Zilhaal e Miskeen

Chapter 2

Half side of the moon is convinced that I love you, other half knows that you won't love me back.

~Unknown

7 years later:
Maayi Bakhtu se kahen gaari nikalen mjhe abhi hospital Jana hai!. Meerab said while stepping down the stairs.
Anwar Khan and Maa Begum were sitting in lawn when they saw her.
Anwar Khan: Meerab beta iss waqt Kahan ja rhi ho?
Meerab: Baba woh ek emergency hai so abhi hospital Jana hoga....
Anwar Khan: Par beta tm abhi Tou aayi thi wapis?? Phir Jana hai !!
Meerab: Jee ek important surgery assist krni hai case complications ki wajah se aaj hi krni hogi.
Maa Begum: Jb se tmhaari house job khatam hui hai tmhaara routine aur bhi mushkil hogya hai.
Meerab smiles faintly as she was still sleep deprived but that's her job so she has to do it.
At hospital:
Meerab steps out of the car.
Meerab: Bakhtu Bhai aap Ghar chalen jayen mjhe der lgy gi abhi.
Bakhtu: Meerab Bibi aap Khan ki amanat Hain mere pass. Aap ko akele chor k nhi ja skta. Aaram se jayen koi pareshani nhi hai.
Meerab: Mein Baba ko bol dungi k meine aap ko bheja tha Ghar wapis aap apni neend poori kren Ghar ja k.
Bakhtu: Meerab Bibi woh Khan ka mtlab.....
Meerab's phone rings.
Meerab (on phone): Jee Sir. Mein hospital k bahir hi hoon bs 5 mins mein OT aati hoon.
Meerab rushes inside the hospital building.
A few hours later:
Meerab along with her other colleagues walks out of OT. The patient's family who was waiting outside comes to them.
Dr. Maira: Alhumdulillah the case was successful. We'll keep her under observation for a while now let's see how her vital signs goes.
Old man: Jee Doctor sahiba.
Meerab walks to him who was so worried about her wife.
Meerab: Aap ki biwi ki halat ab behtar hai boht. Surgery kamyab hui hai. Kch ghantay mein hosh aa Jayega phir mazeed kch btaya ja skta hai. Insha Allah woh boht jldi sehatyab hongi.
The man got tears in his eyes. Meerab smiles at him and walks ahead.
After changing out of scrubs the doctors were settled into their room.
Dr Maira: Wese hamare mulk mein illiteracy boht hai especially chote shehron mein. Mtlab ab Banda kese smjhaye in logon ko.
Meerab: And this is our job. Hamara kaam logon ka ilaaj krna hai apni language skills showoff krna nhi.
Dr. Maira: Bhaee mjhse Tou nhi boli jati Urdu.
Meerab: Tou phir behtar hai k jb tk aap Yahan kaam kr rhi hain thori seekh Len. Aap ko hi asaani hogi. Anyways mein ab Ghar ja rhi hoon. Double shift aur extra call time k Baad umeed hai mjhe weekend off milega. She winks at Dr Hadia who was the head of staff at this hospital.
Dr. Hadia: Yes Dr. Meerab enjoy your weekend.

Meerab walks out of the hospital building to see Bakhtu sitting in car at the parking area.
Meerab: Inka koi Haal nhi hai!!!
Meerab gets into the car and Bakhtu drove off.
At evening:
Meerab enters the lawn where the entire family was settled down. Murtasim k janay k Baad woh log bhi Khana aur chai Maa Begum k Sath khatay the so that they won't feel left out.
Meerab: Assalam o alaikum
Walaikum assalam.
Maa Begum: Tm hospital se kb aayi?
Meerab: Subha hi aa gyi thi magar thakan itni thi k aate hi so gyi. Just abhi uthi hoon. Aap btayen ab tbyat theek hai aap ki?
Maa Begum: Haan bs mausam ka asr hai.
Anwar Khan: Bhabhi Begum aap ki Murtasim se baat hui?
Maa Begum: Haan subha baat hui thi Meri. Meerab beta woh Puch rha tha tmhaara tm free ho k call krlena usse yaad se.
Meerab: Jee. Mein woh Khana Khanay ja rhi hoon boht bhook lg rhi hai. She giggles and left the hall.
Meerab: Why would I call him? Usse pta hai mjhe baat nhi krni usse phir bhi Maa Begum k Samnay bol deta hai.
Later at night:
Maa Begum was on video call with Murtasim.
Murtasim: Maa aap please apna khayal rkha kren. Abhi bhi mjhe aap ki tbyat kch behtar nhi LG rhi.
Maa Begum: Arey tm fikr mat kro mein bilkul theek hoon. Mat bhoolo hamare Ghar pe ek doctor hai chahun Tou bhi koi kotahi nhi kr skti mein.
Murtasim: Jee mjhe yaqeen hai......
Maa Begum: Tmhaari baat hogyi thi Meerab se??
Murtasim: Jee hogyi thi.
(Though Meerab never calls him aur attend his calls or messages but Maa Begum and Anwar chacha k Samnay woh dono yehi show krty the that they are in touch.)
Pta nhi Meerab ki narazgi kab khatam hogi? He thought to himself. Agar yeh project na hota Tou woh 2 Saal pehle hi Pakistan ja Chuka hota kyun k Meerab k baghair rehna uske liye boht mushkil hota ja rha tha.
Maa Begum: Murtasim???
Murtasim: Jee Maa Sahab
Maa Begum: Kahan kho gye ho tm.
Murtasim: Kahin nhi aap btayen Maryam ki Shaadi ki tayyariyan kesi ja rhi hain.
Maa Begum: Woh Tou ab tm aogy Tou hi hogi. Meine Toh Sabra se kehdia hai bs.
Murtasim: But Maa
Maa Begum: Tmhaare baghair uski Rukhsati nhi ho skti hai. Tm aa jao naa ab.
Murtasim: Maa mein poori Koshish kr rha hoon jldi aanay ki bs aap Dua kren yeh kaam hojaye.
Maa Begum: Insha Allah.
( Maryam and Naurez ka nikkah Shah Nawaz Khan ki Zindagi mein hi hogya tha aur Rukhsati iss Saal k akhir tk decided hai)

Next Day:
Maa Begum and Anwar Khan were seated in hall.
Anwar Khan: Bhabhi Begum Ansari Sahab ne mjhse Meerab ka rishta manga hai. Aap ki Kya raaye hai isme.
Maa Begum: Kya waqai. Magar Anwar khandaan se bahir kyun rishta krna chahte ho tm?
Anwar Khan: Bhabhi Begum Mjhe Rohail Kafi suljha hua aur tameezdar lga hai and Ansari Sahab se bhi hamare Kafi purane taluk Hain so mjhe Koi burai nhi lagi isme.
Maa Begum: Haan unki family se mein bhi mil chuki hai magar Meerab ki Kya raaye hai.
Anwar Khan: Abhi meine usse nhi pucha hai magar mjhe umeed hai usse koi aitraaz nhi hoga. Rohail bhi Tou Doctor hai.
Maa Begum: Betiyon ki shaadiyan umeed or imkaan pe nhi ki jaati. Uski Marzi zaroori hai.
Feena!!!!!
Feena: Jee Maa Begum
Maa Begum: Jao Maayi se Kaho Meerab ko bhejen.
Feena nods.
Maayi enters into Meerab's room to see her looking at the frame hanging on her mirror wall. It was Meerab and Murtasim last picture together before he left for Australia. The picture was taken on Meerab's birthday.

Maayi: Jb itna yaad krti ho Tou baat bhi krliya kro.
Meerab: Mein Kahan yaad krti hoon? Woh Tou bs aise hi.
Maayi: Meine paala hai tmhen Meerab. Mjhse Jhoot mat bolo.
Meerab: Maayi aisa kch nhi hai. Haan pehle mjhe uske janay ka afsos tha magar ab boht waqt hogya hai and I understand k uske dreams aur career uske liye important hain.
Maayi: Magar phir baat kyun nhi krti tm?
Meerab: Maayi ab Kya baat krun.
Maayi: Pehle Tou har waqt ussi se baat krti thi. Pakki dosti thi tmhaari.
Meerab: Woh bachpana tha Maayi. Ab wese kch nhi Hai. Aap btayen kch kaam tha?
Maayi: Arey haan mein Tou bhool hi gyi. Woh Maa Begum ne bulaya hai tmhen.
Meerab: Khairiyat hai? Unki tbyat Tou theek hai naa.
Maayi: Pta nhi ja k dekhty Hain.
Next scene:
Meerab: Maa Begum aap ne bulaya mjhe?
Maa Begum: Haan betho Yahan
Meerab sits on the couch in front of her.
Maa Begum: Anwar ne tmhaare Liye ek larka pasand Kiya hai.
Meerab: Jee ??
Maa Begum: Mein chahti hoon Maryam ki Rukhsati se pehle tmhaari Shaadi ho jaye. Akhir Tou tm usse bari ho pehle Haq tmhaara banta hai.
Meerab: Magar Maa Begum itni jldi Kya hai
Maa Begum: Tmhaari house job complete hogyi hai aur Kitna intezaar. Hum bhi ab tmhaara farz ada krna chahtey Hain. Lekin  Tmhen koi aitraaz hai iss rishtey pe toh bolo.
Meerab: Nhi Maa Begum. Jo aap log behtar smjhen.
Anwar Khan: Dekha Bhabhi Begum meine kaha tha Meri beti inkaar nhi kregi.
Maa Begum: Chalo Anwar phir ek kaam kro unhen issi weekend Ghar pe Bula lo.
Anwar Khan: Jee Bhabhi Begum.
Meerab walks out of the room. Yeh Sab Kya ho rha hai. She enters into her room to see his picture hanging in the wall.
Nhi Meerab!! Ab yeh Sab nhi sochna hai. Baba Sahab ne mere liye behtar faisla Kiya Hoga. Ab bs Dil mazboot kro. She mumbled to herself.
Maayi who was arranging her clothes in her walk in closet comes out to see her standing like that.
Maayi: Meerab beta Kya hua?
Meerab: Woh iss weekend Baba Sahab k koi business associate Ghar pe aa rhy hain.
Maayi: Acha acha
Meerab continues: Mere rishtey k liye.
Maayi: Kya?
Meerab takes some deep breath to hold her tears but it wasn't helping. Her heart just couldn't bear a thought of anybody but Murtasim even though she knows Murtasim aisa kch feel nhi krta woh bachpan se khud ko ussi k Sath jorti aayi thi magar ab woh waqt aa gya tha k she needs to move on in life.
Maayi: Meerab bachay!! Tm Kaho Tou mein baat krun Anwar Khan se.
Meerab: Nhi Maayi. Please mein khud ko mazboot krna chahti hoon mjhe kamzor na kren. And aap fikr mat kren mein bilkul theek hoon. Okay!!!
In Australia:
It was a launched event of his company's first ever smartphone. Murtasim and his best friend Haider collaborates for this technology firm and this was the project they were working on since last 2 years. And finally the day has arrived.
Murtasim and Haider were seated in first row while looking at host who was presenting the show.
Haider: Yr tu nervous nhi ho rha.
Murtasim: Mein nervous nhi hota. I believe in myself. Dekhna we'll crack it too.
Haider: Tu sahi chill Banda hai yr.
Murtasim: Galat. I have planned things aur phir har cheez ussi plan pe Chalti hai so mein confident hoon.
Haider: Business mein tu waqai King hai. Mr. Perfectionist. Ainvayi Tou tujhe back to back 3 businessman of the year k awards nhi mile.
Murtasim smiles.
Finally aaj launch thi. Ab bs ek din aur kch meetings k liye phir woh seedha Khan Haveli jayega. Unfortunately he got tickets for Karachi and not Hyderabad at this weekend Tou usne Bakhtu ko bola tha k woh usse Karachi airport se pick krlen and together they have planned to reach Hyderabad by road. This Sunday he's finally going to see her. He thought to himself.
Ab mein Maa Begum se ja k keh dunga k Mariyam ki Rukhsati se pehle Meri Aur Meerab ki Shaadi hogi. And apne sher bete ko woh kbhi inkar nhi kr skti. He mumbled.
USKI ZINDAGI MEIN HAR CHEEZ PLAN K HISAB SE CHALTI THI MAGAR......

A/N:
So how's the update. I hope y'all are liking the story so far. Abhi boht kch hai unfold hone k liye so keep reading and give me your feedback.
🫶