Today was the worst day, first she woke up late, then Kusum told her to make breakfast (while making breakfast in hurry she burnt her hand.) which made her more late then she already was, then when she was about to leave for college no car was available leaving her not any options but to take autorickshaw
She was already late for her classes which made her professor angry after college he had some words with her, which means he scolded her for being late and careless about her studies
Then her professor remind her about her assignments which is due to tomorrow, which in her heart she knew she didn't make it.
If she had gone to home she knows she won't get time to make her assignments and thought of staying at college library
It was already late and the sky has hugged the night, the moon was playing hide and seek with clouds and stars were humming song and swirling
And Haya, she was walking on the empty road, with a dead phone
The city doesn't usually sleep at this time but the roads which lead from her college to round about maybe fall asleep, making it appears more dangerous
Reciting Dua in her heart she hugged herself and turned to look behind her, no one was behind her, just like no one was before or side of hers. She was all alone
Tears which were ready to fall, she hold it with difficulties, she was really scared. she wished someone was with her or she had left her college in day time
She heard some movement behind her which made her look back to check if someone if behind her, following her but no one was there
She took her another step without looking back and mistakenly her right foot got bumped with a small rock making her loose her balance
She and her bag fall on floor making loud thudd noise, setting up on the road she looked at her knee cap which was hurting badly due to falling maybe she scratched it but couldn't see it from her jeans, which was now dirty
Her elbow also scratched and blood was coming from it, the tears which she was holding ran down from her eyes to cheeks
She would have stayed there and cried her heart out if she didn't had heard someone's voice from afar
Some drunk words as of singing, the voice was coming from distance but slowly-slowly getting close
Holding her hiccups, she wiped her tears and picked her bag, the pain in her knee was very bad which were making it difficult for her to walk. But right now it was her last concern. Her concerns was to make to her home safely
Hugging her bag to her side she was taking her steps very fast, soon she heard faint sound of sirens, horns and tyres screeching the roads this made her walk more fast and didn't saw a person coming toward her
The person was also lost somewhere else and didn't saw her which resultant both to bumped into each other
Haya dropped her bag and was also about to fall but somehow she managed not to
The person dropped his phone, seeing two pieces of his phone made him angry as he raised his head but whom he saw in front of him made him stopped from scolding her
"Haya!" How could Haris not recognize her? Since the day he has saw her, not a single night passed as he didn't dreamt of her
Who called her? She raised her head to see the person and saw it was Asher and Samaira's tutor,
"Are you okay?" Her brown hair fall in messy on her side, her black kurti was looking dirty and the left sleeves of it was torn, her jeans was also had dirt while her duppata was loosely hanging on her left shoulder
"I...." She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out, only tears
She was scared to death and now meeting a familiar person she felt relived
Haris didn't know what happened to her but from her look something bad must have happened, his mind told him the worst which he kicked out of his mind, he doesn't have to think about that right now
Right now his concern should be the girl in front of him, who is crying
"Haya!" After thinking hard about it, he finally put his hand on her shoulder to console her
"Rona band kare'n, please." But he don't know how to handle a crying girl. His words held plead in them
(Please, don't cry.)
Moment passed when hayaf finally stopped crying
"I'm sorry...." Wiping her tears she said
"It's okay, are you... Are you alone?" He asked, then mentally smacked his forehead. Is he seeing anyone with her? no. of course she is alone
Haya nod her head
"You shouldn't be alone at this part of time, you know how unsafe it is."
"I was in my college making assignment and... Didn't realize the time.,...." She don't know why she is giving him explanation when he is no one to her, but she did. Not wanting him to think bad of her
"Phone's battery died and... and..I" Her voice was hoarsely due to crying and also because she didn't a had sip of water in last five hours
"You are safe, that's all matters." He decided not to let her talk further, understanding her situation
"Come, I'll drop you to your house." Removing his hand away from her shoulder he said
"No. It's okay.. I.. I can go by.. myself..."
"Haya, it's already late, it's not safe for you to go alone."
He was right, it was already late and not safe, if she had know some karate tricks then it would have been different thing but she doesn't know how to defend herself that's why she thought of going with him
Her mind once told her to think again because she doesn't really knows him but if she will take Auto will she knows the driver? At least she knows a little bit about him
He is Asher and Samaira's tutor
She went after him to his bike, she out her bag behind him then sit on the bike
Haris didn't take her to her home, first he stopped in front of a shop and bought water for her,
She washed off her face from water and then drink it, she was really thirsty and hungry, wiping her face with her dupatta she thanked him
<><><>
Once he dropped her to her house she got down and again thanked him
Afsha who was on her balcony saw her, she couldn't see Haris face or recognized him die to darkness but she saw Haya and her appearance
Afsha quickly ran downstairs to tell her mother about it
"Kaha thi? Aur yeh Kya haal banaya hua Hai apna?" When Haya entered her house. Almost everyone was present there even her uncles, only Adil, Arsh, Asher and Samaira wasn't there
(Where were you? And what happened to you?)
"Chachi, woh..." She opened her mouth to say something but Kusum's voice interrupted her
(I...)
"Kon Tha woh? Jo darwaze Tak tumhe chorh Kar gaya?"
"Chachi woh to......" she again opened her mouth to explain but Nasreen interrupted her
(He was...)
"Ab tum itni badh chuki ho ki apne ashiq ko Ghar Tak lane lagi, Maine toh pehle hi kaha Tha ki iski padhai yahi band karwa de'n. Lekin Meri sunta Kon hai. Ab aise kyu khadi ho? Batao kaha thi! Kiske sath ayyashi Kar rahi thi."
(Now you are bringing your lover to the house, I have told you not to let her study more but who listens to me, now tell us who was he with whom you were with all day?)
"Ammi, bas Kare, halat dekhiye uski, pata nahi Kya hua Hai aur aap log..." Haroon finally decided to talk. Haya looked like on the edge of crying
(Enough, you don't know what happened to her...)
"Jiske sath bike pe aayi Hai using ne Kiya hoga... Batao Kya kiya usne.." Nasreen held her arm tightly and made her face to her
(Ask her what did that guy do to her with whom she has came on bike...)
"Khud hi gayi hogi uske sath yeh. Ab masoom banne ka natak Kar rahi Hai." Kusum said. Her character was getting stained when she didn't even do anything, her fault was that she stayed at her college for late, but who will listen to her. No one. no one will bother to listen her, everyone will just accused things according to their likeness
(Whatever happened must have her consent, now she is trying to act innocent.)
"Chachi, Ammi, bas kariye... Please..." Haroon said, freeing Haya's arm from his mother's grip he softly turned her to him
(Please, be quite..)
"Kya hua, Haya? Itni der Tak kaha thi? Aur yeh kaise hua?" His voice was soft and held concerned in them
(What happened, Haya? Where were you this late? And how did this happened?)
"Woh assignment banane ke liye college library mein ruk gayi thi..." her voice was feeble, she didn't raised her head to see him or anyone
(I was in my college, making assignment...)
"Jhoot,..." Nasreen quickly said, afraid her son will get deceived by Haya's innocent face, today she had a chance to make Haya's character bad in front of him, which can make him hate Haya, she is not gonna leave this opportunity
(Lie...)
"Ammi, please...."
"Main gir gayi thi, is wajah se Mera kapda kharab hogaya."
(I fell down that's why my clothes are dirty.)
"Aur woh ladka Kon Tha?" Haroon again asked her about the guy who dropped her here
(And who was that guy?)
"Cla.. class mate." She didn't wanted Haris to be in trouble, the last thing she want is Haris to lose his job because of her when all he did was helped her
"Aur us classmate ke sath yeh itni derr Tak Kar Kya rahi thi? Kya zaroorat thi itni derr Tak college mein rukne ki? Ghar mein nahi bana sakti thi assignment?" Nasreen once again started her task of staining her character
(What was she doing with her classmate at college? Couldn't she make assignment at home?)
"Haya, apne kamre mein jao." This was all needed to Haya to ran toward her room
(Go to your room.)
"Na Jane Kya jaadu Kiya Hai us ladki ne ispe, lekin aap? Aap bhi chup rahenge?" When she saw it was no use of talking to her son, she turned to her husband
(I don't know what spell she has casted on him but you, you will also keep silence?)
"Aap ki khud ki Jawan beti Ghar par Hai, agar iss ladki ke aise hi lakshar rahenge to Kya asar hoga us par?" Nasreen asked as if her daughter is the most innocent thing alive and any one could influence her easily, unknown to her Afsha is the bad company here not Haya
(She can influence our daughter too.)
Closing her bedroom's door after her she fall on floor, bringing her knees closer to her chest she let her tears fall. Who were they questioning her character when they don't know anything,
She wished her father was alive, she would have hide herself in his arms, away from the cruelty of the world, he would have defend his daughter. But if her father was alive none of these things would have happened
<><><>
"Shamsher Sahab, ab aap hi kuch kariye is ladke ka, dekha nahi kaise tarafdari Kar raha Tha uss ladki ki." Once they were alone in their room, Nasreen said to her husband
(Now you should talk to your son. Didn't you saw how he sided with that girl.)
"Jawan ho chuka Hai woh, mere ya apke kehne se nahi manega,"
(He is an adult now, he won't listen to me nor you.)
"Aur agar woh us ladki ko pasand karta Hai toh isme problem Kya hai, Karwa dete Hain dono ki Shaadi." Shamsher Sahab was reading a book, didn't even glance at her wife which irked her
(And if he likes that girl then what's the problem? We can get them married.)
"Kaisi baat Kar rahe Hain aap? Mera ek hi beta Hai aur uske liye kitne khwaab dekhe Hain Maine, woh sare khwab torh Doon us ladki ko apni bahu bana ke? Kabhi nahi." His words f like bomb to her, she thought her husband has also loose his mind just like her son
(What are you saying? I have only one son and I won't get him married to that girl.)
"Hosh se kaam lijiye, Begum. Us ladki ko apni bahu banane mein humara hi fayda Hai." Closing his book, he out it on side table and decided to have a talk with his wife
(Think wisely, we have any benefits if we got her married to Haroon.)
"Pehla Haroon khush ho jayega aur dusra yeh Jo Haveli Sikandar uske naam karke gaya Hai woh bhi Haroon ki ho jayegi."
(First Haroon will be happy and second we will get the hold of the house which Sikandar left on her name.)
"Ek Haveli ke liye main ussey apni bahu bana loon, Kabhi nahi, woh ladki Meri bahu Kabhi nahi banegi." Shamsher Sahab mentally groaned, how he is supposed to make his wife understand the politics of business
(For the house you want to make her our daughter-in-law, I won't let this happen.)
"Kisne kaha Hai ki ussey apni bahu banaiye, ek baar haveli Haroon ki hojaye phir Kya fark padhta Hai Hume us ladki se..."
(We don't have to make her our daughter-in-law really, once we got the hold of the house then the girl wouldn't be bother to us.)
"Is liye kehta Hoon ki ussey zyada sakhti mat kiya kariye..."
(That's why I told you not to harsh with her.)
Meanwhile, Kusum and Suleman also had similar conversation, they were thinking of Adil and Haya's marriage
The reason why both brothers thought of Haya's marriage with their son was their business, they both are facing huge loss in their business and thought if they could sell the Haveli then they can put the money in business
They both were so blind by power and money that they couldn't see the real value of relationship.
Their younger brother left his most precious thing which is his daughter in the hands of his brothers thinking they will take care of her as their own, but of course not. In their eyes money was more important, the business was more important, they want the Haveli
But doesn't care about their niece,
They can be blind but it wasn't hidden from AL-MUHAYMIN
The One who observes His creation with regards to their actions,
≤≥≤≥≤≥
Sometimes, a chapter looks so easy in mind but when you have to write it... Gosh! It's so difficult 😓
But anyway, after working on this chapter for one whole day here I am 😁 and the chapter 😅
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In Winnieee's language.. Meri khoon paseene ki mehnat hai, Yaar
-Ufaq