Mehram. محرم

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"Papa wo na mera ek dress reh gaya hai wo designer ke yaha. Or kal aapke friend ki party bhi hai. To please mujhe jane de. Maine phone karke pucha bhi hai. Wo keh rahi hai ke abhi thodi der uski shop open hai." Aaliya tried to convince her father.

They had a party to attend organized by their close friend. Shah's. Ans they were invited to it.

"But beta akele kaise. Ruko mai, zufar ko call karta hu." Mujahid said and dialled zufar's number.

"Assalamualaikum sir!" Zufar said in a gruffy voice. He just woke up from his nap.

"Walaikumassalam beta. Wo mera ek kaam kardete. Aaliya bacche ko ek shop pe jana tha wo kapde lene. Or tum to jante ho mai akele kahi nahi jane deta. Mai chala jata but mai to office me hu zaroori meeting hai abhi or kal client wapis ja rahe hai. To please tum dekhlo." Mujahid said rubbing his forehead.

"Ok sir. Mai abhi aaya." Zufar got ready and arrived in half an hour.

..
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"Well tum itne padhe likhs ho. To ye bodyguard ki job. Like kyu?" Aaliya was curious as to why he would do a job like this.

"Hm. Baat to sahi hai. But kya aapko pata hai, ke jo job karne jao to log experience mangte hai. Or agar nahi, to waha ka pay accha nahi hota. Matlab kuch na kuch khaami to reh jati hai. But isme kuch problem nahi thi to karli maine." He said focusing on the road. They were returning after getting her clothes.

"Accha suno, ruk jao. Yaha pe ek ice cream wala hai. Mujhe yaha ki ice cream bohot pasand hai." She said excitedly jumping on the seat.

A smile came on his lips seeing her smile.

"Ok mam." He parked the car on thr side and came out.

"Konsa flavour?" He asked

"Malai kulfi." She said eagerly looking at the stall.

..
..

"Arre ye dono kon hai. Maine to pehle nahi dekha." One of the man said.

"Ha. Maine bhi nahi dekha. Tauji ko batana padega." they called their tauji. Tauji arrived with his fauj.

"Kaha hai wo dono?" He asked angry.

Both the man pointed towards a car where they were enjoying their ice cream.

Tauji went ahead. He knocked on the car window.

..
..

Both Zufar and Aaliya were enjoying there ice cream when someone knocked on the window.

They didn't knew that this village was bit backwards according to this era.

"Ji. Kya hua?" Zufar rolled down the window and asked. They were few men.

"Tum log kon ho. Or yaha kya kar rahe ho. Tumhe pata nahi ye ilaka Kaise hai." Tauji asked rolling his mustache.

"Ji nahi chacha. Hum bas apne kapde lene aaye the." Aaliya said sensing something wrong with these people.

They were staring at both of them, and scrutinizing them with their hawk eyes.

"Shadi shuda ho?" One of the man asked from tauji's back.

"Ji nahi. Mai to inka...." just as he was going to continue, they stopped him.

"Hamare saath aao." Tauji said. Both looked confused, but still went with them.

..
..

"Aree nageena. Zara pani le aaiyo. Mehman aaye hai." Tauji shouted. Just after that, a lady fully covered came out with few glasses of water.

"Nageena, ye ladki ko ander le ja. Or nikah ke liye taiyar kar." Tauji said making both shock.

"KISKA NIKAH" aaliya shouted. Zufar was too shocked to say anything.

"Tumhara bibi or kiska. Na mehram ke saath ghumti ho sharam nahi aati. Maana kaam ke silsile me tum subah thoda ghumo, but raat ko kon ghumta hai. Or hamare ilake me to bilkul nahi. Wo to shukr hai kuch ladko ne tumhe dekh liya. Ab chalo jao ander. Or ha, tu bhi taiyar ho." Tauji pointed at zufar.

Zufar came out his shock and looked towards tauji.

"Mai.." he pointed at himself.

"But hum dono to...kaam se nikle the. Hum kaise nikah karle." Zufar tried but Tauji was firm on his decision.

"Agar tujhe nahi karni to mera beta kuwara hai. Bol to uski kara du. Per kya haina ke hamare yaha aisi ladkiya nhi jachti to isliye. But agar tu nahi karega to koi nahi, hum karlenge or sudhar bhi denge." Tauji said making them both gulp. She looked at tauji's son who was looking at her in list. Zufar saw this too, and clenched his fist.

Aaliya had tears in her eyes. She searched for her phone, taking it out. She dialled her father's number. But it was error as there was no network.

*ya allah. Ab kya karu* she thought and looked towards him. He too was looking at her helplessly.

..
..

"Aaliya khan binte mujahid khan kya aapko zufar shah binte rafiq shah se ye nikah qubool hai" the moulvi asked.

Here, aaliya was sitting on the single bed, draped in simple suit with a red net dupatta covering her head. All the ladies were with her.

Never in her life, she imagined her marriage to be like this. No parents, nothing. No support. And she don't even know her husband properly. Atleast he is not creep.

Thinking that, she said yes. Few tears leaked her eyes and fell on the nikah nama.

"Qubool hai." Moulvi took her sign and all the ladies present their congratulated her.

"Mubarak ho. Apne shouhar ko uska haq zaroor dena. Dekhne se to bada accha or acche khandan se lagta hai." One of the lady said giggling with others. Aaliya forced a smile on her face.

..
..

"Zufar shah bint rafiq shah kya aapko aaliya khan binte mujahid khan se haq mehr 10,000 me ye nikah qubool hai" moulvi asked him.

He was sitting with men on charpai.

"Qubool hai" just as he signed, he saw few drop of tears on the paper. And knew what had happened.

..
..

"Hum ye baat ghar me kisi ko nahi batayenge. Abhi hum kisi ko nahi bata sakte." Aaliya said with a hard voice.

They were on their way to home. After nikah, they both were sent out.

"Hmm." He hummed clutching the steering wheel tightly making his knuckles turn white.

"Ab hum kya karenge zufar. Abba waise hi mere rishte ki baat kar rahe hai. Bahar se log aane wale hai. Wo log america me rehte hai. Or kuch din baad wo mujhe dekhne aane wale hai. Ab kya kare..." panicked aaliya said. As she just remembered that a family is coming to see her.

"Tum pareshan mat ho. Hum kuch na kuch kar lenge. Or ha, mai jab tak na kahu kisi ko kuch mat batana. Or ek baat dimag me daal lo. Nikah hogaya hai, to ab ye hamesha rahega. Mai tumhe kisi soorat me nahi chodne wala. Ye baat samajh lena." He said parking the car.

Whipe she was too shock to say anything. This timid bodyguard of her just changed.

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