Zafar was a sensible and reasonable young man—polite, well-mannered, and educated. Everyone in the neighborhood held him in high regard, meeting him with respect and speaking well of him. He was indeed praiseworthy, being a person of noble character and working after completing his FA. Many people in the neighborhood respected him even more because he regularly read the newspaper and, after reading, would give it to the elderly people sitting at the square who loved to read but couldn't afford to buy the newspaper themselves.
Zafar had a habit of reading advertisements carefully along with the news. During this time, his marriage was approaching when one day, he came across some advertisements related to the true joys and successes of married life. One advertisement mentioned that every young man should consult them before marriage to completely eliminate the possibility of marital failure. For some reason, Zafar was intrigued by this and decided one day to visit the expert doctor's clinic advertised in the paper. The doctor greeted him warmly and asked, "Are you married?" "No, I am about to get married soon," Zafar replied. "You've arrived at the perfect place at just the right moment." Do you want to see your married life succeed?" "Of course, everyone wants their married life to be successful," Zafar said. "You should definitely seek our advice; otherwise, your marriage could be at risk," the doctor urged.
This smooth-talking doctor managed to entangle the straightforward young man with his eloquent words, leaving poor Zafar's head spinning. The doctor said, "You need to undergo regular treatment with us for a while; otherwise, your marriage will fail." Zafar didn't understand the meaning of this, but the fear took root in him that the doctor might be right—perhaps he needed treatment, and he was unaware of it. When he returned from the clinic, he was very disturbed. He remained lost in thought for several days, speaking to no one. After meeting this cunning so-called doctor, he became entangled in numerous worries. Sometimes he thought the doctor's words might not be true—should he refuse the marriage for now? At other times, he resolved to go back to the doctor, who had quoted a hefty fee for treatment and medication. Then he would console himself to ignore all these thoughts and face the situation bravely. Surely, the doctor's words were meant to instill fear, so he decided to forget the visit as if it had never happened.
Thus, he didn't visit the advertising doctor again, but he remained worried and, out of shame, didn't mention this to anyone. Finally, the day arrived when his parents, with much celebration, brought home a beautiful bride. The fear instilled by the doctor still lingered in his mind, so even while lifting his bride's veil, his hands trembled with the worry that his marital life might fail, that his wife might not be happy with him. But after the marriage, this fear proved to be unfounded. His bride was very happy to have him and fell in love with him. They were both happy with each other and couldn't imagine living without one another. Zafar's wife took care of him in every way and left no stone unturned in serving him. Zafar dismissed the doctor's words as mere falsehoods and let go of the fear about his married life, finding it unfounded.
For some time, life went on happily. One day, when Zafar visited his in-laws, he learned that his wife’s cousin, Farhan, was returning home after spending ten years in London. Everyone in his in-laws' family was very happy because Farhan was coming back after such a long time. Zafar also formally made plans to invite Farhan over. The next day, he went to pick up Farhan and brought him home, seating him in the drawing room before heading to the market to get some refreshments. Farhan and Zafar’s wife, Tayyaba, remained at home.
Suddenly, as Zafar walked away, a thought struck him: his wife was alone at home with her cousin, which wasn't appropriate. Becoming somewhat paranoid, he returned home. Instead of entering, he went to the window of the room where he had left the two talking. Peering through a hole in the window, he saw Farhan and Tayyaba sitting and talking at a respectful distance, just as he had left them. They weren't speaking loudly enough for him to hear their conversation. However, his wife kept glancing towards the door, which made Zafar suspicious that she was doing so for some particular reason. It was the time when Zafar’s father usually came home, and he didn't like the men from his in-laws visiting their house. Maybe my wife is looking at the door out of fear, Zafar thought, but the suspicion had already taken root in his mind.
After Farhan left, Zafar expressed his doubts to his wife, who began crying bitterly. She swore on the Quran that she considered Farhan like her own brother and reminded Zafar that it was he who had invited him. This temporarily alleviated his suspicion, but gradually, the doubt started to grow again. He began to suspect that his wife had taken a false oath just to save their home. He met Farhan again and shared his dilemma. Farhan, being quite open-minded after living in Europe, listened patiently and then asked, "How can I assure you that I have no inappropriate relationship with your wife? By explaining, by swearing an oath? Whatever you say, I am ready to do it." Farhan assured Zafar that there was nothing between him and Tayyaba and that she was like a sister to him.He remarked, "I wouldn't have come to your house if you hadn't invited me yourself."
Though Farhan was angry, he controlled his temper and went to the mosque, swore on the Quran, and reiterated his statements to help Zafar find peace and return to a normal, happy life.
Due to Farhan’s efforts, Zafar outwardly seemed normal and satisfied, but this peace was short-lived. A few days later, doubts began to plague him again. He wondered if Farhan might have taken a false oath under pressure. He became more distressed than before and once again questioned his wife, demanding that she swear again on the holy book to prove her innocence. Poor Tayyaba, to ease her husband's mind, took the Quran in her hands again and declared that she considered all men her brothers, and she had always been and would continue to be faithful to Zafar. She promised never to leave him and to remain loyal for life. She even said that if he still doubted her, she would cover herself in front of Farhan and never talk to him again. She was even willing to stop visiting her parents if he wished.
Zafar was moved to tears. He said, "Don't stop visiting your parents; I won't put such restrictions on you. I know you are faithful and love only me. Please forgive me. I won’t doubt you again. Just promise me that until Farhan returns to London, you won't go to your parents’ house or anywhere else." Tayyaba, who was already distressed, readily agreed to this to maintain the peace in their life.
Farhan, who had come to Zafar’s house once, didn’t come again. However, this didn't bring Zafar peace. He continued to suffer in the fire of doubt, feeling tormented. When his wife visited her parents, various troubling thoughts plagued him, making him feel as if she was being unfaithful. During this time, Tayyaba shared what she thought was good news—that she was pregnant. She was very happy, but Zafar felt no joy. He remembered the words of the advertising doctor, who had said that without treatment, he might never have children. The thought occurred to him that maybe this child wasn’t his. This idea troubled him greatly for several days, and he struggled alone with his irrational thoughts. Finally, when he could no longer bear it, he revealed his suspicions to his wife, bluntly telling her that he doubted the child was his.
In those days, DNA testing wasn't as prevalent as it is now, but such mental disturbances could happen, as it did to Zafar.
Upon hearing her husband's words, Tayyaba turned to stone. She could never have imagined that instead of being happy, her husband would say such a thing. All her joy was shattered. A moment later, as she regained her senses, she screamed and then exploded with rage. There is a limit to the pain one can endure when one's self-respect is wounded. This had gone beyond the limit. Tayyaba slapped her own face and then burst into tears. She once again placed her hand on the holy book and swore a great oath, saying, "You are the father of the child I am carrying. I was pure before marriage, I am pure now, and I will remain pure in the future. If I have sworn falsely, may God make this world a hell for me, and may I never be forgiven." She did everything she could to clear her husband's misunderstanding. What more could a virtuous wife do? Despite all her efforts, Zafar's heart remained tainted with doubt.
Neither Tayyaba nor anyone else could understand that Zafar was actually suffering from a mental disorder. He appeared completely healthy and normal in every other respect, making it impossible for anyone to discern why his mind was constantly troubled by suspicion. Tayyaba, fearing divorce, often pleaded with him. Her life had become a torment, and her health was deteriorating. Zafar, too, was tormented by his illness day and night. He endured this silent suffering for many years. He had become the father of two children, yet he still doubted his wife's every move. Why was she standing near the door? Was she waiting for someone? He often compared his children's faces to his own. Sometimes he showered them with love, and at other times he became indifferent, leaving Tayyaba utterly devastated. Seeing her in such distress, he would beg for her forgiveness, regretting ever meeting that quack doctor. He even contemplated suicide to escape the hellish thoughts that were ruining his and his wife's lives. However, the thought of the real hell, which he believed awaited those who committed suicide, stopped him.
One day, in utter despair, he was walking by the roadside when he saw a man standing on the sidewalk. He felt he had seen this man before. Suddenly, like a bolt of lightning, a realization struck him—this was the same person who had pretended to be a doctor, ensnaring people's minds with smooth talk to sell them medicines for achieving true marital happiness. This was the man who had frightened him about marital failure when he was only seventeen or eighteen, with no experience of the kind of true happiness this charlatan had spoken about.
Recognizing him, the man also recognized Zafar and warmly extended his hand. "Hello! How are you, Mr.? It's been a long time since I last saw you. Were you looking for my clinic? Finally, you need me. Come with me." Zafar followed him. The clinic was just a few steps away, the same place he had visited once before. The doctor continued, "Maybe you forgot the address, that's why you were having trouble. Seeing the worry on your face, I understood you were looking for my clinic. Come, sit down." Zafar, who had entered the clinic, sat on the chair opposite the doctor, as if in a trance. The doctor began asking, "How's your life going? Did you get married? Is everything going well, or..." The doctor kept asking questions.
Suddenly, Zafar stood up, lunged forward, and grabbed the doctor by the throat. The man's breath began to choke, and his eyes bulged out. Fortunately, two people arrived just in time and managed to save the doctor. They pounced on Zafar and freed the half-dead man from his grip. A crowd gathered inside the shop, the doctor was given immediate medical aid, and Zafar was handed over to the police. When asked about the attack, Zafar explained, "I was perfectly fine, but one day in my youth, I visited this fraud. Since then, my life has been in ruins. He is the killer of my happiness, who, under the guise of true happiness, robbed me of the real joys of life. I've been living like a dead man. What else could I do but kill him?" After hearing the whole story, the judge ruled that Zafar was mentally unwell, suffering from a disease of delusions. The attack was due to his mental condition, so he needed to be examined by a specialist before sentencing.
Zafar underwent an initial examination by a mental health specialist, followed by a thorough check-up by a board of psychologists. They confirmed that Zafar had a mental illness, but it was treatable. After some time of treatment, Zafar’s mental health was reassessed, and he was almost completely cured.
We stayed in that neighborhood for another four years. During this time, Tayyaba never complained to my mother about Zafar's condition, indicating that he had likely fully recovered. May God protect everyone from such quacks and half-baked practitioners who ruin people's lives.
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