ISHQ ZAAT

۱۱

پناہ

𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐡: 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐫
noun: a place of refuge and comfort
and security.

صاحبِ عقل ہو ایک مشورہ تو دو،
احتیاط سے عِشق کروں یا عِشق سے احتیاط؟

- 𝗦𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗯 𝗲 𝗮𝗾𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗼 𝗲𝗸 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝗵𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝘁𝗮𝘂 𝗱𝗼,
𝗘𝗵𝘁𝗮𝘆𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗾 𝗸𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗮 𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗾 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗲𝗵𝘁𝗮𝘆𝗮𝘁?

• • •

THE GIRL COULDN'T BELIEVE HER EARS. WORDS DIED DOWN HER THROAT. SHE WAS IN SHOCK. How could he say something like this?. How cruel of him to make her speechless.

"Y-yeh aap kya bol rahain hain?" She nervously asked him. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Her heartbeat refusing to help her. The staggering number question somehow heightened senses that she herself wasn't aware of.

"Koi philosophical baat nahi ki meinay, sirf marzi poochi hai, shadi karna chahta hun tum say." He casually responded in a soft grunt, pinning her with his charcoal black eyes whereas she, was still struggling to process his words.

She looked around for Falak only to find out that she had sneaked out cautiously. Very convenient.

She didn't know what to reply. Her mouth kept on opening and shutting close. She was trying to get over the awkward procedure of calming herself. Anabiya was feeling nervous.

A cold questioning gaze, as if daring her to reject him on his face. He saw her take a swift intake of breath but remain mute.

She was trembling under his stare. The age of innocence. He could see how much of an impact his words had left on her. "Dekho, tumhari madad karaha hoon. Agar tum Jalal Alam Shah ki biwi bano gi, tau tumhay koi kuch bhi kehnay ki himmat nahi rakhay ga." He looked deeply into her eyes as if trying to prove a point. She could feel his words gripping her flesh. Provoking her to speak.

Jalal Alam Shah, the name itself felt so consuming. She could see the past time spent with him flash in front of her eyes.

Anabiya's tongue itching to chant his name but her other half was severely intimidated by him. A circling typhoon constant in her heart.

He noticed her state and continued "jitna marzi waqt lena chaho, ley lo?" This time it was almost in a whisper. He was trying to relax her. Jalal saw a visible shudder leave her body. He wasn't that near but could easily figure out her skin's lining sweet and soft like marzipan.

He needed to give her space. Behosh wagera na hojaye yeh larki. He became a bit worried about her.

As soon as he turned around he heard a faint whisper, "kyun?". He turned around in an instant to look at her. Her mellow voice felt like a gentle caress to his ears.

He raised an eyebrow as if to insinuate further elaboration.

"Kyun karni hai shadi?" She desperately asked him her gaze focused on the ground. How beautifully had she tried treading herself out of it,