Bitter Sweet | ✓ (rewriting)

07 • akhrah | اکھڑا

•| brusque |•

•••
itna zindagi ke baare me socho mat,
jisne tumhe zindagi di hai
usne bhi toh kuch socha hoga
•••

Stars marred the raven sky like diamonds scattered on black satin. The night was as beguiling as it had ever been. Yet, not a single soul in the under constructed hut casted their glance towards the sky.
Tension spewed thick in the midnight air, as Fidah and Zarrar saw a heavy-eyed Qazi being dragged towards them by Amir.

Zarrar wondered how a scaredy cat like Amir had so much force to push people twice his size around. But that was the least of his concerns. This entire group of deranged patients were going to marry Fidah and Him and as stupid as it sounded he didn't see any exit with his hand cuffed to the damn window.

"Shafakat Ali, tumhe aur koi kaam nahi hota kya? Hafte mein teen dafa har raat tum mujhe yahan par ghaseet laate ho." The Qazi, mumbled fixing his white topi as he shrugged Amir's hands off his body in disgust.
( Don't you have any other work? At least thrice a week you drag me here in the middle of the night.)

" Apna muh band hi rakhoge to meherbani hogi sab pe. You don't want to whole village knowing about your daughter now, do you?" Shafakat Ali, the slightly-more-evil pot bellied brother replied smirking, as he took a seat on one of the chairs that Amir had gotten out of nowhere.
( It would mean a lot if you kept your mouth shut.)

"Haan, Haan. Mera hi muh band karwao. My daughter didn't run away on her own. Tumhara chaalu beta bhi bhaga hai uske saath." The Qazi, yelled back right at him, his mouth stretching out wide in anger.
(Yeah, yeah. Tell me to shut my mouth) (Your cunning son has also run away with her )

"Don't Shout!" Shafakat Ali , muttered through gritted teeth, looking around to no one in general suspiciously.

Fidah sighed loudly before eyeing Nazakat Ali, who was grinning, enjoying the drama. She would've enjoyed it as well if they hadn't just threatened to forcefully marry her. Her happiness anyways never lasted long. She shouldn't have laughed, this was the nature's way of punishing her for sure.

"Chacha? Why are you planning to forcefully marry us?" Fidah questioned helplessly, her eyes starting to tear up again. Why was she being thrust from one man to another? First Laiq and now Zarrar Hamidi.

Nazakat Ali threw a lazy grin her way and shook his hand dismissivly in the air. Leaning a little down towards her so she could hear him.
"My nephew; Shafakat Ali's son ran away with that Qazi's daughter a few weeks back. Since, then Shafakat Ali has sent Amir on patrolling every night in hopes of finding them. Amir, hasn't found them, but he finds couples who wander in the middle of the night."
He stopped and plopped another piece of betal leave in his mouth before continuing.

"Now the couples he finds are brought here, just like the both of you. Shafakat Ali asks them if they are married, if it's a yes then they are free to leave, if it's a no then he gets them married. " He said shrugging like it was the most simple thing that could happen in this world.

Before Fidah could reply, Zarrar who had been meticulously eavesdropping roared from beside her, causing her to flinch in surprise.
"Are you guys nuts? Why would you do such a thing? Fucking deranged. "

"Well, firstly Shafakat Ali thinks he is repenting for his son's sins by marrying two aashiqs and secondly he doesn't want such awara aashiqs to spoil the village's youth."
(Lovers) ( rogue lovers)

Fidah wanted to question this pointless explanation, her eyes themselves helplessly searching for a way out, but just then Shafakat Ali announced loudly clapping his hands.
"Come on, let's get this finished. Mujhe macchar kaat rahe hai!"