Jashn-E-Bahaara

That Moment!

Gazing out at the full moon, the young lady's thoughts travelled from him to the sight before her, and again to him. All that she had heard from the maids, all that he did yesterday night, wasn't leaving her mind.

Does he really care for me? Do I really mean something to him? Or...was it only out of guilt?

Many more questions like these wandered aimlessly in the depths of her mind. The optimist in her wanted to believe that she mattered to him as much as he did to her. But the realist in her had a much better argument - he cared and prayed for her life, because it was him who had put it at stake. All the care was borne out of guilt and nothing else. If he really ever cared for her, would he insult her the way he had been doing all last month? No!

...

The sound of footsteps brought her back from her reverie. Even before she had turned back, she had known the entrant - It was him.

If it had been someone else, she would have probably stayed a bit longer at the window, but it was this man, someone she couldn't afford not to look at!

She was about to lift her hand from the window sill, when the sight of another hand just beside hers made her stop.

Jalal was now standing just beside her, his eyes fixed on the moon above. As she kept looking at him, he slowly turned his gaze from the moon to her.

Realizing that he was now looking at her, she fumbled with her words, "Sheh..." But before the word could complete, Jalal had already begun, " Toh aap iss chaand ko dekh rahi thi, hai na?" ( So you were watching the moon, right?) Glancing once again at the celestial object, he asked her, looking straight in her eyes.

It had been almost a month since the last time he had spoken to her normally while also standing so close! This feeling, although peaceful, made a little nervous.

Jalal perhaps knew what was bothering his lady. He decided to wait instead of chiming into another conversation, straightaway.

An unusually long silence prevailed between the two of them. But the silence was only limited to the tongue, the eyes never failed to express how delighted they were to feel each other's presence after so long!

"Haan...bohot shaanti milti hai chandrama ko dekh kar..." ( Yes, it gives me immense peace to look at it!) Jodha began in a low voice.

"Tab toh lagta hai aapko kaafi shaanti mil chuki hai, chaliye baithkar baat karte hain ab!" ( It seems you've already got a lot of peace, let's sit and talk! )Jalal replied in his usual fun way, his eyes never leaving hers.

After both of them had taken their seats, Jalal began, " Hum aapko batane aaye the ki kal subah aap aur hum ek safar par ja rahe hain..." ( I had come to tell you that tomorrow morning you and I are leaving for a trip...)

He paused to gauge her expressions at this announcement, which seemed a bit of surprise, and a bit of something he couldn't recognize. Then continued, " Aapki Zindagi bakshne ke liye Allah ka shukriya Adaa karne hum Sheikh Salim Chisti ke yahaan dua maangne jayenge..." (We'll go to Sheikh Salim Chisti's place to thank Allah for returning your life...) His tone turned softer and eyes lowered as he spoke.

" Haan...humne suna tha ye sab toh...par humein laga tha aap humein nahi le jayenge..."( Yes, I know that...but I thought you won't take me...) Her questioning eyes and somewhat puzzled expression made Jalal smile.

" Accha... toh agar hum aapko na le jaate, toh kya aap ye baat maan jaanti?" ( Oh...so would you agree if I didn't take you along?) A smirk slowly making it's way on his face, he replied to her question.