"What?" She quickly asked.
"I'm not sure whether this plan will work or not. But you can talk to Irtaza bhai and tell your story from the very start and then promise him that you'll stay loyal to him forever and forget Daniyal. After that demand from him to release Daniyal. You can kill two birds with a stone then. Daniyal will be freed and your life can be normal again. But only if you forget Daniyal and stay loyal to Bhai. Thats the only solution my mind came up with. And it makes no difference, at the end you'll have to leave Daniyal and live with Irtaza Bhai. The sooner you accept it, the better for you. Then why not now and it might improve your current state. I know how disheveled and crumbled you're feeling.."
"But you said, he... dont let go betr...ayals easily"
"Your case might be different. If you talk with him openly and convince somehow that you'll never backstab him again and stop loving Daniyal, then there might be a thin possibility he'll trust you again. Just a thin possibility. I'm not sure whether this plan will work or not."
Stop loving Daniyal?
That thought never had crossed her mind. How can she so easily forget him. It all seemed next to impossible to her. Love was not a joke to her. His words were striking like a sharp knife on her heart. He was telling the truth.
She was sure cant run away from Irtaza anymore.
She cant be united with Daniyal again.
Everything was reality.
And this reality was breaking her bit by bit.
"Its not easy Haseeb."
"But its not impossible Zahra. Just think, with open and relaxed mind, whatever I've said might seem sensible and possible to you then."
"I dont know what to do." She whispered, clearing her tears.
"Take your time Zahra."
She nodded and stood up, leaving the room.
"Thankyou so much Haseeb. Thankyou so much." She said and left his room.
As soon as she reached her room, she was in tears. She fell on her bed and begin to sob badly. Her whole face turned red with her sobs and cries. She was feeling heartbroken. She was finding no meaning of life now. She felt like a hollow shell. Her life was crumbling. Every dream she had, she was now not able to achieve it.
She cried wholeheartedly, her whole face was blotched and eyes blood red as her face was dug in the pillow.
Her whole energy was drained, the events of the whole day and Irtaza's manhandling had made her tired and soon a deep slumber engulfed her.
She believed in Allah but her faith was dwindled by a small blow of difficult circumstances. When Shoaib used to constantly harass her, she used to pray then, pray with her whole heart to save her from Shoaib but as if her prayers wasn't answered, Shoaib continued to harass her making her depress more and more. Then at last she stopped praying salah. She stopped praying. She thought Allah hates her. She thought Allah will never listen to her ever again.
But why was she forgetting that Allah is the most merciful, the most Beneficent, Who is closer to you even than you juglar vein, Who loves you more than 70 mothers, how He can leave His creature alone? He is the creator. And He is indeed the best of planners. What He has planned for His creature is the best. She wasn't trusting God's plan. Her faith was similar to a weak, thin string which could be broken by a sudden single tug.
But it doesn't matter how many steps you've moved away from Allah, you can come back with a single step of repentance.
She was in a deep sleep when suddenly the room to her door opened and entered Irtaza. His eyes fell on her sleeping form, she was snorting like a child making him smile.
He closed the door and moved towards her fragile body. He squatted down on reaching the side of her bed and his face levelled hers. Slowly, he moved his fingers on her face and tucked the stray strands of hair behind her ear. Her face was clear to him now. It was blotched and red.
His lips formed a thin line in recognition and it was not easy for him to put two and two together. She has been crying severely.
He analysed her face, she still seemed innocent to him, she still seemed unique to him. He caressed his fingers on her cheeks. His eyes pouring out love for her when suddenly all her games ran in his mind.
'This innocent face is just a facade. She is not unique, neither innocent rather she's a cunning and manipulative woman who plays with the hearts of two men at the same time.' His brain spoke.
And his jaw clenched.
"Save your tears Zahra." He uttered and left the room.
...................
"Daniyal! Daniyal! Where are you?! Daniyal!" I was screaming continuously, my throat was hurting because of the shouting but still he wasn't answering to me. It was the same place where Irtaza had forcefully married to me. I cannot see Daniyal but I knew he's here around me. My heart is telling me this.
My head moved towards my wrists. They were tied with the arms of the chair. Then I realized my state. I was sitting on the chair and my limbs were locked to it.
"Daniyal!" I shouted again.
But I dont understand why I am calling Daniyal?
I dont need a reason to call him. My heart was forcing me to scream his name.
By the dryness and stickiness of my throat I can figure it out I haven't gulped water for a while and I had been screaming for last few hours.
"Daniyal!" I again screamed with my all might and them my all energy suddenly drains. I felt weak. My throat suddenly constricted and my heart begin to beat fast. My breathing becomes fast and rapid. My subconscious warned me of something bad coming up. My sixth sense was alarming me on and on that something bad is going to happen. My gut feeling was telling me that Daniyal was in danger.
Out of nowhere the room begin to turn dark and cold. I breathed heavily. I tried to wriggle against the ropes which held me in place but all invain. The ropes had tightly bound me.
Everything was turning darker. I couldn't seem to breath. I felt that I was screaming loudly, with all the energy inside me but I was not able to hear my own voice, clearly. I could hear someone scream, 'Daniyal! Daniyal!' and I knew that's my voice but it was coming from somewhere far. Too far. This voice was mine, my lips were moving, I was screaming.
My head begin to feel dizzy, my eyes begin to close and a faint scene lingered infront of my eyes before I could faint completely.
Irtaza was standing there holding a gun. His head hung down but I could see his face. His face was void of any emotion. His grey iris were dark, completely dark, gawking someone intensely. My eyes walked towards his hands, they were holding a gun. His gun was pointing towards Daniyal, who was laying dead on the floor. He had a bullet in his head, his eyes were opened and looking towards me.
He was dead! Daniyal was dead!
Her eyes opened and she abruptly sat up, breathing heavily.. Her collarbones and neck was shining with sweat. Her whole body was drenched in sweat. She was breathing unevenly. She was taking long deep breaths. Her heart was beating fast and unevenly. Her lips were dry and cracky. Her hands were trembling, Her eyes moved towards her wrists, she felt as if they were still roped but she found them unrestrained.
Daniyal's dead body suddenly came infront of her eyes making her heart drop.
"Daniyal, how will I save you?" she whispered.
She was afraid that this dream might come true. Haseeb's voice lingered in her mind making her mouth dry.
'Irtaza bhai will kill him'
"Its just a dream Zahra. Relax. Its just a dream" she whispered, trying to assure herself, before any negative thought occupies her mind.
She felt extremely thirsty. Her throat and mouth was parched and dry.
Her hands moved towards the jug of water at the nightstand but it was empty.
She got up and picked the jug, grabbing her dupatta, she opened the door and headed towards the kitchen.
It was the most horrible dream of her life. The numbness and darkness of Irtaza's eye was still making her shiver, and the dead hollow eyes of Daniyal was making her cry. Her desperate screaming begin to play in her ears making her depressed. She was still living in the dream. She tried to shrug it off, taking a deep breath and focus on something else.
The haveli was dark as the lights were turned off. The sun was about to rise so the whole atmosphere was resonating with the peaceful sound of azaan, which calmed her hysterical nerves down.
On reaching the kitchen, she placed the jug on the shelf and turned on the light, she turned around and suddenly her eyes widened. In a flash she abruptly turned the lights off running outside the kitchen.
She must have taken a step when suddenly someone grabbed her arm and pulled her body against his chest.
"Should we continue from where we left?" He whispered near her ear.