Talha Ahmed stepped into the marriage hall, a faint smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. He knew exactly how the evening would unfold, yet despite his confidence, a tight knot of fear coiled in his chest. His eyes darted across the room, scanning the faces, wondering how everyone would react to what was about to happen. His gaze finally landed on Roshi, seated on the stage, radiant in her bridal attire. The red gown hugged her figure perfectly, and she looked nothing short of breathtaking. But as Talha's eyes lingered on her, his smirk faded, replaced by a storm of emotions. She had dressed so beautifully-for Shariq, of all people. That worthless man who had tried to ruin her. Why had she come on stage before the groom even arrived? She should have stayed in her room, away from this chaos.
Before Talha could process his thoughts further, Mohid slipped his hand free and darted toward the stage, rushing to hug Roshi. Talha felt a pang of jealousy, but it was quickly overshadowed by a surge of warmth. The love between Mohid and Roshi was undeniable. What kind of magic did Roshi possess to make Mohid so happy? Talha hadn't seen the boy smile like that in years-not since the tragic loss of his parents. Roshi was a beacon of light, not just for Mohid but for everyone around her. She had a way of bringing joy even in the darkest moments.
Talha made his way to the stage and settled onto a nearby sofa. His eyes briefly met Roshi's, and he saw it-the sadness that still lingered in her gaze. But there was something else too, something stronger, something resolute. She was moving forward with her life, and Talha could feel the weight of his own regret and guilt pressing down on him. He remembered how carefree and joyful she had once been. He had been the one to drain that from her. She had once brightened his world, but he had crushed hers. This was his greatest fear-hurting her. And now, he had done just that. But he was ready to change things. He had to.
At first, he had believed pushing her away was the best choice for her-that she would be better off without him. But now, seeing her about to marry Shariq, he realized how wrong he had been. She was about to destroy herself just to escape him.
"Aaj aap bahut khoobsurat lag rahi hain." Talha said, his voice heavy with emotion, almost a whisper. The words carried a weight of longing and regret, as if he were trying to bridge the chasm between them with just a few syllables.
Roshi felt a lump form in her throat. His words reminded her of the day of Mahi's Mayun, when he had said something similar to her. How different everything had been then-how happy, how full of love she had been. She had felt like she was part of something perfect, and now it all felt so distant. She tried to fight back the tears, but they threatened to spill. "Shukriya, lekin iski mujhey zarurat nahi. Main apne hone wale shohar ke liye taiyaar huyi hoon, toh aapko khoobsurat lagu ya nahi, issey farq nahi padta mujhey." Her voice was sharp, cutting through the air like a blade. She wanted him to feel the sting of her words, to understand the depth of the pain he had caused.
The sharpness in her voice pierced Talha's heart, but he refused to let the emotion show. "Chand dinon mein hi Shariq se kuchh zyada hi mohabbat nahi ho gayi hai aapko?" The bitterness in his voice was unmistakable. He knew she was saying it to challenge him, to make him feel the weight of what he had done, but the sting in his chest didn't lessen.
Roshi stayed silent. She wanted to argue, to tell him how she didn't feel the way she used to for him before, she wanted to fake her love for Shariq, but even faking love for Shariq was difficult.
Talha could see the struggle in her eyes-the pain, the confusion, the heartbreak she was holding inside. The girl who had loved his family unconditionally, who had declared her love for him, was now ready to marry the man who had tried to ruin her. He couldn't bear the thought of it. "Khair chhodiye iss baat ko. Aapki mohabbat, aap janey. Par mujhey afsos ke saath yeh batana pad raha hai ki aapka Shariq aaj yahan nahi aa raha. Aapka nikah abhi nahi ho raha. Agar chahein, toh apne kamre mein jaa kar thhoda aaraam kar sakti hain aap."
Roshi's heart skipped a beat at his words. A brief flicker of hope ignited within her, but she quickly shut it down. She had been burned too many times before. Even though Talha's words seemed like a way out, she couldn't trust them. What if she was wrong again? What if everything fell apart? "Yeh kaisi bakwaas kar rahe hain aap?" Her voice trembled with a mix of anger and disbelief. She clenched her fists, trying to steady herself, but the ground beneath her felt unsteady.
Talha's eyes narrowed, the pain in his heart reflecting in his words. "Lagta hai ki sach mein aap kaafi khush thhi Shariq ke saath nikaah ko lekey." he said.
"Yeh tanz karney ka waqt nahi hai, Sir Talha. Aapne kya kiya hai jo Shariq nahi aa raha?"
Talha took a deep breath, struggling to hold back his own frustration. "Kuchh khaas nahi kiya. Bas, ek chhote se ilzaam ke liye, abhi woh jail ki hawa kha raha hai."
Roshi's breath hitched as her world spun. Shariq was in jail? Her mind raced with questions. What did this mean for her? What was the next step? The video... that video was still out there. She had been living in fear of it, and now... what would happen? "Kya kiya aapne yeh? Aapne mujhey apni nizi zindagi se dur rehne ko bola tha, toh ab aapko bhi koi haq nahi hai, meri zindagi mein iss tarah dakhal dene ka."
Talha decided to ignore the taunt. He was done with this cat-and-mouse game. He was here to protect her, to make things right, and to claim what was his. He wanted her to understand that this wasn't just about her being angry-it was about her future, her safety, her happiness. No use hiding behind these stupid taunts that he was throwing just to get reactions from Roshi. "Meri zindagi se dur rehney ko kaha thha, apni khud ki zindagi barbaad karney ko nahi. Aapko kya laga, ki aap Shariq se nikaah krengi, aur main chup chaap khada dekhta rahunga?"
"Aapko kya fark padta hai? Main Shariq se nikaah karu ya kisi se bhi nikaah karu. Kyun kiya aapney yeh?" Roshi was frustrated out of her wits. First, this man had given her hope of a perfect future, then crumbled all her dreams, and now was again hell-bent on interfering in her life. What would happen once Shariq was out of jail? This time, he would not spare her; he would make sure to humiliate her and ruin her reputation. "Apko pata bhi nahi hai ki aapney kya kiya hai. Aapney meri zindagi nahi bachaayi, balki meri izzat mitti mein mila di hai aaj yeh karkey. Aap kuchh nahi jantey."
"Main sab jaanta hoon. Aapki yeh nikaah karney ki wajah bhi. Woh video khatam ho chuka hai, ab aapko woh video kabhi dobara apni zindagi mein nahi dekhney ko milega."
Roshi's eyes widened in shock. A wave of relief washed over her, but it was quickly followed by confusion. The video no longer existed. No one could blackmail her now. But how had Sir Talha come to know about it? When had he learned about all that was going on in her life? Hadn't he moved on with Sabeeka? Wasn't he busy planning his own wedding? Then why this? Why now? Her mind raced with questions. "Kyun kar rhey hai aap yeh sab?"
"Mohid ke liye. Aap Shariq se nikaah kar leti toh video call pe Mohid ko bedtime stories kaun sunata?" Talha replied with a smile on his face, his tone light but his eyes serious.
Roshi's heart sank. So that was it. He didn't want her in his life, but he wanted her to be there for Mohid. She loved Mohid dearly and would always be there for him, no matter what. But she didn't give Talha Ahmed the right to dictate her life. Her voice trembled as she spoke, "Aapney sahi nahi kiya yeh. Main kya bolungi ammi abba se. Meri toh kuchh bhi samajh nahi aa rha. Kitni badnaami hogi."
Talha's expression softened, but his voice remained firm. "Kyun hogi badnaami? Umar ki mangani aapsey tay huyi, phir mangani huyi Mahi se, tab toh koi badnaami nahi huyi. Toh agar aapka Shohar aaj badal jata hai toh usmein kya badi baat hogi?"
Roshi's frustration boiled over. "Yeh kaisi behki huyi si baatein kr hey hai aap. Aapko uss din toh bohot khayaal thha apni khud ki aur meri izzat ka. Toh aaj meri izzat ka khayal nahi aaya? Mahi Umar ki baat aur thhi. Woh mohabbat krtey thhey ek dusrey se."
Talha's gaze didn't waver. "Toh aap bhi ussey nikaah kar lijiye jissey aap mohabbat karti hai."
Roshi's eyes welled up at his words. Why was he making a joke out of this? Didn't he know that he was the love of her life? The man she had once dreamed of spending her future with? But he was already engaged to Sabeeka. Her voice broke as she replied, "Mohabbat jaisi fizool baaton se bharosa uthh gaya hai mera ab. Aur main yaha maujood kisi bhi shaksh se mohabbat nahi karti."
Talha's smile faded, replaced by a look of determination. "Tab toh aur bhi achhi baat hai. Aapkey paas kisi ko bhi naa kehney ki koi wajah hi nahi phir toh. Main dhundhta hoon aapkey liye koi yaha."
Roshi's heart ached at his words. She felt like a pawn in his game, a burden he was trying to pass off to someone else. "Meri mohabbat thukarana ek baat thhi Sir Talha, par aisey mera mazaak banana .. iski umeed nahi thhi mujhey aapsey. Main koi bojh nahi, jo kisi ke bhi sar pe musallat ho jaungi."
Talha leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper, but his words carried the weight of his conviction. "Bilkul bhi nahi. Aap toh allah tala ka woh nayab hira hai jo kisi khush qismat insaan ko hi milega. Aur shayad aapko samajh nahi aa rahi meri baat, isliye seedha seedha kehta hoon, ki main woh khush qismat insaan hona chahunga. Main aapsey nikaah karna chahunga agar aap ijazat de toh. Main chahunga ki aap aaien aur humarey ghar ko khushiyo aur roshini se bhar dey. Aur main yeh isliye nahi keh raha kyunki mujhey Baba ke liye dost chahiye ya Mohid ke liye Mama. Mujhey apney liye aap chahiye."
His words hung in the air, heavy with sincerity. Roshi's breath caught in her throat. She searched his eyes for any hint of deception, but all she saw was raw honesty. The man who had once broken her heart was now standing before her, offering her a future she had once dreamed of. But could she trust him? Could she let herself hope again?
The room seemed to fade away as they sat there, the weight of their shared history and unspoken emotions binding them together. For the first time in a long time, Roshi allowed herself to feel a glimmer of hope. Maybe, this was the beginning of a new chapter-one where they could heal together and find the happiness they both deserved.
Pati Patni Aur Panga
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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