Mr Mehdi and Shahnaz’s daughter has eloped with a man!

The man, it’s been reported, would have been quite eligible on his own—that is to say, if he hadn’t eloped with their daughter. The couple is devastated. I heard that there’d been talks about a rishta for their daughter. They’d been planning to wed Shazia to someone. Maybe they’d been firm about their decision even after she’d refused? Who knows? It could all just be rumours; they fly faster than aeroplanes these days. Especially in the aftermath of an incident like this.

Let’s go back a few days. Mr Mehdi was observed to have been looking distressed about something. When neighbours and close relatives went to the house, they didn’t receive the usual hospitality. Mr Mehdi did not offer them tea, and even if he did, there was no chance of getting cake or biscuits with it. It was hard to overlook such maltreatment. People have taken note of it; they’ll bide their time until Mr Mehdi visits them for something or other.

Mr Mehdi was also overheard lamenting the prices of sugar and flour. Some claim he even cried over how much gold costs these days. There was speculation that he was planning to buy a gold ring for Shahnaz to commemorate their wedding anniversary.

Speaking of the wedding anniversary… It was that very night that The Incident happened. Preparations had been made to commemorate the day. Mr Mehdi put on a suit and Shahnaz wore a sari. They went out to celebrate with their closest neighbours and relatives. Shazia stayed behind on the pretext of taking care of the house; robberies were on the rise right after Eid. I think it’s more likely that they just didn’t want her to spoil their fun. Shazia is a famous killjoy. Who knew she was going to pull something big off on her own and marry someone’s son behind their backs?

Anyway, the celebrations went on all night—I mean the anniversary celebrations, not the wedding celebrations. The guests seemed to be competing with one another when it came to ordering food. There was one dish after another; no one seemed to remember that Mr Mehdi was trying to save money.

While that was going on, the daughter locked the gate with a big sturdy lock, asked the neighbour’s boy to look after the house, then got into a black car that was reported to have already been carrying a passenger. When she returned home at five in the morning, very rudely awakening her poor father, she was already married!

Neighbours and relatives who have since been to the house say that the parents of the bride are desolate. Shazia has left home after dropping such a bomb on them. She’d packed her bags and left with the groom in his black car. Instead of the groom’s house, that car went straight to a hotel. It can be inferred that his parents must be reacting like Mr Mehdi and Shahnaz.

It’s been hard to appease the bride’s parents. Whenever someone suggests a hurried wedding ceremony to salvage the situation a little bit, Mr Mehdi’s wailing goes up a pitch. He was asked if he would consider forgiving the bride, but there was no response. It’s most dissatisfying. Over the last two decades, there have been only three elopements in this mohalla. In the first one, the son was thrown out of the house and started living with his wife’s family, to universal derision. In the second case, the family cut off ties with the daughter and didn’t make up until three years later. The third case was even more prolonged: the daughter was only forgiven after seven years! It’s only natural that everyone wants to know how long it’ll take for Mr Mehdi and Shahnaz to make up with Shazia. The groom’s family don’t seem very happy with the situation either, so everyone’s waiting to see which family will come forward to support this union first. Or do they intend to leave their children homeless?

• Tags: Areej Kiani, fiction, Issue 38, Pakistan