Meher's phone rings constantly. Each call belongs to someone from her family or close people. She receives none!

She is running on a lonely long stretched road, away from everyone; everything, crying bitterly. Where she is going to, she knows not. Sometimes it feels as if Naushad is standing there at a far away distance with his arms wide open for her and she runs to him in as much speed as possible, forgetting all her pain and body ache. But the more she runs the more he seems to go far from her. Tired and breathless she stops, holding her knees she breathes heavily and cries all the more.

~*~*~

On the other hand reaching home Naushad too closes himself into his room. Constantly thinking about everything that he discovered today! Sitting on his arm chair, resting back his head he swings the chair vigorously, his eyes closed, all good moments spent with Meher flashing in front of his closed eyes. Then slowly they getting mingled with the heart wrenching moments that he just came living. Tear drops roll down his cheeks.

~*~*~

Jannat too walks alone in some other lonely road, heart broken. She could do nothing for her sister, she feels so helpless. She still has the urge to kill the monster only if it were that easy!

~*~*~

Amaal, she has no idea what turmoils are her each family member facing at this moment as she is not there with them.

While the party was at full swing she escaped that place to try her lucks in modeling again, this time, new place and with new people!

~*~*~

Coincidentally not only Amaal but Bano too was trying to escape to fulfill her dream - to become a singer. But she had no idea that this journey would be her ultimate journey!

The riots got severe and Bano - an innocent became a victim of the riot!

How easy it is, isn't it? To make someone victim just like that? Meher became a victim too! And in spite of her praying each night thereafter, that her sisters be saved from becoming victims, today it feels that either there is nothing called God that exists or her prays reached to deaf ears! Why else would God choose to ruin the life of another Mirza girl, after Meher?

~*~*~

Meher finally decides to receive the call. Where she anticipated her mother asking her where she is right now, there she gets shocked when she hears her mother crying on the phone and saying,

"Bano....!"

"Bano kya hua Bano ko?",

asks Meher, with a throbbing heart.

She cannot endure anymore secrecy!

"Ammi bataooo kya hua Bano ko??",

she shouts standing at the middle of the road.

"Bano humare beech nahi rahi Meherunissa!!!!!",

shouts her mother whilst crying bitterly!

How? Why? When? Meher doesn't have any patience and stamina to ask all that! Her phone slips off her hand out of shock! She falls down on the road, kneeling and cries loud and bitterly, looking heavenwards. She has nothing to say; nothing to complain! Because sometimes the pain; the hurt get so much that yoh go numb! Numb is exactly what Meher is right now! Exhausted and numb! What is exactly happening with her life? With their lives? - she wonders! But gets no answer!

Sometimes it happens a person with whom you share a bitter past, actually turns out to be an omen for you! Meher relates Irfan with all this.

Irfan is the omen of her life!

He ruins her life whenever he gets closer to her, period!

Reaching the hospital, Meher breaks down hugging Bano's body. Her mother and Jannat were already crying, hugging Bano's body.

Outside the hospital, Azi calls Naushad and informs him about Bano's demise! Naushad resting his head against the back of the chair, shuts his eyes and tears roll down his cheeks!

What more will life bring for him in such a short span of time?

As for Azi, he doesn't understand why despite knowing everything, he still trusts Naushad. That's the reason he called him to inform this. He knows that deep down Naushad is a good person, he is just stuck in a chaotic situation. As much as Azi is at Meher's side he is also at Naushad's too.

~*~*~

All of them reach the cremation spot wearing black! Black is what they wear at the time of death of someone.

Azi and Naushad being the closest young men to the Mirza family, help the most in performing the rituals such as digging the place where Bano's body is to cremated; then carrying the crimation box and placing it into the wide dug field.

As for the women, they stand there at a side, watching the men cremating Bano's body and they cry vehemently.

~*~*~

They all leave for their home. But Meher requests her mother to let her stay there alone for some moments. Her mother and others oblige her and leave.

Naushad stays back too!

~*~*~

Naushad reaches Meher who is sitting at the shore of the river on a big stone, staring the flowing water, hearing it. Her face gives away the emotions of nothing but - tiredness; loneliness; pathless life; aimless life. Staring the flowing river, she wonders if her life could also flow as smoothly as the river is flowing. If she could fast forward this current period of her life!

She of course senses Naushad's presence around herself but doesn't care to look towards him and keeps staring the flowing water without blinking her eyes.

"I am sorry Meher!",

he apologizes.

How can he explain to her what dilemma he is going through at this moment?

"Main ek-do din mein apna resignation bhijwa dungi. I think hum subke liye ye behtar hoga.",

says Meher, staring at the flowing river without blinking.

Naushad stares her for sometime. Then sitting on a rock opposite to Meher, such that they are looking at opposite direction, Naushad turns his head to look towards her, all serious. He knew this had to happen someday, they will have to talk! This is the time may be!

"Main apke juzzbaatt samjh sakta hun!",

he begins, showing his condolences towards her and her family.

Meher doesn't seem to be affected positively by his words. To her it sounds meaningless!

Never blinking her eyes still staring at the same point, Meher says,

"Meri behn ke mayyiat pe mujhe jhuti sympathy dene ki koi zarurat nahi hai! Aap kuch nahi samajhte!",

she states clearly.

"Jab aap ye nahi samjh paye ke mujh par kya beeti. Mera yakeen tak nahi kiya.",

her throat chokes.

Naushad hears her silently, his eyes lowered.

"Apke liye beshak wo apke behn ke shauhar honge...",

says Meher.

Anger surges through her and hence she turns to look towards Naushad with full determination and says,

"Par mere liye wo humesha ek rapist rahega!"

Take it or leave it Naushad, she doesn't care. Truth is truth! End of topic!

Taking a deep breath Naushad stares her. His heart and mind are on constant war! His heart believes her but mind doesn't! Then looks away.

Meher follows the suit too and looks away.

She says,

"Humara affair hona; ya unka shadi shuda hona, iss baat par parda nahi daal sakta..."

She looks again towards him and says,

"...that I DID SAY NO!"

By then Naushad too was looking towards her!

"I SAID NO!",

she made it clear again.

Looking away, Meher says,

"Agar aap mujhe ratti bhar bhi samjhte, to jante ki main itna ghinauna jhoot kabhi nahi bol sakti."

Laughing sarcastically, she asks,

"Aur kehke kya pa lungi?"

Naushad turns his face towards Meher and says,

"Hum dost hain Meher! Agar ye such tha to apne bataya kyun nahi?",

he asks.

"Agar??",

she asks laughing sarcastically, looking towards him.

They stare!

"Main apke ya kisi ke samne apni begunahi kyun sabit karungi?",

she asks looking away, smiling sarcastically, hurt audible through her voice.

"For justice!",

Naushad raises his voice, to make it clear, looking towards Meher.

"Karwayi hoti to baat khulne par aap subke samne jhooti nahi lagti!",

Naushad tells her.

Looking away Naushad shares with Meher,

"Meri biwi ne mere bache ki custody ke liye mujh par domestic violence ka jhoota ilzaam lagaya tha. Par main chup nahi baitha. Maine complain darj ki",

he tells her looking back towards her.

Meher looks back towards him and with determination in her eyes, asks,

"Apni biwi ke khilaf complain darj karwa ke apko kya mila? Insaaf ya badnami?"

They stare each other and Naushad says,

"Mujhe meri bachhi mil gayi!"

"Mubarak ho Dr. Rizvi!",

says Meher, sarcastically.

Then looking away, crying more, she says,

"Par mujhse... kal meri behn cheen li gayi."

Looking back towards him, she says sarcastically, crying,

"And so I am veryyy sorry!!"

"Par iss waqt mere liye mere Ammi aur Abbu ka sadma, insaaf se kayi zyada zaruri hai!",

she says, looking away, stressing on the word 'insaaf'!

"Aap khushnaseeb hai!!!.... BUT I WAS RAPED!!!",

she stresses on the last few words, raising her voice.

Her words pierce Naushad's heart!!! It is still difficult for him to accept this!!!
He shuts his eyes and endures it!

Taking a deep breath, Naushad asks her, anger surging through him,

"Main kis kis par aitbaar karun Meher?"

Hearing it Meher looks away, smiling sarcastically!

"Main janta hun... kisi par aitbaar karna koi mamuli baat nahi ho sakti.",

he says, his eyes somewhere on the rocks in front of him.

"Apki soch, apke yakeen se bhi zyada mamuli hai!",

says Meher, feeling lost on witnessing his distrust in her.

Her voice turns soft, as her heart melts thinking about the old Naushad,
she says,

"Kyunki chaubis ghante pehle main apke liye khaas thi!"

(NAUHER tune begins)

Naushad slowly lowers his eyes, the old feeling that he had for her filling his heart all over again.

Getting into a decision, Naushad gets up to leave. But before leaving, he turns a little if not fully towards her, and says,

"Aap wo Meher nahi jo maine apko samjha tha!"

Meher stares up towards him with confidence and retorts,

"Afsos! Aap wohi Naushad nikle jiska mujhe shaq tha!"

Then looks away!

Staring her for sometime, Naushad sighs and turns to leave when Meher, without turning to look towards him, utters,

"I took your name Naushad...!"

Her words freeze him at his place! He turns to look towards her, shocked!

"Pata nahi chala kaise...",

she says, staring somewhere at a faraway point, her throat chokes.

Naushad could feel the adrenaline rush on his face. He stares her shocked.

"Ek baat puchun apse?",

she asks, her eyes constant at the point.

Naushad knits his brows lightly, eager to know what she wants to ask.

"Agar aaj apki behn ke shauhar ki jagah koi aur hota, to aap kya karte?"

Her question comes as a shock for him. He gets back to occupy the same rock where he was sitting previously, but this time he sits facing the same side as Meher.

He waits for some moments, staring the running water, trying to know his emotions.

"Fana kar deta usse!",

he says, his eyes still on the running water.

This skips Meher's heartbeat. Staring him she cries bitterly. Naushad stares her crying. Slowly he brings out his hanky and forwards it to her. Meher looks away out of anger. Lowering his eyes Naushad puts the hanky back into his pocket. Getting up he finally says,

"Apna aur apne parivaar ka khyal rakhiyega!",

and leaves.

Meher cries bitterly as he leaves, looking heavenwards.