Roshni stood at the window, staring into nothing. The moonlight fell on her tear stricken face, illuminating her unfulfilled desires.
"Toh aapko isse problem hai ki Roshni humaare ghar ki Bahu hai?"
"Main abhi isi waqt use iss ghar se nikaalta hoon. I promise ki kal subah sooraj nikalne se pehle Roshni hum sabse bohot door hogi. Bohot door."
She closed her eyes and let the tear fall off her cheeks. She felt a weird sense of calmness in her heart, having protected Saima from the dirty mess. But at what cost? She had told Saima that any deal for her happiness was worthy, but she wasn't sure if she could say that again.
Her heart sank in grief and disappointment. She had loved someone from the bottom of her heart for the very first time, and that story lay broken in front of her, lying in ruins, destroyed by her own self. She wanted to run towards Aman, hug him and tell him that she was innocent. She was not what he felt about her. The mere fact that he thought so so low of her was wrecking her senses and existence.
She involuntarily walked towards his sleeping form, as if in a trance. He was curled up like a ball, on the sofa. She adjusted his pillow and covered him with a blanket.
Her tear fell onto his cheek. His face reflected the same emotion of grief and heartbreak, even in sleep.
"Kitni ajeeb baat hai na Khan Baba, jab aap hosh mein hote ho toh mujhe samajh nahi paate. Aur jab so rahe hote ho toh kuch bol nahi paate."
She chuckled, shedding fresh tears on this humourless joke of hers.
She wanted to capture his face in her eyes, forever. She didn't know if she would get this moment of peace ever again, with just the two of them. She sat gingerly on the floor, beside the sofa and turned towards his face.
She stroked his hair gently.
Pyaar maanga hai tumhise,
Naa inkaar karo,
"Kaash, main aapko bata paati ki Maine kitni baar aapki cute brown eyes ko imagine kiya hai. Kitni baar aapke baare mein socha hai."
She felt completely heartbroken. All was lost and she felt defeated.
"Par mujhe iss baat ki tassali rahegi ki Maine apna promise poora kiya. Aapki family ke saath kuch bura nahi hone diya. Saima ko protect kiya. Phir kya fark padta hai ki aapko yeh sab kabhi pata nahi chalega. Kya fark padta hai ki Maine sirf pyaar kiya aur badle mein mujhe itni insult mili aur taane mile."
She laughed again, to lessen the humiliation she had been put through.
"Mujhe toh yeh bhi nahi pata ki aaj ke baad hum dobaara milenge bhi ki nahi. Aap mujhe yaad toh rakhenge na?" She looked at him, with her eyes full of tears and hope.
"Main bhi kitni buddhu hoon. Aap toh so rahe hain. Maine sab kuch kiya par shayad aapka bharosa hi nahi jeet paayi."
She wished that he would wake up from this slumber of ignorance and open his eyes to the light of truth, to his Roshni.
Main bhi dil ki sun rahi hoon
Tum bhi dil ki suno
"Pata hai, main life mein ab jo bhi kar loon, kitni ki nanakhtai kyun na bake kar loon, mujhe hamesha yeh dukh rahega ki Aman Junaid Khan mujhe samajh nahi paaye. Aur main unhein samjhaa nahi paayi, ki main unse kitna, kitna pyaar karti hoon."
Paas aake zara, aaj toh
Ikraar Karo,
Mujhe pyaar karo...
She got up and looked back at him for one last time and ran out of the door, unable to bear the silence anymore.
Roshni didn't stay back, so she couldn't witness the tears welled up in Aman's eyes. And neither could she hear his soft yet firm resolve to find out everything about her and most importantly, the truth.
----
Roshni 💔
CID
