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Chapter 20 - Chapter 19

After Aban's departure, Maha was deeply troubled, feeling as though someone was following her. On one occasion, two unfamiliar individuals approached her in an alley and began to harass her. Suddenly, a stranger appeared and rescued her. Maha couldn't comprehend why these people had come. Had her husband or father sent them? The savior's identity and the reason for his intervention remained a mystery.

Maha underwent a medical examination, but her name didn't appear on the merit list for admission. Aban arranged for her to enroll as a self-financed student at Peshawar KMC. Her life gradually fell into a routine, and she started attending classes as if she had been given a second chance at life. It was hard for her to believe because she had lost hope at every turn.

Finally, her father and husband tracked her down at the college, accusing her of disgracing their family and demanding to know why she had left home. Her husband confronted the college authorities, insisting that they couldn't communicate with her in this manner. Maha remained silent and frightened, unable to utter a word. They attempted to forcibly take her with them, but at that moment, Aban arrived, rushing toward Maha and shielding her.

Aban questioned the intruders, asking why they were bothering Maha and why she was in tears. Maha's husband arrogantly identified themselves and their relationship to her. Aban, taken aback at first, asserted that he would not tolerate any mistreatment of Maha and declared that if they tried to force her, he would make their lives miserable.

Maha's father demanded to know who Aban thought he was. Aban replied,

"Whoever I may be, I won't stand by and let anyone harm Maha."

With that, Maha's husband reluctantly backed down, and the college administration intervened, escorting them away.

Later, Aban advised Maha to go to her class, assuring her that he would handle any future issues. Maha initially hesitated but eventually obeyed Aban's insistence and departed.

Her father and husband left as well, with a warning that they might return.

Later, as Aban and Maha sat down for dinner, a heavy silence hung between them. Finally, Aban broke the silence, asking, "Was that man your husband?"

Maha replied simply, "Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me that you are married?" Aban questioned, his tone laced with concern.

"It wasn't necessary," Maha added casually.

Aban, somewhat frustrated, retorted, "Was it not necessary, Maha? How could you conceal such a significant aspect of your life? I'm just saying..."

Maha interrupted him with a firm tone, "Look, Aban, I've told you before, don't ask me any questions, and don't interfere in my matters. How dare you speak to me like this?"

"Yes, Maha, those people were humiliating you in front of everyone, and now you're upset with me for speaking up? What's the matter? I'm asking you straightforwardly; give me a direct answer," Aban said with a touch of aggression.

Maha responded, her frustration evident, "I was always upset by their words, which is why I left them behind and came here. If I hadn't, I wouldn't even be here. And one more thing, I made it clear from day one that I won't entertain such questions. In this regard, I'll never allow it. Do you understand? Now, please leave. All men are the same; you all know how to control women, nothing else." She retrieved her purse and left in anger.

Aban raised his voice in protest, but Maha immediately hailed a taxi and departed for her hostel.

In the hushed sanctuary of her chamber, the room bore witness to the silent sobs that erupted into a tempestuous storm. Each tear that fell seemed to echo a question that reverberated within the walls. Why did society, in all its grandeur, falter in the face of granting women their due respect? As the woman's lamentations surged forth, she unburdened herself of a heavy truth that gnawed at her soul, a truth that demanded reckoning.

She wondered why the world, despite her coming of age, still relegated her to the status of a puppet, its strings pulling her every action. She questioned the unforgiving imposition of values upon her, a relentless expectation that left little room for her own voice to be heard amidst the cacophony of societal norms. She marveled at the hypocrisy embedded in the very fabric of their lives.

To illustrate her point, she invoked the case of her brother, a privileged figure allowed to navigate life's twists and turns with relative ease. Her brother had embarked on a journey of personal choice, one that led him to a foreign land and into matrimonial ties of his own volition. Even as his marital path meandered through the turbulent waters of divorce, her family stood steadfastly by his side, unwavering in their support. He had continued to craft his life, weaving it according to his preferences, with no sword of judgment hanging over him.

Yet, she found herself ensnared in a web of societal expectations, her freedom of choice tethered by invisible bonds. Her past marital misstep, an error she readily admitted, seemed to condemn her to a lifetime of suffering, a fate she vehemently believed she did not deserve. She yearned for the liberty to explore alternate avenues, to steer her life's course in a direction that resonated with her heart.

As her tears flowed like a river, her voice carried an urgency that pierced the stillness of the night. She lamented the dearth of understanding, the glaring disparity that pervaded their world. Her father, whom she had hoped would protect her honor, appeared unmoved by the consequences of her brother's actions, whereas her own choices bore the weight of societal scrutiny.

In this heartfelt cry for recognition and agency, she recognized the profound importance of learning from one's missteps, a universal truth that extended to all. Her narrative resonated with a profound desire to break free from the shackles of tradition, to defy the conventions that had sought to suppress her voice, and to, at last, claim her own place in the sun.

In the depths of her anguish and despair, she became a beacon of change, a symbol of resilience in the face of an unjust world. Her words, like ripples in a pond, carried forth the clarion call of feminism, demanding an equitable world where the burdens of expectation would no longer rest solely upon the shoulders of women.