Whispers Of The Heart

Chapter 1

Yun toh jeene ke liye bohot se armaan the,
Kuch alag hi zameen thi, kuch alag hi aasmaan the,
Wo pehli mulaqat toh badi mamuli si lagi thi,
Par hum uske anjaam se anjaan the.

The incessant ring of her phone disrupted her sleep, prompting her to rub her eyes and sit up in bed. Fumbling on the table, she located the phone and answered the call, still half asleep.

"Don't tell me you were still sleeping," Niyati screamed from the other end.

"What else am I supposed to do at this time? It's Sunday," Dinayah replied, stifling a yawn.

Switching on the side lamp, she put the phone on speaker. As the light fell on her face, her features lit up.

Dinayah Usman was the perfect example of natural beauty. With captivating dark eyes and perfectly shaped lips, she glowed even in her drowsy state.

By now, Niyati was lecturing her on her habit of always forgetting important things.

"Have you disturbed my precious sleep to lecture me on my habits?" Dinayah scoffed.

"No, I have called you to tell you that your article on Ejaz Alam and his company has been printed on The People's Pulse."

"What!" Dinayah exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. "Why didn't you say this earlier?"

She had always wanted to raise her voice against the injustice and negativity going around. That's why she started studying journalism. During her studies, she started writing on many trending topics, first for her college magazine and then some social ones.

During the first year of her master's degree, Dinayah stumbled upon the malevolent deeds of Ejaz Alam. He was a man camouflaging himself as a businessman.

Exploiting the poor people, he used to deceive them and sell their lands to prominent builders. When the victims resisted leaving their lands, he resorted to cruel methods, threatening them or demolishing their homes before their eyes.

His high status had always kept him away from the negative limelight. So, when Dinayah got a chance to expose his deeds, she collected all the proof she could and gave it to The People's Pulse. It was one of the leading magazines in the country.

She wasn't able to believe that out of all the articles, hers had been chosen and published in the magazine. It was like her first step in standing up for people facing injustice.

"How could you forget such an important thing? The article was published yesterday. You didn't even bother to check!" Niyati's scolding continued on the other end.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry, Madam." Dinayah tried to calm down her overly enthusiastic friend.

"I am going to buy the magazine today itself." Dinayah swiftly cut the call and rushed into the bathroom. After freshening up and having a bath, she combed her hair and descended the stairs.

"Mummaaa..., Bhabhiiii..." (Bhabhi means sister-in-law)

"Oh my God, Aaj suraj kaha se nikla hai! (From where has the sun risen today.) You got up so early and have already freshened up," Shafaq exclaimed as she saw her coming down the stairs. Dinayah ran to her and almost swirled her around.

"Bhabhi, you have no idea how happy I am."

"What happened? Why are you so excited early in the morning?" Zeenat came out of the kitchen.

She was a sweet and caring lady in her early fifties. By looking at her, one could undoubtedly say that Dinayah inherited her good looks from her mother.