12

— H O O R —

°°°

"A contract. Our marriage contract. And before getting married, I want you to read every condition and term so that later you don't have to ask any questions."

I was surprised to hear this. This is literally surprising. Contract marriage? What will he get by turning the marriage into an agreement? And how did this contract suddenly come in the middle? Till that night there was only a marriage proposal with which Zahir had come to me, then why all of a sudden this contact?

"Contract? Suddenly? Why?" There were only a few words that I could use. I was so surprised that I had even forgotten how to use the words.

"Indeed, Hoor, this marriage was arranged from the very beginning with a compromise. I came to you only with this contract—,"

"But you didn't tell me anything about the contract that night." I did not give him time to complete himself till it was over and put my question first.

"I would have told you about the contract when you would have agreed to the marriag