Khaani: Mera Dushman Mera Ishq

Zindagi, Maut aur Kismat

Anjum held out a mug of hot chocolate to Khaani, who was sitting in the couch, looking shaken. Amidst all the chaos at the Rendezvous club between the patrons, staff and the police, the two girls quietly slipped away. They were now at Anjum's place.Luckily for them, neither of Anjum's parents returned from work; otherwise it would have been hard for them to conceal the ordeal Khaani just went through.
"K", Anjum said kindly, "Please, yeh peelo. You'll feel better.". Bursting into tears, Khaani hugged Anjum and sobbed. "Thank god, tum aa gayi Anji...warna woh mujhe jaan se maar deta!". Anjum patted her back and said consoling,"Aisa kuch nahi hota...please shant ho jaao.". Khaani shook her head and replied, "Tumne uski aankhein nahi dekhi. Unn mein junoon sawaar tha!". "K, I think tumhe uske khilaaf complaint karni chahiye! You cannot let him get away with it.", Anjum suggested.

"Nahi! Usse koi fayda nahi hoga. Aakhir woh Defence Minister ka beta hai. Woh log abhi power mein. Saboot aur gawah gayab karne uske liye baaye haath ka khel hai! Police bhi ussi ka saath degi." Khaani answered bitterly. Anjum sighed and said, "You may not be far from the truth. Tumhari call aane ke baad main police ke paas gayi thi.". "What?!", Khaani exclaimed panicking.

"Don't worry! Maine unhe tumhari family ke baare mein kuch nahi bataya", Anjum assured her, "I just told them ke Mir Hadi meri cousin ko utha le gaya. But unn logo ne kuch nahi kiya! Instead, they just laughed at my face aur kaha ke main unka time na barbaad karu.".

"Phir tumne kya kiya?", Khaani asked. Anjum smiled wickedly. "Do you remember that bomb scare at my University last year?" Anjum asked, raising an eyebrow. Khaani pondered at her words until she finally realised how her cousin saved her and started laughing. Anjum kept the mug on the coffee table and dropped on the sofa next to her cousin, joining her in her laughter. After few minutes when the laughing died down, Khaani asked her, "Magar tumne yeh kiya kaise?".

Anjum said, "Club gayi, pretended to have a good time. Mauka milte hi chhupkar Club Manager ke office gayi aur police ko number milaya. I pretended to be the staff. Unko kaha ke woh jaldi se Rendezvous aa jaye yaha bomb hai.". "Aur itni aasaani se woh maan gaye?", Khaani asked in disbelief. "Of course not!", Anjum said rolling her eyes, "Unhone to mujhe tab seriously liya jab maine unhe dhamki di: Ke agar unke aane se pehle bomb phat gaya toh Defence Minister Mir Shah ke bete ke maut ke zimmedaar woh honge! Tab na unn logo ne club aane ki zehmat ki!".

"Unn Mirs ne kya haal bana diya humare law and order ka!", Khaani bitterly. Her eyes fell on her wrists: there were angry red marks; the pattern of the rope clearly visible, reminding her of what she went through. Wiping her tears, Khaani angrily got up, "Trust me Anjum! Main uss Mir Hadi ko chhorungi nahi. Uska political career shuru hone se pehle hi barbaad dungi main! Mark my words!Usse pata nahi usne Khaani ke saath ulaj kar apni life ki sabse badi galti ki hai.". "K, where are you going?", Anjum asked. Her concern for her cousin written all over her face. "Please, don't do anything rash.", She pleaded. Khaani smiled at her concern, "Of course not, uss Mir Hadi ko main baad dekhlungi. Filhaal mujhe Sarim ke conference ke liye nikalna hai", she said, patting Anjum's shoulder, "Tum mujhe please drop kardogi Anji?".

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~Mir Mansion~
Mir Hadi twisted and turned again and again, trying to get some sleep but to no avail.

Irritated, Hadi got up from his bed and started packing around. Maine trigger kyu nahi dabaya? Hadi thought to himself, Aisa kya tha Khaani ke baaton mein ke main ruk gaya? His phone rang, it was Khaani. Hadi picked it up. Before he could answer 'Hello' Khaani spoke up,"Jo cheap harkat tumne mere saath ki hai Aaj uska jawab tumhe apne haar se Deni paregi, Mir Hadi.". Hadi laughed and replied,"Awaaz Laut aayi tumhari? Abhi kuch der pehle toh mere saamne aasu baha rahi thi, apni maut ko gale lagaa ko taiyyar!"
"Exactly",Khaani countered,"Main Marne ko taiyyar thi magar tumse darr kar tumhare aage jhuki nahi. Maine tumse apne zindagi ki bheek nahi mangi! Ab tum isse samaj jao ke tumhare saamne kaun khadi hai aur woh kya cheez hai!". Yahi to main samaj nahi paa raha ke tum kya cheez ho Khaani?Hadi thought to himself, frustrated. "Mere paas tumhari bakwaas ke liye time nahi hai! Phone kyu Kiya?". Khaani replied,"Tumhe aagha karne ke liye phone Kiya hai. Yaad hai maine tumse kaha tha ke you don't want Sanam Khan as an enemy. (in a fake cheery tone) Congratulations! You have just earned Sanam Khan as an enemy!Bhale hi publicly tum Sarim se muqabla kar rahe ho. Magar tumhari asli Jung mere saath hai...Ab tum dekhte jaao Sibi kya, maine agar Pakistani politics se Mir Hadi ka naam naa mita diya to mera naam bhi Sanam Khan nahi!". Saying this, Khaani hung up. "Hello!Khaani?Khaani?", Hadi yelled at the phone but there was no answer from the other end. "Samajhti kya hai woh khudko?", Hadi said frustratedly as he dialled Khaani's number again and again but call kept getting disconnected, making Hadi feel all the more frustrated.

Hadi spent the next few days feeling restless and anxious. Before meeting Khaani his life had been pretty much straightforward: Enjoy all the privileges that went with being a Mir. Join the party. Carry forward the family legacy. But what happened between him and Khaani threw him off balance. Sure, he was physically present. Campaigning day in and day out. But his mind couldn't be farther away from the elections. All he could see was Khaani's face flashing before his mind. Her eyes defiant as she stared down at his gun.

One evening, Ali found Hadi in his room, resting in the couch staring into space. Ali called him but Hadi didn't respond. Ali shook his shoulders, startling his friend.
"Hadi", Ali said,"Kaha kho gaya hai yaar?Main kabse awaaz de raha hu.". Hadi replied,"Ali, woh pareshaan kar rahi hai, yaar.".
"Kaun?", Ali asked confused,"Ayeza?". Hadi shook his head and said,"Nahi yaar, woh Khaani-Sanam Khan.".
"Ab kya kiya usne?", Ali asked bewildered,"Dekh Hadi, tu please abhi kuch impulsive matt karna abhi elections ka time hai. Teri ek galti tujhe elections Hara sakti hai. Woh jo bhi kar rahi hai usse karne de, elections jeetne ke baad tu usse badla le lena".

"Usne abhi tak Aisa kuch nahi kiya", Hadi replied, a tad annoyed,"Uss din...tere aane se pehle main trigger dabane wala tha, yeh baat main bhi jaanta aur woh bhi. Magar phir woh mere se darri nahi, ulta woh dattkar khadi rahi marne ke liye taiyar.".
Confused, Ali asked,"Tu kehna kya chahta hai?". Hadi explained,"Ali aisa pehli baar hua hai ke Mir Hadi ne kisipe banduk taani aur woh darra nahi, usne apni jaan ki bheek nahi mangi. Aisi kya baat hai uss ladki mein yaar?".
"Hadi yaar tu kinn chakkaro mein padh raha hai, isse kya fark padhta hai ke woh darri ke nahi",Ali replied,"Achchi baat yeh hai ke tune uss din goli nahi chalayi, warna bohot badi mushkil mein padh jaata. Dekh tu uss ladki ko jaane de, apne campaigning pe focus kar. Jab se Khaani ne campaign join kiya hai, Sarim ki popularity aur bhi badh gayi hai. You need to buck up. Tu abhi bas elections jeetne mein focus kar.". Hadi shook his head and replied,"Nahi Ali, mujhe iss baat ke teh tak pohochna hai, warna mujhe cheyn nahi milega.".

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One day, Hadi was driving when he spotted a Mercedes drive past him. It was Khaani's. On an impulse, he changed course and started tailing her car. After a few minutes, Hadi's car overtook Khaani's, blocking her way. Hadi got out of the car and knocked on Khaani's window. Khaani rolled down the window. Hadi noticed she was wearing her signature Gucci shades. "Ji kahiye", Khaani said in an overly polite tone, "Kya masla hai aapko?".
"Mujhe tumse baat karni hai", Hadi said. Khaani scoffed and replied,"Arre wah! Itni tameez?! (Sticking her head outside the window, looking on either sides) Shayad guards nahi hai tumhare saath iss liye aaj tumhari awaaz mein woh garmi nahi.". Incensed at her words, Hadi pulled the door's handle with the intention of forcing Khaani out of the car. But the door was locked. Khaani chuckled at his attempt. "Arre itni mehnat nahi karo, ye dekho (unlocking the door) aa gayi main bahar. Ab Sibi ke runner-up candidate ke liye main itna toh kar sakti hu.".
"Zyada udho Matt samjhi", Hadi warned her,"Abhi polling start bhi nahi Hui hai. Kya pata results tumhe surprise karde?". Khaani's smile faltered,"Dekhenge. Ab Mera waqt nahi zaya Karo aur batao kya baat hai?Aise mera raasta kyu rok rakha hai?".
"Tum mujhse darrti kyu nahi?", Hadi asked, his eyes earnest. Khaani stared at him for a moment and said,"Yeh kaisa sawaal hai?". Hadi did not budge "Mujhe jawaab chahiye.", he said.

Khaani pursed her lips. Toh yeh phirse mujhe darrane aa gaya, she thought. "Kyu darru main tumse?", She asked defiantly. "Mir Hadi hu main", he replied with a tone of finality,"Kuch bhi kar sakta hu.".

Folding her arms, Khaani asked challengingly,"Aur zyada se zyada kya kar sakte ho mujhe darrane ke liye?".
Hadi looked at her as if she was stupid,"Tumhe jaan se maar sakta".
"Toh uss din maara kyu nahi?Bas trigger dabane ki der thi.". Her words put Hadi at discomfort. After all this was the question that has been haunting him for days.

Khaani didn't wait for his answer, she said,"Kyuki zindagi aur maut ka faisla uparwaale ke haath mein hota hai, tum jaise mitti ke putlo ke hathon mein nahi. Uss din meri kismat mein zindagi likhi Hui thi iss liye tum chahkar bhi goli nahi chala paye. Mir Hadi...tumhe bada shauk hai na khuda banne ka? Magar tum yeh nahi jaante ke zindagi, maut aur kismat: inn teenon par sirf Allah ki hukumat chalti hai.". Without waiting for an answer, Khaani got back in her car and revved up it's engine. She took a U-turn leaving behind a flabbergasted Hadi.
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Precap: Khaani stared at the phone in disbelief. Her pictures- taken from her private social media account without her consent- were all over the internet. One of the headlines read: Sanam Khan ki behayi ki peshkash.

Tumne yeh achcha nahi kiya Mir Hadi, she thought angrily.