward whole his life, he still is one and will always be one.