Khaani: Mera Dushman Mera Ishq

Cold reception

Khaani nervously pinned her dupatta to her hair. She sighed as she took in her appearance. Covered from head to toe, she couldn't look more unlike herself  if she tried. Her hair which she always wore loose around her shoulders was tied in a neat bun by Nayeema. 

She would have gone for her standard campaign look which was a long kurti, leggings, stole and her signature Gucci shades. But given the kind of trolling and slut-shaming she faced because of her choice of clothes, Nayeema and Salman thought it was best that she blended in with the rest of the women in the family, which meant being cover head to toe in an oversized lawn suit and understated make-up.

Yah Allah, Khaani silently prayed, please ab aur kuch nahi bigadna iske baad jo bhi karna achcha hi karna. Ameen.

There was a knock on her door, it was Nayeema. "Khaani beta, ready?", Nayeema asked. Khaani turned around and asked, "Aunty, main theek toh lag rahi hu na?". Nayeema nodded approvingly and said, "Haa, Khaani tum bilkul theek lag rahi ho. Ab chalo humey der ho rahi hai. Already waha logo ki bheer jama hone lagi hai.". Saying this, Nayeema led Khaani out of her room.

As Khaani sat in the car her phone buzzed, it was her other phone. She discreetly peeked at her purse. Mir Hadi's message read: All the best for your comeback! Love, Hadi.

Khaani stared out of the window with a slight smile playing on her lips.

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"Oh my god!!Itne saare log?!", Khaani exclamined, her mouth gaping open. The size of the crowd was ten times more than what she had seen when she used to attend rallies with Sarim. Sarim beamed at the crowd and said, "Dekha, Pakistan ki awaam humari family se kitna pyaar karti hai". As Sarim got out of his car, he was met with a resounding applause from the audience. Imitating him, Khaani too opened the door and got out of her car, waving at the crowds behind the barricades. But her gesture was not returned with the same cheer, rather her appearance was met with a tense silence from the crowds. Sensing tension, Sarim quickly walked around and held his sister's hand and led her to the podium where the rest of the family was already seated. "Waqt do", Sarim said soothingly, "Sab theek ho jayega.".

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Khaani frowned as she read the comments under Sarim's speech. The Pakistani public was not going to accept her as easily as she had expected. 

Most of the comments were saying how Sarim Khan is unfit to govern Balochistan because he cannot control his own 'besharam' sister. There were some calling her a fraud because of her overnight change. 'Paakeezgi ka dhong', they termed it. She checked the comments under the speeches her other family members, they were all positive (she practically gagged at some of the saccharine sweet comments under Abul's speech). But the comments under Sarim's speech and (even Salman's speech to some extent) were truly vitriolic. She checked the comments under Sarim's previous speech clips: they were all very positive. The negative comments started after her public appearance. 'Itne mushkil se Sarim ne awaam ka dil jeeta hai', Khaani reflected, 'Main nahi chahti ke mere wajah se uski saari mehnat pe paani pher jaaye. Maybe I should back out from this campaign'. 

"Koi bhi ulti-seedhi baat matt sochna, Khaani", a voice said behind her. It was Sarim's. He  stood there, leaning against the door.

"Sarim?", Khaani said weakly, "Comments dekhe hai tumne? Kitni ghaleez baatein kar rahe hai humare baare mein."

Sitting next to his sister on the bed, Sarim said, "Haa dekhe hai, magar Khaani yeh log minority mein hai, yeh log jo keh rahe hai usse tum awaam ki awaaz matt presume karo."