Aakhirat

Ishq kije phir samjhiye..

The Malik mansion buzzed with the usual evening activities, people busy with their chores, moving around, and filling the house with the sounds of daily life. The couch in the living room was crowded with family members, but an uneasy silence hung in the air as Mrs. Malik finally revealed where she left Haseena last night.

"KYA?!! Noor, dimag toh thikane hai aapka?! Ye itna sab ho gaya aur aap ab humein bata rahi hain?!" an elderly woman suddenly stood up, her voice sharp and full of outrage.

Everyone in the hallway shrank back at the force of her stern words. "Hum toh soch rahe the ke jaise bachpan mai hota tha waise iss baar bhi aapne use Shekhar ke yaha kaam par bheja hoga! Lekin aap itni badi baat ab bata rahi hain? Hamari bachhi rat bhar kaise soye honge kya khaya hoga unohne! Kaise rahegii uss jagah pai koi andaja bhi hai aapko Noorjahan Shama Malik!!! Maa hai ya dushman!" Shama Malik scolded her daughter for keeping the news hidden for so long.

Mrs. Malik sighed, keeping her voice calm as she faced her mother's wrath. "Mafi chahte hain, Ammijaan, lekin sab soch samajh kar hi kiya hai. Haseena ki wo gusse se bhari aankhein mano jaise kisika katal karne bad bhi unhe malal na ho asii thi! Yai sab dekh kar jo hamne kiya zaroori tha! Aur itne bereham nahi hain hum, Shekhar bhai se pehle hi sab batcheet kar li hai hamne. Wo waha hain, unka khyaal rakhne ke liye... bas kuch dino ki baat hai. Hum yakin se keh rahe hain, sab theek ho jayega Ammi!".

Mr. Malik, who had been silently observing the exchange, shook his head before speaking. "Aap par hi bharosa kiya hai, Noor. Isiliye sab kuch jante hue bhi hum chup hain. Umeed hai aap hamara yakin nahi todengi." With those words, he walked back to his room, leaving Mrs. Malik alone with her thoughts and her mother.

"Kya kaha Shama tune?" Sumati emerged from the kitchen, shocked by the conversation she had overheard. "Mana ke Haseena ka gussa galat tha, lekin uski itni badi saza? Tum dono bachpan se jaante ho na uski haalat... aur phir bhi tum use waha chor aayi?"

Mrs. Malik bowed her head, acknowledging the concern in the voices of the two elderly women. It pained her too, but she had no choice. "Mafi chahte hain, lekin hamare paas aur koi rasta nahi tha. Hamari beti ke liye yahi sahi hai. Humne wahi kiya hai jo uske liye aage jaakar ek khushi bhari zindagi de sakta hai. Kyuki ham ab aur apni bachhi pai beete kal ka saya nahi chahte hai."

With a heavy heart, Mrs. Malik walked away, leaving the two old friends behind. Unbeknownst to them, someone else had been eavesdropping on the entire conversation, her heart heavy with guilt, believing she was the cause of it all.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, Haseena paced anxiously near the main entrance, her headphones snug over her ears as she tried to drown out her thoughts with classic songs. The sun was setting, casting long shadows, and the town was growing quieter by the minute.

"Haseena bitiya!" Shekhar's voice cut through the quiet as he approached. Haseena removed her headphones and turned to face him. "Yeh lijiye, jo sab aapne mangvaya tha, le aaye hum," Shekhar said, motioning to the workers behind him who were unloading heavy equipment into the hospital.

"Bohot bohot shukriya, Shekhar chacha," Haseena said with a smile. Without hesitation, she rolled up her sleeves, ready to dive into the work alongside the laborers. She knew Shekhar would never let her work if he had his way, but she didn't give him the chance to protest.

Haseena began directing the workers. "Aap log peechhe jaake sab ghas aur gandagi nikaal dijiye. Jo ped hain, unhein paani aur khaad arrange karvaiye, aur unke patte bhi chat dijiye! Taki wo ajeeb se na lage", She sent two more workers inside the hospital. "Aap sab saman andar rakhwa dijiye! Aur andar se safai shuru kariye.. pehele jo saman puri tarah kharab ho chuka hai usse bahar ek jagah ekatha kijiye, phir sab jagah pest control karenge kal.. aur phir naya saman rakhna shuru karenge thik hai?".