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Updated: June 15, 2025
"Foolish girl!" he exclaimed, "do you wish to return to a mother-in-law who hates and persecutes you? Will Ramzán be able to protect you?" Then lowering his voice, he added, "Is your life safe with those people?" "Life and death," rejoined Maini, "are in Allah's hands. It is his will that we should fulfil our destinies, and mine is to cling to my husband.
"Now you're taking sides with her against your mother, who bore you. But I'll have it out with that she-devil!" So saying, she dashed from the room to the kitchen, where the luckless Maini was cowering in anticipation of a coming storm. She was not deceived. Fatima seized her by the hair and administered a sound thumping. Several days passed by, bringing no alleviation to her fate.
Ramzán was completely under his mother's thumb and saw everything with her eyes. His love for Maini was slowly sapped by her innuendoes, and he treated the poor girl with something worse than coldness. Maini, however, bore her hard lot without a murmur, hoping that time and patience would win back her husband's heart.
"Then she's drowned!" gasped Ramzán. "By Allah the Highest, I swear that I did my best to save her." "Hullo!" rejoined Sádhu with great surprise; "you must have been with her when she fell into the nullah." Ramzán bent his head in silence. After a few moments he looked up, clasped his hands, and said: "Tell me the truth, Sádhu, is Maini alive?" "She is," was the reply.
Between them was a mat, on which lay a bag full of money. Ramzán was received without salutations, and squatted down by Sádhu's side. Every one expected him to utter the formula, which would release Maini from his power. However, he sat silent, with downcast eyes.
I always suspected Maini had concealed the truth. Swear on the Quran that you did not try to drown her." Ramzán feebly protested innocence, and the two men sat awhile without speaking. At length Sádhu said: "I've come to make you a proposal. Young Esáf, the son of Ibrahim of our village, has fallen in love with Maini and wants to marry her.
"On Thursday morning she came to our house dripping wet and quite exhausted, with a story that your mother had turned her out of doors and that she was on her way to live with us when, on crossing the Padmajali Nullah, her foot slipped and she fell into the water. But Maini never told us that you were with her. Why, Ramzán, you're quaking in every limb.
Come to our house to-morrow evening; we will have witnesses ready, and Esáf will be there with the den mohur." Ramzán had a sleepless night and was too downcast to work on the morrow. When evening came, he walked wearily to Simulgachi. There was quite a small crowd in Sádhu's courtyard. On one side sat Maini and some other women with faces closely covered; Esáf and the witnesses were on the other.
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