Zilhaal e Miskeen

Chapter 5

Darta hoon kehne se k mohabbat hai tmse
Meri Zindagi badal Dega Tera iqrar bhi inkar bhi
~Faiz

Meerab was scrolling through her phone when she heard him.
Murtasim: Tm khush ho?
Yeh woh pehla jumla tha Jo usne bola tha.
Meerab: Kya?
Murtasim: Tm iss Shaadi se khush ho?
He said rephrasing his question.
Meerab looks at his eyes which has some hopes as if he wants her to say no.  Murtasim ki nazren Jo kehna Chah rhi thi usse soch k hi Meerab ka Dil dharka tha. Tou Kya woh iss safar pe akeli nhi Chali thi? Kya ab bhi mauka tha uske Dil ko tootnay se bachanay ka? She thought to herself.
She averts her gaze and that's when he saw Anwar Khan entering the Haveli.
Meerab: Na khush hone ki mere pass koi wajah nhi hai. Tou haan mein boht khush hoon.
Har dafa ki tarah iss dafa bhi Dil k aagy dimagh ki Chali thi. Woh apne baba ko mayoos nhi kr skti thi.
Murtasim: Tou phir yeh rishta boht Mubarak ho tmhen.
Woh jis Dil se keh rha tha Wohi Janta tha magar Meerab ki Khushi k liye agar usse apna Dil apne haath se torna pare Tou usse yeh sauda manzoor tha.
Anwar Khan enters the hall. Meerab took a deep breath to even her heart beats.
Meerab: Baba Phopho aa gyi?
Anwar Khan: Beta tmhaari Phopho ki aanay ka poore Hyderabad ko pta chal jata hai. Abhi tk Tou nhi aayi.
Anwar Khan sits opposite Murtasim where previously Maa Begum was seated.
Meerab: Khairiyat? She asked seeinyg him in a bad mood.
Anwar Khan: Anila phir naraz hogyi hai k hum ne tmhaara rishta usse puchay baghair krdia hai. Even though Rohail ka background check Waqas ne khud Kiya tha ab agar usne Anila ko nhi btaya Tou mein ab Kya bolun.
Meerab: Tou Kya woh nhi aa rhi ab?
Anwar: Pehle tou yehi keh rhi thi but ab Bhabhi Begum ne btaya hai Murtasim k aanay ka Tou ab aa rhi hain.
Meerab: Acha chalen phir mein dekhti hoon k unka room aur Baki cheezien set Hain ya nhi. Saying she excuse herself.
Anwar Khan turns towards Murtasim.
Anwar: Tmhaari launch party Tou bari successful Rahi. Pichle haftay se kayi Mubarakbaad k phone attend kr Chuka hoon. Tmne hamaray khandaan ka Naam fakhr se buland krdia hai. Masha Allah.
Murtasim: Thank you chacha Sahab. Bs aap logon ki Dua hai. Aur gaon mein Sab kesa hai?
Anwar Khan: Sab kch boht acha ja rha hai bs log apne Sardar ka intezar kr rhe Hain. Meerab ki Shaadi se farigh ho k Sab se pehle tmhaari Pagh poshi krni hai. Ab Tou Masha Allah se tmhaara karoobar bhi set hai Tou yehi waqt hai k tm Gaon jao aur logon se Milo. Ek Sardar ki zimmedari smjho.
Murtasim: Jee Chacha Sahab aaj jaonga mein Gaon mein. Insha Allah aap ko mayoosi nhi hogi mjhse.
Anwar Khan: Mjhe yaqeen hai aisa hi Hoga. Behtar hai tm aaj hi chale jao kyun k Kal Meerab ki Mayon hai Tou Ghar pe rehna zaroori hai tmhaara.
Murtasim nods his head and excuses himself too.
At Gaon:
Murtasim was standing near the fields. He was here to check the crops after meeting the villagers and farmers. Looking at fields he remembers the time where he used to be homesick and the only thing that could make him feel better was her thoughts.

He lost the count of the number of times he imagined her with him running in these fields. Woh Yahan ka Sardar aur woh uski Khaani. Woh office ka kaam kr rha ho aur woh Samnay bethey apni baatein btayen. Meerab naraz ho aur Murtasim manaye. He was now holding his tears to prevent them from falling out. Uske har plan har khuwaab har khuwaish har tassavur mein Meerab thi. Magar ab uska khayal bhi Murtasim kiye shajar e mamnu tha. Khan Murtasim Khan. The man who lives his Dreams. 7 Saal Lagay the usse yeh pehchaan kamanay mein magar aaj apni yeh riyazat usse bekaar lg rhi thi. Apne khuwaab poora krne mein usne apni zindagi k maqsad ko kho diya tha. Magar ab usse woh krna tha Jo iss khandaan k Sardar se expected tha. Apni Marzi apni Khushi ko maar k khandaan ki riwayat ko poora krna tha.
Murtasim: Dekhte Hain ab Kal ka sooraj kya rang le k aata hai. He said looking at the setting Sun and turned around to walk towards his car.
Next Day:
Anila Phopho and Waqas Phopha came to Haveli along with their daughter Haya. Waqas Phopha went out with Anwar Khan for some preparation for the event that was supposed to be held tonight while Anila Phopho kept doing her favorite hobby that was to complain about everything.
Haya on the other hand was searching for Murtasim who was still in his room. When she saw everybody busy on their own she sneaked out from the drawing room to his bedroom.
Murtasim was in his walk-in closet when she entered the room. Holding his frame in her hands she smiles. Murtasim was her key to this whole Treasure and for this purpose she always tries to get close to him but bachpan se woh Sirf Maryam ya Meerab se baat krta tha. Maryam ka bhi bs woh khayal rkhta tha magar Meerab se uski pakki dosti thi aur yehi cheez haya ko boht buri lgti magar ab Tou Meerab ki Shaadi ho rhi hai Toh ab Murtasim pe bs Haya ka Haq hai. She thought to herself.
Murtasim enters the room seeing her holding his picture. He growled internally at her present. He just can't stand her at all.
Murtasim: Tm Yahan Kya kr rhi ho?
Haya turned around on his voice.
Haya: Woh.... Tmhen Maa Begum neechay Bula rhi hain.
Murtasim: Tou Kisi mulaazma ko bhej deti. Mjhe tmhaara apne room mein aana pasand nhi hai haya.
Haya: Murtasim hum cousins hain yr. Itna Tou chalta hai.
Murtasim: Mjhe baat repeat krne ki aadat nhi hai. Umeed hai tm smjh gyi hogi. Aur yeh frame kyun haath mein pakra hua hai.
Haya: Woh yeh neechay gir gya tha Tou utha k rkh rhi thi. She said while placing it back on his side table.
Murtasim: Ainda zehmat mat krna. Ab tm ja skti ho.
Haya: Meerab bhi Tou aati hai tmhaare kamre mein. Usse Tou kbhi kch nhi kaha.
Murtasim: TM MEERAB NHI HO. Now please leave.
Haya leaves the room with an insulted face.
Haya: Meerab Meerab bs Meerab yaad rehti hai isse. Aaj hi Mama se kehti hoon k baat kren Maa Begum se mere aur Murtasim ki Shaadi k liye. Haya said entering her room.
Later at night:
Meerab was all dressed up in rust and orange color dress. All the dresses for her wedding was chose by Maa Begum. Looking at her reflection in the mirror she still couldn't feel the glow of bride. She was getting tired of all this act well game. Murtasim agar na hota Tou shayad yeh itna mushkil na rehta magar ab uske Samnay khud ko Kisi aur k hawalay krdena Meerab k liye be hadd mushkil tha. Magar Baba ka soch k Dil chup ho jata tha.
Kya tm iss rishtey se khush ho?
Murtasim ka sawal ek baar phir iske dimagh mein goonjha tha. Ek ajeeb si bechaini thi. Kya waqai Murtasim bhi uske liye kch feel krta hai? Nahi Meerab!! Usne Socha. Murtasim hamesha se hi itna considerate hai. Woh bs concern show kr rha tha. Kch fuzool mat socho. She denies all the pleads her heart was making to her.
That's when Mariyam enters to take her out to hall where the rasm was supposed to held.
Rohail and his family were already there. Anwar Khan introduced them to the everybody. Meerab enters the hall and Maa Begum makes her sit with Rohail on couch decorated with flowers. And that's when he enters the hall.