Freedom Chapter 3

 

Izzah was staring at her bridal reflection and tried to smile. Peach colour bridal dress, black curly hair on one shoulder, bridal makeup was making her mesmerizing. Her Nikkah was going to start in just a few minutes. Her cousins were sitting near her in the bridal room and was teasing her. She was trying to enjoy these all things, was trying to accept it, but some force was stopping it. 

"This thing is just best for you. Arslan is a nice guy, Izzah. Everything in life doesn't happen according to your personal wishes."

She was chanting this in her mind, but still her heart was refusing it. That heart was missing a pair of sad and beautiful eyes. 

Same was the case of Arham. He was also sitting in the marriage hall and was staring at each and every arrangement with hollow eyes. 

Though, they both never conversed in that way, never either of them confessed about his feelings, but still their hearts knew the secret of each other. Seed of love just randomly came in their hearts and kept on growing without their knowledge. 

…………………..

Hina was getting extremely worried for her son. She could see his lost state, but was utterly helpless. 

Mr. Akram knew his son's condition, but was ignoring it because his social class was more important for him. 

Durdana and Shafeeq were looking at different arrangements of event, when one of their guests came near them. 

"Mr. Sahil, how are you doing? "

"Alhamdulillah Mr. Shafeeq! I'm looking for your soon to be son-in-law. Where is he?"

"He is there"

Mr. Shafeeq took that guest to Arsalan. 

"Arslan! "

He turned around at the shout of his name, and found Mr. Shafeeq and one other person with him. His smile dropped at seeing Sahil, and same was the case with Sahil. Mr. Shafeeq was introducing both of them with enthusiasm. 

"Uncle, are you going to marry your daughter with this man? He is already married!"

Sahil's accusation halted everything for Shafeeq. He gazed at Sahil with disbelief. Some other relatives, who were near them, heard it and came near those three people. 

……………..

Arham and his parents heard the commotion and curiously came near that place. To their utter shock, they find out that the groom had a secret wife, and his friend told his secret to everyone. 

"I swear Durdana, I seriously don't know about his marriage. That girl will be a witch who had spelled my innocent son."

Arham was listening to that typical and uneducated woman's cursing, with bitterness and hatred. 

Mr and Mrs. Shafeeq's shoulders slouched and pain was evident on their face.

 Hina saw their emotional pain and then glanced at her son's hollow expressions, and at that moment she took the decision. 

……………………

"Is it possible? "
Durdana asked Hina with a hope. Shafeeq was also staring at Hina with defeated expressions. 

"Yes, my Arham is already agreed. And it is also my wish."

"And Akram? " Shafeeq asked with a cracked voice. 

"Don't worry about him. I will take care of him." Hina assured them. 

Durdana looked at Hina with the tears of gratitude. Otherwise, this situation was devastating for her daughter's life. They blindly trusted their kinship, which caused humiliation and pain to them. 

Shafeeq was gazing at everything with hollow eyes. He realized that he blindly followed man made traditions of society which was going to destroy his daughter's life. 

"These man-made traditions are there to ease our lives, not to make them difficult."

This realization caused tears in Mr. Shafeeq's eyes. 

"Are you in your senses?" Mr. Akram said harshly. 

"Akram, I have announced this marriage. Now, for the sake of our respect, support this marriage and remain calm here, otherwise people will get harsh on us."

Hina knew the weakness of her husband, so she used it in her favour.

"How can you do it? " Mr. Akram asked defeatedly. 

"I'm a mother, and for me, my son's happiness is a priority." 

Hina turned around toward her son. 

 Mr. Akram remained quiet throughout the event, but fury remained on his face. 

………………………..

Izzah was confused with the change of events, or more precisely of the groom. She never imagined that her parents could go against their traditions. When she got the news in the bridal room that Arslan was already married, she thought that her parents would still marry her with him. But, to her utter shock, they refused to do it. And now, they were accepting a person outside of their kinship. And the person was who she had feelings for. Tears of gratitude came in her eyes and a genuine smile adored her lips. 

At last, the bride of the night smiled!

On the other hand, the unexpected groom of that night also had happiness and smiles on his face. 

……………………….

"I do"

Izzah repeated those beautiful words three times which bound her fate with Arham. Room filled with congratulations and Durdana was receiving all those with a small smile. Some people were also criticizing them or giving harsh remarks, which she had to ignore.

Arham also repeated those words three times and stood to take congratulations from others. Males were coming, hugging him and congratulating him. He stepped toward his furious father and tried to hug him. But, he refused it. Arham felt ache in his heart, but seeing his mother's consoling expressions, he composed himself. 

…………………..  

Arham was sitting on the stage when he saw his bride coming toward stage. Peach coloured outfit, lowered gaze, small smile on face; Arham's heartbeat stopped at seeing his mesmerizing bride. 

On the other hand, Izzah's heartbeat was running with the speed of ferrari with every step. 

On coming near the stage, her cousins started hooting. She saw Arham's extended hand and placed hers into it. Their hands were sealed together, just as their fates were now. 

They both stood in between the stage for pictures. Standing very near to each other, different songs in the background, cousins' teasing remarks; all was making them nervous. 

……………………

"As this marriage was unexpected, so unfortunately the room is not decorated."

Hina and Izzah were standing in the room, when Hina said this with an apologetic smile.

"It's okay, Auntie." Izzah said in a meek voice.

At that moment, Arham came into the room and Hina left it after saying her goodbyes. 

Awkward silence hung into the room. They didn't know what to say or how to say. 

"Please comfort yourself in bed."

Arham said, and quickly went into the washroom. He also wanted some time to process his situation, so shower was the best place to ponder over the previous situation and also the new one. 

Izzah sat on the edge of the bed and freed her foot with heels. 

She eyed the whole room with nervousness. 

Thirty minutes passed but still Arham was in the washroom, and this thing started to irritate Izzah. 

"Does this person like to spend time in a washroom?" 

After thirty-five minutes, Arham came out of the washroom, clad in his night suit.
Izzah quickly composed her expressions and straightened herself. 

"Umm.. Your gift is due on me. I will give it to you as soon as possible."

He said while sitting near her. 

She nodded her head. 

Again silence hung in the room. 

They both glanced at each other in the same second, and then quickly averted their gaze. 

"Never knew this situation could be so awkward."

Arham thought with helplessness. 

"Uff.. If he has nothing to say, then excuse me, I have to change."

She was getting irritated with the situation. 

They again glanced at each other, and saw each other's expressions, ones was of helplessness and others were of irritation. 

Fit of giggles erupted from their lips at their condition and situation. 

"So sorry, this is really an unexpected situation for me. I never thought that the girl whom I started to love could become a part of my life."

Her eyes widened at his confession. 

"Izzah, I started to like you. Don't know when and where or why, but I do have feelings for you. I wanted to make that girl a part of my life, who had told me about pure freedom."

Izzah glanced his face when he was speaking. 

"You know why I was not able to send my proposal for you? "

She shook her head. 

"Because of the unnecessary social and traditional boundaries. You can imagine my condition at that time. In those days, I wanted to free myself from these suffocating boundaries and just wanted to fly freely in the sky."

"Some restrictions do benefit us, but some really suffocate us. I can understand your situation."

For the first time, she spoke. 

"If you can understand it, you can also understand my father's fury. He is not happy with our marriage, and the reason you can understand."

Fear settled in her heart while listening to this. But, she decided to brace herself for her future, as society and relatives would try to make her life a hell. 

"I want to take a promise from you."

Arham became alarmed at her words and asked her to tell him. 

"Promise me, you will never put unnecessary boundaries on our children. You will give them that amount of freedom which they deserved. You will never follow the traditional thinking of people."

Smile came on Arham's lips.

"Promise! "

Satisfaction and a smile came on Izzah's face. 

……………………..

"Mom! I want freedom! "

Anaya said this while crossing her hands on her chest, and anger was on her face. 

Izzah stared at her six year old daughter with anger. 

"Anaya, stop these tantrums and focus on your test."

"Mom, I want freedom from these tests, these studies, this school. Due to them, I can't play freely, can't watch cartoons all the time. You all should give respect to my wishes"

She winched. 

"My dear daughter, pure freedom is just an imaginary thing. In reality, we all are bound in some ways."

"But, the previous night I heard your and Papa's conversation. You were saying to him that you both will never put unnecessary boundaries on me and on my soon-to-come sibling. So, let me tell you, forcing a child in studies is also an unnecessary thing."

Anaya, in her chanting, didn't feel her mother coming near her with angry expressions. 

"You were eavesdropping at our conversation!"

Anaya zipped up her mouth and quickly opened her books. It was a way to escape from her mother's wrath. Izzah kept on standing near her. She peeked from her book and saw anger on her mother's face, so started reading the book. 

"Mom, please explain this question to me."

Anaya said with a poker face. 

"Next time if I found you eavesdropping on our conversation, there will be no candies for you."

Anaya gasped at this. 

" A tyrant mother! "

Izzah gave an angry glare to her and she averted her full attention to the book. 

Smile broke on Izzah's face. 

………….