Chapter 2: The Cradle of Culture and Grace
While Arsalan's house was a storm of chaos and bitterness, Hammad Sahab's household was an embodiment of peace, knowledge, and refinement. Shanzaay's upbringing was far from ordinary. When she was only eight years old, her mother, Fauzia, passed away after a long battle with a terminal illness, leaving her world incomplete. After Fauzia's death, Hammad Sahab's entire universe centered around his only daughter. Despite his mother's repeated insistence on a second marriage, he always replied, "Mother, my life has only one purpose now—to make Shanzaay an exceptional human being."
Hammad Sahab, a retired professor of the Urdu department, spent most of his time at home. A long-time partnership in a friend's garment factory provided a steady income, keeping them financially stable. Two special figures guarded Shanzaay's upbringing like shadows. One was her grandmother, a former successful school principal, who was not a traditional grandmother but a woman of literature and wisdom. She bestowed upon Shanzaay the wealth of self-confidence and intellect. The second was "Jannat Bibi," widowed at a young age, who had been a part of the family for years. Shanzaay called her "Amma Jee." She provided the maternal warmth Shanzaay had lost.
There was a unique stillness in Shanzaay's temperament. Her conversation had a charm that would mesmerize the listener. Whether she was pressing her grandmother's feet or playfully hiding behind Amma Jee, the walls of the house would come alive with her laughter. "Amma Jee! Did you burn the potato parathas again? I'll tell Baba that you spend less time in the kitchen and more time gossiping with the neighbor!" she would tease with a wink, while Jannat Bibi lovingly showered her with prayers.
One evening, after Shanzaay completed her Master's degree, her grandmother spoke to Hammad Sahab seriously. "Hammad, Shanzaay has finished her education and is now a young woman. I wish for us to start looking for a dignified family where our doll receives the respect she deserves."
Soon after, a proposal arrived from a university fellow. However, when the family visited, their rude tone and pretentious conversation repelled Hammad Sahab and the grandmother. They seemed more interested in the factory and property than in Shanzaay's character. The grandmother gracefully saw them off and said, "Son, a marriage is a union of hearts, not just status. We must seek nobility."
During those days, an invitation arrived for the wedding of a granddaughter of the grandmother's old friend. The whole family attended. At the event, Shanzaay caught the eyes of Jamila and her sisters. Jamila approached the grandmother with honeyed words and calculated humility. "Auntie, your granddaughter is like a fairy! It seems she has been raised with great love." Jamila displayed such fake respect that even a seasoned woman like the grandmother was deceived and politely invited them to their home.
On the other side, the atmosphere at Arsalan's house was entirely different. Jamila and Shamma Begum were plotting once again. "Listen, Arsalan! This time the girl is from a very wealthy family," Jamila lectured him. "You just have to make sure you don't spoil her from the start. Make her realize that our will prevails here. You went a bit soft in Nausheen's case, but this time, you must stand by us." Arifa chimed in, "Yes, brother! We need a girl who does the housework and whose father sets up your business too."
Arsalan listened to his sisters' cunning plan in silence. He felt that perhaps this time his home would finally be "settled," unaware that this wasn't a settlement, but a new conspiracy to ruin a living, breathing life.
to be continued.....
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