Fareeb by Anabiya Khan

About this novelette

Fareb (Urdu: فریب) by Anabiya Khan is a complete Urdu novel about Warda, an orphan in her uncle’s home, and the trap of fake love online. The writer presents it as a lesson for girls who fall for deception on Facebook, and the title means deceit.

Before the story starts, Anabiya Khan speaks directly to her readers. This is a story about social media, she writes, where girls get caught in love’s deceptions; she has named it “Fareb” (deception) on purpose, and if even one girl learns from it, she’ll feel her effort has paid off. Facebook is only a place to pass time, not to find love; if you want to love, love Allah and His Prophet, where there is no fear of disgrace. She begs readers not to bring shame on the parents who raised them, and warns that love with a na-mehram may look beautiful from a distance but close up it robs life of peace.

Then the first episode begins with a harsh scene. “Aren’t you ashamed of stealing?” her Mumani shouts at Warda, banging dishes in the sink. “You’re just as selfish as your mother!” Warda, who only ate a roti because she was hungry, is told her father didn’t leave a fortune and her mother didn’t leave Qarun’s treasure. When Warda’s Mamu, Irfan, comes home, his wife complains, and he storms into the room where Warda is cleaning, shouting. But then he quietly signals her to sit and hands her a folded paper, loudly warning her to obey her Mumani in everything.

ممانی کے طعنے، ماموں کی مجبوری، اور ایک یتیم لڑکی کے آنسو۔

After he leaves, Warda opens the note: “Beti, I am helpless. If I didn’t do this, your Mumani would make my life impossible. You’re my sensible daughter – try to understand my helplessness and forgive your Mamu if you can. Here is some money; buy yourself some decent clothes.” Tears in her eyes, she kisses the paper – she has no complaint; he is as helpless as she is. She counts the money: thirty thousand rupees. The story then turns to Rodaba, whose mother wants her married now that her studies are complete, and her cousin and best friend Aaliya, who can’t understand her refusal – setting up the second thread of the novel.

Anabiya Khan writes with a clear moral message about trust, family pressure and the dangers of online deception.

You can read Fareb online here or download the complete PDF for free. More by Anabiya Khan: Tu Qadar Na Jaaneen, Haq and Khula, or see all Anabiya Khan novels.