"Maryam ye sab kahani jaisa lagraha", Mahjabeen whispered, she was invested in the story from the very beginning. It almost felt like a movie to her, the girl falls for the rival families son and they decide to elope.

"Haan ya unhoney plan karke sab filmon jaisa banaya hai, aisa thodi hota asli zindagi mai", Maryam agreed and sat down on the bed, as Mahjabeen's thoughts went to the pain she experienced, it was just three hours for her but for Maryam it has been a year.

"Maryam tumhe abhi bhi gussa aata hai kya?" she asked softly, Maryam looked up and nodded. The anger still burned inside her, she wanted to slap him for playing with her feelings, for showing her false dreams.

"Kaash jaaney se pehle maine Malik ke mu par do thapad lagaye hotey", Maryam shared sighing as she stared at the wall, her hands trembled as she remembered the words he had once promised her. The promise of eternal love, to grow old with her and treat her as his queen were all lies.

"Abhi bhi maar sakti ho, aur thappad hi kyun hum uss Malik pe eith phekenge", Mahjabeen said excitedly, giggling as she made a devious plan.

"Mar jayega woh, Mahjabeen", Maryam replied as she heard her plan, at this Mahjabeen shrugged. In her mind, she was cursing the man for breaking her sister in law's  heart, she wouldn't let him get away with it. He deserved a slap and Maryam needed the revenge to be happy again. Seeing him miserable, might cure her heartbreak and bring her peace like it did for her.

"Tab toh aur accha hoga", she replied with an evil glint in her eyes, the innocent face combined with this glint was scaring Maryam. She couldn't recognize her, this wasn't her sweet and innocent Mahjabeen, instead a woman filled with wrath.

"Maaru dekho usne tumhara dil toda, hum uska mu todenge", Mahjabeen said in a serious tone, her plan was actually good and Maryam was tempted by it. The anger and betrayal was still fresh and she wanted to watch Malik Zubair suffer, him crying and suffering like she had. After running away many days she would lay awake staring at the ceiling blaming herself, the self hatred and blame killed her peace. Sometimes she would wonder, did Malik Zubair ever regretted or felt guilty for breaking her heart?

"Mai usse tadapte hue dekhna chahti hu", Maryam agreed with the plan, she wanted the anger and pain to erupt out on him, for him to burn in her wrath. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned ...

**

The two sneaked out of the Khan mansion but at the gate were met by Bakhtiyar Chacha.

"Maryam Bibi aap dono kaha jaarhey?" he asked, Mahjabeen who had her face covered asked from behind her veil which she thought would cover up their appearances.

"Aapne humein kaise pehchana?" she asked in awe, applauding his observant eyes, Maryam wanted to face palm realising for a moment maybe their plan was stupid and they could land in great trouble. Her anger had clouded her senses and Mahjabeen's naivety wasn't helping either, Bakhtiyar frowned at the question.

"Aap dono bina Sahib ya Begum Sahiba ke ijazat bahir nahi jaasakte", Bakhtiyar reminded them, standing in their way. Mahjabeen's eyes widened, as she lowered the veil, the look of shock visible  on her face as she gawked at him.

"Ijazat? Khan ne aisa bola kya?" Mahjabeen asked, disappointment evident on in her voice. Her parents had never put such restrictions on her and for the first time she realized how privileged she was then.

"Bhai subha bolkar gaye they mujhe, ke jaise hi Mahjabeen uthey usse gaon ladena", Maryam lied straight through her tongue, Bakhtiyar let them go at this.

As they exited the gate Mahjabeen asked her, "Hum Murtasim se milne jaarhey? Mujhe laga hum badla lene jaarhey they"

Maryam sighed and placed her hand on Mahjabeen's mouth pleading "Meri pyaar behen, har jagah sach nahi boltey"

"Tumharey bhai ne toh bola tha ki jhoot nahi boltey", Mahjabeen protested, she was confused and still a little upset by the permission matter. He could have told her that beforehand, explained her why she needed their permission. It almost felt like a dejavu from her wedding night when Maa Begum had ordered her to do things by her and Murtasim's permission only.

"Haan toh tumne kaha jhoot bola kisise", Maryam replied with a wink making her giggle, she felt the excitement as they embarked on an adventure. Their mission was revenge, to settle the scores and make Malik Zubair regret for ever messing with her.

***

Maryam stopped the car at an intersection and told Mahjabeen, " Humein yaha se jaana hoga, ye deewar ke beech se raasta hai, yahi se Zu.. Malik Zubair mujhe lekar gaye they"

Mahjabeen stared at her with soft eyes, providing support as she hugged Maryam tight. "Fikar mat karo Maryam, mai tumharey saath hu," she reassured her. The memories and emotions were overwhelming for Maryam, but she found solace in Mahjabeen's presence.

They stepped out of the car and walked towards the familiar path between the walls. It was as if they were retracing Maryam's steps from that fateful day when Malik Zubair had deceived her. The wind blew softly, carrying a mix of emotions—anger, determination, and a glimmer of hope for justice.

As they reached their destination, Maryam's heart raced with anticipation. She could feel her hands trembling, but she clenched her fists, refusing to let fear overcome her. Mahjabeen held her hand tightly, offering silent support. Together, they were ready to confront Malik Zubair and unleash their plan.

On the other side of village Murtasim was helping in the investigation as they uncovered the identity of the dead man. He was Shahbaz Alam, a farmer who worked on the disputed land, he was shot two times in the head. The wounds seemed as if they were shot from far away, and it was on the back of his head. The poor man had no family to grieve after his death, so the farmers who knew him came together to perform his last rites.

Shahbaz Alam was an innocent man, he was dragged into all this mess by Malik family. This was their way of showing their dominance, the limits they could go was far worse. They had dared to kill his man on his own land,  they wanted to grab his attention to lure him on their land. All this time he had tried to maintain peace between the two families, but now Malik family needed his salam.

He couldn't let this go unpunished. He knew deep down that Malik Zubair was responsible for this heinous crime. The anger boiled within him, and he made a silent vow to bring justice to Shahbaz Alam and all those who had suffered at the hands of the Malik family.

Meanwhile, Maryam and Mahjabeen made their way closer to Malik Zubair's house. The moon shone brightly, casting an eerie glow on the surroundings. They could hear faint music and laughter from inside, but there was no turning back now. Their revenge was long overdue. They had no idea from the other side Murtasim Khan was planning the same, unaware of their presence. The three of them were converging towards a moment of reckoning, each driven by their own motivations and desires for justice.