It had been a long journey. Meerab felt emotionally and physically drained. They came back to Pakistan this morning. Murtasim had left for office right from the airport. He said he had some urgent work to do. She couldn't believe she said what she said to him previous morning. She was ashamed of herself for giving in, in a weak moment. And she had spoken without thinking. He only came back to hotel to check out. They left for airport that night. They didn't speak to each other through out the journey. There was an awkward silence. She was still lost in thoughts when a knock on the door pulled her back to present. It was Maryam on the door.
"Mujhe tumse baat karni hai. Pata hai tum thaki hui ho. Lekin jab tak tumse poochh nahi lungi chen se so nahi paugi." Maryam said coming inside Meerab's room.
"Kya poochhna hai? Sab khairiyat to hai?" Meerab asked looking at Maryam who looked tensed.
"Tumhe bhai ne bataya tumhare nikah se pehle kya hua tha? Chachu achanak ghar chhod kar kyu chale gaye?" Maryam asked.
"Nahi, asal me humari zyadah koi baat nahi hui waha." Meerab said looking at her hands, hiding from Maryam the true nature of their relationship. "Murtasim kafi busy the. Kyu.. kyu toota thi sagai? Tum batao." For the first time after her nikah Meerab realised she didn't want to know the answer to this question. And that make her feel even more guilty.
"Mujhe pata hai tumhare liye us raat ka zikr boht takleefde hai." Maryam said sensing her discomfort. "Lekin main bas itna janna chahti hu ke tum behosh kyu hui thi? Kyunke ye to main kabhi nahi maan sakti ke bhai tumhe harass kar sakte hain. Ab tum batao Meerab sach kya hai." Maryam's voice intensity increased with each sentence.
"Kya bole ja rahi ho tum? Maine kab esa kaha?" Meerab was vexed by her words.
"To tum waqi nahi janti us raat kya qayamt guzri thi? To me hi bata deti hu." Maryam told Meerab everything that happened that evening.
"Mujhe yaqeen nahi a raha tum log esa soch bhi kese sakte ho. Kya tum apne bhai ko nahi janti?" Meerab asked in shock.
"Mujhe itna to malum tha ke bhai kabhi esa nahi kar sakte. Lekin main waha nahi thi. Yaad he na main Maya ke sath parlor gayi thi. Lekin tum to waha thi. Tumne kyu nahi sach bataya sab ko?" Maryam's anger was also raising.
"Kyuki main behosh thi. Mujhe nahi pata tha waha kya chal raha tha. Agar hosh me hoti to kabhi wo shadi nahi tootne deti is tarah. Mujhe abhi bhi yaqeen nahi a raha sab esa soch kese sakte hain." Meerab said holding her head.
"Is me unki itni bhi ghalti nahi hai. Ma ne bataya waha har cheez is hi baat ka ishara kar rahi thi." Maryam softened seeing Meerab distressed.
"Kya cheezen? Kya ishara?" Meerab asked frustrated.
"Bhai ne ek raat pehle hi shadi se inkaar ki baat kari thi Ma se. Shahzain ne kuchh tasweere dikhai thi sab ko. Aur tumhara achanak yu chilla ke behosh ho jana is sabse bas yahi..."
Meerab didn't hear anything after that hateful name. "Shahzain.... Shahzain ki baat par bharosa hai tum ko. Jis par uske baap ko bhi itna bharosa nahi ke usey apne sath important meetings me bithaye." She left the room in anger.
"Meerab..Meerab kaha ja rahi ho?" Maryam shouted after her.
"Phuppo ke paas." She said without looking back.
"Lekin meri baat to suno." Before Maryam could say anymore she left the room.
_________________________________________
"Aap esa kese kar sakti hain. Agar Anwar uncle ko bharosa nahi tha. To aap to apne bete ko janti hain. Apne kese itna bada fesla le liya." She said to Mrs. Salma who didn't show any reaction on her outburst when barged into her room.
YOU ARE READING
Deewangi
RomanceEXCERPT "Kyu? I had protected you from everything all my life but who will protect you from me." He voice was so low she wouldn't have heard him had he not been this close. But his words froze her. She looked at him in horror. He won't do anything...
