Malika's History Project

Pleading

She quietly sat before her father, her mind was still wandering around unknown thoughts. Her father was saying something but she was lost in her own world. He speaks loudly,' HASEENA!' She gets up from her place and says,' Ji, abbu!'

Hussain speaks in frustration,' Yeh kya chal rha hai!' Haseena confusingly looks toward him and he throws letters in front of her. She picked up the one letter, it was in English language and she understood the whole situation. She read two-three lines from the letter and looked towards him.

He shouts,' Apko malum bhi hai apne kya kiye hai! Woh humare liye bohot kimati hai, apko yeh bataye the! Apko sab malum hai ki humare iss bare jitne kitne zarrori hai lekin fir bhi apne unke saath aise bartav kiye. Uske pita ke saath, humari iss jung ke liye bohot zarrori hai...Agar woh, yeh chithiyan bhej deti. Uska parinam toh aap janti ho!'

She speaks in a calm tone,' Hum jante hai! Hum dekh lenge.' By saying this, she goes from there.

She was feeling engulfed and desperately wanted some air. She signs Neerjah, not to enter her room. She immediately removes her jewelry and dupatta. She falls to the floor and takes deep breaths. Her face is covered with sweat beads and she turns and lies down on the floor.

She closes her eyes and says,' Ammi! Apki bohot yaad aa rhi hai.' She hears a knock on the door and she immediately gets up and says,' Hum theek hai!'

Neerjah enters the room and immediately rushes towards her and speaks worriedly,' Malika, Aap niche...' She helps her to get up and makes her sit on the sofa. She continues while picking up her jewelry,' Hum vedye ji ko bulaye, Malika.'

Haseena smiles and nods her head sideways. She leans to the sofa and asks,' Karishma!?' Neerjah stops placing the jewelry and turns and speaks,' Woh theek hai!' And continues her work.

Zaheed after his sword practice, gets ready and goes to have breakfast. He was astonished that nobody was present during breakfast and how Karishma managed to secure her place in everyone's heart. He has his breakfast and someone informs him about the letters written by Karishma and Haseena's encounter with their father.

Zaheed decides to visit his sister and he heads towards the garden. He looks at her sitting on the swing, looking all worn out. He signs the guard to stop following him and he goes toward her.

He speaks,' Aap aaj subha ayi nhi!' Haseena coming out of her thoughts, says,' Kyu koi harane ko nhi mile.' She smiles and skids to the side. He sits along her and she continues,' Woh bas thoda thak gye the!'

He asks,' Abu se kya baat hui.'

She looks towards him and tells him everything. He nods and listens carefully. He speaks,' Abu ko Karishma pasand nhi hai!' Haseena just nods at his words and he bluntly asks,' Kya apko pasand hai?' She gets blank and says,' Apko toh hai!'

He chuckles and says,' Apko yeh kyu lagte hai!' Haseena gets shocked and they both remain silent for a few seconds.

Haseena speaks,' Woh yahan se jana chati hai.' She looks towards his face which remains unchanged after listening to her. He replies,' Yeh unke liye behtar hai!' He gets up from his place and looks towards Haseena.

Haseena also gets up and speaks,' Lekin woh apki dost hai!' He just smiles and bows a little indicating to her that he is leaving. She speaks hastily,' Agar aap unhe rukne ko bole gye toh woh ruk jayegyi bas ek baar unse baat krlo.' He goes from there after listening to her. She irritatingly sits down and looks at his retreating figure.

It was evening and she still neither had any idea to stop Karishma nor the courage to face her. Neerjah informed about her condition from time to time. She remembers her father's words and then the morning when Karishma was shouting at the person.

She stops stalling here and there and sits on the sofa. Neerjah after a knock enters and speaks,' Malika, Woh kal yahan se ja rhi hai! Rosilia smaan bandh rhi hai.' Haseena stands up and says,' Kya!' She runs towards her room and enters the room abruptly.

She looked towards Karishma who was sitting on her bed. She looked tired but still she was glowing. She was instructing Rosilia about something. As, Haseena enters they both look toward her.

Haseena speaks,' Hum woh...Hum maafi chate hai!'

Karishma looks towards her and then lies down on the bed facing the opposite side. Rosilia understands her action and she stops working and goes toward Haseena.

She greets her and speaks,' Miss is still weak and needs to take rest.'

Haseena speaks loudly intentionally,' Agar aram krna zarrori hai toh yeh sab kya hai.'

Karishma speaks sternly,' Rosilia, please continue working. We will be leaving first thing in the morning.'

Haseena signs Rosilia to leave the room for a few minutes and she goes out without speaking anything. Haseena moves toward her bed.

Karishma speaks,' Is she gone or still here?' She waits for a response but after getting no response, she gets up irritatingly and turns and looks toward the side of the bed. She gets shocked and speaks timidly,' Aap...aap yahan?'

Haseena nods and goes to the opposite side of the bed. She holds the blanket and speaks,' Apko itne gussa nhi krna chaiye...' Karishma gives her a sharp look and Haseena gets embarrassed.

Haseena signs her to lie down and she covers her with a blanket. She sits down and asks,' Jana zarrori hai?'

Karishma nods and speaks,' Bohot!'

Haseena looks into her eyes and speaks, ' Agar hum apse maafi manage toh kya aap ruk jayengyi!' Karishma shifts her gaze toward her and she continues,' Agar hume ek moka aur mile toh hum apse wadaa krte hai ki, apko humari wajah se koi pareshani nhi hogyi!'

She looks down and speaks,' Aap humse bohot behtar ho! Hum yeh samaj nhi pa rhe ki hum aise kyu kr rhe the lekin woh sab wayarth hai!' She again looks towards her and suddenly holds her hand. Due to her sudden action, She moves forward a little.

Karishma was stunned and her eyes widened. Haseena speaks,' Kya aap yahan ruk kr hume sikha sakti. Apse hum bohot kuch seekh sakte hai.' Karishma turns red and she continues,' Hume maaf maat kijiye lekin aap ruk jayie.'

She asks softly,' Aap ruke gyi na?'

Karishma was flushed and she couldn't think of any answer. She just nods and she leave her hand and she falls back.

Haseena gets up happily and speaks,' Apka hum poora dayaan rkhe gye.' She leaves the room.

As she falls, her face struck the pillow and she pushes her face  into the pillow as if hiding her face.

Karishma mumbles,' Iska kya matlab hai!?'