chapter 24
part A
Zoya is standing at the centre of hall, and every eyes are at them waiting for hameed to returns , but when even after 30 min he ddidn't show up, maulvi sahab frowned at the end making his way to return.
"Are ap kaha ja rahe hai." Gaffur quickly stops him before he leaves.
Maulvi look straight at him then at hummy who is standing with her lashes down, her lashes shows the pain and humiliation hameed is giving to her. Where on other hand zoya hints at haider to meet her near a pillar. Haider excuses himself and goes to where she is pointing at, waiting for her to join him.
"Bhaijaan, what is happening here? apne haider ko kaha bhej diya?" She asks in confusion, letting her brows meet each other.
"Chutki, wo shayad ab tak samajh chuka hoga, ke ye nikah humaira apni marzi se nahi, jazbaat mein aa kar le rahu hai." He whispers softly eying at everyone who is passing by.
"Per use lautna to chahiye to cancel this ceremony" she huffs , keeping a hand over her waist in frustration.
"Shayad bhaijaan ne kuch zyada he samjha diya bechare ko!" Haider smiles naughtily and with one look of zoya he ties his tongue together.
"Bhaijaan?" She recalls what he juat said with a shock.
"Haan, as-" he is immediately stops in middle by her as her promise of never wanting to see him appears before her eye.
"Bhaijaan chaliye, maulvi sahab ko izzat se ravangi dete hai" she says with poker face. Zoya settles her duppata and she tries to take one step ahead when haider stops her.
"Suna hai, pyar me chote bahot hai... Per jisme shikayatr nahi , wo pyar bhi nahi...ye kisne kaha tumse" he says smirking in a poetic tone.
Zoya turns to him and with a fell down face she tries to smile; "dard kisi or ka hota to kuch nahi tha bhaijaan, yaha to mujhe kafir mere mehboob ne he bana diya ishq me" she too strains her voice in poetic way , she nods as haider twitches his face in awe and appreciation , with that she leaves.
Soon as she leaves, asad appeara from no where and completes what haider left, looking haider in his eye; " mana ke ishq se badi kasam nahi hoti, per jo rakhe tumhe ishq se door wo kasam- kasam bhi nahi hoti zoya" haider smiles and pats his shoulder while asad walks, eyes fixed in one direction where zoya is standing.
"Mauvi sahab thodi der rukiye, hameed beta ata he hoga" gaffur pleaded, it was more like a pretend as he was sure its ayaan kartoot again here.
"Dekhiye sahab, apki betiyo ki kismat me ruswai hai to kaun bacha sakta hai bhala. Hain! Kyu bhai!" He looks at audience amd inflame them with his rubbish speech.
"Maulvi sahab." gaffur says taken back.; "ap kaunsi baat kaha tak jod rahe hai" gaffur protested maulvi and tried to save gis dignity in society.
"Kyu bhai galat kaha kya maine. Kya zoya ke sath yahi nahi hua. Uski bhi sagai tuti. Or tum anjaam dekh he sakte ho. Uski aj tak shadi nahi ho pai. Tabhi to ap bhi badi beti ko ghar pe rakh kr , choti ka nikah krware hai" maulvi starts getting to everyone nerves and may be silently but everyone in gaffur's family plus Khan's boys blodd started to fume at his remark.
"Ap aise kaise keh sakte hai"gaffur saya and looks at zoya who refuses to shed even a single tear from her eyes.
"Wahjeeb kaha apne " humera sides her sister and stands like a shield for her sister but zoya sides her again walkimg to face the society.
"Nikah mera tuta, iski wajah bhi main hu. Or gunah bhi maine he kiya hai. Per kisne kaha ke humare ghr badi beti se pehle choti ka nikah hota hai. " she stops and everyone including asad ayaan and haider looks at her confused.
Ignoring all the eyes and questions on her she smiles continuing from where she left, "ye ring dekh rahe hai ap. Ye meri sagai ki anguthi hai" she says showing the ring asad had made her wear on nikhats ceremony; "or ap sab jante hai, sagai matlab adhi shadi hoti hai. To fir main kunwari kaise?" She throws a skeptical question at crowd and instatly asad's chest broadens up by inch.
"Agar nikah hota beti, to pura hota. Or ab ye nikah ke kya mayne jab shohar he nahi hai rasmo ke liye tumhare sath." A really annoying aunty speaks up for maulvi sahab and soon did she say , zoya eyes starts to water.
The silence and helplessness to not answer clearly makes her tremble on her feet. A minute later the whole crowd burst into sharing comments and aweful remarks on zoya and gaffer's parawarish.
Slowly slowly people starts to walk out of building leaving zoya , gaffur and humera crying in middle of hall. Gaffur shift a step by step till he stands in front of humera and zoya with hands fold to his cheat in prayer; " maaf kr dena apne abu ko" he says and quickly with a nod in negative zoya humera both runs into his arms and sheds tears.
They watch as everyone leave and now thwy are only one who are breathing inside. With a heavy heart gaffur takes both his daughter to upstairs. As soon as they are on last pile of stairs, one by one guest starts making way back to the hall.
Gaffur squeezes his brow in stresa while zoya and humera take out of thwir head to peep outside.
"Abu?"hummy asks innocently.
Gaffurs nods and starts walkimg with both daughtera back to the hall to understand whats going on
And when he realised , he could not help but roll his eye, evem hummy and zoya started giggling at the scene ahead of him.
Guest started walkig faster and faster inside adjusting themselves properly and behind them comes, haider and ayaan, ayaan hands are positioning lie a pistol aiming at everyone's head. No! Its not him who brought them in. Its the one who is walking behind with many more people, among which few are biggest channels reporters, journalist, reputed people in governcy. And few lawyers and others were VIP by their looks.
Afraid from everyone , maulvi sahab too walks in lowering his head. As aoon as he entera zoya and humera takes duppata on their head again with respect.
On knowing that the man about who she was talking about a while ago, is now in the same room. She starts to feel nervous. Her mind scold her reminding her promise made but her heart today behave rebellion.
"Ye family meri hai." Asad starts walkign with all the batallion behind him.
"Or main hu asad ahmed khan, zoya ka shohar" he compeltes with a proud smile. His eyea searches for zoya and found her standing qith her heads down, clearly she has not forgotten him. He thought.
"Safar bahot lamba hai" he sighs inwardly.
To be continue part B... 😳
Kumkum Bhagya
703