Ittefaq

Prologue 2

Life has always been unfair to shehnaaz. Whenever she tries to move past and stand strong, things happen. She has always faced the cruelty of life wearing a brave facade. Whenever she tried to shine her lights were being deemed. Whenever she tried to fly, whenever she tried to be cage-free her wings were chopped down. Time and time again she has brutally become a victim of this barbaric reality. Her faith in humanity has been crushed a long time ago.

The few glimpses at her father's dead body and her world stops just right there. Her slight ray of hope died that day. The hideous way he was murdered had left her numb. Not a single tear drop escaped from her beautiful brown orbs. However, at night in the middle of a heavy rain Saripat gaon had witnessed a gut wrenching cry. A cry of a daughter to her for her father who was killed just a few hours back. The disquieting wail had left the village flabbergasted, stunned and stupefied. No one dared to utter a word. There was a pin drop silence. The atmosphere choked her even more. The feeling of being left out alone in this evil world has made her helpless, exposed, vulnerable. She felt claustrophobic.
…
Didi pani lijiye..

she heard the little voice in the crowded train. The present reality hits her hard. She is all alone on this train. It's her second time on this vehicle. She remembers her first, when she and her father had traveled to the city to buy clothes for her to wear in her college. College..yes! The unfulfilled dream that she dared to see with an open eye. The courage that she dared to have. The open challenge that she dared to throw at the society. Society where girls are just a mere pawn. The society where a girl is still a hand puppet. The same society that stayed silent that night when her father got murdered. The same society who tried to get her married with a bastard as soon as her father left his last breath.

Didi pani lijiye please aap tabse khas rahi hai..again the same voice. Concern clearly visible.

She looked at her side. Seeing a genuine concern after a long time, she wanted to cry. She wanted to cry till her heart's content but she couldn't.
She took the water bottle and gulped the whole bottle down at once. She was thirsty and hungry too. She doesn't even remember when she last ate.

Thank you.. a whisper left her mouth.

Aap kaha se hain? Again the same voice.

Saripat..she felt a tear drop cascading down her eyes in the remembrance of her village.

Ohh acha jagah hai Saripat. Meri masi wahi ki hain. Main bhi gayi thi ek baar.

She smiled looking at her feeble try to keep a conversation going. If only she knew what she's been going through.

Haan ..she couldn't utter more.

Mera naam Sunaina hai. Main panchghat ja rahi hu waha mera sasural hai ...aap kaha ja rahe ho ?
The innocently asked question left her baffled.

Where is she going? What's her destination? How's her life going to be after that? What will she do ? How she'll survive? Will she be able to survive at all ? So many questions hit her pretty little soul all at once. She has no answer to quench the lady's curious mind. She has no answer for herself.
Getting no reply from her the lady started with her little talks once again. Nothing seemed to register her mind.

Arre aapne to naam hi nahi bataya main hi tabse boli ja rahi hu...she asked once again.

Huh ? She seemed to be in a daze

Naam aapka didi ?

Shehnaaz..

Wah..bada pyara naam hai aapka. Aap akeli hai ?

Again, the flashes of her past few days hit her once again. Her eyes got red. Her voice got choked. She is alone. All alone. Noone will be there to heal her. Noone will be there to soothe her. No one will be there to ask her how her day is going. None will care. She felt lost. She felt lonely. An unknown terror gripped her whole existence. The realisation knocked down all the air from her lungs.

…
Hunger is the biggest destruction of humankind. It's not a problem. Its obscenity. It is an issue of justice.

The train was running at its full speed. It's almost 9 p.m. people from different benches started to have their night time dinner. She couldn't help but look at those plates. Her mouth watered looking at those over stuffed thalis. She was starving for the last two days and she is very, very hungry. A small whimper left her mouth. She wanted to die at that moment. She just can't take it anymore. Her 23 years old self seemed to give up. It's been enough.

Didi yeh lijiye … a plate full of roti sabzi has been offered to her by the same lady who has offered her a bottle of water.

Maine banaya hai..kha ke boliye kaisa bana…

She snatched the plate out of her hand making the lady startled for a moment.
She started to gobble down the food in huste. She felt so lucky at that moment.

A subtle smile spread across the face of the lady. Afterall not everyone in this world is vile. There are still some good humans out there. A small amount, but they are there for sure. They are the ones who make the world a better place to live. They are the ones who keep intact the ratio of good and evil equal. Their warm heart and never ending affection are the reason for people like shehnaaz can still survive. Their belief in kindness is what we all seek.

Another of them Shehnaaz yet to meet in the upcoming days to turn her world upside down.

Thank you didi. A huge smile placed  on her beautiful face as she gulped down the last morsel in hastily.
…

The deep black eyes pondered upon her dreams, making her sweat. She felt the longing. She felt the burning ache. She felt the need. She felt uncomfortable. She felt odd. She felt alien.
She felt an unfamiliar rush extended on her skin. She felt a connection. She felt home. Yes she couldn't help feeling home. She couldn't help feeling warm. She felt a comforting blanket after a cold day. She felt peace just staring at those stunning black orbs.

She definitely wants to meet the owner of those embellishing eyes.

What's this feeling?..She is yet to discover.

***

I hope to find you in my stories too ❤️