Khaani: Mera Dushman Mera Ishq

Her stranger

Salman Khan rubbed his eyes feeling exhausted. It had been an exhausting month. What with Khaani's controversy and their intensive campaigning in Sibi. He picked up the photo frame in front of him. It was a picture of his children: his four stars as he lovingly called them. In the picture, Khaani was holding a newly-born Sana, while, sitting next to her, Sarim held a two year old Sara in his lap. Salman smiled, he really struck gold with his children. Sarim and Khaani never showed any resentment towards their half-siblings and the girls adored them. 

Salman frowned as he ran his finger over Khaani's image. His mother had been blunt: Khaani with her open-mindedness and Western lifestyle was too much of a liability for the party and must not be included in any campaign or public appearances from hereon. Salman (much as he loved his daughter) could not disagree with her. Khaani is a direct contradiction of their conservative ideology and her presence or raking up those pictures through an investigation will only damage their election prospects further. He will file a complaint with the cyber cell after the elections but for now she and her controversy needed to be kept away from politics.  

Magar yeh toh sirf election hai, Salman thought, Khaani ki puri zindagi padi hai. Agar woh issi tarah apni mann maani karti rahi toh aage chalkar uski shaadi main dikkat hogi. Usse koi achcha khandan nahi apnayega...mujhe Khaani ke baare mein koi faisla lena padega.

Just then his phone rang. Itni raat ko kaun ho sakta hai, Salman thought reaching for his phone. He saw the caller ID. It read: Malik Sahab. Smiling, he picked up, "Assalamalikum Malik Sahab, kaise hai aap?", he greeted pleasantly. 

"Oye Salman", Amjad Malik greeted, "Kaisa hai tu?". Amjad Malik was a renowned fashion tycoon in Karachi. His brand Zarina, named after his mother, was one of the most popular womenswear brands in Pakistan and abroad. Even in his seventies, he remained as jolly and good-natured as ever. He had been friends with the Khan family from the days of Jalal Khan, Khaani's late grandfather. 

"Bas, aapki meherbani hai, bataye kya khidmat kar sakta hu aapki?", Salman said.

"Khidmat toh tu yeh kar sakta hai ke agle mahine ke 7th se 15th tak tujhe aur teri puri family ko Karachi aana hai, meri poti ki shaadi mein ", Amjad replied.

"Kya?!Mubarak ho!", Salman congratulated him,"Zoya bohot hi pyaari bachhi hai Allah usse khush rakhe...kaash  Taimur hota apni beti ki khushi mein shaamil hone". He said the last line in a sad tone. His friend and school senior had passed away ten years ago, shortly after  getting his eldest son Arham married. Amjad sighed and replied, "Haa, kismat bhi ajeeb cheez hai, kaha aaj usse shaadi ke intezama'at mein Arham ka haath battana chahiye tha, magar yeh zimmedari woh mujh par chhorkar chala gaya. Aur Arham bechara ek taraf behen ki shaadi sambhaal raha hai aur dusre taraf apni chhoti bachhi ka khyaal rakh raha hai. Uski bhi kismat mein Allah miya ne pata nahi kya likha hai...apni biwi se bohot mohabbat karta tha, lekin teen saal pehle woh bhi Allah ko pyaari ho gayi aur apni aakhri nishaani, apni beti Raima ko humare paas chhor gayi. Mera bachcha toh bilkul akela hi padh gaya"

Taking a drag from his cigar Salman said, "Hosla rakhiye Malik Sahab Allah agar ek haath se kuch leta hai toh dusre haath se kuch deta bhi hai. Arham ka bhi ghar jaldi bas jayega In Sha Allah." 

"In Sha Allah", Amjad said, "Aur haan Salman, tumhe, bahu aur bachcho ko zaroor aana hai shaadi par mein koi bahana nahi sununga..."

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Sarim paced around his room angrily, how could Khaani let the picture leak slide by so easily? What is wrong with her? And why did she let Dadi bully her into backing out of the campaigning?

There was a knock on his door. It was Nayeema. "Sarim, main andar aa sakti hu?", she asked.

"Aunty please aiyye na", Sarim said, "Please baithiye.". Nayeema smiled and sat on the bed.