Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha

Ch. 21: Spiders

Alizey's P.O.V.
I pulled up onto my parents' driveway and shot Fawad a quick text that I was visiting them and not to wait for me. I wanted my visit to Rangila Aunty's to stay between her and I, so I wasn't going to tell him about it.

Fawad began calling me in response, but Mama opened the front door, ushering me in with an expression of distress. I left my phone in the car and got out, walking over to her quickly.

"Mohabbat sab kuch nahin hoti, Amaira," Papa asserted. He spotted me after Mama closed the door, addressing me, "Lo. Yeh bhi aa gayi. Zindagi mein toh kabhi sahi kaam nahin kiya, kam se kam issey sahi raah dikhado."
(Love isn't everything. Look. She's come as well. You've never done the right thing in life, at least show her the right path)

Amaira Api was stood across from our father in the living room.

"Mere liye mohabbat mayine rakhti hai. Main bina mohabbat ki shaadi nibha nahin sakti. Mere bhi jazbaat hai. Insaan hoon-"
(Love matters for me. I can't uphold a loveless marriage. I have feelings too. I am a human-)

"Api," I widened my eyes at her, signaling her to stay calm.

Her shoulders deflated slightly, shifting her gaze.

"Kaafir hai woh. Sharaab, pork khaane-peenewale khandaan se hai."
(He's a disbeliever. He hails from a family that drinks and eats pork)

"Chhod dega woh sab. Shahadah lene ke liye tayaar hai."
(He'll leave all that. He's ready to declare his faith in Islam)

"Toh karta kyun nahin hai? Tumhare uske saath kya lena dena? Imaan nahin toh kuch nahin."
(Then why doesn't he? What does it have to do with you? If there's no belief, then there's nothing)

"Shayad apne aap hi karlega woh-"
(Maybe he will do it on his own-)

"'Shayad' se kuch nahin hota. Karke dikhana padta hai. Hum mein kya kami reh gaye thi, Amaira? Hamare parvarish mein kya kami reh gayi? Tum hamare pehli aulaad ho. Sab se zyaada waqt tumhe di gayi hai, toh phir aise nadaani, aise sahi raaste se kaise hatt gayi tum?" Papa expressed with disappointment.
('Maybe' means nothing. You have to show it with your actions. Where did we fall short, Amaira? What lacked in our upbringing? You are our first child. You were given the most time/attention, then how were you so naive, how did you stray from the correct path?)

Api's eyes watered from frustration, her voice mostly steady, "I'm trying to do the right thing, Papa. It would be unfair to Sarfaraz-"

"What's wrong with him? Huh?! He comes from a good Muslim Pakistani family, he earns well, you two will have your own house after marriage-"

"There's nothing wrong with him, but I just don't like him like that-"

Papa sighed with irritation. "Connections like that take time. It's not instant like you see in films, Amaira. I resolved things with Siraj Bhai with great difficulty, now I have to deal with Sarfaraz's family?! You didn't think about that once? I should spend my time doing this?! At my age? At my age I should be going around asking families for forgiveness for the foolishness of my daughters?!"

"No. I don't want that. But isn't it better for me to have ended the engagement than Sarfaraz and I having divorced later?"

"You two wouldn't have divorced. Have you seen anyone in our family get a divorce before? Marriage is about compromise." Papa's gaze then bounced from Api to me then back to her, "Your guys' generation does not understand the seriousness of marriage. You all think that love is enough, that love is all it takes to make a marriage work. No. It's not important. You have to be practical-"