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*February 2023*
"Meerab Ahmed binte Zaheer Ahmed, kya aap ko Murtasim Khan wald Shahnawaz Khan se ba iwaz haq meher, dou crore rupay sika e raijul waqt, nikkah qubool hai?"
The February breeze, cool and refreshing, caressed Meerab's arms as she perched on a small cream settee at the center of the stage, clad in her customized bridal dress. A weight settled in her chest, accompanied by a sinking sensation as her heart plummeted to her stomach.
"You can't escape this, Meerab. It's happening, whether you like it or not," a taunting voice echoed in her mind, its cruel claws digging deep.
Her expression hardened, and her gaze shifted to the man on the adjacent sofa. His face betrayed fear and helplessness; a quivering bottom lip and shaking leg revealed his anxiety. His eyes silently pleaded with hers before retreating, avoiding her intense stare. Time crawled as tension thickened in the air. Meerab's eyes flickered between the man beside her and the man in front, seated across the stage behind a partition of jasmine flowers.
Visible through the gaps in the floral barrier, her husband-to-be sat regally in an off-white sherwani, a matching shawl draped elegantly over his broad shoulders, and a traditional off-white turban, fit for a king, adorning his head. His hands rested calmly in his lap as he locked eyes with her through the partition, meeting her fierce gaze under her red veil. The worry on his face intensified with each passing second, eyebrows rising and head tilting forward, silently pressing her for an answer.
The haunting reminder of her inevitable reality echoed in her ears.
"I don't care if you don't want to marry him. Tumhari pasand na pasand se mujhe koi farq nahi parta. Ye shaadi hou ke rahegi aur yahi mera faisla hai, bas!"
"But-"
"ENOUGH! This topic is not up for discussion. It's not a choice, it's an order!"
A lump lodged in her throat, and tears welled up in her eyes as the harsh memory resurfaced. Yet, she resisted, determined not to display any weakness before the gathered crowd. Sensing the burden of judgmental stares and the hushed whispers saturating the air, she steeled herself. Her expression grew even more resolute as she released a profound breath, grappling for composure before finally uttering the two words that irrevocably altered the course of everyone's lives forever.
"Qubool hai"
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Aaaaanndddd with this prologue, I officially welcome you all to the world of Chess and Checkers!
As always, feedback is welcome and I cannot wait for you all to read this little piece of my heart ✨
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Chess & Checkers
FanfictionLIFE IS CHESS, NOT CHECKERS What happens when lifelong friends and business partners, Meerab Ahmed and Murtasim Khan, are forced into marriage by their families, for reasons unknown to both of them. How will this forced union affect their lives? Wil...
