Honour in His Eyes

  The glow in her eyes was to be the last he'd ever see. It was a glow only he could discern while others were greeted by emptiness. With his tender gaze fixed on her, he towered over the girl, the rest of the village surrounding him like a pack of wolves waiting for the weak to fall.  Faint sounds of gossip poisoned the village air and pierced the man's heart as he watched his only daughter for the final time. He had his arms raised towards the sky, praying and hoping for a sign from God. 

 

    Suddenly, everything around him went into darkness. A delicate white light emerged from it. He started hearing voices that plagued his ears, reeking of a familiarity he could not remember. There were cries from a child. His child. It was clear to him that he was having a flashback to the day she was born, his beautiful Rayna. He was to love her and protect her like she was his honour. 

 

    A girl being born into the family was a sign of grave responsibility. Girls were supposed to grow up and become mothers and wifes, and the village made sure none went astray. The man held his daughter in the light of all purity. She was never to disrespect him or wound his image. He named her Rayna, for she was pure and devoid of all evils, evils that were soon to plague him and his family. 

 

    He thought of the days when he took her to school which was a small shed next to an old Sheesham tree. The walk was long and tedious. He would help her hop on the rocks when they would cross the river.  Someday's he'd carry her all the way so she wouldn't get tired. Leaving his little girl at her school was painful for him. On their way back, he'd carry her on his back, and together they'd disappear into the sunset, a 'loving' father and his nine- year old daughter. It wasn't right for a female to leave the house unaccompanied by a male guardian, so he made sure he was always there to protect her. 

 

    As Rayna grew older, the man became more solicitous of her character. He taught her the words of God and the conduct of pious women. The lessons lasted hours and eventually, she'd grow tired. But he did all this for her own good. He loved his only daughter. He wanted nothing but the protection of his daughter from worldly evils. 

 

    The man used to wait longingly for his daughter's wedding. The local Pir and his wife had already expressed their intent to wed her off to their son. Rayna was a beautiful girl with long dark brown hair and sun-kissed skin. Her hair was usually tied in a braid and adorned with pink and yellow flowers. A blue dupatta was always draped over her head and It flowed down her back like a little river.  The shimmering sound of the 'payal' around her ankles, kept ringing in his ears. It reminded him of her dancing to the beat of the Dhols. It reminded him of her breezing about in the village streets during the day, and it reminded him of the day he heard her........trying to elope the village with that disreputable boy, a boy with no wealth, land or respect.

 

    She claimed to have loved him. It was nothing but the jinns who had possessed her pure heart. It wasn't right for women to show affections of such sort. They were meant to show respect and obedience to the men who took care of them. The villagers believed that every woman carried with her, a force. This force was strong enough to protect an entire family. Weakening this force could bring unsurmountable disgrace, and that is exactly what happened to his Rayna. 

 

    Till the very end, he refused to listen to the villager's words. It wasn't her fault she fell into the trap. He kept telling himself that she was an innocent girl with a bewitched soul. He wanted nothing but peace for her, and peace for his and his family's dignity. She was his honour and that had now been damaged after the villagers caught her amidst her affair. 

 

    The little girl on his back, the pink and yellow flowers, the blue dupatta and the payal on her ankle were to become nothing but a memory as he raised his arms higher. He gave one last look into her helpless eyes, the innocent girl still trapped inside them. He could do nothing but set her free. And suddenly, he brought his arms down towards her. The knife in his hand pierced straight into her heart. The crowd went silent and all that could be heard were her mother's screams. The man smiled to himself. He had saved her but most importantly, he had saved his honour. The glow in her eyes slowly faded into darkness. The man stood up and looked down towards his lifeless daughter. It was the last time he’d ever have his honour shine in his eyes. 

Author's Note

Every year, 650 lose their lives under the name of honour killings in Pakistan. It is horrible how people in some parts of the world attach the word honour to women. This dangerous mindset and custom need to be abolished and awareness needs to be spread. The man in the story confused his honour as love.

Reviews

[Soraya]

This is a perfect flawless short story, thank you for sharing it Pia.

[drew garner]

I think he confused his pride as honor.

[pia]

very true!!

[Wild Rose]

We live in UK and until fairly recently an area with many Asian families
There has been many 'honour' killings.
Girls who had been said to disgrace the family for refusing to wed the 'chosen groom' (often much older men) instead of a boy their age and with good chances of a high paid job
Some of those who have spent all their lives are now allowing their children to choose their own partner
It is people like you my dear to work to make the change

As they say keep on fighting the 'good fight'
Wish you well for your future

[pia]

Its really very sad :(

[BlackPrince]

That is a deep and creatively written story.

[pia]

Thankyou!!

[Ghania]

Honour Killings.
They really disgust me now. Many girls are killed everyday by either their father or brothers.
Your story is, as usually splendid and a wonderful read! I really loved it. Your story always keeps me attracted to the plot to tge core.
I was wondering, it's been long since I've heard from you. And here came your ever amazing story!
Well done, Pia. =)

[pia]

thank you so much !!! I'm so glad you enjoyed this

[Ghania]

You're welcome

[barleygirl]

This is mind-blowing in a way that very few stories have been for me in many months. First, I love the way you organize the flow of your storytelling, which compels us along, as well as teaching us so much about your culture, the way you use vivid details. There's a sense of suspense & we can't imagine what comes next, but the final scene is so starkly written as a swirl of emotions cloud our vision. This is a top-notch story & I love knowing more about your life experiences & culture. I just looked thru all your postings to remind myself of how good your writing is. You take so much time to make each story very meaningful & complex. I look forward to a new story from you, so please feel free to read request me if you remember to! (HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[pia]

Your reviews always keep my so motivated to continue with my writing.
Thank you so much !!

[emmajoy]

If only such men could and would remember that their mothers are women, that their daughters might have been.

What happens in certain countries is nothing less than inhuman and despicable and, primarily, because rapists and murderer get away with it. Women are thought of as suitcases left to open by force then, left for society to ignore.

Education.. education.. education.. education from root, from core. Mothers stand up, shout out and BE HEARD.

A remarkably courageos tale.. truth playing a role that should be rewarded by global recognition.

[pia]

Thank u for your wonderful words !!

[emmajoy]

Is my duty as a woman to add them here. I never want to offend others way of culture, creed or whatever.. but when such things happen one cannot sit back and applaud.

[Avia]

Stories like this pierce my heart because they do happen. It is disturbing that such warped thoughts are so rampant. I really don't have words to express how disgusted and anguished I feel about things like this. I appreciate the fact that you write to shed light on important issues like this. Keep writing. It's important to never let these stories die.

[pia]

Thank you so much

[Avia]

It's my pleasure. You inspire me to write more meaningfully.

[Amrita]

This piece is so intense with full- fledged emotions. I could picture whole story in front of my eyes. Such a brilliant composition :)
Well done :)

[pia]

Thank you so much

[Davidgeo]

I kinda feel dirty. The culture I live in is so far from that reality.

It makes me feel dirty because I am inherently ignoring s**t like this every day I wake up and pursue the lifestyle that I do.

And then I remind myself that things don't really change on account of a******s like me no matter what I do.

Excellent work... did you write this for a class or are you just passionate for intellectual sport?

[pia]

Oh i write cuz its a passion i have!!
But thank you for such a nice review