Introduction: The bond was formed, but did the soul find peace? The sweet words before marriage versus the bitter reality after. Will Shanzaay be able to escape this web of hypocrisy? A novel that unmasks the double faces of society
Episode 1: The True and The False.
"Arsalan! O Arsalan! Can't you hear me? Where are you? Mom is calling you downstairs."
Arsalan peered down from the balcony and replied, "Aapa (Sister)! I'm coming."
Deep down, he thought, "I can't even breathe in peace for a moment in this house." But these were just his thoughts; his tongue lacked the courage to utter a word. He was the only brother of two sisters, and they never allowed him to speak up. In this house, the eldest sister, Jamila, held all the power. Although she was married into a wealthy family, she maintained her dominance over both her in-laws and her parents' home. No matter the issue, if Jamila wasn't consulted, she would turn the house upside down. Even their mother remained silent before her, so Arsalan stood no chance.
Arsalan's first marriage had been ruined because of the tyranny of his sisters. He knew his sisters were at fault, but he had never been taught the difference between right and wrong. It was while pointing out this very distinction that Nousheen had said her final 'Goodbye' to him. "I cannot live with a man who doesn't have the courage to speak the truth in front of the women of his house," Nousheen's last words still echoed in his ears.
Whenever he tried to say something, his elder sister would fake "fainting spells." She would play the victim so convincingly that Arsalan would end up worrying about her health instead. Both sisters wanted to get rid of Nousheen because they feared she might take their brother away from them. Nousheen was restricted from going out, she couldn't cook what she liked, and she wasn't allowed to hire any help. She did everything alone. The marriage barely lasted six months. When Nousheen suffered a miscarriage and her parents took her home for rest, the two sisters influenced their mother, had the divorce papers prepared by Arsalan, and sent them to her house.
That chapter of Arsalan's life ended, but no one in his family felt any grief. His sisters would repeatedly say, "She wasn't worthy of you! Have patience. This time we will bring someone everyone will admire. People are just jealous that our brother listens to us; he isn't some 'henpecked husband'." They were giving themselves false comfort because, in reality, they didn't want any girl in Arsalan's life. They only agreed for show, and whenever a proposal came, they would find a hundred flaws in it.
The influence of religious education on Arsalan's second sister was almost non-existent. Their upbringing lacked manners, politeness, and patience. Shama Begum (their mother) had no interest in anything other than watching movies and dramas. How could she teach household management when she didn't know how to cook herself? She was so sharp-tongued that the same bitterness had passed down to her daughters. In her time, she had troubled her in-laws so much that they eventually moved away. Now, Shamma Begum had full freedom to do as she pleased. Her husband would leave for his shop early in the morning and have breakfast outside because his wife never woke up before noon. No attention was paid to the daughters' education either; the eldest finished matriculation, and the other two quit after the eighth grade, claiming, "We will pursue religious education."
Iftikhar Sahib (the father) fought with Shamma Begum every day over these issues. He never got his meals on time, nor clean clothes. He had his clothes washed and ironed by the laundryman. Despite having grown-up daughters in the house, no one would even offer him a glass of water. When he spoke about their upbringing, Shama Begum would create a storm. Eventually, he would take his medicine and go to sleep. One night, he fell asleep and never woke up again. The only fear Shama Begum ever had was buried deep under the soil with him.
The shop was rented out to keep the household running. Arsalan had dropped out of school after matriculation and started spending late nights with friends and smoking. No one in the house was aware of his habits.
Today, Afzal Bhai (Jamila's husband and Shamma Begum's nephew) had come over. During the conversation, he said, "Aunt! You should settle Arsalan down now. He wanders around all day; he needs to take responsibility for a home." Shamma Begum immediately adopted a fake softness, "I'll see, son! Nousheen hurt us so deeply that now I'm afraid of the word marriage."
Shamma Begum was such an actress that anyone would believe her and think the other party was at fault. In front of her son-in-law, she became so humble that she seemed like a saint. She did the same during Nousheen's time; when Afzal came over, she would make Nousheen sit beside her and say, "How much work will you do, child?" while Nousheen had already been threatened that she would be kicked out if she told anyone anything. To any daughter-in-law, that house was more of a cage than a home. The daughter-in-law was treated like a servant, while the daughters slept or ordered snacks from outside.
One day, when Nousheen was pregnant, she was coming down the stairs when the younger sister-in-law, Arifa, pushed her. Nousheen fainted, groaning in pain. Shamma Begum immediately called Arsalan and took her to the hospital. When she regained consciousness, she was threatened again: "If you want to save your home, don't tell the doctor anything." But Nousheen's patience had reached its limit. When her parents arrived and saw her alone in that state, they took her with them.
Arsalan and his family consulted each other and posted the divorce papers. They didn't think for a second that one day they would be held accountable for this cruelty. The One who is watching everything from above will one day settle the score for every injustice they committed.
continued....
"Copyright © 2026 by Ishrat Zahid. All rights reserved. No part of this story may be reproduced or copied without the author's permission."