Mera Hisar: My Fortress Chapter 8: Shards of Broken Dreams
This period of trials was nothing less than a grueling test for Shanze. Early this morning, Arfa had come to wake her up. Arfa was an extremely ill-mannered and arrogant girl, whose only interests were movies and dramas. Like her mother, she was obsessed with food; from rolls to samosas, her demands never ended. To fulfill these cravings, she would often steal money from Shamma Begum's drawer whenever she was out of the room. Shamma Begum herself had never learned any domestic grace, so how could she train her daughters? She had only learned manipulation, deceit, and politics in her in-laws' house, and she had passed those same "values" down to her daughters.
Shanze's calm demeanor reflected her superior upbringing; this was why she responded to their insolence with politeness. Standing in the kitchen, she mused that an educated mother doesn't just build a home but teaches her children how to live—but here, everything was backward. It was the second day of the Walima, and she was worried about her father. She wanted to call him to check on his health, but before she could finish her thought, Arfa stormed into the kitchen like a whirlwind.
"Why are you sitting here with full makeup on? The wedding is over!" Arfa looked at her with pure contempt. "The previous one, Nausheen, also acted all high and mighty; I was the one who straightened her out. This is my house, and my rules apply here. What did your father even give? Just a measly ring! If he had given my brother a car, then we'd be talking. Now, go to the kitchen and cook; I'm hungry. And listen! Afzal Bhai is coming this evening. I want four or five dishes ready, including dessert."
Shanze silently walked into the kitchen, where a mountain of dirty dishes from last night and breakfast awaited her. The entire kitchen was a mess, as if someone had deliberately cluttered it. Shamma Begum was standing there, her expression showing she was ready for war. "I'm glad you finally crawled out of your room! Do you see the state of this kitchen? Since it's your first time, I'm letting it slide, but if the work isn't done on time next time, I'll personally throw you out of this house." She threatened further, "Don't even think about complaining to Arsalan; he won't listen to a word you say. He does nothing without our permission—he even divorced Nausheen because we told him to."
Meanwhile, Arsalan entered the house. Seeing Shanze cleaning dishes, he asked, "What's for dinner?" Shanze looked at Arsalan with hopeful eyes, thinking he might offer a word of sympathy, but Arsalan was only concerned with his meal. "Wash the dishes quickly, I'm hungry!" Hearing Arsalan's voice, Shamma Begum barged in. "How are you home so early? And what is this? Sticking to your wife as soon as you walk in? Do you not see your mother?" Arsalan, terrified by his mother's sharp tone, replied cowardly, "I just came to ask about food. I'm tired of eating out; I thought I'd finally get a home-cooked meal."
Now, Shamma Begum turned her verbal cannons back toward Shanze. "You've been stuck in this kitchen for two hours! Can't you handle this much work? Are you just acting now to show your husband, as if we are some tyrants?" Shanze remained silent, continuing to scrub the dishes. She had never washed this many dishes in her life. She remembered Jannat Bibi (the maid at her father's house), who used to do all this. Whenever Shanze entered the kitchen, she would say, "Bibi, these hands are not for dishes; they are for books and for being loved." But Shanze was now back in the real world—a world where she didn't just have to wash dishes but also had to cook an entire feast.
In the other room, Shamma Begum was busy badmouthing Shanze to her sister-in-law, Nusrat, over the phone. "What can I say, Nusrat! Girls today only know fashion. Their families teach them nothing and dump them on the in-laws. My Arfa used to handle the whole house; now Shanze is here, let's see what she does." On the other end, Nusrat was laughing in her heart, knowing exactly what kind of "upbringing" Shamma Begum herself possessed. Shamma Begum's real plan was to get her nephew, Adeel—an only son—under Arfa's control. She often invited Adeel over and urged Arfa to win him over.
Arfa was two steps ahead of her mother; she knew exactly how to make a place in Adeel's heart. She spent her days immersed in fashion and makeup, avoiding all chores. Previously, Jamila's maid would come to help, but since Shanze's arrival, the maid had been fired. Now, from cleaning the house to washing clothes, everything was Shanze's responsibility. As for Arsalan, he remained a silent spectator to it all because he had no mind of his own. For him, enduring oppression without raising a voice had become a routine, but he didn't realize that staying silent against injustice is the greatest injustice of all.
To be Continued.....
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Copyright © 2026 by Ishrat Zahid (Registered Official Name: Ishrat Khanum)