Dhaagey: The Ties that Bind Us

25. a not so useless man

The low murmur of voices filled the room as Murtasim's eyes followed his mother. Maa Begum moved with an air of anger that was uncharacteristic of her usual demeanor. Her every action was punctuated by an exasperated huff.

"I WANT TO KILL THAT MAN SOMETIMES." She exclaimed, allowing herself to sink into the plush couch. Murtasim had never seen his mother as angry with Anwar as she was right then, although she always lamented his actions and disregard for Meerab, it was never with an explosive anger.

He watched as his mother sighed, her eyes softened as she looked over at Meerab, almost as if she was about to cry. "It was such a special day for my bache."

Murtasim couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment at the words. They had just gotten engaged and instead of the joyful celebration he had envisioned, they were mired in conflict. His heart ached for Meerab. She looked vulnerable, a stark contrast to the joy that had radiated from her only hours before.

"Come here, meri bachi." Maa Begum coaxed Meerab gently, her arms reaching out invitingly. The sight of his mother comforting Meerab brought a small smile to Murtasim's face, it always did, sometimes he was sure that his mother loved Meerab more than she loved him, and he didn't want it any other way.

As Meerab went to Maa Begum, her hand briefly brushed against his, the diamond ring on her finger gleaming under the soft light, a new addition to her being that made him smile despite the circumstances. Meerab was his fiancée, she wore a ring that told the world that.

His mother took Meerab's hand in hers, her gaze fixed on the ring. She let out a sigh, a mixture of joy and worry. "Nazar lag gayi hai tum dono ko, shayad meri hi." She murmured, the age-old superstition of the evil eye tinting her words. "Nazar utar leni chahiye." She murmured, more to herself than to them.

She called out, her commanding voice echoing through the corridors. "Feena, go and bring seven small green chillies and some salt. Quickly!" Feena scurried off at the order.

While they waited, Maa Begum seemed lost in thought, murmuring under her breath prayers and snippets of verses from the Quran. No one dared to interrupt her, even as Meerab gave him an exasperated look, she wasn't one to believe in such superstitions, but they ran deep in feudal families. When Feena returned with the required items, Maa Begum took them without a word. She instructed Meerab and Murtasim to stand side by side, their bodies close but not touching.

Maa Begum began the ritual, her movements smooth and practiced from years of repetition. She held the chillies and salt in her right hand, moving them in an anti-clockwise direction around Meerab and Murtasim's bodies, starting from the head and moving down to the feet. She did this seven times, her lips continuously moving as she recited, her voice a soothing rhythm in the still room.

Once she completed the circle for the seventh time, she tossed the chillies and salt into a small metal dish held by Feena. "Go burn these outside." She instructed the servant, who nodded and hurried away.

Maa Begum took a deep breath, relief evident on her face. "That should do it." She said as she sat back down.

Murtasim moved closer to Meerab as they too sat, capturing Meerab's left hand with his. Her fingers fit perfectly between his, their connection grounding him. As he toyed with her ring, his mind replayed the events that had unfolded. "What happened, Maa?" He asked, unable to keep the worry from his voice. He had never seen his uncle take a stand for anything in his life, so his insistence that Meerab not marry him, even though everyone knew it had been decided years ago, made no sense to him.

His mother narrated the sequence of events, from the innocent discussion about the engagement to the explosive confrontation. "Nothing really, we were setting all of this up when he came and asked what we were up to. So, I told him and then he made a big deal of not being kept in the loop, and not being asked for permission like we all didn't know this was happening since you were children. One thing led to another...and you know the rest." She sighed.