Tale Of Two Sisters

Unexpected Heartbreak

It was a little past four in Bhopal when the Mirza's had finished their 'Asr' prayer and had settled to relax for the day. However Anwar's mind was restless and hence he decided to have a talk with his wife.

"You had called me ji?" asked Zeenath while entering her husband's study. She scanned the room to find her husband leaning again his leather swivel chair behind the grand mahogany desk.

"Yes I did Zeenath. And I'm very much sure of the fact that even you would,by now are knowing what I want to talk about."said Anwar.

Even after almost thirty two years of their marriage, Anwar still admired his wife's beauty in her late fifties as the woman clad looked beautiful in her yellow 'salwar' with her 'dupatta' adorning her hair. Yet his mind wandered back to another gorgeous blue eyed beauty. Anwar shook his head to clear his thoughts and concentrated on the matter in his hands.

Zeenath couldn't help but still notice how handsome her husband still looked in his late sixties. Well built with a wrinkled face and silvery grey hair, he still looked fierce as a lion. Yet somehow she couldn't digest the fact that this very man in front of her, had betrayed her during the early stages of their marriage. And she still couldn't believe it was 'her' who had a hand in the betrayal. Though she had long forgiven it, she couldn't mutter courage to forgive and accept the result of the betrayal.

"You did assure me,my dear 'begum' , that you will accept Zoya just like Zara, after she came back from London. Then why the stiff behaviour earlier?" Anwar asked without beating much around the bush.

"It's still not easy for a women, for a wife to accept the fact that you'd betrayed me. Even though a long time, one glance at your daughter and she reminds me of what I had to go through because of you." Said Zeenath frustratingly and staright to the point too.

Anwar let out a long sigh and said "Allah. Zeenath, me and you, we both know that it was my mistake and not Zoya's. She had no say in this. I'd asked you to forgive me a long time ago..."

"And I did" cut off Zeenath "It's just that it reminds me of the fact that you still love 'her' Anwar." Her eyes now teary.

"You still do. Don't you? You still do love her, isn't it?" Zeenath now walked up to her husband and asked this question with their eyes locked.

Anwar could see hurt and anguish in her eyes, but he couldn't deny the fact that somewhere in his heart 'she' still survives.

The deafing silence across the study clearly gave away his answer. Zeenath straightened herself and wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

"You want me to accept her? Alright, fine! I will. Only if she can sacrifice something from her side just like the sacrifices I made during my time." Said Zeenath stifly.

"What are you talking about?" Said Anwar who had curiously leaned against his desk now.

"My promise to maternal brother,Zaffer, of marrying off the first daughter of Mirza's to his eldest son, Ahaan. This is what I want Zoya to do for me. I want her to marry Ahaan and fufil this promise." said Zeenath.

Anwar eyes turned red in anger. He got up from his chair furiously, resulting it to fall backwards. Everyone in the house knew that Ahaan was a notorious guy who did drugs and played on women like toys, who had no faith in Islam and only had greed for money.

"You are doing this because you want to save Zara. Ya Allah! I don't plan on giving either of my daughter to that devil. And i will not allow your stupid promise to ruin either of my daughters' lives. What has gone into you Zeenath? If it had been Zara in Zoya's place, would you have still asked me to do this?" Anwar asked furiously.