Umeed

Chapter 20

The sky was a bruised shade of orange as Mishal stepped out of her car. The air was still, heavy with the scent of impending rain. The farmhouse stood in quiet solitude, its white walls dimmed by the fading light. For a moment, Mishal stood still, her eyes fixed on the front door. She knew this wasn’t just an ordinary evening visit. A tension hung in the air, one she could almost taste.

Shahzain's car was parked to the side, and that made her heart race. Shahzain had always been impulsive, but this... this was too much. She hurried inside, her mind racing with worry.

As soon as she pushed open the heavy wooden door, she saw Shahzain pacing in the living room, his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides, his face dark with worry. He didn't notice her at first, his steps erratic, his gaze lost in thought. The weight of whatever was plaguing him was visible in every line on his face.

Mishal crossed the threshold, her voice almost trembling as she called out to him, "Bhai... kya yeh sahi hai? Phir ek baar soch le, please." (Brother... is this right? Please think about it once more.)

Her voice broke his trance. Shahzain stopped in his tracks, turning to face her. His eyes were clouded with turmoil, the kind of storm that didn’t pass easily.

"I've thought it through, Mishal," he said, his voice low but resolute, though it cracked slightly. "She’s stubborn. Noor wants to leave for London in two days, and this is the only way to stop her."

Mishal’s heart sank. "But bhai... to force her into a nikkah? Threaten her like this? What are you thinking?" She took a step closer, her eyes wide with disbelief. "This isn’t right."

Shahzain’s expression hardened, but there was pain lurking behind it. "She won’t listen. None of us can get through to her. She’s made up her mind to go, and if she leaves, she won’t come back. If I ask her to marry me, she’ll just walk away." His voice lowered into a near whisper, "This is the only way."

Mishal’s breath hitched. Her mind spun with everything Shahzain had said. Noor was stubborn, yes, but Noor wasn’t someone to be caged. This wasn’t love; this was desperation. And Shahzain’s desperation was threatening to ruin everything.

"Where is she?" Mishal asked, her voice barely audible. "Noor kaha hai, bhai? Please, I hope you know what you're doing. Don't hurt her any more than she already is." (Where is Noor, brother?)

Shahzain looked away, his jaw tightening. "She’s upstairs... I’ve locked her in the room." He sounded regretful, but there was a flicker of cold determination in his eyes that made Mishal shiver. "I’ll take care of Noor... and Ayaan. I know what I’m doing."

Mishal stared at him for a long moment, her mind swirling with thoughts. But there was no time to argue. She had to see Noor. She nodded numbly and made her way toward the stairs, silently praying that this madness wouldn’t end in disaster.

The soft thud of Mishal’s footsteps echoed as she ascended the staircase, her heart beating faster with every step. The hallway was dim, the silence around her almost suffocating. When she reached the door Shahzain had mentioned, she hesitated for a moment before slowly turning the knob and pushing it open.

Inside, Noor sat curled up in the corner of the bed, her face buried in her knees. She was crying softly, her body trembling with each sob that escaped her. The sight of her like this made Mishal’s heart break.

"Noor..." Mishal whispered as she hurried over, pulling Noor into her arms. Noor melted into her embrace, sobbing harder now, her frail body shaking.

"Please," Noor begged, her voice hoarse from crying. "Please, Mishal, give me your phone. I’ll call Azaan bhai. There’s been a misunderstanding, he can solve this. He’ll make Shahzain stop." Her words came out in a rush, her desperation palpable.