When Falsity Becomes Verity

Chapter 1

"Baba is going to kill us" mahi muttered while hiding behind the pile of hay bales. Her hair a cluster of untamed curls , which she inherited from her mother and her eyes on her big sister. Who was busy is picking out the straws from her own hair.

"Shazi are you hearing me ?" She raised her voice an octave.
"Yes" shazi hissed. "And if you keep shouting like a mad woman I'm pretty sure Oro will hear us too".

"Well , he's not stopping until he finds you" she shrugged.
Shazi turned towards her , hands on her hips a challenge in her eyes. Her blue eyes filled with mischief.

"Well he can search all night he won't find us" she declared proudly.

"Since when do you indulge in delusions ?"
"Since forever , he won't - can't find us because I'm with the wind" she spread her arms , as much as she could while being surrounded by hay bales. 
"His blood hounds while sniff the air in which you'll float".  She said giving her elder sister a reality check.

"I don't know why he's so riled up. What's the need to unleash his dogs behind us ?" Shazi put her hand under her chin as if thinking about the answer.

That little rascal.

Even though shazi was elder than her. Sometimes Mahi felt like she was the wisest of the two. Which much to shazi's dismay she was. Shazi was energetic, spontaneous and pure. Mahi was reserved, observant and liked to avoid drama. But the latter was not possible after being the sister of  Zarvan's "jaan".

"You damn well known, you plucked his roses , not a rose , but roses" mahi emphasized her words by her hands.
She talked more with hands than words.

"You know they aren't for me , Syma wanted them and it's not like I plucked the whole garden just a few". She said while tightening her cloak around herself.

The night was getting chilly.
The moon shone brightly illuminating the tan skin of her sister face. The only  noise on the streets were of those who were walking back home.

Shazi could hear a few owls hooting very far away.

"Ok , so here's the the plan. You go home and tell Baba that I'm staying tonight with Syma. And I'll come home tomorrow".

Shazi explained her plan that was gonna save her and her sister from the wrath of her Baba and those damned bloodhounds.
"Why will you stay over at syma's place?" Mahi was concerned for her sister.

"Because you will leave through the streets in the bazaar and I'll go straight to syma's house and deliver the roses. The hounds won't come near those streets because there is too much light and noise over there". Shazi was sure her plan would work.

"But , shazi. Those streets. How can we go through them ?" Mahi was scared that people would catch Muhammad Azeem's daughter's walking through the streets of prostitutes.

"Mahi , you damn well known we don't have another option. Now shut your mouth and move. Because if those damned dogs get to us I swear I'll feed you to them" Shazi was trying to glare but her glare came out akin to a cat threatening his owner for food.
"But-" mahi continued but was immediately cut off by shazi.

"No buts , trust me on this one" shazi pushed her along the narrow street between the houses.

"You go from here and take the route through Shaan's neighborhood. There will a lot of noise over there as they're partying for his return. So you'll be safe from the hounds"
"But what if shaan sees me and asks me about you ?" Mahi expressed her thoughts.
"Tell him he's my betrothed, not my boss. I don't have to tell him where I am at all times" shazi tried to sound harsh but her voice and expression softened at the mention of shaan.
Her betrothed. Her soon to be husband.
A marriage that was arranged in the eyes of the world. But wasn't in reality.
Shaan saw shazi 2 years ago in the shops of silk which belonged to his brother in the main bazar. Or more like her saw her.  There she was picking between the blue silk that complemented her skin and the white silk which looked like it was only made for her. When her sister suggested the dark brown one. She laughed. God , how she laughed. He hadn't heard something so alluring, so captivating in ages. He could still remember the mischievous tone in which she said
"That colour is for when I become a great aunt to your kid's kids".
It's was like he had eyes only for shazi and like shazi was only made for him.
Although shazi had veil on at that time and Only her soft brown eyes were visible at that time , he couldn't help but fall head over heels.
Shaan's mother had raised him with honour and dignity. He knew to respect women.
Knew not to ogle like a street bastard even if they were strolling down the street naked or were under 7 layer of clothing.
But her eyes had captived him. Like a pool of honey. He only sank lower and deeper.
The next day Shaan's mother took a proposal to shazi's house and the rest was history.
Shazi remembered the day her father came to her to ask her about this proposal.
Shazi said she wanted to meet the potential groom first.
They meet in the room adjacent to the living room.
Her grandmother's library.
He was standing there. Tall , lean and nervous.
That was the first thing shazi noticed that he was very nervous.
Because he was constantly tapping his foot on the floor from where he sat hunched on her grandmother's old rocking chair.
He stood up when he saw her. Shazi had decided to veil Infront of him. He could only see the brown eyes.
Oh those bewitching eyes. Shazi had found his witty personality very interesting and had asked him questions like she was interviewing him to take care of her goats.
And she was very particular with her goats.
They had clicked instantly. And she had said yes after one week of thinking. Or more like just torturing him with anticipation.
Shazi was lost in her thoughts when mahi snapped her fingers infront of her.
"Hello to earth shazi , I swear to the lord if this plan doesn't work I'll feed you to the witch that lives in that haunted house"
She said trying to take advantage of her fears and scaring her .
Shazi shuddered, pulling down the hood of her cloak.
"You go now Mahi or the plan will definitely fail. Go" she said with a push.
Mahi looked behind once and stalked away.
Shazi blew out a breath and started walking towards the streets.
She never understood the hate for those Streets. Or more like it's residents. She always had the belief that the person who went there should be hated. Because you can never blame a dagger but rather the person who used it. Shazi kept her steps light and quick. Walking through the well lit cobble stone streets. Torches were illuminating the rows of houses and she could hear the music and laughs. The air reeked of stale wine and perfume. The houses had old oak doors. Some cracked and chipped with old paint that told a story of mellenails. Some men were leaning in the door way smoking a joint and scanning her body through the thick material of her cloak. They couldn't see her but she could see them because the cloak had net on its side.
It belonged to her grandmother. She tried not to get emotional at the thought of her.
But she quickly diverted her direction in a narrow alley way. She would take a different route even if it meant risking a fight with the bloodhounds. At least she wouldn't feel the stare of those bastards crawling at her skin.
She came across an intersection and before she could take the path that lead to the gardens near syma's home she heard a strange noise.
A cross between a grunt and a sob.
She stopped dead in her tracks. Her head turned 90 degrees towards the second alley dimly lit by a lone torch.  There she could make out a silhouette sitting against the wall.
Her instincts as a healer jumped in. A person in need of help. She immediately ran towards that person.
Her footsteps were the only sound around her.
When she got near the torch. She grabbed it and placed it in the torch holder against the wall the man was lying. The light illuminated his face which was streaked by tears and his face contoured in pain. But despite these factors. It took shazi's breath away.