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Break The Shackles By Nimrah Abbas

(Originally Named as ‘Tor De Qadmo’n Ki Zanjeer’ in Urdu)

Translated by INKY WHISPER

Chapter Three

“Unspoken Emotions”

How do I make this girl understand that whatever she thinks about me, I’m not like that?

I’m not interested in her wealth, and neither are my parents. Why can’t she understand that she is our blood? If I remove her from my life, if my family throws her out of this house, then where will she go? Who will take care of her? Who will take responsibility for her?

If there’s anyone truly loyal to her, it’s either me or my parents.

He clenched his jaw in frustration.

But shame on this girl’s foolishness and stubbornness.

Still, deep inside, he knew his father had made a huge mistake by stopping Gulshan’s education out of fear of losing her.

If Baba had allowed her to study, then maybe she wouldn’t hate us so much now.

But what could he do? Nothing.

…He could do nothing.

Lost in the prison of his thoughts, he finally realized something he had never understood before. He should have studied harder himself, and Gulshan should have been allowed to continue her education as well. But now, time had already passed.

Education was not just about reading books and memorizing lessons. Education enlightened a person’s consciousness. It taught the difference between right and wrong. It opened the closed doors of the human mind.

He sighed deeply.

I can build my future through sports. I can give Gulshan a beautiful life. I can give her things that even her own parents couldn’t have given her.

With love, care, respect, and sincerity… I can win her heart.

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

But not now. The time hasn’t come yet for me to reveal the secrets hidden in my heart. When the right time comes, I’ll tell her everything.

Lost in those thoughts, he didn’t even realize it was already two o’clock in the morning.

Startled, he quickly got up and lay down on his bed. Tomorrow was going to be an important match.

**********

She served breakfast to Shani and was now preparing food for her uncle and aunty. While making hot parathas, she suddenly realized that her life had become trapped in a fixed routine.

When will this routine ever change?

She stayed at home all day, so to pass the time, she would read the daily newspaper or watch the old broken television that only worked out of sheer luck for a few hours. And if even that stopped working, then she would spend the entire day lying on her bed from morning till night.

Their so-called house consisted of only three small rooms and a tiny TV lounge. On the lower portion lived Shakila Aunty and her good-for-nothing son. Her uncle worked as an ordinary factory worker, and somehow, that was how all of them survived.

After finishing the household chores and preparing the food, Gulshan finally gathered some courage and walked into the lounge where her uncle and aunty were sitting, drinking tea after breakfast.

She greeted them with a salam before quietly sitting down on the sofa.

Her uncle was, as usual, serious-looking, while her aunty immediately picked up the tea cups, pretending to stay busy so she wouldn’t have to become part of the conversation.

“Aunty, please sit down. I need to tell you something important,” Gulshan said respectfully.

She had spoken to them this politely only a few times before, and every single time, it had been for a reason. Her aunty immediately became suspicious.

Oh God… what does she want now?

Her aunty nervously sat back down.

“Speak, Gulshan. What is it?” her uncle asked while finishing his tea.

“Umm, Uncle… actually, there’s a competition between girls from Lahore and Karachi—”

“Enough!” he snapped before she could finish. “I don’t want to hear another word. Why can’t you understand one simple thing? Get rid of these useless thoughts. You’re a girl. Learn to live the way girls are supposed to. Stay peacefully inside the house. What is it that you don’t already have here? You’re given everything.”

As always, he spoke in a furious tone before walking away.

Her aunty gritted her teeth and glared at her angrily.

“For God’s sake, at least listen to what I’m trying to say!” Gulshan cried out helplessly. “Why can’t anybody understand me? I don’t want money… I want peace. I’m suffocating spending my days and nights trapped in the same routine. Please… don’t cage me in so many chains that I die from suffocation. Please…”

Slipping off the sofa, she sank onto the floor. Her sobs echoed throughout the house, yet no one truly listened to her pain. Hiding her face in her palms, she tried to conceal her tears even from herself.

Before, she hadn’t felt this broken. But today, her uncle’s harshness had wounded her deeply.

Standing nearby with a cricket bag hanging from his shoulder, he listened silently to her cries. His fists clenched painfully at his sides.

Yet his own feet were chained by helplessness.

He wanted to do something for her. He truly did. But even if he wanted to… he couldn’t.

**********

“For goodness’ sake, tell me what happened! You’ve been crying ever since I came here. Just tell me, what did Uncle say to you?” Rahila asked in frustration as she watched Gulshan sobbing.

“Look, Rahila, these people will never let me escape from this cage. I’m telling you, they’ve crossed every limit now,” Gulshan said tearfully. “You told me to convince them with love and respect. I tried everything, but these people understand neither the language of love nor anger. Sometimes I feel like they hate me.”

She let out a bitter smile through her tears.

“I think… maybe I should just run away.”

“Oh no, Gulshan, don’t do something so stupid!” Rahila immediately said. “What about your self-respect? And after you leave, do you even realize what will happen behind your back? This entire neighborhood will target your uncle and aunty. Even people like us, who are close to you, will get dragged into the mess. Everyone’s lives will fall into chaos.”

She sighed deeply before continuing more gently, “Tell me honestly, is running away really the solution to your problem?”

“If it were the solution, I would’ve told you long ago because, yes, it’s the easiest option. But no, Gul… I don’t want you to take such a reckless step.”

Rahila held her hand tightly.

“There’s a difference between bravery and shamelessness. Strong people fight their problems with dignity. In the end, they become even stronger because of it. We’ll find another solution. And for God’s sake, stop crying and eat something before it gets cold.”

Rahila tried her best to calm her down, and after a moment, Gulshan quietly began eating while lost in deep thought.

To Be Continued…