Vasl-e-Yaar

15

"Mera dil nahi lag raha hai idhar Hamza Bhai. Waha Anabiya Aapi..." Ahad whispered to Hamza when they both were standing in a corner of the nikaah that was happening between Laraib and Murtuza.

"Hum chahkar bhi kuch nahi kar sakte hai Ahad. Jab Dadajaan ke Anabiya ko na lekar chalne wale faisle ke aage Hammad bhai hi kuch na bol sake tou hamara koi haq nahi banta." Hamza spoke back.

"Par aisa bhi kia galat kiya Aapi ne? Maana hum sab ne Laraib Aapi ka dil dukhaya hai par iski itni saza sirf Anabiya Aapi ko kyu? Hum bhi tou utne hi bade gunehgaar hai. Hum kya, hamara poora khandaan hai. Maana Aapi ne jo kiya ho, usse bura to ab unke saath ho raha hai na." Ahad couldn't help but to say this.

"Ahad, hum Laraib ke khilaaf sirf isliye huye the kyuki Anabiya ne hamare jhuthi baaton se kaan bhare the." Hamza replied looking straight ahead, trying to make his and Ahad's heart believe that what they did was nothing wrong.

"Aisa tou na kahein Hamza Bhai. Andar se tou aapke bhi chaah thi Laraib Aapi ke baare me bura bhala kehne ki. Mai to kehta hu Dadajaan ko bata dete hai ki Anabiya Aapi akeli nahi thi. Mera dil bohot ghabrata hai unhe aisa toot ta aur rota dekh." Ahad'a voice cracked a little at his last sentence as he thought about all the hardships and pain Anabiya had been dealing with since her own wedding.

"Ahad, ghar ke bado ke aage hum kya hi kar sakte hai. Jab Dadajaan aur Dadijaan, Ammi aur Abbu, Chachajaan aur Chachijaan, aur sabse zaruri Hammad bhai hi unhe bhulane ko tayyar nahi hai." Hamza sighed.

"Kyu na hum Laraib aapi se kahe ki vo sab gharwalo se baat karein?" Ahad suggested.
Hamza's head turned to Ahad in a shocking reaction "Pagal tou nahi ho gaya hai? Agar ghar me kisi ko bhanak bhi lag gayi tou hamara julus pehle nikal jayega." Hamza groaned.

The nikaah had ended and everyone had walked towards the food counters while the family clearly looked happy congratulating each other.
Even more than Laraib and Murtuza everyone else looked happy with those big smiles on their faces.
But the Akram family held awkward smiles on their faces because it was more because of their responsibility that they were here, not their actual want.

All they wanted was for the nikaah to get over soon so they could leave this place and be where they actually feel homely, their own home.
The home where they had left the only daughter, the new daughter in-law all alone.

Soon the dinner ended as the sun had started to settle. Dark clouds had clouded over, making it appear as if it would rain soon.
People and the guests had began to leave because the farmhouse was far away from the actual city and it would take time to reach back.

Even though Dadajaan had given strict orders to everyone for Anabiya to not come here with them, by now everyone looked a bit tense knowing what might the situation be back at home now that neither the weather looked nice nor Anabiya had even been left alone.
But now they could only wait to see.

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•

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The tyre of the car stopped right before the gate of the house.
Dadajaan, Dadijaan, Bade Abbu and Bade Ammi got out from their own car which Hammad was driving while the others were right behind in the taxi.

The loud thunders were heard in the dark sky making it clear it would rain heavily.
Hammad opened the rusty metal gate of their old house and pushed it so the others could enter comfortably.
Hammad was visibly hesitant to even step inside thinking about Anabiya.

The whole way he was wondering how his wife would be back at home.
He was worried and tensed.

"Bhaijaan..." Ahad's scared voiced reached Hammad's ears.
His head moved to where Ahad was standing. He had a horrified look on his face while his hand was pointing at something.