serendipity

untitled

tw: child marriage

the air smells of s̶a̶c̶r̶i̶f̶i̶c̶e̶ celebration. tell the young bride to hurry, these people are very impatient. childish innocence shines brightly in her eyes, hide it with makeup, it will be gone soon anyways. today she looks like an uncanny resemblance of her mother and that is to say, she reminds you very much of your dead sister.

y̶o̶u̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶b̶l̶o̶o̶d̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶h̶a̶n̶d̶s̶

she will ask if she can play with naba and kulsoom after this is over and you will smile and nod because all you can do is lie lie lie. they lied to you and you will lie to her and she will lie to them. the daughters of this country have been raised on a chain of never-ending lies. they are no games, there is nothing here. learn quick, these people are very impatient.

y̶o̶u̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶b̶l̶o̶o̶d̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶h̶a̶n̶d̶s̶.̶

she will point at her jewelry and ask if she can take it off and you will look at her and say "soon". she will ask if they will take her far away from home and you will avoid her eyes and say "no". she will ask her if mother's stars will follow her to her new home and you will simply fix her tika and mumble a jaldi karo, yae log barey besabr hain. hurry up, these people are very impatient.

y̶o̶u̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶b̶l̶o̶o̶d̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶h̶a̶n̶d̶s̶.̶

the time comes to send her off and you do knowing they will tear every piece of her. one by one. eat her raw with their gnashing teeth and hungry eyes. this is nothing short of a lion's den and we are nothing short of animals. remorse is not taught to my father's son the same it will not be taught to my son. it will hurt in the beginning but one day, these mountains of pain will translate to fear and if she's lucky enough, numbness.

y̶o̶u̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶b̶l̶o̶o̶d̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶h̶a̶n̶d̶s̶.̶

dancing in colours of red and gold, her bangles make music as she lifts her hand towards the sun. she is adorned with flowers today and she looks beautiful.

"am i going somewhere" she asks curiously.

"you'll be back soon, nothing to worry about" her khala jaani replies.

and that's her khala jaani and her khala jaani would never lie to her.

"when i am, will feroz chacha read the story about the angry dragon that lives in the middle of nowhere or will it be about the pretty princess named sara or will it about the hen that lays gold eggs? ooh i really hope it is about the dragon - khala jaani you should see the faces he makes when he's acting as a dragon, it is just so funny!"

you have blood on our hands.