ZAROORAT

chapter 29

Mashaya's POV

"Are you out of your sick mind shahveer?" My eyes narrowed to him. he lower his own eyes as I screamed at him. "How could you?" I heaved a sigh as the thought rush in me.

We were in the lawn sitting at the wet grass with sham and maria besides us. The elders and zaid were busy inside. I was screaming at him because he once again said that I should be engaging with zaid. My heart was beating real fast at the thought of losing him again.

"Agar aesa hi tha to why did you came here? Why did you proved yourself to me?" I wanted to ask everything from him but my voice broke down and tears were forming a ball in my throat. I couldn't spoke so I looked away.

"Relax Mashaya and listen to him. He got something to tell you". Maria lightly caressed my arm but I pushed it away. "What to tell me? To go and get along with zaid?" I raised my eyebrow as they all look at each other shocked.

He straighten him self before clearing his throat and began. "Look! Its not like I want to see you getting along with him, I never wanted that. I just want you to do as they all want you to, and before that I will tell everyone know that you don't want to marry zaid".

"Wow! What a pathetic idea". I said sarcastically and he rolled his eyes in frustration. "Mashaya is bare me socho to sahi yar".

"I think he is right". Said sham patting shahveer's back. "We are trying and thinking of every possible way that we could get you married with shahveer and not with zaid". I stared at him blankly.

"But until that Mashaya.... You need to do as we say. You need to make sure that zaid is happy with you, you have to do it okay!?"

I shook my head as zaid's concernful voice echoed in my head. I stared at shahveer first then at sham. "Ye zaid k sath dhoka hai!"

"Mein ye nahi kar sakti, nai.... Mein ye nahi kr sakungi...." I trailed off and looked down at my hands in my lap.

"Mashaya. We know what you must be feeling. None of us wants to do it with him you see?" Maria very calmly said as she always does. I batted my eyelids and listened to her. "But we are doing it for you. We are doing it for you and shahveer. You two have suffered a lot and still do. You know I told them that, I told them to do it. And what's wrong in it, if I want to do you a favour".

I stared her face. "Its not about doing me a favour, it's about hurting them. Did you realize how much it is going to cost them?"

"I thought you would appreciate it". Maria pressed her lips in a thin line. a grimness in her voice.

I frowned at her. "You are not getting my point maria. It will destroy zaid, it will destroy our families it will destroy all of us".

"For once in a life time you need to be a bit selfish and not really care for others". Shahveer whispered, his eyes lowering to the ground as he was tearing apart the grass with his hands.

"It is cowardness!" I exclaimed.

He shook his head. "It is self respect".

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Maria's POV

"It is self respect". He said getting up from the ground. He dusted off the grass from his jeans and went away without even looking at her.

I looked at sham who was alreading staring at me. He nodded assuring me and tried to smile but absolutely failed.

Then I looked at Mashaya who was staring blankly at his back. I touched her arm but she got startled, I tried to speak to her but she shook her head as no and went inside. I followed her track.