Nikkah

15

"I asked you a question. What is the connection between..." He was silenced by the sound of a siren.

"Why are police in the house?" He suspected she had a hand since she mentioned her parents's deaths. Without answering him, she left the room while he followed, and the entire family reached the hall together. She proceeded to unlock the front door, and the officers went in.

"Why...." Aryaan wanted to ask why the police were there.

"Just stay quiet for a few minutes." Her voice came out harsh, but she quickly cleared her throat and inhaled a breath, and it softened. "Please!" she added, a little softer.

"Please arrest him," she then commanded.

"Arrest the old man." The inspector mandated, and as his men went towards his father and made him wear cuffs, Sanam posed,

"What? What has our father done?" She stood before Zoya, who refused to meet her gaze because she didn't want anyone to change her mind about having the person who killed her parents arrested.

"I'm asking you a question, Zoya. Why will they take Father?" She flinched at her unexpected roar and matched her eyes, which were building tears.

"Zoya, we didn't discuss this. You told me you'd forgiven everyone." Her eyes moved towards Ahil, who spoke unhappily.

"Inspector, take him away. What are you still waiting for?" She mumbled while Aryaan continued to be a silent spectator, too shocked to speak up because he didn't want to believe what his eyes were seeing—that his Zoya wanted to have his father arrested—the man who was the reason they met each other.

"Zoya, my child!" His mom went to her in a miserable state as she was crying, but Zoya dodged to look in her face. She lowered her head and stuck her eyes against the floor.

"Zoya, if you're upset with your husband's father, don't share it with the public. We'll resolve it without any"

"Inspector, take that man away immediately," she exclaimed, her eyes glancing briefly at her mother-in-law, who was crying, before she walked away and hid behind a pillar, also letting the tears she had been holding free.

She recalled what she discussed with Ahil on their way home.
FB
"Do you think my decision to marry your brother is right? He left me with you on our wedding day." She exempted herself from her thoughts after moments of awkward silence passed between them. Ahil, who was already lost in thoughts, couldn't hear her.

"Ahil!" Her breath hitched and stuck in her lungs, and her heart exploded into a thousand pieces from fear after he pressed the break quickly and unexpectedly in the middle of nowhere, which made the car jerk.

"Zoya, I've betrayed you. I've cheated you because I hid the truth even after knowing it. I don't know how I'll look into your eyes again after I finish what I'll say. I don't know if you'll ever forgive me. Some months back after you left," he paused, provoking many thoughts in her head on what he learned. He released a few tears while she stared at him quietly, her blood on her finger, thinking of what it was that even caused him to cry when crying for men in public is a big deal.

"When Aryaan went to a wedding in Agra, I overheard Mum and Dad discussing how your parents died."

Her heart skipped a beat at the mention of them. "How did they die?" she quickly questioned.

"Father's car hit their tricycle. His car killed them. I've been wanting to say this for a long time. I'm sorry."

She chuckled while having tears in her eyes at the bigger picture she saw—that he planned for her to meet Aryaan just to erase his sin. Her heart was deeply hurt, of course, because she considered him her uncle and father figure. But, hearing what his son just told her, she considered him nothing except her parent's killer.

"When I arrived at the location where my parents died, I didn't see your father. He killed them and ran away. Had he wanted, he could have saved them by rushing them to the hospital. Due to fear of getting arrested, he killed my source of joy. He could have saved them. He knew at that moment that every minute was crucial, but like a coward, he ran away." She opened the car's door with force and went out.

"Where are you going?" he asked, going after her.

"I won't go to a murderer's house. Not the person who murdered my parents. My friend's father is an inspector here. I'll make sure I get my parents the justice they deserve." She uttered, walking quickly so that he would lose her, as she didn't even want to look at him at the moment because he was the son of the man who killed her parents.

"No Zoya. You're sensible. It was only an accident. Please don't punish him. I told you the truth to get rid of the guilt eating me all this while, not so that you can have him arrested."

When he didn't see her stop or have any intention to, he pressed,

"Think of what Aryaan will go through if you arrest him. Moreover, you married him today. Don't ruin your relationship before it starts. Please Zoya!" He bypassed her and kneeled before her.

"What are you doing? Get up! Others will think you're proposing to me when I'm already married," she whispered, looking at the people around them that were already looking.

"I beg of you, Zoya, not to go to the police. Forgive my whole family. Father is already old. Going to jail will have a bad impact on his mind. It will affect him mentally. Please forgive us." He unfurled his hands and begged like those people who ask for alms.

She let out a long sigh and nodded, only because she didn't want to gather unnecessary attention at them.

"Okay! Let's go. I forgive everyone."
FB ends.

She covered her trembling lips with her hand so that no one could hear her cry.

••••

"Inspect....." Aryaan tried to reason with him for the umpteenth time to let his father out on bail.

"Look, sir!" he said, looking up from the file he was checking. "We can't do anything. Unless the person who registered the complaint withdraws it, he can't be granted bail. If you can convince her to change her mind within a week, do so, or else he'll have to stay here forever after the court's verdict. He won't get away with a murder case once it is forwarded to court."

"Murder case?" He couldn't believe what he heard.

"Yes. Years ago, your father hit a tricycle, which resulted in two people's deaths. Instead of saving them while they were still alive, he ran away. The investigation will go on for a week. You have time to withdraw the case before it is taken to court because, after it does, you won't be able to do anything."

"But can I meet him?"

"No. You can't meet the accused in a murder case unless you're a lawyer."

••••

"Zoya!" Aryaan screamed her name as he entered his room, furious that she had made a decision without confronting him.

"Aryaan!" Her lips strew into a small smile that couldn't reach her eyes because, deep down, she was not having the peace of mind she wanted even after arresting the person who killed her parents.

She stood up, approached him, and wanted to hug him, though he stood like a statue, his heart flaming every second more with anger. As she leaned in, he roughly grabbed her hand and snarled,

"You registered a murder case. Who told you your parents died due to my father?"

She matched his feisty eyes and sighed, overlooking his behaviour and understanding he was angry, which was his right after he shouted at her face.

"We got married today. It is a happy occasion, so let's celebrate. Do you know there is a game I used to play when I was little on my laptop? When the couple gets married, they climb on the bed," she paused, blowing out her cheeks with the air in her mouth for her to seem normal around him. She cleared her throat and continued. "Where was I? When they get married, they'll climb on the bed and jump. After the jump, you'll see a baby appear. They make babies by jumping. We also got married today. We'll make babies like them, won't we?"

"How was my father responsible for your parent's death?" He cared less about what she said because he was extremely enraged at her for getting his father arrested, whom he loved most out of everyone in the world.

She narrated what Ahil told her and quietly exited the room after making him shocked. As she reached the living room, she encountered everyone looking gloomy, so she tried to cheer them up as she said,

"Come on. It's my wedding, not a funeral. Smile." She smiled, setting an example while Aryaan's mom got up and went over to her.

"We're sorry. He's sorry. Pity his age. He's an old man. He'll suffocate there." She burst into tears while holding her hand gently.

"I also cried when I saw my parents's lifeless bodies. Only my aunt was there to console me. I don't remember your husband coming to pay his respects for the people he killed. He deserves whatever is coming his way. I don't regret my decision one bit, nor will any of your tears melt my heart. For this matter, I'm ready to become stone-hearted until that man is punished." She pointed, not seeing any reason to filter what was in her heart since they're now a family that should know everything about her feelings.

Aryaan shook his head in disbelief, unable to believe it was indeed his Zoya talking, not someone else as he watched them from the window upstairs.

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