Hikayat ✔

Chap. 28

The door bell rang and a frantic Zainab let in a drenched Vania.

A gasp escaped her lips but Vania didn't say anything. Not even Salam.

They took leaden footsteps to enter the lounge and all hell broke lose when Maniha khala, who sat on the sofa with her head in her hands, took in her state.

"Vania?!!" She ran to her.

"Kahan thi tum hain!! Kitna phone kar rahi thi main tumko!! Pagal ho rahi thi tension--" She held her shoulders and shook her screaming. Then gasped loudly as she saw her wrist.

"Khoon!!! Khoon!!! Zainaabb!!! Vania ke hanth per khoon!!" They noticedthe dried blood on Vania's wrist and her shirt and Maniha khala almost fainted with shock and fear.

What if someone harassed her? What if ....

Everyday she listened to such horrifying stories, that shook her soul. And it wasn't easy for her to send her girl out in this difficult world. It took a huge toll on her mental health everyday, specially because she had no one to call if something bad did happen to Vania, God forbid.

"Aapi kya hua hai yeh?" Zainab shook her shoulder and picked her wrist up to see where it hurt. She didn't want to panic like her mother, knowing it wouldn't help anything.

Vania was simply mute like she was made of stone.

Her heart... She couldn't feel it.

"Vania?!" Maniha screamed and she blinked slowly looking up.

"Th...theek hun main, Khala jan.." she whispered hoarsely. "Kuch nhi hua mujhe." She pulled her hand out of Zainab's hold and let it drop to her side.

There was a bit of an irritated edge to her tone. Vania was tired. So very tired and frustrated.

Maniha shook her head tears streaming down her face as she pulled her hair in angst.

"Bss ho gayi hai meri." She shook her head and Vania and Zainab frowned, "Ayse toh main pagal ho jaoun gi... Main pagal ho jaoun gi. Main or bardasht nhi kar sakti!"

She waved her hand in denial talking more to herself than she talked to Vania or Zainab, pacing the length of the lounge.

"Khala jan—"

"Maaf karo, bhai!" she joined her hands together in front of her face. "Main or nhi bardasht ker skti! Akeli jan ko anjaan sheher main kaam per behjna! Mere dil se poocho kya guzarti hai!! Bss, ho gayi bss!!" Tears streamed down her face.

"Ab mujh main itni himmat nhi hai keh main or koi sadma bardasht karun, suna tumne!! Tumhari ek bakwas nhi sun ni mujhe!" She held a finger near her face angrily ordering her. "Main kal hi Gurya Apa ko bolun gi Kashif ke liye baat kareyn. Acha khandan hai, acha kamata hai, humarey jaisay log hain. Naa koi demands na kuch. Shareef khandan hai.. or kyaa chahiye?!" She didn't know why or who she was angry at. She was just so disturbed by Vania's state Maniha didn't even hear her own words, "Mujhe nhi bithana tumheyn or—"

"Sahi keh rahin hain." Vania cut Maniha off nodding.

"Nikal den mujhe ghar se. Yehi sahi hai."

Zainab placed a hand on her temple sighing.

There it goes again...

"Barbad kar diya hai naa maine aap ko?!"

Zainab and Maniha gasped at her tone and the cruel words she used.

Vania didn't talk back like this.. not her.

"Main sab barbaad kar deti hun! Issi liye toh Daadi ne nhi rakha na mujhe? Issi liye Baba mujhse pyaar nhi kartey they? Mama ko maar diya maine.. phir Khalo jan maar diya. Main barbadi hun! Main manhoos hun! Mera kala sayaa sab ki khushiyan khaa jata hai, meri apni bhi! Sahi kaha tha Airaa ne, jalaa ker mar dena chahiye mujhe! Saari musibat ki jar main hun! Meri aap shadi mat karwaayen, Khala jan! Kyun kisi or masoom ki bhi zindagi barbad kareyn gi!" She kept saying vile things, that hit Maniha like daggers on her heart.