Part_18 A
Altunia came close to her and held her shoulders.
Altunia; ye bhi koi poochne ki baat hai mohtarma?
Razia looked at him, their eyes met, though her reasons were different but she still had love for him in her heart, and that was evident in her eyes.
ALtunia; kab krna hai niqaah?
Razia; kal
Altunia nodded, he had tears of joy in his eyes, he moved forward to hug her, but RAzia moved back.
Razia; ab niqah k baad hi milenge hum aapse
she ran away. Altunia smiled, his happiness knew no bounds, he finally was getting married to the love of his life, he jumped in joy.
Altunia; kahan ho sab...tayariyan kro fata fat, kal hamara niqah hai
he announced.
The whole castle was busy in preparations, Altunia kept trying clothes and rejecting them.
Altunia; ye rang acha nhi he dusra dikhao
Zaroon; miyan..ye 13ween sherwani he jo tum ne thukra di chahte kya ho
Altunia; miyan, tumhari bhabhi jaan itni khoobsoorat he ab unke noor k saamne hum pheeke amroot jese langenge to kese chalega
a maid giggled
Altunia; kya hua?
MAid; ghustakhi maaf ho Malik, pr pheeka amrut aur aap? aap to rasleela aam hen
Altunia smirked
Altunia; haaye jaana, tum ye alfaz hamari begum k saamne bolna, ghusse me laal tamatar hojayengi wo...aur hum unhe
Zaroon; miyan, sabr rakho abhi bht waqt he, arman abhi na beqabo kr bethna
Maid; MAlik, aap na bhure rang ki sherwani peheniye, wo wali, bhure rang pe sunehre kaam wali sherwani aap pe khoob khilegi
Maid2; nahi Malik aap lal rang pehniye
Maid3; MAlik aap safed rang pehniye
Altunia; acha acha chup, hum bhure rang ki sherwani hi pehnege
the first maid smiled and teased the others.
Zaroon; shuqr tumhen kuch to pasand aya
Altunia; hamari begum k jode agaye? unhe hare rang ka joda pehnana
Maid; jee Malik jo hukum aapka, hum saare harre jode le aate hen aap pasand kr lijiye
the maids brought the clothes and he sat and stared at them for long, finally he selected one and gave it to Jameela.
the maids left.
Altunia; Zaroon miyan, unhe mehendi lag rhi hogi, humse sbr nhi hta, hum ja k laga den mehendi unhe
Zaroon; nahi, tum kahin nhi jaoge
On the other side, Razia was sitting like a doll as the ladies applied henna on her hands.
Fatima; ab btaiye hum Malik ka naam kahan likhen?
Maid; bilkul hatheli k beech me likhiye
Jameela; haan aur bada bada likhiyega
ALtunia entered the room
Altunia; koi nahi likhega hamara naam
all the maids stood up, RAzia looked at him in confusion, he gestured all to leave and sat beside her, he came very close her, and traced the area of her palm that had no henna, it was only the middle small area surrounded by henna and her hands were already very cold, his touch tickled her and send sparks down her spine.
Altunia; humne hamara naam aapki qismat se khud joda he, to hatheli pe kisi aur ko kyun likhne den
Razia looked at him, her heart raced, no matter how much she tried, she could never hate him, she couldn't even dislike him, he was just too perfect for her to resist.
He took the peacock feather, and dipping it into the henna bowl, he started applying it to the her, "Altunia" he wrote in arabic caligraphy, beautifully on her palm.
She looked at his name, and then at him, he took her hand in his, and kissed her forearm, just below the place the henna design ended, he kissed it all the way to her elbow, she felt as if an electric current passed from her arm to her whole body, electrifying all her parts, she had goose bumps throughout her body, her arm and cheeks red, she was unable to breathe properly, his effect on her was too much for her.
Jameela came inside.
Jameela; gustakhi maaf ho Malik, pr Zaroon miyan ne aapko yahan se niqalne ko kaha hai
Altunia; ama tum sb se hamari koi dushmani hai kya? kyun krte ho esa hamare saath
Jameela; niqah se pehle ab aap nhi milskte apni dulhan se, chaliye
she pulled him
Altunia; mohtarma, ye zalim log hamen aapse kitna bhi door krlen, hum aa k rahenge phir aapke paas
Jameela took him out and handed him over to Zaroon
Zaroon; chalo miyan, ab sojao wrna subah ankhon k neeche kaale ghade wala chehra le k jana niqah main
he made a face and followed Zaroon.
As he lay on his bed, he couldn't sleep, he lay on his chest and moved his arm over the silk bedsheet
Altunia; kal aap yahan hogi mohtarma, hamare sath hamare paas, hamari bahon main, mohtarma...
he sighed in relief and sleep took over.
**************************
Zaroon was helping him in getting ready.
Zaroon; kya kr rhe ho seedhe khade raho na
Altunia; ama jab tumhara Falaq se niqah hoga na tab hum bhi dekh lenge tumhe
Zaroon; tab ki tab dekhenge, abhi seedhe khade rho
Altunia; hamari mohtarma, matlab begum (he blushed) wo tayar hogai kya?
Zaroon; aaye haye, gaal to dekho janab k, miyan tamatar to tum lag rhe ho
Altunia; chup, hum tayar krte na unhe..
Zaroon; miyan...tum na kuch aur krna, ab chup chaap khade rho wrna humse bura koi na hoga
Altunia; tumse bura koi hai bhi nahi
Jameela entered
Jameela; dulhan tayar hai, qazi sahab bhi a chuke hen
Zaroon; ye dulha bhi lag bhag tayar hi hai, bacha ban gya he aaj, chalo
Altunia walked in the grand courtroom which was decorated for the wedding, he wore a dark brown sherwani with golden embroidery, and a beaded sehra on a brown turban. His eyes searched for his bride, she sat with her eyes lowered, covered in jewellery throughout, in a green lehenga, with golden embroidery.
He sat down opposite to her, with a curtain separating them.
The Qazi started the wedding ritual, asking them if the agree
Razia; qubool hai, qubool hai, qubool hai (she said softly with a lot of gaps without looking at him)
Altunia; qubool hai, qubool hai, qubool hai (he said quickly)
all congratulated them, after the wedding Razia was taken away, Altunia's eyes didn't leave her throughout the ceremony, until she was gone.
Zaroon; thoda sabr krlo, dimag khrab hogya hai kya tumhara, itne log hen yahan tumse milne aayen hen
Altunia; zaroon, mohtarma murhai hui lag rhi hen, hum dekh k aate hen na
Zaroon; dawat khtam hojaye phir jana
Altunia wanted to go but people gathered him and he was unable to leave.
The sunset but the moon never showed up, the clouds covered the sky completely and there was a sudden thunder and Bhatinda was covered with rain.
Altunia finally managed to sneak out and went to her room, only to find it empty.
Altunia; oho, hum bhi na, hamari begum to hamare kamre main hogi na
he smiled and was leaving when his eyes fell on something, he went to her bed and picked up the thing, it was nani's message. Altunia was shocked to read it.
"yasir ki khatir hi sahi, Mirza se niqah krlo Razia"
His world collapsed, the marriage he was so happy about was not a marriage, it was just a contract, for her to secure her family and her stupid kingdom, he fumed and clenched his fist, the message in his hand.
Altunia; RAzia Sultan!!!!!!!!!! tumne ek baar phir hamara dil tod diya na, ab bas, ab bht ho chuka, humne tumse sirf ishq k do alfaz ki umeed ki aur tumne sirf hamen dhoka diya, ab bas, ab MAlik Altunia tumhen apna bna k rahega, ab tumhen hamare seene k andar ki aag se jalne se koi nhi rok skta
he left the room in anger.
