Inayat POV

I had no idea of what was going on downstairs. Faded screaming sounds could be heard by me. Why the hell were these thakur brothers here? What do they want from us now? Please Allah, protect my Armaan Bhai Jaan from them.

I silently prayed to the Almighty, and brushed the tears off my face. Some time passed, and the words became discernible for me to eavesdrop.

It was Hamid's voice. Why was he here amidst all this? I just hope that I don't get married to this dumbfuck! Ugh! He is so irritating.

"FINE! LET THE STATE DROWN IN THE POOL OF BLOOD. ONLY HINDUS AREN'T DYING HERE, MUSLIMS ARE ALSO SUFFERING, BUT LET YOUR EGO WIN."

It was Balraj Singh Thakur's voice. Who was he screaming at? Did he have any plans to counter these communal riots? And why wasn't my family supporting him at this?

I wanted to run out of the room, and know what was going on there, but being a girl, I wasn't allowed to show my face to the strangers, especially when they are Hindus.

A few minutes passed in desperation, and finally someone knocked at my door. I unlocked it immediately, only to find my Ammi sobbing miserably.

"What happened, Ammi?"

I enquired, encasing her into a warm soothing hug.

"Ammi, for God's sake, tell me what happened?"

She was crying uncontrollably. God knows what happened downstairs. I hope the 'Thakurs' didn't bother my brother.

I held her shoulders and walked to the bed to make her sit down there. I brought a glass of water for her, and made her gulp it down.

"Those Thakurs......"

She mumbled, and began sobbing again, holding me tightly.

"Ammi!"

I cooed her, and pecked her forehead lovingly.

"You know, my baby. They proposed to you. They want their youngest brother to get married to you."

She quavered, sniffing in between. I felt like the ground beneath me had swept away. My breath hitched, and I felt like breaking apart.

No! No! No! This isn't happening. How could they even think of such a thing? I wish I had never gone to rescue Ashraf. Why the hell did Jairaj see me? But I knew my father and brother would never let this happen.

"Ammi! This can never happen."

I tried to console my mother, however I wasn't at peace too.

"Ammi! Don't cry more. No one can your daughter away from you."

Armaan Bhai Jaan entered the room. I straightened up immediately and rushed to him, ultimately getting secured in his warm hug.

"Bhai Jaan!"

I quavered, he began caressing my head with love.

"Don't worry, my baby! They won't be able to even gawk at you now."

He assured me, and I felt safe. I know that nothing wrong can touch me if my brother disallowed it.

"I've talked to Hamid. Your nikaah will be conducted within a week."

Bhai Jaan exclaimed, and I instantly broke the hug.

"I don't like that man. He is not even brave."

I grumbled, thinning my brows, and folding my arms before the chest.

"Inu, don't be stubborn. They'll keep predating over you until you get married to someone. And you can divorce him anytime if things don't go well between you too. You aren't forced for anything."

Bhai Jaan elucidated to me. Albeit I don't like Hamid even a bit, but this was important.

"Is it necessary, Armaan? I mean Inayat is just eighteen, and this marriage was supposed to take place after two years."

Ammi interrupted him, concern discernible in her countenance.

"Ammi, the proposal was sent by Jairaj and I know him very much."

Bhai Jaan grunted, and my ammi cut him off again.

"Jairaj isn't involved in this. Balraj and Dhanraj came here, not him."

Bhai Jaan exhaled sharply, and I licked on my lower lip in fear.

"You don't know Jai yet, Ammi. This is undoubtedly his plan. He is a wolf. Once he decides to get something, he can turn the world upside down for that. He has been like this since childhood. Why the fuck didn't I send Inu inside that day. He saw her when Aryan Bhai Jaan was murdered. I'm sure that he is predating over my sister now."

My heart skipped a beat listening to the description that my brother had told us just now. He is giving fictional men vibes.

What the hell are you thinking Inayat? He is a Hindu and an enemy of ours. For God's sake, not him!

My mind muttered to me, and I cleared my throat at that moment itself.

My entire life would turn one eighty degrees if I get married in that family.

"Ya Allah! My daughter."

My Ammi mumbled, walking to me, and securing me in a tight hug. I wrapped my arms around her too.

"I won't let him see her anymore."

Bhai Jaan ensured us, groaning in a heavy intimidating voice. He pecked my forehead and left without turning back. His kiss was intense, and I could feel him flaring. He just couldn't tolerate it.

I sat back on the bed with Ammi, to calm her down for a more minutes until she went away.

Author's POV

(In the Evening)

"ARE YOU ALL FUCKING MAD OR WHAT? WHY DID YOU ALLOW THEM TO ENTER MY HAVELI?"

Amjad yelped at Nafisa, Shaziya and Armaan. All of them stood before him with lowered gazes. Amjad was staying out for longer durations these days, because Niharika couldn't be found anywhere.

Jaswant, Aryan and Amjad had left no moment to torment her physically, mentally and emotionally. Amjad was quite smart in these matters. He used to rape her only when she was partially conscious because he didn't want her to know about his identity, but a sinner always leaves crumbs while eating, and this had happened with him too.

Niharika had never seen him, but she had heard his voice, because he used to pass lewd comments on her body while fucking her. His words had drained her self respect completely, and this was one of the major reasons behind her panic attacks.

"Sorry to ask you Abbu, but where are you busy these days? I mean you don't visit office, or any political meeting, then where do you go?"

Armaan questioned Amjad, exasperating him further. He turned to his son, with angry infuriated eyes, that didn't scare Armaan at all.

"NOW YOU WILL ASK QUESTIONS FROM YOUR FATHER? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?"

Amjad bellowed at Armaan, but he didn't budge. However, Amjad's wives were scared to the core.

"I AIN'T ASKING ANY WRONG QUESTION, ABBU?"

Armaan bawled back at his father, making him flinch.

Armaan wasn't like Aryan, who was happily involved with Amjad in his hatred against Hindus, Kashinath, Niharika and the Thakurs, instead he was a 'tiger', who knew exactly where he had to roar.

"That's none of your business."

Amjad replied sternly, and strode back to his room. Shaziya was shivering to face an angry Amjad, so she pushed Nafisa to go to him.

"Appi app sambhal lijiye na inko. Hum nahi jayenge. Ye narazgi me bade khatarnak ho jate hai."

"Appi (sister), you go and look after him for now. He gets too dangerous when he gets angry."

Nafisa nodded and started walking to Amjad's room. To her surprise, he wasn't striding here and there with anger, instead he was silently sitting on the bed, holding his head with both his hands, as if it was aching severely.

"Amjad, what's wrong?"

Nafisa rushed to him, and perched beside him, holding his shoulders.

"She was just three when I had taken her to the Dargah, but when I found one of my friends there, I got indulged in talking with him."

Amjad began narrating a past time event to Nafisa, that he had kept hidden from everyone till now.

"That is when she left my hand, and followed the sounds of bells and conch shells, she walked to a nearby Goddess temple."

Nafisa's eyes widened listening to this piece of information, that she never knew.

"When I didn't found her, I began searching for her like a mad man. Anybody could take advantage of my little girl, especially when it comes to Hindus, and that is when I heard her chirping with some old man."

Nafisa held his hand tightly, deciphering that he was already shivering.

"I ran to that temple, and I found her sitting comfortably on an old priest's lap, she was innocently playing with the Rudraksh bracelet that the priest was wearing, and her forehead was adorned with a red round tilak, which ironically she was asking him to apply."

Nafisa's breath had become shallow by now.

"I rushed to him, and held her wrist tightly to take her off his lap, and she began crying."

Amjad left his head, and glanced at Nafisa.

(Flashback begins)

"Kyu krodhit hote hai Khan saheb, bachi hai..apne bhavishya ke paas ayi hai."

"Why are you getting angry, Khan saheb, she is just a little kid...and she walked to her future."

The priest asserted, with a smile on his face. Baby Inayat was still playing with his aesthetics.

His words angered Amjad, and he flared.

"What the hell are you you blabbering?"

Amjad yelped at the priest, striding to him and holding Inayat's wrist tightly. Baby Inayat started crying.

"Hum to wohi keh rahe hai jo hum dekh rahe hai. Apki putri bhavisya me ek Hindu Ghar me byahi jayengi."

"I'm saying whatever I'm witnessing. Your daughter will get married into a Hindu family in future."

The priest informed Amjad. Inayat was scuffling with her father, but he yanked her over his shoulder, so that she couldn't get back into the temple.

"SHUT UP! THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN!"

Amjad bellowed at the priest, and the devotees halted listening to him bawling at a priest.

"Iska to janm hi is uddeshya se hua hai ki ye ek bada sangram rok degi. Kai pidhiyo tak log inke aur inke pati ke Prem se prabhavit honge. Phir panth janit hinsa kai varsho tak ke liye rukegi."

"She is born to subdue a major communal fight. People will get influenced by her and her husband's love for generations. Communal riots will cease for many years after that."

The priest's words echoed in the environment, scaring every cell of Amjad's body. He glanced at baby Inayat's face, and wiped off the red tilak with his palm mercilessly. She got terrified of her father, and stopped sobbing because of the shock.

"Ye aur iska pati ek vishesh karya ke liye janme hai, Khan saheb. Prem ka arth samjhayenge dono sansar ko."

"She and her destined husband are born for a purpose, Khan saheb. They will elucidate to the world the actual meaning of 'love'."

The priest declared. Amjad got so infuriated at his words that he shot him dead right at that moment. The priest left his body chanting holy names of the Divine.

Baby Inayat closed her eyes with fear, and peed in her dress, soiling it completely. Amjad glared at her too, recalling the words spoken by the Priest.

He strode to his car, carrying baby Inayat in his arms. He asked the female attendees of Inayat to change her attire, and drove straight to his haveli in Lucknow. The Khans stayed in Lucknow during those times.

(Flashback ends)

Nafisa palmed her mouth, harking to this information, that wasn't imparted to her till now.

"Why didn't you tell all this to me earlier? Is this why you take special care of her? Is this why you stop her from making Hindu friends? Is this why you keep her hidden? Ya Allah!"

She quavered, tears began leaving her kohl filled eyes.

"YES! This is why I instigate hatred in her mind against Hindus, their culture, their festivals and their Gods, so that my daughter never falls for them."

Amjad asserted, and Nafisa nodded. Though she didn't like this futile hatred, but she could understand Amjad at this moment. They just couldn't let their daughter get married into some other community - that too the enemies.

Both of them were unaware that their daughter Inayat was listening to their conversation from the other side of the door. Her beautiful amber green eyes were pooling up with tears.

She didn't want to become a scar for her family, but everyone was unaware of the destiny that was slowly unfolding itself with each passing second.

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