Adezai village 

Peshawar, Pakistan 

In between the houses made of bricks, clay or mud, cattle were jumping on the boulevards.

Boys were playing with marbles on the roads.

Small girls were playing Stapoo and jumping ropes in the streets or courtyard of their homes. 

Old men were sitting on the cots outside their houses, busy in smoking hookahs  

Women were busy in their respective domestic chores, and handling their children. 

Everyone was busy in their respective works without thinking about her fever which was increasing by every passing hour. 

"Hareem... Hareem... Kaha mar gayi..." 

The seventeen years old girl had just rested her head on the pillow but that loud call made her aware that might be she had done something wrong. Placing the corner of her petered out cotton dupatta she stood up with shivering legs and made her way towards the big room.

"Ji begum sahab?" she asked in her weak voice 

(Yeah Marm) 

"Khane me namak kam hai... Dhyaan kaha rehta hai tera?" She looked down on that scolding and moved towards kitchen to bring Salt saucer 

(There is less salt in the food... why you don't work carefully) 

"Kapde dhoo diye?" The Honorable lady of Niyazi family asked When Hareem placed the salt on the dastarkhwan, she shook her head with lower gaze and two tears appeared in her eyes. 

(Have you washed clothes?) 

"Ye to hamesha ki kaamchor hai" Someone of the Niyazi family, which was composed of some fifteen members, commented with anger and Hareem wished that this time her fever took away her soul from her frame but Allah wasn't answering her this prayer since childhood. 

(She is an idle since ever) 

"Jaa kar kapde dhoo, aur phir ye bartan bhi dhoo dena" The second most important lady of the Niyazi family ordered and Hareem dared to look towards the only soft-hearted person of that family. 

The middle-aged lady; Jameela Begum. She was the unmarried daughter of the Niyazi family but unfortunately she didn't have power in front of her two elder brothers and their wives to take stand for herself as well as Poor Hareem. 

"Hareem tumne khana khaya?" Jameela Begum asked. Hareem shook her head and informed about her fever. 

(Hareem, haven't you had your lunch?) 

"Jaao, jaa kar mere kamre se dawai le lo, aur khana kha kar kuch deer aaram kar lo" Jameela Begum ordered Hareem and she left the big dining room after a nod. 

(Go, take medicine from my room, and take some rest after having meal) 

"Jameela tum kyu is ladki ko itna sar par sawaar karke rakhti ho? Allah Jaane Kiska gunah hai ye" The elder Niyazi brother asked with anger and Jameela Begum jerked her head while lifting the next morsel. The poor lady knew that her reply wouldn't affect anyone so she stayed silent. 

(Jameela, why do you always favour this girl? We don't even know whose sin is she) 

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Hareem was lying on the bed which was not a bed but only a sheet spread on the floor of that hot and dark storeroom. 

"How is your fever now?" Coming inside the storeroom Jameela Begum asked and Hareem opened her eyes. 

"Phuppo saheba," Hareem uttered with a sad smile. The old lady sat beside her and touched her forehead. "Now your fever is fine," she said and Hareem nodded. 

"Phuppo saheba I don't want to marry that man" Hareem whispered with tearfilled eyes and Jameela Begum stroked her head. 

"Beta shadi kar lo... Woh insaan tumhe apni izzat Bana raha hai... Tumhari izzat se Khel Nahi Raha"

(Get married my dear... that person is making you dignity... not playing with your dignity) 

Hareem blink away the tears and shifted her head in Jameela Begum's lap. 

The only motherly touch she had ever felt in her life. 

Hareem has been in Niyazi's home since she was born. And since that day everyone was treating her worse than garbage and an impure material of their home. 

Eighteen years ago there was fifteen years old, an orphan girl named Aamna. She was a maid in a Niyazi home who had been living with Niyazi's for four or five years. Aamna was the most innocent girl anyone ever witnessed in the whole village. One day she became ill, being a maid no one cared about her. But within six months, every eyebrow raised, tongues started wagging and finally, words started coming out in the whole village when the girl showed signs of pregnancy. Members of the Niyazi Family were shocked, no one could imagine that the innocent girl could do anything like that.

Innocent Aamna was brutally beaten by males of the Niyazi family to know the name of her unborn child's father but she didn't reveal anyone's name, because she wanted to save the reputation of him, and his family. Even in the local court of the village, she was claimed as unladylike! But since she didn't have any place to go, eventually Niyazi's had to give her shelter in their home. One night Aamna gave birth to a baby girl, no one came forward to help that fifteen years old unmarried mother, but Jameela begum along with two midwives. Aamna's condition was very critical and after tolerating pain for many hours she passed away from the world after handing over her daughter to Jameela Begum who was in her early thirties back then. 

Niyazi's wanted to kill that innocent soul which took birth just a few hours ago or wanted to throw her away from the village leaving her at the mercy of destiny but Jameela Begum somehow managed to change their minds. Unfortunately, Niyazi's didn't understand the lessons of humanity but they got agreed to raise that girl so that the girl will serve them as a free servant. 

That baby girl wasn't anyone else but HAREEM. 

"Phuppo saheba, you're the only one who cares about me and loves me, otherwise I'm worse than a slave in this home" Hareem shared her pain and Jameela Begum caressed her head after wiping Hareem's tears. 

"Take rest for some time" The lady ordered politely and Hareem kept watching her with a helpless gaze. 

"Why are you so good? You're the only one who treats me like a human. Even you allow me to call you phuppo Saheba like all the other children of the family, otherwise... No one wants to even see my face. Phuppo saheba what's my fault if I don't know who is my father?" Hareem again muttered trying to share her pain and this time Jameela Begum embraced that girl with tear-filled eyes and planted a small kiss on her forehead, she had a natural attraction towards Hareem. 

And why wouldn't it be... After all, she was Hareem's phuppo Saheba (Paternal Aunt), and the only person, besides Late Aamna who knew about Hareem's father. 

Eighteen years ago, One night Jameela Begum was trying to sleep but wasn't feeling well, so she decided to walk in the corridor of her home, and she listened to some painful groanings and suppressed sobs of a girl coming from the room of her youngest brother. And Jameela Begum was beyond shock after witnessing what she never wanted to witness even in her most horrible dream.

The youngest heir of Niyazi's was crossing all the limits of humanity and brutality. 

Aamna was being raped by her 21 years old Master, over two months but no one got to know about that. And when Jameela Begum catches her brother red-handed, he leaves the village the very next day with a false excuse in front of his family that he had got a scholarship for higher education. After that, he never comes back village and now he was living happily in the city after getting married and having three children. But he never thinks about a child he left behind in the village.

"Phuppo Saheba" 

"Hmm beta?" 

"will I get my home after getting married or that man will also treat me like all of them?" Jameela Begum was silent on that innocent yet wise question. She knew that Hareem's married life won't be like a fairy tale after getting married to Chodhri Mateen, who was a fifty years old landlord of the next village, but, at least Jameela Begum was satisfied that Hareem wasn't going to become someone's prey to take off the fire of his lust. 

But actually, Jameela Begum and Hareem both didn't know the reality of that marriage. Chodhri Mateen was buying Hareem for fifty lakh rupees, he was supposed to do nikkah with her but the purpose behind that marriage was LUST. 

PURE LUST. 

Eldest and second elder Niyazi brothers finalise Hareem's deal with that landlord without thinking only once that they both also had daughters. Poor innocent Hareem didn't have any other way except accepting that man's proposal, even though no one bothers to ask about her wish, they directly announced their decision some two or three days back. Since Hareem doesn't hold any power to express her wish or opinion about her own life, she left everything on fate. 

And she never believed in her fate!! 

============

In the darkness of night when everyone was sleeping peacefully, she spread a prayer mat, and raised her hands in front of her almighty. 

"Allah paak I was very ill today, but you didn't send anyone to help me at work! Why? I know you love all of us. But why do you never show your love towards me? You give everything to everyone but why are you not giving me happiness in my life? I have never prayed for a handsome, caring, educated, prince charming type husband... But I never wanted a fifty years old, black fat elephant type man, who would crush me under his foot... When will you answer my prayers? Or I'm nothing even in your vision, as these family members? Fine if you're not giving me happiness... I'm not asking anything special, just give me death so that I won't face more troubles in my life. I know that man won't treat me in a good way! If he was a good person he would never have agreed to marry a seventeen years old girl! I'm tired... Ya Allah, please... I'm tired of my life! Please call me. At least answer my this prayer!" And with those words, she flowed down all the tears she had in her eyes in front of the almighty. She had a long list of complaints about her problems and miserable life. 

There were only fifteen days in marriage, and Hareem wanted to kill herself instead of becoming a toy of Chodhri Mateen. But  she was stopping herself as suicide is Haram in islam. She was helplessly accepting everything in the name of her fate but... 

Soon her fate was going to turn everything.

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Dua ki quwwat ko nadaan banda jab tak nahi maanta, jab tak koi mojiza apni aakho ke saamne na dekh le. 

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