Keep Your Enemies Closer

~ confusions and certainty~

Nooreh was seated in their room with both of them after breakfast. Zaviyar was pacing around, about to physically pull his hair out, while Zaira embraced Nooreh in a side hug, trying to comfort her. Ahmer had announced that Jahangir and his family would be coming over the next day for Nooreh's engagement. All of this was happening earlier than either of them had expected, leaving them unable to do much.

"Mein soch raha hoon aaj hi Faridpur ka chakkar lagaon. Jahangir mamoon se baat karta hoon, warna us Arslan ko pakar ke us ko dhamki deta hoon ke mana karay."

"Bhai aap aisa kuch nahi karein gay. Is tarah kuch bhi solve nahi ho ga."

Zaviyar was fuming, partially out of anger at Ahmer, but mostly out of his inability to do anything. 

"Nooreh theek keh rahi hai Zaviyar, ye ghussay se ya junoon se hal karnay wala masla nahi hai. Yunn cheezein bas mazeed bigrein gi."

"Phir? Kya karein? Haath pe haath dharay bethay rahein?"

Nooreh stood up, walking towards her brother. She gently placed her hands on his folded arms.

"Bhai, is waqt behtar yehi hai ke mangni ho lenay dein -"

"Par Nooreh -"

"Bhai, mangni hai na, shadi to nahi hai. Mujhe pata hai ke baba jaan dhoom dhaam se shadi karein gay, kuch maheenay to hon gay na. Humein kuch waqt mil jaye ga, kuch soch lein gay."

"Mujhe nahi pata yaar"

He ran a hand through his hair. 

"Nooreh theek keh rahi hai Zaviyar. Aik din mein hum kisi bhi tarah ye nahi rok saktay, mangni ho lenay do, phir sochtay hein ke shadi kesay rokni hai."

He let out a frustrated sigh. 

"Noor, I'm sorry yaar. Mene tum se wada kiya tha aur mein kuch bhi -"

"Zavi bhai! Is mein aap ki ghalti nahi hai. Fikar nahi karein, hum mil ke suljha lein gay ye masla. Hmm?"

Zaviyar finally nodded making Nooreh smile before she left the room, leaving Zaviyar and Zaira alone. 

"Khud ko blame nahi karo, tumhara qasoor nahi hai."

"Mere honay ka kya faida, Zaira, agar mein apni behan ke saath yunn ziyadti hotay nahi rok sakta?"

Zaira sighed as she stood up and walked towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

"Zaviyar, har waqt, har cheez insaan ke control mein nahi ho sakti. Tum har cheez theek to nahi kar saktay na akelay."

"Par mein to kuch bhi theek nahi kar paata, look at me. Aaj tak kuch bhi nahi rok paaya mein Zaira. I'm a failure."

She saw how he was shaking out of frustration, she saw how he kept cursing himself under his breath. It made her heart hurt to see him take blame for mistakes he did not make. 

"Zaviyar, idhar dekho meri taraf"

Their eyes met. His pained ones contrasting against her calm ones. 

"Khuda ne insaan ke haath mein sirf koshish karna rakha hai, hum sab kuch theek nahi kar saktay, na hi peeche ja kar maazi badal saktay hein. Apni taraf se koshish kar saktay hein jo tum kar rahay ho."

"Ye kaafi nahi hai -"

"Jo tum kar rahay ho, wo buhat kam log kar paatay hein. Apnay khandan ke khilaf jana. Jis jung ka intekhab tum ne apnay liye kar liya hai, us ko sirf shuru kar dena hi buhat himmat ki baat hai."