Possession by Laila Ali (best authors to read txt) 📕

"Agha Jaan, won't Bi Jaan join us today?" one of the boys asked.

"She is not feeling well. The news of your uncle's death made her sick, she won't be coming. Start everyone." His voice was void of any emotion.

And everyone started eating. The clattering of dishes echoed through the room. Everyone was talking. Those boys and girls were also engrossed in their conversation.

Haider served both of them with some biryani. Zahra began to eat but she felt something around her was weird. She felt like someone was watching her but whenever she rose her head there was no one. She thought she was being paranoid and continued with her dinner.

Soon the dinner was over and all of them quietened.

"Ammara, I'll let you live in this haveli only for one condition," Shabbir spoke through the eerie silence and looked towards her. She was looking expectantly towards him.

Now, Zahra's hands were shivering a bit. Her sixth sense kept telling her something bad is going to happen. Her face was paled and her lips were turned white. She was utterly anxious. Was her restlessness really related to the condition? what the condition could be? Her sixth sense was signaling towards something else but she thought it was the condition about which she is being trepidatious.

Only if she knew.

"If your daughter, Zahra marries my grandson, Irtaza" he dropped the bomb.

Zahra's mouth hung open.

She was completely baffled.

It took good two minutes for her mind to conjecture what he has said.

"Well, What do you say, Zahra?" Her grandfather asked breaking her reverie.

Daniyal's words kept echoing in her mind.

'I will come to marry you, Zahra.'

No, she can't do this with Daniyal. She can't betray him. She can't break her promise.

"I am sorry I won't marry anyone without my will" Zahra immediately spoke.

"The choice is all yours, if you want to live here then you've to marry Irtaza, and if you don't want to marry him then you've to go,"

'Who is he to decide whom should I marry'

"I'll prefer going from here" she almost spat.

"Ok as you wish. It's getting dark outside you both will be leaving tomorrow morning" with that he stood up and marched towards his room.

Irtaza stood up from his chair and eyed Zahra out, dangerously, then left for his room. Then all the family members scattered and went away to their rooms. Ammara hugged her daughter when everyone left.

"I am with you, daughter. I will always support you. If you don't want to marry him then we will try to find another place to live. Don't worry daughter your mother will always support you and protect you," She kissed Zahra's forehead, and then both of them retired to their room.

Zahra was sitting alone in her room. Her back resting against the headboard, her eyes closed and her dupatta starting from her shoulder, sprawled all over the bed. She was mind-boggled. Her brain wasn't disgesting any of the things happening around her. She kept thinking about Irtaza, Daniyal, and a place to live.

'Why are they tying me into this relationship baba? Why should I marry someone against my will?! I love Daniyal! He is my savior, when there was no one beside me he was there to help me! I would've gone insane without him! I love him with all my heart and he loves me! I trust him and he trusts me! I don't want to marry Irtaza or whatever! Why Baba why? Tell me why life is being so hard on me? what did I ever do to deserve this? That Shoaib harassed me for so many years, I was left alone! You and mama were always too busy to give me any time, again I was left alone! I was going insane! But he, Daniyal was there to keep me on the verge of sanity, he was the one who brought me back to life, he was the only candle in my dark world, he was the one who supported me all the while! he is the one whom I trust with all my heart and soul! he is the one whom I love! And only for a roof at my head, I will leave him, I will betray him! I will break my promise! No! my conscience would never let me do that.' she internally told her father.

'But Baba where we will go? We will be thrown out the next morning and we have no place to go. Where we can go?'

'Trust Allah, leave all your matters to Him and only Him' her subconscious answered.

'You know what Baba I trusted Allah! I always trusted Allah but Allah never listened to me! Allah hates me. I don't know why but He hates me. He never listens to me! No matter how hard I pray, my prayers are never accepted, I begged Allah to keep me away from Shoaib! I begged Allah to save you! I begged Allah not to let anyone humiliate my mother! But you know what despite all my prayers, Shoaib still harassed me, you left me, your father humiliated my mother. Now I've determined I'll never pray, I'll never make any dua'

'Then, for the first time believe in Allah and sleep' Her subconscious again answered.

Her eyes were red and spilling tears out, soaking her white fluffy cheeks. How much she wished she can hug her father at this moment. She was left with only one option and that was to pray to Allah.

'Ya Allah, please help us! please I beg you! please help us to get a roof on our heads! Ya Allah please tomorrow morning they could not throw us out from this haveli! Ya Allah, please help my mother! please help me' she sent a prayer to the heavens and laid down on her pillow. Still, the feeling was there creeping her that something good is not coming. A big disaster is going to occur in her life. She again thought she is being paranoid. Within minutes deep slumber enveloped her unaware of the havoc she created.

It was 2:00 am. Everyone was sleeping soundly in the haveli. All the lights were off and deep darkness was spread all over which was implying something bad, really bad is going to occur. A deafening silence echoed through each hallway standing as the silence before the storm. Only the high pitch chirping of night bugs could be heard in corridors.