Khaani: Mera Dushman Mera Ishq

Abul

Trigger warning: Attempted sexual assault

"Bhaiya, please thodi tez chalaye..", pleaded Anjum as she took her head outside the cab window, checking if they were being followed. "Bibiji, main isse tez nahi chala sakta. Magar aap yun baar baar khidki se apna sir na baahir kare....traffic police ne dekh liya to andar kar dega.". "Jee", came Khaani's calm reply. "Anjum theek se baitho", she said pulling her cousin inside. "Khaani!",exclaimed Anjum,"What the hell yaar!!Woh log kon the aur tumne unpe-". "Shhh",Khaani silenced her with a finger on her lips, motioning at the driver who kept looking at them through the rearview mirror,"Baaki baatein ghar jaakar". The cab dropped the girls at Anjum's DHA residence. As a shaking Anjum opened the front door of her home Khaani said, "Anji mere car ki chabi dena mujhe waha jaakar usse collect karna hoga.". "What?!", cried Anjum, her eyes wide with shock, "Have you lost it, K? Woh log abhi bhi wahi ho sakte hai, agar unhone phir se tumpar attack kiya toh? "Mere paas aur koi option nahi hai!", Khaani hissed,"Agar unlogo ko pata chal gaya woh car kiski hai toh problem ho jayegi! Mere paas zyada time nahi hai, Anjum.". Anjum did not budge,"Iss liye main keh rahi hu abhi tum nahi jao. Baad mein kisi aur se woh car retrieve kara do. Agar abhi tum chali gayi aur un logo ne tumhe kidnap kar liya toh? Isse problem aur badh jayegi iss liye abhi nahi jao.". Khaani thought for a moment, Anjum did have a point. Besides, she glanced at her cousin, it wouldn't be fair of her to leave a scared and shaken Anjum all on her own. "Thik hai", she agreed, "Car main baad mein retrieve kara lungi. Filhal tum fresh ho jao main humare liye hot chocolate banati hu.".
______________________________________

As the girls quietly sipped their hot chocolate, Anjum asked Khaani to tell her what happened at the parking lot. "Kya batau....woh admi zabardasti mujhse ulaj raha tha", Khaani recounted angrily, "Maine bas usse apni car hatane ke liye kaha tha aur woh mere saath flirt karne laga! Aur jab uski chhichori baaton par maine react kiya to usne mujh par banduk taan diya...waise I must say tumhara jaate jaate car ko lock karna bohot hi smart move tha.". "What smart move yaar?", Anjum reproached,"Main to car mein baith te hi so gayi thi. Goliyon ke awaz se neend tuti meri. Mere baahir nikal ne se pehle tum mujhe lene aa gayi. Itne kam time mein tumhari yahi help kar sakti thi main. Waise tum gun kabse carry karne lagi?", Anjum asked curiously. "Woh gun mujhe Dad ne di thi. Mujhe har jaga guards le jaana achcha nahi lagta toh Dad ne hi insist Kiya ke main jab tak yaha hu, sab ke tarah main bhi apne protection ke liye gun rakhu.", Khaani lied. Feigning a yawn, she said,"Chalo bohot raat ho gayi hai so jaate hai. Mujhe kal subah subah nikalna bhi hai.".

___________________________________

Ensuring that Anjum was sound asleep, Khaani walked into the terrace attached to their bedroom. Maine Mir Shah ke bete pe goli chalayi, Khaani thought, staring at the gun she was holding in her hand. Oh God, ab kya hoga?Kahi woh mar to nahi gaya?Nahi, nahi Khaani tumhe panic nahi karna hai. Goli uske kandhe par lagi hai, woh bas injured hua hoga. There was another complex matter of the car. It was registered in Sarim's name. Once they find out who she is and how she is related to him, they are going to involve her family or worse directly go to the media.

If the incident becomes public she may get away with blaming Hadi for her actions but Sarim and her dad will want to know how she got access to the gun, especially since no girl in the family or even Sarim for that matter carried one. Agar Dad ko asliyat pata chal gayi toh? Khaani dreaded covering her face with her hands, Toh kya mujhe sach mein apne attempted rapist se shaadi karni paregi?

Two years ago....

"It's great tum logo ki madad kar rahe ho Sarim, magar tum aur Dad Islamabad wapas kab aaoge?", Khaani asked frustratedly. It had been two weeks since they came to Pakistan and ten days since Sarim and her father left for Balochistan to oversee the relief work done by their party for the flood-affected people. "Sorry, Khaani", Sarim said, "Magar jab tak yaha ke haalaat theek nahi hote I don't see hum yaha se kaise nikal sakte hai.". Khaani hung up without saying goodbye. Sarim was being so unfair. She could understand why their father had to stay but why did he have to stay? How could he leave her here all alone among such hostile relatives. Ok, maybe not all of them were hostile. Nayeema aunty and the girls loved her and Abul was not as bad as she thought. Wakayi main kitna galat thi Abul ke baare mein, Khaani thought reproachfully, Usse uske Ammi-Abbu ki tarah soch rahi thi. In the last two weeks, Abul and her relationship improved alot. Growing up, he had treated Khaani with the same high-handedness as his parents. Thinking of her and Sarim as interlopers, undeserving of the great Khan legacy. But Sarim's decision to help in the relief work changed his mind about them. This was what he had told her when he apologised to Khaani for past bad behaviour. "Main chahta hu hum ek naye seere se apne rishte ki shuruat kare.", he had told her and showed it. In Sarim and Salman's absence, Abul had taken the responsibility of entertaining Khaani. He accompanied Khaani and her sisters shopping and took them to the movies and ice cream treats.