Shehryaar had qualms about the new company. She didn't apprise him or did anything to bring it in his knowledge about her new job. After receiving the offer letter, Shehryaar had come to her room seeking answers for his questions and her only response was,'I don't want to be fed on the money earned by you. This nikkah is for Chahat,' She had told him. Her voice wasn't hard but her words were. And after hearing that answer, he had stepped out of her room.It was the moment of realization for her.He changed.Very much. Because if it was the old Shehryaar, he wouldn't leave the room unless she would have signed the resignation letter to that company with her own hands.A week already had elapsed since her joining. The company was growing. It was local. On national level. But the CEO Raza Kirmani, a 56 year old man, was still determined to make the roots of the company stronger and make it rise internationally. Nobody at the company knew about Sheharaad's association with Sheharzaad. T
There were laughs and claps over there as the people rejoiced. The CEO standing in the middle of them. Not just the CEO but also his son. Today, Sheharzaad was the epicenter of attention. Those claps and congratulatory sentences were for her. The whole building was happy.The blueprint was atlast passed by the client which was the main thing to get the contract locked between the two companies. And Sheharzaad had a major hand in this that the CEO himself had to come on his feet to her and appreciate her for her dedication, hardwork and devotion for her work. Among the people who stood and clapped, some were genuinely happy for her while some clapped out of jealousy. In a competitive environment in which she worked, no doubt there was more room for jealousy for your colleagues than for appreciation. Some eyes eyes her with envy. Some with pride. Some with appreciation. While a pair of eye had.... neither of these emotions in his eyes but... it was lust. Her angelic face had caught hi
His eyes held no emotion as he watered the plants grown over the mud, below which lied the corpse of his dearest, his beloved. His heart constricted upon thinking the last words he had murmured to Irtaza to convey it to him.'Ask Shehryaar to forgive his mother.... and do tell him that his grandpa loves him so much,'Forgive his mother?But why....Why?Why should he?When she stole everything from him only because of his first love.She was never a mother. When she was the very reason of what he has become today. It was the last will of his grandfather. And the irony was, he was not able to fulfil just that. His whole life he had done what his grandfather asked for. But this demand.... he couldn't simply fulfil it. Despite wanting, despite trying, he couldn't. The internal battle, the dilemma made him so struck in those web of emotions that he would turn his emotional switch off and commit things which would make him feel less of being stuck in that web. That was where his ruthles
Stepping in, she felt a whirlwind of emotions surrounding her.This place.This place forced her memory back to the time where she had no voice. When she was nothing but a puppet. A puppet of Shehryaar's demand and desires.When she did not have a say in anything. When her life had discovered its lowest of the lows.When taking her life was easier as compared to taking a few breaths to live, to move on.When every second was spent in fear and terror of encountering him, upsetting him. And when the strings of her life was totally in the hands of the man who stood beside her. "Five years," Sheharzaad muttered, her eyes inspecting the nooks and corners and then reached Shehryaar, "and how much life has changed,""Positively or negatively?" he asked."I.. don't know. But I think positively. I've Chahat,""We've Chahat," he corrected her and she remained quiet. "Let's go," he held her hand and led her inside.The haveli wasn't as vibrant as it used to be. She had come to know that Dua
"Raped?" Sheharzaad's eyes widened to the size of saucers. She couldn't believe it. And only question occupied her mind that.... was his father involved in this or not. Or someone else did the heinous crime. "Who?" she whispered.Her soft heart couldn't sustain the information and a tear was already down her eyes. How hard would it have been for a woman to go through all this and be subjected to pure evilness. She could relate to Jaha Ara. It reminded her of what Shehryaar did to her. She felt Jaha Ara's pain. Deep within her heart. It made her heart skip a beat. No woman deserves to go through this pain no matter what crime she committed. "Yes. And despite me pressing her, begging her for once to tell the name of that person she didn't. So I kept my quiet. I didn't talk about this with anyone to save her dignity. I gave her all the love in this world to heal her wounds. But... she considered me as her culprit, as her offendor. She was of the thought that if I'd have not asked my f
His proximity had made her queasy as she immediately left him, hurrying out of the the study. She must have taken a step out when she came across, Haroon, Asma's husband. "How are you daughter?" he asked with a smile. He was wearing white shalwaar kameez."I'm fine, uncle. How are you?" Sheharzaad asked politely."I'm good. Can... we talk?"A frown came over her brows. "About what?""I'll tell you. Do you've some time for me?""Sure. Sure, uncle,"And he led her to the terrace on the second floor. They both occupied the settee and sat across each other."What is that you want to talk about?" She asked. Confusion evident on her face."You're special, Sheharzaad. I feel you've a healing power," Haroon began."What makes you think so?""My heart. My heart," he tapped at his chest, "it believes maybe you'll help in getting justice to someone.... who might be waiting for it... for decades,""Who?""Jaha Ara,"Her eyes widened for a second. And she realized in that moment that he overheard
"Assalam alaikum, sir," Sheharzaad received the call from her office. She had taken a leave for few days from her work because of how hectic her life had become due to the project that was hanging like a sword on her head. And the CEO Raza, happily relaxed her from her duties. His wife, Tuba often called her. And she only picked it up when she was away from Shehryaar. "Walaikum salam, Sheharzaad. How are you?" Raza asked."I'm good, sir,""Uhh... the company actually needs you. I know you're on a break but we've started a new project under my son Maaz's supervision. You'll work under him,""Under Sir Maaz?" she frowned. Shehryaar shouldn't know about this."Yes. I'm trying to launch him in the industry. He needs capable indiviuals like you on his side,""Alright. I will try joining in the coming week. But I've some work at home. I don't promise,""Okay. Take your time. I just wanted to intimate yo. Thank you for your co-operation, Sheharzaad,""You're welcome, sir," And she hung up t
More warm tears gushed out of her grey eyes. Every single word managed to tear the strings of her heart.It just pained her. To no end. She felt nothing but pain. Pain of a woman. Who had been through nothing but atrocities in her life. Who had no idea what she was doing and let the mission if revenge completely grasp her senses. She suppressed all other emotions brewing within her. She crushed those little emotions that could have given her life. A new meaning to her life. And she rather jotted it down on that diary which was now in Sheharzaad's hands.'Haider, I noticed all your efforts today. To make us a complete family. To repair us. Today you told me that you loved me. 16th September. I will always remember the date. I will always remember how you held my hands under the shade of the shade of that large pine tree. I will always remember how you arrested my eyes with yours and uttered the words that you had been planning to... since days. I noticed your struggle. I always d
His tongue was too heavy to utter anything. He was still in shock, a state of disbelief had still encompassed him. His grey eyes kept on looking and tracing the cracks on the hardened mud of the grave. Dilemma was hitting him, clutching him in its painful paws and tightening its grip on his heart with every second.To say the least, he was baffled.Grave.It was a grave.Grave of his mother.Mother.Who had died decades ago.But still that day was freshened in his mind like yesterday. Every intricate and minor detail was in the back of hiss head.Often those details took shape of a nightmare in his dreams. The soulless and dead eyes of the lady who hung with the ceiling.Utter helplessness on her face.He thought as much that suicide was her last resort. That was why he considered her weak. Considered womankind weak. Considered womankind manipulative, cunning, untrustworthy.But here he sat, near the one, who was the reason those feelings were born within him but this time he cam
He was in ICU. His guard told her that he was driving the car fastly to home and suddenly the his grip loosened, the tyres slipped and the car crashed. She couldn't stop the tears coming out of her eyes. She knew the reason behind his eagerness to get home as fast as he could.It was because of her request to come home early. She felt utter guilt clipping her heart.That guilt too that she has suppressed within her.She still thought that Haider died because of her. She considered herself as the culprit of Shehryaar. She took his father's life away. If she hadn't given that dary to him, maybe Haider would have been alive today. She took his father's life away.And now he was fighting for his life because of her. Although, Shehryaar had told him numerous times that it was never her fault behind his father's death but she never agreed to him. There was a part of her which still told her that she was the culprit and that part of her was again taking control over her, inciting suici
The evening sky has sprawled. The blue hue was everywhere as the bird chirped, returning back to their respective abodes. There sat Sheharzaad on the sofa of the study reading the same page again, trying to regain her focus. Yet her eyes would move in between the page of the book that read, 'Karachi. The city of lights. Rather previously known as the city of lights....'The book was titled, 'Zaryaab' after the name of the male lead of that book. Sheharzaad's grey eyes again fixed on the sky, witnessing the birds. As the sun reached the horizon, the sky was a mix of orange and blue.Her mind was wondering to Shehryaar. Where was he? Should she apologize? Or should she wait for him?She found herself guilty in this situation. She should have broke it on the very first place to Maaz that she was married instead of going for that lunch. She knew that Maaz was interested in her but she was just finding the right time to reveal it to him and to everybody that she was married that too t
She was sitting in her cabin, going through a file but repeatedly her concentration was breaking as her mind kept on shifting to somewhere.The memory made her bite her lips and take a deep breath. She was at work!She needed to focus.Why was she feeling that way?She could feel butterflies flipping in her stomach. His intense stare again came over in her mind that had her shook her head away. They both sat together, in that starry night, under the shade of moon, with their hands in hand."Isn't moon looking so beautiful today?" she had whispered dreamily as her head rested on his shoulder. "Which one?" he asked making her puzzle."The one in the sky,""Not as beautiful as the one sitting beside me," "You're cheesy with your dialogues, Mr. Shehryaar,"His eyes flickered from the stars on the sky to her face, "Dialogues ain't the only thing I'm cheesy at, Ms. Sheharzaad,"Sheharzaad averted her gaze, looking away. She was grateful that it was night because her cheeks were turning
Every eye was full of tears.Cries and wails rose from the haveli when the janazah was risen from the home.Haider has passed away. Leaving his mother-less children now father-less. Eyes were sad.Yet his grey eyes stared at nothing just the eye-catching verses that he recited. He was silent. Quiet. Unable to produce any response. Placing her head on his shoulder, his wife sat beside him, with tears propelling from her eyes as her hand held rosary reciting tasbeeh for the departed soul.Sheharzaad was crying.But Shehryaar was silent. It was just those eye-catching verses that had his complete attention. His father used to teach him the Quran in his childhood but he never got the chance to finish it because his practice sessions with his grandfather awaited him so he always used to leave without finishing his recitations. Last he read these verses was decades back and then he did not touch the holy book again. When he was set to made his first murder. He considered himself too
The wiltering flowers at his beloved's grave stood out as an evidence of the abandonment by her own family. Haider sat near the grave. As tears slowly cascaded down his eyes."You've endured enough. I wish... for once you'd have expressed your love for me. For once. Then my whole life wouldn't be so bleak. The reciprocation for which I waited finally came after decades," he played with the mud of the grave, "For once, you could have told me... what Agha did. What my father did. I wish... after your demise even for once you'd have come in my dreams and apprised me how you were brutally killed," Another tear dropped from his eye and landed on her grave, "I read... what you wrote in those pages. Where you expressed your love for me. I freed you from myself only because I wanted you to be happy and be with your lover. I've never hated you. Despite you were caught with another man.... I loved you regardless of every circumstance. My love for you was conditionless, my Jahan" (IN URDU JAHAN
"She didn't commit suicide. She wanted to live for her children. But you know what? She was hanged and it all appeared as suicide. This whole idea was of Agha, Shehryaar. Your mother wanted to live," Sheharzaad finished. Her voice has turned into a soft whisper till the end of her dialogue. She could see the enrage slowly developing in Shehryaar's eyes but he was controlling. He was really controlling himself so the monster won't break free. Zahra came running into the study followed by Haseeb. As soon as Zahra's eyes landed on Irtaza, she went in his arms and hugged him, very well aware that she needed him the most in these moments. And as soon as Dua's eyes fell on Haseeb, she rushed into his arms and hugged him. The previous talk they both had in her room was enough for her to trust him completely. He had gained her partial trust when he had convinced her before their nikkah that he will give her all the love of the world. As well as the time and space she needed for this relati
Tears were slipping down their eyes. The whole study has turned upside down. The glass table, smashed and broken. Books from the bookshelf were torned and rested on the floor. The glass pieces of vase were scattered. The place depicted of an utter apocalypse.And among all these broken and torned things, there lied a safe in the middle of the room. Bullets pierced through it and was now tattered and battered. Sat there on the sofa were three siblings, with nothing but tearful eyes.And a piece of paper in their hands. Written to them in her last moment by their mother. The letter which reached them after twenty five long years.Each word pierced through their soul. Every breath they took was heavy, filled with sighs and unattained wishes. The unattained wish to meet their mother one last time.Shehryaar's hand shivered as he still held the old worn out letter. Tears silently slipping out of his eyes. He rather wished he could have died than knowing this truth. After Sheharzaad na
Dua had immediately taken Sheharzaad to another room once her eyes had landed on her. She did not talk to her family or anyone. She wanted to say the words that have been long overdued on her mind.As soon as she entered in the privacy of the room, Dua hugged Sheharzaad and tears slowly slipped out of her eyes."I-I'm sorry, Sheharzaad. I-I-I," her voice croaked, "I wronged you.... I wronged you... I'm sorry, Sheharzaad. I'm sorry," she kept on repeating. Because she just had this word on her mind. The crime she committed was unjustifiable. It didn't matter Sheharzaad would forgive her or not, but in that moment, Dua just wanted to apologize. Apologize for the crime she committed five years back. Apologize for the crime that stayed in her mind for five long years and it kept on haunting her. The guilt kept on eating her. What she did with Sheharzaad broke her more than anything else. Sheharzaad slowly raised her hand and caressed Dua's back, "stop crying, Dua. I... forgive you," sh