ISHQ, EK IBADAT | (Completed)

Episode - 03

After dinner, as Azka entered Amreen's room, she was met with the heartbreaking sight of her daughter crumpled on the prayer mat, her body shaking with sobs. Azka's voice was barely above a whisper as she tried to comfort her, her words dripping with empathy. "My love, my doll, don't worry. I won't let anything wrong happen. I'll talk to him myself and explain."

Amreen's tears flowed like a river, her voice cracking with desperation as she poured out her heart. "Ammi, how can Papa do this to me? I still want to study, I want to become something in my life. How can he take that away from me? Ammi, my life will be ruined. I won't do this marriage. I'll die but I won't." Her words hung in the air, a poignant reminder of the fragility of her dreams.

Azka's expression transformed, her eyes blazing with a fierce determination as she wiped away her own tears. "I will not let my daughter be sacrificed to his greed. Never." She rose from the floor, her movements swift and purposeful, as she marched towards her husband, leaving Amreen's pleas to stop her fading behind.

The air was electric with tension as Azka confronted Sohail, her voice low and even, but laced with a steely resolve. "This marriage cannot happen." The words hung between them, a challenge, a promise, and a testament to the unbreakable bond between a mother and her daughter.

Sohail's gaze pierced through Azka, his eyes cold and unyielding. She stood tall, despite her trembling body, her voice shaking with a mix of fear and defiance. Behind her, Amreen's presence loomed, a silent witness to the unfolding drama.

Sohail's words cut deep, his tone dripping with disdain. "Do you think it makes any difference to me whether you approve or not?" The question hung in the air, a cruel reminder of his disregard for Azka's feelings.

Azka's voice cracked as she tried to reason with him. "But you can't do that. This is Amreen's life... she has every right to live..." Her words were cut short by the stinging slap on her cheek, leaving her breathless and stunned.

Sohail's anger was palpable, his face twisted in a snarl. "Lower your voice. Who are you to tell me what's right and wrong for her? I'm her father, and my right is the highest." His words were laced with venom, his selfishness and arrogance on full display.

Azka's eyes welled up with tears as she stood her ground, her voice barely above a whisper. "In your selfishness, you've ruined everything given to me by my Baba... and now you'll use your daughter for profit. Absolutely not, I'll never let this happen. I'm telling you, Amreen will leave soon. She won't do anything that you want for your profit." Her words were a desperate plea, a mother's cry to protect her child from the cruelty of her father's ambitions.

Sohail's fury erupted, his face red with rage. He grabbed Azka by her hair, his grip like a vice, and threw her to the ground. Azka's body crumpled, her voice shaking with defiance. "You can do whatever you want, but I won't let it happen. Never."

Sohail's eyes blazed with cruelty as he retrieved his belt from the cupboard. He folded it in half, the leather creaking ominously, and began to beat Azka with merciless precision. Azka's cries echoed through the room, her body writhing in agony.

Amreen rushed to her mother's side, pleading with her father to stop. "Father, please! Forgive me, it was a mistake! Abbu, please!" But Sohail's grip was unyielding, his anger consuming him. He pushed Amreen away, his eyes flashing with warning.

Azka's begging grew weaker, her voice hoarse from screaming. Sohail showed no mercy, his belt rising and falling with a relentless rhythm.

In a desperate bid to save her mother, Amreen surrendered. "Abbu, I'll do this niqaah. I'm ready for this marriage. Please, leave my ammi alone. I'll do as you say, but please, have mercy on us." Her words hung in the air, a heart-wrenching plea to a father who seemed to have lost all humanity.