Mahpali’s Odysseus; Love, Loss, and Liberation – Part 3
Mir Bahut said, “I will take my son’s blood. Blood is never lost. Look, dear Bahut, forgive me this blood. You take your own blood, and then they take theirs. You are no less than each other. This way, your roots will disappear. Come, and forgive for my sake.” The peace and reconciliation meeting lasted until midnight. Finally, Mir Bahut decided that Dadallah should give them a daughter, and that was his final decision. If Dadallah agrees, let him come forward; otherwise, my previous statement stands. Mir Dadallah’s face turned dark. Sheikh Kamber asked Mir Dadallah, “Yes, Mir, do you have anything to say? Mir Bahut has made his decision, now what do you say?”
Mir Dadallah’s throat was dry, but Pordel said, “No, we will not make peace this way. If Mir Bahut wants to start a fight, then we are ready with stones in hand.” Dadallah became angry with Pordel, “You be quiet… you have smeared your face with darkness, but I do not want to get my tribe killed. Keep your bravado to yourself.” Mir Dadallah consulted with his companions and agreed.
Mir Dadallah returned with his two sons. When his wife saw her sons, she was surprised and asked, “What happened?”
Dadallah replied, “Good things have happened.” He answered this way and entered the house. His wife followed him into the room and asked, “What do you mean by ‘good things have happened’? How have they turned out good?” Dadallah said, “They asked for a daughter, and we couldn’t say no.” She replied in astonishment, “Send my daughter to the house of my enemy?” Dadallah was furious and said angrily, “Your two sons have brought this disgrace upon themselves, so it’s clear that someone must pay the price for their actions.” His wife began to cry, “But I won’t give my daughter,” she said. Dadallah replied, “Then give your sons so they can be beheaded and thrown into the sewer. Your sons started this.” Khairi, Dadallah’s wife, cried and shed tears. She knew there was no other way but this. So what happened? Do you know who was sacrificed in the end? Mahpali…!!! Yes, Mahpali. This burden was placed upon her shoulders! No one hesitated to give her away. Her brothers sacrificed her… No one rejoiced, and no one was sought for. Nothing happened, and she wasn’t even seated in the bridal chamber. She was taken from the kitchen, and her head was washed with soap, her hands were hennaed, and her hair was washed with soap. When they wanted to tie her hair, her mother was sitting beside her. Mahpali, like someone who had no one, looked at her mother. Her mother couldn’t bear to look at her and turned her face away. Khairi watched and saw that Mahpali was still looking at her. Khairi approached Mahpali and said, “My daughter, tonight is your wedding night,” and then she got up and left… Wedding night? Mahpali was bewildered, “Do weddings happen like this? But who is my husband?” A woman in the gathering said, “It’s good that this decision was made and they came together, otherwise who knows what would have happened.” Another woman said, “What would have happened? Blood would have been taken in place of blood, neck for neck.” Mahpali thought deeply and said to herself, “I have been given in exchange for blood. I am going to the other side, but what is my fault?” Her heart was stormy with thoughts of Shah Bakht. She held her heart in her hands. They adorned her until the afternoon, and after Maghrib, the men who officiated the wedding came. Three men entered the room. Mahpali kept her head down and her eyes lowered. One of the men asked, “Who is your guardian for the marriage? Who is your guardian for the marriage? Who is your guardian for the marriage?” The women of the gathering replied, “Sheikh Kamber Jan is the guardian for the marriage.” The man then said to his companions, “Friends, did you hear? Yes, we heard. Yes, we heard…”
It was Mahpali’s wedding, her head was down, and she thought, “This voice? This voice? How can I forget this voice? This is Shah Bakht’s voice. Has Shah Bakht come to ask for me?” She looked out from under her veil and saw someone putting on his slippers at the door. Oh! Look at fate and destiny, it was Shah Bakht. Shah Bakht was lost in his thoughts when the sound of celebration and gunfire rose. After a while, someone came and sat on her left side. Everyone who came congratulated her, but Mahpali still did not know who her husband was.