Chapter 43
Author's POV:
The grand hall of Malik Mansion stood drowned in a silence so heavy that even the ticking of the antique clock felt too loud. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the man being dragged inside — his face bruised, eyes hollow, body trembling under the firm grip of Ayaan’s guards.
Arjun walked in first, his footsteps echoing on the marble floor. Behind him, two guards held that man and pushed him to the center of the hall.
He fell on his knees, his breath ragged. Blood trailed down his jaw.
Aayat’s eyes narrowed as she recognized him. Her fingers froze mid-air.
“Ye… ye toh wohi hai…” Hayaat’s trembling voice broke the silence, “jis ne 8 saal pehle Api pe ilzam lagaya tha…”
Rayyan’s jaw clenched. “Yeh shaks yahan kya kar raha hai?” His tone was sharp, full of restrained fury.
Then his eyes shifted to Arjun. “Tumne ise yahan kyu laya?”
Sameer Khan stepped forward — calm, but every word like thunder.
“ Is ka naam junaid hain.” he said. “ Aur yahan kyu laya gaya hain… ye tumhe abhi pata chal jayega.”
He raised a hand, and Arjun obediently placed a gun in Sameer Khan’s palm.
The metallic click echoed — cold and threatening.
Sameer aimed it straight at Junaid’s forehead.
“Aj sirf sach bolo gay tum...” he said in a low, deadly tone.
“Agar ek jagah b rukay ya eik lafz be jhoot kaha, toh goli tumhare sar ke paar hogi.”
The hall went breathless. Even air seemed afraid to move.
Junaid’s hands trembled. “Main… main sab sach bataunga…” he said, glancing nervously toward Ramsha, who stood frozen near the staircase, her color draining.
Junaid gulped, and began.
“Wo pictures… meri aur Aayat ki… sab jhoot tha....”
A gasp ran through the hall.
“ Aayat sach keh rahi thi us din. Wo meri madad kar rahi thi — mujhe chot lagi thi… aur jab wo mujhe ghar tak chhod kar gayi, tab Ramsha ma'am wahan aayi thi…”
Ramsha’s fingers tightened around her dupatta. Her eyes flickered, searching for an escape.
Junaid continued, voice cracking, “Unhone mujhe paise diye — kaha main Aap sab kay samne ye keh du kay aayat aur mein…
.." he gulped. "Unhone kaha, agar main unke kehne pe chalun toh mujhe har mahine paise milenge… ghar milega… zindagi bhar sukoon se rahuga mein... sara karcha wo uthaye gy hamara...”
Aayat didn’t blink. She just stood there, watching the man confess what she had been screaming for years — what no one believed.
Sameer lowered the gun a little. “Aur?”
“Bas… bas yehi sach hai…” Junaid folded his hands, crying. “Mujhe maaf kar do please… main sirf apni garibi se nikalna chahta tha. Mujse galti ho gayi. Mere bewi bachay hain... Mera beta abhi bohut chota chhota hai… please mujhe maaf kar do. Mein dubara aise harkat kabhi nahi karuga ....please...”
The air changed.
Rayyan’s hand — the one still holding Aayat’s wrist — went limp.
He slowly released her.
His face went pale, eyes filling with disbelief, guilt, and pain.
He stared at Junaid — then at Aayat — and memories stabbed him one by one.
Each word echoed in his head like the clang of chains.
Her tears, her pleading eyes, that night she broke down — all came flooding back.
His breathing grew uneven. He covered his face with his trembling hand.
Across the room, Shahbaz sat down heavily on the sofa, holding his head. His mind, too, was drowning in the past.
“Taya jaan, maine kuch nahi kiya…”
Nafeesa’s face turned ghostly pale. The line “Taii Ami, main Rayyan ke saath aisa karne ka soch bhi nahi sakti… yakeen kare mera...” echoed in her ears.
Rashid felt his heart twist — he remembered Aayat clutching his hand, begging him to believe her but he slapped her.
Shagufta closed her eyes, her tears unstoppable — “Ami please, ap bole na… apki beti aise nahi hain...”
Every word that Aayat had said back then came alive again, haunting the room.
And this time, silence became guilt.
The proud heads that had once looked down on her — now bowed.
Then suddenly —
Ramsha’s sharp voice cut through the silence.
“Jhoot!” she screamed, her voice shaking. “Ye sab jhoot hai! Maine kuch nahi kiya!”
Ayaan let out a dry, bitter laugh. “Jante tha mein… tum yehi kahogi.”
He stepped forward, pulled a file from his jacket, and flung it toward her.
The papers scattered across the marble floor — bank records.
“ toh phir ye kya hain!” he snapped. “Ye paise tumne nahi bheje is ko kya?”
He pulled out a mobile phone from his pocket and waved it.
“Maloom hai ye phone kis ka hai?" He smiled evily. "Ye isi Junaid ka phone hai — aur ismein tumhari aur iski sari chats hain.”
Ayaan walked toward Rayyan and handed him the phone silently.
Rayyan took it — his hands shaking uncontrollably.
He unlocked it.
And as he scrolled — message after message — his world collapsed.
The last message hit him like a bullet.
Rayyan froze.
His tears fell silently onto the phone screen.
For years he had hated her, blamed her, punished her — and all this time… she had been innocent.
Rashid came closer, took the phone from Rayyan’s hand. He read a few messages — his knees weakened.
Huzaif took it next, and guilt washed over him too.
He remembered every harsh word, every cruel gesture.
He remembered raising his hand on her.
Saad’s jaw clenched as tears rolled down.
Huzaif’s hand trembled — the phone slipped and hit the floor with a dull sound.
He looked at Aayat. She looked back once — emotionless — and turned her face away.
A crushing silence filled the hall.
Then, suddenly —
Hayaat stormed forward, her face red with rage and tears.
She slapped Ramsha — hard.
“Tumhari wajah se main 8 saal apni Api se dur rahi!”
She slapped again.
Kyun kiya tumne aisa?! Kya bigaada tha unhone tumhara?!
Another slap.
Ramsha caught her hand mid-air this time — her eyes blazing, her voice cold and venomous.
“Janna chahti ho kyun?” she hissed.
“Toh suno…”
She shoved Hayaat back and screamed —
“Nafrat karti hoon main tumhari appi se! Nafrat!!”
Her voice echoed through the walls.
She turned toward Rayyan, tears of rage glinting in her eyes.
“ Rayyan se… bachpan se pyaar karti thi main. Bachpan se chahti thi Rayyan ko!”
She pointed at Aayat, trembling.
“ Sab toh isse pasand hi nahi karte thai na... Sabko main pasand thi… sab isse kehte the ‘Ramsha se seekho’ padhai aur ghar dono saath m kaise chalatay hain … lekin ..... Lekin jab shadi ki baat aayi, sab ne Aayat ko chuna rayyan kay liye! Mujhe nahi!”
Her voice cracked, turning bitter, full of hatred.
“Isliye kiya maine ye sab! Us ne mujhse mere rayyan ko cheena... Badlay mein maine us se uska sab kuch cheen liya — uska pyaar, uski izzat, uska ghar, sab kuch....”
Everyone stared at her — stunned, disgusted.
Before she could say another word — Nafeesa walked up to her and slapped her, hard.
The sound of that slap echoed like thunder in the silence.
Ramsha staggered back, clutching her cheek — eyes wide in shock.
No one moved. No one spoke.
Only the clock ticked — slow and cruel.
Rayyan’s breathing grew shallow. He lifted his eyes — slowly — and looked at Aayat.
Tears glistened in his eyes, but he said nothing.
His guilt screamed louder than any words could.
Aayat met his gaze for a second — blank, unreadable — then turned away.
She walked toward the door, her steps calm yet heavy.
The hall stayed frozen.
Everyone watched her leave — while Rayyan stood there, watching her go, broken beyond repair.
The silence swallowed them all.