The Thought Came When I Saw You (Completed)

Episode 4

"What do you do?" As soon as he saw her wet eyes, he deliberately changed the topic.
"I'm a first-year student" she wiped the wet corners of her eyes.
"But I heard you teach?" He asked in surprise.
"Yes! My Urdu literature is very good so I take extra classes for juniors" she informed him in all the details.
"How come at such a young age? While you're still studying?" He wondered how a first-year student could be offered this position.
"No. After a very difficult test. There is degree of ability here anyway" She smiled softly. He was distracted, albeit for a few moments.
"What's next?" Hassan asked for the same thing and then seeing her faint smile he realized his mistake. But Noor soon recovered.
"Nothing. I will continue to teach in school" She barely smiled.
"No matter how good or credible someone looks, you can't know the real thing. Who will change when? What's the news? Don't trust anyone like that in the future"
"He loved me" This time her tone included tears.
"Those who love don't leave their companion on road like this" This time his tone was spot on but the shadows of sadness were deepening somewhere inside.
"I love him" she said, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Bury the love that leaves you nowhere" he said after a pause. Noor leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes. Hassan looked around for a moment and saw the tears flowing on her rosy cheeks. As the urge to wipe the pearls grew, he turned his gaze to the road again. Then all the way she kept shedding silent tears and his sadness grew more and more.
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She stood in front of the door, turned around for a moment and looked at the passing car. He didn't come in and it wasn't okay. Zeb knew that Hassan was back and now that the two were together, he could be in doubt. She had just reached out to knock when she heard Taya Jan's loud voice coming from inside.
"What did you say? Will you marry Noor? Aren't you crazy? Does this girl have anything that you want to make her our daughter-in-law?" Taya was roaring. She felt frozen. What forms of relationships were left to see?
"What is in her cannot be in any other girl, father! Why do you weigh every human being in the scales of wealth? Please give up this lust for wealth and..."
"Enough is enough! I will never make this beggar my daughter-in-law who brings only a few thousands a month and puts it on my palm. I will make Shehla my daughter-in-law. Did you hear that? She will pay the dowry. Our house and stomach will be filled" A truck full of dowry waved in front of his eyes.
"Our house is not perfect but thanks to Allah that our stomach is already full. I have no desire to fill the house And if you noor pays you less money then why are you tempted by thise few rupees? Take her out" Suddenly Zeb excitedly opened both the exit doors. As soon as he saw noor, there was silence for a moment.
"Yes, that's right. Let's get rid of her. I used to say to your father. What is blown up in exchange for a few thousand rupees. Let's settle the score today" While Zeb was looking at noor who was as frozen as ice, white and cold. The pain that was visible in her eyes felt the same pain spreading in his veins.
"You're right. I didn't think that a few thousand would cost me that much" Taya's mask was off. Noor looked up and saw his real face where there was no love and tenderness that she always saw on his face. Is every human being wearing such a mask on his face pretending to be sympathetic to humanity? Doesn't man have any sense left even for blood relations?
"Do you understand now? Get her out" Tai said quickly. She was scared if Taya changes back on his decision. Listening to her words, noor suddenly felt that her life is gonna be much tough. She hurried towards Taya.
"Please Taya Jan! Don't do that. Where will I go in this dark night? Who is mine except you? Please have mercy on me" She folded his hands in front of them, crying.
"There is no need. Take as much as you have to take. Not anymore" At Tai's words, she moved towards her anxiously.
"Please have mercy on me. I won't bother you. I'm holding my hands. Please don't do this to me" She sat down at her feet.
"What are you doing? Let's get up! No one is getting you out of here. Get up!" Zeb rushed towards her.
"Stop enjoying!" Taya's tone was warning.
"I won't take her out" His next words calmed her.
"What are you saying?" Tai was anxious.
"Be quite!" Taya raised both hands and silenced them.
"I won't take her out but I have a condition" he said thoughtfully.
"Marry Shehla" he said, adding that the bomb had exploded and landed directly on Zeb's heart.
"Father, you" He moved towards them.
"Stand there. I will not hear any protest. If you do not want this helpless person to cover the door, then do what I want" His brutal tone touched Zeb's heart, but he was not one to give up.
"I'm not this..." Noor said before he could finish.
"Please, Zeb! Please obey Taya Jan. For God's sake, don't take my home away from me. I have nothing but this house, this roof and these relationships" She folded his hands in front of Zeb and pleaded. Of He saw the love of his childhood with wounded eyes. He had only dreamed of her since childhood, he thought of her. He did not have the courage to lose her.
"I love you" he thought he would express his love on a special occasion but it was the irony of the time!
"Love!" A sarcastic smile ran across Noor's lips. Just a few hours ago she was aware of this cruel and cruel form of love. Would she walk away holding the hand of love again so quickly?
"I don't believe in love. Love is nothing but deception and please don't make me homeless because of this so-called love. Don't snatch my canopy from me" How silently he stared at the oppressor who was denying his love. His eyes became more red with grief and then it didn't take him long to decide. He knew he was not one of the lucky ones to get his love.
"Okay. I'm ready to marry Shehla" he said and hurried out. There was a triumphant smile on Taya's face.
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Preparations for the wedding were in full swing at home and she was locked in a room in search of the sin that had caused her to suffer. One blow after another had left her completely exhausted. First Waheed's deception and then Taya Tai's altered form but that was not the changed form. It was the real form she never saw earlier. She did not recognize them. She looked around and saw the breakfast tray on the table, which she had just left. Life had become very colourless. Circumstances had made her so weak that she did not even have the courage to leave the room. But for how long? She had to take care of hemself. She picked up the tray and placed it on the floor in front of her. Food was necessary to survive whether hungry or not. Every single moment spent with Waheed over breakfast kept running like a movie on the screen of her mind. How did she trust Waheed so much that he had to go so far with her? And what did this little container do? What if hassan doesn't come that day? She couldn't think beyond that. It was also true that she was at fault. If she had understood her heart, she would not be in this situation today.
She put the tray back on the table and walked towards the bathroom.
When love said secretly
If you have to walk, then don't delay
I ran barefoot
Don't ask where, everything lost!
She gently dried the pearls flowing from her eyes with the help of back of her hand.
"I wish Waheed! You would have kept the illusion of love" Grumbled in her heart.
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(To Be Continued)