PEER E KAMIL

Untitled Part 48

Salar took a good look at the man before him. He was disappointed—an
ordinary face and build, and medium height; perhaps he would have looked
better without that beard. Salar's good looks, tall frame and athletic
physique made him very attractive to the opposite sex, but this person was
bereft of such advantages. Salar wondered what it was that had drawn
Imama to this man. He thought she was more foolish than he believed.
̳I am Jalal Ansar. You wanted to meet me?'
̳Salar Sikandar,' Salar extended his hand.
̳Sorry, I didn't recognize you.'
̳Naturally, we're meeting for the first time.' Salar had come to the
hospital, looking for Jalal. With a little help, he found him and was now with
him in front of the duty room.
̳Can we sit down somewhere and talk?' asked Salar.
̳Talk about what?' Jalal looked somewhat concerned.
̳About Imama.'
̳Who are you?' Jalal's expression changed.
̳I'm her friend.' Jalal looked at Salar without a word and they began to
walk.
̳My car's in the parking lot—let's go there,' suggested Salar. They did
not exchange a word till they reached the car.
̳I've come from Islamabad,' began Salar. ̳Imama wanted me to speak to
you.'
̳Imama never mentioned you to me,' Jalal said rather oddly. ̳Since when
do you know her?'
̳Almost since childhood...our houses are adjacent. We're very good
friends.' Salar didn't know why he made the last statement. Maybe he was  enjoying the spectrum of expressions crossing Jalal's face—he had noticedhis look of displeasure.
̳I've spoken to Imama in detail. I cannot see what's left to talk about after
that,' Jalal said in a flat tone.
̳Imama wants you to marry her.' Salar's voice was equally
expressionless, like a newsreader's.
̳I have informed her of my decision.'
̳She wants you to review it.'
̳That's not possible.'
̳She's a prisoner in that house, in custody of her parents, her family. If
you cannot commit yourself permanently, she wants you to make a
temporary commitment and get her released with help from a bailiff.'
̳How can that be when she's being held captive?' queried Jalal and
Salar said the nikah could be conducted over the telephone.
̳No, I cannot take such a risk—I don't want to get involved in such
matters. My parents will never allow this and they are not prepared to
accept her anyway.'
Jalal's look was fixed on Salar's ponytail—he disapproved of Salar the
way Salar had disapproved of him.
̳She's ready to enter a temporary arrangement,' Salar reiterated, ̳so that
she can leave her home. You can divorce her afterwards, if you wish.'
̳I think I've said clearly that I can't help her. Why don't you marry her if
it's just a temporary arrangement? After all, you're her friend, aren't you?'
Jalal said pointedly. ̳If you can come all the way from Islamabad to Lahore
to help her, surely you can do this too.'
̳She didn't ask me to marry her, so I didn't think of it,' Salar shrugged. ̳In
any case, she loves you, not me.'
̳What's love got to do with a makeshift marriage? You can divorce her
later on.' Jalal suggested a solution.
̳Thank you, I'll convey your advice to her,' replied Salar seriously.
̳And if this is not possible, then tell Imama to find some other way out. In
fact, why don't you go to a newspaper office and tell them about her
predicament...how her parents are holding her against her will. When the
media highlights this issue, her parents will be compelled to set her free, or
you can go to the police and procure her release.'
Salar was surprised: Jalal was talking sense—why had Imama not
thought of this herself? This was a safer way out.
̳Fine, I'll convey this too.'
̳Please don't come to me again and also tell Imama that she's not to
contact me in any way in the future. As it is, my parents are planning my  engagement.' Jalal added this revelation. ̳Very well—I'll tell her all that you have said,' replied Salar casually. Jalal
said nothing more and stepped out of the car.
If Imama had any hope that Salar would be able to convince Jalal to
marry her, it was a great mistake on her part. Salar had no sympathy for
Imama nor had he entered this tangle out of any desire to do a good deed;
it was just an adventure for him, and Imama marrying Jalal was not part of
it. If he had to justify their marriage the only justification he had was that
they loved each other, but this was rejected by Jalal. Salar could not
cite religious or moral reasons to persuade Jalal because he
himself was so distant from the concepts of religion and morality.
Above all, why would he get into a lengthy argument for Imama's
sake, with someone whom he disliked at first sight?
These thoughts crossed his mind as he drove back from
Lahore to Islamabad. It was curiosity that took him to Lahore in
the first place—what did this guy Jalal look like? How would he
react to Imama's request? He had conveyed her message
verbatim and now he was taking back Jalal's response. It was an
amusing scenario for Salar. What would Imama's reaction be?
She was not going to marry Asjad and Jalal was not ready to
marry her; she could not leave home and there was no one else
who could come to her aid—so what would she do next? Usually,
girls chose to take their lives in such circumstances.
̳Oh yes, she'll come to me asking for poison or a revolver.
Suicide...very exciting,' he thought, in a perverse fashion,
contemplating the possibilities. ̳After all, what else can she do?'
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̳Will you marry me? By nikah, on the telephone?' A shock hit Salar—he
was speechless.
On returning from Lahore, he had repeated Jalal's response to Imama.
He thought she would burst into tears and ask him for a weapon to end her
life. Instead, she was quiet for a few moments and then sprang the
question which left him stunned and silent.
̳I need your support just for a few days so that my parents cannot force
me to wed Asjad. Then you can get me out of here with a bailiff's help. I will  not need you after that and I'll never disclose your name to my parents,'Imama explained.
̳OK, I'll do it, but this bailiff business is tricky—there are many legalities
involved—hiring a lawyer and...'
Imama interrupted him at the other end. ̳You can get your friends to help
you—they must be experts in doing such things.'
Salar frowned with annoyance. ̳What sort of things?
̳These sort of things,' she replied calmly.
̳How do you know?'
̳Waseem tells me that you don't keep very good company,' blurted
Imama and then there was silence. She regretted having said that—it was
inappropriate.
̳My company is very good—at least, better than Jalal Ansar's.' There
was sharp irony in Salar's tone. Imama was quiet. ̳Anyway, I'll see what I
can do. But you should remember that this is a very risky course of action.'
̳I know, but it's possible that my parents may throw me out when they
discover that I have married; then there'll be no need of a bailiff. Or they
may accept my marriage, in which case, I'll divorce you and marry Jalal.'
Salar shook his head with disbelief—he had never met anyone so stupid.
This girl could be crowned the Queen of Folly.
̳Anyway, let's see what can be done,' he said and hung up.
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̳I want to sign a marriage contract—a nikah.'
Hasan stared at Salar and burst out laughing. ̳Is it a new adventure or
your last adventure?'
̳The last adventure,' Salar replied in a serious tone.
̳So you're going to have a wedding?' asked Hasan as he took a bite of
the burger.
̳Who's having a wedding? I just want to go through a nikah with a girl
who needs help—I want to help her.'
Hasan looked at him intently. ̳Are you joking?'
̳No, not at all. I didn't call you here to joke with you.'
̳Then what's this nonsense about a nikah and...helping a girl?' Hasan
was annoyed. ̳Are you in love or something?'
̳My foot! Am I crazy to go falling in love and that too at this age?' Salar
scoffed.
̳That's what I was wondering...why are you doing this?'
Salar spoke to Hasan in detail about Imama and her problem but he did  not tell him that she was Waseem's sister because Hasan knew Waseemquite well. However, Hasan immediately asked about the girl's identity.
Salar took a deep breath. ̳She's Waseem's sister.'
̳What?' Hasan literally jumped up. ̳The one who studies in a medical
college in Lahore?' Salar nodded in assent. ̳You must be crazy to do such
a senseless thing. You'd better tell Waseem about the whole situation.'
̳I'm asking for your help, not your advice.' Salar was upset.
̳What can I do to help?' Hasan was unsure.
̳You arrange for a nikah registrar and some witnesses so that the nikah
can be read over the phone,' Salar came to the point.
̳How's this going to benefit you?' Hasan wanted to know.
̳In no way, but then I'm not doing this for any benefit.'
̳Damn it, Salar! Why are you getting into this mess and that too for
Waseem's sister...'
Salar cut him short. ̳Just tell me if you'll help me or not? You need not
bother about other things.'
̳OK, I'll help you, I'm not refusing you. But you'd better think twice
because this is a very dangerous step.' Hasan seemed to have given up.
̳I've thought about it. Now tell me the details.' Salar was more relaxed
now. He popped some French fries into his mouth.
̳There's one more thing—what if your parents find out?'
̳They won't—they're not here, they're in Karachi and will be there for
some days. It would have been tough for me if they were here.' Salar tried
to appease Hasan. They continued to munch on the fries, but Hasan's mind
was somewhere else. Salar, however, was not too concerned on that
account. Hasan was not worrying about the situation—he was figuring the
best strategy. Salar had no fears about Hasan: he was Salar's best friend.
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