Lets all imagine that there are only two days left before Asad and Zoya's nikaah and all of Asad's plans about the telling his ammi that the nikaah is nakli has gone in vain (as we all know that it will!!!). Dilshad has insisted that they all visit Ajmer Sharif to seek blessings before the nikaah ceremony takes place and Asad has unceremoniously agreed to it. This story takes place in the Ajmer itself after they have all arrived.
~Ajmer mein Mangalpur~
Part 1:
In the hotel room:
Dilshad: Asad beta aj hum sab ko Dargah Sharif mein jana hai. Jaldi se taiyaar ho jao. Main Zoya, Najma aur Tanveer ko ready hone ke liye kehke aati hoon.
Asad: Ji ammi...
Dilshad:Asad tumhe pata nahi ki tumne mujhe kitni badi khushi di hai. Tumne mera sar jhukne se bacha liya. Maine jo waada duniya ke samne kiya tha usey tumne poora kiya.
Asad: Par ammi yeh sab kuch...
Dilshad: Itni jaldbazi mein kyun? Aur yeh galat hai, yehi kehna chahte ho na? Please Asad tumhari Zoya ke saath nikaah hone ab sirf do din bache hain aur saare rasame poore ho chuke hain. Tum chahe jitna bhi khud ko samjha lo ki yeh sab nakli hai, haan mat chaunko Asad main jaanti hoon ki tum Zoya se kehte ho ki yeh sab nakli hai. Fikr mat karo, usne mujhe kuch nahi bataaya. Maine hi ek din tum dono ki baatein chhup kar sun li thi. Asad ab to maan jao ki tum Zoya se kitni mohabbat karte ho? Maine tumhari aankhon mein dekha hai Asad. Ab to qubool karlo! Zoya se nahi keh sakte toh kya apni ammi se bhi nahi keh paoge Asad?
Asad: Ammi main...(puts down his head) Thik hai main taiyar ho jaata hoon aap un teeno ko bulakar aayiye.
Dilshad: Par Asad...
Asad: Baad mein ammi, please.
At the Dargah:
Everyone is kneeling down and is praying with their eyes closed. Everyone except Asad, who has the most beautiful sight in front of his eyes. His jannat ka noor, Zoya. In a white anarkali, looking every bit the angel that she was. Forgetting everything else around him, his eyes drank in her sight. He was caught in a time-warp, remembering the first time that he saw her. But there were differences...in red then, in white now; runaway bride then, to-be-bride now, his bride; tears then, but a faint smile now. But she is still the same ethereal beauty that she was three months ago. Asad closes his eyes and thanks Allah for sending this rainbow of colours into his dull, mundane life.
Soon they finished praying and went to the prayer wall to tie the wishing threads. Asad and Zoya were both tying their wish threads to the wall when their hands brushed together. They both gasped and blushed and looked into each other's eyes and were lost...(Mitwa moment). Tanveer sees this and she is seething with anger while Najma and Dilshad are gushing with happiness.
Tanveer(thinking): Paani sar ke upar chadh raha hai. Aj toh is ladki ka khel khatam karna hi hoga. Zoya Farooqui, ab dekhte hain ki tumhara kaam tamaam hone se kaun bachata hain. Aur iss baar, Asad chahe bhi toh tumhe nahi bacha payenge.
Outside the Dargaah:
Dilshad: Asad mujhe yahan ke maulvi sahib se kuch baat karni hai tumhari nikah ke silsile mein. Main baat karke aati hoon.
Asad: Ammi ab iski kya zarurat hai? Apki tabiyat waise hi kharaab hai, hum sab ko chalna chahiye, aur aap ko chal kar aaraam karna chahiye.
Dilshad: Tum chaho to ja sakte ho. Main baad mein khud aa jaoungi.
Asad(exasperated):Theek hai ammi, agar aapko baat karne itni zarurat hai toh chaliye, main aapke saath chalta hoon. Aapko is halat mein akele nahi chod sakta. (To Najma, Zoya and Tanveer) : Aap teeno yehi rukiye. Aur Miss Farooqui, kahi idhar udhar mat bhatak jaiyega. Tannu tum inka khayal rakhna.
Zoya(irritated): Mr. Khan!!! Aap mujhe samajhte kya hain?! Paanch saal ki bacchi?!
Tanveer: Ji Jammy, aap bilkul fikr mat kijiye. Zoya kahi nahi jayegi. (Thinking) Kya Jammy aap bhi kamaal karte hain. Mera kaam kitna asaan kar diya. Ab to Zoya jahan jayegi wahan se aap to kya, koi nahi wapas la payega!
Asad and Dilshad leave. Tanveer takes out her cell and tries to make a call.
Tanveer: Uff! Yahan toh network hi nahi mil raha hai, aur mujhe bahot hi important call karna hai! Kya karu? Uh, Zoya, main kuch dur tak jaa rahi hoon, dekhti hoon network milta hai ki nahi. Call khatam karke jald hi wapas aa jaungi.
Zoya: Theek hai Tanveer, par zyaada dur mat jana.
Tanveer starts walking towards the jungle behind the Dargah.
After about 15 minutes:
Najma: Pata nahi ye Tanveer kaha chali gayi. Kitni der ho gayi hai! Ek call karne ke liye kitna waqt lagta hai?! Ya Allah, kahi woh kho toh nahi gayi?
Zoya: Isi baat pe ek sher arz kiya hai:
Zoo mein aur jungle mein hume dikh jaate hain deer,
Zoo mein aur jungle mein hume dikh haate hain deer,
Kyun karti ho worry Najma while Zoya is here?!
Shukriya, shukriya, shukriya!!!
Fikr mat karo Najma. Tum yehi ruko. Main Tanveer ko jaldi se dhoondh kar laati hoon!
Najma: Sambhal kar Zoya!
Zoya walks in Tanveer's direction towards the jungle.
After 20 minutes:
Najma: Ab pataa nahi yeh Zoya kahan chai gayi! Tanveer ko dhoondhne ki chakkar mein kahin khud to gum nahi ho gayi?! Allah, usey salamat rakhna! Bhaijaan ko phone karti hoon.
Najma is about to call Asad when she sees him and ammi coming from a distance.
Najma: Arre bhaijaan aap aa gaye! Main aap hi ko phone karne wali thi!
Asad: Kyun kya hua Tamaatar? Aur yeh Tanveer aur Miss Farooqui kahan gaye?
Najma: Pata nahi bhaijaan! Tanveer ko ek zaruri call karna tha aur usey network nahi mil raha tha, isiliye who jungle ki taraf gayi thi. Bahot der tak nahi lauti isliye mujhe fikr ho rahi thi. Toh Zoya usey dhoondhne ke liye gayi lekin un dono mein se koi bhi ab tak nahi laute. Pata nahi kahan gaye...
Asad: Uff! Yeh Miss Farooqui bhi na! Yeh ladki ek din mujhe pagal kar degi! Hamesha koi na koi museebat khada kar deti hai. Aur Tannu ko kya zarurat padi jungle ki taraf jaane ko, yahan to achha khasa network hai! Tum fikr mat karo Najma, main unhe dhoondh kar laata hoon.
Asad walks off in the direction of the jungle.
In the jungle:
Asad:Zoya! Kahan ho tum! Zoya!!!Zoya!!! [Tanveer jaaye tel lene 😛]
Suddenly he sees Tanveer coming out from the bushes and trees. She looks worn out and her clothes are dirty. There is also a wound on her head and she is crying profusely.
Tanveer: Asad aap aa gaye! Mujhe pata tha aap zarur ayenge!
Shepurposely trips and falls, but Asad fails to catch her.
Asad: Tannu yeh kya hua tumhe?! Kaise hua yeh sab?! Aur Zoya kahan hai? Kahan the tum log?
Tanveer: Jammy...(hugs Asad)[guys please don't kill me for this!!!] Jammy...please ...please hume maaf kar dijiye...please Jammy...humne bahot koshish ki par...oh Jammy...please maaf kar dijiye hume...!!!
Asad: Tannu... please calm down. Shant ho jao. Please mujhe batao kya hua. Aur Zoya kahan hai?!
Tanveer: Jammy...humne bahot koshish ki Zoya ko bachane ki par... hum kamyab nahi ho sake...please hume maaf kardo! Hum Zoya ko nahi bacha paye!!!!
Asad's face goes pale with fear. His head starts revolving. Images of Zoya lying lifeless in the grave at Mangalpur come flashing into his mind. His head starts hurting. But he calms himself down somehow and decides to know what happened.
Asad:Tannu please mujhe khul ke batao kya hua tha. Please. Kahan hai Zoya? Kahan se bacha nahi saki? Kya hua tha?
Tanveer: Woh...woh...Jammy...Main jungle ke taraf gayi thi ek phone call karne ke liye. Baat karte karte kaafi gehrayi tak chali gayi thi par mujhe pata nahi chala...please mujhe maaf kar dijiye! Zoya mujhe dhoondhte dhoondhte wahan tak chali gayi aur...Jammy!!!!(she starts crying again)
Asad, now on the verge of tearing his hair, screams, " Aur KYA? Dammnit Tanveer rona bandh karo aur batao mujhe ki kya hua"!!!
Tanveer: Asad hume pata nahi tha ki jungle ke gehrayi mein daaku rehte hain. Unlogon ne hum dono ko akele dekh liya aur hum par hamla kar diya. Humara sab kuch le liya...purse, mobile, Zoya ki saari cheezein...sab kuch! Zoya ne aur humne unse bahot ladhne ki koshish ki. Par woh humein chhodna nahi chahte the. Aur is hathapayi mein ek daaku ne Zoya ki pet mein...uski pet mein chaaku ghusa diya Jammy!!! Hum kuch nahi kar sake!!! Hum bahot darr gaye the aur kisi bhi tarah apni jan bacha kar wahan se bhaag aye! Hum kya kya karte Jammy?! Hum kya karte?!
Asad(angry as hell): TUMHE KYA ZARURAT KYA THI ITNI DUR TAK JAANE KI?! ITNI BHI KYA ZARURAT THI CALL KARNE KI?! NETWORK TOH THEEK HI THA, AUR AGAR JANA HI THA TOH JUNGLE KE TARAF KYUN GAYI THI?! MAINE TUMHE ZOYA KA KHAYAL RAKHNE KE LIYE KAHA THA, AUR AB TUMHARI WAJAH SE MERI ZOYA, MERI ZOYA...(His voice breaks)
Tanveer: (places her hand on Asad's arm)Jammy please...please hume maaf kar dijiye. Hum kya karte?! Hum jaante hain ki humari galti maafi ke kabil nahi hai...humari wajah se aaj Zoya ki jaan chali gayi hai aur...
Asad: CHUP!!! YE BAAT GALTI SE BHI MUNH SE MAT NIKALNA TANVEER WARNA MAIN TUMHARI ZUBAAN KHEECH LOONGA!!! MERI ZOYA KO KUCH NAHI HO SAKTA HAI SAMJHI!!! MAIN USEY KUCH BHI HONE NAHIN DOONGA!!!
Tanveer: Asad meri baat toh suniye...
Asad runs off like a madman into the jungle.
Tanveer(smirking to herself): Jaaiye Asad jaaiye, jitna bhi koshish kar lijiye, is baar toh aap Zoya ko nahin bacha payenge. Ab aap sirf mere honge. Sirf aur sirf mere!!!
Deep inside the jungle:
Asad is screaming his lungs out and is running like crazy. His face has gone pale with fear and his eyes are tear stricken and bloodshot.
Asad: ZOYA!!! ZOYAA!!! ZOYAAA!!! (Thinking): Hamesha aisa kyun hota hai ki jab bhi main Zoya ko apne aankhon se dur jaane deta hoon toh uski jaan khatre mein padh jaati hai. Kyun! Kyun! KYUN!!! Pehle woh Akram, phir Mangalpur mein. Phir ghar mein woh wire, aur ab yeh!!! Ya Allah!!! Please Zoya ko kuch mat hone dena! Main uske bina nahin jee paunga! Mar jaunga main! Please Zoya please mujhe chhod ke mat jaana. Main sach me tumhare saath apni poori zindagi guzaarna chahta hoon. Kahan ho tum?! Please mere saamne aa jao. Please!!! Mere zindagi se woh rang fir se mat mitne dena jo tum lekar aayi ho!!! Tumhare jaane se meri saansein ruk jaati hain. Zoya please mere saamne aa jao!
Suddenly Asad stops dead in his tracks. Before him lies the sight which he dreaded seeing. The scene which haunted his worst nightmares. Zoya. Lying in a pool of blood. Lifeless. Her face pale. Her white clothes stained red with her own blood and covered in dirt. A nasty gash on her stomach. Blood everywhere.
Asad: ZOYAAA!!!!!
Asad's heart stops beating for a moment but somehow he stumbles and runs up to her and kneels in the dirt and cradles her head in his arms and cries his heart out. He finally found her...finally...but she was ...lifeless. But hey wait...lubb dup...lubb dup...lubb dup...her heart beat. It was there. He wasn't dreaming. His worst fear did not come true. She was still with him. She hadn't left him. Just like she had said that day...
(Flashback)
Asad: Aap ko rokne ka matlab jaati huyi museebat ka rukh apni taraf modhna hai!
Zoya: Oh Really! Well deal with it Mr.Khan! Kyunki ab yeh Museebat kahin nahi jaa rahi hai okay?!
(Flashback ends)
He smiled in relief and kissed her forehead thrice. He tried to shake her awake but to no avail. Her pulse was lowering too.
Asad: No...No...NO!!! Zoya ab toh himmat mat haaro! Main aa gaya hoon! Ab sab kuch theek ho jayega! Please wake up dammit! ZOYA!! ZOYA PLEASE MUJHE CHHOD KAR MAT JAO ZOYA!!! PLEASE!! MAIN TUMHARE BINA NAHIN JEE PAUNGA!!! ZOYA!! PLEASE!!!
LUBB DUP...LUBB DUP...was he imagining things or did just Zoya's heart beats grow louder? He listened carefully...nope, he wasn't imagining it.
Asad: Zoya tum mujhe sun sakti ho, hai na? Main jaanta tha. Par mujhe laga tha ki tum meri baat nahi maanti ho?! Ab tum jaldi se theek ho jaogi. Main tumhe kuch nahi hone doonga.
Kissing her forehead one last time he carried her in his arms and ran as fast as he could. He had to get to the nearest hospital. Fast.
Note: Guys I have already written part two. Will post it if you like this😃 Please comment and review!!!
Edited by loveQH - 12 years ago
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