ISHQ

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4

"Sajal betey, Mushtaq ek bohot hi samjhdaar aur saleekdaar baccha hai. Vo tumhey khush rakhega. Ho sakey toh badi bhabhi ki baat ki thodi ahemiyat rakh lou bacchey." Kazim Shah patted his azeez daughter's head with a sigh.

"Baba, merey khwabon ka kya jo maine itney dinon se sajaye hain? Aap jaantey hai ki yeh shadi vagerah kabhi bhi mera muqam nahi tha. Mujhey zindagi main bada karna hai. Logon ki madad karni hai. Unkey chehron par insaaf milney ke baad ki muskaan dekhni hai. Ye shaadi kabhi mera maqsad nahi tha zindagi ka." Sajal held her father's hand and gave him a wary smile as she couldn't directly inkaar for that nawabzada.

"Ek din tou shaadi karni hogi na, bacche..." Kazim Shah closed his eyes as he knew his daughter was anything but galat and he was going to lose this behes.

"Baba par vo din abhi nahi aaya hai. Aur sabse badi baat ki vo Mushtaq hai! Vo Mushtaq jo mujhe behad hi na-pasand hai." Sajal argued and Kazim Shah just smiled this time. A defeated smile as he left her room letting her dwell in her khayalat.

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"Ammi bohot izzat karta hoon aapki aur aapke har faisle ki magar yeh faisla mujhe na-manzoor hai." Mushtaq said entering Begum Nusrat's kamra and could see his ammi smiling at his inkaar instead.

"Mushtaq itna toh aap bhi hume jante hain ki jab hum koi faisla le lete hain tou piche nahi hat te." She lets out, standing up from her seat.

"Is baat ka kya matlab samjhun main Ammijaan?" Mushtaq could feel his insides shaking with anger as he fisted his palm tight in order to control his rage.

"Matlab yeh ki is riyasat ki begum Sajal hi banegi," she asserted coldly and Mushtaq tilted his head at the words,

"Shadi meri. Biwi meri. Faisla aapka? Ye kahan ka insaaf hai Begum Sahiba?" He questioned, his voice little louder as he addressed her from her title this time.

"Mainey sirf itna kaha hai ki begum Sajal banegi magar us begum ka nawab kaun hoga yeh ab tak muntakhib nahi." Nusrat begum told blankly.

"Ammi!!" Mushtaq roared loudly causing the entire haweli to flinch but Nusrat Begum stood proudly without a waver as she glanced at him boredly.

"Mujhse mera khwab nahi chheen sakti aap! Nawab banne ke liye paida hua tha main magar ab nawab banne ke liye jee raha hoon! Yeh vo khwaab hai jo haqeeqat main har halat main tabdeel karunga main." Mushtaq announced in a loud voice but Nusrat begum just heaved a deep sigh.

"Hume jo kehna tha hum keh chuke hain Mushtaq. Ab aapke haath main hai ki aap apne khwabon tak pohochte hain ya khud apne haathon se unhe dafna denge."

"Log ye faisla kabhi nahi manenge Begum Sahiba. Ek nawab ka beta hi nawab banta hai aur is nawab ke taaj par sirf mera haq hai. Sirf mera. Aur is riyasat ke log bhi kabhi kisi aur ko nawab nahi qabool karenge. Unke dil-o-dimag par raaj is waqt sirf Mushtaq Alam Sheikh kar raha hai." His tone held a firmness as his black eyes looked into his mother's eyes directly.

"Mushtaq Alam Sheikh. Itne bhi magroor na ho jaiye ki yeh bhool jayen ki hum kaun hain aur humara kya rutba hai is riyasat main. Humne apni puri zindagi di hai aur aapko nawab banane ke liye bada bhi humne kiya. Jab chahe tab aapko is gaddi se hata bhi sakte hain aur log aapse zyada humari sunenge kyunki is waqt is riyasat main aap kuch bhi nahi aur hum Begum hai." Nusrat begum told truthfully and Mushtaq's eyes slowly turned red in anger, his vein between forehead started popping in anger as he knew his mother spoke anything but false.