"Shifa kaha hai, dikh nhi rhi..." After having a sip of water Musa said with a smile and put the glass of water on the table. Daniyal also wanted to ask the same question but preferably stay silent for last ten minutes.

(Where is Shifa?)

"Wo kitchen mein hai meri madad kar rahi hai." Maryam replied and Musa nodded.

(She's helping me in the kitchen.)

"Shifa betaaaa..." Unexpectedly Musa called Shifa who entered in the room. "Assalamualaikum, ji uncle?" Without bothering to glance at Daniyal she asked and Musa passed a small parcel towards her.

"I was coming from that side so..." Shifa's lips pulled in a smile and she grabbed it. "Thank you uncle. But I won't share it with anyone." Saying that she specially looked at Bilal.

Once Musa brought dhokla which Shifa liked too much, after that whenever Musa passed by that shop while coming to meet Anwar he never forgot to bring dhokla for her. "Shifa... Serve for everyone beta." Maryam showed a moderate amount of disappointment and she shrugged.

"I'm just kidding Mumma." Mumbling that Shifa walked out of the room and after a few moments she was serving her favourite snack to everyone.

"Tumhe kya hua hai Daniyal? Chehra kyu utar raha hai?" Asked Musa and Shifa first time glanced at her husband's face. For a moment her heart felt a pang, his eyes were surrounded by dark circles, and face was looking pale.

(What happened to you Daniyal? Why are you looking pale?)

"Nothing much uncle, just having fever for last five days." Daniyal replied and Musa asked the same question that Shifa was about to ask but her anger stopped her. "Consult with a doctor?"

"Yeah, it's a viral fever, doctor has prescribed a few medicines." After taking a small sip of water Daniyal replied and Musa nodded but he felt awkward. Usually Anwar and Maryam don't leave a single room empty in their son-in-law's hospitality but today they weren't even looking at him. Rani was also noticing the same.

"Jab tumhe dekh-bhaal ki zarurat hai tab tumhari biwi yaha araam kar rahi hai, ye kya baat huyi?" Rani rolled her eyes but Shifa smiled and looked at Rani then shifted her eyes towards Daniyal.

(When you need to be looked after your wife is resting here. Not appreciable much.)

"Arey phuppo, Janab Daniyal Kazmi ke paas unki dekh-bhaal ke liye unki biwi ke alawa bhi kuch log hain," Shifa said everything without actually saying anything, placing the plate of snack in front of Daniyal she restarted filling another plate.

(Oh phuppo, Mr Daniyal Kazmi has some people besides his wife who can look after him.)

"Lekin biwi ki jagah koi nhi le sakta... sabse zyada qeemti hota hai ye rishta." Rani gave a cold look, and Shifa smiled like a sarcasm.

(No one can take the place of a wife. It's the most precious relationship.)

"Esa kuch nahi hai Phuppo, kuch rishte biwi se bhi zyada azeez hote hain." Shifa passed a plate to Rani who furrowed as she sensed something fishy between Shifa and Daniyal.

(Nothing like that, phuppo. Some people are dearer than wife.)

"Like?" Rani raised her brow with a smile as she was enjoying now.

"Aulaad!" Before anyone could say anything Musa interfered in between the conversation and everyone looked at him. "Aulaad ki mohabbat ke aage biwi ki value kam ho jaati hai."

(offspring.)

(The value of a wife decreases in front of the love of offspring)

"Khana kha lein pehle? Baate to hoti rahengi." Maryam tried her best to divert the topic and everyone nodded. Shifa walked to the kitchen but not before throwing daggers at her husband.

(Let's have dinner first, we can talk later.)

"Kya ho gya hai Shifa? Rani baji ke samne scene create krne ki kya zarurat hai? Tumhe pta nhi unhe raai ka pahad banane ki aadat hai?" As soon as Maryam walked in the kitchen she scolded Shifa who just jerked her head.

(What's wrong Shifa? Why are you creating a scene in front of Rani baji. Don't you know how she makes mountains out of a molehill?)

"Wo kya pahad banayengi? Pehle hi pahad jitna bada masla hai ye."

(She doesn't need to make it a mountain, it's already pretty big matter.)

"Aapne darwaza khola tha na, mummy... Aapne unhe ghar ke andar aane hi kyu diya? Jab unhe aapki beti ki koi fikar nhi hai to aap kyu unhe damaad wali izzat de rahi hain?" Shifa asked everything with rage and Maryam sighed while transferring food into the serving bowls.

(Mummy, you have opened the door, right? Why did you let him enter the home? Why are you treating him like a son-in-law if he doesn't care about your daughter.)

"Mera pyaara bachha... Is halat mein itna gussa naa karo." Maryam cupped Shifa's face but she pushed her hands away and picked up the serving bowls while going towards the dining area.

(My dear lovely daughter, don't be angry in this situation.)

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After a peaceful dinner Anwar went to see off Rani and Musa to the main door, Maryam was also standing near her husband and Shifa was looking red in anger.

"Shifa, let's go back home." Daniyal broke his half an hour long silence with a polite request and got a deadly glare from his wife. "I'm sorry." She said in a hushed tone while standing up from his place and sat down on the other sofa. Bilal was silently seeing the scene, Maryam and Anwar also came back to the room after completing the formalities.

"Bilal, tell him to get lost from here." Shifa stood up from her place and walked only two steps ahead when, "Shifa ruko... Meri baat to suno." He grabbed her wrist but to his surprise Shifa suddenly turned to him with the speed of light and Daniyal taste a sharp slap on his left cheek.

(Shifa wait, at least listen to me.)

"Shut up. Just shut up. Not a single word is needed." She grit her teeth but eyes dropped a few tears. "What do you think of yourself? Leave me alone whenever you want and come back to take me along whenever you want... Who am I? A puppet?" She shouted and cried out, though she wanted not to cry but couldn't help.

"Shifa." Daniyal was still unable to come out from the shock of the slap he savour a few moments ago. He never knew those hands could hurt him too, but he forgot that actually he was the one to start the process of hurting Shifa was only showing reaction of his own actions.

"Maryam keh do is se, achha hoga ye yaha se chala jaye. Meri beti ko meri uapr boojh nhi hai." Anwar didn't even glance at Daniyal and Shifa walked out, she locked herself in her room to avoid facing Daniyal but the voices were still coming from the living room.

(Maryam, it would be better for him to leave from here. My daughter isn't a burden on me.)

"Aap ki beti meri bhi to biwi hai." Daniyal claimed and Shifa jerked her head while sitting on the edge of the bed and picked her diary.

(Your daughter is my wife too )

"Biwi kehne se pehle biwi ka rutba dena padta hai" Shifa heard Anwar's loud voice but ignored and opened her diary.

(One has to give the status of wife before calling it wife.)

"Main shifa ko apne sath le jana chahta hu." She ignored the noise coming from outside and focused on her overwhelming emotions which were ready to jump out from the darkness of her heart to the paper.

(I want to take Shifa back with me.)

Dear Diary,

I had had countless pleasant dreams with open eyes regarding making a beautiful world with this man but I forgot that unfortunately only my nightmares come true. I had already planned to cover a journey to jannat with him without even knowing that he'll throw me in the hell. I never loved any man more than him. I hated when any man glanced at me, I felt scared if a man touched me intentionally or unintentionally, but when he took the first step towards me I handed over myself to him without any second thought because I started believing that he had all rights over me and I had all rights over him. I built an imaginary world in which I had been already living with him and sweet little family... I was waiting for that imaginary world to be converted into the reality but he turned everything upside down. My imaginary world is still beautiful but Daniyal Kazmi is missing from the picture... I can't share him with anyone, and he can't be only mine...

She was about to write some more lines when a loud thunderclap frightened her, resulting, the pen fell down from her hand and she unknowingly glanced at the wall clock which was reading sharp 11 of night.

A flash of memory hit her mind...

Leaving the diary on the bed she almost ran out of her room and saw Daniyal requesting Anwar. Another flash of memory came in front of her eyes.

Another flash of lightning hit the sky and Shifa's heart suddenly gave a loud and fearful beat when she saw Daniyal taking his first step towards the doorstep...

"Bilal." Shifa whispered and grabbed the arm of her brother who was silently watching everything for the last few minutes. "Don't let him go." Shifa didn't even know that her fingers were digging in the flesh of her brother's arm and he was seeing her in amazement.

"What?" He asked in the same whisper and Shifa's eyes filled with tears when Daniyal took the second step ahead.

"Stop him damned, don't let him go. Can't you understand?" She grit her teeth and pressed his arm even more tightly. Bilal hissed and pulled his arm away from Shifa's grip and took a step ahead.

"Daniyal bhai... Don't go." Bilal's voice echoed in the silence of the home just like the thunderclap echoed in the dull sky followed by a few drops of rain and within a few moments it was converted into heavy rain, just like a cloud burst.

Every eye landed on Bilal on his sudden demand, Anwar glared at him so as Maryam. Shifa who had successfully gulped her tears now was standing silently.

Daniyal gave him a questioning look but he was looking answerless. "Don't go Daniyal bhai." Bilal repeated because he has nothing else to say.

"I'm going but I'll come back," Daniyal said and turned back but Shifa's eyes dropped two tears, those were the same words Daniyal said in the dream too.

"Stop him... Please. Tell him to go after the rain stops." Shifa told Bilal in a hushed tone and this time Maryam also noticed her crying. Bilal was confused about the sudden madness of his sister but he was in no mood to know the reason behind it, Shifa's tears and urgency to act wasn't giving him a chance to do that.

"Daniyal bhai don't go, I... I mean go after the rain stops. The weather is not good right now." Another loud sound of thunderclap and lightning gave testimony of Bilal's statement and Daniyal glanced at Anwar then towards Maryam. They were clearly not looking happy with this proposal of their son moreover Shifa wasn't even looking towards him, her back was facing him, but what he didn't know that she was crying for him.

"I... I'll come again, but let me go now." Daniyal muttered and Shifa closed her eyes and pressed her lips together, Bilal was amazed to witness this scene, but She was making sure to not look towards Daniyal. "Bilal please." She mouthed and Bilal again looked at Daniyal.

"Please Daniyal bhai."

"Mere yaha rukne se Shifa ko problem hogi... Jaane do." Daniyal looked at Shifa who was looking indifferent, she wasn't even glancing at him.

(Shifa will have a problem if I stay here...)

Shifa took a deep breath and made sure that her voice would come out as normal as possible. "Barish ruk jaye to chale jaiyega." Without turning to see him she said in a rude tone, but she didn't want Daniyal to leave in this weather, she was remembering her nightmare. Daniyal keeps staring at her back. He would definitely change his mind if his Shifa was asking him to do something but she wasn't his Shifa...

(Go after the rain stops.)

"I'll manage." He turned to go but a fear clenched Shifa's heart, "Bilal please." Shifa whispered and this time Bilal huffed.

"He's not a kid whom I can stop."

"Just stop him damned, otherwise I'll kill you." She grit her teeth and this time Maryam noticed Shifa's expressions.

"No need to put the blame on me... I'm not saying that I have a problem." Shifa said loudly as well as rudely which hurt Daniyal even more.

"I'm sorry." He said and stepped out of the home, Shifa turned to see him.

"Aap ko samajh nahi aata kya? Main keh rahi hu ruk jaiye to ruk jaiye na... Ya qasam khayi hai wo kaam nhi krna jo main kahungi." She roared and Daniyal blinked blankly. For the first time she was sounding like Anwar's daughter... Loud, clear and bold.

(Can't you hear? If I'm asking you to stay tonight then what's your problem? Have you taken a pledge to do the opposite of what I asked for?)

Anwar gave a cold look to Shifa for this decision but she just lowered her eyes, she was angry with her husband but she was not so angry that let him go towards his death, the overbearing man shook his head with disappointment and walked to his bedroom, Maryam sighed and followed her husband. Bilal also rolled his eyes while mumbling, "pagal" (mad.) And walked to his room.

Shifa was standing in the middle of her room and door, crying and seeing her husband. He locked the door behind himself and walked towards his wife. "Ab to qasam khai hai ki wo hi kaeunga jo aap kahogi." His eyes were wet and she was holding her breath because she knew the next breath would come out with a sob but even after every struggle she was unable to hold the tears back. For a moment he saw the glimpse of his Shifa but the very next moment she looked away and walked towards the kitchen leaving Daniyal standing like a culprit.

(I've taken the pledge to do only what you want.)

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