ضبط کہتا ہے خاموشی میں بسر ہو جائے
درد کی ہے ضد دنیا کو خبر ہو جائے

Thursday - 3:43pm

"Hey, Hami. You came early today." Anisha Bhabhi's voice halted Hemayal's steps towards her room upstairs, instead the soft voice compelled her to move in the direction of the living room.

"Yeah, it wasn't that of a happening day." Hemayal replied as she placed the purse, car keys and white overall on the coffee table.

Dressed in simple kurta, shalwar and heels, Hemayal Khakwani radiated poise as she took a seat by the fire, the make-up imperfect after the day but still adding to the beauty of her features.

"Can't believe a doctor could say that." Anisha Bhabhi chuckled slightly as she herself laid back in her seat, drawing the legs underneath her as compared to Hemayal's crossed ones.

"Well, doctors have life too." The smudge around the eyes crinkled as she too laughed, the sound exhausted, shoulders tied in knots from day's work.

"How's Musa? Where is he, though? It feels like ages since I last saw him." Hemayal suddenly remembered, eyes darting around the room before coming to rest on her brother's wife - question evident.

"The weather was nice so Baba took him to the park," the elder woman replied and the younger managed a nod before the peace in the room was broken by her sudden question. "He's changing, isn't he?"

Hemayal knew who the reference was towards, could tell even without paying an ounce of attention. These days, the relationship of the father-daughter duo was all any family member ever talked about - be it Mehmal's annoying reminders in Abbottabad or Bhabhi's gentle questions in here.

"I hope it is for the good." Hemayal replied, a shrug purposely done to convince the other woman of her nonchalance - a facade she carried out effortlessly.

"It is, believe me. It has to be. No one in this world deserves happiness more than you do." Bhabhi reiterated with force and Hemayal was genuinely touched.

"Thanks, Bhabhi. I appreciate it." She replied, not wanting to add any further, not wanting to discuss the topic which always hit so close to heart.

"Hami!"

"Phupoo!"

Two male voices called her simultaneously - one mature and heavy while the other belonged to a mere child of two.

"Assalam-u-Alikum to you too!" Hemayal replied with a smile as she bent forward in her seat to gather Musa in her arms who had ran in her direction as soon as he had spotted her.

"Can I have a word with you?" However, it was her father's voice, the trouble and discomfort it held, that halted Hemayal's lingering kiss on her nephew's cheek and she looked up at him.

A moment passed, a beat skipped and Hemayal knew there was trouble.

"Sure" She stood up after a heavy gulp, carefully placing Musa back on his feet who ran to his mother now, and exited the room after her father.

The father led the daughter to the outside of the house, his steps halting only when they'd reach the chairs placed in the lawn. The wind has picked up speed, the cold seeping into her sweater-devoid torso and she shuddered slightly - not for one reason, though.

"I just got a call." Shahriyar Khakwani wasted no time this time, getting to business right away after both of them had taken seat.

"From?" Hemayal raised both eyebrows as she hugged herself tightly.

"Ibrahim's father - Morad Yazdani." Her father said in a tone that conveyed helplessness and anxiety, looking at Hemayal with a deep frown and Hemayal's brows drew in confusion.

"Oh, is that it?" Hemayal relieved a breath after a second, not quite understanding what the tense aura was all about. "But why do you look so troubled about it? Our relations weren't bad, as far as I can remember."

A heavy silence stretched between them, breached only by the winds rattling the leaves and her teeth, before a long sigh escaped her father's lips and he ducked his head, as if vanquished.

"He called to talk about your marriage." He finally said and every single cell in her body froze - this time clearly not out of cold.

"My...my marriage?" Hemayal just couldn't believe her ears and neither her luck which was well doomed for a long time now.

"Yes, he wants the rukhsati to happen now." He said and Hemayal found herself shaking her head, slowly at first but then the action picked speed.

"I can't...believe...no!" She whisper-yelled, jaws clenched and eyes fire.

"I said I'll talk to you but he was insistent." The father said in a small voice and a hint of doubt finally crossed her eyes along with understanding - this was why he seemed so troubled, because his own actions were now coming to bite him.

"Did you put this idea in his head? I knew how adamant you were to get me married." Hemayal seethed, the temper in her rising after a long time towards the man.

"No, I backed off after what you said. He talked about it out of nowhere and that's why I'm discussing it with you," he said, exasperated. "Look, Hemayal, I have nothing to do with this. And I'm troubled here too. You not wanting this and his insistence - I don't know how things will go."

"Yeah, well, somebody put the idea in his head. If not you, then someone else." Hemayal ignored the last part of his sentence, not choosing to dwell on the future, her sole concentration on the present for now.

"Who?" He asked with raised brows.

"Oh, I know who." The fire in her eyes didn't dim as she whispered.

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5:05pm

"Ibrahim Yazdani, I'd like a word." Hemayal Khakwani said through clenched teeth as she entered his office without a knock, every inch of her on the offensive as she locked eyes with the man who sat opposite the desk and had raised his head abruptly at the interruption.

"Sir...I tried to stop..." His secretary came rushing after her, her face flushed and eyes wide.

"It's okay, Maryam," After an intense stare-down with Hemayal, Ibrahim finally said and averted his gaze to the two people he was probably having the meeting with - who, by now, were staring at her too. "I'll go through the proposals one time before concluding anything. You'll probably hear from me by the end of the day. Gentlemen."

Ibrahim stood and shook hands with the two men, a polite and professional smile on his face which turned into a frown as soon as the two of them were left in the privacy of his office.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You don't come barging in my office when I'm in the middle of a meeting." Ibrahim said, anger evident in his words and voice and Hemayal's brow only drew up in annoyance.

This was the first time she was seeing Ibrahim for what he was famous for - a ruthless man of corporate world, dressed immaculately in his crisp suit and expensive shoes, his every action, be it shaking hands or a single nod, a formality.

It took her a lot of mental and physical strength to prevent her mind from distractions at the display of his class and elegance, the subject at hand too important.

"And you don't come barging in my life when it's already in a shit load of mess." In contrast to Ibrahim, Hemayal yelled slightly after regaining her composure and at her tone, Ibrahim only came around the desk and leaned against it, arms crossing against the chest.

"What happened?" He asked, voice gentle and understanding, and Hemayal refused to fall for his charms this time.

"You happened." She seethed, clenching her fists by her side in barely restrained anger.

"I happened 28 years ago, baby. Why are you bringing that topic up now?" Ibrahim said, a smile plastered on his handsome face and if it were any other time, her heart would have skipped so many beats - this time, it only raged further.

"Don't you dare." Hemayal said, visibly shaking in anger and heavy sigh finally left Ibrahim's thin lips.

"Look, believe me, I had nothing to do with it. I didn't tell my father to talk to yours, I swear I didn't." He finally said, his shoulders tense, and Hemayal froze in her place.

"How do you even know that he called, then?" Hemayal raised her brows in disbelief.

"He told me a few minutes ago." Ibrahim replied, eyes never leaving Hemayal's face.

"How can I believe you?" Hemayal crossed her arms, the anger leaving her, in its wake coming sheer exhaustion.

"Well, that's your only option." He said and Hemayal didn't even control the urge to roll her eyes.

"Only option? Please. I have plenty. One of them is going to your family and telling them whatever you have done up till now." She replied smoothly and witnessed Ibrahim's jaw clenching and form straightening before her eyes.

"Hemayal, don't tread that path. Leave my family out of it." Ibrahim said and Hemayal for the first time heard a new emotion in his voice - fear.

"I will, only if you let me out of everything." Hemayal negotiated, face devoid of any emotion.

"I'm going to Abbottabad tonight. I'll talk to my father. Rest assured, nothing like this will happen again." Ibrahim said, all previous humor, gentleness and ease gone from his voice as he left his place and approached her.

"And you want me to take your word for it?" She replied with a scoff, eyes darting across his lean body as she neared her with every small step.

"What I want for you is to put your trust in me for this one time, baby. I'll sort this mess, alright? You won't have to deal with any of this." He replied, stopping a few inches away from her, his eyes holding so many emotions she had to tear hers away.

"My name's Hemayal." She replied, voice meek despite the attempts - damn, his proximity rattled her to no end.

"I am aware of that." He replied, voice still serious and Hemayal almost wished for the humor to come back to it.

"Just...talk to him, okay? Whatever there is between us, I don't want to drag you family into this, I really don't. But you're making it difficult for me." Hemayal said, taking a step back and advancing towards the wall-to-floor window that provided an exquisite view of Islamabad drowning in the light of the setting sun.

"I know, I'll talk to him." She heard his small voice from behind and sighed.

"Thanks." Hemayal murmured, day's exhaustion finally catching up to her as she tilted her head to the side slightly.

His office was warm, the view was ravishing and all she wanted to do was curl up in the soft sofa by the wall and sleep all her worries away - however, she had one more problem to tackle for now.

"There's one more thing." She replied, not taking her gaze away from the fallen sun.

"Yeah?" She heard his murmur right behind her, too close, and the goosebumps rising across her neck made a shiver run down her spine.

"My father's after you." She whispered, the peaceful silence of the room too sacred to ruin.

"Well, basically he's after the man who kidnapped me but that's you. He's already found the one who forced me to come, someone named Anas Ali." She said, voice still low as she felt his presence behind her but she refused to do either of the thoughts that tan through her - turn or run.

"Why are you telling me this?" She heard his murmur again and sighed.

"Because I don't want him to know it was you." Hemayal replied honestly, a confusion coming to rest in her eyes as she gazed ahead at the passing day.

"What, you're softening for me, now?" He chuckled slightly and Hemayal finally turned around in her place and an inaudible gasp left her as her eyes landed on him who stood a mere inch away from her - the softness of his eyes as they crinkled, the warmth of his features, the light reflecting from the planes of his face - damn, he was a fine, fine masterpiece.

It took her more than just a second to recover from the blow of his rugged beauty so near to her, so close she could touch it if she wanted but she knew she wouldn't - she respected herself too much for that.

"You're mine to take revenge from." She whispered as she took a step back, removing him from her personal space.

"At least you consider me yours." He smiled again and Hemayal sighed as she shook her head - his flirtatious innuendo making her tremble and annoyed all at the same time.

"Hemayal, look-" He began again, this time serious but Hemayal was totally and utterly done.

"No, no apologies, no excuses. I'll have none of that right now. I'm just telling you this so you'll do whatever's necessary to save your ass." She replied, voice hardening and steel coming back to her nerves.

"Okay, I will. Thanks for telling." He himself took a step back, a resigned expression on his face and she nodded her head in a final gesture.

"Well, then. That's all. Remember to talk to your father or else I will, and God knows it won't be pleasant." With these final words, she left his office, head high and gait determined.

After she exited the office building, exhaustion finally seeped into her bones so that all she could think of was a cup of hot chocolate and a warm bed, and she had every intention of claiming it.

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till next time,
salam!