Suleiman Ansari was an enigmatic figure in the quiet village, his trade as a butcher a longstanding tradition passed down from his father, Rizwan Ansari. Though the village exuded an air of rustic simplicity, Suleiman had clandestinely amassed substantial wealth through the illegal sale of liquor in a dry state. His unique meat and liquor combination had garnered him both prosperity and controversy, making him a man of intrigue.
Standing at a commanding 6 feet 1 inch and weighing over 97 kilograms, Suleiman possessed a formidable presence. His deep, dark skin tone was complemented by long, unruly hair and a beard, which, lacked a mustache - a feature that added to his imposing appearance. Each morning, he meticulously shaved off the offending mustache, maintaining the distinct look that set him apart.
Suleiman's journey into marriage was anything but straightforward. His illicit activities had rendered him an unpopular candidate for a son-in-law among the village's wary denizens, who harbored fears of him tangling with the law. Nevertheless, he defied expectations and married Mahrukh, a woman who lacked a father's protection, taking on the roles of both husband and father at the age of 27.
Mahrukh, standing at a petite 5 feet 4 inches, was a striking contrast to her towering husband. Her delicate, almost fragile appearance was emphasized by her lean physique, which belied her inner strength. Unfortunately, her petite frame concealed a painful truth - she suffered from a medical condition that made childbirth a perilous journey. Her small stature couldn't accommodate Suleiman's full size, making their marital intimacies fraught with difficulty. Their first child, Ayesha, was a miraculous exception to the grim narrative.
Mahrukh became pregnant once more soon after Ayesha's birth, but the second child did not survive the turbulent voyage of childbirth. Tragedy, it seemed, had taken root within their lives, and the following year would bring yet another heart-wrenching loss - the child, along with Mahrukh herself. Ayesha, barely two years old, found herself motherless, and Suleiman, a man who wasn't known for his compassion, found himself grappling with an unfamiliar burden.
In the face of such dire circumstances, Suleiman made a decision devoid of warmth. Ayesha was dispatched to a neighboring city and left in the care of distant relatives until she reached an age where she could fend for herself. The nurturing instincts required to raise a child who had just lost her mother were conspicuously absent in Suleiman's character.
But beyond his troubled family life and his contentious profession, there existed a darker, well-guarded secret in the depths of Suleiman's being. His commanding presence, combined with his raw strength, attracted the attention of Hindu women from the village, most of them already married. They would discreetly visit his butcher shop under the pretense of buying chicken and eggs, all the while harboring amorous intentions. Over the years, these illicit encounters resulted in the birth of thirteen illegitimate children with nine different women.
Curiously, Suleiman never sought the company of younger women, nor those with petite frames like Mahrukh's. Instead, he gravitated towards women in their early to mid-thirties, blessed with a chubby physique. His aversion to pursuing relationships with women like Mahrukh, petite and fragile, was driven by the memories of his wife's suffering and the haunting specter of her ultimate demise.
The tragic experiences surrounding Mahrukh's pregnancies left deep scars on Suleiman's soul, influencing his preferences for women and the unconventional path he traversed. To him, older, more mature women who had already endured the trials of childbirth or at least possessed a body suitable for such endeavors were better equipped to bear the physical toll of intimacy. In a peculiar way, he sought to protect these women from the tragedy that had befallen Mahrukh, the woman he had loved so dearly.
Suleiman Ansari's character was a complex tapestry woven with the threads of his past, entwined with the choices and behavior that emerged from his personal tragedies. His life in the small village was a delicate balance of prosperity, scandal, and an unspoken pain, revealing a man shaped by his circumstances and bearing the indelible marks of a turbulent journey through life. And yet, even as Suleiman had resigned himself to a life without the prospect of a life partner, he was about to encounter an unexpected twist in his narrative. Fate had a surprise in store, for a young girl was on the cusp of entering his life. She carried with her the promise of filling the void left by Mahrukh, a glimmer of hope in the shadowed corners of Suleiman's existence. As the small village's enigmatic butcher ventured further into his story, hinting at a tale of resilience, redemption, and a chance at a different kind of love.
Want to know about this girl? Read the next part of this story - Venereous Prophecy
To be continued in private.