"Madiha." the old lady muttered. "Ammi, aap janti hain inhe?" Asked Rosie and her mother nodded.

(Ammi, do you know her?)

"Ek baar Mulaqat hui thi hamari... Beta, tum pehchani mujhe?" the lady asked while taking a step ahead and Madiha shivered from inside. How could she forget this lady who knew her?

(We met once. Do you remember me, dear?)

"Aapko mera naam kese pta? Maine to..." Madiha tried to say something but couldn't gather the proper words to speak her heart out but the lady grabbed Madiha's hand and led her towards the couch.

(How do you know my name? I never...)

"Us din tumare purse mein se kuch papers gir gye the jisme Madiha naam likha hua tha, mene tumhe bohot awaze di tumhare peeche bhi aayi lekin tum bohot jaldi me chali gyi thi." the explanation surprised Madiha and she took a peaceful sigh that this lady wasn't connected to Danish.

(That day, some papers fell in your purse on which Madiha's name was written, I shouted your name but you left very quickly.)

Adjusting her dupatta on her head Madiha smiled a little but felt nervous. The lady somehow felt connected to this young woman and today she felt happy to see no bruises on her face. "Tum job karti ho... Mujhe laga tha housewife ho." Madiha did not use a word to reply just faked a smile, meanwhile, Rosie placed a mug of coffee in front of her and moved towards Athar's room. 

(You do a job, I thought you were a housewife.)

"Aunty, aap logo se mil ke bohot achha laga ab main chalti hu." when Madiha did not see anyone coming to drop her at her home she stood up but the lady refused to send her alone, but soon Arif came and told that it was almost impossible to go anywhere in such weather, it wasn't rain but a storm. 

(Aunty, it was nice to meet you all, now I will leave.)

Madiha was tensed, for a moment she felt stuck here but she couldn't do anything now, "Beta, Apne shohor se bol do ki barish kam ho jayegi to aa jaogi... Is moosam me kese jaogi?" said the lady with another level of love in her voice but Madiha forgot to blink for a few moments then her face turned pale and throat dried up.

(Beta, tell your husband that you will come when the rain subsides… How will you go in this weather?)

"Ta... Talaq de chuke hain wo mujhe." Madiha muttered to give shock to three people. The old lady, Rosie and Athar who were standing behind her.

"Magar... Us din masjid me jab... " The lady tried to say something but couldn't, Madiha's eyes dropped two tears which she wiped in a hurry as she did not want to cry in front of anyone. "Jis din aapse mulaqat hui thi us ke agle din hi talaq de di thi unhone." this time Madiha made sure to not drop a tear but she was still crying silently.

(But... that day in the mosque when...)

(He divorced me the next day after I met you.)

"To ab kaha rehti ho beta?"

(Now where do you live dear?)

"Bhai bhabi ke sath unke ghar mein," Madiha muttered with guilt. "Unhe phone kar ke bata do ki aaj yahi ruk rhi ho, is halat me to ghar jana mushkil hai." said the lady and Madiha told about her mobile which wasn't working. The lady passed her a mobile phone and Madiha informed Mohsin about staying at her colleague's home. He was tensed but when his sister assured him that she was safe he understood.

(with my brother and sister-in-law)

(Call them and tell them that you are staying here today, it is difficult to go home in this condition.)

"Kitne din ho gye tumse mile huye lekin mujhe har rooz tumhara chehra yaad aata tha, main tumhe kabhi bhul hi nhi paayi." said the lady and Madiha smiled like a mockery. She was making fun of herself, she became a tamasha (spectacle) in front of the world. "main kayi baar Badi Masjid gyi isi aas ke sath ki tumhara ghar paas mein hai, shayad tum dobara kabhi aao aur tumse mulaqat ho jaye... Lekin tum kabhi nhi aayi." Madiha was silent in reply, she didn't know what to say but the old lady wanted to know the reason behind her silent tears.

With a loud thunderclap, Madiha remembered a night like the same heavy rainfall. Danish was continuously bursting out at her for giving him a son and that night she dared to argue with him, in return, he didn't beat her but dragged her to the terrace and came downstairs after locking her. She spent the whole night in the corner of the terrace under the shade of an old and broken plastic sheet which was unable to protect her from the heavy rain. She was shivering badly while her husband was sleeping in a cosy bed. That night she prayed for her death because life was looking no less than one.

(How many days have passed since I met you, but I remember your face every day, I could never forget you.)

(I went to that mosque many times with the hope that I might meet you as your home was nearby... but you never came.)

"Kuchh to bolo beta, chup kyu ho?"

(Say something dear, why are you silent?)

"kya bolu, aunty? Mere paas to kehne ko kuch bhi nhi hai." Madiha looked up and said in a hushed tone unwillingly a few drops of tears rolled down from her eyes which she cleaned immediately.

(What should I say, Aunty? I don't have anything to say.)

"Jo hona tha ho gya, main jaanti hu asaan nhi hoga talaq ke dukh se bahar aana lekin kab tak rooti rahogi beta?"

(I know it will not be easy to come out of the sorrow of divorce, but for how long will you stay like this, beta? Move on, past was past.)

"Mujhe Talaq ka dukh nhi hai aunty. Talaq ki wajah se mujhe us jahannam se riyahi mil gyi, lekin abhi maazi ke zakhm bharne me thoda waqt lagega. Jab bhi kuch yaad aata hai bas roona aa jata hai." Madiha wiped her tears but she was not only crying because of the past she was crying for the present and the future too.

(I am not sad about divorce, Aunty. That divorce freed me from that hell, but it will still take some time to heal the wounds of my past. Those memories often make me cry.)

"Tumhare chehre aur hatho par wo nishan de kar main samajh gyi thi, tumhara shohor marta peet'ta tha na?" Asked the sensible lady and Madiha nodded without making eye contact with her. This lady had also tolerated an abusive husband so she knew this pain. "Talaq kyu di us aadmi ne? Bachhe nhi the is liye?" another question and Madiha nodded another time without making eye contact with the lady who stood up from her place, she was supposed to sit beside Madiha to console her but was shocked to see tears in her son's eyes, he was seeing the back of this divorcee and soon walked back to his room.

(I understood with those bruises on your face and hands... your husband was abusive, right?)

(Why did that man divorce you? Because of not having children?)

Athar's tears rang a bell in his mother's mind... The man who had never been so soft in the past four years suddenly began to burst into tears for his colleague. Really? Or was she the same Madiha whom her son claimed to love some 5-6 years ago?

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The dull room was silent as well as dark. He skipped the dinner because Madiha was present there and he didn't want to go in front of her after knowing that she didn't get love and respect from that marriage but only pain. It was the middle of the night, everyone was sleeping and now the heavy rain was converted into a light shower, he was still standing near the window seeing the sky and holding back the desire to talk to the lady love of his life. Somehow she woke up with a jolt due to a nightmare, the dry throat forced her to look here and there to get some water but Rosie was sleeping beside her. 

Stepping out of bed Madiha waited for a few long minutes because she was feeling hesitant to wake Rosie up for water or go to the kitchen in an unknown home, however, she decided to go out of the room with small steps. As soon as she opened the door it made a horrible cracking voice which scared Madiha to disturb the whole family but no one was affected by that voice other than one who was already dying to talk to his secret love.

Madiha nervously picked a glass from the kitchen platform and filled it with water, to make no voice she did not dare to switch on the light, gulping two glasses of water one after another she took a deep breath while remembering the dream she had seen just a few minutes ago. She saw Danish torturing her one more time, her hands and legs were still shivering with his horror. somehow pulling herself away from the influence of that nightmare she turned to go back when a figure was standing behind her in the darkness of the kitchen. She was about to scream but that scream died on the edge of her lips, legs shivered, eyes filled with tears and her heart ran with the speed of light.

Placing her trembling hand on her heart she closed her eyes and let out a harsh breath. Her eyes met with the pairs of hazel ones and tears urged her to come out but she stopped herself to cry. She didn't want to be with this man at this part of the night. Maintaining the dupatta on her head she made her way from beside Athar. But what Madiha didn't know was that he wasn't the same Athar. Only a few minutes of the revelation of the truth revived all his feelings. He wasn't the same Athat who never paid attention to her in the office.

"Madiha..." a whisper screamed in the darkness that gave pace to someone's heart but stopped her feet from moving forward. Even after trying she was incapable of taking another step. "Madiha." her dream man stood in front of her and her tears uncovered themselves. Athar's eyes also shone with tears and they both peeped in the windows of each other's soul.

"Wo aadmi tumhe maarta tha" his voice was like a whisper but clear, however, she didn't reply, just kept seeing him. She didn't want to talk about that man, she wanted to talk about this man. 

(That man used to beat you.)

"Madiha, kuch to bolo, mujhse baat karo." He urged in a broken voice but Madiha didn't have words to describe her present feelings.

(Madiha, say something, talk to me.)

Athar was seeing this face keenly for the first time, even in this darkness he could see the shine of her tears. Madiha opened her mouth to say something but words halted on the edge of her lips one more time. The face present in front of her eyes turned blurred because of tears then it became clear when tears rolled down from her eyes but a drop of that precious water rested on her left cheek.

"Mat roo, nhi dekh sakta tumhe roote huye." his warm hand slowly cupped her cheek and caressed it to wipe that tear.

(Don't cry, I can't see you crying.)

There were the same cheeks that someone had slapped uncountable times.

Madiha felt like an electric jolt in her heart when his hand touched her skin. Within a second she jumped away with a shocked face and wide eyes. 

For her, love didn't mean to be touched by this man who was a namehram*. Her love was as pure as a drop of water that came from the sky and converted itself into a river to give life to others.

Without averting her eyes from the face of this man she took steps backward and almost ran to Rosie's room. For the first time, Athar saw her hair when that dupatta slipped down from her head and she closed the door from inside. He was stunned to see how pretty his love looked like, till a few hours ago he didn't even take a heart filling glance of someone else's wife but now at this moment she was his love... Only his!

His heart felt an urgency to include this woman to his dull life the very moment. He was still standing at his spot seeing Madiha running towards the room repeatedly in his imagination. He didn't know how to come out of this spell that this lady blowed on him just a few minutes ago. He never thought that Madiha would wear this suit that he brought for his sister with full of love, but he was surely over the moon for this thing.

Taking a deep breath he covered his face for a moment then walked towards Rosei's room, without any hesitation he knocked the door which scared Madiha. What if Rosie wakes up at this moment? But Athar knew, his sister would not wake up even if he plays a drum on her head, so the strength of that small knock was pretty questionable. "Madiha, darwaza kholo." again a loud whisper and Madiha, who was standing resting her back with the door, opened it silently, but she was looking scared.

(Madiha, open the door.)

"Baat karni hai tumse."

(I have to talk to you.)

"Adhi raat ko? Kya hum kal subah baat nhi kar skate?" she whispered back while glancing at Rosie as well as the doors of other rooms but Athar shook his head.

(at midnight? Can't we talk tomorrow morning?)

"Abhi hi baat karni hai. Mere sath aao, mere room me."

(I have to talk right now, only. Come with me to my room.)

"Ye kesi zidd hai Athar? Raat ke is waqt main aapke kamre me nhi aa rhi..." her voice was converted into a loud whisper but Athar smiled like a sarcasm.

(What kind of stubbornness is this, Athar? I am not coming to your room at this time of night.)

"Zindagi me pehli baar zidd kar rha hu, kam se kam tum to meri zidd puri kardo." she didn't move nor say anything, maybe she forgot that he knew reading her silence, "Itna bura aadmi nhi hu ki tum mujhse itna daro... Kuch to bharosa karo mujh par." she was still silent. It wasn't about trust, it was all about something inappropriate. Going to Athar's room when everyone else was sleeping was looking indecent, but if she glanced at her past she had faced many indecent behaviours of her husband. Putting a big stone on her heart she stepped out of the room while maintaining her dupatta on her head.

(For the first time in my life I am demanding something with stubbornness, at least you fulfill my demand.)

(I am not such a bad person that you are so afraid of me... at least have some trust in me.)

"Jaldi boliye kya baat karni hai?" Madiha asked in a hurry and Athar dragged a chair for her which she didn't take. "Baith jao." it was an order that forced Madiha to huff. He was the same man who had ignored her for the last two months but now suddenly he was so keen to talk at the very moment as if there was no tomorrow.

(Tell me quickly what do you want to talk about?)

(take a seat.)

"Madiha..." he took a step closer and She saw something unexpected in his eyes. "I love you," said Athar in a hushed tone and Madiha shuddered. She wasn't ready for this confession, at least not at this moment. He was too late to express his feelings.

Madiha kept watching him without blinking. She would have been the happiest girl ever if Athar told her this a few years ago, but now She was afraid of the dark side of love. "Shadi kar lo mujh se, Madam ji." His whispering voice pierced her heart and a wave of fear ran down from her head to toe.

(Marry me, madam ji.)

She wanted to share all her pains and miseries with this man, she wanted to cry her heart out in front of him, she wanted him to say some sweet words or something that could uplift her confidence as well as her mood... But from where did he bring up the topic of marriage? 

"Athar... Aap pagal to nhi ho gye hain? Hosh mein to hain aap?" Taking a step back she asked with wide eyes and a shocked face. 

(Athar... haven't you gone crazy? Are you in your senses?)

"Haan... Hosh mein hu... Abhi abhi hosh me aaya hu. Nhi reh sakta tumhare bina. Meri halat dekho Madiha, pagal ho chuka hu main..." Tears gathered in his eyes while saying the last part and they just rolled down from his eyes. Maybe he was crying out the tears he had been saving for the last four years. "Itne saalo se lagataar ye soch ke zindgi guzar raha hu ki tum mere bina khush ho, har rooz marta hu, jeena bhul gya hu. Tumhe jaane dena meri zindagi ki sabse basi galti thi, us galti ki saza hum dono ne bhugatli hai... Ab aur nhi... Shadi kar lete hain... Zindagi sath guzarenge. Ek khush'haal zindagi." in the end his tears of pain converted into a plea and Madiha shook her head while controlling back her tears. 

(Yes... I'm... I have just regained my senses. I can't live without you. Look at my condition Madiha, I have gone mad...)

(For so many years, I have been thinking that you are happy without me... I'm dying every day, I have forgotten to feel alive. Letting you go was the biggest mistake of my life, we both have suffered due to that but not anymore... Let's get married... we will live a happy life together.)

"Athar... I'm a divorcee..." she asserted but he shrugged.

"So what? I don't care."

"Main aapke qabil nhi hu."

(I'm not worthy of you)

"Tum mere qabil ho ya nhi iska fesla main karunga, tum nhi." he was being so stubborn for the first time but Madiha shook her head and took a step back. 

(I will decide whether you are worthy of me or not, not you.)

"Mujhe shadi nhi karni..." and she walked away in a hurry while wiping her tears and cried out the rest of the night but silently.

(I don't want to get married.)

*Concerning women, Namehram is an Islamic term used for a man who's forbidden to touch. Outside the wedlock, every man is a namehram except a few like father, step-father, grandfathers, great-grandfathers, brother, step-brother, and brothers of mother and father. Similarly, for men, other than mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, sisters, step-sisters, daughters of brothers/sisters, and sisters of mother/father, all the other females are forbidden to touch as they are namehram. A man becomes mehram to his wife after nikah.}

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