Chess & Checkers

22. Finally Falling

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It was a warm, sunny morning in Hyderabad, but the heat inside the Khan household was far more intense, simmering ever since Shahnawaz Khan's unexpected return the night before. His abrupt arrival had left an air of unease that lingered in every corner of the house ever since.

As Salma Begum and her husband sat at the dining table for breakfast, she couldn't hold back her growing concern any longer. "Shahnawaz, kya baat hai, mujhe kuch tou batayein. Aap kal yun achanak se, kisi ko bataye baghair wapis kyun agaye? Sab khairiyat tou hai na?" Her voice filled with curiosity and concern, her eyes searching his for answers that his silence refused to offer.

Shahnawaz's expression darkened, and without meeting her gaze, he snapped, "Ye tum apni bahu se poocho."

Salma Begum's heart skipped a beat as confusion clouded her face. "Meerab ne kuch kaha hai aap se?" she asked, her voice laced with disbelief. The very idea seemed absurd, almost laughable.

Meerab misbehaving with Shahnawaz? That was unthinkable...almost.

The thought seemed almost unimaginable for it wasn't a secret that ever since her world had come crashing down when she was just ten years old, more than her own father, Shahnawaz had been the father figure she reached out to when she needed some fatherly advice or support. How could there suddenly be a rift between them? The once warm morning suddenly felt cold now.

Shahnawaz didn't respond right away. Instead, he set his cutlery down with a loud, deliberate clank, the sound echoing through the silent dining room. "Meerab ko lagaam daalo, Salma Begum! Uss ko uss ki hadd yaad dilao, iss se pehle ke woh hum sab ke saron pe naachti phire," he spat, his voice trembling with frustration, each word cutting through the air like a blade.

"Tumhare bete ne kuch ziada hi azaadi de rakhi hai usse." His anger simmered, barely contained, his annoyance spilling over in every syllable.

His response only served to deepen his wife's confusion, the creases on her forehead growing more pronounced as she tried to understand what could have possibly triggered such a reaction from him. What had Meerab done? Or was it something she said? What could have happened between them to cause this outburst from Shahnawaz?

"Aap kuch batayein tou sahi hua kya hai! Jab se aap aaye hain aap ka mood kharab hai, kal se ghusse mei hain, aakhir pata tou lage baat kya hai," she urged, pushing for a more clearer answer.

Shahnawaz hesitated to answer for a moment, conflicting thoughts swirling in his mind. He wasn't ready—perhaps not even willing—to reveal the true reason behind his frustration. His carefully laid plans for getting Meerab and Murtasim married weighed heavily on him, but deep down, he knew that if his wife ever caught wind of his intentions, she would never stand by him. whatever differences may have existed between her and Meerab, it was no secret to anyone that Salma Begum had raised and accepted Meerab as her own. So instead he just cleared his throat and pushed his chair back, the sound grating against the tension in the room.

"Meerab se hi poocho kya hua hai!" He snapped, knowing his wife would ask Meerab eventually as to what had happened but she wouldn't approach the atter head-on. That was not her way. And he was counting on Meerab's tendency to avoid conflict and not tell his wife exactly what had transpired.

"Maryam ki tarhan aziz hai na tumhe woh?" Shahnawaz's voice dripped with sarcasm, "Tou usse Maryam ki tarhan baron se baat karne ki tameez bhi sikhao! Warna yeh na ho ke kal ko Maryam bhi ussi ki zubaan bolne lage," he spat out angrily, standing up with a rigid posture, signaling the conversation was over.

Without another word, he announced he was leaving for the office, and with a swift turn, stormed out of the dining room, not sparing his wife a single glance. The grand door slammed shut behind him, leaving Salma Begum rooted to her seat, her mind spinning with confusion and growing concern. What had happened to provoke this level of anger in him? She couldn't remember the last time she had seen Shahnawaz this rattled, this distant.