“ jaane kis lamha-e-vahshī kī talab hai ki falak

dekhnā chāhe mire shahr ko jañgal kar ke. ”

°°°

It was the darkest day of her life, but it passed away, fade away slowly slowly living the pain behind, which was healing the more time passes. Her life has changed, so is she. The innocent typical teenage girl full of dreams and love was gone, now she was a mature person as her family and relatives say. She doesn't do stupid things like before, she didn't behaves like a kid anymore, she didn't dance closing the doors of her room, she doesn't watch sloppy romantic dramas. Everyone thought she was changed because of the humiliation she faced on her Wedding day, but they all are wrong she has changed, because Gul was not in her life anymore. Her sister, Her bestfriend, Her partner in crime, she lost her Gul and paid a very hefty price for it.

Nobody is their to call her 'Afiyah Appiya' anymore, tease her, taunt her and everytime she thought about this her Heart Crashes into million pieces. She cries whole night and awake up like nothing happened.

"Ammi I'm going to university. Allah hafiz."

Afiyah picked up her bag and wrapping her shawl, she was walking out of the door when her head collided in someone's chest. She looked up to see who it was, and when her eyes met with the man, her whole body went froze. His face, His hairs, His scent. Nothing has changed in this span of year. An year of sheer agony and trying to get her life on track. An year of emptiness. He was standing proud and ignorant. This man was still the same, even though a century has passed between them, but he wasn't changed. Does he didn't have any shame, she thought. He had done so much bad, he seduced her little sister, he made her do bad things, because of him she wasn't allowed to meet Gul and now he was standing in her Home, like he wasn't at fault.

"Tum chalo mere saath."

(You come with me.)

Arsalan holding her wrist in his hands tightly, started walking out of the House. Afiyah who was dumbfoundedly standing their, broke apart from her thoughts, and pushed him away harshly. Arsalan looked at her with pain in his eyes for the first time. Afiyah slapped him had across his face.

Afiyah's mother who was coming out to give her, her assignments was stunned to see Afiyah & Arsalan together. Her in laws had banished her from meeting Gul, they had abandoned her the day she got married with Arsalan. Looking at Arsalan, all she could think about was her daughter Gul, her little Gul who was living away from her for an year, how much she Wanted to hear her voice, only she knows.

"How dare you came here!"

Afiyah shouted at him and looked at him with piercing gaze.

"Please come with me. I will tell you everything."

Arsalan who angry at her for Slapping him, still calm himself down because its not the right time to fight over the past.

"Why would i come with you? Huh! Just go away from here."

Afiyah shouted at him, she was about to call the guards but Their were none. They had already left or maybe Arsalan had bribed them.

"Please Afiyah come with me. Gul is in hospital she wants to meet you."

Hearing Afiyah's voice her whole family came out of their shells. They all were looking at this scene like some sort of drama is going on. Rumi had called Bilal.

"What happened to my Gul?"

Afiyah's mother clutched Arsalan's collar in her hands asked him and Arsalan bowed his head down in shame. He swallowed his pride and dignity, just because of Gul who was fighting for her life on her deathbed.

"Gul is in hospital, she was only mumbling Afiyah's name. Please let Afiyah go with me. Please I beg you."

Arsalan's words was like someone had thrown a Stash of bricks on Afiyah's head. She started crying and all she could think about was Gul, her Gul jaani.

"I'm going with you."

Afiyah came forward and holding her mother by her shoulders, she rushed towards Arsalan's car with her mother. And their whole family was standing their like cowards, nobody questioned them or tried to stand by them.

***

"Afiyah Appiya"

She was non-stop mumbling her beloved sister's name and the nurse was unable to console her, feeling helpless.

"Please came down, Your sister's coming. Afiyah is coming."

The nurse was patting her hairs slowly and her eyes was constantly falling on the screen, her heartbeat was going down. She will leave this world soon and all she can do was pray to her lord, atleast this innocent soul gets to meet her Family & say goodbye peacefully.

The door of the room opened, and her Afiyah Appiya walked in, she looked at her, Afiyah rushed towards her, she was holding her hand, her Afiyah Appiya was holding her hand. Gul smiled and her eyes were closed before she could take another look on her Afiyah Appiya's Face.

"Gul. Gul. Gul."

Afiyah was patting Gul's cheeks, she was calling her out. She was trying to wake her up. But Gul she wasn't waking up. Gul wasn't listening to her.

"Gul. Wake up. Look afiyah Appiya is here."

Afiyah hugged her sisters dead body and crying endlessly. Afiyah's mother was standing their like a statue. Her little Gul died, Her clumsy Gul died. She didn't believed her, she left her all alone, knowing that her Gul was not brave.

Afiyah's whole family had come to the hospital and all of them were shocked at Gul's untimely demise. Afiyah's Father was just looking at her Gul's face who was sleeping peacefully now, without any worry of this world. All of them were standing their like culprits, today they all have gotten peace after all what's they said to her, before throwing her away like a trash can.

"Tujh jaisi beti hone se tou accha hota hunari beti hi na hoti. Tum marr kyun nahi Gul."

"Hmmm Naam Gul-e-Kausar aur kaam aise ghatiya."

"Sharam aani chahiye thi apni hi behen ki khushiyan par naqab lagayi."

"Gul ne Gul akhir khila hi diye."

All this accusations were ringing in his ears. But today he was not angry at Gul, he was angry at himself for believing those words instead of her daughter. A man Gul and Afiyah has look upto was now crying like a child. How unlucky he was, he didn't even get a chance to hear her daughter's voice one last time.

Arsalan was looking at them, a mocking smile appeared on his face. This were the people who accused him and Gul of adultery. This were the people who didn't give them a chance to explain themselves, were now crying.

***

It has been a month since Gul had passed away. Afiyah had locked herself up in her room and her parents, they both were not doing well. Her father goes everyday on Gul's grave to meet her and her mother she has not spoke a word. The most important people of Gul's life were dead souls in living bodies.

As for the other family members, they've settled down in their daily routine. After all Gul was not a important person in their life and life doesn't stops spinning, just because of a death.

Afiyah was sitting in her room, thinking about gul when her mind wandered that she didn't knew what exactly had happened on her wedding day. She knew Bilal Bhai had caught Arsalan and Gul in inappropriate position that leads to the destruction which three of them faced. And now all she could think about was why Bilal bhai lied to everyone, because she knows Gul was not a girl they all tried to portray her as. She got up from her bed and run towards Bilal bhai's room, she didn't to get her answer right away, otherwise she will loose her mind.

She was standing outside bilal bahi's room when she heard Rumi's crying voice.

"Bilal when are you going to accept your faults? When are you going to accept that you're the one because of Gul died? Who are you fooling? Me. Who knows your dirty face! Who knows what kind of leech you are! You staged all of this! I will tell all of them."

Rumi was going to say something but Bilal Started beating her up and she stood their listening to the pleas of Rumi, suddenly Rumi's voice Changed into Gul's voice and before thinking twice Gul opened the bedroom door and stopped bilal from beating Rumi.

"Just stop it. I know the whole truth now. You're the culprit of Gul. Because of you Gul died. Because of you i lost my Gul janni."

Afiyah was shouting at him and Bilal was looking horrified. For the first time he was seeing hatred in her eyes for himself.

***

Afiyah's whole family, including Arsalan and hsi family were sitting in their lounge, hearing about the truth and the painful reality that drove away Gul.

"I have always treated Gul and Afiyah as my own sisters. Taking care of them,shielding them from prying eyes. But i didn't knew one day i will become this person. I saw Afiyah and Gul dancing, and my eyes unknowingly Started looking at Afiyah in a different way. I started imagining her and fantasizing her, lusting after her. I tried to control myself but I failed. I thought maybe if I'll got married then this things will stop. So i said yes for Rumi's proposal but after my Marriage I'm not happy with her. All i can see is Afiyah in Rumi. I'm ashamed. When Afiyah's marriage got fixed i was irritated and impatient. I wanted to have her atleast one time. But my badluck, i saw Gul in place of Afiyah, in my Anger i was going to harm her, but Arsalan walked out of from the bathroom and he saw me hurting Gul. I got afraid and started shouting that I've seen Arsalan and Gul in a room together in inappropriate position. Nobody believed Gul, she tried to explain herself but nobody listened to her. Arsalan tried to clear his position but none of them listened, they all believed me because I'm the righteous son and how could they distrust me."

Bilal Laughed in a satanic voice. He was about to walk towards Afiyah but her father came in between and slapped him hard across hi face.

Everyone was shocked to know the reality. They wouldn't have thought that Bilal Their responsible son was a monster in disguise.

Afiyah was crying, she thought she was the one who had been the to die not Gul. This monster was after her, but Gul, Gul gave away her life just to save her.

Afiyah has truly lost her everything now, she was standing by the pillar, when her crying eyes met with Arsalan's and her guilt raised more. Arsalan was looking at her, with pain. He was standing just a few feets away, but now she couldn't reach out to him, they're oceans apart. And nothing could fix it.

Bilal's one wrong stare has caused Gul's death, Afiyah's pain and Arsalan's never ending quest for Afiyah.

Three lives destroyed, just by one wrong stare.

•••••••••••••