" Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs "

~Shakespeare

A week later,
Maahrit's POV:

' tumhe ye haq kis ne dya, ke mere niji mamlaat main dakhal'andazi kro? Maine tumse srf contract sign kya hay, hmare beech koi nikkah wikkah nahi hua hay. Come back to your senses ZULAYM!  '

Main musalsal zulaym ke shak'o'shubhat aur uski haibatnak saknaat ko dekhte huay ghutne lagi thi. Shayad ye meri ghalti thi, blke zindagi ki bohat barri ghalti.

" Jab tum ne mjhse nikkah kya tha, tb tw tum ne ye ratti bhar ke liye bhi nahi socha tha ke tum nikkah nahi SIRF EK CONTRACT sign kr rhi ho ".

Mjhe usse aesi blkl qat'an umeed nahi thi, lekin aksar insan wahi nazar ata hay jo wo qareeb aane pr sabit hota hay. Chahe phr wo uski beyhadh achi nature ho, ya gher haqeeqi tor pr buri asliat.

Apne gaal ko sehlate huay, be'ikhtyari sa ek anssoo mere rukhsaron ko hararat faraham krta hua shiddat-e-dard se beh nikla tha!

' Khuda insaaf lega tum se! '

Maine ba-mushkil  itna kaha tha ke mere samne andhera hota hua mehsus hua, mera mahol se rabta munqata hone hi wala tha ke mjhe kisi ke chillane ki awaz aane lagi.

" Utho, Maahrit! Maahrit, utho naa! Tm kbse library main sone lag gyi? "

Laila ko samne kharra dekh kr mjhe aesa laga jese is ne mjhe us khwab ki haqeeqat se khench kar mjhe bachane ke liye bahar laya ho. Wo mere kandhe pr hath rkhe, mere blkl opposite chair khench kr beth chuki thi.

' Oh... Mjhe laga... , tm kb ayi? '

Maine apni ankhon ko wahan ki sakht roshni se adjust krte huay pucha.

" Tum lunch krne cafeteria nahi ayi thi aur na hi mjhe koi message chora tha ke kahan ho islye, mjhe laga ke tm yahin hogi library main. Thesis bna rhi thi kya? "

Laila shayad preshan thi, blke jbse maine usse apne aur Gerard ke relation ke baare main btaya tha... Wo tb se hi mere "whereabouts" ke takub main thi.

' Hm.. Miss ne kaha tha ke deadline se pehle submit krne walon ko assignment ke liye thori leniency dengi... Tw maine socha thesis pe hi work start krdu. '

" Acha, Tm Gerard ke saath waqayi officially relationship main ho? I mean. How yar? You're married. You love him. You signed the contract wo bhi poore 6 mahino tk ke liye. Tum pagl ho kya rit? Janti ho na Gerard tmse mngni kr chuka hay!!! "

' Haan so? What's the big deal in it? Jese hi 6 months ...

Cell phone ki vibration ne mjhe chonka dya tha. Iss waqt kon call kr rha hay?

' l.. La, unknown number. '

Laila ne mjhe ek tafteeshi nigaah se dekha aur phir handfree connect krke call receive krne ko kaha, ek handfree uss ne khud lagai hui thi.

' Maahrit binte Huzban. Right? Oh so right!
Acha, main apni baat directly kehna zyada munasib smjhunga aur woh ye hay ke tum behetar hoga badal jao.

Main kuch kehne hi wali thi ke laila ne mere munh pr apna hath rkh dya, aur paas rkhi notebook pr likha 'let him continue'

Ghusse ko kese zabt kr rhi thi ye sirf main janti thi, main ne ek aah dil main bhari, jo ke apni bebasi pe thi. Koi bhi mjhe boss nahi krska tha aur ye insan koi anjan mjhe wo bhi call pe dhmka rha hay? How dare he?

'  Sbse pehle tumhe ye krna hoga ke tum law prhna chor do... Aur khbrdar jo meri baat beech main kaatne ki koshish ki bhi tw... Tum apni prhai chor do... Aur mere khyal se mjhe kisi taruf ki zrurat nahi hay tw naam ko rehne dete hain... And one more thing, ask zulaym to divorce you right now at. This .moment. Tum na uski bivi ho aur na kbhi banogi. Main ye bhi nahi chahta ke main tumse shadi krun , nahi blkl bhi nahi. Aur agar tum ne mere kahe huay pr amal nahi kya tw iska consequence bohat bura hoga. And yeah, tumhe shadi krni hay tw Gerard se kro, ussi ko apnao! Got it you b**** '

Aur phir line disconnect hochuki thi.

Main sakte ke aalam main paseene se shrabor laila ki traf dekh rhi thi aur wo kaheen door khala main ghoorti hui dikhai de rhi thi.
Ussi andaz main, bina meri ankhon se humkalam hote uss ne kaha

" Maahrit mjhe lagta hay, ye Zulaym hi hay. Kiunke ye Gerard tw bilkul bhi nahi ho skta, jistarah uski awaz se tmhare liye nafrat aur haqarat tapak rhi thi usse yahi zahir hota hay ke eo zulaym hay, aur ye tum khud mjhe keh rhi thi na ke Zulaym pichle do dino se bht ajeeb behave kr rha hay... Lekin agar tum bura na smjho tw maahrit tumhe kya zarurat thi sirf uss web series ke liye ye shaadi krne ki? Tum janti ni ho kya ke actresses ki zindagi kesi hoti hay? "

' Bus kro laila! Tum zulaym ko kiun bura smjhti ho? Wo bure nahi hain! '

" Aah, not again Rit. Tumhe dikhta kiun nahi jistrah se Zulaym tmhe har jagah follow kr rha hay, he's keeping a track of you. Crap! He even has installed a microphone in your marriage ring. "

' enough laila! Bohat hogya tmhara tamasha, now get the hell out of here and your stupid talks. Mjhe tumhe apna dost kbhi banana hi nahi chahye tha! '

" Tumhe usse pyar hogya hay Maahrit. Khuda tumhari madad kre. "

Aur Jane kiun uske akhri jumle pe mera dil thehr sa gya tha, shayad wo sach keh rhi thi. Lekin abhi arsa hi kitna hua hay mjhe usse se milay aur pyar, huh? Kese?

Main tw Gerard se pyar krti thi, ussi se engaged thi aur sboot ye meri hatho ki...?

God! Meri ring? Kahan gyi meri ring! Oh- no maine apni engagement ring kahin kho di shayd...

Khudaya kher!

Two days before,
Zulaym's POV:

" Tewar thay be rukhi ke, lekin andaaz dosti ke... Woh ajnabi tha lekin lagta tha aashna sa,

Ab kya kahein ke hum ko, kiun bad'gumaaniyan hain... Woh bewafa nahi par lagta hay bewafa sa,

Pehle bhi log aaye kitne hi zindagi main... Woh har tarah se lekin auron se tha judaa sa,

Ab sach kahein tw yaaron humko khabar nahin thi... Banjayega qayamat ek waqiya zara sa!! "

Ahmed Faraz

Yusuf ke message ne mjhe ek bar phir shash-o-panj main daal dya tha. Isse kese pata chalta hay ke main kya feel kr rha hun aur mjhe kya sunna hay, kya janna hay ya kya dekhna hay!

Mobile ki screen ko bila zrurat kuch der tak tkte rhne ke baad maine screen off krke usse bistar pr phenk dya tha. Meri sochon ka mehwar sirf woh thi, sirf woh!

Kal jab woh raat ko neem behoshi ki haalat main kisi aur mard ki baahon main jhoolti hui tqreeban bejaan se jism ke sath ghar main dakhil hui thi, mjhe aesa mehsus hua tha ke dunya ke sare kaante dar phool mere daaman main akar bikhar gye haun aur unki khubsurti se zyada takleef unki bdnuma khasiat de rhi thi.

' K.. K... Kon ho tum aur Maahrit tumhare sath kya kr rhi hay? '

Main ye puchna tw nahi chahta tha pr nashaista andaz se ye sawal meri zaban se phisal gya tha.

Mahrit ko sofay pr litate huay usne ek haath maahrit ki tango ke nichle hisse pr rkha hua tha aur dusra uske sir ko araam dene ke liyw uski gardan ko thamay huay tha.

Wo ek be'tasur si nigah mjh pr dalta hua khamoshi se bina kuch bole wahan se chala gya tha aur mjhe iss roshni ke phelte andhere aur seene main chubhte an ginat kaanton ke drmyaan chor gya tha.

Maahrit wesi nahi thi, jesa main soch rha tha.

Aur phir jb usko raat ko hosh aya tw wo mere paas hi thi, main usse lounge se utha kr apne kmre main le aya tha. Jb wo ghair ki baanhon main jhool skti hay tw meri kiun nahi, aur.. Main tw uska shohar hun...

' Zulaym, '

Uss ne apni kmzor si awaz main kaha tha.

' main yahan kese? Ahh, mera sar '

Wo apne sar ko pkre kuch yaad krne ki koshish main  msroof thi jb maine uske soch pr ek bhaari hathora la maara tha.

" Tum uss ghair mard ki baanhon main kya kar rhi thi Maahrit? "

Main usse darana ya dominate krna nahi chah rha tha, bus main apna pyar ka shak uspe zahir kr rha tha.

' ek min. Kya kaha tmne gair mard? Tum hote kon ho mjhse ye puchne wale? '

Maahrit ke alfaz kholte huay tel ki tarah mere kanon main gunjay thay, uski ankhon main ghussa saaf dikhai de rha tha.

" Shayad tumhe yaad ho tw tum ne mjhse nikkah kya hay, Mrs. Zulaym sheikh. "

Uski kalayi ko apni girift main lete huay maine uske hatho ko choomte huay kaha.

' Eww disgusting! Wth are you talking about! Maine tumse sirf contract sign kya hay! Mera dimagh khrab hogya hay jo main tum se shadi krugi! '

" Tumhe mera choona bura lag rha hay, ya haq jatana? Bolo maahrit? "

' Zulaym listen. Dekho main tmhe sukun se btana chahti hun ek baat clear krlo ke hmari shadi sirf ek contract hay tw pls... Pls... Ismai feelings involve mat kro! '

" Kyun ? Tumhare dil main kisi aur ke liye tw feelings nahi hain? Shayad ussi lrke ke liye jo tmhe... "

' He is my fiancé! So stop your nonsense attitude Mr. zulaym sheikh! Tum mere kuch nahi ho! '

Aur phir mjhe khud yaqeen nahi araha tha ke main aesa bhi kr guzruga...