28. Wedding invitation

*****

Ziah woke up with an unpleasant feeling surrounding her form. It had been less than 24 hours since she was in this haveli and not a single positive thought or feeling had knocked in her mind.

The room that she had called hers for more than a decade felt unfamiliar, as though she were new to her own home.

The windows of the room were open. The monsoon had been generous to where she lived and it had been drizzling all night after a heavy downpour in the evening.

Trying to shake the unsettling feeling in her stomach, she took her sweet time in taking a shower. She hadn't conversed with anyone, not like she had someone to pour her heart out to in the first place but when Khurshida begum had invited her in with her cunning smile, she left for her room with a curt nod at the mother and son duo.

Changing into a pair of comfortable blush pink cotton kurti and cigarette pants, Ziah wrapped the thick chadar around herself to secure a sense of safety. She felt as though she was walking on shards of glasses, each step pricked her albeit lightly.

"Uth gayi? Acha hai, aao, nashta karlo."

Khurshida begum called out upon seeing her walk down the stairs. The khat she was sitting on was filled with steaming hot food but Ziah didn't have an appetite.

"Bhuk nahi hai. Aap khale."

Khurshida begum scrutinized her for a moment before humming in reply and continuing her meal.

Ziah rubbed her left elbow while gazing at the main door of the haveli. Just past the gate that was at a distance, the streets were bustling like usual with passersby and sellers.

"Acha, woh tumhari dost hai na, Mali-"

"Malak."

Ziah tasted the name that sounded so sweet to her. It had been ages since her friend of long had been mentioned and her once dim eyes lightened up a little.

Khurshida begum disregarded the correction and spoke further,

"Haan wahi. Maine use bolaya hai tumse milne. Kuch der mein aa jayegi tumhe madad karne ke liye."

At this, Ziah frowned in confusion. Turning her gaze at the old woman who was nonchalantly chewing the morsel she had just consumed, Ziah spoke,

"Kaisi madad?"

"Nikah ki tayyariyon mein."

A stunned silence ringed next to Ziah's ears as her face lost all the remaining colour. Her eyes blinked a few times to clear the deceitful haze and she focused her vision on the woman who seemed unaware of the havoc that she had caused not seconds ago.

"A-aap-"

"Parso ki tareekh nikali hai maine. Chaho toh apne woh dusre dost jo tumne banaye hai, unhe bhi bula lo."

With that, she rinsed her hands by a jug nearby and giving her lips a small wipe, she got up from the khat and with an all-knowing smile towards Ziah, walked off and into the veranda.

Ziah stood still for seconds she didn't count. She knew she was dealing with a raging fire when she agreed to come with Badar, but this? This wasn't what she expected. A few crude words, more threats to hand over the property, stingy remarks about herself and her late parents, but this?

A sudden ring sounded next to her ears albeit it wasn't something physical. Black dots covered her vision and the ones clear surroundings turned blurry. A dull throb ticked in her temples and just as she felt her world fading into oblivion, a pair of hands held her by her shoulders and a voice spoke in a rushed manner but whose, she had no idea.

She felt herself being moved and then something cool was placed next to her lips. Unconsciously leaning closer, she gulped down the glass of chilled water and waited for her world to turn to normal-

Just by looks and not by circumstances.

"Appi, theek toh hai na aap?"

The feeble and worried voice that belonged to none other than Malak who was an angel just like the meaning of her name was heard.

Ziah managed to give a nod all the while trying to control herself from wincing at the way her head felt like it was being trampled over and over again. She felt Malak sitting beside her on the khat and when silence had blanketed the two, Ziah felt soothing touches on her temples.

"M-Malak, kya kar rahi ho?"

She tried to scoot away but was met with a scoff and resistance. Malak continued giving a massage to Ziah's aching temples and after a few minutes, the results could be seen on the now relaxed features of Ziah.

"Ek toh bina bataye hawa mein gayab ho gayi. Pata hai aapko main kitna dar gayi thi? E-ek mahine se aap kaisi hongi, k-kaha hongi ke chakkar mein s-sukoon nahi mila tha mujhe aur aaj wapas aayi toh phir se mujhe dara ne lagi apni harkarto se. S-sirf baatein karalo aapse, warna kehno ko toh a-aapko meri zara bhi f-fikr nahi."

Malak's voice broke multiple times as she conveyed her concern coated with narazgi. Tears sheathed her eyes but she didn't let them fall. A defiant look marred her face and she glared at Ziah who couldn't find any rational reason to suppress the guilt that had been thrown upon her shoulders.

"M-main w-woh.."

She tried to form a proper sentence though her mind had turned blank. Malak stared at her indifferently and before Ziah could say something else, Malak threw her arms around her, bringing her into a tight hug.

Blinking a few times, Ziah tried to calm the girl that was now sobbing in her arms. She felt her own tears making way but she wasn't in the mood to cry.

She had cried enough.

Now no more.

"Malak, bas abhi. Chup ho jao. Main aa gayi hu na? Phir kyu aise aansu bahaye ja rahi ho? Shh, bas."

Rather than controlling herself, Malak cried harder and refused to let go of Ziah. The latter couldn't fathom what she had gone through worrying day and night for her by-bond sister's safety. How much she cried in sujood for assurance that wherever she was, she was safe.

"Maaf kardo na. Bahot kuch hua hai aur ab tum rona band nahi karogi toh main kaise bataungi? Chalo abhi, bas karo."

Ziah gently cooed at her, waiting patiently for her to calm down and control her sniffles.

After a few minutes, Malak had suppressed her tears and was now wiping her cheeks but with a sullen look on her face. Ziah controlled herself from chuckling and with a look towards the main door, she took hold of Malak's hand and walked up to her room in hopes of being away from prying ears.

Malak sat on the bed, waiting for Ziah to start narrating the incidents. The latter paced around the room, formulating the right words to avoid any questioning and after a few minutes of not being able to find a way to simplify her situation, she narrated the fiascos that took place in the past one month.

"Kam-"

Malak put her hands on her lips before the curse was uttered. Ziah almost tripped on her feet. It wasn't common- no it was inevitable to make Malak curse and the way her eyes widened, it seemed as though it happened on its own.

Clearing her throat, Malak smiled sheepishly at Ziah who was looking all the way amused by her antics.

"Lekin aap wapas kyu aayi? In logo ne phir kuch- Ek minute, nikah. Haan! Woh khala ghar-ghar ja kar invitations de rahi hai. Aaj subah humare yaha bhi de kar gayi thi aur kaha tha ki aapki tayyar-"

"Haan, takleef ki unho ne batane ki tumhare aane se kuch der pehle."

"Toh ab kya? Aap nikah nahi kar rahi hai na? Aapne jo dost banaye hai unse madad maang lena."

Malak proposed with a hopeful smile and Ziah felt bad for turning her offer down.

"Bahot kuch bolna aur sunna abhi bhi baki hai, Malak. Main unhe invite toh kar rahi hu, lekin nikah se bhagne ke liye nahi."

Malak found her smile diminishing while Ziah spoke as though the coming wedding didn't bother her.

Unbeknownst to everyone, the delayed storm was on its way and many things were about to change. Questions will be asked and this time, they wouldn't be left unanswered.

*****

"Get off me!"

Marwan shuffled away when the annoyed shriek sounded next to his ears. Begrudgingly opening his eyes, he found Daiyan's scowling face next to his.

A yelp of horror and stumbling away from his seat, Marwan placed a hand on his heart and tried not to lecture his best friend about etiquette.

"Aise kaun uthata hai?"

"Mera bas chale toh tujhe humesha ke liye hi utha du."

Betrayal pricked Marwan's heart upon hearing the words and he wiped the imaginary tear that had managed to fall down his cheek.

"Off-duty commando ko threaten kiya hai tune. Koi nahi, dost hai isliye maaf kar raha hu."

Daiyan rolled his eyes at the poor acting skills and got out of the seat too. They had just landed back in Mumbai and different hearts were excited for reasons of their own. Daiyan removed the bags from the compartments and shoved one in Marwan's hands and then held the other in his own.

"Aa rahe ho ya isi flight se ek aur trip karne ka irada hai?"

Marwan faked a sweet smile at Aliya who returned the favor and with an ugly look his way, she turning towards Kabir only to frown when she realized that he was still giving her a silent treatment.

Without any further dramas, the group had made it out of the airport and took different cabs back to their home since it was already late for a get together as of now.

Marwan and Daiyan took a cab together since Parizad was still at the Qureshi mansion and what felt like hours, the two finally stood in front of the unusually silent mansion.

Clearing his throat, Marwan walked in first and motioned his hand over his shoulder at Daiyan as a sign of 'follow me'. With an eye roll, Daiyan did as asked.

The playful air around the two dulled when no sound was heard from anywhere in the house. Sharing a look of concern, the two peeked around before entering the living room.

Marwan yelped in surprise and horror when he found all the people sitting like statues, staring at nothing. His mother was mindlessly cutting the vegetable that made him scowl.

Palak. Spinach.

Ahh, the vegetable and him had a life long enmity, one that he wasn't letting go off, ever.

"Zara yaha bhi dhyan de do. Sab devdas kyu bane hai?"

Numerous gasps were heard. Each one was more dramatic than the other. Madiha was the first to keep the leafy vegetable aside and pull him in a tight hug. Her once lost eyes now gleamed with concern as she inspected him from head to toe.

"Itne din kyu lage, huh? Aur lage toh lage, ek baar apna phone nahi check kar sakta tha? Itne busy the ke ek call back bhi karna zaruri nahi samjha? Aur baar baar phone switch off karna zaruri tha? Ek bar call kar ke yeh bhi puch lete ki yaha ho kya raha hai."

Marwan frowned when the concern turned to anger. Madiha's voice raised by an octave as she glared at him but not like always. This time her eyes held a fierce sheath coated with a look of loss.

Daiyan cautiously rounded the duo and stepped beside his wife who didn't bother looking at him. Her face was pulled in a frown and Daiyan instantly knew something had happened in their absence.

Marwan tried to calm his mother down. His eyes found Hafeez's who had his eyes casted elsewhere. The latter couldn't find in himself to look at Marwan when the feeling of letting him down had overpowered the joy of seeing him well.

"Time nahi mila tha waha. Sab kuch sort out hone mein waqt lag gaya aur sabke phone distract kar dete unhe isliye Major sir ne switch off rakhne ko bola tha. Aap sab batayein abhi, kya hua hai?"

Daiyan spoke, trying to back up his friend from any wrath that might be bestowed upon him by his mother.

Marwan stared at his mother expectantly but on seeing that she wasn't going to reply, he looked around, hoping to find the face he had longed to see. Trying not to act out of line, he subtly cleared his throat and asked to no one in particular.

"Ziah, kaha hai?"

To his question, the tense silence around just thickened. Hafeez took in a sharp breath whereas Parizad glanced at Laiha in utter helplessness. The latter avoided the gaze and that was when the phone that she had clutched notified a message.

Not just any message- a message from her.

With urgency she quickly tapped on it but what she read had her paling further. If not for that, her voice too seemed to have been constricted.

Marwan saw the ordeal and with an impatient scowl, he walked past his mother and pulled the phone from her hands.

That was only when Laiha blinked away her daze and shared a look of panic with Parizad who peeked at the screen of the phone that Marwan was holding.

Seconds ticked by and when Laiha felt that roars of thunder would be heard around, Marwan spoke in a tone so calm, that chaos would've turned on their steps if in reach.

"Kya mazak hai yeh?"

Laiha didn't look at him. She couldn't. Whereas everyone else wondered what it was while Parizad tried not to spill the words sitting on the tip of her tongue in surprise.

"Ziah, kaha hai? The joke is not at all funny. Bulao use."

Marwan held onto the slipping patience as tightly as he could. The image that was sent by Ziah on Laiha's phone was nothing ordinary.

It was an invitation.

Her wedding invitation in which they were grandly invited.

"For heaven's sake speak up!"

He raised his voice by octaves and a few flinched. Hafeez fisted his hands and looked at Madiha who upon sensing the gaze met his eyes and gave him a single nod.

And that was all it took to unveil the past days in Marwan's absence.

"A member of her family contacted us the day you left. He took her with him."

**********

Yup, increasing the pace of the story to meet the deadline created by me in my mind.

Anyways, does anyone else sense an upcoming character change? A little women power or is it a surrender?!

Haye, koi doctor ko bulao. Marwan ko shayad unki zaroorat pade gi...

**********