Shower this with comments because I updated after so long and took out time just for you all.
Ayesha <3
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A girl was running across the threshold of her house when suddenly her foot got stuck in the last step making her fall.
She cursed her fate and was trying to get up when a hand came in front of her.
"Utho."
It was her eldest brother Aaban who was standing there with her eldest cousin, Musa Khan.
She placed her hand in his and Aaban lifted his sister with no such problem, now dusting off the dust on her shoulder.
"Koi keh sakta hai tum iss ghar ki beti ho Noor?" Aaban's strict voice had made her bow her head down.
Noor knew Aaban was taunting her about her clumsiness and laziness.
She was the youngest child in the house, not at all like her brothers and cousins. Even her sister was quite innocent but she didn't say anything much and had the habit of staying away from limelight.
"Jab dekho uchal kood. Ya fir girna padna laga rehta hai." He continued in a hard voice making her pout.
"Aapne kal raat kaha tha gussa nahi karenge." She reminded him of last night.
Yesterday night, Noor was crying her guts out because Aaban and Aazan had yelled at her so loudly because she had spilled tea over some important documents.
She was glad her father didn't get to know about this because it would have been another nightmare.
But her brothers were no behind than her father. They'd yelled at her so loudly that Noor was left a shaking mess who ran back to her bedroom sobbing there.
She had not even come out to eat which her brothers couldn't bear and Aaban and Aazan had went inside to explain her things about how big of a blunder she had caused by spilling the tea.
"Aisi harkatein karogi tou kaise na daatu?" His hard voice had made her jump.
"S-Sorry Bhaijaan..." She could only whisper this.
"Noor, aaj kamre se bahar mat nikalna. Kuch log aane wale hai aur Abbu aur Chachu nahi chahte ki tum aas paas bhi dikho. Samajh aaya?" Musa Khan's gruff voice had made her nod frantically.
"Jee Bhai. Allah Hafiz." Nood did nothing but ran away from the two rascals of the family.
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The Khan Family had it's name around the country since decades. The legacy was passed on to them by their great grandfathers.
It was the legacy of mafia business.
Not many people know about the underground world and hence they were also known to be the owners of most of the flourishing businesses all around the globe.
Salman Khan and Sikander Khan were brothers by blood as well as heart.
There was never a feud between them and their own families lived like one, in a single house although in two different wings.
They had married two sisters of the same family, Mallika and Badia respectively.
If it was in their hands, they would have never gotten married to these two brothers because of their cruel and cold blooded ways.
They had a soft spot for no one.
And they had made their sons the same because they were to be passed on with the same legacy.
When Noor was born, her mother had died during child birth and Mallika Begum had raised her like her own.
She was her Khala and Badi Ammi both.
Her father didn't blame Noor of her mother's death because he didn't care for her like usual husbands. She was just someone who helped to raise his children and take care of his needs simultaneously.
This was the kind of thinking of men of this family.
Noor hated it. Noor hated every decision they made.
Noor hated every single person of this house except her sister and Badi Ammi.
No one understood her better than these two ladies.
A knock interrupted her thoughts and a head appeared between the opened door making Noor look there.
"Noorie, abbu bula rahe hai. Jaldi aa jao isse pehle unko gussa karne ka mauka mile." Dua softly knocked on her younger sister's door.
Noor who was sitting on her bed with a cup of steaming hot tea frowned looking at the clock on the wall and then at her sister because it was 9 in the night, almost the time of dinner.
"Aapi, aapko ab jaakar time mila hai apni chhoti behen ke liye? Poore 2 din tak intezaar kiya maine." Noor complained, shutting the book and got down of the bed.
"Meri jaan, kya karu? Bas thodi tabiyat kharaab chal rahi hai. Tu bhi tou nahi aayi mujhse milne." Dua reasoned as she began cleaning Noor's room like she had the habit of.
"Abbu aur bhaijaan ne firse daat na tha agar me west wing chali jati." Noor pouted while whispering these words and then continued "Aur aap ye saaf safayi chhodein. Doctor ne Bilkul mana kiya hai na exertion ke liye. Pata hai na kitna bura hai baby ke liye aapki health ki wajah se." Noor tried to stop Dua by holding her hands.
Dua stilled hearing Noor's words, her lips turning wobbly and she clutched the pillow in her hand tightly.
"Thak gayi hu Noor. Aur nahi hota mujhse ab ye sab." All of a sudden Dua spoke and Noor frowned at her words in confusion.
"Aapi-"
"Jab abbu ne Musa se nikaah ki baat kari thi, socha tha kisi anjaan se shaadi karna, kya pata maarta ho apni biwi ko, uski parwah na karta ho ya importance nahi deta ho. In sab se accha tha Musa se shaadi karna. Kya hi burayi thi? Bolte kam hai. Mere saath comfortable nahi hai baatein share karne me. Iss ghar ki purani aadatein, jisme mard ke liye unki biwi ka kaam sirf seva karna hai, vo poori tarah chhod nahi paayein hai ya khudse zabardasti karwate hai, soch liya tha maine ki jhel lungi ye sab."
"Lekin ab nahi hota. 1 saal hone ko aaya hai shaadi ko. Hamara baccha tak aane wala hai kuch mahino me aur fir bhi aaj tak do dil ki baatein nahi kari hai. Dil ki baatein tou kya, do pal shaanti ke nahi bitaye hai." Dua weeped and leaned on Noor who looked at her sister with pitiful eyes, controlling herself from crying.
It was an year ago that her Bade Abbu had proposed the alliance to his younger brother to get Dua married to the eldest child of this house because he was supposed to be the next leader and no one better than Dua who was a child of this house could understand their family and the traditions.
Dua wanted to deny. She wanted to. But she couldn't.
Because these girls never got a choice. They were always told to do things.
Her Badi Ammi had even begged to Dua to accept this.
It was because of two reasons.
First was that she wanted a simple girl for her son and no one better than Dua could be of the choice.
And the second one was that Mallika knew if Dua would deny, her Bade Abbu and Abbu would instantly get her married to a man, 20 years older to her who already had 3 daughters and a son from his first marriage and still had initiated to Sikander Khan for Dua's hand.
Mallika had promised to Dua that she would try her best to not let the kind of situation come she had faced.
Well atleast Musa didn't abuse her physically and mentally like her Bade Abbu would do in initial days of his marriage with Mallika.
But only she knew what she felt from inside because of Musa's behaviour.
She may had a little more expectation from Musa's side but it was to get disappointed everytime.
"Aapi, aap bhi jaanti hai Musa Bhaijaan ko bachpan se Bade Abbu ne force kiya tha in sab m ghusne ke liye. Unke behaviour ke zimmedar sirf bade abbu hai. Aur koi nahi." Noor reasoned calmly.
"Kya farak padta hai in baaton se Noor? Zindagi tou meri kharaab hui hai na? Shohar tou mujhe mila hai na aisa?" Dua hissed silently knowing someone could hear them.
"Me Shahmir Bhai se kahungi. Vo Musa Bhai se baat kar lenge..." Noor was explaining when Dua's voice cut her off.
"Kya bol rahi hai Noor? Iss wajah se tu mujhe aur khudko dono ko mushkil me daal degi. Mat bolna kuch bhi Shahmir Bhai ko." Dua shook her head.
"Aapi, me jhel lungi..."
"Jhel legi? Tu jhel legi? Chhoti se chhoti baat par tou rone ko ho jati hai. Mere chakkaro me mat pad, tere aur mere dono ke liye bhaari pad jayega." Dua stated making Noor roll her eyes at Dua's stubborness.
"Chhoti baat kuch nahi hoti hai kabhi hamare ghar me. Aapko pata nahi hai kitni zor se daata tha kal Aaban Bhaijaan ne mujhe." Noor huffed.
"Pata chala mujhe. Tu theek hai na?" Dua examined Noor's face.
"Aapi, aap kya dekh rahi ho? Aaj tak haath uthaya hai kya Bhaijaan ya Abbu ne?" Noor softly chuckled.
"Mazaak ki baat nahi ye Noor. Mujhe isi baat ka darr hai, ye din jald hi na aa jaye." Dua spoke in a bitter tone.
"Aapi..." Noor was shocked to the core about what Dua was thinking.
"Chal mere saath neeche isse pehle Abbu kisi aur ko bhej dein." Dua tugged at Noor's hand leading her outside the bedroom.
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Silence.
Total silence.
It was almost 10 minutes that Noor had arrived in the common living room of the house that attached the two wings.
What shocked her was that everyone was present here.
Her Bade Abbu, Badi Ammi, Abbu, her bhaijaans, her cousins and Ofcourse Dua.
She could see the distress on Dua's face probably about what was going to happen as she sat beside Musa her husband.
"Noor tum jaanti hi ho ki Shahzad ka nikaah Zoya ke saath tey kiya gaya tha. Nikaah ki tareekh agle mahine ki hai, lekin usse pehle kuch aur karna zaroori hai." Her Abbu, Sikander Khan spoke.
Noor was fiddling with her hands on her lap listening to her father's words.
Zoya was the girl who had turned 18 months ago and then and there itself she was forced by her family on Shahzad's shoulder.
This is how it worked everytime.
Every girl child belonging to a mafia family had to get married as soon as she turns 18. She doesn't know how Dua and Noor were safe till they were 21. It was most probably her Badi Ammi's pleadings to Salman and Sikander.
Zoya and Shahzad had a 12 year gap which was a lot if we see, but this was nothing in front of what Noor had seen.
Her cousin, Ismat who is her phupho's daughter was forced to marry a man 15 years elder to her when she had turned 18. It was because her phupho had also gotten married to a mafia family.
Noor had stopped pitying everyone at one point. She was done with the sympathy she gave because every new day she would hear something even more shocking.
"Hum ek mushkil me aa pade hai kyuki iss waqt, Hamdani family has gained the top most position and day by day they're starting to rule more over every place. Har jagah jo hamara raaj chalta tha, vo ab Hamdani's ki hote ja raha hai. Aur hum ye nahi hone de sakte." Sikander Khan spoke without any emotions.
"Khudko bachane ke liye, aur aisi situation ko handle karne ke liye sirf ek solution nikla hai. Na chahte hue bhi aaj humne Hamdani's se baat kari aur ek aisa raasta nikaala hai jo hum dono ke liye sabse accha rahega." He continued and Noor's heartbeat had increased to another level by now.
Hamdanis and Khans have been each other's sworn enemies since she knew because of one bad decision her Abbu and Bade Abbu had taken by going against them some years ago.
It had costed them a lot because Hamdanis had won and it was a great loss for Khans.
Hamdanis were never good to their enemies.
And now when her Abbu was talking about something related to them, it had gotten on Noor's nerves.
"Agar hum iss dushmani ko rishte me badal dein, to isse hamara fayda tou hoga hi, aur Hamdanis ka aise hoga kyuki ek aisa alliance form ho jayega jo aaj tak ka strongest hoga. Aane wale leader ke liye ye ek bohot accha mauka hoga." Sikander spoke.
"Tum jaanti hi ho ki hamare mafia ka next leader Musa hone wala hai. Aur Hamdanis ka Zaviyar. Agar aisa alliance ban jayega tou we will rule over the country together." He continued.
A shiver passed across Noor's spine at Zaviyar Hamdani's name.
He was the person she had seen in many parties and his aura was nothing but dark.
He looked scary even more than her brothers. Even more than Musa whom she never talked civilly to.
"Isliye Hamdanis chahte hein ki tumhara nikaah unke bete Zaviyar ke saath ho. Iske bina ye alliance nahi banega. Aur ye alliance to bankar hi rahega chahe kuch bhi karna pade." Sikander dropped the bomb on Noor and a whimper escaped her lips.
"Abbu...please..."
She tried but Sikander cut her off.
"Tum acchi tarah jaanti ho ki maine tumse pucha nahi hai. Bataya hai." Sikander Khan's tone held finality that made tears appear in Noor's eyes.
"Bhaijaan..." Noor ran towards her two brothers and looked at them pleadingly.
Aaban and Aazan just removed their gazes away from Noor and sat stiffly looking at their father that made Noor whimper again, this time painfully.
"Aapi..." Noor looked at her sister with tears making Dua's heart clench.
Before Dua could say anything, Musa had held her back tightly without meeting her eyes and Dua sighed defeatedly.
Noor's eyes moved towards her Badi Ammi and before she could say to her, she remembered if her Badi Ammi would say anything she will have to face her Bade Abbu's wrath in the night which she couldn't let happen because of her.
Noor was left helpless.
"Abbu please. Aap jisse bolenge me usse shaadi kar lungi, par please kisi Hamdani se nahi." Noor whispered helplessly coming in front of her father.
She knew Hamdanis were known for their ruthlessness and how they didn't think twice before killing anyone.
She was honestly scared of Zaviyar. She was scared how he looked at everyone like a predator with his silver eyes.
And she had no intention in being another one of his predator.
"Agar Zaviyar se nahi tou karogi Behroz se?" Her Abbu asked making her whimper.
Behroz was the same man her sister was given an alternate option to marry. The man with 3 daughters and a son.
He was sick and old.
"N...Nahi abbu. Please." Noor joined her hands pleadingly in front of her father as she sobbed.
She knew there was no chance for Sikander to listen to her.
They never took their opinion or choice. They were always told.
And even if she will get out of this marriage, she will be tied in another one. Probably a worse one too.
"Apne kamre me jao. Abhi!" Her father's yell had made Noor run away all the while crying.
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Noor was lying down on her bed sobbing continuously since an hour.
Her tears hadn't stopped after she heard her father say this to her.
To have some fresh air she decided to go to the balcony.
The Khan Haveli was always surrounded by guards and no one dared to come around it because of fear.
There was even a good distance from the boundary of their house to that of the actual house structure because of the massive lawn.
But no one ever realized that Noor's bedroom was at the corner and last and it wasn't too far from the boundary that enabled her to watch cars passing.
The guard near outside her bedroom from backside always slept which was beneficial for her.
She was as usual looking at the cars passing far away late in the night wondering when a time will come when she will be able to do the same.
It was mostly once a month Shahmir would take her for icecream after many pleadings late in night.
Her father didn't allow more than this.
Her eyes moved around and her breath hitched as she noticed a pair of silver orbs looking keenly at her.
These were the eyes only one person was blessed with.
She even recognized him with his silhouette.
The big structure leaned towards a shiny black car, the silver eyes looking straight at her.
Her heart was beating like crazy.
And she could only think of doing on thing. It was to run away.
She ran back inside her bedroom, locking the door behind, her heart beating like crazy as she buried herself under the blanket and covered herself completely as if he will be able to see her or take her away.
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Hey friends! How was the first chapter? What do you think about Noor and Zaviyar?
Who do you think was outside Noor's balcony?
Are you excited for upcoming chapter? Do comment your take or suggestions.
Love
Ayesha <3