ISHQ

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6

Sajal could feel her dhadkan in her ears. Her beautiful golden joda spread on the middle of the bed as Sakeena advised her to sit or more precisely made her sit zabardasti.

Ofcourse she wasn't going to sit like this for even a pal but before she could even blink her eye after Sakeena left, her shouhar-e-namdar entered.

It had been few minutes since they were both busy in throwing khanjar through their eyes at each other. Though somewhere in her heart she was little nervous. Just thoda sa.

Mushtaq circled the saja hua bed, his predatory, sharp gaze fixed at her form as he walked around the bed like a predator ready to pounce on his prey.

"Ghoorna band karo, hou chuke nawab," her sharp voice made him stop as he tilted his head and looked right into her grey eyes,

"Haq hai mera, hou chuki begum," he declared, but the way his voice was cold, it felt more sort of an insult.

Yes, he was declared as the next nawab after the nikaah was done. Jashn was supposed to be held with their valima.

"Main kisi haq ko nahi maanti," she announced getting up from the bed without any nazakat.

Instantly she halted as Mushtaq came infront of her and came very nazdeek to her,

"Haq tou maan na padega biwi," his voice was hard as he tried to intimidate her.

His koshish was kamyab to some extent as for a second Sajal forgot how to breathe feeling him so close to her but she recalled what she was and how much taqat she held.

"Tou fir tumhari daulat, shohrat, haweli par mera haq hai, nahi? Tou fir property ke papers lao aur mere naam kar dou," she retorted

The next pal Mushtaq moved away from her keeping little faasla between them.

"Main tou tumhey magroor aur badtameez hi samajhta tha. Mujhey tou aaj ilm hou raha hai ki tum tou paison ki bhi bhookhi hou Sajal," he spat out her name with such disgust that Sajal flinched for a second but quickly regained herself,

"Paison aur taqat ka hi tou sara khel hai nawab sahab. Inhi cheezon ka istemal karke tou tum logon ne meri zindagi barbad kar di," She pointed out digging her finger on his chest.

"Ek minute thehre aap mohtarma, tumhari zindagi maine barabad kari hai ya tumne meri? Aur please, yeh natak band karo as if you were forced to marry me and not the other way around," Mushtaq glared at her and Sajal gasped as if he told her suraj zameen se ugta hai.

"Aye nawab zyada bann ne ki zarurat nahi hai. Mujhey sab malum hai ki tumne apni saari beizzati ka badla lene ke liye mujhsey shaadi ki as your fragile male ego was bruised. Par main vaada karti hoon ki agar tumhari zindagi ko maine jahannum na bana diya na---"

"Wait a minute, kya kaha tumne? Mainey tumse badla lene ke liye shaadi ki? Are you out of your mind? Pehli baat main itni giri hui harkat nahi karunga kyunki main tumhey itna ahem hi nahi maanta aur dusri baat ye ki tumse shaadi karne ke liye main forced hua tha," Mushtaq interrupted her midway catching her churiyan clad wrist which was in the air as she accused him by pointing her finger at him.

The khankhan of churiyan suddenly snapped them out of their ladaka mode and they both forgot what they were doing. Mushtaq gulped hard as his eyes raked down her who was dressed up like a dulhan for him.

Haseen...

He thought and his gaze went to her mehendi and gajre clad hands which looked small in his large ones.

Sajal could feel his lingering gaze on her body and she felt little nervous all of a sudden. She harshly tugged her wrist out of his hold and they realised what they were doing.

Mushtaq cleared his throat awkwardly but Sajal was quick enough to evaporate the awkwardness by her sharp voice,

"Haan tou kya keh rahe the tum ki tum forced ho is shaadi main? Arey tumse bada jhootha mainey nahi dekha nawab sahab," she pointed out holding her chin high.

"Mujh par ye bebuniyad ke ilzaamaat na lagao ladki. Mainey koi jhooth nahi bola. Is takht-o-taaj ki lalach tumhey thi. Isliye tumne Ammi ko haan kar di aur fir Ammi ne mujhey apna faisla sunaya ki begum tou tum hi bano gi aur tumhara shouhar-e-namdar nawab," Mushtaq held her high chin in his hand and threw the harsh words.

"Magar tumhari Ammi ne mujhey ye kaha ki vo mere mama-baba ka business vapas le lengi, meri padhai ka kharcha band karva dengi agar mainey unke aimak aur jallad bete se nikaah na kiya tou," Sajal told her side of truth, frowning at his revelation.

Mushtaq royally ignored the not so sweet beizzati thrown on his way like a nawab he already was. His grip on her chin tightened as he tilted her neck further to see directly in her grey eyes, his nose touched hers as he tried to intimidate her with his nazdeeki.

"Jhooth bol rahi hou tum," he stated gazing into her eyes which blazed fire hearing him.

Sajal breathed sharply and pushed his away with all her might with her palms which caused him to stumble back a little away from her.

"Jhooth main nahi bol rahi hoon nawab sahab. Aur jitna main tumhe janti hoon, jhooth tum bhi nahi bol rahe hou. Ye sab tumhari Ammi ka kiya karaya hai. Mubarak hou, tumhari Ammi ne hum dono ki zindagiyon ka tamasha laga diya. Tumhara aur meri mauhoron ki jitni aukat kar di unhone. Vo aurat chahti hi yahi---"

"BAS! EK AUR ALFAAZ NAHI MERI AMMI ME BAARE MAIN SAJAL!" Mushtaq roared clutching her jaw in his grasp and Sajal tilted her head,

"Maano ya na maano. Kiya ye tumhari Ammi ne hi hai," Sajal stomped her foot on gulaab pankhudiya crushing them in her anger.

"Chalo fir isi waqt,"

"Beshaq chalo. Mujhe kyun khauf aayega, khauf unhe aaye jinhone itna bada khel khela," Sajal retorted and was ready to sprint out of the room but her feets dangled in the heavy joda.

Just when she was about to fall straight on her face, Mushtaq held her elbow.

"Jinhe zyada guroor hota hai na, vou aise hi apne muh ki khate hain," he mumbled close to her ear and Sajal fisted her palm at the open insult.

"Aur jinka muh accha nahi hota vou khola bhi na karein," saying this she elbowed him in his stomach with the same elbow he was clutching and ran outside holding her heavy golden joda in her hands followed by a raging Mushtaq.

Next pal, they both were standing right across Begum Nusrat's room while the entire haweli was watching the scene with hawk like eyes.

The nayi dulhan and nawab himself were standing in their wedding clothes on the pehli raat after shaadi.

The commotion was heard by everyone and soon everyone started gathering including Ruksana and Rashid.

"Ammi darwaza kholein," Mushtaq shouted angrily seeing what tamasha they were making.

Begum Nusrat opened the door with a sigh already knowing what the commotion was about but maybe, just maybe she expected a little better from hou chuka nawab and hou chuki begum.

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