||• Jageer-e-Mohabbat - جاگیرِ محبت • ||

24. **Chapter Twenty-Four: Embracing Change** Urdu: تبدیلی کا سامنا کرنا

Gul Azmary, oblivious to the tension inside the guest house, approached the door, twisted the knob, and entered. The sudden intrusion shattered the fragile peace within. Sitara, hearing a female voice calling for Bahlaj, exited his room and went to see who it was. As she arrived and stood at the top of the stairs, she saw a woman in her late fifties who turned around to face her. The woman's expression shifted from confusion to shock, and then to something more severe.

"Who are you? Who are you??!!" Gul Azmary demanded, her voice rising with each word.

At that moment, Dada Sai entered, his authoritative presence filling the room. He looked up at Sitara, his eyes narrowing in suspicion and curiosity. "Who is she, Azmary beta? Who is this girl?"

Sitara stood there, scared and paralyzed, her heart pounding in her chest. The confrontation was her worst fear realized. The weight of the stares, the accusatory tone—it was all too much. She could feel herself shrinking under their scrutiny, her mind racing for an explanation that might calm the storm.

Bahlaj, hearing the commotion downstairs, immediately and impulsively rushed out of his room. He was only wearing sweatpants, shirtless, his initial thought being that someone had intruded into the house. As he arrived at the top of the stairs, he saw Sitara standing there, looking petrified. Following her gaze, he saw his mother, Gul Azmary, and his grandfather, Dada Sai. His heart sank when he saw the shock and disbelief in his mother's eyes.

Gul Azmary's eyes widened with rage as she saw her son standing next to the girl, half-dressed. "Bahlaj, who is she? I asked, who is this girl, and what is she doing here? What is going on here? Is this where you have been spending your nights? With this girl?"

Bahlaj felt a wave of emotions crash over him. The shock of the unexpected encounter, the protective instinct he felt towards Sitara, and the guilt of having kept secrets from his family. His mind raced to find the right words, but the sight of his mother's anger and his grandfather's disapproval left him momentarily speechless.

"Mamaaa..." Bahlaj began, his voice strained.

Dada Sai's voice cut through the air, sharp and demanding. "What is all this, Bahlaj? Is this the reason you have been staying here? All this time you have been lying to us, spending your nights here? Have you ever thought of what could happen if someone comes to know about it?"

Before Bahlaj could respond, the front door opened again, and Shah Nawab, Barlas, and Parishe entered the guest house. Shah Nawab already knew of his son's marriage to Sitara, and Barlas had been informed as well.

Seeing the scene before him, Shah Nawab immediately took charge. "Bahlaj, take Sitara to her room. She's in no condition to be part of this right now."

Bahlaj nodded, grateful for his father's intervention. He gently took Sitara's hand, her tears still streaming down her face, and led her towards her room. Sitara clung to him, trembling, her sobs muffled against his chest.

As they disappeared down the hallway, the remaining family members gathered in the living room, the tension palpable. Gul Azmary's face was a mixture of anger and confusion, while Dada Sai's stern expression conveyed his deep disappointment.

Once Bahlaj returned, the room fell silent, all eyes on Shah Nawab. He took a deep breath, preparing to reveal the truth that would change everything.

"Sitara is Bahlaj's wife," Shah Nawab announced, his voice steady but filled with a weight of unspoken complexities.

Gul Azmary's hand flew to her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. "His wife? What do you mean by his wife??? How could this happen without our knowledge?"