DARKNESS FILLED HER SURROUND among them small dot buzzes up. A painful groan left her lips as she tastes a particular copper essence.

Blood. Her Blood.

Blood that betrayed her.

Dhundh ujde hue logon mein wafa ke moti

ye khazane tujhe mumkin hai kharabon mein milen

(seek ye pearls of faithfulness in those lost and drowned

it well could be these treasures in wastelands do abound)

gham-e-duniya bhi gham-e-yar mein shamil kar lo

nashsha badhta hai sharaben jo sharabon mein milen

(let love's longing with the ache of existence compound

when spirits intermingle the euphoria is profound)

tu Khuda hai na mera ishq farishton jaisa

donon insan hain to kyun itne hijabon mein milen

(neither are god nor is my love divine, profound

if human both then why does this secrecy surround )

aaj hum dar pe khinche gae jin baaton par

kya ajab kal wo zamane ko nisabon mein milen

(the acts for which today I've been crucified around

if prescribed tomorrow, then why should it astound)

ab na wo main na wo tu hai na wo mazi hai 'faraaz'

jaise do shakhs tamanna ke sarabon mein milen

(i am not the same, nor you, our past's no more around

like two shadows in the mists of longing to be found)

Ahmed Faraz.

Slowly she tried to open her eyes but closes them soon enough, it's painful.

The wind stilled as they're shocked for she is in pain. She is in pain for her love and her beloved is still not here.

"Wake up Aarzu Begum" The same nefarious voice spoke again. A tug in heart, wasn't he suppose to protect her?

"Yaha kyu laye hai mujhe?" She asked in a calm tone with her eyes closed.

Be calm because A Queen is supposed to be that, she only plays when she has to call the check. Words. No memories. Her most cherished ones, her Abba told her these years ago? No eons ago.

"Riyasat key asool bhul gyi ya shatranj ka key?" A voice dipped in rage, a smile formed upon her lips.

"Muskuraye nahi Aarzu Begum, ek arsa hogya hai apko yaha se gaye huye. Ab yaha humare usool chalte hai."

"Riyasat tab bhi meri thi, shatranj mein ap tb bhi hare the Bhaijaan, ek arsa kya ek zindagi baad bhi, yeh riyasat bhi meri rahegi, seh bhi meri aur maat bhi."

A silence engulfed as she slowly opens her eyes and he took a step back, in fear, in shock.

A gulp.

"Begum Badshah ki kamzori hoti hai Aarzu, aaj tum bhi wahi ho," A smirk again on his lips.

"Ghalat. Begum Badshah kamzori nahi hoti, Baba ne apko kitni dafa yeh smjhaya tha, ap aaj bhi nahi smjhe." A frown on his face.

Baba.

AAGHIR MIRZA.

"Baba" He whispers as he bored his eyes into hers. Their mind trailing behind to lanes of past they hadn't travelled.

THE RED BRICKED WALLS of Mirza Haweli screams happiness today as a sixteen summer Aarzu runs through the massive hallway laughter echoing behind.

"Aarzu aram se bacchey" A twenty-seven years old Shahmir shakes his head.

This little girl is the light of happiness in their gloomy dark lives. Aarzu Aaghir. Her blue eyes enchanting her beauty and sometimes for that Aaghir regret having only two sons, for his princess he needs a whole battalion though!

"Bhai aaj toh apka rishta pkka hona hai Firdaus Baji se, aaj toh khushiyan hai inn waadiyon mein." She whispers coming towards her beloved brother, for she had known their love since forever.

"Shhh. Chup kar jaa agar Baba Jaan ne sunn liya toh humara kya hoga socha hai"

"Uff Bhaijaan Ap bhi nahi kitne burdil hai. Mohabbat ki hai toh darr kaisa"

And he was that. A Burdil. A coward.

That evening the alliance got fixed, two friends, NAWAB ABAS SHAH and AAGHIR MIRZA turned their years of friendship into a family, finally.

Ab sey har nasal Mirza Haweli aur Shah Haweli mein rishtey jode jayenge.

That night, he didn't speak a word, she didn't. And someone had the last laugh. Someone. Sahir Mirza.

"Mujhe khabar thi unke mohbaat, apko bhi thi na. Phir apne aisa kyu kia?" She asked.

"Fatemah Bhabhi mein woh sab tha joh hume hukumat mein laa skta tha. Firdaus aisa kabhi nahi hone deti"

Fatemah was timid, Firdaus was courageous. Fatemah loved everyone, Firdaus loved only some, Shahmir, Zamaan and, Aarzu.

"Baba aisa kabhi nahi chahte"

"Tab tak Baba Jaa chuke the, riyasat mujhe milni thi Aarzu. Aur ab wahi hoga"

"Riyasat kabhi Mirza ki thi hi nahi Bhaijaanm aur kisi aur cheez nahi cheente" She said in a voice dipped in venom.

"Riyasat meri hogi Aarzu"

"Yeh riyasat sirf ek Shah hi sambhalega Bhaijaan." She said again. And this time he slapped her.

"Kabhi nahi" He screamed.

"Ek arse sey mehnat ki hai yaha tak ane ke lia. Abas Shah ko mara, apne bhai ko mara sirf iss riyasat ki chah mein. Lekin uske baad bhi Zamaan beech mein agye abki baar nahi"

"Aur apko lagta hai hume yaha lake ap Zamaan se yeh riyasat cheen lenge?"

"Nawab Zamaan Shah ki kamzori janti ho?"

A sad smile.

"Mohbaat. Woh mohbaat jo woh apne Aarzu sey karta hai."

"Ghalat. Bhaijaan." She smiled. He furrows his brows.

"Usse mohbaat nahi ishq hai humse. Ishq woh jisme junoon hai. Woh joh iss riyasat ko jala dalega aaj chooth usse nahi uske Aarzu ko lagi hai."

For Aarzu Zaman Shah had made choices clear, a long back, a decade back.

"Usse khabar bhi nahi tum yaha hoo" He smirked and the next second the sound of cars were heard. A gulped.

And the wind danced crazily as the beloved is here. The memory of her pressing the power button twice when she was hit was very clear on her mind, for Aarzu Zamaan Shah had made her choice.

"Usse apni khabar bhale hi nah ho, apne mohbaat ka pata zaroor hota hai. Woh humne khud durr bhale rakhe, dil ke khareeb zarror rakhta hai. Usne humse humara haq cheena tha, toh usne apna haq gawaya bhi tha, kyuki usko fikr sirf humari salamati ki thi"

For Nawab Zaman Shah had always kept his priorities straight, his love should be safe his brother should be happy. And for that, he could do anything he has to, even if bid his love a goodbye.

A gulp.

The sky roars as he held in front of him, before them. A small smile lingers on his face as he held the gun against her head.

"Let her go. We'll talk." A roar. For Zamaan Shah couldn't even bear a scratch on his love and here she is bleeding and standing upon the thin rope of life.

"Dard ka badla dard. Yaad hai na Zamaan? Ek arsa phle doo mohbaat karne walon ka qatal kiya tha, aaj sirf ek ka karna hai. Aur jeete jee maut tumhe naseeb hogi. Saza e zindagi naseeb hogi" Sahir screamed followed by a horrendous laugh.

A gunshot.

Blood soaked her body as she slowly blinks her eyes.

A smile.

A gulp.

And their eyes collide.

Blue against Amber.

Remorse against pain.

And the universe collapsed as they witness her blank eyes, without love, without life.

Ab ke hum bichhde to shayad kabhi khwabon mein milen

Jis tarah sukhe hue phul kitabon mein milen

Should we now be parted, in dreams we might be found

Like dried flowers found in books, fragile, fraying browned