گوٹے والا دوپٹا
Part 1

The golden dome of the sky burst into a heavy rainfall which elicited yells of joy and surprise. The vast fields started to hum along the rain, the droplets of water bathing the rice and wheat fields, filling the wells with water. The wet mud formed puddles in the street where a Tonga stumbled and then stopped, seeking refuge from the sudden rain under a large palm tree. The village smelled of wet mud. In the middle of the vast fields, a large  structure stood, lined with palm trees and mango trees, surrounded by tall lamps which usually illuminated the brick red Haveli in the nights, unusual in the village.

In the middle of the courtyard around which the whole haveli was built, a fountain bubbled with sweet water as rain water splashed into it. A veiled woman ran through it, the orange net duppata that was used to veil her head  protecting her slightly from the pouring rain, her similar coloured gharara trailed behind her on the floor, wet surrounding her bare feet.

" Amma, Mehmaan agaye aapkay"
( Mother, you guests are here."

The young woman dropped her veil as she went into a room where an aged woman was sitting among various woman, surrounded by various colourful clothes they were discussing about.

" Allah, Allah, Larki, unko andar ley kar aa jaldi. Barish mey bheeg jayein gay.'
( God, God, bring them in quickly, girl. They'll get wet.)

The woman stood up in worry, dressed in a red banarasi sari, she looked every bit of Chaudhrayain she was. The woman in orange giggled, brushing the water off her hair as she quickly sat with a woman dressed in a yellow embellished jora on the divan and giggled again.

" Uff Amma, Bheeg gaya jisney bheegnay tha ab tou."
( Oof, Mother. Who had to get wet is already wet now.)

The multiple woman in the room chuckled along with the woman dressed in yellow eho held her dupatta up to her mouth to hide her smile.

"Tjhey tou kuch kehna hi bekaar hai, Tauba meri."
( There's no use of saying anything to you, God forgive me.)

The woman went out of the room, shaking her head as she looked at her youngest daughter who was now busy with her future bhabi.  The girl in orange giggled again as she whispered under her breath so only the girl next to her could hear.

" Tou mat kaha karo nah, Amma."
( Then never say it mother.)

The girl in yellow hid her mouth again as she showed her her eyes to scold her while she just winked.

" Aur batao, bhabi jaan, meray bhai ko aur kitna apnay ishq mey bheegaogi?"
( Tell then, sis-in-law, how much more will you wet my brother in the rain of your love?)

The women sitting nearby giggled as she blushed before pinching the loud-mouthed girl.

" Astaghfirullah, kitni besharam hoti ja rahi ho tum , Zahra."
( God forgive, why are you becoming so shameless, Zahra)

" Haww, tum ikloti bhabi ho meri, tum sey besharmi na karun tou kis sey karun?"
( Haww, you are my only sister-in-law, if not you then who?)

Zahra eyed Meena who was sitting in her mayun ka jora, her hair carefully braided and veiled with a brigh yellow gotta embellished dupatta. Her clean face that glowed, big eyes heavily lidded with curled lashes and her pink lips that were small but plump. She looked beautiful and Zahra admired her internally.

" Bus bolti raha karo har waqt. Aur... yey kon mehmaan aye hain?"
( Just keep blabbing always. And... who are these guests?)

"Aye haye, aap k honay walay shohar nahi aye. Beyfikr rahain."
( Oho, not your future husband,stay calm.)

Meena blushed on his mention. Zahra and Meena were cousins, their fathers being brothers. They had lived in the village their whole lives but their Dada had made it sure that all his grandchildren were educated. Dada was the one whole owned about half of the village and many people respected them throughout the state. Their fathers had never left their hometown because of Dada and they were happy in their little world. Meena had two older sisters who were now married. Zahra had an elder brother who was soon to be married to Meena. Meena had always been the shy one, her older sisters and her mother were always very strict on rules for a young woman in the village. While Zahra was the youngest one of the lot, so she was given some leverage and treated as kid still.

Zahra eyed Meena's blush and hugged her lightly,

"Haye, Meenu, Hamdan bhai ney tumhey aik nazar dekh liya nah iss joray mey, tou kasam, bhagaa kar ley jayein gay."

( Haye, Meenu if Hamdan bhai sees you once like this, i bet he is going to make you elope with him.)

"Astaghfirullah, tauba."
( God forgive me.)

" Kya tauba? Tumhey ehsaas hi nahi, mera bhai bechara tarap raha hoga. Mil lo nah unsey."
( What Tobah? You don't sympathise with my awaiting brother at all. Met him once.)

She begged at the end. Zahra's brown eyes twinkled as she imagined their meeting.She always had been a true romantic and she had promised her brother that she would bring Meena to meet him atleast once today.

"Badtameez, kabhi bhi nahi. Jao ab tum Amma k paas dekho kon mehmaan hain."
( No, never. Now go and see who has come.)

Zahra scrunched her nose at her future bhabi.

"Tumhey tou mey ley kar jaun gi, chahay khainch kar nah ley jaun. Lekin chalo, abhi maaf kiya. "
( I'll take you there even if i have to drag you. But okay, I forgive you for now.)

Then she leaned in a little,

"Suna hai, yey mehmaan bahir sey aye hain. Ab milna tou paray ga mosoof sey, haina?"
( I have heard that the guest has come from abroad. Now I'll have to meet him, won't I?)

Zahra giggled again before she ran outside, not caring  about the strands of hair on her face as her dupatta trailed behind her on the wet floor. Meena slapped her forehead as she shook her head at her friend.

" Yey larki, tauba."
(This girl, Oh God.)

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The day darkened slightly as the dark clouds covered the sky, the rain still  pattering against the red brick ground. Following a heavy, green vine, a cat climbed to the second floor of the haveli where a few chattering girls stood in a group, hush whispers were heard around them as they giggled silently.

One of them pushed a girl,

" Dekha unhain tunney? Bahir khala k saath bethay aisay maghroor lag rahay thay."
( Did you see him? He looked so arrogant sitting with Aunt outside.)

" Lagtay tou bilkul chaudhary hain, angraiz tou bilkul nahi."
( He looks exactly like a Chaudhary, not a foreigner at all.)

They chuckled at her words.

" Aisay moochain hain mosoof ki, tauba, aankh mey gussa, maghoor naak. Haye, aisa tou koi pooray gaun mey nahi."
( His moustache, anger in his eyes and arrogant nose. No one is like him in the village even.)

A round of giggles went around but they all stopped as Zahra joined them, curious as always.

" Sab khabar dou mjhey bhi!"
( Give me all the news.)

The girls started filling her in, giggling as one of them started jokingly lying.
" Bilkul angraiz dikhtay hain mosoof, aik dam sookay huay danday ki tarhan. Mosoof ko hamara gaun pasand nahi aya shayad."
( He looks exactly like white, exactly like a dry stick. Didn't like our village, it seems.)

" Aisay kesay pasand nahi aya? Jo hamara gaun pasand nahi karta, ussey hum pasand nahi kartay."
( How did he not like it? The one who doesn't like out village, we dont like him.)

Zahra scrunched her nose, imagining the foreign man who was the son of one of her father's relatives who lived abroad. First a reflection of ego, then a sudden mischievousness filled her eyes.

" Dekh laitay hain unhey hum bhi."
( I'll see him.)

She winked and snatched a clean towel off a bench, as all the girls giggled following her to the door lof a room but only sending her in.

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Zahra coughed as she entered the room upon seeing the figure of a man, still hearing the giggles from outside the door. A smiled tugged at her berry lips as she coughed again and the man turned around. Zahra's eyes looked at him from his toe to his head. Kolhapuri chappal, a black shalwar kameez. Her eyes took in his face, light beard and mustache, a straight nose and almond shaped eyes. Hair pushed back, tall stature. 

Zahra giggled.

" Aap kon hain aur wo angraizi chooza kahan bhaag gaya?"
( Who are you and where did that white chicken go?)

She looked here and there in search of a foreign  looking man but all she was this man who was looking at her with his eyes flaring with anger.

" Kya farmaya aap nay?"
( What did you say?)

" Arey bhae, wo angraizi chooza aya hai nah, kahan chhupa rakha hau ussey? Aik baar haath lag jaye tou maza na chakhaya tou mera naam badal dena."

He walked a little closer to  where she was standing, his face still portraying anger.

" Aap hain kon?"
( Who are you?)

" Arey mjhey chhorain, uss angraiz ka batayein. Khud ko kya samajhtay hain wo? Bad-kirdaar angraiz. Hmm. Angraizon k gulaam. Apnay hi baap dada ka gaun pasand nahi hai? Kutta bhi wafadar hota hai! "

" Apni hadd mey rahain!"
( Stay in your limits)

He yelled as jumped at her, pushing her towards the wall next to the door. Zahra's mouth shut at the sudden force and she screamed as she hit the wall, making the large steel pot of water fall on the floor, producing a loud clink that was surely heard outside.Her dupatta had fell when he pushed her, pulling her hair open as it fell.  A cry came out of her lips as she felt his hand gripping her arm forcefully, her eyes watered as she looked up to his face.

" Apni zuban ko sambhal lain, warna jaan sey jaayein gi."

He heard a commotion outside and the door opened slightly but he pushed it close, locking the door by the kundi. Zahra's face lost all it's colour as she say this.

Someone knocked on the door but he didn't look twice, pushing his fingers into the flesh of her arms. Zahra let out a cry again.

" Maafi maango!"

His eyes were blazing but all Zahra could hear was the commotion outside. There were a lot of voices now. Zahra trembled as she looked back at him.

"Darwaza khol dein."

Tears fell from her eyes as she begged.

"Darwaza khol dein, meri koi galati nahi hai wo sab tou.. sab kya soch rahay hon gay, mehrbaani kar k darwaza khol dein."

"Menay kaha maafi maango!"

He yelled again and someone outside was pushing the door, knocking it continuously.

" M-maaf kardein. Darwaza khol dein."

He eyed her once more before moving back, and raising his hand to unlock the door. The door opened swiftly and Zahra slid down the wall, tears streaming down her face as her Khaala entered the room along with a few others.

" Haye Allah!"

She heard her say before she felt herself blacking out against the wall as the water which had fallen earlier made her gharara wet.

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