page 83

....motiya s marble finish  feet in  the flowing water looked decorative pieces of polished jewelry kept in the jewelry showroom windows  , batul  watched those  milky white  delicate feet with desire  , her gaze held  as usual  beholding  the beauteous sight 

Throwing  a handful of water at batul motiya asked her what had happened  drawing her attention towards herself,  both had come to sit  at the spot near the village well where all the women folk got together to wash their clothes,  from the well  the near by fields were  watered and women  kept themselves busy doing their  laundry 

Batul  ready to actively take revenge   scooped water in both hands joined and threw it on motivation echoing her  words  what happened,  didn't she already tell her all

She began  gathering her things,  wet clothes  washed in the bucket,  the wooden washing bat to beat up the  thick washing,  , so sayyad was quite rascally  commented motiya sulking  who had just minutes ago shared her romantic episode with him,  sayyad was batul  s cousin  working in Dubai,  batul madly was in love with him  but he was scared  and being in love with a coward is  almost suicidal  like swinging in the air  uncertainly  sometimes  balancing your feet on the board below for  support 

It's not him but his father who is rascally,  sayyad is just a coward,  batul tried to explain her point to motiya 

There was no need to fall in love to such a person  motiya wasn't convinced 

Naturally he doesn't love me  said  batul it's me who is mad for him,  batul looked rather satisfied 

Motiya  kept looking at her astonished  by her explanation 

Dana pani

...every morning for jhokjivan starts with haqq qalam  to reach the village well  after fajar,   each and every hut waits for gamo to bring water to their home,  the water from his leather  container tastes sweet and fragrant,   allrasai is his wife of ten years and they are still childless,  his kitchen is run with the  grain  given him by the village chaudhary,  the chaudhary  s son is married to the girl from the neighboring village  whose father is pir Ibrahim,  gamo and allarasai  visit pir Ibrahim  who is a soothsayer  for his blessings  for their progeny,  pir Ibrahim prayers for them and gives blessings to them,  tajur is warmly welcomed to the haveli,  senior chaudhary Karamazov advises his son chaudhary  Shajah  to never say no to tajur on anything,  allarasai comes to see tajur in the haveli,, tajur makes fun of her, tajur gives birth to a son and allarasai to a most beautiful daughter who becomes the talk of the town,  allarasai wants her girl to become a doctor,  Murad and motivated face each other for the first time in the village school , on the first opportunity Murad leaves his table chair to sit down on the floor mat beside motiya

page 101

...  it was about nine at night,  hasin shah stepped into the house  to find his wife in a bad mood,  he asked her the reason for her bad temper, , she reminded him she had told him early morning  she had to attend  the engagement function of khan  sahib  s daughter  today asma scowled 

, she had been waiting so long for Kiran  the only daughter of hasin shah, she had just recently  completed her graduation, 

He asked her if Kiran also wanted to go with her 

No, in fact asma was waiting for the car 

But the car is standing outside 

Of course she knew it but a key is also needed to get into the car and start it and the key wasn't anywhere to find in the house,  earlier in the evening Kiran had taken the car out for a drive,  asma had thought  Kiran as usual put back the key on its hanger,  asma had looked for the car keys everywhere and it wasn't anywhere 

You take my car 

But Kiran goes to the  gym from six to eight  now it is past nine,  why isn't she back 

Phone her and find out for yourself she spoke tiredly taking the keys from him, if asma talks to her the girl flares up, Kiran  hasn't accepted asma as her mother so far,  how painful these step relationships are

page 72

...noor, she called her, seeing the diary in her hands she became rather ashamed 

Yes, mummy 

You look tired,  go to bed, tomorrow you hate go to the office 

Yes, alright 

Noor 

She looked at her mother with vacant eyes 

Did you go there 

Where 

There to aibak  s place 

Yes

How is he 

He didn't meet me 

Why

He was in another town married , the day I went to his house that day he was married 

After that  Did you two got to talk to each other 

No

His number 

It's shut off 

Then noor why did you leave zabir

Forme I left him,  to live my life 

Are you happy with this business house 

I'm satisfied,  I'm in my place that is enough 

Why are you never happy like before 

Mummy why are not you happy like before 

page 75

...basat had a beautiful smile,  heartwarming  soul touching  hashya thought,  naturally wasim sahi wasn't her admirer without a reason,  though  basat herself wasn't that beautiful,  she had a lovely voice,  her nice behavior and polite manners,  no wonder wasim her cousin  got attracted by the beauty of her nature,  these  days he was  not keeping well,   , his back  pain left him  incapacitated,  both of them lived in the same house in two different portions,  she would see him  coming and going  and felt helpless,  against her family  wishes she was helping  her phuphi and  wasim in writing the novel,  he dictated  painfully  and she wrote it down 

Hashya left basat to herself and tied her hair in a bun,  neatly placed her shawl over her shoulders  before  coming to stand outside in the long  terrace,  there were others also present on her either side,  the distant   hills were  covered in clouds,  it was an attractive sight,  light drizzle  added  more charm to the scene,  as she looked enjoying the surroundings a salwar qamiz clad man  boldly stepped onto the terrace,  he was rather  followed by two pleasant  to look at men, , one of them was holding an open umbrella over him and now was putting it away folding it, , the first one approached hashya and introduced himself,   he was a local  powerful personality  a politician,  he was somehow  informed hashya was  here  with a university group at Nathya gali

page 65

...the room  had the same  atmosphere,  , she took time to look at each thing  carefully!  Her desktop,  computer,  her old laptop  all were kept in the same place as before,  even the old broken out of function telephone in the drawer,  piles of cd  s still fixed in lines,  even her childhood radio and Walkman  broken were kept carefully  in boxes,  some left out broken cassettes too, behind the  cabinet door  still were stuck the posters of her favorite actors,  cartoon banners all of them were just the same,  she had come to believe it life  was completely changed in a few years  but nothing had changed,  she sat down on the bed and saw the bedsheet was her favorite one that was still  kept  so carefully , the glass  she drank water in was also in its place  on the wooden tray next to the  used  empty tissue paper  packet,   she had kept that there   before  marriage,  nothing had changed as she had thought  , noor, noor, where are you, 

 baba you have come 

She stood up and  hugged him tight 

page 73

....then there was a boy asuf, they owned a most expensive  jewelry showroom  in soha bazaar,  they were multi billionaires sahi family was their regular buyers  of precious stones and jewelry,  asuf began taking interest in hashya   on his visits to the showroom,  one day he dared to call her on the land-line number,  Adil on the extension phone at home  overheard them talking,  the consequences were that asif was sent straight to prison,  his father Haji saraj got a heart stroke,  a couple of months later when father was better  the first thing he did was send away his   son to Dubai to saraj s younger brother  to stay with him and  be useful in their family business of jewelry  trade 

Something hashya recalled from her childhood memories was when she was just ten and looked  lovely like a wax doll in pictures of her then, she would flutter about like a butterfly in colorful dresses,  they lived in detail gazing khan area, it was a  large government  residence  sprawled on three kanals,  uncle's family also lived with them,  every evening a milkman  delivered milk at home,  he carried the milk containers in a smallloader, usually his twelve year old son shero accompanied him, dark and long haired  sticky with  clarified butter shiny and combed with a parting  on one side,  Shera wited  at the half open gate for the helper to come back with the empty container,  he stood watching the children playing in the lawn 

page 63

...your mother instilled hatred in your mind against me,  he spoke  defeated,  it wasn't good enough 

I'm not going to hear a word against my mother,  I'm not here to listen to anyone  talk against my mother 

Of course she was egoistic and destroyed her family life herself,  she never compromised 

I wasn't there then,  I don't know anyone  s wife  but my mother  who was a perfect mother and a  good mother,  that time has passed,  she was a wonderful woman who got  the groceries herself,  she took me to school,  cooked the meals herself,  fed me properly,  fulfilled all my demands and took great care of me,  I didn't know what  are  a man's responsibilities and which are a woman's 

All I remember is my mother and she is just mother  besides mother I know my chacha uncle who visited us to enquire about us who realized I respected him,  there is no other relationship I recall nor interested in knowing 

Completing his speech he left the room,  that night without informing he returned home  leaving a message for his uncle he would be back to appear for his semester,  he will reach himself,  uncle must not trouble to escort him 

Reaching his home he was so satisfied and equally lonely 

He stayed in a hostel for a couple of months annoying his uncle,  it was during that phase  frozen uncle  got a heart stroke  and he rushed to see him to stay with them  spending much more time with him together 

page 72

...whatever happened to that boy named zeshan   not  surprising,  in the past couple of years several boys had reached that   state,  it was famous about hashya whoever dared  like her gets beaten up 

Sajjad Ahmed was  now a retired police officer  but he was also a landlord and quite powerful still  like a retired elephant  who us massive and of great value  , he was one of them who enter police service just to fulfill their dream  otherwise they are quite well off and will not accept any other government job , in other words he was a landlord officer  and belonged to  one of the most  distinguished families,  Safina beghum was in her mid forties and  was an extraordinary beauty  who looked  younger than her years comparatively  but  the charm and shine on her face was missing which is usually seen on  women's faces of this status 

This was merely the result of Sajjad Ahmed  s attitude   of  being in a powerful position  he liked  showing off inside his house and outside and everywhere, it was said Sajjad sahi married  Safina   for love,  he chose her,  he was happily married and  then followed as usually happens in such cases,  Safina beghum  got labeled and forgotten as the legally married wife,  sajjad sahi also lost his interest in her,  they had a boy and a girl,  hashya was doing masters in English in Punjab University,  son Adil  obediently  became a police inspector 

page 57

.....so you say  moments of joy  evaporate before you know that,  baba you are absolutely right,  even if I want to I can't talk to you freely because it's not possible to  speak to a man battling with life and death,  just wait a while I am coming to tell you how happy I am 

Baba I want to bring you back to life once again,  I wish you would live a long life but at least whatever is left  of it normally,  more than that,  because you are important to me,  I am your own nooralin who has not learnt anything  but have understood much,  a lot of time  is needed,  let me do things pending and not done,  you have to live for me, when you  recover we shall  talk and talk,  I just want nothing else but you get back to life,  she was still  blabbering by  herself when  she received Farhana beghum  s call who asked her what time was her flight  , baba was waiting for her 

Yes, mummy, I was certain he must be waiting for me 

Dear,  did you get to speak to him?

No, just  got his text messages asking about me

It seems he isn't well,  please take care of him 

Do you really feel I don't take care of him 

Of course,  you are taking good care of him  but can't I even  say so when I am  so far away from you 

Dear noor,  it's the way you speak I feel  I am not taking good care of him 

Mummy,  nothing like that,  it's just that I am  so far away I feel helpless and worried 

Dear noor,  don't you worry at all,  just  come home for a few days 

page 55

....he coolly  kept his empty tea cup  before looking out of the window,  the sun was  saturated with dew,  , it was  play  of sun and clouds 

You must have been told to  make friends with Maryam,  to talk to her,  to earn her trust  then she will  obey you willingly,  isn't that so?

You seem to know it all  , he smiled 

So she  wants us to become friends  but why 

Absolutely right , she wants too many things but I can't  follow all her instructions  but I must tell you something  tell her  clearly you like someone,  wait for her to call you up, that you are certain she will be back once again in your life and you shall marry only her 

Surprised he was how much she knew him and about him

She had observed him dialing a specific number  too many times and getting  started on a particular ring tone,  naturally  khala won't call you on telephone from the other world,  it's an eyewash writing empty letters  and keeping them  , the girl phones you  from this world only 

Yes, I have broken up with her yet expect her to contact me and I still want to avoid her,  it's so confusing 

Why do you want she shouldn't call, I enjoy  it when azhar call , this time he rang up after ages  and same  excuses 

Khala is right if he really cared he would be here 

She is right but amma is hurrying up the matter  , today also she is visiting groom  s house with a matchmaker 

page 69

....that day  limits were crossed  after the fifth period was over Hashanah reached the campus parking  to see as usual the uniformed chauffeur waiting for her,  she turned to greet her friend before getting into the car  and it was then she saw  him , zeeshan long haired just a couple of steps away from her,  his lean skinny face was    aglow in summer heat,  hashya felt he had stepped forward to speak to her  but seeing she had got into the car he stayed silent,  his  long hair and shirt both fluttered in the air, he stood looking confused whether to speak to her or not,  her dazzling car  started to move forward slowly  passing through the main gate of the campus to reach the main road,  it was then she  casually turned to look back  and was startled badly to  see long haired zeeshan following her car  on his bike,  his hair waving and fluttering,  she couldn't stop herself from grinding her teeth,  this was an awful  gesture  by following her,  perhaps he wanted to  find out her location  or he was trying to  catch her attention,  her feelings were a  mix of  pity and  annoyance,  it was awkward and embarrassing,  rest of her journey homewards was spent worrying and  in irritation , she was certain the driver  had noticed the trail

page 53

....she pressing her mouth  not to let laughter escape asked tauntingly  what was so  special in her seniors 

You look awful laughing 

Thanks for informing me by the way  what do you think writing a letter to khala  , do  the letters reach her, fun turned to something like  sadness 

He stayed silent for a moment  before replying his did reach khala for he joined all the  letters  and she can read  words firming 

Wao!!you speak so well,  she laughed 

What's the point in laughing here 

Please do write one such letter for me too  for azfar, aren't you a friend?

No, not at all, his voice tone was  strongly  annoyed 

Fine if you aren't a friend but still you can write a letter for me for azfar

 So that he comes running to me 

Do you love him?

Of course,  she nodded innocently and sat down 

Then write it yourself , so it will have more impact 

Impossible, he won't  be impressed at all, he remains unaffected abik

Then drop it 

No not going to drop him but  have told amma  she can  marry her off to anyone of her choice 

page 51

....I didn't study business 

Business is not studied,  it's done practically and learned  by mistakes on the job on trial and error  concept,  it is not a subject  that is learned  by upgrading classes  every year  or not learned at all,  you will definitely pick up the skills of the trade,  you have a big boss who has experience status   earned a name  as established  and that boss is your father when you meet him  all your problems will be sorted out,  stay hopeful and trust yourself 

Absolutely,  you are absolutely right,  this is the second time in life someone like you has given me all support and strength to emerge strong,  miss Sadiq, I m so grateful to you 

You are a sweet girl,  when life is good  nothing bad can happen,  life  gives you all you need

Miss Sadiq whether you are right or not  but your  ideas genuinely make me a happier person,  I had a friend who was so much like you,  he believed we all  mutually  give strength to each other  just to  believe it if courage  works or not 

Was your friend just a friend?

Just a friend but a very good one 

If you miss him give him a call and talk to him  it feels good talking to friends 

Oh, we are no longer in touch but his old discussions still  give so much  morale support  boosting her self esteem 

kanch mahal

....thspring was here, , gardens were scented with fresh blossoms,  the air was excitedly  refreshing,  sunshine was clear and bright  yet soothing to skin, , haryana sat leaning against a  eucalyptus tree  sitting on the  grass,  she was alone,  it was new campus of university in Lahore,  she was surrounded with  quite a noisy  hustle and bustle  yet she remained untouched with this  cheerfulness  nor did she feel any joy inside her,  , she lifted her eyes from the book to look around her,  there sat several small  and large groups of girls and boys and some were just of a boy and a girl,  bigger groups were noisy and such super groups of just two were very silent and quiet  and secretive,  she realized she was the only one  alone  without  a group , she remembered a quote by some wise man who had said  the strong are like the highest mountain peaks that stand alone and are visible to all, but she wasn't one of those distinctly  distinguished  personalities  who are left  to be impossible to reach  for their  heights 

What is my princess thinking,  voice of her friend bisat Ahmed started her, bust squatted beside her on the grass,  Hashanah explained she was thinking  what all she keeps on thinking  unnecessarily,  she tucked her beautiful tresses behind her ears 

Bisat laughed  because  Hashanah kept on thinking  what was missing in her,  she was beautiful intelligent  attractive  yet nobody noticed her,  nobody approached her

page 49

...first of all  the most important thing in life is to want something,  liking something and wanting it,  when we want something   passionately  our thoughts  emit vibrant waves of desire actively that  intense force spread out all over the world 

We must  genuinely want something before  asking for it and  we must like doing it before deciding on doing it only then we can receive it after receiving it .. she became silent  pondering over some matter deeply 

Noor prompted her to go on , she smiled  looking at noor who was waiting for her to complete her statement  ..when we get what we want  we usually  don't value it much  , it loses all the magic  this is true for the common ordinary  but the real genuine  appreciate life even more thereafter,  their belief  becomes stronger than before,  she began telling noor when she was in Pakistan  a teacher  usually children asked her miss, do things happen  as you think,  those children were curious to know if what one wants  one can receive or not,  if is it worth wanting or is it merely a waste of time,  some of the children were taught at home by their elders to everything there was another side, if one didn't get what he wanted  he would get the same in a different aspect  

page 59

....Thomas explained  tge filter hole to supply  air-conditioning to each room in the hotel was same size through which  nobody could enter the room, 

But that's the point that beats the case,  if the lady was shot from above  the killer had to  climb up the  air-conditioning pipe line to get access  of madam s room and without entering the room he shot a couple of shots using a silencer  on revolver because  the pipe line wasn't soundproof like madam  s room 

But sir, the matter is the filter hole  opens only from inside the room  and it is intact not tampered with nor broken and so the killer from the pipeline couldn't take aim of madam

Absolutely so , that's why  we couldn't  see the point,  some insider has helped  the killer by loosening the filter hole from inside after use it was again  fitted from inside and pressed back firmly in place 

Madam wasn't always in her room  , in her absence  one of her staff possibly did it,  it could be easily done  when she was in the washroom  just  a couple of minutes  and  tge filter was loosened explained  the sergeant  logically 

Thomas  worried confused told Eric only two people went to her room today Julia and carlos

Absolutely correct,  call the fingerprint officers to collect fingerprints from the filter and let us check on Julia  who gave her statement  when she saw the dead body of madam she asked every one to  leave the room except herself perhaps she needed time to set the filter back,  she was the first one to go in perhaps to loosen it , better take the powder to pick up the fingerprint ourselves  and not let anyone know of it

page 41

....good fortune means  getting all that one wished for,  your  desire for something and it is handled you  by luck 

So noorlin you got everything thing you wanted,  the ideal the world   covets for,  for what man dream,  everyone thinks and plans for,  it is passionately sought-after,  one  believes he deserves it and is worthy of it ,

So it's you  my dream come true  for you alone  so many hearts were broken,  you were that impossible to find dream,  you the  prayers were offered silently  just to mend your heart 

She came to stand before the picture frame  where she was  present with her life partner,  mere thought of her life partner  brought a helpless smile to her lips 

Destiny always gives at least one chance in life  , ammi had remarked fate was giving both of them a chance of their life time 

page 58

...though the madam  s room was sound proof yet  the silencer was used on the murder weapon,  forensic report  of the bullets shot in her forehead had arrived  said Thom

Weird it was  the killer  was positioned on a higher   place when he shot her in the sound proof room  with  silencer revolver,  , bullet shells also weren't found,  apparently he took away the numbered  shells so as not to be  traced,  , it was certain  the experience  spoke  out it couldn't be  Carlos  but every  investigation points only towards him, the videos were  not tampered with and all looked good,  fingerprint reports were  all  good and no suspect  explained Thomas,  so all evidence was against Carlos who must have stood on the sofa before shooting her dead,  it was  laughable,  there was  confusion and  the case  had to be  more clear on this matter,  perhaps Carlos was  the real killer  but in the  courts  it had to be proved,  Thomas wanted to say more  but  suddenly  sergeant  Eric got up looking  purposeful 

Thomas asked in surprise what happened 

Thomas  we are overlooking  the room  cooling system,  it is  not  a regular air-conditioner but  the hotel  provides  room conditioning through a plant

Thomas agreed he was aware of it, there was just one such air-conditioning plant in the hotel  and every big hotel  had its own  room conditioning system,  they had seen the spot from where the room was supplied  air-conditioning  and it was such a small   hole  it was impossible  for any person to pass through it into the room 

page 39

...he screamed he was scared of lightning 

Abik, don't worry,  lightning communicates with  clouds in the skies

Ammi, what if lightning  fell , 

Abik, always take refuge in almighty  and nothing can harm you 

He mumbled  we ask for protection  pray for safety  except love,  

He got down  carefully  wahid had already  got out and pressing the bell,  he had to stop after several  pressings  on his  sign , he was asking him to be patient and wait a while  and give insiderx some time,  someone was approaching the gate  saying the same thing  to be patient and give them time,  that someone was a woman  and  almost  a girl,  abik stepped forward  to enquire about beghum zeenat, the girl   loudly  declared  turning her head the guests had arrived,  a sixty year old woman  appeared   apparently she was  beghum zeenat, he asked wahid to wait outside and himself went in, , the old woman with her eyes reflecting warm familiarity  asked if he was  Abik 

page 34

this life is a journey and if slows down  to a halt  we get  dead tired and bored  so if it is moving  let it  don't stop  because  the moment it  stops we stop living 

That was the only  thought  resonating in mind  to go on living,  the  outside  vision through the windscreen  was misty, the inner lights were off and soft music was playing,  

He asked wahid how far did they have to go

, wahis informed his sir still one and half hour away  they were,  he asked him to wake him up , his mind was exhausted with worrying,  he learned his head against   the seat back,  he was so tired he wasn't answering his phones,  wahid explained because sir wasn't picking up his calls farid sahib called him and gave a message for him,  he said rather  diplomatically , sir was annoyed,  how many times had he asked wahid not to receive  farid sahib s calls and stop calling him sir he was just abik for wahid or a bike bhai 

He was nine years younger and very  decent  , lived in his neighborhood  and  grew up before him and for sympathy  s sake kept him  on his mother's advice,   it is imperative  to hold someone's hand when he is in need , give him your full support and never walk away from him,  be there for the needy and treat them nice  all your life  , we mortals  are interdependent, we can't  handle everything  and need someone to help us, in good times we compete and not allow  anyone to overtake our position 

page 53

...hotel waiter was the first one to find the dead body,  he took her coffee to her room,  perhaps madam Elizabeth didn't lock up the door waiting for him  but the waiter  knocked at the door  twice before entering the room thinking madam was in the washroom,  he thought of putting the coon the table  but he was shocked to see her dead body and the coffee spilled over and the mug fell onto the floor,  he got a scare of his life,  he ran out of the room,  he came to the manager Julia and gave her the details,  she was stunned speechless   but gathering her senses she called the hotel security and marched into madam s room,  the crime scene was horrible,  the dead body was lying before her,  seeing the two bullet holes in her forehead and  the pool of blood Julia realized someone had killed madam,  she quickly  ordered every one to  leave the room  without touching a thing  so as not to  destroy any evidence  and she herself remained in the room,  she then informed the police from the room landline , she also informed lord Simon,  Julia  elaborated,  the Sergent praised her for her common sense,  she blossomed  hearing her praised 

What kind of relationship was between Simon and Elizabeth   and why was she staying in a hotel room,  he was told her hotel room was her only residence and was living there since she got married 

master mind

....Sergent Eric gave a look  at the l dead body lying  in the room  before turning his attention to his  assisting officers who were collecting  evidence,  , they were now  present in the  famous  hotel  alphonso  where  the owner lord Simon  s wife Elizabeth was murdered 

So far all that he knew was the victim was addressed as madam Elizabeth instead of Mrs Simon 

She had  booked for herself a room  also in the hotel  so that room was her residence and today she was murdered there,  she was shot twice in her forehead,  , the Sergent was given information  by the  hotel manager  misss  Julia  about the murder telephonically,  soon after he reached the scene with his entire team,  his  team had started  collecting information  like picking up fingerprints,  Sergent Eric stood silently watching around,  his face was   highlighted with deep thoughtfulness,  his forehead  full of frowns, madam Elizabeth was no ordinary woman,  she belonged to a most  respected family in town  , her family was successfully established name in business,  Sergent Eric also had met Simon  who was quite depressed and sorrowful by his wife's murderer,  Eric assured him he would catch the murderer and  send him to gallows 

page 21

...fauza was hamad s wife telling Roman if she didn't see her every day she stayed unsatisfied,  , both were in the drawing room,  Roman also missed her and waited for ger every day,  exactly at six evening  she expectantly  looked at the door,  Roman felt genuinely happy on seeing her,  shewas regularly visited by  her sometimes friends or cousins but Mrs hamad  never missed a day to  see her spending one whole hour with her,  , she was aware how lonely Roman was,  she would advise her not to worry too much about her condition or she would worsen 

Roman commented  she always gave her advice but it wasn't easy at all to follow it,  nervously scratching her fingernails,  Mrs hamad  cheering her up asked her to sit up so she could help her  put on some nice makeup,  Mrs hamad pushed her wheelchair to the mirror and began  grooming her, , look at your skin tone  , it was  getting bad with worrying,  how fresh it used to be, her eyes were flashing  but now so put off sunken in sockets,  she turned to look at herself  , pathetically she exclaimed it was no use for she could never be the same Roman again,  she was extremely disappointed 

Why not?entering  Hadid questioned,  she was the same Roman,  Mrs hamad encouraged her to cheer up , how  nice and affectionate was Hadid,  bhai  appreciatively  said Mrs hamad,  Roman gave him a smile  faint and small 

page 43

...the  speedometer  point swung between one hundred ten and twenty,  he drove madly if the vehicle hadn't been that heavy and big it would certainly have by now turned over,  handful lay unmoving unconscious on the back seat but he was groaning throatily,  pathan jan s man sat holding his head supporting him,, they had left razya crying in the field though she had pleaded  she ought to accompany her brother,  barjat consoled her, both stayed back in the farm,  the man explained to the boss he had once seen a patient  making the same throaty groans when his blood pressure shot up, , pathan jan the boss was aware of the delicate condition and he was driving very fast towards the hospital,  within twenty minutes they were somewhat ten minutes away from any hospital,  the boss won't  get out for there a stir could draw attention towards him,  the helper will take the young man where the boss had already arranged for his assistant to take over,  handful will be taken care of and the boss will return  to the farm house,  the helper will stay with handful all the time and  the assisting  friends will introduce him as family,  the helper will  stay  in touch with the boss reporting updates, the  assisting friends  don't know what line the boss was in, they believe he was helping a woman in distress the mother of the boy but the boss himself didn't want to  appear on the scene,  though the mother should be with the boy but it wasn't possible,  they were just on the outskirts of the city, the phone  started ringing,  pathan asked him to check the phone because he was driving so fast he couldn't   use his hands to pick up the phone,  it was roshni calling,  she was happy to know the hospital was close by,   now the speed  was  slowed down on entering the main city, a man approached the moment the car stopped inside the  hospital  yard, the stretcher was waiting,  assuring  the pathan sohrab sab turned to quickly enter the hospital building with the boy on the stretcher,  the  stretcher was quickly moving towards the  emergency 

page 17

...the lady doctor  explained the condition  and dangers lurking over   the patient  , next twenty-four hours were  critical  all that now was needed  were sincere prayers for her recovery,  Hadid  almost collapsed into a chair  outside her room,  Roman who was so sick and tired  liked talking  will he be able to hear her again,  he watched  people  crossing  the corridor  and then towards the room  and biting his lips hit himself on legs, death was better than  a life of a cripple  he recalled his mother used to say ,  he sobbing as th statement  resonated in mind, he looked again at Roman s room,, death was  not what he wished for his beloved,  he would pray for Roman  s long life,  at least she will be before his eyes , he would  see ger around,  , touch her, she could cry over his shoulder,  he will  be her legs and support,  he pleaded  desperately praying for her to live,  appealing to God to let her live

Roman  regained consciousness,  three days later she was shifted to her room, only Hadid was permitted to see her,  just for five minutes,  it was imperative that they remained calm for quick recovery 

She kept on looking at Hadid  , she didn't know how to  help him out of stress, she  couldn't see him break down,  in eleven years of their marriage she had never before seen him so pathetic 

page 13

...aslam  looked at jhinga with vacant eyes,  had he seen a dream,  aslam nodded  and softly asked for his forgiveness  because of him  jhinga s sleep was disturbed,  jhinga quickly got up and brought a glass of water   for aslam his father  used to say  one must drink a glass of water  after  a bad dream,  aslam gulped it down in one breath  emptying the glass,  jhinga reminded him he had screamed,  forcing a smile on his lips aslam explained nightmares were made of such horrors,  man doesn't know what all he  says in sleep,  go back to sleep and just forget the bad dream,  it's already seven no time to  stay sleeping,  aslam looked at his watch  ten  past seven,  , he stood up  first he would  take a bath  and then cook breakfast,  agreeing amicably  jhinga  supported his decision  to shake off his  bad dreams and wash off his negativity,  the night  before  he had surveyed the whole place  and found the washroom,  his eyes were moist,  , it was  a recurring dream  every eight to ten days he sa it,  he always wept after it was repeated,  he had got used to the dream yet his tears were uncontrollable  but he had moved out of jhinga  s sight before he could see his tears

page 11

....after dinner they went out shopping,  aslam bought for himself all that he needed,  He paid for his shopping  not letting jhinga pay for him, , jhinga curiously  asked aslam if he planned to cook for himself,  smiled aslam nodding  he was  going to cook for them as long as he stayed with him,  but who remains a guest after buying all that to run the kitchen in a most amiable manner talking to each other  they reached home,   if that one room living could be called so, , taking out a bundle from his   old metal  box jhinga declared he was off to work and aslam could take a rest,  aslam surprised asked what kind of job he did at night,  jhinga explained he worked during the daytime too but at night it was more  profitable  and laughing he opened the door  turning to ask if he would be disturbing his sleep when he returned home around midnight, else he could lock him up from outside ,  but aslam was used to stay up till  small hours but laughing suggested it was better he locked him in or he could steal  his things in his absence and  be a robber , his suggestion was so hilarious that  jhinga exploded in loud guffaw, was there anything in that room aslam thought was worth stealing,  aslam explained for robbers even a suitcase was worth stealing,  jhinga went out rolling with spontaneous laughter  without putting the lock on the  door 

page 15

 There is parents teacher meeting on the fifteenth,  they both were to attend it, she was informing Hadid  at the breakfast table,  , he asked her to manage it on her own  because he won't get leave for the work load,  but last time also he couldn't attend the practice meeting,  she would appreciate his being present and judge  their children  s gradation,  she was suggesting,  but he admitted he had a perfect  wife  who was most caring and responsible so he had no worries,  she was master of all, in raising her children,  cooking  cleaning management and household affairs and loving,  he  without letting the children see patted softly on her cheek before leaving the room,  she smiled and assured him  she will  go alone 

Look, at this,  Hadid placed a diamond  bracelet before her,  she was checking  the report cards, , seeing the bracelet her dancing fingers on the laptop stopped and asked in surprise what was it

He faltered  and explained it was a bracelet  , diamonds  ..just for her, Hadid showed mock surprise  and asked her to put it on,

He ought not to have spent so much,  she already had several pieces of jewelry 

from previous

....jhinga bhai  drew  aslam s attention towards the back door  that lead to a washroom  and  without completing his sentence began laughing  because to catch his point  no extra brilliance was necessary and  aslam also  smiled faintly 

Jhinga bhai graciously  invited his  guest to sleep in his cot as the host himself would comfortably  take his sleeping mattress on the floor 

Aslam was rather  embarrassed and argued it wasn't right after some  debating  jhinga accepted the proposal of sleeping in his own cot and instructed aslam to freshen up , his appearance had considerably  distorted  in the heated   argument with the rickshaw driver,  he would be back in twenty minutes with the dinner  by then aslam must be freshened up, aslam stopped him putting his hands in his pockets for money to buy food,  jhinga gently refused his offer  , the account can be settled later, mattress  pillow  sheet all  was now aslam s to make his bed on the floor  , aslam thought all was happening in his favor as jhinga quickly left , hoping  all would be  fine  , jhinga returnedwith food and placed it as neatly as possible on a newspaper,  when jhinga was pouring tea from the thermos aslam said he didn't like tea with his food,  jhinga liked having tea with his meals because it  added  taste to it,  aslam explained he liked tea he made for himself habitually at breakfast