MARYAM'S POV:

(Flashback)

"Maryam don't tell me you are.." Abbu said while glaring me and I slowly nodded while looking at Aatish.

"What happened?" Ammi came out of the kitchen after listening the voice of Abbu who was glaring Aatish and me.

"Maryam go inside your room" Abbu roared but I didn't moved

"I'm..I mean..." Aatish stammered but he gain his confidence back in very next moment "Uncle I want to marry your daughter. And we both..." Aatish was saying when I took steps towards him and Abbu glared me.

"Abbu we love each other and I'll not do Marriage to that guy" I said in slow voice and Ammi was shocked.

"You shameless girl" Ammi yelled on me with angry gaze and Aatish took step towards Abbu

"Uncle me and Maryam..."

"Don't utter the name of my daughter from your tongue." Abbu didn't let him say anything further and bust in him

"Maham, Razi go inside" Ammi instructed both of them who were standing there witnessing the whole scene, Maham obeyed but Razi was not so small that he couldn't understand the whole matter. He was almost fifteen and understood everything, he didn't went inside.

I took steps towards Abbu and held his hand "Abbu we both..."

-slap-

I got a slap from my father, in my eighteen years of life I got slap from Abbu. My eyes pooled up with tears and I was shocked, the hand which was always raised to patted and caressed my head, the same hand slapped my cheek.

"Don't utter a single word, I trust on you and what you did? It would be better if I never thought to give you freedom and good education" Abbu said with anger and that anger was clearly visible in his bloodshot eyes which was giving me a different fear to my heart.

"And you!! Who are you? How you come here to ask for my daughter's proposal? But first tell me what you do? From which family you belongs? If you want to do Marriage then to should send your parents with your proposal, in reputed families elders discuss about the marriage." Abbu roared on Aatish and he was standing occupied by silence

"I don't do any work for now but I'll do any work to fulfill Maryam's needs" He stated and Abbu glared him then me.

"Get out of my home, and never lift your gaze towards Maryam or this home." Abbu said with anger while pointing out towards the door and Aatish looked at me.

"I have already told you about this" Aatiah said in whispered and I nodded with the feeling of regret...

Regret not to love Aatish but to talk to Abbu without any hesitation. We both were looking at each other without blinking our eyes

"You are still here, will you go from here after I push you out from my home." Abbu roared and Aatish went out from the house not before giving me the last glance But my eyes were still fixed on the way from he left.

"Maryam give some poison to us so that we can't see these scenes." Ammi said with disappointment and I just cried silently. I never expected anything like that. I was the pride of my parents but they were treating my love as a taboo, how could they do that just because I loved Aatish.

"Call those people in morning, instead of doing engagement marry her off in the end of this month." I felt a knot in my stomach after listening Ammi's words and Abbu nodded while glaring me.

"Abbu Ammi please... I'll not marry any other guy, but only Aatish." I pleaded with determination but got a slap in return from my mother.

"I'm ashamed that you are my daughter. Don't leave any way to insult us" Ammi said and Abbu turned his face to other side he was looking red due to anger and I was trying to talk to him.

That night we didn't had dinner, but instead of dinner I dine taunts, scoldings and what not.  I was crying whole night and waited for morning so that I could meet Aatish in college. And after a long time the dark night was turned into the morning. I dressed up in what I got in first attempt tight my hair in a Messy ponytail underscore towards the door holding my college back which had few clothes of mine.

"Where are you going?" I listened Abbu's voice and I turned to look at him

"Abbu I'm going to college" I said without looking at him, I was not going to college but to meet Aatish

"Don't you dare to step out from the home, I'll break your both legs" Abbu said angrily and I looked at him

"Abbu I'm going to college. Today's lecture is very important" I said without any expressions on my face

"I did a big mistake by sending you to college, now I'm not going to continue the same, go to your room and get ready. I'm calling those people for fixing your Marriage dates, till the end of this month I want you to be married." Abbu made my heartbeat fast

"Ammi please you try to understand, Aatish is very nice, he is..."

"Maryam I will slap you if I listened Aatish's name from your mouth. How shameless you are! Did I teach you these things?" Ammi scolded me and I was frustrated because no one was trying to understand me.

"What's wrong in Aatish?" I almost yelled.

"From which family he do belongs? What will he feed you after marriage? He don't do any work for earning" Abbu said angrily and I try to made him believe in Aatish.

"Abbu Aatish will definitely do something, and I don't need luxuries. I'll will be happy with him" I said in pleading way

"Anisa take away this shameless girl from front of my sight" Abbu said while glaring me and I was dragged to my room by Ammi.

"Ammi just for once..."

"Shut up, stop it... Otherwise I'll beat you till death" I cried with anger, frustration and helplessness on what my parents were doing with me.

That was afternoon when Ammi entered in my room with a plate of food but I didn't took that.

"Get ready they people are coming and today we will fixed the marriage dates" drawing out a dress from my cupboard, Ammi placed,

No it would be better to say throw in front of me.

"Wear this and tie your hair in Braid" Ammi said and I shook my head with determination

"Maryam I'm not asking but saying you to do so" Saying that Ammi left me alone in the room.

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"Maryam Aapi, mummy is saying that guests are waiting for you some fast" Maham entered in the room and said with a smile but my blood got a boil

"Tell Ammi that I'll not come" I said while throwing the clothes to other corner of room and lay down on bed.

After some five minutes the door of my room snapped opened and I lifted my head from the pillow to saw the person who had entered in.

That was Ammi.

"What is this new drama?"

"Nothing, but I don't want to meet them" I replied without looking at her and she took steps closer to me.

"Maryam I don't want any scene in my home, go and get ready in five minutes."

"Ammi I don't....."

"Enough" Ammi showed Me her palm to stop me and left the room with a angry expression on her face, I helplessly changed myself in that clothes and started combing my hair but I stopped myself to tie my hair. And let them fall freely on my back. Instead of covering my head with dupatta I hanged that on the left shoulder. Then applied kajal, and dark red lipstick because that won't be a good expression for those people who were sitting in the living room of my home.

I entered in the living room with long steps and sat down in front of those ladies, and their facial expressions showed the state of their shock and surprised. I looked at Ammi and her face was looking colorless, she glared me but I returned a smile, of I come to my stubbornness then no one could win in from of me, even not my parents too

"Maryam cover your head with dupatta" Ammi said in small voice masking a smile on her face and I again smiled looking at the ladies and then Ammi

"Its fine Ammi, I even go college in this way, then what's the matter of covering the head inside the home" I said with happy expression and those ladies were looking shocked.

"Don't you cover your head when you go out of the home" One of the lady asked me and before I could say anything Ammi interfered in between us.

"Ofcourse she wore dupatta before going out from the home, you have something" Ammi said with a fake smile and I smiled too.

"Yes I always wear dupatta before going out from the home, but since the weather is very hot so I remove the dupatta from my head in the way of college." I said with a smile and Ammi glared me with deadly gaze but I returned a smile for that.

"We were thinking instead of doing engagement, why not we do Marriage!" Ammi said to the mother of that guy and she looked at the other lady who was sitting beside her

"So soon? But you were not agree for doing Marriage soon" She said to my Ammi and I didn't let her say anything

"I don't know my parents are curious to marry me off as soon as possible?" I said and both ladies was looking shocked

"Its better to marry of daughters in suitable days, we are thinking to go for pilgrimage and its better to marry off her before going for that" Ammi said and that ladies nodded. That was true that my parents were planing to go for pilgrimage but my marriage wasn't connected to that.

"Go Maryam, go in your room" Ammi said and I looked her with a smile and shook my head

"Ammi I'm not going anywhere, I dint wanna to" I said and Ammi glared me, and I showed my full stubborn.

They wanted to marry me off with that man, so I was trying my best that they people rejected me by themselves.

"We will think about this then call you" Mother of that guy said and Ammi Nodded.

"Maham.." I call her and she came to me with a smile on her face and her favourite doll in her hand.

"Maham Babu go and give a glass of water to me" Kissing her cheek I ordered her and she did so with a smile.

"Actually I don't like to do any work, Ammi do all the work" I said after drinking the water and Ammi glared me with deadly sight

"Maryam go in the room" She said with angry voice and this time I nodded because I had done what I had to.

"No let her sit with us, before that we didn't even meet her properly, this Is the first time when we are talking to Maryam" One of the lady said and I sat down with them.

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"Maryam" I listened Abbu's call when I was sitting in the room.

"Ji abbu" goung towards his room I asked

"What you have done on front of those ladies." Abbu asked and I stay silent in front of him.

"Maryam you are spoiling your life and my reputation" Abbu roared on me.

"Abbu I'm not spoiling your reputation but your are spoiling my life" I answered him and he controlled him to say anything. We both were sitting facing each other and Ammi was glaring constantly. After some ten minutes Abbu made him stand and sat beside me.

"Maryam beta look at me" He said politely and caressed my head

"Maryam what do you think That boy could make you happy for whole life? No beta, try to understand, we watched this world more than you, we never want any problem for you in your life" Abbu said and I say silent.

"Abbu you always fulfilled my every single demand then why are you not listing to me this time?" I asked in slow voice and he caressed my head again.

"Because this time you are demanding for a wrong thing. You are spoiling your life. I can say that Aatish is not a responsible person, and we don't know anything about his family.''

"Abbu..."

"Maryam end of the discussion, beta I'm saying very politely don't make me angry. I don't want to slap you again. You are my princess and let me treat you just like a princess don't creat the worst situations for all of us." Abbu said with a polite tone but in the last sentence I detected a hint of anger and threatening in his voice.

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_Naaz Jamal