The Tangled Fate

The story shows the gruesome tale of an ill-literate class of Caste System prevailing in Muslims who commit this crime of getting their women folk married to the Holy Koran.

                                             The Tangled Fate

 

• Women: Their rights and nothing less; Men: their rights, and nothing more. --(Susan B. Anthony)

"I remember the day my grandfather died, everyone was crying and the house was full of family members who were busy paying condolences to my father and my two uncles. The funeral ceremony was as simple as it could get but even then there was a piece missing in the puzzle, this much I could conclude at the age of fifteen years I kept ignoring the commotion in the house and started to stare at the room with its closed door that maybe today I might be able to see who lives there because when ever I asked my mother about this room she either changed the topic or told me not to interfere in adult matters and was often warned not to ask this question in front of my elders as we all lived in a joint family system.

 I started to count till fifty but still no sign of anyone, just then I saw my father and uncles picking the stretcher on which my dead grandfather lay. Pulling my mother’s shirt I asked “Where are they taking Grandfather Mama?”

 

“Leave my shirt alone Tamara and stop asking me ridiculous questions as always” my mother replied in an angry but low tone. Suddenly I saw someone opening the window of the room I had been staring at for such a long time, I was transfixed because I always assumed there was definitely a ghost residing in this room who never comes out and the daily eating rituals are sent in through the maid.

 

To my surprise I saw a woman behind the small window; her head and face were covered with a head scarf. I could only see her big brown eyes but they were more then enough to tell the state the woman was in. Her eyes looked like stone. After opening the window she did not lay her eyes on anyone but on my grandfather whose body was being taken to be buried in the graveyard. Her reaction to this sight was expressionless  it was as if she was saying farewell to a visitor in our house but not through words or emotions but by dry eyes which had no questions/answers to be asked or given.

 

 This whole episode only took a few minutes and as soon as the men folk were out of sight the window of the room was shut as softly as possible as if the noise might awake my grandfather. It was as if I was watching a match of table tennis and it was over as suddenly it started. Knowing my mother’s reaction to what she would do to me if I told her that I saw a woman in the window, I chose to keep quiet but now my inquisitiveness in getting to know this woman was making me restless with every passing minute. But as no one was allowed to take her name or even inquire about her, it was as if she never existed.

 

Then one day, I thought of taking my house maid in confidence as she was very sweet natured and when I insisted on meeting this woman behind closed doors she agreed and when no one was at home and the maid was taking lunch for her I grabbed the opportunity and tagged along with her after knocking at the door twice we heard a voice from inside “who is it?” she said. “It’s me Bina (madam)” At that the door was opened but the woman did not bother looking at us and went to sit on her chair where she was busy embroidering a pillow cover with great concentration while doing her task she asked Bina “Put the tray on my bed I want to complete this pillow cover and then have my lunch” said Tanya.  In our native language Sindhi, but I could make out what she said. 

This whole 5 minutes episode of laying the tray on the bed brought sudden disappointment in me that this woman has not even laid an eye on me and my visit to this small but clean and cozy room was all in vain, with this thought in my mind I was about to leave the room with the maid when I heard the woman say “Is this your daughter? You never told me that you had a daughter also?”  Madam this is your eldest brother Master Amer’s daughter her name is Tamara?

 

 Replied Bina. To this Tanya was over come by emotions and I could see tears in her eyes “ Come to me my child” she said  with her arms open to embrace me, initially I was a bit reluctant to go and felt scared but then when Bina urged me to go I managed to take a few steps towards her and to my surprise she hugged me so tightly that I was left breathless  she kept on touching my face with her hands as if a blind person tries to figure out ones features by touching then she said while crying “ yes, she has the same eyes and lips like brother Amer  you have grown up so much.” 

But there was this strange feeling of mother like figure I got from her, which made my shyness vanish away and in a few seconds I was asking her “what is this you are embroidering”?  “This is a pillow cover my dearest, I am making a beautiful swan with Blue water shown underneath and lovely wild Green plants in the water behind her”.

 

Her work was indeed remarkable with such finesse and intricate Stem Stitch; with different colored threads every content of the picture was displayed. In no time my visit to this room was over and it was time for me to take my leave. Before leaving I asked “By what name should I call you? I do not know your name?”  I inquired in a puzzled voice. Call me Aunt Tanya because I am your father’s younger sister”. 

On this note I bid farewell to Aunt Tanya by exchanging hugs and a promise to come again when the coast was clear. Days passed by turning into months with me paying short visits now and then. After a year I finally managed to ask Aunt Tanya “Why are you always closed in your room? And why does everyone not want to talk to you”? At first Aunt Tanya tried her best to wriggle out of the situation I had put her in by changing the topic  but on my insistence she started to tell her story. “I was exactly your age when the topic of my marriage was being discussed in the house. One night I was not feeling sleepy when I overheard my parents talking.

 

 When I heard my father saying “Tanya cannot be married off to a man,, what will become of the property which is in her name? It will all go to the boy directly, so what I have thought is to marry her off with the Holy Koran (Holy Book) this way the property will be safe and your worry of her being married off will also be put to an end ”. To this my mother immediately showed her dislike to the decision of my father and said “How can you do this”? My father looked at my mother with such anger in his eyes that it was enough to make my mother remain silent and bow to his decision.

 Next morning my older brothers came in my room when I was drying my hair with a towel and by placing the Koran in my hands the religious man started to recite a verse in Arabic I pushed, screamed and dug nails in my brothers arms crying for mercy but no one paid heed to my tears and cries of agony this incident changed my life all of a sudden and I was made into an out caste because I dared to revolt against my marriage with the Holy Koran. "

"With this marriage to Koran I was not valued enough to be considered how my entire life, dreams and hopes that I had were shattered by this inhuman tradition which is beyond any rational explanation."  I was so shocked by hearing all this that in this time and age men are using abusive and un Islamic ways and means that has nothing to do with religion and it is all about power, control and greed. By doing this act the men of my family had tried to legitimize this barbaric behavior in which they repeatedly abused the Koran and Islam.

 

Did they all think that by giving it a religious twist this marriage can become an acceptable practice. Tears were running out of my eyes. Suddenly amidst all these thoughts I realized that I am also 15 years old,

 

Is the same tangled fate awaiting me also ?

Author's Note

What do you think???
Sad but true custom still prevailing in order to prevent ones property from going in the other man's house when a woman from a Feudal family to be married. Just to keep the property in ones possession women folk is married to the Holy Book.
My first attempt in submitting a story at this site.

Reviews

[patricia]

A very moving story, well written and enlightening...Thankyou

[KAREN]

Very sad, but well written story!! Enjoyed the read!

[HorrorMaster]

very sad but yet gruesome. I like it. :D

[Liza]

yes; very sad - heart felt and everyone needs to continue shedding light on this dark custom that continues to keep women down; no girl should feel cursed to be a woman or have to succumb to treat themselves like a piece of property. It is not just for men to treat their fellow sisters, mothers and blessed lovers with such disregard....

[KATHY SUE SILLS]

This is an excellent story, well written! It is sad that this still happens in our socity.

[Dream Weaver]

To me this is why religion in the wrong hands can be twisted into madness.
Customs are just that, customs...which were created by men for men..It's so interesting to see how they slip all that nonsense into religion...BTW in the muslim world a woman has no rights basically and that hasn't any thing to do with God or Alah but everything to do with men who are obsessed with control...
A very thoght provoking piece, nicely done...

[Jibey]

This story is very well composed... You start off with the inquisitiveness of the child and the death of the grandfather, building up the mystery of the woman in the house. Then the device of getting into the house is well managed, with the ice being broken once the Aunt realised the girl was her niece... and then the revelation of the strange practice of marrying someone to a holy book... The story held my interest throughout and the link in age to the girl at the end made an excellent ending...

I have all sorts of questions! I don't understand how someone's life could be so controlled or what sort of country would allow this! I guess I can't conceive of the girl not just leaving and getting right away from these people... and ignoring the 'marriage'... I mean, how can anyone be married to a book?

[Cynthia]

Very Nice wriitten! why don't you add some more story on writers cafe?