The Evil Engagements

In our non-educated and uncivilized society, a girl is nothing but a "thing" to be sold or given to anyone by her parents/brothers/elders. She has no right to object, nor can choose her way of life. If a girl objects to something that her parents or brothers or family elders chose for her, it would be considered an act against their 'honour' and the sole option for her is to be killed.

Gul Rukh was my cousin. She was only one year old when my first brother opened his eyes to this world. And he was only one month when our parents engaged them to each other. The 'engagement' was celebrated with cultural and local customs, and both the families were happy until, unfortunately, my brother died from a critical disease when he was two years old.

The next three years my mother gave birth to two girls, and the fourth year she gave birth to my second brother. So our parents engaged Gul Rukh, then five, to my second brother who was only one week old. I was my parents' last child and the third son. When Gul Rukh was in her 22nd year of her age, my brother celebrated his 17th birthday. That year our family planned for their wedding and managed the preparations.

The second tragedy occurred in the eve of the wedding. Everyone was happy in our house. Hundreds of our relatives were invited to celebrate the wedding. It was 10:30 p.m. when young boys began firing gunshots into the air, as the people of our villages do during every event of happiness. Suddenly the celebration turned into lamentation when a teenage boy could not control his gun and a bullet went straight into my brother's chest and he died on the scene.