Chapter 17

Daarji’s face darkened with rage at Shehnaaz’s response. His eyes blazed with fury as he raised his hand again, ready to strike her once more. But something in him hesitated. With a deep breath, he clenched his fist, forcing himself to lower his hand. His eyes shut tightly, as if trying to reign in the tempest of anger swirling inside him. When he spoke again, his voice was sharp and cold, filled with unyielding authority. “Bahot juban chalne lagi tumhari aaj kal. Tumhari shadi hogi aur Sukhveer se hi hogi, samajhi tum?”

The weight of his words crashed down on Shehnaaz like a ton of bricks, and the reality of her situation began to sink in. Her marriage—her entire future—had been decided without her consent. Daarji had fixed her marriage to someone she had never met, to a man whose name she didn’t even know until now. How could he do this? How could he make such a life-altering decision for her without even asking what she wanted? Her mind raced, frantically trying to grasp the full implications of what was happening. Panic bubbled up inside her as the thought of Sidharth flashed through her mind. Sidharth… the man she loved with all her heart. What would he do if he found out? He would never stand for this. He would never let someone else take her away from him. She could almost picture the fury in his eyes, the way he would fight to protect her. But then the thought of the chaos that would follow terrified her even more.

Tears welled up in Shehnaaz’s eyes, blurring her vision as they spilled down her cheeks. Her sobs came in soft, broken gasps, as the enormity of her helplessness overwhelmed her. “Plzz, Daarji… aap ye shadi cancel kar dijiye…” Her voice was a desperate plea, filled with fear and sorrow.

Daarji stared at her in shock, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “What?” His voice was stern, laced with disbelief. “Puttar, tum pagal ho gayi ho? Mene juban di hai apne dost ko. Aur tum janti ho me apne faisale se kabhi pichhe nahi hatata.” His tone was final, unyielding. Shehnaaz knew that when Daarji made a decision, it was as if it had been etched in stone. He had given his word, and he would never go back on it, no matter what.

Her sobs grew louder, more desperate, as she felt the walls of her world closing in around her. What was she going to do? How could she escape this fate that was being forced upon her? Shehnaaz’s heart pounded with fear, the reality of her situation choking her with despair.

Sighing deeply, Daarji softened slightly, perhaps thinking that she was merely frightened by the suddenness of the situation. He placed a hand on her shoulder, attempting to comfort her in his own way. “Puttar, isme rone ki kya baat hai? Payal ki tarah tumhi bhi toh ek din shadi karni hi hogi na. Aur tu chinta mat kar, me ladke se mil chuka hun. Bahot achha pariwar hai. Tujhe bahot khush rakhenge.” His voice had lost some of its harshness, replaced by a misguided tenderness. He truly believed he was doing the right thing for her, that this was what was best for her future.

But his words only made Shehnaaz’s sobs intensify. The more he tried to console her, the more suffocated she felt. “Nahi, Daarji… plz…” Shehnaaz’s voice trembled with fear and desperation, her heart gripped by a cold dread. She couldn’t tell him the truth—not about Sidharth, not about the love they shared. She knew Daarji’s temper too well, knew how deeply he valued his word. If he found out about her and Sidharth, there would be no telling what he might do. The very thought of it made her shiver in terror.

“Puttar…” Daarji began, his voice softening as he attempted to handle the situation with care. He knew Shehnaaz was still young, still just a girl who might be acting out of fear. His anger, though fierce, was tempered by a desire to protect her, to guide her down what he believed was the right path.

But Shehnaaz, overwhelmed by a maelstrom of emotions, couldn’t hold back any longer. With a sudden, defiant burst of energy, she snapped his hand away, her voice rising in a shout that echoed in the room. “Mein ye shadi nahi karungi!” Her words, sharp and loud, startled Daarji. He blinked, taken aback by her sudden outburst. For a moment, confusion clouded his face, but it was quickly replaced by the simmering anger that began to bubble up once more. “Kya matlab…?” he demanded, his voice edged with disbelief.

Shehnaaz’s tears streaked down her cheeks as she wiped them away with trembling hands. Her heart pounded with a mix of fear and determination, but she knew she had to speak the truth, no matter how terrifying the consequences might be. “Mein kisi Sukhveer se shadi nahi karungi…” she repeated, her voice stronger this time, fueled by the fire in her chest. Then, with a deep breath, she uttered the words that would change everything, words that she knew would ignite a storm. “Daarji… mein… wo mein kisi se pyar karti hun…”

Daarji stood frozen, his eyes wide with shock as her confession echoed in his ears. The room seemed to close in around him, his mind struggling to process what he had just heard.

and without warning, she received another struck.

Shehnaaz stumbled back in fear, her legs unsteady beneath her. She gasped in pain as her forehead, now bleeding from hitting the edge of the table, throbbed with a sharp, stinging ache. Her tears mixed with the blood, her vision swimming as she looked up at Daarji, her voice barely a whisper. “Daa… Daarji…”

Daarji’s anger flared further at the sight of her distress. His voice was a thunderstorm of rage and disappointment. “Chup!” he shouted, his voice echoing off the walls. “Humne tumhe bachpan se hi chhoot di hai, tumhare marzi ke hisaab se jeene ke liye. Lekin mere faisle ki khilaf jaayegi tum, samjhi? Aur yeh kya pyar-pyar laga rakha hai? Jawani ki is khel ko tum asli zindagi ka pyar samajh bethi ho? Tumhari shadi Sukhveer se hi hogi, Shehnaaz!”

Shehnaaz, her heart pounding in her chest, tried to make sense of Daarji’s words through her pain and fear. Her voice, though trembling with emotion, broke through the fog of confusion. “Agar Di pyar kar sakti hai, to main kyun nahi…” she cried out, her eyes pleading for understanding, trying to grasp the source of Daarji’s anger.

Daarji’s frustration reached a boiling point. His face was flushed with a mix of anger and sadness as he spoke through gritted teeth. “Agar mera bas chalta, to main Payal ka rishta kabhi na hone deta…” he admitted, his voice laced with bitterness. “Par Jasbeera aur Rajender ki ichha ki wajah se main chup ho gaya. Par ab nahi. Tumhari shadi ki baat main kar chuka hoon, Shehnaaz, aur khabardaar… khabardaar jo meri izzat ka mazak banane ki koshish ki tumne.”

Shehnaaz’s heart shattered at his words. The realization that Daarji was so resolute in his decision left her feeling helpless and devastated. Desperate, she fell to her knees, reaching out to Daarji with trembling hands, her tears flowing uncontrollably. “Daarji, please Daarji…” she begged, her voice breaking with raw emotion. “Main usse bahut pyar karti hoon…aisa mat kijiye mere saath…”