Flashback in bold*

The Night has passed in his arms, secure arms with utmost care and love. Love that lingers even in the early dawn as the rays peek behind the clouds, the sun yet to make its presence when she snuggles close to his bare chest, and he wounds his arms in a firm hold around her naked waist.

A smile appears on his face as he slowly opens his eyes, and the first person in his vision is her.

His Love.
His Aarzu.

Usne har dafa sajde pe apni Aarzu kon manga hai
Har waqt usse milte waqt dobara milni ki Aarzu ki hai.

-----------

"Qubool hai"

"Qubool hai"

"Qubool hai"

Words that have sealed their fate that glorious night signing their lives with love. Love that they have for each other for eons. For Zaman Shah had always loved Aarzu Mirza since the moment he got to know what love feels like, what living feels like.

He was trained to be a leader, a Nawab. And in all the chaos he lived in, all the wars he had been through, Aarzu Mirza has always been his home.

"Nikah Mubarak hon Jaanum" A smile and a blush. Happiness was theirs that night.

"Haaye Zaman humari Aarzu toh sharma gayi" Fatemah Shahmir teased her nephew, there's no chance she is leaving, for she had loved Aarzu like a daughter since the moment she was married off to this family.

It was her who get to know about this growing love first and next up to acted fast and in three months, Zaman got his love, Aarzu Zaman Shah. For Fatemah knows loving someone from afar gives one pain, and only that. Love that cursed their lives and there's a war coming their way, before that, these two deserves their share of happiness.

Their share of happiness was snatched right away that night itself.

He walked out of the haweli when Sahir Mirza had killed his brother along with his aunts.
A war had begun.
A heart had been broken next.

"Hume nahi jana hai yaha sey. Amma ap kuch kahe na please." Arzu's plea echoes through the hallway of the huge haweli but remained unheard.

Red eyes.
Red henna clawed hands.

The red lehenga she was wearing.

Uske haathon sey mehendi bhi nah utri thi jab usse uska haq cheena gya.
Uske mohabbat ko cheena gya

"Humara huqum hai key Arzu ap ab iss ghar mein nahi reh sakti" Nawab Zaman Shah had told his verdict. He had written their faith with pain.

"Hum nahi jana chahte. Hum biwi...."

"Filhal key lia ap yeh bhul jaye ap hamari kya hai. Filhal key lia ap yeh yaad rakhe apko London jana hai"

"Woh bohot dur hai"

"Wahi behtar hai"

"Ap hume dur bhej rahe hai"

He sent her away, yet kept her close.

Woh nigahon sey dur si
Dil ke qareeb

---------

A breeze passes as he recalled the past decade. A decade of planning, working and waiting. A decade of pain.

She snuggles to the warmth that engulfs her amidst the intense cold of early January. A warmth she always yearned of. So secure, so cherish.

A warmth?

Her eyes snapped open and she sat up with wreck, a pain shoot her lower body as the breezes kiss her naked body.

A gulp.

"Aarzu?" A solicitation, so soft that she finds herself losing at that again as she did years ago.

"Maan" She moans, in pain, in pleasure as he creases her lower back with the most delicate touch, immersing her quite.

A soft touch as if a little pressure will burn her into ashes and she will retire into the thin ether. She slowly let her eyelids close as she let him engulf her as a whole, for he had conquered her heart for ages, he will rule her soul for years.

He was her captive.
Aarzu ka Maan.

"Dard horha hai?" He whispers as if he is afraid of breaking this artistic silence that perceived them.

She nodded silently, keeping the dignity of the niche. She leans back to his bare chest, letting him cherish her.

Aaj arson baad usse uska haq mila
Aaj saalon baad usse sukoon mila.

Haq.
Her right.
Him.

For she had been his rightful wife for a decade now.

Sukoon.
Her peace.
Him.

For she had left her peace with him here a decade ago.

A gulp.

This all seems to be a dream. A beautiful dream where she is dancing among the meadows with her black hair with copper ends playing along the soft zephyrs that kiss her face and those flurries laughing with her. A warm arm cherishing her as he promised, savouring her like her years for.

And if this is one of such beautiful dream of hers, she doesn't even want to wake up, she wants to stay here for some more time.

In this dream.
In his embrace.
In his love.

Usse iss khwab sey mohbaat hogyi thi.
Aur khwab mein zindagi nahi jeeya jata.

For life can never be a dreamland.

Tears.
Blood.
Love.

All hers, his, Theirs.

Hazaron Khwahishen aisi ki har Khwahish pe dam nikle

Bahut nikle mere arman lekin phir bhi kam nikle

(I have a thousand yearnings, each one afflicts me so

Many were fulfilled for sure, not enough although)

Dare kyun mera qatil kya rahega us ki gardan par

Wo Khun jo chashm-e-tar se umr bhar yun dam-ba-dam nikle

(Why is my murderer afraid would she have to account

For the blood that ceaselessly, from these eyes does flow)

Nikalna Khuld se aadam ka sunte aae hain lekin

Bahut be-abru ho kar tere kuche se hum nikle

(From Eden, of Adam's exile, I am familiar, though

Greatly humiliated from your street did I have to go)

Bharam khul jae zalim tere qamat ki daraazi ka

Agar is turra-e-pur-pech-o-Kham ka pech-o-Kham nikle

(O cruel one, illusions of your stature all will know

If those devious curls of yours could straighten arrow)

Magar likhwae koi us ko KHat to hum se likhwae

Hui subh aur ghar se kan par rakh kar qalam nikle

(If someone wants to write to her, on me this task bestow

Since morning I am roaming with a pen upon my brow)

Hui is daur mein mansub mujh se baada-ashami

Phir aaya wo zamana jo jahan mein jam-e-jam nikle

(The rites of drinking at this time with me associate

Days are here now again when Jamshed's wine does flow)

Hui jin se tawaqqo Khastagi ki daad pane ki

wo hum se bhi ziyaada KHasta-e-tegh-e-sitam nikle

(For my injuries, from those that, praise I did expect

They too turned out to be wounded, actually more so)

Mohabbat mein nahin hai farq jine aur marne ka

Usi ko dekh kar jite hain jis kafir pe dam nikle

(In love, there is no difference 'tween life and death do know

The very one for whom I die, life too does bestow)

Kahan mai-Khane ka darwaza 'ghaalib' aur kahan waiz

Par itna jaante hain kal wo jata tha ki hum nikle

(Wherefrom the 'saintly' priest, and where the tavern's door

But as I entered he was leaving, this much I do know)

Mirza Ghalib

------------

Red lehenga, red zardozi dupatta covering her head. A soft smile and a glow. All her jewellery, rightfully her. A gulp.

All this is hers, since ages.
But why doesn't it feel like it?

A gulp.

A pair of hands hugs her from behind and she leans back, this feels like normal though.

"Haseen lag rahi ho Heer ki Aarzu," He said with that smirk.

She nodded. A furrow crossed her face. She just nodded.

"Aarzu?" He makes her stand facing him, and then he saw it, the glow, the glow of love, a smile formed on his face.

Then the stars lingering on her blue orbs. And he took a step back. Aarzu Shah never cries.

And at that moment Zaheer Shah swears not only his twin but his ancestor have sensed this fear.

Heer ki Aarzu ney arson sey asun nahi bahaye the

Usne saalon sey apne dard ko mehsoosh nahi kia tha

"Kya hua?" He whispers, in fear, in hope.

"Haar gayi." And she let her stars befall down, crumbling them on the wooden floor where she had fallen herself a decade back. A gulp.

"Aarzu"

"Heeri ki Aarzu toh kabhi thi hi nahi" She whispers. He gulps.

"Aarzu"

"Aur abki baar Aarzu ka Maan chor gya toh meri sansein chali jayengi."

"Aarzu"

"Apna dil toh usse diye arsa hogya tha, aaj uspe apna ruh bhi luta ayi hua."

Pain.
Fear.
Love.

"Woh nahi jayega chorkey." He said.

"Woh nahi jayega" She whispers and he nods.

"Woh mujhe durr bhej dega."

Love is here.
Trust is not.

"Aarzu" A known voice come as she finds herself closing towards Zaheer, he had been there when no one else's stayed.

"Zamaan Bhai " He addresses him.

"Kya hua?" He ask with a furrow.

"Isse darr lag raha hai."

A gulp.
A fear.

He steps towards her and kneels in front of her. Zaheer steps back kneeling behind, for he can't stand when the King kneeling, his etiquettes.

A soft hold, and she gulp.

Usne pehli dafa usse kisi ke age sar jhukate dekha tha
Usne pehli dafe khudko jeete dekha tha

"Mohabbat ho meri Aarzu, maar bhi jau toh bhi tumko nahi khoo sakta. Tumne apni ruh lutayi hai mujhpe, meri toh sansein ki makhlooq ho tum"

Words.
Words they will pay for.

--------

Tonight, the smile was prominent on her lips. A smile that screamed happiness and Aneesha Begum blessed her with all her wishes.

"Maine saqde lene don tumhare. Iss khushi ko kisi ki nazar na lage."

They were happy today, and all they hoped was for this happiness to stay.

Abeera hugged her tight when she left. The haveli has suddenly become so silent as the blanket of mourn engulfs them, for the daughter of Haweli has left. All the laughter that was echoing since morning were gone.

All the gloominess lingers in the air as she slowly walks back to her room. A sigh.

-----

He is yet to come out of the shower, and from all that happened today, she badly craves a peaceful sleep, in his arms. But before that she needs to talk to him about her mother, she needs to know.

Her array of thoughts are broken by a sudden call. His phone was continuously ringing and with another ring, she slides the green button. She shouldn't have.

The breezes halt as she choked her breath.

The next second everything she hears made her numb. The phones slide off the hold as she crumbles down.

Lost.

Betrayal.

War.

He steps out of the washroom and the scene makes him gulp.

"Aarzu" He calls her and the moment she looks into his eyes he steps back.

Red eyes.
Rage.
Betrayal.
Broken.
Hate.

And she will raise the hell now, all along he was playing the battle as he is the King. She will freaking end this as a War as she is the Queen.