Dil bewakuf hai mera,
Ye sirf muntazir hai tera,
Lafz na purey ho toh,
Aankhon se batana,
Pyaar na pura ho toh,
Humein kyun satana?
Roz bitana,
Hai tere saath din mera,
Pyaar hua toh kyun sharmana,
Ye tera kaisa bahana,
Khat likha kabhi toh,
Khud padhkar sunana,

Kyuki ye dil chahta hai,
Tumse baatein karte rahey hum,
Jaon jidhar bhi,
Haan dikhte raho tum,
Kya ye raat dhalegi,
Jab thairenge hum tum?

-Filmon ki Tarah

The chapters will be longer from now on as requested ❤️

***

"Tumhari kya galti thi, shuruaat toh uss ladki ne ki tha na", Maryam enquired angry because of the injustice, how dare the school suspend her innocent sister in law. She wanted to throw hands at the school's authority for supporting the bully.

"Haan magar maine bhi uska mu pakda tha kyuki usne Murtasim ko bawla bulaya tha", Mahjabeen explained and spat out the last few words still upset. Maa Begum had given her an earful after this for creating a performance of their family name. When Mahjabeen tried to justify that the bully started it Maa Begum just said two sentences.

"Khan ki biwi tum ho, woh nahi. Tum khaa leti maar, dedeti paanch sao rupey aise sadak par tamasha karne ki kya zaroorat thi"

Mahjabeen felt angry at her words for the first time, she only cared about family's reputation and how people viewed them. Haya might not be right in Murtasim's case but here she was, Maa Begum's words shouldn't be law.

"Uski ye jurrat, pehle meri bhabhi ko haath lagayi fir ye. Mahjabeen do ulte haath ke lagane they usse", Maryam spat out seething with anger, her reaction was complete opposite of Maa Begum.

"Fikar na karo agle hafte jab suspension hatega toh pehla kam ye karungi", Mahjabeen replied with a grin, Maryam laughed at her response. They continued with their lesson and chattered in between.

Mahjabeen was excited because today Haya was arriving with her brother. Haya was now one of her closest friends they would call each other daily, Mahjabeen would make sure Murtasim was asleep before picking her call.

"Maryam aapko pata hai Haya baji meri sabse pyaari dost hai", Mahajabeen confessed with a grin, Maryam dropped the pen she was holding startled by her statement.

"Haya? Mahjabeen tumhe ye maalum haina woh bhai se shaadi karna chahti thi?" Maryam asked concerned, how could someone call their love rival their best friend. Haya wasn't a bad person, but her petty and scheming nature was something everyone was aware of.

"Haan magar ab meri aur Murtasim ki shaadi hogayi haina. Woh baat toh purani thi", Mahjabeen tried to dismiss Maryam's worry but she grimaced.

"Ya Khudaya itni maasum bhabhi kyun dedi mujhe", Maryam whispered her voice heavy with concern.

"Maryam, mujhe yaqeen hai ki Haya baji ka dil badal gaya hai," Mahjabeen said, her voice filled with hope. "Aur humein unki burayi ki bajaye, unki achchai par dhyaan dena chahiye. Log badal sakte haina"

Maryam looked at Mahjabeen, contemplating her words. She knew her sister-in-law had a kind heart and always saw the best in people. Perhaps Mahjabeen's faith in Haya's transformation was not misplaced.

"Par Mahjabeen, agar woh bhai se..." Maryam began, her voice trailing off.

Mahjabeen gently interrupted, "Toh hum usse samjhayenge. Magar humein usse pyaar se aur samjhota karke samjhana hoga."

Maryam nodded, realizing that her anger and skepticism were not helping the situation. Maybe it was time to give Haya a chance and see if her heart had truly changed.

As they finished their conversation, the anticipation of Haya's arrival filled the air.

***

Mahjabeen was sitting in the garden enjoying the sunset alone when she heard some footsteps nearing her, she smiled thinking it must be her husband. With a grin she faced the person it wasn't Murtasim but Hasan.

"Mahjabeen tum kitni badi hogayi ho", he said with excitement, Mahjabeen laughed and greeted him. Hasan was extremely tall and had an intimidating personality. He had never chattered with her like this before so she was a little nervous in his presence.

He sat down beside her and Mahjabeen passed him a smile trying to ease the silence between them.

"Bhabhi kaisi hai?" she asked remembering the last biryani she had was of his wedding.

"Humara talaq hogaya", Hasan replied with a sad expression, Mahjabeen's eyes widened feeling guilty for bringing up the topic.

"Tumhari shaadi kaafi jaldi nahi hogayi? " Hasan asked all of a sudden breaking the awkward silence between them, Mahjabeen shook her head and replied.

"Nahi jaldi kaha hui hai, meri khwaish thi shaadi karne ki", Mahjabeen replied a little flustered as she remembered Murtasim as a groom, he looked better than any of the movie heroes.

"Murtasim se?" Hasan asked and Mahjabeen nodded smiling. She was excited for their walima, to see him dressed as a groom yet again and for him to be completely hers. This was the last event and then Murtasim would belong to her completely.

"Aapko pata hai meri khwaish thi ke mujhe hero jaisa shohar se miley. Dekhye milgaya", Mahjabeen said excitedly, she was counting the hours at this point. The mansion was decorated completely but she had took the responsibility to decorate her room.

And she had a plan to make Murtasim's day, she wanted to remind him of the day he took her breath away. The first time she actually realised how handsome he was on their nikah, when the curtains dropped and the flowers were showered on them.

Hasan's gaze lingered on Mahjabeen as she spoke about her upcoming walima with Murtasim. There was a strange intensity in his eyes, almost as if he was captivated by her every word and movement. Mahjabeen couldn't help but feel a sense of unease, a subtle shiver running down her spine.

"Mahjabeen, tum khush kismat ho ke tumhe itna chahne wala shohar mila," Hasan murmured, his voice taking on a hauntingly low tone. His smile seemed more sinister than genuine, and his presence sent an inexplicable chill through the air.

Unsettled, Mahjabeen shifted uncomfortably, trying to maintain a composed façade. She couldn't quite shake off the feeling that something wasn't right about Hasan's behavior. She began to wonder if she had misjudged him all these years, never truly seeing the darkness that lurked beneath his surface.

"Tum humesha se hi itni haseen ho kisi gadhey ko hi tumse mohabbat na ho" Hasan continued, his words dripping with a hint of obsession.

Mahjabeen's heart skipped a beat, her breath catching in her throat. "Hasan bhai, aisi baatein na karye", she replied, her voice trembling slightly.

Hasan's smile widened, revealing a disconcerting glint in his eyes. This was the last straw for Mahjabeen with a rush of adrenaline, she turned and hurriedly made her way out of the garden, her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn't shake off the lingering sense of dread.

She reached the room and found Murtasim sitting on the bed she wanted to tell him everything, but then she started doubting her own instincts. What if this is how people interacted with each other in the house?

She couldn't afford to upset Murtasim a day before their walima and her plan to surprise would also go to waste if this was nothing.

"Mahjabeen darwazey pe kyun khadi ho. Andar aa jao", Murtasim said softly when he noticed her presence, somehow his voice calmed her down and Mahjabeen smiled. She wanted to recreate their nikah scene, so she flicked the fan button and like that day the flowers showered on Murtasim.

He was laughing as the rose petals dropped on him, Mahjabeen stood there admiring his happiness with a smile of her own. As Mahjabeen watched the rose petals fall on Murtasim, she couldn't help but reminisce about their nikah day. It was a beautiful memory etched in her heart. She remembered the nervousness she felt as she walked towards him, and the overwhelming joy that filled her when they exchanged their vows.

Feeling a surge of affection for Murtasim, Mahjabeen walked closer to him, her steps light and graceful. She reached out and gently brushed away a few petals from his hair, causing him to chuckle even more. Their eyes met, and in that moment, they shared a deep connection that words couldn't express.

Murtasim held out his hand, inviting Mahjabeen to join him. She gladly accepted, placing her hand in his. They stood there, amidst the falling petals, enveloped in a bubble of love and happiness. It was as if time stood still, allowing them to relish the magic of that moment.

With a twinkle in his eyes, Murtasim whispered, "Mahjabeen tum har roz humarey nikah ke din jaisa mehsoos karati ho" His words melted her heart, and she felt a renewed sense of gratitude for having him in her life.

Their moment was interrupted by Haya, as she cleared her throat.

"Maa Begum ne kaha hai ke walima tak aap dono saath nahi reh sakte", she said with a smile, Mahjabeen laughed and left Murtasim alone to join Haya. She wanted to spend sometime with Haya as well so she bid goodbye to her reluctant husband.

"Kal milte", she said with a twinkle in her eyes and closed the door.

As Mahjabeen joined Haya, the two friends began to catch up and share their excitement for the upcoming walima. Haya had brought along some gifts for Mahjabeen, which she eagerly unwrapped.

"Yeh tumhare liye hai," Haya said, handing Mahjabeen a beautifully wrapped box. "Umeed hai tumhe accha lagega."

Mahjabeen's eyes sparkled with delight as she opened the gift. Inside was a stunning necklace, adorned with intricate designs and sparkling gemstones. It was a piece of jewelry fit for a bride.

"Haya, ye behadd khoobsurat hai" Mahjabeen exclaimed, overwhelmed by Haya's thoughtfulness. "Thank you, mai kal ye zaroor pehnungi"

Haya smiled warmly. "Mahjabeen tum ye deserve karti ho, infact tumhe aur Murtasim ko saath dekhkar mujhe bohot accha laga"

Mahjabeen's heart swelled with gratitude for Haya's kind words. Despite Maryam's warnings, she couldn't deny the sincerity in Haya's voice.

***