muhabbet lafz hy lekin...

..... it was two past midnight,  a noise woke him up,  it was the sound  of the door bell,  because he was accustomed to sleeping outside  till October  he could hear it or its not possible to hear the door bell  in the  closet rooms during the night,  

Who could that be this time of the night  , shave looked at the watch  and murmured,  bell was heard again,  he forced himself to get out of the Bedard quickly without asking  opened the door,  three four  armed men   rushed in and surrounded him, he stood there stunned speechless  looking at them,  his surprise quickly was replaced by anger, , he asked sharply who were they 

Sehrab ali khan wants to speak to you  replied an elderly  stout man amongst them in an equally  sharp tone 

shevaz asked who was sehrab   and there wasn't a trace of fear or recognition on his  face 

Before someone  could answer  sehrab  ali khan stepped into the room from the door  introducing himself  he was sehrab ali khan  father of zaya ali khan 

For a moment  shevaz  was startled to hear that heavy base voice  tgen a rascally smile  appeared on his face as he asked if  the  news had reached him too

page 160...

....shehrina tired and bored with lots of free time  decided to apply in the nearby school  , jobs weren't easy to get full time   secondly Hamida beghum needed her and shehrina herself didn't want to stay out of the house  so long , Hamid beghum didn't  object this time because she had seen  her daughter  moving around   in a dazed crazed manner,  going out part time could help  her gain  self control 

Shehrina returned home  starving  after the interview and went straight to the kitchen,  she already had cooked the meals and all she now had to do was  heat up the dishes and serve   the food on the dastarkhwan arranged in Hamid beghum  s room, , shehrina declared she was hungry,   from Monday she was to be on trial basis for a couple of days before she is  approved  and appointed,  it was a good school  and  just walking distance away,  a morsel stuck 8n her throat,  she got up to get water she had forgotten to place  before sitting down to eat, 

Hamid beghum  commented  if only  she had  eaten her breakfast  she wouldn't be  feeling so starved,   

She couldn't eat for excitement   of her interview  but naturally if she gets the job she will definitely be regular  at breakfast  before leaving  for work,  she refused to agree with ammi to give up home tuitions  for which she was handsomely  paid 

page 159....

.....khazina had an appointment  for  her ultrasound today  so taimur   quickly returned home from office  completing his  important  work,  he had planned  shopping spree after the tests, this time he was extremely happy  seeing  her  happy  feeling  her conscience  will clear up that extra weight,  but she did not agree to go shopping,  he thought  it was her fatigue so he  didn't  persuade her, , they reached home and she was given fresh juice  before they relaxed,  he suggested they will go shopping in the evening,  she got irritated,  she didn't want to shop for the baby she was expecting,  he teased  her what if they stopped for a boy and it was a girl  or the other way round,   her fears were real,  last time she had gone shopping alone  and  what happened,  he conversationally said he was also a human being and his fears , should not they  leave the matter  to almighty  and His will,  perhaps together they should have gone  shopping  for the child,  khazina felt more cheerful and  asked what time they were going shopping,  taimur  said  weekend is right for shopping  and they would ask shehrina to join  them  , poor girl was getting bored, if only all had gone well and she married humza,  but unwilling marriage is unwise decision  and  makes  it impossible for the couples to adjust,  khazina silently thought about what  games life was playing with  them 

from previous....

.....man tries all his life to avoid death but never  tries to escape  hell 

...if only he tries to  make some positive effort in the direction of evading  hell  it is possible,  

That death he tries to escape all his life  is inevitable 

Therefore  one must  positively  take steps to avoid negative consequences  and accept death as the ultimate reality  before  its too late  

page 156....

.....moments  precious spent with you 

Are all my life s treasure 

Every  image of you

Invaluable is  to me 

View of your eyes

Boost my life

Smile on your lips

Life support

But now  season of separation 

Proves  deadly 

Your each movement 

Burns in memory 

But today happy I am 

Trusting it

That  hope resides

In separation  for

Some destined reason 

rishtey ehsas ke...

......noorin was at the gate calling out her mumma to open tge gate, it was her at least twentieth round to the house,  she would come   spend some time and go away  but asya beghum  remained silent refusing to  talk,  earlier she didn't even open the gate  but noorin  would  bang tge gate incessantly  so asya had to open it and let her in but didn't talk,  there was still half hour to quarter  of an hour to iftar and asya was busy frying the rolls  she quickly  took out the  fried rolls out from the hot  oil  from the  pan  and turned the stove off and  annoyed  opened the gate,  noorin  greeted her and followed her in, , 

Noorin exclaimed  mumma had already prepared the iftari , she had come to collect her to have ber fasting iftari with  her, asya  beghum  unintentionally looked at the clock    , noorin  shamelessly  said its ok now she and hers will join them for breaking the fast at their iftari , asya irritated asked her to explain the reason she had been  visiting her so frequently   and was so stressed,  noorin  faltered nervously  stuck on the point  then asked if rabab s eid was sent,  noorin said  Rabat  s  nature was so there was no need to send eid to him  because she herself was planning something,  asya felt  bad,   there's was no peace of mind  , for fifty years women of tge family spent time celebrating eid at home, twenty four years of her marriage  and  for the three ends she was to be present  at grandparents  house 

page 148...

....wheel of time  moved on , little  kids grew up  into youth and the young  turned old, kanza  s straight forwardness   that bashri  enjoyed as her strength  had become  foul language  because bashri never stopped her from  being outspoken    it had become a habit , it was her weakness and  both mother daughter   were  not sorry for it, 

She had  completed her university  degree course and several  matrimonial proposals began pouring in, some  rejected her others were rejected by them, she was good looking and family was well off, theirs was a small family but their luck was locked up,  another  proposal arrived through a known,  the boy s family was wealthy and educated sophisticated,  kanza was eager , the team of women and girls arrived to traditionally see the would  be bride and test her   , she was quizzed sharply and kanza also answered 8n her blunt yet outspoken manner,  she was very confident  she was selected and liked,  tge team of ladies left in silence and sent their message refusing  to accept her as their bride,  she was constantly rejected thrice after this , one  time the family  mercilessly  declared the girl was too outspoken for their liking,  mamma pappa began looking for a match inside their clan but al, if them straight away declined  the match , nobody wanted a bold outspoken woman  for a bride  in the family,  all her favorite aunts brought  brides for their sons from outside family 

from previous...

.....kanza spoke to  pappa aunt did nothing whole day except talking on her mobile,  why didn't she cook for grandma,  mumma had to manage the entire household  besides  help her do her homework and also take care of amjad and mehmud, pappa looked  stunned speechless and searching  her face saw  complaint  writ across her expression,  grandma looked up startled at kanza and saw rebellion in her expression,  bashri for  the first time  felt powerful,  she held her hand,  it was snall hand of a child's,  pappa listened attentively always to what kanza had to say to him and bashri began using her for demanding  things

Kanza tell pappa  we need to go shopping 

Kanza tell pappa we go out for lunch 

Kanza was now the weapon  bashri held  tightly under her control  and kanza like a doll mechanically obeyed nodding her head wrapping her arms round pappa  s neck, bashri  s status  was strongly improving 

ek thi kanza

...she was dear life of her parents,  first born  , loved and treasured  precious child,, but sge was delicate and  short tempered   who needed to see her  mother first thing she woke up and last thing she went to bed, it was a joint family  three generations  living together  from grandparents to kanza , her mother   had difficult time coping with her mother in law and  sister 8n law who kept scheming  against her so she found it rather  impossible to give her full time  attention to her lovey daughter  kanza,  Bashir would  wipe her tears she shed alone to give her brightest smile to her daughter  who began wiping her mother  Bashir s tears of sorrow  when she turned three , crawling she would  approach her and with her tiny palms  drued her damp cheeks , kanza would listen  attentively  what bashri had to  say to her and tgen kanza would put her head on mother's shoulder  to show she loved her completely,  in her little  head hatred was setting up against her grandmother and aunt ,  the emotional  wide gap had distanced  her from her father,  she was too small to know of her feelings then 

from previous.....

.....Yasser smiled and said  he too was disappointed with uncle  likewise  because  his information was absolutely  wrong,  who told him he was marrying  Salomi,  the situation seemed  out of control,  uncle had overheard  ghanomi  saying so that Yasser was marrying Salomi 

Yasser turned to look at ghanomi  who shied away nervously  

Yasser said  she was a complete liar and a doubting woman and  totally unreliable  person 

Uncle asked him to talk to him man to man 

Yasser asked Salomi  be present 

Saima beghum  expressed her opinion  it wasn't necessary 

Yasser holding Salomi by her hand dragged her to face the family gathering 

Ghanomi  commented   he was still holding  her hand before all them, she was envious 

Yasser explained  Salomi was his sister he never had and was looking for a groom for her in wajahat  but Yasser wanted to send his own parents to select a wedding date and that conversation was distorted by ghanomi  and Yasser will never like to marry a woman who was not trustworthy  nor trusted him

from previous...

.....saima beghum  scolded and cursed  salomi she ought to have been born dead than be alive  and , she asked her to get out of sight,  if she showed up again  saima beghum would  kill her, her anger was rising  rapidly,  

Yassar Entered the scene  of hate and commented  chachi  jan was absolutely  dangerous  , his voice turned  the three  ladies  to look at h8m,he looked dashing clad casually in jeans and sky blue  shirt, what a wonderfully pleasant personality 

Saima beghum said she didn't expect it from him,

Neither did he  expect saima beghum to behave like that

Snorted  ghanomi   the pot calling  the kettle black 

Yasser invited them all to  join him in the lounge where he seriously had things to discuss 

Iftekhar hasin chaudhary  emerged from his room  , Yasser approached him to greet his chacha jan , uncle was happy and serious  and ask them all to  sit down around him  for he had some  issues to discuss,  except Salomi all were present,  she was very busy in the kitchen 

Yasser  asked uncle to speak first 

Uncle began  by showing his utter disappointment in Yasser who was engaged to ghanomi by choice and declared he was marrying Salomi 

from previous....

.....salomi entering  the kitchen after  completing her azhar namaz  asked if there was an iftar party , there were so many  restaurant   packed dishes    piled up 8n boxes on the table,  wajahat s  friends were arriving,  he had  arranged it for them,  he  didn't want  to trouble the ladies  to prepare  anything for his guests  but ghanomi had still cooked   pullao and chicken Korea and  instructed  salomi  to fry kebabs  and ready the salad and fruit chaat,  milkshake was already  ready put in the fridge 

page 126

.....Yasser on the phone asked  ghanomi  to speak with  Salomi,  ghanomi explained he could not  speak to her for she was locked up in her room for her misbehavior,  he was shocked  and threatened ghanomi  he was coming  with  his parents  to solve  it out, ghanomi became nervous  , how was she to explain  it to them all watching her   why she locked up  Salomi 

from previous....

......Yasser got a wonderful job in America  in a company,  he decided to join it,  iftakhar hasin also did not  force him to  this time  participate 8n political activity  because  he himself was in trouble,  he was put to shame and become a laughing stock, he had realized  politics was a  marshy   thing once  stepped onto it one can never  come out alive and keeps on sinking in it deeper and deeper 

It was better to protect his intelligent  and qualified  sons to stay away from this political  marsh so  he allowed Yasser to  choose a profession  in life and gave him permission to go away to America 

page 125....

.....the university  principal and vice chancellor  called  the parents of shairazi, amjad and zarqa and showed them  proofs  from their laptop and mobile of what all  activities  they were  involved in,  heads of their families were lowered in shame , the culprits were given  thorough  lectures, and suspended  from the university  to the utter shock of shairazi and amjad who pleaded guilty and promised  never to repeat  their  such actions again  but were still in deep shock  who could have switched their devices so  clinically neatly  that  they also  couldn't know of it , was there some  secret team following them 

page 124....

.....wajahat  sayyad  in the  evening  bought lots of fruit  before  driving  towards  iftikhar villa, ,  he asked aunty where to  put tge fruit he had brought,  saima beghum  looked at tge boy's  carrying tge fruit  baskets  and said  there was no need for all the  fruit  because  uncle  got  fruit every day, , he insisted  what matters if just one day  he had brought  them fruit,  , he held the shoppers  out and she accepted them , she instructed  just this time  she was taking the fruit  he must not  bring things again,  he agreed laughing,  she ordered the boy to  place the boxes of mango in the kitchen,  wajahat turned to go to his room  and saw Salomi coming dressed prettily,   she looked  lovely and pure as if e emerged  from offering her namaz, his heart skipped a beat  , he asked her softly why  didn't she answer  hus calls,  she explained her mobile was in ammi s custody 

from previous....

.....from where are you returning  , asked saima beghum the moment sge saw Salomi 

...from outside,  Salomi  said and began folding her shawl  she had taken off

So I see, but where was it you went on a Sunday with wajahat, her tone was  more than annoyed 

To see the principal,  wajahat  kindly picked and dropped her on her request , she explained he was a decent  man 

Beghum refused to give up her  striking, mock  thankful  she was aware of him being decent  but when exactly did she come to know of it, did he stop her from  trudging the wrong path 

page 123...

.....wajahat sayyad driving back  Salomi home on the way said he was aware of her sorrow but she was a brave and good person,  ironically  life  tested  such people  on  many  levels  but she must not  be  fearful for he was always going to support her,,  her family would soon  come to realize  what all great deeds she had done  and she should try stay  calm and tension free, 

Salomi  explained all was well,  when she will reach home with  h8m she would receive  that special  honored  welcome,  her smile was pained,  her eyes  coated with  fine  film of  emotional  moistness, they were helpless  what was waiting for them,  she was prepared mentally,  wajahat dropped her and headed towards his office 

from previous....

.... as Salomi   wrapped herself in the shawl  ghanomi asked her investigatively where was she going  it was a Sunday,   Salomi argued was it nit allowed  to go out of the house on a Sunday,  her smile   certainly was enough to provoke  ghanomi who threatened her asking if she had already forgotten last night  slaps  she received,  Salomi  wouldn't  be able to forget  that slap  all her life,  ghanomi  was satisfied and asked if she wanted  abbu to strangle her why was she going out,   Salomi answered  straight and strongly  she was  going out on a positive note and didn't  bother  if on her return  she was beheaded,  she would return in two hours  and when ammi abbu wake up inform  them  and shut the door after her , and  tell them just what Salomi had said  and not add frills  from her own side 

Salomi was with wajahat sayyad  visiting the vice chancellor of the university  giving him details of chand s activities  along with his laptop and mobile as evidence 

page 120....

.....salomi as usual  prepared  sehri and arranged it on the table,  so far nobody had emerged from their rooms,  wajahat sayyad  arrived  punctually   and seeing Salomi  having her sehri he too sat down dragging a chair next to her to have  his,  he asked if others weren't having sehri today,  she said practically  whoever wanted will come himself, she asked him to help   himself   and extended  parathas and  minced neat kheema peas, her swollen eyes and red face    clearly explained him her painful condition  , he was saddened,  he was shocked  whatever had happened with her the previous night,  he expressed his opinion  biting into a morsel,  so  he had witnesses  the  whole  scene,  seen it and  heard it firsthand,  uncle  aunty and ghanomi doubted her, she grew up before them in the same family and house  and there was a guest present,  it was embarrassing and rather awkward,  they failed to understand the delicate issue and displayed their  displeasure  and rage 

page 113....

.....arram was scared  when she became aware of Salomi  s plans  in the university,  arram could not drink water to overcome her fears  because she was fasting,  , Salomi tried to encourage her saying  she must then  trust almighty  who will definitely support them 

They saw chand and Amjad  approaching,  Salomi   asked arram to wait till chand came to them, meantime amjad met  zarqa  and  stopped to talk to her, Salomi got ready with her laptop and  mobile  to switch them with chand s  who came smiling to greet them both

Salomi began  arguing  , chand thought she was annoyed with him for not letting her use his laptop for sending email  

Salomi explained  it was not that,  she  had found  another  friend  and managed to send email  , she was not annoyed with him at all  , she was unable to get her book..expert s diary  from the library  , the librarian had last time said it was issued and now that it was back  another copy of it was available  but someone  before her  took it away,  arram and chand promised to go find it for her , quickly  Salomi  changed  his laptop and mobile  he had left on the table  with another set ,  she would later give the devices  outside to    wajahat  sayyad waiting for her in his vehicle 

from previous....

.....salman pleaded  there was something wrong,  perhaps there was some  message left for him, the neighbor asked him to find out from the other neighbor  he knocked at the second neighbor  s door  and then pressed the door bell , the door was opened by an old woman,  salman asked her to give him  some details of the esidents of the  vacant flat, she  curiously  asked about him, , he said he was  then  close dear friend 

She said  there were several others arriving  besides him whom  the family had robbed and cheated   , Seth kirmani had gone to the police 

Zeb had  robbed him of his all but he was sorrowful for the deception 

page 103...

.....he pressed the door bell but nobody  peeped out from the window nor did  anyone e emerge,  the  door of tge apartment remained shut, he kept ringing the bell  finally  a neighbor  emerged  questioning him why was ge standing there ringing the empty apartment  doorbell,   salman couldn't  go in because the tenants had  left early morning,  , the neighbor explained  the tenants are not owners but can stay in the rented rooms till the contract  is not over,  nobody knows  from where they had come and  where did they go, , tgey were like unknown  strangers  traveling and staying in rental houses for   some time,  salman got awfully worried 

from previous....

.....atta was in his room,  he didn't allow her to be there  and stayed away from him in the store room  and now  so comfortable lay in bed , he snorted  , how much he hated her, he looked at the medicines and  flung them on the side table,   he was tired and threw a mattress on the other cot and fell like a log and slept,  he  was certain atya was ger deadliest enemy  and come into his life to trouble him , she would not let him be happy,   

Sometime  in the  middle of the night his eyes opened,  she sat  looking at her medicines he scolded and asked what was she up to 

She was thinking of taking some of those pills he cursed her , she would not   be dead without medication 

She denied his  point  , in the morning fuda bhai will definitely come and check  them and just for  salman  s sake  she was swallowing  medicines 

page 101!,,,

.....salman reached home late night,  fida bhai followed him into the house,  life wasn't just   running around for money 

What happened fida bhai

Atya is seriously ill and you have no  information 

Oh, since when 

What type of a husband are you  unaware of how is your wife doing 

Fida bhai entered  salman s room with him,  atya lay unconscious in bed burning with fever fida bhai had brought  them  her medicines for the night that salman must give her on time  adding if  her condition worsened  he must be quickly  called  and he left

from previous...

....he madly began   saving money though he could have spent every penny he earned on zeb,  he doubled the trips  of his wagon to twice a day,  , he joined part time evening job at a departmental store  and git lost in the account keeping,  one day amma stopped him  asking him if he was  alright  and how was he managing,  he explained  he  who was forgotten  by the world  had to  manage  on his own,  he was getting married soon, therefore  he was working overtime  very hard, 

from previous....

....now he  hardly  stayed home,   he kept on the  move  traveling  back to back, completing  one  task  and setting off instantly  on tbe next, he was in an odd situation,   for  some time  zeb also was  ignoring him, ammi had announced  two hundred fifty  gram gold he must  get  them to be  able to marry ,  it was an impossible decision,  he was always broke,  he was was spending all his earnings on zeb and saving nothing 

page 99....

....life was  moving forward  chasing  dreams and  mirages  when  the whole  household   started buzzing noisily  for the rukhsati,   finally bhai   decided it was high time  atya must settle down  and be part of her in laws family,  salman reacted  stamping his foot 8n annoyance,  but nobody supported him,  not that everyone was happy  for  atya  but  they all were  scared for her,  no matter how  money minded  finally bhai was  he couldn't shut off his eyes from  his sister's  well-being,  so  she was married off  salman became  extremely  unhappy and his life became miserable 

charity..

....hazrat explained  charity  can help in many ways

Affection  increases 

Prosperity  increases 

Life quality increases 

Savings increase 

Life ends  normally 

Obstacles  are removed 

Sins are forgiven 

Good deeds done are accepted 

License to a better life is ensured

Almighty protects and guides the do goober

Community of good doers is given spaces to perform  more goodness 

from previous....

....what  were you about to say, speak up

Nothing,  where do you want to go

Towards Iqbal Town

The city was approaching 

But..but  she faltered 

But what

The wagon will   be  moving on the circular road 

She would catch a taxi

Not to worry at all , he promised to  drop her at her destination in iqbal town

How  is so possible 

He explained she was now under his protection  so it was his responsibility 

She smiled spontaneously  and her shining  pearly  perfect teeth  in a string flashed at him 

from previous....

......you were saying something 

Just drop the subject 

Why

Seeing you  several  ideas have   suddenly  cropped up  in mind ,  what to express and what not to is difficult 

Fine,  leave that for some other time 

What do you mean,  we can meet again 

Why not madam,  nothing is impossible in this world,  everything is possible

Thanks true 

! But  again it's also possible  I will never  go out again,  there wouldn't be any reason to meet  again 

Of course,  its a possibility but there could be another possibility at the same time  that    ....he fell silent suddenly 

page 97....

.....he continued  there was a difference between him and others 

What

It must be understood  it can't be explained 

She didn't understand 

Well,  he explained  she  was single  and alone and a girl  , it was now upon him to guard her protect her and her dignity 

She appreciated  his  thoughts  that were  worth applauding , she was thankful for his considerate attitude 

He also thanked her and smiled 

He asked if he could  ask  her something 

Of course 

Why was she traveling all alone 

Because  of her circumstances  and now she wanted to ask him something 

He gave her his consent to go ahead and ask it

Why was he pursuing  driver's  job

It was certainly an odd question,  all drivers  were after all humans,  , he was also one  of them 

But wasn't he a bit different 

How  is that 

Because  usually professional drivers weren't like him  so well dressed   clean and protective  and respectful 

from previous....

.....to raise funds he  began working   in a private bus company,  he was a driver of a bus,  he was absolutely  different from  regular bus drivers,  because he looked different from others 8n his  personality,  he was better educated,  better qualified,  better to look at and  his dressing sense was better,  he managed to   save two lacs in two years,  travel agency was  caught up in some  fraud  case,  his going abroad  was delayed,  he bought a tuna on loan and installments,  he became a long route  driver,  he had two things to do in life,  to protect himself and his wagon 

page 96......

.....salman had grown up to be  a dashing handsome young man   he had done his   graduation   but to get a decent  likeable job he needed  a godfather s backing  or he had to pay  to get the vacancy  in his favor and  any job seemed a distant  unachievable dream,  he couldn't accept  a clerical  post, nor could he possibly  become  a veteran type  doing all sorts of  petty things to earn meager money, he aimlessly  roamed  about  disheartened,  somehow he learnt to drive,  he managed to obtain  a driver's license   for heavy vehicles from a friend  s support , he  planned to  go abroad and a two wheel  agency promised him to send him there 

from previous...

....Zarin was cleaning up the room   she called atya to help wash the utensils  taken out from the showcase,  atya within minutes  washed them all, , while putting them back   a jug  slipped from her hands and broke,  because it was Zarin s dowry piece  she hit her in the  back, , she began calling  atya abusive names, was she blind, was she a cripple, were her hands cut off,  the jug was of sentimental value besides being  very expensive,  khala came in rushing,  she asked what was happening 

from previous....

.....oh dear little unfortunate girl,   dear girl  whose luck was blown off before  lightning up,  she was given  a divorce,   who will marry her when will she  be sent away to lead a life  of matrimony  with in laws,  how would she become a bride,  she was crying  incessantly,  atya was not really relating to marriage and divorce,  she had gone to the  community  well to get water where she met salman and told him  casually  Ahman bhai  from the city had given her a divorce,  her voice  was unaffected as if she  was telling  a joke,  she  was laughing  and doubling   with  uncontrollable laughing,  other girls   surrounded her to watch her in surprise 

fun e zaiqa...

....vanilla  sheer khorma

 Sweet  sevia mithai

Sindhi biryani

Kebab chana

Chicken green  kadahi

Chicken jalfarezi

Dahi alu

White Kosta masala 

Happy eating 

Enjoy good food and  be grateful  for  life is beautiful 

page 92.....

....when did salman return there was no information,  but now he was seen  sitting in the  chair  placed  next to  the bride  s  bed , successfully  hiding his  feelings and  laughing  and smiling at people around  trying to fool them,  area was not only his class fellow but  a neighbor too, , there was a time when she  was madly infatuated to him,but she wasn't a  beauty and salman  was seeking  a spectacular  life partner,  he had never noticed area,  so  area realized  it and  stopped  herself  from  moving forward,  she was mother of two and loaded with gold and covered  in pearls 

from previous...

.....the wedding night proved a turning point  and very heavy  on salman, he got out if the house  in the night,  he was in love with  zeb and was pushed into marriage with  atya who he never liked  infact  actively  disliked her,  he was an obedient son but now  his patience  was  cracked,  he couldn't take it any more,  he couldn't go back home to spend the night with  atta , he had always disliked her, he just couldn't tolerate  her, she was now  dumped into his room  as a bride,  life  had played a bad joke on him,  zeb was his love,  what a wonderful  all round  person she was, it was pleasant to be  in her company,  she was so attractive   he was  under great stress divided  between  parents choice and his  own  , between  duty and love,  he was  eroding emotionally,  depleting of all  his positive energy,  he checked his pockets,  he gad a few hundred rupees,  he stopped  a carrrrier  and  instructed the driver to take him  to  a hotel,   there he booked a room and stayed alone  thinking about  zeb his beautiful love and  atya a nuisance in life,  how time  and circumstances  can shape life exactly differently from one's plans

azab Sarab gulab...

.....he was scolded by mother  so he stepped into his room to gratefully look  at the bundle  of  that newly wedded  bride  8mposed upon him , everyday she was seen around  with uncovered  face and now the color of blood was simply  awful,  he ordered her to quickly   go change into something  that matched her  evil face,  she had  blown out all his hopes and destroyed his dreams of happiness 8n life by becoming his bride,   be was leaving her and if she  uttered a word of it he would  press   divorce papers into her hands like brother did  and he was   rudely  explaining to her life with her was impossible and to throw her out too was  not easy,  he was trapped  and very unhappy 

page 81...

.....he  very clearly remembered  the day his friend sayad had come home  amma  conversationally  muzafar was quite useless,  he believes  using his limbs was a crime,  he eats  when  his sister  brings him food  or he  stays  

Mother is absolutely fine,  sayad was showing his best behavior  , muzafar looked at him,hungry,  jahan  made pasta specially for  uncle  what a wonderful child,  amma  s voice  overflowed with love,  he got irritated 

Sayad asked in surprise   addressing  amma  as aunty   who was jahan

As far as sayad knew muzafar had no cousins 

  Jahan was  his nephew,  sister's son 

Amma  offered  the plate  enquiring  about his mother,  he was all ears and listened  attentively  what amma had to say 

Sabin aunty has just one son?

Muzafar wanted to smash up his head  if not sayad s

Amma continued  , sabin was so unfortunate to have a husband in the police  ,  what a miserable life they  lead measuring up  roads in all weathers twenty four seven,  her voice  became heavy with emotion 

Sayad  specimen of politeness  leaning forward asked  her what happened to the husband 

Well  he was in the army  and antinational 

Sayyad looked  up at his friend  with a different expression for being associated with an antinational 

Amma thankfully changed the topic and asked sayad  if he was as useless as muzafar or was doing something positive in life 

Muzafar  gestured  his friend to duck  the fire  of questions amma was all set to  destroy  enemy post  but he stubbornly  bent on proving    personified  politeness 

from previous....

....abba often speaks of his  past days of youth when he used to go to the library  every day and  he would see a girl  in specs  her head buried  in books, one day  he saw her arguing  over rates of books in a bookshop  that rented  books for reading,   she wanted  more novels,  another time  abba  found the girl in specs sitting  amidst  books on the floor  arranging  the books neatly  and putting them in her   cloth bag, he helped her to stuff  the books in her bag and then they got married 

from previous...

.....he ordered shafa to get him his breakfast,  he sat ordering  on the  cot placed in the gkazed  veranda  looking  towards the kitchen,  the floating  aroma of cooking  of hot omelets and  wheat  parathas   and  sweet steaming tea was making him eager  and hungry 

He admired shafa mischievously  comparing her to  the  ideal  perfect housewife   that is  the main character of each and every novel 

He asked if abba and amma had eaten  their breakfast 

He was late, it was twelve and by now otgers were getting ready for second meal,  lunch  was cooking 

Amma who was an avid reader had  taken her just recently arrived digest to her room  emerged   looking  worried  because  talya was left behind and the boy and the wicked girl had gone  ahead,  he said not to  get stressed all will be  fine in the end and  quickly quietly  slipped out of sight 

Page 79....l

.....the door opened with a bang and something  next minute  fell on his waist with a thud,  his eyes flew open  ,   amma  stood in the door way glaring at him with fiery red   eyes, he lamented he was just about to get up and out if bed,  he was frightened  of the world's deadliest weapon in her hands,  her chappals,  he tried to declare  no war and raising his hands up in  the air waved invisible  flag of peace  but she was displaying good  marksmanship  of her expertise of throwing  chappals  accurately on him 

page 69....

.....akram called  out her name  and zarmaqnoon  turned to see him looking  tired   , he was kept  very busy  the whole day  but tge refreshing smile on his face  made  her turn away  from  him shyly  , she began  pouring  out  tea 8n tge cups,  he explained he was a clean guy but she was overdoing  the  cleaning  of the tea cups, one washing was enough  she was washing his thrice 

She was exhausted and lay down in the cot  suddenly  she woke up from the noises  coming from downstairs,  she looked at tge wall clock  , she had hardly  slept for an hour, 

She slowly got downstairs to see dadi crying, zoha informed  zarmaqnoon  asif was in the ICU,  all of them were going there, sge stood there  stunned  , zoha dragged her along, within minutes  they reached  tge hospital,  rawa hugged  her father , sherazi  tried to  cheer her up,  asif gad left sherazi house to reach his  home  fine , his phuphu aunt who had raised him had to catch her flight to America  , there was nobody  but asif who drove her to the airport and while returning he met with an accident 

The doctor from the ICU emerged and all eyes turned to focus on him, he gad given  emergency treatment and asked them all to pray  and stay awake  for tge night was going to prove critical  for asif

Rawa asked his permission to see asif 

The doctor asked who was she 

She was the newly wedded wife, just married 

from previous,....

....izhaar sahib  s etes were burning and so was his voice, he was apparently  jealous of akram and  he knew   it very well  no woman likes her name  linked  to any man , she was first of all not answerable to izhaar  and he was deliberately  verbally attacking  zarmaqnoon,  she quickly  went into her room and when she emerged  saira beghum was there waiting for her,  zarmaqnoon  didn't delight in going out shopping  or to beauty parlors  , she found it was tiresome  but this time it was a chance to escape  from  izhaar sahib s trap  , again  it was Akram driving  the ladies   to their  desired destination 

page 57....

......very  carefully sge  got  zara s  children  to change their  clothes,  zoha s son was also with her,  saira beghum was sending  pullao   every fifteen minutes,  she would forget  things  where were they left,  on other times  she would   all zarmaqnoon  asking her to locate things,  the  tasks were over and the clock showed  it was already six, sge was spinning around  carrying out others instructions since morning  like a fool,  nobody was upstairs so she quietly  climbed up, 

How long   more will you be spinning  about like this,  do you  plan to get ready or not, she was asked,  izgaar sahib sat right there in the sofa before her,  he stood up came near her confronting her, , she was filled with venom suddenly,  she was just got get ready  her tone was irritated and hard

Enjoy  your beauty  and have self confidence  but   don't ignore  others  specially when  all suitors are admirers and  lined up , he came closer to speak in that hushed tone right into her ears pouring all the venom into her mind

She asked  showing  complete  ignorance  what exactly he  meant by that 

from previous....

....zavi argued  with agha jan,  what horoscope  said he was to  carry forward  Ansari family  by giving them heirs, was it really  humanity possible and  controlled by mortals  to have  heirs on demand,  didn't  agha jan  s own  two sons  lead  a life without  having  heirs so the same could happen  again,  his voice was bitter not rude

Agha jan  was speechless for a moment,  there was no answer to it, , zavi was absolutely right,  he didn't want to get married  right now,   had not finally  decided on it and before agh jan could say more zavi raised his hand and stophim from speaking,  he didn't want to be questioned   why and why not, because  who else would know better  why zavi was not marrying,  , his eyes turned blood red, 

Agha jan asked if he could not  help forget the past  happenings,  he counter asked if he could  

What if someone from his family had met  with an accident 

Was it ever possible to forget  someone  buried alive was a living dead 

page 55....

,....agha jan said  he trusted shireen  because  she understood him so well,  she was a homemaker,  , it was rather   strange  that agha han was still ready to give his grand daughter's  hand in marriage to him after what happened three years ago,  , it was natural for him to trust his granddaughter  bu trusting him was amazing,  he looked   at agha jan  seriously but  logically,  there were mixed  feelings showing  8n his eyes  at the same time 

Agha jan declared he trusted zavi more than his own life but hus eyes were lowered and when he looked up at zavi his  eyes were  flooded with sentiments,  zavi was his only heir of the family  who must carry forward  the family line,   what  he was to him  was beyond  explanation 

Zavi was  surprised  to hear agha jan speaking in such  free from attitude and pretences  straight forward tone