"Hasan ka call aaya tha, Haya wapas aarahi", Maa Begum announced at the dinner table, Mahjabeen was sitting beside Anwar while Murtasim was on the left of Maa Begum who sat on the head of the table.

"London se kab wapas aayi woh?" Anwar enquired his face was brightened up, Haya was like a daughter to him after her parent's demise he had always felt pity for the girl. She had grown up in this house like Maa Begum's daughter, and was really invested in her studies so he had sent her to London for her PHD.

"Kal raat ko, abhi filhaal Hyderabad mai hai", she replied adjusting her scarf as she rolled her eyes. Maryam her only daughter had left the house for no reason, she complained how suffocating it felt to live here. As a mother Maa Begum had done everything for her, but Maryam had walked over her as soon as she got the chance and ran away to Hyderabad. Haya and Maryam lived in the same apartment complex, the two of them were closer than a real sibling, Maryam shared more things with Haya than she did with Murtasim. And because of that Maa Begum hated Haya's guts, so much so that she had denied Haya and Murtasim's marriage. She didn't want that girl to sway her son like she swayed her daughter. Maa Begum wanted an innocent girl as her daughter in law, and Mahjabeen was that girl.

"Mahjabeen tumhara aur Murtasim ka nikah ek mah baad hoga", She declared making Mahjabeen drop her spoon under the table. Mahjabeen apologised and tried to look for her cutlery but couldn't find it.

"Raza Mahjabeen ke liye chammach lana", Maa Begum ordered not wanting her to go under the table and embarrass herself.

" Ji Begum sahiba"

"Maa Begum mujhe ye shaadi nhi karni na Mahjabeen ko", Murtasim announced and stood up, he didn't want his mother to make such an important decision of his life.

"Tum kaha jaarhey ho?" Maa Begum asked she didn't like how he stood up from the table before her, Murtasim was slowly turning into Maryam and she hated that.

"Haya ko lene, akele aana theek nhi hoga uska", He explained and Anwar nodded but Maa Begum stopped him.

"Mahjabeen tumhare saath jayegi", She ordered the girl who was in the middle of her breakfast looking confused whether to join him immediately or finish her breakfast first but Maa Begum answered her query.

"Abhi", the poor girl gulped down her tea and grabbed two toasts before following him.

As they reached the car Murtasim signalled her to wait.

"Pehle tum khaalo phir chalenge", He said as he leaned on the car.

"Car mai baithtey haina tum AC on kardena", she suggested to which he immediately shook his head.

"Nahi idhar hi khatam karo", He ordered not even sparing her a glance.

"Tumhare ghar mai sab itne gussail kyun hai, ye mat karo, Murtasim ke saath jao, waha nhi baitho, idhar na jao, shaadi na karo ya Allah! Mai toh tang aagayi hu", She complained while munching her toast angrily. He glanced at her and shook his head.

"Maa Begum se kaho ye sab, mere saamne hi mu khulta hai tumhara", He retorted while putting on his shades.

"Haan kyuki aap mere dost hai Maa Begum nhi", She replied sweetly, taking the last bite of the toast. Murtasim passed her a tissue as she awkwardly tried to rub off the grease from her palm.

"Issi tarah rahogi toh dost se shohar ban jaunga", He said and gave her a sarcastic smile before getting inside the driver's seat.

Mahjabeen stood there, her anger rising as she stared at him across the tinted screen. A minute passed before he lowered the screen and said.

"Aisehi dekhti rahengi aap ya andar bhi aana hai?"

Mahjabeen wanted to wipe that silly grin off his face but curbed in the anger, and got in the car. They were enveloped in silence Mahjabeen didn't say anything throughout the first hour, Murtasim kept glancing at her but the anger in her eyes didn't went away throughout the drive.

He wondered what to say so he could diffuse the stifling environment but nothing came to his mind. Then he remembered something and in a few minutes he stopped the car across a gas station.

Mahjabeen gave him a look asking if everything was alright but he just shrugged and got out of the car. She followed him, not saying anything as he got into an ice cream parlor.

"Hum yaha kya karne aaye hai?" Mahjabeen asked her eyes shining as she excitedly looked at the different ice cream graffitis on the wall.

"Mai toh patang udaney aaya hu", He said again sarcasm dripping in his tone. Mahjabeen blinked innocently and asked.

"Accha magar aapki patang kidhar hai? mujhe bhi udani hai"

Murtasim stared at her with his mouth open. Then he remembered how gullible she was. He put his finger on his mouth asking her to keep quiet. Mahjabeen wanted to stomp her foot, her anger was on another level. She just asked a simple question and this man was so rude about it.

He went and bought two ice cream cones, they were directed to a booth. As she was going to sit on the chair, Murtasim caught her wrist stopping her from sitting. She gave him a furious look and spoke to him in his language, the language of sarcasm.

"Kyun ye seat bhi aapki honey waali biwi ki hai?"

Murtasim laughed out loud with ice cream in his mouth.

"Peeche dekho apne kapdon ko bhi ice cream khilani hai kya?" He said still laughing as she turned and saw the mess on the seat. Murtasim called the waiter and asked to exchange the seat.

They were eating in silence when Mahjabeen got curious about something.

"Aapko aaj tak koi ladki pasand nhi aayi kya?" Murtasim was shocked at her boldness, nobody has ever asked him such a ridiculous question.

"Nahi", he answered as he gave her the look to shut up but Mahjabeen didn't understand and continued.

"Aapko kaisi ladkiyan pasand hai?" Murtasim glared at her but she remained unaffected smiling as if he was shy.

"Isme sharmaney ki kya baat hai, aapki bhi toh koi pasand hogi ya dulhan bhi Maa Begum ki pasand ki laayenge", She said giggling, Murtasim was about to burst a vein or two.

"Mujhe kam bolne waali, tahzeeb aur tameez ka matlab samjhne waali ladkiyan pasand hai", he replied his taunt evident in his reply.

"Fir toh aap puri umar kuwarey rahenge ", Mahjabeen replied laughing at him, she had never seen a girl who fit in all three of his requirements. He was basically asking for a woman just like his mother, Murtasim was a Mama's boy and most girls disliked such quality in their partner.

"Mera chodo Rohail tumhe kyun pasand karta hai?" He asked folding his hands across his chest as if he was interrogating her.

"Mai itni pyaari hu, mujhe kon nhi pasand karega", She replied in a childish voice, Murtasim rolled his eyes and placed the cash in the register.

"Gadi mai baith jayein pyaari insaan", He said before walking away with an actual smile on his face. At this point he was smiling a lot and that was concerning.

They were in the car for another hour before they reached Haya and Maryam's house. He dialled up her number and asked her to come down, not bothering to go up as he was still upset with Maryam. She never called him after she ran away, never telling her own brother what was the problem instead sharing it with Haya.

Haya got in and greeted the two of them.

"Waalikum assalam, aapka naam Behaya hai ya Haya?" Mahjabeen naively asked, she remembered that day Murtasim has compared her to Behaya, his cousin but in her memory her name was Haya. She didn't think much of the name but felt slight pity on the fact that this extremely pretty girl was named Behaya.

"Kya bol rahi hai aap!", Murtasim and Haya both exclaimed startled by such a mean greeting from Mahjabeen of everyone. Haya had known Mahjabeen as an innocent girl who always shared all her candies and toys with them.

"Aapne hi toh kaha tha inka naam Behaya hai", Mahjabeen confronted Murtasim whose mouth remained open in shock as the two women stared at him, one with anger and second with curiosity.

"Ya khudaya mai kaha phas gaya", He complained in his mind.

***

"Murtasim tum mujhe Behaya samajhte ho?" she asked, a little upset. Murtasim was the man she had loved for a long time. She vividly remembered the day her parents were being taken to the graveyard, and she had tried to follow them. Murtasim had held her back, preventing her from clinging to their bodies or falling into a state of hysteria. She blamed herself for their deaths, believing that if they hadn't gone out to fill her school fees, they would still be alive. In her grief, Haya had felt supported by Murtasim more than her own brother. He had been there for her, bringing food to her room and providing companionship during her lonely moments. Both Murtasim and her sister Maryam had been her pillars of support, and it was during this time that she fell in love with him.

She did everything for him, but he never thought of her in the same way. Hasan had noticed her love for Murtasim so he had asked Maa Begum if the two can get married, but Maa Begum's response tore the two of them. She had said that her son deserved a better wife, a beautiful woman with money of her own. Not her who was shameless enough to confess her love as a woman with no money. That day Haya had promised herself that she would value her worth over others, she worked harder in studies than ever before and cleared the exams and rest is history.

Him calling her Behaya tore apart the old wounds. She wanted to ask him how loving a man made her a shameless woman. Haya wanted to scream at the two of them, the mother and son, but that would make her lose her grace and she would be called disgraceful.

"Nahi Mahjabeen ki toh jhoot bolne ki aadat hai", Murtasim explained feeling extremely guilty he was aware of her love for him and that made this much worse. He turned towards Mahjabeen who was staring at Haya with wide eyes, and he noticed Haya's tears.

" Mahjabeen tum batao kya hua tha uss din", Murtasim pleaded her to recount the incident, Mahjabeen paused and nodded quickly.

"Baji woh mujhe na Rohail se shaadi karni thi toh mai uss din chocolate lene gayi thi-", Murtasim cutt her off frustrated by how slowly she was explaining.

"Mahjabeen ek kaam karo, hazar lafzon mai mazmoon likhdo, tum ikdam ibteda se batana maslan apni pedaish se", Murtasim said to her with a sarcastic smile, Haya gasped at his tone.

"Murtasim itne tanziya kabse hogaye tum?" Haya enquired anger visible in her tone, she never thought one day she would encounter Murtasim Khan being rude. She had envisioned him as a gentleman who respected woman but right now he was far from one.

"Mai maazirat khwa hun, barah karam apni wazahat jaari rakhein (I am sorry, please continue your explanation)", He said to Mahjabeen in an apologetic tone, who stared at him with wide eyes.

" Badhiya", Haya applauded clapping her hands, Mahjabeen mimicked her and clapped her hands as well.

"Inhoney koi jaadu dikhaya kya abhi?" She asked curiously, Haya stared at her then laughed. She realised what might have happened or the gist of it.

"Haan tumne dekha nahi kya?" Haya humoured her sweetly to which she innocently shook her head.

"Jaadu? Murtasim aapko khargosh gayab karna aata hai?" Mahjabeen asked him, he have the stank eye to Haya who was laughing so hard that she slipped off her seat.

"Mahjabeen theek se dekho... woh Murtasim nhi khargosh hai", She said while pointing at him, Murtasim just shrugged as the two girls laughed at the silly joke.

" Accha ye Rohail ka kya bata rahi thi tum?" She asked her as Mahjabeen told Haya her entire love story and the incident. Haya was relieved that Murtasim didn't think that she was shameless unlike his mother. Maa Begum's words would still haunt her sleep, it made her realise that she was never considered a daughter by her. And she was glad because she didn't spare her own daughter.

"Tum usse nikkah karna chahti ho?" Haya asked genuinely to which Mahjabeen nodded her head.

"Magar Maa Begum keh rahi thi ke mera aur Murtasim ka ek mah baad nikah hai", Mahjabeen shared, Haya felt the heaviness in her heart. Why her?

Because she was pretty and had money.

Or because she could be Maa Begum's puppet.

" Haya baaji hum pohoch gaye", Mahjabeen shook her awake, Haya stared at Khan mansion and a smile spread across her face. She was finally home.

***

"Aapko Murtasim accha lagta hai?" Mahjabeen asked as they laid in their pajamas sharing their secrets. In a single day the two became best friends who would have thought that they can be so in their situation.

"Shayad", Haya replied although she knew it was a yes, her heart would start beating crazily whenever he smiled which was extremely rare for him.

"Phir Maa Begum ne aap dono ki shaadi kyun nhi karwayi?" Mahjabeen asked curiously but Haya coughed startled and she didn't know what to say so she gave an extremely vague answer.

"Woh pasand ki shaadi k sakht khilaaf hai ", Haya said with a sad smiled, Mahjabeen could relate to this because it had happened with her as well. If Maa was against love marriages then she wouldn't care who it was with, she valued her image over everything, even her own kids. Thinking that maybe she had gotten a loop hole to escape this marriage, Mahjabeen smiled happily, she had the plan to cancel this marriage.

The next morning Mahjabeen was ready with a tray in her hand as she entered Maa Begum's room.

'Maa begum ko love marriage se aitraaz haina, agar maine unko aisa kaha ki mai Murtasim ko chahti hu toh woh humari shaadi kabhi nhi honey dengi',

'Log faltu mai duffer boltey hai mujhe', She said while rubbing her hands with the devious smile on her face.

"Maa begum maine suna aap bimaar hai?" She asked as she entered the room to find her laying on the bed, it was truly an odd hour. Maa Begum for the first time wasn't looking like the elegant Khanum but a woman of her age. Her eyes were red and Mahjabeen felt an unsettling feeling in her heart. She had a soft spot for old people and babies, she couldn't bare their sadness.

"Haan beta", Maa Begum replied her voice hoarse, her face was red as well. Mahjabeen changed the wet towel on her forehead and checked her temperature on neck, she had high fever. Mahjabeen fidget around the drawers to find her medicine and she found it.

Maa Begum was watching her as she rummaged around the room and found the glass of water that was actually beside her all along. As she gave her the medicine and tucked her in Mahjabeen started speaking or you can say lying.

"Maa begum aapko ek baat bolni thi", She said while massaging Maa Begum's leg, not to make her acting believable but out of habit. Whenever her mother got sick she would nurse her back to health.

"Bolo", She replied staring at Mahjabeen who tried not to make eye contact.

"Mujhe aapka shukriya karna tha", Mahjabeen said with a grateful smile, her eyes finally made eyes contact with Maa Begum who frowned.

"Kyun?" She asked confused, she hadn't done anything for Mahjabeen so why was she thanking her.

"Mera aur Murtasim ka rishta jodne ke liye, mujhe na unse mohabbat hogyi hai", she confessed, at this moment she wondered if Maa Begum would believe such an atrocious performance?

"Itni jaldi?" Maa Begum asked shocked, she had never thought you could fall for someone in two days. Was Mahjabeen too fickle minded or her son too handsome? She hoped it was the latter.

"Ji haan", She replied and covered her face to hide her embarrassement . Maa Begum stared at her and with excitement, laughed for the first time.

"Aisa hai toh beta tumhara nikah mai kal hi kardeti hu", Maa Begum announced with the biggest grin on her face. Mahjabeen removed her hands from her face and stared her with absolute shock.

"...Ji?" She stuttered still not believing that her plan had horribly backfired. But Maa Begum didn't respond just stood up as if she was never sick and pushed her out of the room. The door closed on her face and then Mahjabeen heard her call out a name.

"Anwar"

Mahjabeen fled from there and ran to the garden. She dropped on her knees as she repeated the sentence again and again.

"Ya Allah ye maine kya kardiya"

A few minutes later she saw Murtasim furiously walking towards her. Mahjabeen quickly got up and starting running in the opposite direction. His eyes were red with anger as he chased her, he wore his signature black kurta while Mahjabeen was wearing a red dress.

It almost seemed like a bullsfight was happening and she was the bulls target.

"Ammi!!!" Mahjabeen cried out terrified as he didn't stop chasing her, they were circling around the mansion but he wasn't getting tired on the contrary his speed seemed to be increasing. She was breathing loudly and just as she thought he gave up someone pulled her wrist.

"Nahiiiii", Mahjabeen screamed as she was came face to face with the bull.

"Tum kyu shor macha rhi ho", He asked surprisingly his tone was soft, he wasn't shouting at her as she had expected him to.

"Tumne Maa Begum se baat ki kya?" Mahjabeen asked curiously and his eyes answered her question, he had.

"Mujhe tumse shaadi nhi karni hai", He almost growled out, scaring her. Mahjabeen cowered away and hid behind the pillar, his voice was like roar of a lion.

"Mujhe maaf karde aap galti hogayi mujhse", Mahjabeen pleaded her eyes tearing up, he could no longer keep track of the number of times she had cried. And it was honestly heartbreaking, so he curbed in his anger and told her what was in his mind.

"Mahjabeen tum aafat ho"

"Arrey firse bandar ki tarah mat ghurye aise bacchi ki jaan lengey kya", Mahjabeen shared from behind the pillar she had covered her face with her duppata, but still those eyes were haunting her.

"Sher kehte hai, aur tum aikkis saal ki ho", Murtasim corrected her as he massaged his head, talking to her was giving him a migraine.

"Haan toh kya hua apne Abba ke liye toh mai humesha hi bacchi rahongi", She said coming out of the pillar no longer terrified as his anger had disappeared.

"Khudaya ye konsi aafat mere galey daal di hai", Murtasim whispered to himself aware of the fact that Mahjabeen could hear him.

"Mahjabeen hai mera naam", She corrected him proudly thinking that it was mistake on his part.

"Pata hai mujhe", Murtasim replied at this point he wanted to shoot himself.

Khan Begum somehow managed to decorate the entire Khan mansion for the haldi. Mahjabeen didn't know what to do, Maa Begum had asked her to keep quiet but she could not control her tongue. She was talking to everyone, laughing loudly making guests wonder if this was actually a love marriage. Their doubts were confirmed when Murtasim entered and Mahjabeen said this.

" Arrey wah tum toh ikdam hero lag rhey ho", the woman around them laughed as Maa Begum cleared her throat and glared at Mahjabeen.

"Salma Begum aapki bahu toh badi maasum hai", A woman commented as she applied haldi on Mahjabeen's face.

"Aap kitni acchi hai, aapne toh meri taaref kardi", Mahjabeen innocently replied while giggling, but Murtasim gave her the look and for the first time Mahjabeen understood she had to shut up.

She kept glancing at the door waiting for Haya, she had promised to dance with her on the ceremony but an hour passed and she never arrived.

" Haya baji abhi tak nhi aayi?" Mahjabeen whispered in Murtasim's ear whose face flushed at her proximity.

"Woh chali gayi"

***