leaves of jannah (Jannat ke Pattay)

The world is small

Rohail stayed in America and over there people often spend most of their time online. Then in that case it was possible that he must have seen the video. Oh God! What will she do now?!

She wore her slippers and lifelessly walked towards the lounge. The receiver was kept beside the cradle. With trembling hands she picked the reciever and put it by her ear.

"........Hello?"

"Hello Haya? How are you?" Rohail asked with a warmth in his voice..Haya couldn't make out anything from it.

"Fine....you....are you ok?"

"Absolutely fit, I wanted to congragulate you." Her heart beat loudly..was he saying this sarcastically?
"Ab.....about what?"

"About going to visit Turkey through the exchange programme, what else?"

"Oh ok." She finally let loose her breath and fell on the sofa.

"Yes I am going. Thank you so much." For the past three days she had forgotten about it.

"When are you leaving?" He was asking happily.
"Till January end or February starting."
"So over there so you plan to meet Sabeen phuphu's family?"

"Don't know. Haven't thought about it." At that time she had bigger problems to think about.

"What happened? You look upset?" He sounded worried.

"Oh..nothing..." She talked about random things in an attempt to sound normal and was successful in doing so.

After the phone ended she went to Irum's place. Irum was lying down with a pillow on her face.
"There's no use of hiding your face like this."
"So what do we do?"

"First of all let's block the site on the computer of both the houses. After that let's think of a permanent solution."

"Fine, let's do that." Finding a ray of hope Irum stood up. Not wasting any time they blocked the site from all the computers. Just then Saima tai came to inform that Furqan taya's family friends were coming to seek an alliance for Irum in the evening.
Haya immediately became excited.

"Our groom has also come alongwith them" Haya peeked in the drawing room and came inside when she saw Irum sitting sadly.

"Why are you sitting like this?"

Irum slowly raised her head. Her head was properly covered with dupatta and she was ready. Yes...her eyes looked empty

"That video.....!"

"Forget it!! Come everyone is calling. The boy's mother Majidah has called her son so that he can see you. Come." She held her hand to make her stand.
"And abba?" Irum's eyes looked worried.

"They have taken permission and he is sitting outside with the men."

She held Irum's hand and brought her towards the drawing room. They stood for a while behind the net curtains.

Inside Saima tai, Fatima Begum and Sonia were sitting on the sofa. In front of the there were a lot if snacks present and Sonia was politely insisting the guests to have more of it.

"Bus bhai! We want a girl just like us. Modest, Ba-parda (observes veil) and observes sawm and salah." That woman was smiling and speaking.
"Arey Mrs. Kareem our Irum has never left the house without covering her head."

"Assalam Alaikum" she came inside with Irum. On her salaam everyone raised their heads.

Looking down while sitting on the sofa, Irum was wearing a pink coloured full sleeves shirt shalwar and the same colour dupatta was properly covering her head.

Haya was also with her. Her silky hair falling till her waist, wearing a A line grey shirt and trousers and her dupatta by her shoulders. She sat with legs crossed and this made her tight trousers to move up a bit and that showed her ankles.

When Madam Kareem saw Irum her eyes filled with liking for the girl. She looked at her son in an agreeing manner but her son wasn't looking at Irum but at Haya. Infact he was watching her with intent.
"And beta, what do you do?" She didn't find her son paying attention so she asked Irum to salvage the situation.

"Ji..I am doing Masters with English Literature." Irum replied while still looking down.
Just then Haya felt the boy was constantly looking at her. Not admiringly, but questioningly..like deductong something.

Just then he took his blackberry phone from his pocket and silently started pressing buttons.
The women were talking among themselves. But Haya was feeling restless and watched him from the corner of her eyes. At that moment "my name is sheila" sound echoed..but he immediately closed it. But she had listened. ..... alongwith sheila, the chaos of function was also clearly audible. And maybe Irum also heard something, that's why she suddenly looked up but then gradually bent her head.
Haya felt like her soul was leaving her body. Was the world so small?

Now the boy was watching something on his phone. Somerimes looking at the screen and sometimes at Haya and Irum. It was clearly visible he was trying to conclude something.

Then he suddenly stood up and quickly left the room. Everyone suddenly got embarassed. Haya bent her head down and felt like her heart was drowning.