Tahir's marriage had been a love marriage, but it faced fierce opposition. His mother-in-law was strongly against it, and even Tahir's family—his brother and sister-in-law—disapproved. Tahir came from an educated, well-settled family, while Zahida belonged to a struggling, uneducated background.
Zahida's parents' marriage had been troubled from the start. Her father was forty-five when he married, while her mother was only fourteen. Because of this age gap, they could never live together peacefully. Although they had five children, they separated and lived apart until Zahida's father passed away.
Her father worked at the Water Board in Ab-e-Sina, while her mother moved to a katchi abadi in Karachi. She built a small hut and raised her children alone. Life was harsh. The settlement had no proper water supply, so Zahida's mother fetched water from faraway places and sometimes sold it. Occasionally, she sold milk too—all to manage expenses and provide for her children.
The five children were:
Zahida, the eldest, who later married Tahir
Zahid, uneducated and simple
Javed, who first worked as a loader in the navy, later as a conductor, and eventually sold clay stoves on a handcart
Pervez, a navy peon who also ran a small electrician's shop
Sajida, the youngest sister
After marrying Zahida, Tahir moved to Qasba Colony. Three daughters were born one after another. Later, he moved closer to his mother-in-law and rented a house nearby. Another daughter was born, followed finally by his only son. With the growing family, expenses soared. To support them, Tahir started taking up painting work, as their house was on rent.
It was during the birth of his son that a shocking and mysterious event occurred.
Tahir had gone to Defence to distribute sweets at his brother and sister-in-law's home. At his own house, Zahida was alone with her children and her sister Rani, when there was a knock at the gate. They lived in the upper portion of the house, so Zahida went downstairs to open it.
At the door stood a malang-type beggar, like a wandering mystic—or perhaps a jin. He demanded one thousand rupees as charity. In 1988, this was a large sum. Zahida, overwhelmed with the newborn and children, politely refused."My husband isn't home," she said. "When he returns, I will give it to you. Please come tomorrow. My only son has just been born."
The beggar's eyes darkened."No," he said sharply. "Give it now."
Then he uttered words that froze Zahida's blood:"You are in chilla. You will fall from these stairs and injure your head. Then you will walk into the drawing room, your neck will twist, and finally, you will lie under the shade of a tree… and you will die."
Exactly as he had foretold, Zahida slipped from the stairs. She was rushed to Jinnah Hospital, but doctors found no serious injuries. Everything appeared normal—yet a sense of dread hung in the air.
That night, while asleep, Zahida unknowingly walked into the drawing room. Her neck twisted unnaturally. Later, she went to her mother's house, laid down on a charpai under the shade of a berry tree—and there she passed away.
At the time of her death, her son Zubair was only forty days old. Her daughters were heartbreakingly young:
Noreen, eight years old
Samreen, six
Amreen, four
Mehreen, two
Later, it was discovered that in that same house, a pregnant woman had been murdered in a similar way. Her restless spirit, it was believed, now claimed the lives of pregnant women who entered.
When forty-five women died under similar circumstances, the government finally sealed the house forever.
Chapter Ending Line / Hook
"Under the shade of the berry tree, the whispers of the past lingered… and the darkness that had claimed so many was far from over."