**Meanwhile the Kheras asked the Brahmans to consult the Stars and to fix the marriage. The Brahmans fixed Virwati (thursday) in the month of Sawan for the wedding. The guests turned green with jealousy when they saw the abundance of good things. A large host of people came to enjoy Chuchak’s hospitality. **
**Ranjha left his buffaloes and sat in a corner sad at heart. **
**Meanwhile flocks of beautiful women lined the tops of all the houses tow atch the marriage procession. The crowd and the noise was great as at the Fairs of Pakpattan. The girls went wild with jealousy when they saw the costly robes of the married Sial women. Then came the musicians, the dancing girls and the jesters and the minstels with trumpets and cymbals even from Kashmir and the Dekhan. **
**When the procession arrived Ranjha’s sould and his heart were scorched like roasted meat; and said to himself sadly, ‘Saida is drunk with joy today though he has not touched wine. Saida has become a Nawab and Heer his princess. Who cares for Ranjha the poor shepherd? Death is better than life without my beloved.’ **
**When the relations of the bride and the bridegroom met they put the bridegroom and his best man on horseback. **
**The bride and bridegroom were made to sit facing each other and put ‘surma’ in each other’s eyes. The Qazi who was to solemnise the marriage was given a seat on the floor. They appointed two witnesses and an attorney and prepared to offer prayers. They told her the definition of Faith and made her repeat, ‘There is only one God and Muhammad is his Prophet.’ They made her read the six Kalmas and taught her the Five TImes of Prayer. **
**The Qazi again admonished Heer but she was displeased and refused to say a word to him. The Qazi said to Heer, ‘You should obey the oders of your religion, if you wish to live.’ **
**Heer replied, ‘I shall cry out in the Court of God that my mother betrothed me to Ranjha and has broken her promise. My love move is known ot Dhul Bashak, to the Pen and the Tablet of Destiny and to the whole earth and sky. Where the love of Ranjha has entered ther eis no place for the authority of the Kheras. If I turn my face to Ranjha what shelter will there be for me in the Day of Judgement?’ **
**For a whole watch of the day did the Qazi admonish Heer and urge her to accept the marriage arranged by her parents. Chuchak said to the Qazi, ‘Listen to me. The marriage procession of the Kheras is sitting at my door, and if the marriage is not accomplished I shall be disgraced and the face of the Sials will be blackened.’ The Qazi replied, ‘You can only gain your object by deceit. Tell the bride’s attorney that consent to the marriage must be wrung from Heer, even against her will. If Ranjha the shepherd makes trouble we will cast him into the fire.’ **
Thus Heer was married by strategem and put into the Doli by force. Heer cried out to Ranjha, ‘Today your wealth has been looted by the kheras. Takht Hazara and Jhang are left masterless. Other brides have clothes of gren, red and yellow but I wear only mournful white.’ The Kheras marched with the Doli of Heer, and at dawn they reached the forest, they halted and sat down to eat and drink and be merry. **
**The Kheras rode after deer and hunted lions and foxes and showed much cunning with their bows and arrows. They roasted the meat they had killed and set aside a portion for Heer. Heer finding herself alone and the Kheras merry making, made signal to Ranjha, called him into he Doli and embraced him tenderly. One of the Kheras noticed this and urged the procession to move on, and at last they reached the village of Rangpur. The girls lifted the bride out of the Doli and poured oil over the threshold. Heer’s mother-in-law swung water round her bride’s head and drank it and gave thanks to God. **
**When they espied Ranjha sitting near, they snatched the basket form his head and frightened him away. He drew near Heer by stealth and spoke to her. Heer said, 'Ranjha, this love of ours must last for all our life long. The Five Pirs stand witness between you and me. I swear I will never be the wife of Saida. I will write to you that you should come and see me in disguise of a fakir. If you do not come and see me, my soul will vanish away. **
Ranjha resolved to become a fakir and get his ears bored and bing back Heer captive or perish in the attempt. Meanwhile Heer languished in the house of her father-in-law. She refused to put on jewellery or gay clothes. She ate no food and lay awake all night thinking of Ranjha. **
**Sehti, her husbands sister, spoke to her saying, ‘Sister what spell has overcome you? You are growing weaker everyday. Tell me the secret of your heart that I may cure it.’ So Heer told Sehti all her history and Sehti sat by Heer and consoled her saying she too had a lover, Murad Bakhsh, a camel driver, and that somehow they must contrive to help each other in their troubles. **
**One night Saida full of delight placed his foot on Heer’s bed. Heer thrust him away saying, ‘I have not yet said my prayers.’ But Saida was wilful and would not heed, so Heer in her distress prayed to her Pir. The Pir at once appeared and Heer said, ‘I am the betrothed of Ranjha. My love is pledged to him.’ So the Pir chastised Saida, broke his bones and tied up his hands and feet. **
**The Five Pirs saw Heer sitting in devout meditaion they appeared at aonce by the order of God. They awakened her and said, ‘Child get up. What grief has overcome you?’ Heer gave a deep sigh and tears came from her eyes as she replied, ‘The love of the Jatt whom you gave to me has made me mad. This love of the shepherd has ruined me. God has made you my protector and I come to the Pirs for help in my trouble.’ **
**The Pirs were overcome with compassion, and said, ‘He will meet you in person very soon for so it has been ordained by God.’
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