Chapter 44
Author's POV:
The mansion that once echoed with laughter and voices… was silent.
Not a whisper, not a breath—only the sound of the night wind brushing against the windows.
Since Aayat had left, no one had spoken a single word.
The servants moved like shadows, terrified to break the silence that wrapped around the Malik Mansion like a curse.
Every corner of that grand house reeked of guilt, regret… and loss.
Upstairs, behind a half-closed door, Rayyan sat in darkness.
His elbows rested on his knees, hands clutching his head, his breath heavy and uneven. His eyes—red, swollen, and tired—stared blankly at the floor.
He whispered to himself, voice trembling,
“Ye kya kar diya tumne rayyan... Ye kya kar diya ...”
He stood up and took out a photograph from his wardrobe —his and Aayat’s nikkah picture.
The glass was cracked.
But her face, her smile—still intact.
Rayyan traced her face on the glass with his thumb.
Tears welled again, blurring his sight.
“You were so happy that day…” he murmured.
Then, a faint smile crept onto his lips, only to shatter seconds later.
“Kitni khush lag rahi ho tum yahan… jaise tumhe duniya ki sari khushiya mil gaye ho....”
He closed his eyes, and memory flooded in.
That mehndi night—Aayat’s laughter, her soft voice teasing,
Rayyan’s jaw trembled. A sob escaped his lips.
He whispered bitterly to himself,
“Tumhe sambhalne ka wada kiya tha maine… aur phir khud hi usey tod diya… sab kuch barbaad kar diya maine... sach kuch.”
He clenched his fists, voice breaking,
“Jhoot kaha tha tumne, Rayyan… tumne jhoot kaha tha ussey… Tumhara har vaada jhoota tha.... tum jhootay thai.”
He bent forward, clutching his hair, almost pulling at it in pain.
Then—his eyes caught something.
Ramsha’s clothes.
Her dresses still hung neatly in the wardrobe.
Her perfume still lingered in the air.
And on the bedside table—a smiling picture of Ramsha and Rayyan, framed in gold.
Rayyan froze.
He walked toward it slowly, his chest burning.
He picked up the frame, stared at it, and whispered,
“Yahi wo din tha... Jis din maine usey is kamre se nikala tha...”
His body trembled as he heard echoes from that night—the sound of Aayat crying, her voice desperate:
He screamed suddenly, “ PLEASE CHUP HO JAO...PLEASE!!” and the frame slipped from his hand, shattering against the floor.
He fell to his knees, tears streaming freely.
“Aayat…” he whispered again, her name barely audible.
The silence that followed was heavier than before.
Rayyan stood up, his expression shifting—pain to rage.
He began throwing things.
Ramsha’s clothes flew out of the wardrobe, landing in torn heaps on the floor.
Makeup boxes, perfumes, jewelry—all crashed across the marble.
Then something small rolled toward his feet—a silver bracelet.
He froze.
He knew that bracelet.
The one he had given to Aayat on muh-dikhai.
He picked it up with trembling hands.
“ Ye ... Ye yaha kaise?”
And then, another flash.
Aayat’s face, her eyes glistening with tears as she handed that bracelet to Ramsha.
The words echoed inside him like thunder.
His knees gave way, and he collapsed to the ground, whispering in anguish,
“Ya Allah… kya kar diya maine… jisse bachpan se duaon mein manga tha, usi ko aise tod diya…”
He pressed the bracelet to his heart and cried, voice breaking,
“Mujhe maaf kar do Aayat… mein tumhara gunahgar hoon, maine tumhe dukh ke siwa kuch nahi diya…”
Suddenly, a voice cut through the air—
“Mera samaan…”
Rayyan’s head shot up.
Ramsha stood at the door, her tone cold, almost annoyed.
“Kya pagal ho gaye ho tum?”
Rayyan stared at her—his eyes bloodshot, tears still on his face.
He stood up slowly.
In two strides, he reached her and grabbed her by the throat.
“Tumhari jalan ne, tumhari hasad ne sab kuch barbaad kar diya” he growled, voice deep with fury.
“Tumne mujhse mera sukoon cheen liya, mera pyaar cheen liya... tumne mujhse meri aayat cheen li !!”
Ramsha gasped for air; her hands clutched his wrists.
Her face turned pale.
Realizing what he was doing, Rayyan’s eyes widened—he let go suddenly.
Ramsha coughed, stumbling backward.
Rayyan’s chest heaved as he said, voice trembling but filled with venom,
“Ab tum is ghar mein nahi reh sakti.”
He grabbed her arm, ignoring her protests, and dragged her downstairs.
“Rayyan chhoro mujhe!” she cried, struggling, but his grip only tightened.
As they reached the hall, he shoved her forward—she fell hard on the marble floor.
Everyone rushed out—Shahbaz, Nafeesa, Saad, Huzaif, Hayaat, even Rashid and Shagufta.
All stared in shock.
The guilt that had already consumed them deepened—the truth was out, yet it brought no peace.
Tears glimmered in their eyes; the silence returned for a second.
Rayyan’s voice broke that silence.
“Dafa ho jao is ghar se! Meri ankhon ke samne se nikal jao!”
Ramsha’s tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Rayyan… please…”
“Bas!” he roared.
“Mera naam apni zubaan par bhi mat lana! Tum aur tumhari maa agar mere samne aaye, toh maloom nahi kya kar bethuga mein! Agar zinda rehna chahtay ho toh zindagi mein mere samne kabhi mat ana...”
Ramsha stood, shaking, and screamed,
“Tum mujhe yahan se nahi nikal sakte! Main tumhari biwi hoon, Rayyan!”
Rayyan stopped.
He turned, his eyes burning like fire, and walked slowly back to her.
His tone turned cold, almost lifeless.
“Biwi?” he repeated with a hollow smile.
Then he grabbed her wrist again, leaned close, and whispered,
“Tum kehti thi na… main tumhe tumhara haq nahi deta?
Toh chalo aj mein tumhe tumhare har haq se azad karta hoon…”
He took a deep breath, his jaw tightening.
Then, in a voice that shook the walls—
Ramsha’s eyes widened in horror.
He stepped back.
“Main tumhe talaq deta hoon…”
And then, louder—
His shout echoed through the mansion like thunder.
The gold bangle on her wrist slipped and fell to the ground with a sharp clink.
Ramsha collapsed, crying.
Everyone stood frozen.
"Talak kay papers b tumhe mil jaye gay... Tum jaise ladki per mujhe bilkul bharosa nahin hain.."
Rayyan turned away, his face stone cold.
As he reached the stairs, he stopped, voice low but firm,
“Ye aurat… ya iski maa… in dono mein se eik be mujhe is ghar mein nazar nahi aana chahiye...”
Without looking back, he climbed the stairs and disappeared.
~
Upstairs, he stopped in front of Aayat’s room.
The door was half open.
He stepped inside.
Her scent still lingered—soft, floral, like the memory of something pure.
Her dupatta lay folded on the bed.
He sat down, picked it up, and pressed it to his face.
Tears soaked the fabric.
Then, a whisper… not real, but real enough.
Her voice surrounded him, haunting him, breaking him piece by piece.
Rayyan clutched his head, crying.
“Bas… bas karo, Aayat… main aur nahi seh sakta…”
He looked around the room and suddenly—
A flash of childhood.
The memory faded, replaced by the present—the man he had become, the heart he had broken.
He buried his face in her dupatta again.
Then—he felt a hand on his shoulder.
He looked up.
Nafeesa stood there, her eyes wet.
“Rayyan…” she whispered.
He looked like a lost child.
“Ammi… dekho na, sab barbaad ho gaya… maine usey puri tarha tod diya…”
Nafeesa knelt beside him and pulled him into her arms.
He wept like a child, clutching her tight.
When he calmed a little, she stroked his hair and said softly,
“Mujhe maaf kar do, Rayyan... Mein tumhari gunnahgar hoon…”
Rayyan shook his head, wiping tears.
“Nahi Ammi, aapki nahi… sab meri galti hai. Aayat ka gunahgaar sirf main hoon… aur koi nahi...”
Nafeesa’s voice trembled,
“Nahi, Rayyan… maine hi tumhari aur Ramsha ki shaadi jaldi karwai thi.
Usi shaam… jab sab kuch barbaad hua tha... Tum toh tootay huye thai us din.. dard mein thai , aur maine usi baat ka faida uthaya..
Main janti thi… agar tumhe waqt diya, tum phir Aayat ke paas laut jaoge. Tum us per yakeen kar lo gay...Isliye maine nikkah mein jaldi ki ... Aur Rashid Bhai se kaha wo tumse baat kare, ramsha se nikkah k liye, warna mein aayat ko talak karwa dugy... Toh wo dar gaye , kahi unki beti per ab talak ka dhag be na lag jaye....”
Rayyan froze.
His breath hitched.
Slowly, he stood up, eyes hollow.
He walked to the table, picked up Aayat’s photo , and said quietly,
“Lekin ammi… jo bhi hua ho… gunah maine kiya.
Main hi tha jisne us par bharosa nahi kiya. Mein hi tha jis ne usey tanha chod diya ..
Aur ab… mujhe yakeen ho gaya hain kay main uske qabil hi nahi tha.”
He turned toward her, tears falling again.
“Par ammi… wo mujhse khula mang rahi hain.... mein kaise de du?”
He dropped to his knees, resting his head in her lap like a child.
“Main kya karu, ammi… agar maine usey chhod diya, main mar jaunga…”
His voice broke completely.
“Jab meri nazar mein wo gunahgar thi tab bhi main usse chhod nahi saka… itni himat kabhi thi hi nahi kay usey apni zindagi se nikal saku...
Ab toh main jaanta hoon wo saaf thi, sachi thi… toh ab kaise chhod doon?”
He sobbed harder, every breath a wound.
“Main ne usse itni takleef di hai… ke ab maafi ke woh alfaaz mere paas hi nahi rahe… jin se mein usey bata saku kay mein sharminda hoon, mein uska gunahgar hoon, wo mujhe maaf kar de... Maafi dur ki baat hain,
Main toh uske samne khaday hone k qabil be nahi raha....”
He looked up suddenly, eyes filled with realization.
“Ammi…” his voice cracked,
“Sirf kuch ghante hue hain… abhi toh 24 gantay be pure nahi huye aur mujhe yeh dard bardasht nahi ho raha… aisa lag raha h , jaise mein mar jau ga... Jab k mere pass ap hain, aur baki sab be hain....
Par aayat,.... Aayat ne yeh dard 8 saal bardasht kiya hain… kaise jee paayi hogi wo… us k pass toh hum mein se koi nahi tha...”
Tears ran freely down his face.
He clutched his heart, whispering,
“Kitne dard mein rahi hogi wo… maine uski aankhon ke saamne shaadi ki thi… kisi aur se… kitna tadpi hogy na wo....”
He shook his head helplessly,
“She will never forgive me, ammi… kabhi be nahi…”
Nafeesa held his face gently.
“Sab theek ho jaayega, Rayyan…”
But Rayyan only smiled sadly through tears, whispering,
“Kaise theek hoga, ammi…
sab barbaad ho chuka hain ....
Meri dua asani se qabool ho gaye thi.. Isliye mein ne uski qadar hi nahi ki...”
His voice faded into silence.
The night outside grew darker.
The storm had passed…
but the ruins it left behind would take a lifetime to heal.