A wanderer Episode 12

"Maham son! "I want to go to Miraj tomorrow," Maham had many questions on his face. He asked thoughtfully:

"Why..."

"Ashal's marriage is... I want to see your factory too, there is another important work"

"The doctor has forbidden you to travel," Maham said seriously.

Mumtaz Begum looked at Maham with an eye of experience.

"Tell me..." Maham asked, stealing glances.

"I have to apologize to someone" said Mumtaz Begum in a final way.

"From whom..." Maham said without pause.

"From Hakeem Aqil Ansari," Mumtaz Begum answered calmly.

"How do you know Hakeem Sahib...?" Maham was shocked to hear his grandmother's words.

"I only know the real truth" Mumtaz Begum said in a hollow voice.

"What kind of reality..." he said as if he had been caught stealing.

"We were two sisters, Abba and Taya had thousands of acres of land in South Punjab. My elder sister's name was Asma. She was also the fiancee of Taya's son Shahwar. I was young and you were 10 years older than me. Apa was studying in Multan and fell in love with her classmate Aqeel Ansari. Apa married Aqeel against Abba and Taya's wishes. Abba dispossessed Apa of his property and swore that he would never wear Apa's form for the rest of his life and would not let anyone in his family see it.

Father married me to a beaver crate. Humayun Baig means your grandfather was an educated man and I am middle pass. After your marriage, Abba did not let me study. I am not born from your grandfather Humayun Baig, he divorced me.

Then your father Mudasir Baig was only six months old.

 

Abba bought me this house and said that you should stay in Lahore.

One daughter got married by choice and the other got divorced. Abba was deeply affected by these two shocks and he also passed away. Abba's death was late, my aunt's son Shahwar took possession of half of our land. The case went on in the court. The case continued in the court, no decision was made.

I had decided not to get married for Mudasir. Your father became a young man, I brought him up with great cares.

One day he said:

"I like a girl, I will marry her." I immediately agreed. Mudasir's closest friend Noman Laghari was the presiding officer in his marriage. Nauman belonged to Multan. A week after the marriage of your parents Mudasir and Maria, Numan was also married.

Mudasir said, I want to go to Multan for Nauman's wedding. I said go son. Your parents have gone to Multan. Fifteen days after Naaman's marriage, Mudasir invited Naaman and his wife. Naaman's wife's name was Neelam. Your mother was as modern as Maria. Neelam was just as simple.

Nauman Leghari's job was also in Lahore. The four of them met every day, talked for hours, went for a walk, ate out, I never forbade Mudasir and Maria.

Noman's family was in Multan. There was no one here to stop her. One day Neelam mentioned her mother in conversation, then I came to know that she is Apa Asma's daughter. I told this to Mudasir and said I want to meet my sister.

These days, four to five months had passed for marriages. Your mother was also hopeful and Neelam was also going to be a mother.

After about six months, your mother got angry and went to her home in Sumanabad.

I asked Mudasir what is the matter. She told me she wants to divorce me. I went to Sumanabad to celebrate, but Maria did not return, she was adamant about her divorce. A few days passed and Nauman also stopped coming and going. Nauman and Neelam have moved to Malaysia.

I told him several times that I want to meet you. Find out his home from Neelam. Mudasir kept on avoiding. Many months passed. One day the news came that Maria had a son. The next day she left you here. I was worried a day old baby and mother left here. Mudasir told me when he divorced Maria.

One day you were crying a lot. You were not drinking milk from the feeder.

Then Basit will be two months old. When Bilquis saw you, she said to me. Begum Sahiba, let me feed the little one with my milk. I thought for a while and then said take it to your quarters and drink it.

You were one month old, one day Aqil Ansari came to our house. He was very angry. I did not know who he is.

He said, "Where is Mudasir?" I asked what is the matter.

I asked who is your sister, she told me Neelam is my sister, Mudasir has taken her away. Neelam ran away with Mudasir leaving the one and a half month old Ishal. A few days later, another news was heard that Nauman had married her at Maria's house in Sumanabad.

Even when a local woman taunted you, you ran away.

That is why your daughter has also run away. Apa could not bear this and passed away.

Hakeem Aqil Ansari was then Master Aqil Ansari, who was a close friend of Master Mahmood. Master Mahmood advised you to come to my village. Aqil and Arusa were also fed up with the sarcastic words of people in Multan.

Aqil sold everything he owned from Multan and came to Master Mahmud.

Everyone in Miraj knows that Ashal is the daughter of Aqil and Arusa. He had no children of his own, he loved Ashal more than his daughter.

You are eight years old. There was a date in our court, on that day the land was also decided in my favor.

After losing the case, Shahwar fired at me outside the court premises. My guard was injured.

If Basit's father Badr Hussain had not taken the bullet of my portion on his chest, he would have been sleeping in his place in the grave today.

Badr Hussain and Bilquis have great favors on me" Mumtaz Begum's tears were falling on her cheeks. When Maham saw it, he hugged his grandmother and comforted her.

Grandpa! You must go to the Ascension. But you did not ask for forgiveness from Hakeem Sahib... Why do you ask for forgiveness for the sins of Mudasir Baig" Maham said with a hoarse voice?

"The thing that bothers me the most is this.

He should not have chased Neelam away. If you told me, I would have joined hands with you and asked for a relationship. Mumtaz Begum said while wiping her tears. "There is a burden on my heart, I am thinking about it. Let me tell Ashal." "What kind of burden..." Arosa asked worriedly.

"The days when Numan sent Neelam out of the house and sent her to Multan.

One day Neelam hesitantly said to me brother, I have to talk to you. I said, she said, "You know why Naaman kicked me out of the house." I said, "Tell me." Neelam said that he wants to marry his friend Mudasir Baig's wife. Mudasir Baig has divorced Maria and Numan has sent me here with the divorce too.”

"You are divorced. "The ground came out from under my feet after hearing this. Neelam said: "Brother, don't worry, I won't be a burden on you. I am here only until the birth of the child. After that, I will marry Mudasir." "Why will Mudasir marry you?" "He likes me and so do I." "I was very angry after hearing this from Neelam, I had not even heard the news of her divorce. Then Neelam told me that Mudasir is not a stranger but our aunt Mumtaz's son. Hearing this, I was shocked. Abba and Amma had married against the will of their respective families. Abba's partner cut off his right to water. Nana and aunt never heard about us either. Abba got sick.

Amma got my father treated by reciting quotations to people's children and provided food to our hungry stomachs.

A few days later, Abba passed away... I was studying in matric at that time. I sent this news to my maternal uncle and aunt, but no one came from that side either. Abba's family members also did not attend his funeral, as much as I hated Abba. She was more from the family than she was from her mother's family.

Hakeem stopped talking. He went from the room to the courtyard and drank a bowl of water from the pitcher.

 

Then they came and sat on the chair in front of Arosa in the room.

Ashal also entered the room behind them.

"I said to Neelam, I will marry anyone of you, but I will not let it happen to Mudasir at any cost." Hakeem took a cold breath and then became silent. Arusa was looking at Hakeem. Ashal was also standing silently leaning against the wall.

"As much as we want to become religious, we do not give women their rights.

It is the Shariah right of every woman not to marry according to her choice. To give the right is a distant thing, we don't even bother to ask. Amma's only fault was that she married her own choice. I have never seen such a virtuous woman like Amma in my entire life.

Neelam must have made some mistakes. In the end she also wanted to get married. If I had agreed at that time, Ashal and Maham would have received the love of their parents.

Arusa Begum, you have asked me many times why you gave a decision in favor of Haris on the request of Ashal. It was Ashal's right to marry on choice, I have only given her that right..."

Hakeem Sahib was unaware that Ashal was standing behind him.

"I know, today she said to me, father, I want to invite one of my friends for marriage." I said I have told my sister-in-law Maryam.

I am not talking about Maham, Grandmother Mumtaz, she is my friend, you sent me to Model Town. On your request, I talked to her, then she became my friend. Now I am thinking how I will face Aunty Mumtaz.

Ashal moved forward and hugged Hakeem from behind the chair and said:

"Abba!" I have never seen a better person than you in my entire life.

Both of you are more than my parents to me. There is a request to you, don't discuss anything from the past with Dadi Mumtaz, just start meeting her.

Hakeem took her by the wrist and made her sit at his feet on Arusa's bed in front of him.

"Any good news from Haris...?"

"All of them have come from shopping and are currently at their home in Miraj," Ashal explained happily.

"Who are all of them..." Arosa asked curiously.

"Aunt Halimah's son. Momina and Aunty Maryam said Ashal while counting on her fingers.

"You take the mother-in-law's name... Not the fiance's Arosa teased Ashal.

"Mother!" Ashal blushed saying "Mother".

"Torch daughter! If you want to buy something else, take the money" Hakeem Sahib kindly asked.

"No, Abba!" Ishal looked at Hakim Sahib with grateful eyes and got up and left.