Wo bhooli dastan

chapter 4

Flashback continues

Next morning when Meerab woke up Murtasim was not in the room. He didn't come back at all previous day. For which she was thankful. She was dwelling if she should go to her room to get her clothes but decided to stay, when someone knocked on the door. She opened it to find Haya standing in front of her carrying some dresses.

"Tumhare kapde." Haya extended the dress in her hands. "Fina tumhara samaan yaha shift karne ke liye khali kar rahi thi to meine socha mein pehle tumhe ye dedu shifting to hoti rahegi." Meerab's heart fell realising there's no getting out of this confine. She took the clothes half heartedly and moved towards the bathroom. But Haya stopped her.

"Kyu aai ho wapas? Itne saal baad kyu?" Haya's words filled with scepticism. Meerab turned to look at her in astonishment.

"Kya matlab hai aap ka?"

"Pehle mujhe laga Badi Begum ki tabiyat ki wajah se tum log milne aaye ho. Lekin tumhare Dad ko itni muhabbat kese aa gayi apne bhatije par ke apni beti usey dedi?" Haya said accusingly.

"Dekhiye agar aap ko itni hi pareshani hai to Murtasim se kahiye. Mujhe bhi yaha rehne ka koi shauq nahi hai. Koi dilchaspi nahi hai mujhe na Murtasim me or na hi unki daulat me, jis par mere Dad ka bhi utna hi haq hai jitna k unka." Haya's eyes shone with relief from her confession. "Lekin Dad aap logon ki tarah pese ke bhookhe nahi hain. Unhone khud is jagah ko chhod kar apne liye sukoon ki aam zindagi ko apnaya." Meerab retaliated in anger. Her father was her weak point. And unfortunately everyone here loves to target him.

"Khud chhod ke chale gaye? Ye bataya hai tumhe unhone?" Haya sighed and sat down on the bed. "Meerab I don't know if you're really naive or it's all just a facade. Lekin tumhare Dad apni marzi se nahi gaye the. Unhe tumhare Dada jaan ne disown kar diya tha."

"Ha janti hu. Sirf is liye kyuke unhone khandan ke bahar shadi ka faisla kiya tha." Meerab said proudly. Her father had told her how backward these people were. They didn't approve of marriage out of family. And him denying Dada jaan's wish to marry one of his nieces had cost her father his inheritance.

"Nahi, unhe disown is liye kara tha kyuke unhone apne bhai, Shahnawaz Khan ko jaan se marne ki koshish ki thi." Meerab couldn't believe the audacity of the woman sitting in front of her. Her blood boiled hearing those words.

"Aap sab paranoid hain apni jaydad aur uski safety ko lekar. Is had tak ke mere Baba par itna bada ilzam tak laga rahi hain aap." Her body was shaking with anger.

"Dekho Meerab mein janti hu tumhare liye ye manna mushkil hai. Lekin kya tum janti ho tumhare Dad yaha se Karachi nahi hawalat me the do din? Kyuki police ko ab bhi un par shak hai. Akhir kab tak Murtasim chhupa paega tumhari Dadi se sach? Kabhi na kabhi to samne ayega hi. Tumne kabhi socha nahi tum logo ne Hyderabad kyu aana band kar diya achanak?" Haya smirked seeing Meerab unsettled. "Murtasim ne tumse shadi sirf tumhare Dad se badla lene ke liye Kari hai. Tumhe kya laga ke uska achanak se tumpe Dil a gaya hai? Wo kabhi bhi apne dil ko apne dimagh per havi nahi hone deta. Agar usne apne dil ki mani hoti to tumhari jagah yaha koi aur hoti."

"Jaldi tayar ho jao. Badi Begum intezar kar rahi hain." Haya said with disinterested. With that she left the room.

Meerab left standing like a fool. She couldn't believe how someone could put such derogatory accusations on her Dad. Which remind her that her father was in custody which is why he wasn't able to contact her.