Focus on a person’s character, because appearances, money, and greed hold no true worth.

A story about the relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law

Maria Khushk | Hyderabad, Sindh

Ahmed and Faraz were brothers, but both had different mind-sets and personalities. Ahmed was thoughtful, studious, and destined for great opportunities. He had an excellent job at a private company, holding a prestigious position and his father was a government school teacher, whose income barely managed to cover the household expenses, fulfilling only basic needs but not the aspirations of Ahmed’s mother. Ahmed’s mother dreamed of a big house, a car, and luxurious branded dresses. Ahmed wanted the same things too. Eventually, he was transferred to a new city due to his company’s requirements. On the other hand, Faraz was simple and content. He worked as a school clerk in a modest job, much like his father, with a calm and humble nature. He was completely happy with his life and had no such desires.

In the city where Ahmed was transferred, he needed a place to stay, with the help of a friend; he found a room for rent in a house. However, there was one issue with the house—the stairs leading to the upper floor were inside the house, as there was no other way to access the upper floor. Ahmed would pass through them daily on his way to the office and often noticed a girl who was slim, smart, and very homely in nature, always a busy bee with house chores like: cleaning, sweeping, laundry, and folding clothes.

One day, as Ahmed was leaving for the office, the girl was holding a register in one hand and a bag on her shoulder, stuffing something into the bag as she walked out too. And she didn’t even notice that someone was walking besides her. Ahmed instinctively stepped back as she moved forward. Just then, a sharp voice called out, “Aliya, are you blind? Let the guest pass!” The girl froze in fear, as if life had drained out of her body. Trembling, she stepped back, repeatedly apologizing in a low, timid voice.

“It’s alright, you may go,” Ahmed said.

She turned back, saying, “sorry, aunty,” and stepped outside nervously. Ahmed also stepped out and asked her, “Are you Umair Sahib’s daughter?” referring to the owner of the house Ahmed had rented. She replied in a very soft voice, “No, he’s my chacha,” and then quietly walked away. Just then, Ahmed’s friend, who had helped him to find the house, arrived to meet him. Ahmed asked his friend, “Who is she?”

His friend replied, “When she was young, her parents passed away in a car accident. Since then, Aliya has been living with her uncle Umair.” Ahmed felt a pang of sadness and concern. He said, “It’s so strange her chachi makes her do all the household chores while she herself spends the entire day resting. Even her daughters don’t do anything. Every time I see her, she’s busy working like a donkey.”

A few days later, Ahmed got transferred again and moved abroad, and his mother proudly told everyone, “My son is now working in foreign.” Time passed, and a year went by. Despite the distance, Ahmed still had thoughts of Aliya in his heart, even though they had only exchanged a few words. Meanwhile, Umair and his wife decided to send Aliya away because none of Umair’s daughters were willing to share a room with her. Aliya was sent to another city where Ahmed’s parents lived, as Umair’s cousin also resided there. Soon, Umair’s cousin and his wife began looking for a match for Aliya and eventually met Faraz’s family; since Ahmed was the elder son of the family and unable to return home due to his green card process, his marriage was delayed. So, Ahmed’s parents decided to fix Faraz’s marriage instead. Ahmed was unable to attend his brother’s marriage but he sent a larger sum of money than usual along with his regular dollars, and the wedding was arranged. Aliya became Faraz’s wife and moved into his home. Aliya was a quiet and sweet girl, but Ahmed’s mother didn’t like her at all because she had not brought any dowry.

When Ahmed finally received his green card, he took a month’s leave to return to his country for his marriage. He brought gifts for everyone, including his Bhabhi, after handing out the gifts to everyone; he sat down on the sofa.

A girl dressed in a red shalwar kameez, with the sound of bangles jingling, walked in holding a tray and placed it on the table. Without looking at her, Ahmed reached into his bag to take out the gift for his bhabhi. He stood up to hand the gift over to her Bhabhi but suddenly he was stunned and confused upon seeing a girl. She was no one else but the one whom he liked. Even he had come back with the plan of going to Umair’s house to ask for Aliya’s hand for marriage. Ahmed froze, holding the gift in his hand, silent for a few moments. Just then, a voice broke the silence: “She is your bhabhi,” his mother said in a rude tone.

Ahmed looked at Aliya and said, “You?”

Aliya smiled, took the gift from him, and said, “Thank you.”

“Do you know her?” his father asked.

“Yes, I stayed at her house before moving abroad,” Ahmed replied.

His mother, with a sarcastic tone, corrected him, “Not hers, it was her uncle’s house.”

Aliya remained silent and quietly left the room.

Ahmed’s mother no longer treated Aliya well. She made her do all the house chores. Although Ahmed felt bad about it, he didn’t say anything.

Ahmed married to Shiza, a girl from a very well-off family. By this time, Ahmed’s goals had been fulfilled, so he returned abroad alone because Shiza’s documents were still being processed. Shiza stayed at her mother’s house instead of with her in-laws.  Ahmed’s mother was very loving towards Shiza and never complained because she had brought a lot of dowry: a washing machine, fridge, a big TV, air conditioner, car, and other items. In contrast, Aliya’s value in the house had completely diminished in Ahmed’s mother’s eyes.

A year later, Shiza moved abroad to be with her husband.  Meanwhile, Aliya was close to her delivery, yet Ahmed’s mother still made her do all the house chores. Neither Faraz nor his father said anything; they remained silent, and so did Aliya. Shiza frequently sent clothes and gifts to Ahmed’s mother from abroad, and Ahmed’s mother was overjoyed, proudly telling everyone, “My daughter-in-law sends me these things from abroad.” Ahmed called his mother to inform her that Shiza is pregnant and needed her help, without hesitation, Ahmed’s mother left Aliya right before her delivery and went abroad.

Once there, she took over all the household chores, including cooking and cleaning. Shiza offered to help but always found excuses to avoid doing any work.  One day, Ahmed’s mother received a letter, which she opened. Inside the letter were pictures of Shiza and her mother, wearing the same clothes and jewelry that Shiza had sent to Ahmed’s mother. But she didn’t say anything to Ahmed and handed him the letter. Later on, Ahmed’s mother entered the room; she overheard the conversation of Shiza on the phone. Shiza was saying, “My mother-in-law does all the work. I just relax. She’s so naive; I silence her with gifts and money.”  With a heavy heart, the words hurt her and made her angry, Ahmed’s mother called her husband, saying she was returning home. Faraz overheard the news and he decided to move out to another city with Aliya and his children before his mother came back, because Faraz couldn’t contribute as much as Ahmed.

When Ahmed’s mother returned home, she found the house empty. She asked where Faraz and Aliya were. Ahmed’s father replied, “Faraz has been transferred to another city, so they’ve moved there.”

She became surprised and said, “They didn’t even tell me. I wanted to see my grandson!” She couldn’t hide her emotions, but Ahmed’s father dismissed her feelings, saying, “As if you ever got along with them. For you, Shiza is your only daughter-in-law, and Ahmed is your only son. Have you ever asked about Faraz? Or wondered how Aliya managed when you left her all alone, knowing she had no one else? Did you ever care to find out how she handled everything?”

Ahmed’s mother began crying and admitted, “I’ve always been greedy. I was never content with what I had.”

Moral: A person should learn to be happy with what they have, no matter how little. Only then do they receive even more. Keep working hard, but never value someone based on their wealth or possessions. Focus on a person’s character, because appearances, money, and greed hold no true worth.

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Published under International Cooperation with "Sindh Courier"