Chapter 18
Author's POV:
The night had been merciless.
Rayyan hadn't closed his eyes even once.
He had left the house after Aayat's shattered words - "I hate you, Rayyan.
.. I hate you." Those words still echoed inside his skull like broken glass scratching his soul.
He had wandered aimlessly through the empty streets, trying to suffocate his own pain, but no matter how far he walked, her voice followed him.
When he finally returned home at dawn, the sky was still grey, the air heavy with silence. The moment he stepped inside, his parents were waiting in the living room. His father's stern face and his mother's disappointed eyes hit him harder than the sleepless night.
Shahbaz Malik ( rayyan's father):
"Rayyan... kahan thay tum raat bhar? Kya tumhe yaad bhi hai kal sham tumne kya kiya tha?"
Rayyan stopped. His throat went dry. He knew what was coming.
" Kal tumhara nikah hua tha. Tumhari shaadi hui thi Ramsha se!"
Rayyan clenched his jaw, his eyes hollow.
" Ye nikkah mein kaise bhool sakta hoon abu... Zindagi bar nahi bhool pauga , kyu kay ye nikah toh mere zakhmo pr namak ki tarha hai...."
His mother, Nafeesa, stepped forward, her voice trembling with both anger and worry.
"Rayyan... tumhari kal shaadi hui hai! Kal raat Tumhe apni biwi ke paas hona chahiye tha. Ramsha tumhare kamre mein dulhan banke raat bhar tumhara intezaar karti rahi... aur tum... tum kahaan gaye hue thay?"
Rayyan's chest tightened. He looked at her, his voice breaking.
" kuch waqat akela rehna chahta tha ammi... Kyu kay is ghar mein koi be nahi hain, jo mujhe samaj sakay. Ghutan ho rahi thi mujhe is ghar mein..... kuch waqat chahiye tha saans laine k liye."
Nafeesa said angrily:
"Saans lene ka waqt? Tumhari biwi hai ab woh... Ramsha! Uske saath rehna tumhari zimmedaari hai. Tum Aayat ko apne zehan se nikal do. Us ladki ne sirf tumhare saath nahi, hamare poore khandan ki izzat ke saath khela hai. Uski wajah se-"
"Bas, ammi! Bas!"
His voice thundered through the walls. His mother froze. His father's brows furrowed deeper.
Rayyan took a trembling step forward, his voice raw.
"Aap logon ke ye alfaz... mujhe andar hi andar khatam kar rahay hain .
.. apka har alfaz chaaku ban kar mere dil ko cheer raha hai.
ap log samj nahi rahay kya , jis ladki se mein pyar karta hoon wo mere samne bewafa ban kar khadi kr di gaye hain.
.. Koi aisa shaks nahi hain jo mujhe a kr kahe, sab theek ho jaye ga.
.. Maine kal shadi krdi ammi... Shadi... ."
" Kisi nay a kar mujhe nahi roka.... Ap sab nay kaha mein theek kar raha hoon .... Pr kisi ne ye nahi kaha kay soch samj k faisla lo ... Mein gusse mein tha ammi... Aur ap sab ne mere gusse ko hawa di ... Kisi nay usey thanda nahi kiya ... Aur ab is nikah ka soch kr be mera dum ghut raha hain ...."
He closed his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"Aur jahan tak baat hai aapki bahu Ramsha ki.
.. toh abu, maine usse nikah se pehle hi keh diya tha.
... ke mujhse usey mere naam ke alawa kuch nahi milega.
Sirf mera naam. Aur usne khud kaha... ke uske liye yahi kafi hai, kay mera nam us k nam se jud jaye.
... Aur Ab... usey mera naam mil gaya. Aur aapko aapki bahu mil gayi.
Ab... mujhe mere dard k saath jeenay de.
Mujhe akela chhod day! Haath jodta hoon. .."
Without waiting for their reply, Rayyan turned and stormed upstairs. His steps were heavy, his chest burning.
But the moment he reached the top of the staircase, his eyes fell on a familiar door. Aayat's room.
His legs froze. His breath caught. She must be sleeping... he told himself. But then another memory stabbed him - her words from last night, filled with venom: "I hate you, Rayyan Malik. I hate you!"
His ears buzzed, her voice echoing again and again. He covered his ears, shaking his head like a madman.
"Nahi... chup ho jao... chup ho jao! Tumhari yeh alfaz main bardasht nahi kar sakta, Aayat..."
Almost unconsciously, he walked towards her room. His trembling hand pushed the door open.
The sight that met him knocked the air out of his lungs.
The bed was perfectly clean - untouched. The mirror on the wall was shattered, shards scattered across the floor. And on the broken glass... blood.
Rayyan's entire body went cold.
Rayyan whispered,
"Aayat...?"
He stumbled inside, scanning every corner.
"Aayat... tum kahan ho? Mujhe jawab do, Aayat!"
He rushed towards the bathroom, his heart pounding violently. With trembling hands he pushed the door open. Empty.
Panic clawed at his chest. His throat tightened.
He pulled his phone out with shaking hands and dialed her number desperately.
But a shrill ringtone echoed from behind him.
He turned. Her phone lay on the pillow. Right beside it... a folded letter.
Rayyan's fingers quivered as he picked it up. He unfolded the letter slowly.
Her handwriting cut through his soul:
"Mein jaanti hoon... aap sab meri shakal nahi dekhna chahte. Is liye, aap sab ko farq nahi padega ke main kahan hoon. Jaane se pehle bas kehna chahti hoon... ke main be ab kisi ki shakal nahi dekhna chahti. Samajh lena ke Aayat mar gayi.
Allah Hafiz."
The letter slipped from his hands. His chest tore open.
Rayyan screamed,
"Aayatttttttttttttttt!!!"
His scream echoed so loudly that the entire house shook. His parents and family rushed upstairs.
Shahbaz picked up the fallen letter, his hands trembling, his face turning red with fury as he read it. He threw it back to the floor.
Shahbaz said angrily,
"Bas! Yehi baaki reh gaya tha! Ye ladki bhaag gayi! Naak katwa di isne hamari! Main toh dua karta hoon... Allah kare sach mein ye mar jaaye...!"
"Bas, abu! Ye lafz... dobara mat kehna! Yaad rakhna Agar Aayat ki saansein ruki... toh main be apni saansein khud band kar doonga! Sun rahe hain aap?!"
The room froze. His chest heaved. His father's face twisted with uncontrollable anger. For the first time in his life, Shahbaz raised his hand.
The slap cracked through the silence.
Rayyan's face turned to the side, his cheek burning. Everyone went still - they had never seen Shahbaz raise his hand on Rayyan.
Rayyan slowly turned back, his eyes glistening, his voice trembling but firm.
"Agar aapko lagta hai ke ek thappad se main Aayat ko bhool jaunga... toh aap ghalat ho. Agar ap chahte hain main usse bhool javoo... toh aapko mera dil nikalna padega abu. Meri saansein rokni hongi. Kyun ke inke hote hue... Aayat ko bhoolna namumkin hai."
Nafeesa, his mother, grabbed his arm, tears in her eyes.
Nafeesa:
"Rayyan... samajhne ki koshish karo. Us ladki ne tumhe dhoka diya hai."
Before Rayyan could answer, a new voice cut in. From the doorway.
Ramsha.
She stood there, eyes lowered, her face painted with false innocence.
"Ammi bilkul sahi keh rahi hain rayyan. Aayat tumse bewafai karke chali gayi. Shayad usi ladke ke saath bhaag gayi ho. Rayyan... tumhe samajhna hoga, woh tumhare laayak nahi thi."
Rayyan's eyes blazed. He stormed towards her, stopping only inches away, his voice like thunder.
"Kya kaha tumne...? Bhaag gayi? Agar yeh sach bhi hain toh... toh bhi main usse apne paas wapas le kr aunga. Aur usey apne se kabhi door nahi janay dunga. Kyun ke main... phir bhi usi se mohabbat karta hoon. Aur karta rahoon ga."
Gasps filled the room. His mother staggered back in shock.
"Rayyan! Yeh bhi ab tumhari biwi hai! Tum uske saamne aisa kaise keh sakte ho...?"
Rayyan let out a hollow, mocking laugh.
"Biwi? Ramsha, tumne khud kaha tha - ke tumhe sirf mera naam chahiye. Bas mera naam. Ab tumhe mera naam mil gaya. Mera kamra... mera surname sab tumhara hain. Lekin ab Bas wahi tumhari zindagi hai. Aur kuch nahi. Tum khush ho toh raho,ya chali jao. I DON'T CARE. Per Mujhse aur umeed mat rakhna."
The silence was shattered when a girl's voice cried out from behind.
Hayaat.
Her face was pale, her hands trembling, her eyes swollen from crying.
She rushed forward, her voice shaking but filled with fire.
Hayaat grabbed rayyan's collar and said,
" Meri apii kaha hain?
...... Ap logo nay sahi nahi kiya Rayyan bhai!
Aapko sharam aani chahiye! Meri Aapi ne aapko dhoka nahi diya.
.. par ap sab nay un pr shak kiya.... Nahi.
.nahi ...shak nahin ap logo nay toh unhe saza suna di.
.. Aur bhai sabse bara zakham... aapne diya hai unhe!
ye nikah kr kay... aur ap logo kay in ilzamo ki waja se wo chali gaye. ... Maloom nahi kaha hogy wo?"
Her tears streamed down as she shook him.
"Aapne kaha tha... meri Aapi ko kabhi rulaoge nahi. Aapne khud kaha tha ap unko rote huye nahi dekh sakte... Phir kahan gaye aapke wo vaade? Aap sabse pehle unko tanha chor gaye... sabse pehle aapne unhe tod diya!"
She slapped him across the face. The sound cracked through the room.
The room erupted into chaos...
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