"People aren't against you, they're for themselves"

Maahrit's POV:

Main class se bahar atay huay ye soch chuki thi ke ab mjhe sirf apne career pr focus krna chahye jo ke abhi kuch dino pehle hi saans lena shuru huaa tha. Aur main aese haya bibi ban ke apni reputation aur iss opportunity ko blkl nahi kho skti.

Huma mam, najane kiun khamosh thin lekin ye shayad qismat mai lkha tha islye hi ye series mere ilawa kisi aur ko nahi di gyi thi. Aur ye baat bhi sach thi ke agar Elizabeth ko pata chal jata ke main nkhre dikha rhi hu ya phir wo shooting location pe 24/7 rehtin tw phir tw lazmi ye moqa tw gya tha mere hathon se!

Cell ki beep se main mutawaja hui aur message check krne ke liye, phone unlock krne lagi. Main ab library ki traf ja rhi thi kiunke in do dino main hi mjhe apne assignments bhi banane thay aur apne dimagh ko dorana tha ke wo kuch soche, aesa hal jo mjhe comfortable bhi lage aur mera dream bhi mutasir na ho.

" I want to marry you, Maahrit. Main tumhare liye apna religion bhi chor skta hun. I really love you girl... Pls don't reject me Maahru, pls "

Gerard ka text prhne ke baad mjhe mera ishara mil chuka tha. I exactly knew what I had to do.

Library mai apne department se related books ko dhundne ke liye second floor ke right side wale corridor mai jana tha.I'm sure iss waqt wahan koi nahin hoga tw mai araam se beth kr apna kaam bhi krlugi, shaam ke 6:00 bj rhe thay. Main ne mama se keh kr ghar se chand dino ka break le lya tha aur main apne friend Lisa aur Aila ke sath rhti thi. Mama ke lectures sun sun ke main pak gyi thi aur ab jb mjhe Elizabeth ne khud approach kya tha, tb se mere paun zameen pr tw jese tikte hi nahi thay.

Lisa microbiology department mai Bachelors kr rhi thi aur Aila mere sath hi law ke 2nd year main thi.

Kuch books nikalne ke baad main unhe pkre huay,racks ki pichli taraf desk pr beth gyi aur sheets ko arrange krte huay main pehle draft mai points arrange krne lagi. Jbke corridor Entrance se mjhe kisi do logo ki baaton ki awaz aane lagi. Main apne kam se kam rkhne walon mai se hun magar unki baaton ne mjhe apni traf khench lya aur mera kaam tw unke kaam se jurr gya. Mera zehn shetani soch main mubtila tha, but who cares? Jb tk ye plan work krne ki probability mjhe nazar arahi hay ismai kuch ghalat nahi hay ke mai isse amal mai le aun.

Hello, I'm Maahrit !

Woh mjhe dekh kr pehle tw thora chonka aur phir apne dost se kuch sargoshi mai kehne laga magar jiske kuch alfaz main sun chuki thi, usse laga tha ke main angraiz hun. Well, wow.

Apni baat agay brhaneke loye mjhe pehle iska aitebar jeetna hoga uske baad hi main apne idea ko amli jama pehna skti thi. Haan, mere paas ye idea tha ke mjhe ab shadi krleni chahye ta'ake mjhe jo andar se discomfort ki feelings arahi hain wo kuch khatam haun. Magar iska ye mtlb nahi tha ke main usse sach main rishta jorna chahti thi, pyar tw main Gerard se hi krti hu aur agar wo keh chuka hay ke apna mazhab chor dega tw phir ismai harj hi kya hay ke main usse shadi krun? Lekin filhal insb ke liye mjhe bohat waqt chahye tha, aur pehle mjhe do din ke andar khud ko prepare krna tha ke main kese bhi krke intimate scenes krlu aur mjhe guilt bhi na ho... Aur aesa krne ke liye mjhe sirf ek kaam krna tha aur wo tha shadi. Contract marriage.

Umm, Nahi ap ghalat soch rhe hain. Main Pakistani hun aur yaheen pr law ki second year ki student hun. Maine suna ap preshan hain for rented appartment or any room, right? Agar main kahun ke main apki madad krskti hun tw kya ap manege?

Wo dono kuch der beyaqeeni se ek dusre ko dekhte rahe aur phir bina kich kahe agay brhne lage, shayad unhe meri baton pr bharosa nahi tha.

Dekhye main janti hu aese kisi unknown pr trust krna bohat mushkil kaam hay, par main apko yaqeen dila skti hun ke main apko dhoka nahi dugi. Mera matlab sirf apki madad krna hay kiunke...

" Apka matlab meri madad krna beshak hoskta hay, lekin main ye nahi maan skta ke apke meri madad se koi apki madad na jurri ho. ''

Nahi ap phir se ghalat smjh rhe hain. Mera matlab sirf aur sirf apki madad krna hay.

" Aur ap ye itne wasooq ke sath kese keh rhi hain, kya ap mjhe janti hain? Obviously nahi.. "

Lekin janna chahti hun, pls.Maine apko kafi keenly observe kya hay, ap yahan blkl mukhtalif lagte hain sbse. I want to meet you tomorrow at cafeteria before the class begins.

" Mera intizar krna fazool hoga. Main nahi auga. "

Aap ayge, aur ye mera yaqeen kehta hay. Chahe ap mjh pr yaqeen kren ya na kren.

*****

Main khud ko bohat kamzor aur shikasta mehsus kr rhi thi, itne saal guzar jane ke bawjood main aj tk uss depression se bahar nahi nikal pai thi. Halanke, mere husband mjhse bohat mohabbat krte hain aur mera itna khyal rkhte hain ke kbhi kbhi main sochne or mjboor hojati hun ke Allah itna raheem hay? Aur mjhe ye bhi dukh andar hi andar khata rehta hay ke main apne husband se uss haq ke sath mohabbat nahi bant skti jiska haq mjhe kuch saalon pehle mila tha.

'' Jaan? Tum ne abhi tk kuch khaya kiun nahi? "

Inho ne muskura kr meri traf dekha, jbke muskurate huay mjhe inka istqbal krna chahye tha. Aj bhi ye office se bht thak kr aye thay, lekin phir bhi hasbe mamool khud ki thakan aur bhook se zyada, hmesha meri fikr krte. Inke liye mere dil main jo izzat thi wo kbhi mohabbat ke sath jurr pati ya nahi, ye main nahi janti thi magar itna janti tgi ke mjhe inse bepanah aqeedat hay.

' Jee, mjhe bhook nahi thi ' . Maine bezari se inki ankho mai dekh kr muskurane ki koshish krte huay kaha tha.

*****

" Yusuf ? "

Hum 34wi imarat se mayoos ho kr wapas arahe thay, ke hmain yahan pr bhi koi room ya apartment nahi mil ska tha. Koi humse mazhab ki bina pr nafrat krta, tw koi qeemat bohat zyada rkhta, aur koi tw hum se baat krne bhi raazi na hota. Hum bohat zyada preshan thay.

" Mjhe lagta hay hmain uss lrki se mil lena chahye. Jo hmain kal shaam library mai mili thi. Uss ne kaha tha ke wo second year ki student hay tw yaqeen hall 7 ki traf wo hmain milegi. Aj class ke khatam hone ke baad kya tum chaloge ? "

Yusuf mere fesle pr qadre heraan hua aur phir thore taquf ke baad kehne laga,
" Kya tumhe lagta hay wo lrki hmari madad krskti hay? Aur bhala koi hmari madad kiun krna chahega?? "

"Yaar, mjhe ye sab nahi pata lekin mjhe lagta hay ke ek baar dekhlena chahye, jahan hum ne itne apartments check kiye, itna dhunda, tw phir isse madad lene main kya harj hay ke jbke offer bhi uss ne khud hi ki thi "

" Theek hay phir, hum lecture ke khtm hone ke foran baad break se pehle usse mil lenge. Allah kre wo waqayi hmari madad krpaye aur koi mushkil scene na create kre. "

Yusuf ko jane kiun uss pe yaqeen nahi tha ya phir shayad wo kuch zyada hi soch rha tha.

Lecture khtm hone ke 15 min baad hum hall 7 ke samne us lrki ka intezar kr rhe thay.Aur kuch hi der main wo aik ajeeb muskurahat ke sath hmari traf brhne lagi.

" Maine kaha tha naa, tum zaroor aoge "