Chapter 18: Major Ahmed

Hardly ten minutes had passed when Haya's mobile rang. She picked up her phone. 'Private number calling' was flashing on the screen. This was the first time she received a call like this and she was bit taken aback. Whenever she used to receive calls, number and name..both used to be displayed...but this call had no number at all.
"Who could this be?" She suspectingly put the phone by her ear.
"Hello."
There was silence on the other end and then a deep, serious voice was heard.
"Assalam Alaikum, Miss Haya Sulaiman?"
"Ye.....yes....who are you?"
"This is Major Ahmed speaking from cyber crime cell. You have filed a complaint with our agency. We have received your complaint.
Whoever that was, his voice was very attractive. Deep, serious but soft tone which looked like it was dripped with sweetness of honey. A mixture of coldness and warmth.
"But.....Major Ahmed....I had not given my number in the complaint." Her heart was racing when she inquired. Irum was also alarmed and shocked when she heard this. In reply he laughed softly.
"Number is a very small thing Miss Sulaiman! I know a lot of things about you."
"WHAT!!"
"That you are Sulaiman Asgar's daughter. Your dad has a construction company. Your brother Rohail is a student at Georgemason University. And you, you are in the fifth year of L.L.B hons. In Sharia and Law from International University. And according to a student exchange programme you will be visiting Turkey and pursue your studies in Sabanji University. And you have reported about the uploading of the video on internet of Dawar Furqan's mehendi ceremony which took place last week. Is that right Ma'am?"
She was so startled after listening to all of this that she could hardly speak.
"Yes.....yes that video."
"Now what do you want to do?"
"That you should remove it from that website." Her voice filled with hope.
"Ok. Anything else?"
"And..... whoever has their video even from them...." Her throat felt choked, she felt so insulted, she could not speak further.
"I will remove the video from every single person who dowloaded it. Don't worry." And she felt like a huge burden got off her shoulders.
"Thank you Major Ahmed." From her tone it looked like she was going to keep the phone.
"You should thank me when I will complere your work and to start this work I will require your co operation."
"What kind of co operation?"
"Madam! I will have to trouble you for a bit, you will have to come to my office to report about this video."
"What!! No, no, I cannot come." She stammered anxiously. Irum also looked at her worriedly.
"Then this work cannot be done. Such steps cannot be taken on the phone." She felt like he was smiling sarcastically.
"Bb....But I cannot come." How could she go? If anyone came to know about this she would be tainted.
"You have to come, I will send a car."
"No, no, ok Khudahafiz." She quickly ended the call.
"To hell with him and his cyber crime cell. If Abba or Taya Furqan get to know that we have contacted a headquarter's agency,......they will break our legs!"
"I was telling from the beginning to not report."
The call was coming again from 'Private number'. She shrugged and switched off her phone. More than the video, this Major Ahmed was blackmailing her. Thus thought haunted her for the entire day.

Chapter 17: Cyber Crime

"Irum....Irum..." Haya shouted with excitement and opened the door.
Irum was sitting on the bed holding a mobile, when the door opened she abruptly kept her phone on the side.
"What happened?" Saying that she turned the mobile down so the screen coukd be hidden.
"Listen, that...." just then Haya thought of the proposal. "Oh! I am sorry they refused the proposal."
"That was obvious after watching the video, anyway leave it, it was for the best."
She looked calm. Haya was a bit surprised but that was not the time to express it. She quickly came and sat with her.
"Irum! Listen. Have you ever read in the ads of mobile connections that use of unregistered sim is a criminal offence?"
"Yes, so?"
"Then do you know why it is impirtant to register the sim?"
"Why?"
"So that no one misuses the sim, wether it is an act of terrorism or making wrong calls, it all comes under cyber crime."
"Cyber crime?" Irum blinked.
"Yes. And every cyber crime can be reported to Pakistan Telecommunication Authority."
"What are you talking about Haya? I cannot understand anything."
"Irum....Irum...Uploading our personal video on the internet is also a serious crime, a cyber crime. We can report about it."
"Are you crazy?" She slammed immedietly. "What if someone comes to know about it?"
"They will know if we leave the video online, since past four days I am hanging by the nook, now this problem has to end!"
"But....but who will we call?" When Irum agreed slightly Haya immedietly took out her mobile.
"To PTA. You close the door quickly while I will call the helpline of my connection to get their number."
Irum quickly ran to close the door while Haya started dialling the number.
They quickly found the number. They called but the operater very cautiously warned them that this kind of crime should be reported to an intelligence agency of cyber crime branch.
Haya had taken the email id of the cyber crime unit of the nation's highest civilian agency but now she was confused.
"These intelligence agency people are very dangerous Irum."
"But we have to do this!"
And very true....they had to do this!
Irum opened her laptop and after a lot of discussion they finally wrote a complaint and send it on the address that the PTA had given them.

Chapter 16: Karma

She was sitting very restlessly. Holding a remote control in her hand she curled her legs on the sofa and irritatedly was changing channels. She felt confused, worried and helpless.
On the screen of smart tv an ad was running with loud music. She was watching the screen absent mindedly where alongwith the ad the statement " Use of unregistered sim is a crime by law - PTA" was written. She did not even realise that she had pressed the pause button and the ad had paused there. She was so lost that she did not even realise this.
Just then she saw Fatima Begum at the door. She was entering the room tiredly. Haya threw the remote and stood up quickly.
"What was it? Why did Saima tai call?" She restlessly came closer to her mom.
"The people who came that day for Irum's proposal.." she said exhaustedly and sat on the sofa.
"Yes, what about them?" With a feircely beating heart she sat near her mom.
"They refused, infact they were settled on this proposal."
Haya's heart sank deep.
"Why?" Why did they refuse? She started feeling breathless.
"They didn't give any reason. They have suddenly refused. Saima bhabhi was very upset. "
"But they must have said something!"
"Only this that by making a free thinking and unveiled girl their daughter in law, they don't want to spoil their aakhira."
She got stunned. The statement she heard a few days ago from tai echoed in her ears.

"When Furqan strictly said we don't want to spoil our aakirah by getting that unveiled and free thinking girl in our family, thst is when he agreed."

Was this called Karma? People who raise their fingers on other people's daughters, so they meet with the same fate? Is revenge taken immediately? But she wasn't happy. If anyone came to know of that incident she is the one who will get tainted. For Irum her mom would say "Haya has spoiled her" and would escape. And the incident could be leaked even now. That video was still present on the internet.
"Anyway, Irum has no shortage of proposals!" Fatima Begum stood and walked towards the kitchen while she fell on the sofa. On the tv screen that advertisement was still paused. She was just looking at it blankly.
" Use of unregistered sim is a crime by law - PTA"
Now maybe Irum will never get any proposals. And even if anyone comes the same thing will happen and not everyone is like them to cover the matter. If someone discloses the incident in front of the family!!! Oh God!!!!!!! Where will they go? She was absent mindedly looking at tge screen when she suddenly jolted from her thoughts.
" Use of unregistered sim is a crime by law - PTA"
A lightning struck her brain! Oh God!! Why didn't she think of this before? She sprung up and rushed towards the door.

Chapter 15: The world is small

Rohail stayed in America and over there people often spend most of their time online. Then in that case it was possible that he must have seen the video. Oh God! What will she do now?!
She wore her slippers and lifelessly walked towards the lounge. The receiver was kept beside the cradle. With trembling hands she picked the reciever and put it by her ear.
"........Hello?"
"Hello Haya? How are you?" Rohail asked with a warmth in his voice..Haya couldn't make out anything from it.
"Fine....you....are you ok?"
"Absolutely fit, I wanted to congragulate you." Her heart beat loudly..was he saying this sarcastically?
"Ab.....about what?"
"About going to visit Turkey through the exchange programme, what else?"
"Oh ok." She finally let loose her breath and fell on the sofa.
"Yes I am going. Thank you so much." For the past three days she had forgotten about it.
"When are you leaving?" He was asking happily.
"Till January end or February starting."
"So over there so you plan to meet Sabeen phuphu's family?"
"Don't know. Haven't thought about it." At that time she had bigger problems to think about.
"What happened? You look upset?" He sounded worried.
"Oh..nothing..." She talked about random things in an attempt to sound normal and was successful in doing so.

After the phone ended she went to Irum's place. Irum was lying down with a pillow on her face.
"There's no use of hiding your face like this."
"So what do we do?"
"First of all let's block the site on the computer of both the houses. After that let's think of a permanent solution."
"Fine, let's do that." Finding a ray of hope Irum stood up. Not wasting any time they blocked the site from all the computers. Just then Saima tai came to inform that Furqan taya's family friends were coming to seek an alliance for Irum in the evening.
Haya immediately became excited.
"Our groom has also come alongwith them" Haya peeked in the drawing room and came inside when she saw Irum sitting sadly.
"Why are you sitting like this?"
Irum slowly raised her head. Her head was properly covered with dupatta and she was ready. Yes...her eyes looked empty.
"That video.....!"
"Forget it!! Come everyone is calling. The boy's mother Majidah has called her son so that he can see you. Come." She held her hand to make her stand.
"And abba?" Irum's eyes looked worried.
"They have taken permission and he is sitting outside with the men."
She held Irum's hand and brought her towards the drawing room. They stood for a while behind the net curtains.
Inside Saima tai, Fatima Begum and Sonia were sitting on the sofa. In front of the there were a lot if snacks present and Sonia was politely insisting the guests to have more of it.
"Bus bhai! We want a girl just like us. Modest, Ba-parda (observes veil) and observes sawm and salah." That woman was smiling and speaking.
"Arey Mrs. Kareem our Irum has never left the house without covering her head."
"Assalam Alaikum" she came inside with Irum. On her salaam everyone raised their heads.
Looking down while sitting on the sofa, Irum was wearing a pink coloured full sleeves shirt shalwar and the same colour dupatta was properly covering her head.
Haya was also with her. Her silky hair falling till her waist, wearing a A line grey shirt and trousers and her dupatta by her shoulders. She sat with legs crossed and this made her tight trousers to move up a bit and that showed her ankles.
When Madam Kareem saw Irum her eyes filled with liking for the girl. She looked at her son in an agreeing manner but her son wasn't looking at Irum but at Haya. Infact he was watching her with intent.
"And beta, what do you do?" She didn't find her son paying attention so she asked Irum to salvage the situation.
"Ji..I am doing Masters with English Literature." Irum replied while still looking down.
Just then Haya felt the boy was constantly looking at her. Not admiringly, but questioningly..like deductong something.
Just then he took his blackberry phone from his pocket and silently started pressing buttons.
The women were talking among themselves. But Haya was feeling restless and watched him from the corner of her eyes. At that moment "my name is sheila" sound echoed..but he immediately closed it. But she had listened. ..... alongwith sheila, the chaos of function was also clearly audible. And maybe Irum also heard something, that's why she suddenly looked up but then gradually bent her head.
Haya felt like her soul was leaving her body. Was the world so small?
Now the boy was watching something on his phone. Somerimes looking at the screen and sometimes at Haya and Irum. It was clearly visible he was trying to conclude something.
Then he suddenly stood up and quickly left the room. Everyone suddenly got embarassed. Haya bent her head down and felt like her heart was drowning.

Chapter 14: We are NOBLE!!

As soon as she entered the house, Zafar came running towards her panting ," Haya bibi.....Haya bibi!!"
"Speak already!!" She replied angrily while locking her car.
"Irum bibi is calling you."
"Everything ok?"
"Does not look alright. She is crying a lot." She got startled when Zafar whispered.
"Ok. I will go. You please keep my bag inside." She straight away went towards Irum's house through the gate built in the partition.
Saima tai and Sonia were sitting in the lounge. They were busy examining a heavy worked dupatta that was spread out in front of them. When Haya arrived both of them looked at her and smiled.
"Haya, how are you?"
"Where is Irum taima? She was looking gor me."
"Must be in her room."
"Okay. I will look for her." She smiled and went towards Irum's room.
The door of Irum's room was closed. She twisted the knob and opened the door. Irum was sitting on the bed. The light from the laptop was shining on her face. Tears were running down in streams.
"Irum, what happened?" Worriedly she sat in front of Irum.
Irum raised her bloodshot eyes and looked at Haya. There was something in her eyes that startled Haya.
"Haya, tell me one thing!" Her crying voice sounded strange.
"Tell!"
"Are we noble girls?"
"I am certain about myself but your case is doubtful." She jokingly said to make the atmosphere lighter, but Irum did not even smile.
"No Haya we both belong to the same case."
"Why are you talking in puzzles? What is the matter?"
"Haya tell me are we dancers?" She suddenly started crying.
"Irum!" She got shocked!
"Tell me, are we prostitutes?" She cried loudly.
"Irum, tell me what is the matter?"
"Haya,tell me, are we like this?"
"No. Absolutely not!!"
"Then....then what is this?" Irum turned the laptop towards Haya.
"What is this?" She complicatedly looks at the screen. One video uploading site was open and a video was playing. The caption was written in Roman Urdu
"Shareefon ka Mujra."
The video was of some marriage function. The place was surrounded by well dressed women and in the centre were present two girls who were dancing.
One was wearing a golden lehenga and the other silver.
She felt like the entire roof smashed on her head.
"No!" She stood up, she felt current run through her entire body. "What is this?"
"This is the dance of the noble Haya, and we have done this, this is Dawar bhai's mehendi video that someone has put it up here on the internet. Read here, the one who has uploaded has given his email address, on which you can email and buy the entire dance video. And look at this since three days hundereds of people have watched it. Haya we are destroyed! "
Irum was crying uncontrollably and she was blankly staring at the screen. This was some kind of nightmare, yes right. This was a nightmare and now she wanted to wake up from it.
Her ears started turning red.
"No this is not me." She was moving back step by step. Her lips were quivering. Irum was uncontrollably crying.
"I am not a prostitue. I am a noble girl." She kept walking backwards and crashed into the wall behind her.
"This is US Haya!!! We are destroyed!!"
Her head started spinning.. how did things end up like this? The video had hundered of views. Has her video spread in the entire city? And if it reached her family....
"Abba will shoot me Irum!!!!!"
"And I will be buried alive."
"But who made this video? We had even stopped the moviemaker from shooting our video."
"Someone must have hid and made it. It was a private affair and Abba had given permission for dance in the ladies, if he comes to know that hundereds of unknown men have enjoyed this video...what will happen? "
"Do something Irum!!!!" She lost her patience and dashed towards Irum.
"I have reported on the website. Even if they take action and remove the video it is available everywhere on Cd. Things like this spread within minutes. How do we remove it from everywhere?"
"O God!!!! What has happened!?" She lost all her strength and slumped to the ground.
"If abba or any of our brothers come to know about it...what are we going to do?"

Irum had locked herself in her room and Haya did the same.
She kept thinking till her head hurt but she couldn't come up with a solution.
In the evening Fatima Begum came to her room. "Haya, wake up! How much will you sleep? Rohail has called from America."
She who was sleeping sideways, jumped up in shock. "Rohail called? What is he saying?" Danger alarms started ringing in her head. "He is saying he wants to talk to you." She said that and went away and she sat there shell shocked.
In a silent river a heavy stone was thrown.

Chspter 13: DJ

A few days had passed since Dawar and Sonia's wedding.
It was very cold since morning. December was coming to an end and the wind made one tremble in cold. She was on campus and looking at the list stuck on the door of scholarship co ordinator's office. According to 'Erusmus Mundus Exchange Programme' only two girls were going to Sabanji University.
Haya Sulaiman and Khadija Rana.
"Whoever is this Khadija Rana?" She was thinking while rubbing her cold hands. Her nose had turned red because of the cold. On a long shirt and trousers she was wearing a stylish long sweater. She was standing in front of the door when suddenly someone called out..
"Excuse me".
She got stunned and turned around. There was a girl standing behind her. Bag slung on her shoulders, a diary and pen in hand and huge glasses on her eyes. She didnt know her by name but she had often seen her in the university. She somehow didnt have a liking for this girl.
"Whoever is this Haya Sulaiman?" Behind her glasses she squinted her eyes and said absent mindedly..
Haya looked at her sarcastically from head to toe and then in a distant tone said "That's me".
"Oh!" She replied almost hiding her aversion.
"I am going to Turkey with you Haya! I am Khadija Rana, my friends call me 'DJ', but since you are not my friend, you should just call me Khadija."
"Only my friends call me Haya, you can call me Ms. Sulaiman." She said that and turned to leave.
She felt this Khadija Rana was stupid and strange. No wonder she didnt like her to begin with but turns out Khadija had the same feelings towards her.

Chapter 12 : "Behaya," ( shameless)

Just then she heard a sound of someone striking and then Waleed's scream. She slowly opened her eyes.
Waleed was falling down and there was someone standing behind him.
Wearing shocking orange shirt shalwar, a face full of make up...that day's enunch, Dolly. He had a frying pan in his hand, with which he probably hit Waleed. She kept looking at him in shock. Dolly kicked the unconscious Waleed and his body tilted aside. He walked and stood just in front of Haya. He was staring angrily at Haya with eyes that were layered with thick silver
eyeshadow..she held her breath and kept staring at him. Just then he grabbed Haya's neck such that her hair from behind came withing his grasp. There were hair between Dolly's hand and Haya's neck..still she could feel the roughness of his hands, but no voice could escape her lips.
Grasping Haya's neck like that, Dolly jerked Haya forward. She suddenly coughed but Dolly did not loosen his grip. He caught her like that and kept pushing her forward. She stumbled while walking. They reached the entrance of the alley, and then turned in the opposite direction. They reached the backside of the marriage hall. He kept pushing Haya from behind while walking till they reached the gates and jerked her away. Haya felt like a rough collar got released from her neck. She turned and watched Dolly with tears in her eyes.
He was still looking at Haya with a piercing gaze. Tears started rolling down from Haya's eyes. She thought she had lost her voice. Just then Dolly removed the shocking orange dupatta from around her neck and threw it at Haya. It landed on her head and slipped through her silky hair and landed on her shoulders. Dolly stared at her with piercing eyes and whispered "Behaya!"
His tone was piercing. He turned away. She kept looking at him with tears in her eyes. She was startled when the orange dupatta slipped from her shoulders and fell on her feet. She bent down to pick it up.
Silky, bright shocking orange dupatta which was decorated woth cheap golden stars..she wouldn't even give her maid this kind of dupatta but today.....
She carefully wraped herself around that dupatta so that she wont be recognised and moved towards the entrance of the gate on backside.
Instead of entering the hall she entered the bathroom and fixed her appearence. Her kajal had smudged because of her crying. Even her hair were messed up. Mobile was in her small clutch which she had tightly held in her left hand, Thankfully!
Inside the function was at its peak.
The groom, bride, cousins, other relatives were all smiling in each other's company.
Sonia bhabhi was looking very pretty and even bhai looked good. Irum was wearing a blue coloured frock and happily moving around here and there. In principle, she should have been present there but now she was not in the state of mind where she could walk further, so she settled down somewhere behind.
"Behaya"
"Behaya"
"Behaya"
Dolly's words kept on banging on her mind like a hammer.....she was not shameless. She had never sat alone with a man before in a car. This was the first time she had committee this mistake..then.....? Her head started aching the moment she thought about it.
Midway through the function she excused herself citing illness and left for home.

Chapter 11: First Mistake

"But I want to talk in relation to this proposal. If you can give me two minutes of your time." Saying this he opened the front door of the passenger seat.
A light bulb shone in her mind. This was a good opportunity. She will inform him about her nikah and finish this matter immidiately. The stick will not break and this six feet snake will also get away from her way.*
"Ok, but there are relatives here...."
"Dont worry, I will take the car on the backside, sit down." Very reluctantly she sat down. This was the first time in her life when she sat with an unrelated man like this. If abba got to know about this, his open mindedness would evaporate immediately. She had the freedom to wear anything, no compulsion on observing the hijab but befriending boys without any restraint...abba had never permitted such a thing. When she sat Waleed immediately sped his car away.
" Whatever you have to talk about, quickly say it, then I also have to talk about something. She had her head down and was clutching her fingers.. She was feeling very uneasy.
" You talk first." Waleed had parked his car in a dark alley behind the marriage hall.
" Ok. I had to say something." She continued to speak with her head down. " I don't know if abba has informed you about it but I think it is important for you to know. I was married to my phuphu's son in childhood. They live in Turkey. Because of some grudges between the families, my abba is a agitated and now he wants me to get a divorce but I dont want that."
She did not lift her head. She assumed that Waleed was silent because he was too shocked.
" I am faithful to my husband, Mr Waleed! I have thought only about him and mentally I feel bound only to him. I cannot think of getting married to anyone else. "
He was silent. Haya kept looking at her fingers and kept talking.
" Please refuse this proposal. I am someone else's wife. There cannot be another nikah, please! I am requesting you."
She raised her head. He was silently deeply staring at her. This wasn't the face of the man who had driven the car earlier...he looked like a different person.
"Then....then what have you though?" She stammered. There was somerhing in Waleed's eyes that told her that she had made a grave mistake. Alarm of danger started ringing loudly in her.
"About what?" His voice was deep which made her move towards the door. She sub conciously grabbed the handle of the door.
"About refusing this proposal."
"There is an entire life to talk about these things Haya! Now lets take advantage of the moments that are present now."
He suddenly bent towards her. Haya screamed. Waleed tried reaching out for her neck with both his hands, but she forcefully pulled the handle and pushed open the door. The door swung open. She pushed away Waleed with her other hand and tried running outside. Her dupatta came in Waleed's hands. She ran outside but Waleed pulled away her dupatta. The dupatta made a friction with her neck and was in Waleed's hands now. She kept running without looking behind. She heard Waleed opening his door and cursing at her in some English slang. She increased the speed of her running.
The alleys were quiet. Who knows where he got her. It was Sunday and the shutters of the shops were closed. Without looking in any direction she turned into an alley. He was running behind her. She kept running in the alley...but what was this? It was dead end!
She suddenly turned. The sound of running was coming nearer.
She turned towards the wall and started searching frantically...maybe there was a magical door...maybe the stories of Harry potter were true..but....
"Why are you running?" He asked cheerfully. She got scared and turned.
Waleed was walking towards her. He had a smile of victory on his face. She tiredly stuck to the wall. Her dupatta was not with her and her hands were completely exposed and now that bruise on her neck...she frantically covered herself with her arms.
"Please let me go." She pleaded wirh a heavy voice. This was her first mistake...and for the first time itself she received such a huge punishment!
"How can I let you go? Its not like I can have you later." He was now a few feet away from her. The street lamp was shining behind him.
" Please, I am not that kind of a girl."
" Then what type are you? You took a lift but you are against marrying me. Is that the reason you were behaving rudely with me back in the car?" He stood dirwctly in front of her.
"Please......" she was slowly shaking..she did not have anymore strength to fight Waleed.
"Ssshhhh!!!" He smiled and moved forward. Haya shut her eyes tightly. Her head started spinning.



(According to a proverb in Urdu 'Sanp bhi marjaye aur lathi bhi na toote' is used to get rid of a problem without causing much attention)

Chapter 10: Unwanted Inlaws

"Has Abba left?"
She closed the perfume bottle and kept it on the dressing table. On hearing the car horn and opening of the gate she took her mobile and purse and ran outside. For quite sometime her door was closed and she was getting ready for the baraat. Fatima begum (her mom) knocked at her door atleast ten times and reminded her to hurry up. They were already getting late. Sulaiman sahab had to reach their early to look into the arrangements. They were aware that Haya would run late.
The porch was empty. However there were noises coming from Taya Furqan's house. Looked like there were some people still left. Should she call Abba or wait at Taya Furqan's place and ask for a lift?
She was immersed in these thoughts and turned back to go inside the house when she heard the honking of a car at the gate. She stopped and turned to look at the car. A black shining Accord stood at the gate. The headlights were quite bright. Haya's eyes got blinded by them. Refelexively she put her hand on her forehead and shaded her eyes..she tried looking through them when suddenly the bright lights went dim and the face of the person sitting in the driver seat got revealed.
That was Waleed Lagari. His dad was sitting in front with him and behind in the passenger's seat was is mom..
"Assalam Alaikum Haya!" He opened the door and came out and gently smiled at Haya.
She was standing in front of the car with dim headlights shining on her, wearing a deep red coloured sequened, sleevless frock that touched her feet and with that fitted chudidaar pajaama of the same colour. But they were hardly visible because of the length of the frock. Golden dupatta was by her neck and hanging from her ears were long danglings that touched her shoulders. Her eyes smeared with kohl and straight hair falling behind her back.
"We are not sure about the direction of the marriage hall..is uncle still here?" He was looking at her with interest and asking.
She hesitatingly moved forwards, ignoring Waleed and stopped at Lagari sahab's door.
"Uncle! I have to go to Paradise Hall and Abba has left. I did not even realise it." She was genuinely worried.
"Oh!.....So your chacha and all?"
"They had left even before Abba. Wait! Abba must not have gone far, i will call him back...."
"Arey why should he come back? Its a must that he reaches early, you come with us beta! Even we are going there anyway."
"Yes beta, come!" Mrs Lagari opened her side of the door and moved inside.
She stood there in uncertainity.If she waited for Abba to come back and take her she would have missed half of the function and if she left with them......Abba wouldn't mind..she was sure of this.
" Oh ok. " Hesitating she moved towards the back seat.
"So what does our daughter do?" Mr Lagari asked her.
'When did I become their daughter?!' -_-
"I am doing L.L.B honors with Sharia and Law"
"That means you are an Islamic lawyer?"
"Yes" she faintly smiled. 'Why were these people talking with her so affectionately?
"So how is this subject Sharia and Law?" Umair Lagari continuing the conversation said " because I am an engineer by qualification and I felt wngineering was difficult in the beginning but late it became easy."
"Sharia looked difficult in the beginning but later I got used to it." All the three started laughing so she realised she shouldn't be unnecessarily be frank with them..
"Haya beta, do you plan to practise after marriage? Because me and your uncle dont believe in forcing in these matters. From choosing the field of study to deciding a career we have always given our children the priority to decide. Even Waleed has no problems with his wife working after marriage."
Mehnaz was saying, she was perplexed and was staring at her. Had situation gone this far or were they sure that Abba won't reject them.
Dejectedly replying in yes and no she finally relaxed when she saw the lights of the function hall.
" Thanks for the lift uncle." She came out of the car with uncle and aunty. At that moment Lagari sahab received a call and he excused himself. Mehnaz followed behind.
"Haya, listen." She was about to leave when Waleed called her, he was still holding the steering wheel and sitting in the car.
"I have to talk to you." He had rolled down his side of the window and was talking to her.
"But this is not possible."

Chapter 9: Let's Dance

There was sn empty plot beside their house on which a tent was placed for the mehendi function.
Every corner was decorated with steings of marigold and jasmine flowers. The place was brightly lit up. The gathering was segregated. Separate section for men and women. Well on the side of women, men from the family could come and go. There was a Dj alongwith the music system and moviemaker was roaming with his camera. Wearing a silver sequend lehenga, Irum was also busy . The Dj, movie maker and people serving refreshments were men but this was a function, so what was the point of covering the head? "Haya! Shall we start the dance?" Irum adjusted her lehenga while walking towards her. After carrying out every kind of custom Dawar was sent.
"Yes! You get the song ready and.....who is this?" She was busily talking with Irum when suddenly she got shocked. There was a girl meeting with a woman seated on the seat of the first row. The girl was wearing a black abaya wuhh a stole on her head. That was a all women's gathering but the strange thing was she was covering her face with her stole. Only her forehead and eyes were visible....she had besutiful eyes. It looked like she was smiling and talking to the elder woman.
"Who?" Irum turned and saw behind. Sge took a deep breath and turned back again "That is alien."
"Who???" Haya was perplexed.
"Alien, arey it's Shehla bhabhi. Completely aloof from the world she has built a separate wall around herself. Just to garner attention she attends the function in abaya and naqaab. In a women's gatherin who is she observing purdah from?"
"Yes, True. She is very strange." Shaila bhabhi was the wife of one of their second cousin. She was married just a year ago.

The Dj had set the song. Everyone was enjoying themselves. They forbade the moviemaker from shooting their dance and after that they started dancing. One looked like a golden fairy while the other like a silver one. When their legs started aching and everyone clapped enthusiastically they joyously came down from the stage towards the seats.
"Assalam Alaikum Shehla bhabhi!" That girl was also present on the table. Mehwish, Sehrish and Sana were also present with their mother. Irum immediately greeted and Haya followed pursuit.
"Walaikum as salaam, how are you both?" She warmingly asked them, her two fingers were still holding onto her niqaab. "Absolutely fine. Shehla bhabhi remove the niqaab, who is present here!" Shehla bhabhi smiled and nodded her head but did not remove her niqaab. "MashaAllah you both look very pretty." She was talking and suddenly turned sideways. Haya surprisingly looked at her. Maybe that action was because of the moviemaker.
"What a strange woman, why is she so distrustful of us, its a family movie. Its not like we will show it to any outsiders." Haya murmered angrily.

Then she excused herself from there. Abida chachi was slso present there. After listening to Saima tai and chachi's conversation she wasn't hypocrite enough to talk pleasently with them. Where was amma? Who can she ask if Sabeen phuphu has arrived or not.....or is she even coming? She was restless and confused, then she walked towards her home. She picked the diary that was placed alongside the phone. After dancing her feet were aching so she removed her sandal and rested them on the marble floor. She landed on the sofa with a thump and began searching Sabeen phuphu's number in the diary. She had never called her before like that...but today she had lost all her patience. She finally found the number and dialled the number from her landline. The bell was ringing on the other end. Her heart started beating frantically. After the fifth ring the call got through..

"Hello", a man's voice could be heard on the other end.
"Assalam Alaikum", she wet her dried lips. He replied in a foreign language.
"I am calling from Pakistan." She replied hurriedly in English.
"Who from Pakistan?" He asked in English.
Her eyes filled with tears.
"I am Sabeen Sikander's niece. Please pass on the phone to her."
"She has gone till Jowahar, let me know if there is any message to pass on to her." He replied busily. Now what is this Jowahar she had no idea!
"That.....isn't Sabeen phuphu visiting Pakistan for Dawar bhai's marriage?
"No she is busy." Maybe he was ending the call she suddenly asked "you....who are you?"
"Her son.. Jihan!" And he ended the call.

With wet eyes she stared at the receiver and smashed the receiver on the handle. She wiped away her tears and started wearing her sandals. She fixed her makeup which got spoiled because of her tears and walked outside towards the gate. Zafar was coming towards her carrying a white bouquet of roses. She got startled and walked towards him "What is this Zafar?"
"Oh! You are here? A courier man has given this for you". Zafar passed on the bouquet and a closed envelope towards her. Zafar was a servant at Taya Furqan's for the past seven years. Taya had got him from the village. When he arrived he used to speak punjabi and for the past seven years he has been teying to speak Urdu, but fsiled..now he used to speak a mix of urdu and punjabi.
"Okay you may leave." She held the bouquet under her hand and started opening the envelope. It was a plain white paper and a sentence was written in Urdi exactly in the centre

' For the girl....who sometimes cries in fear of making of an unwilling bond and sometimes cries in fear of breaking of an unwilling bond'
She went numb when she read this and started looking here and there. The mehendi function was going on and all the guests, servants were roaming here and there....amidst this was there someone who was noticing her? She turned the envelope..the date mentioned was yesterday's. Just ten minutes ago she spoke to Jihan and cried...
'The present, unwilling bond'
And an hour ago she met Walid and his parents
'Fear of making of an unwilling bond.....'
Who was this so well informed about her whereabouts and how did that person know she was going to cry twice?! She was terrified and constantly kept reading the matter.

Chapter 8: Potential Groom

"Haya.... Haya! Where are you?"

She was standing in front of an ornamental mirror in the lobby and was trying to fix her teeka when her mom was calling her.
There was chaos everywhere. The mehendi function had started outside. Everyone was busy moving towards the function and she was still standing there.
" What happened Amma?" She was struggling with the teeka which refused to sit on her forehead. A golden teeka of the shape of a coin below which dangled a red ruby. Her hands which were full of bangles constantly made sound when she was setting the teeka.
"Come soon your dad is calling you, we have to introduce you to someone." Sensing the happiness in her mom's voice she got startled and stared at her mom. Wearing a sobre silk saree and diamonds she looked poised and happy. She left her teeka..Her heart started palpitating....Did phuphu arrive...and her arrogant son?
"Where is Abba?" With her heart beating loudly she followed behind her mother. They saw Sulaiman sahab standing near the gate and with him was a young man on whose shoulders he was resting his hand and saying something. In front of them stood an elegantly dressed man and a decent woman.

She slightly lifted her lehenga from both ends and walked towards them. "This is Haya....my daughter." Sulaiman sahab smiled and held her by the shoulders.
"Assalam Alaikum" She slightly bent her head and greeted them.
"Wa alaikum salaam beta" They were curiously looking at her.
She was wearing a dull golden lehenga and heavily sequined blouse. The sleeves of the blouse were shorter than half. Small golden pearls were dangling from the sleeves. She wore her heavy sequined dupatta near her neck. Her hair were as usual straight and falling behind her back. Alongwith the teeka she was wearing golden jhumkas and after applying minimal makeup, her already soft and fair skin glowed further. She lifted her eyes which were filled with kajal. They were curiously looking at her.
"And Haya! This is my friend , Umair Lagari. This is Mehnaz bhabhi and this is their son Waleed." Her heart felt burdened. Tears started welling up in her eyes but she controlled herself.
"Nice to meet you...umm..that guests are arriving and I had placed the rose petals here, everyone is probably looking for me..so I..."
" Yes , yes you should leave, go and enjoy" Sulaiman sahab let her go. She apologisingly smiled at them and walked towards the gate. After coming outside she wiped the corners of her eyes and turned back and saw them before leaving.

Chapter 7 : Jihan Sikander (2)

She had never seen Jihan Sikander. She had just heard about their relation. She was just a year old when Sabeen phuphu came to Pakistan and under emotional circumstances she had asked for Haya's hand for her eight year old son. Her brother agreed and the kids entered the contract of marriage-Nikah. Jihan was present with his mother at that time. And then they left for Turkey.
Twenty one years passed by, and they continued staying in Turkey. He never returned to Pakistan and after that visit even Sabeen phuphu never visited Pakistan. Nor did she ever send a picture or write a letter.
If anyone ever visited Turkey, they used to visit her or else it was as good as not being in contact. She never used the internet. Even if Jihan was on social media no one had his email, facebook or twitter id. Irum and the rest got tired after constantly searching him on facebook but they could never find Jihan Sikander from Turkey.

At the beginning Phuphu used to frequently call them but then gradually everyone got busy with their lives. Once in three months phuphu used to call and once in three months they used to make a call to Turkey. Just the normal conversation...exchange of greetings, and talk on condition of weather, exchange of political views and then Allah Hafiz.

Despite all of these things she had mentally and emotionally linked herself with Jihan. The picture at the time of nikah was still with her. An eight year old, fair and good looking boy...whom she had never met in person and maybe the entire happiness of visiting Turkey was because of him...and now Abba was spoiling her plans. At that time she was very angry with phuphu and Jihan because of whom this relation had become a big question in itself.

Anyway, after Dawar bhai's wedding and at the end of semester, she will visit Turkey and will definitely search them.