Umeed

Chapter 32

As Faris, Shahzain, and Noor reached home, the atmosphere was thick with unspoken words and heavy hearts. Faris sensed the tension crackling between them, a storm brewing just beneath the surface. Quietly, he slipped out of the living room. The door clicked shut behind him, creating a sense of intimacy that felt both comforting and suffocating.

Shahzain stood by the window, his gaze fixed on the darkness outside, his heart heavy with the weight of unspoken fears and regrets. He turned to Noor, her expression a mixture of anger and hurt. Taking a step toward her, he gently held her arm, his touch both a plea and a question.

"Kya itni khafa ho mujhse ki mujhpe aitbaar bhi nahi hai tumhe, Noor?" (Are you so angry with me that you don’t even have faith in me, Noor?) His voice was laced with pain, vulnerability hanging heavily in the air between them.

Noor’s silence spoke volumes. Her eyes were stormy, filled with conflicting emotions she struggled to articulate. The tension in the room was thick, almost suffocating.

"Kyun, Noor?" (Why, Noor?) Shahzain pressed on, his voice softer now. "Main maanta hoon maine tumse zabardasti nikkah kiya, lekin kabhi tumhe nahi chhua, na hi kabhi misbehave kiya. Phir kyun? Aaj jab woh ladki mujhpe ilzaam laga rahi thi, tumne uss ilzaam ko jhutlaya kyun nahi?"
(I admit I forced this nikkah on you, but I never touched you, nor did I ever misbehave with you. Then why? Today, when that girl was accusing me, why didn’t you deny her accusations?)

Noor’s silence was deafening, her lack of response piercing him deeper than any words could. The hurt in Shahzain’s eyes only added to her frustration.

"Kya kyun, haan?" (Why? What happened?) she finally burst out, her voice trembling with raw emotion. "Aapne bhi mere character par ungli uthayi thi na. Tab toh aapne meri baat nahi suni thi. Toh main aapko kyun defend karoon?"
(You also pointed fingers at my character, didn’t you? Back then, you didn’t listen to me. So why should I defend you now?)

Her words echoed in the room, filled with the pain she had carried for far too long—
the pain of the situations she had endured, the pain of people talking about her, and the pain she had felt for four years.

"Wasn't I respectful? Never misbehaved?" Shahzain's voice was tinged with desperation. "Then couldn't you support me at that moment when I needed you?"

"I don't support someone when I have doubt," Noor shot back, her tone fierce. "What was the proof that you didn't misbehave?"

Shahzain was momentarily stunned by her words. The vulnerability that had crept into his expression turned into disbelief.

"Tum aisa kaise soch sakti ho, Noor?" (How can you think like that, Noor?)

"Why can't I think like that?" Noor shot back, her voice trembling with fury. "She had proof—maybe you did misbehave. You loved Rania, didn’t you? Or was that not love, but lust? Now that Rania is gone, it’s me, isn’t it?" Each accusation felt like a knife, cutting through the remnants of their shared past.

"Noor, tum pagal ho gayi ho," (Noor, you’ve gone crazy,) Shahzain exclaimed, his disbelief morphing into frustration. "How can you say this? I thought you knew me better than that!"

"Haan, hoon main pagal, lekin bewakoof nahi." (Yes, I’m crazy, but I’m not a fool.) "Maybe I didn’t give you the right to touch me, so you did it to that girl, didn’t you..." Before she could finish, Shahzain interrupted, his voice rising, the anger simmering just below the surface.

"Enough!"

"Why can’t you listen? What do you want, haan?" Noor screamed, her voice breaking. "Maybe you regret marrying me now, don’t you? I didn’t give you the right, so maybe you’ll leave me once you’ve had enough of me, isn’t that it? Why don’t we end this today? Let’s do it—just do it, let’s consummate—!" Before Noor could finish, her words exploded between them, amplifying the emotional distance that had suddenly widened.