She opened her eyes and looked around. She was in a hospital room. Then she noticed the IV needle in her hands. Maa begum was sitting near her in the stool.

"Beta thik ho tum?", maa begum asked while wiping her tears.

"Maa mujhe kya hua tha? Main living room mein thi phir main behosh ho gayi. Murtasim aa gaye kya?", she asked.

Maa begum's heart ached Looking at her face. She cleared her throat.

"Beta.. Baat yeh hai ke", she tried to speak but could not.

"Apko pata hai maine bohot bura sapna dekha maa begum. Boliye na Murtasim aa gaye hain kya?"

"Main aati hun abhi doctor se mil kar", saying this she left the room before she break down into tears. Meerab looked at her mother in law with a confused look.

"Maa bhabi kaisi hain?", asked a worried marium.

"Murtasim ke bare mein puch rahi hai. Bol rahi hai woh aaya ke nhi. Aab uss bichari ko koun bataye ke uska sohar wapas nhi ayega", maa begum uttere and started crying.

Marium started crying too.

"Bhabi ko bataya nhi aapne?", marium asked wiping her tears.

"Itni himmat nhi hai marium mujh mein. Bata nhi sakti uska chehra dekho bas ek bar tum jaa kar", maa begum cried.

Naurez gave her a water bottle to drink some water.

"Pani pi lijiye maa begum thoda saa"

"Main bhabi ke paas jati hun", marium said.

*****

"Bhabi... Aapko aab thik lag raha hai?", marium asked.

"Marium... Bolo na tumhara bhai aaya? Kahan hain woh?", she asked.

"Ghar chalte hain na bhabi"

She looked at marium with some hope.

"Ghar pe hain na woh?", she asked.

"Ha...haan ghar pe hain", marium uttered.

Doctor came there and asked her how She's feeling.

"Aap 4 ghante se behosh thi janti hain. Apko abhi kuch feel ho raha hai?", Doctor sadiya asked her.

"Thik lag raha hai doctor abhi. Main ghar jaa sakti hun na?", she asked.

"Haan haan kyun nhi. Aap apna aur baby ka khayal rakhein bas. Aur stress na lein yeh sehat ke liye nuksaan dayak  ho sakta hai", doctor advised.

"Jii doctor", she said.

She got discharge from the hospital and they were coming home.

*****

"Meerab beta khana kha lo aao", she heard maa begum's voice.

"Magar Muratsim?"

"Khana kha lo na beta. Dawai leni hai na?", maa begum said.

She feed her food and after that gave her medicines. Meerab came and sat on the sofa along with marium.

"Kahan hai woh?", she asked.

"Bhabi ek baat bol rahi hun haan. Stress mat lijiye please", marium said somehow.

"Bolo na marium, mera dil baitha jaa raha hai. Ajeeb sa khayal aa raha hai. Kya hai hai? Kahan hai Murtasim, aa gaya gaon se?", she asked.

"Wo.. Woh nhi aye hain. Aur aab ayenge bhi nhi wapas laut kar bhabi", marium said and started crying.

"Kya bol rahi ho marium. Kuch bhi mat bolo samjhi. Aise mazak pasand nhi mujhe", meerab said angrily.

"Aapki kasam bhabi jhuth nhi bol rahi. Allah ne bula liya unhein apne paas. Kho diya hum sab ne unko", marium cried.

Tears started streaming from meerab's eyes. Her lips parted and trembled. She tried to speak but didn't get any word. Her heart shattered into million pieces.

"Nhi.. Nhi aisa nhi ho sakta", Meerab said.
Wiping her tears from her face she asked about bakhtu. Bakhtu entered in the hall while his eyes are stucked on the floor.

"Kya hua tha bakhtu bhai?", she asked in a firm voice.

"Woh choti malkin khan aur malick zubair dono gaon ke samne wali khai ke paas mile. Phir achanak Malick'on ke admiyon ne goliyaan chalani shuru kar di. Humare log zyada tar ghayal ho gaye the. Phir achanak khan aur malick Zubair dono ne ek dusre pas bandook taan di. Phir khan ne Goli chalai woh malick Zubair ke gardan pe lagi, aur zubair wali Goli khan se seene mein lagi aur..", his voice cracked up.

"Aur kya bakhtu bhai?", meerab asked. Tears are continuesly streaming from her eyes.

"Aur khan khai mein gir gaye", bakhtu said a tear escaped from his eyes. He kneeled down on the ground.

"Maaf kar dein meerab bibi hum khan ki hiafazat na kar sake... Humein maaf kar dein", Bakhtu said.

Meerab looked at the old man infront of her. He too got a shoot in his arms and some scars. She reached him amd make him stand.

"Apki galti nhi hai bakhtu. Uss zubair ki galti hai. Kya hai uska?", she asked.

"Woh maara gaya", bakhtu uttered.

She exhaled her breathe and came towards maa begum.

"Maa aap rooyein nhi please", she said.

Maa begum looked at her. Still tears are lingered in her eyes but her voice was firm.

"Y..yeh churiyan utar do meerab. Woh nhi raha tod do unhein aab yeh kisi kam ke nhi hai", she heard haya and her blood started boiling.

"Kyun utarun? Kya saboot hai ke mera sohar nhi hai iss dunia mein? Bolo? Mujhe yakeen hai woh ayega aur woh ayega hi. Tu..tum dur raho samjhi", Meerab said with a death glare. .

"Kyun ke tum bewa ho chuki ho meerab. Aur kaanch ki churiyaan suhagan pehenti  hain. Utaro unhein", hays said.

Meerab jerked her hand.Her eyes are spitting fire. She turned towards maa begum.

"Main koun hun maa?", she asked in a firm voice.

"Tum khanum ho iss khandan ki. Khan ki biwi ho", maa begum said.

"Yahan sab mere faisle ko mante hain? Hain na?"
.maa begum nodded her head in approval.

"Toh yeh mera faisla hai ke koi matam nhi manayega. Mujhe yakeen hai mera sohar zinda hai. Woh ayega wapas", she said.

"Nhi ayega woh phir kabhi. Tum aur tumhara baccha hi manhoos ho, kha gaye tum mere murtasim ko", haya said showing her index finger towards Meerab.

"Haya apni zaban sambhalo", anwar exclaimed angrily while coming from the main door.

Before he could reached them he saw that, She hold onto haya's index finger and twisted it down. A sound of slap started echoing in the hall.

"Mere tak rahi toh thik hai, magar mere bacche ke khilaf ek lafz nhi bolna tum samjhi. Apni limit mein raho", ahe roared like a lioness.  Haya winch in pain, its sure that she got a fracture.

Glaring at her she continued, "woh mera sohar hai aur agar usse kuch hua bhi ho toh tum koun hoti ho kuch kehne wali. Bhalo mat tum bas uski behen ho aur main uski biwi".

Haya looked at anwar with twinkling eyes."Baba aap kuch nhi bolenge isse", haya said.

"Galti tumhari hai haya. Maafi mango meerab se", anwar retorted.

Without saying anything she left from there.

"Main maafi mangta hun beta. Uski baaton ko dil pe mat lo. Main Sharminda hun", anwar said with guilt.

"Aap kuch mat boliye chacha saab", Meerab said."Aap mera ek kaam karenge?"

"Bolo"

"Aap Murtasim ko wapas le ayein please. Mujhe yakeen hai woh zinda hai. Jab main aur humara baccha zinda hai toh mujhe yakeen hai unhein kuch nhi hoga. Waada kijiye chacha saab aapne unhein le ayenge?", meerab said her eyes glittering with tears.

Anwar looked at her helplessly. He gulped down and lowed his gaze.

"Boliye na? Le ayenge na wapas?", she asked.

"Haan le aunga", anwar said looking away to control his tears.

To be continue....

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