Zara was sitting on her swing in the balcony. Her pigeons were roaming around her, following her wherever she went. She had even given them names, Golu, Molu, Bholu, and Sonu.
“Golu, guttar goo…”
That was the only reply she ever got, yet Zara could spend two whole hours talking to them.
She put the book in her hand aside and stood up. She looked toward the Red Mansion. There was something about it that pulled her toward itself. She found it incredibly beautiful.
Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she ran straight to Haider’s room.
She looked around and spotted an old-fashioned telescope placed on the table like a showpiece. She quickly picked it up and ran back outside.
As soon as she returned to her room and looked through the telescope, the mansion appeared even more beautiful.
“Wow, it’s so pretty. Ya Allah, if only I could see it from close…”
She sighed.
“Kaash they weren’t our enemies.”
Suddenly, she spotted someone.
“Oh, it’s him…”
Just as Shehryar looked upward, Zara immediately ducked down.
Then she scratched her head.
“I’m looking at them through a telescope. How will he know?”
Zara giggled and quickly stood up again, looking through it.
She looked toward the garden and spotted Hasina Begum’s special maidservant. She immediately stepped back, and all her excitement turned into nervousness.
Meanwhile, Shifa was searching the entire mansion for Ifra. Rida was on call with her.
“Ifra Di kahan Eid ka chaand ho gayi? I can’t find you anywhere. What happened with your competition?”
Hearing this, Rida replied, “Ifra Di were here, you wouldn’t need to ask me.”
Shifa’s eyes widened in shock.
“Don’t say you won the International Champions Competition! What rank?”
Rida simply smiled.
She wasn’t like Ifra or Shifa. She was quiet, detached from the world, and a completely confident girl.
Seeing that smile, Shifa said, “I’m not some guy who’s going to fall for that beautiful smile of yours.”
Then her attention went to Rida’s face.
“How did you get that injury on your forehead? You’re okay, right?”
Rida laughed and disconnected the call.
“This girl… I swear I’ll kill her.”
“Mamma! Mamma! Taiji! Chachu! Where is everyone? Our Rida won the competition! Where is everyone? Dadi, Dadu, come here, come here!”
She ran throughout the mansion with her phone because Rida had shared a picture of herself receiving the medal for securing first rank.
“Our sniper has won!”
Meanwhile, Ifra had fallen to the ground.
She opened her eyes just in time to see Haider, who had been sitting on the bonnet, narrowly avoiding the fall into the ditch. His head hit a stone, and blood began flowing from his forehead.
Ifra stood up and immediately lashed out at them.
“Are you people crazy? Who parks a car in the middle of the road like this? Is this your father’s road?”
Haider placed a handkerchief against his forehead.
“Is your dimaag in the right place, or do you have your eyes at the back of your head? You crashed into a car that was parked on the side, and you’re still being rude?”
“You deserve it.”
She took money out of her pocket and placed it on the bonnet.
“Get yourself treated.”
Haider’s expression hardened.
“Lagta hai Jahangir Alam taught you how to use weapons, but forgot to teach you how to use your zubaan properly.”
Ifra gritted her teeth.
“Zyada muh mat chalao, warna tumhara muh todne mein mujhe zyada waqt nahi lagega.”
Haider’s eyes remained lowered as he spoke sternly.
“Shukr karein aap ek aurat hain, warna ab tak jis ungli ko aap utha rahi hain, woh haath mein nahi hoti. Haath tod deta Haider Abbas Ghazi.”
Ifra stepped forward.
“Tab tod kar dikhao, Haider Abbas Ghazi. Kya tum nazrein uthane ke qabil nahi rahe ho?”
“I’m not raising my eyes because looking at a non-mahram is haram for me. These eyes will only rise for the women who are my mahram.”
Ifra’s heart began beating faster.
She took a step back.
“Don’t come in my way again.”
“There is another rule of dushmani too, Mohatarma. When you see your enemy, you keep yourself under control.”
Ifra squeezed her eyes shut, as though he had caught her stealing something.
Yes, she remembered what she had always heard. Haider had no paternal aunt because someone had killed her.
Ifra tightened her grip on her gun.
“Mann karta hai tumhari jaan le loon, Ghazi.”
Haider remained standing exactly where he was.
“You cannot even harm a hair on my head. It would be better if you stayed away from me from now on. Otherwise, Jahangir Alam’s upbringing will once again be proven wrong, and he will lose.”
Ifra could no longer control herself.
She fired at Haider.
Haider did not even move from his place. Blood was already flowing from his head, and now blood began coming from his hand as well.
Samir angrily pointed his gun toward Ifra and fired, but Haider raised his hand at the right moment, stopping him.
“Haider Bhai, the Jahangir girl has gone crazy! Her father never had the guts to point a gun at you, and she’s taking advantage of being a woman.”
Ifra stepped forward.
“I’m not taking advantage of anything. I’m challenging you. Come, fight me.”
Haider looked at her.
“So that another Hina can destroy us?”
“Don’t take my Phuphi’s name with your filthy tounge! I’ll kill you!”
“It would be better if you left.”
One after another, several cars arrived.
Sher Mohammad and Yaqub stepped out.
“Ifra, what the hell is this?”
Looking at Yaqub, Ifra said, “I was showing someone his place. When did you start doing this business?”
At Sher Mohammad’s angry expression, Ifra continued, “I’m not doing any business. I just see this man and my blood starts boiling.”
“Ifra, go sit in the car.”
At Yaqub’s voice, Ifra said, “Samjha dein ise.”
“Ifra, we didn’t raise you to keep fighting with everyone. You’re crossing your limits now. Better do what your brother is telling you.”
Ifra stomped away.
Looking at Yaqub, Samir said, “Handle your uncontrollable daughter. She fired at Haider Bhai. If you had been the one in his place, we would have been arranging your kafan by now.”
“Samir…”
At Haider’s warning, Samir fell silent.
Haider looked at Yaqub.
“Samjha dein apni Shehzadi ko. Sunne aur haqeeqat mein farq hota hai. Apne dimaag ka fitoor nikaal kar asal duniya dekhein. She wants a challenge? Fine. Next time, Haider Abbas Ghazi will give her one. Be ready for the anjaam, not the ilzaam.”
Yaqub lowered his gaze.
“She’s a child. Junoon takes over her sometimes. I apologize. There won’t be any trouble from her again.”
Haider turned and walked away.
Sher Mohammad took a deep breath.
“Better send this girl away. Staying here is making her crazy.”
Yaqub quickly walked to the driver’s seat.
“Bhai, ghar chal kar baat karte hain.”
Red Mansion
Baba Sai was pacing back and forth.
Haleema said, “I really don’t understand why no one stops her. How long will she keep doing all this? She doesn’t know Haider. God knows how he managed to control himself.”
Khadija Begum said calmly, “What happened? She won’t kill him. And even if she does, what difference will it make?”
Shehryar walked in.
“What happened?”
Haleema held her head.
“I can’t say anything.”
Baba Sai said, “Ifra fired at Haider.”
Shehryar stood there stunned.
“How is that possible? Where did Haider even meet her? Has this girl gone mad?”
No one knew Haider better than him. If Ifra had returned safe and sound, then there could only be two explanations, either Haider was planning something big, or he had spared Ifra because she was a woman.
Yaqub’s voice came from behind.
“Lagta toh yahi hai. Ab Ifra khud ko sambhal nahi paa rahi.”
Ifra said angrily, “Why are you all reacting like this? I only fired at an enemy, didn’t I? I haven’t done anything wrong. He’s a criminal.”
Baba Sai said, “He isn’t the criminal. His uncle was, and he has already met his end.”
Ifra looked at him.
“So should we stop carrying on the dushmani?”
Shehryar shouted, “Have we started wearing bangles that you’ll carry on our dushmani? You were given weapons for your own protection.”
“You’re all reacting like this because of him. He can’t even raise his eyes toward me. After all, he belongs to that ghaleez man’s family too.”
Baba Sai said firmly, “Not raising his eyes toward you is his ghairat, not his cowardice.”
“Why are you all taking his side?”
Sher Mohammad said, “Whether he lives or dies doesn’t matter to us. What matters is your safety. You know nothing about that man.”
Ifra shouted, “In my eyes, he is a qatil too. Someone from his family killed an innocent girl. He deserves all six bullets in his chest.”
Yaqub stepped forward.
He placed the gun in Ifra’s hand and said calmly,
“Start with me. One life has been destroyed because of me too.”
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