Love Stories

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There stood a magnificent mansion, its exterior adorned with red bricks. The beauty of the building radiated antique vibes, creating an aura of elegance.

It was known as Gul haveli.

It was a prominent household in the town. The owner of haveli was Fardeen Khan, a business man. He was living in a beautiful mansion with his family.

The mansion was spacious, yet it always remained empty. Only a few living beings lived there.

In a mere second, the beautiful glass vase was shattered into countless pieces. A shriek echoed in the Gul haveli shattering the cold silence.

The silent haveli suddenly filled with liveliness.

"What have you done Zohal" Saira Bibi exclaimed with a widened mouth.

"Can't you see Bibi? It just slipped from my hands. I haven't done anything. I am not accountable for this" Zohal cried out.

"Zohal! It was favourite piece of Gul Bano bibi. She will not forgive you" Saira tried to make her understand the gravity of the situation into which she happily jumped.

"Haye Bibi! What will I do now" She worried about the outcome of this childish act.

She was standing near the scattered pieces of glass when a graceful lady dressed in pink and white shalwar qameez entered the hallway.

Zohal was silenced when her gaze fell at the incoming person.

"This was my favourite one Zohal why did you break it" Gul Bano asked calmly raising her eyebrow.

Gul Bano appeared calm, but she could never be at peace. Zohal knew something wasn't right.

"Well it was just a mistake" She said watching her stern face.

"I know better" Gul Bano saw her with fire in her eyes and walked towards the staircase, leaving her behind.

This time she didn't raise her voice at Zohal. It was very unusual. Gul Bano never used to spare her. She used to punish her for the mistakes she never made.

How would this woman not hurt her this time?

Zohal was happy that she hadn't faced her wrath this time but her happiness turned into sorrow when her father confronted her later in the evening.

"How many times have I asked you to respect her. She is my wife and your mother. Don't you have any shame. Why do you hurt her every single time" Fardeen Khan had not just raised his voice at her but his hand too.

Zohal was shocked after being slapped by her father.

Her one hand was resting on her one cheek and the other was clenching her dupatta in her fist.

Rage was building inside her.

It wasn't the first time she was slapped by her own father. Fardeen Khan had raised his hands on his eldest daughter many times in the past few years.

He used to act like a toy in the hands of his woman, who was referred as Zohal's mother. But was she her mother?

She never acted as a mother to her.

And Zohal knew she could never act like one.

The woman standing behind her father passed a cunning smile to her. She smiled as she won again. She always used to win and Zohal always lost.

She succeeded in turning a father against his own daughter.

Gul Bano had manipulated her father to such an extent that her father no longer wanted to hear anything from her.

Zohal was just another being living in her own house. She didn't matter to anyone in the family, specially Fardeen Khan. Saira Bibi, an old servant was the only one in the house who cared for her.

Zohal never understood the reason for her father's aggression.

What was wrong with him?

Why did he hate his own daughter?

His own blood.

Why couldn't he understand that whatever happened in the past wasn't Zohal's mistake. It was in his fate. It was meant to happen. Zohal wasn't part of anything.

She was as innocent as him, but was he innocent?

No, he wasn't innocent.

He was hurt, but he wasn't innocent as he pretended to be.

For Zohal, her father was the biggest culprit.

Zohal walked out of his father's room with tears in her eyes. Her cheek was aching so was her heart.

When was it going to end?

She wanted an escape from this life she was living in the haveli. She wanted to run away from this place to another where no one could find her.

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