میں نے کھل کر نہیں خاموش محبت کی ہے

سچ تو یہ ہے تری عزت کی حفاظت کی ہے

میں بھلا کیسے ترے ساتھ بغاوت کرتا

مجھ پہ سادات کے پرکھوں نے امامت کی ہے

صاحب دین کو فتوے کی نہ کیوں کر سوجھے

آج درویش نے مسجد میں عبادت کی ہے

یہ زمیں کیوں نہ پھٹے اور فلک زرد نہ ہو

ایک مزدور نے اللہ سے شکایت کی ہے

ظلم سہہ کر بھی بغاوت کا نہیں سوچا میں نے

حوصلہ دیکھ کہ حاکم کی اطاعت کی ہے “

...

She was laying comfortably on her bed, her husband sleeping peacefully beside her. She looked at him and closed her eyes, her mind wandered in memory lane, until;

8 December 2000

She was looking at ger reflection in the mirror, adorned with gold jewellery and beautiful red saree. She was looking stunning on her biggest day. A sad smile crept up on her beautiful red painted lips.

“Airah?”

She looked around and saw him entering in her room through the glass windows. She quickly got up from her sit and helped him, he entered in her room, smiling devilishly.

“look I've brought Gajras for you.”

He was looking at her for some kind of appraisal. But she didn't give him one instead she threw them in the Dustin bin. He didn't understood why she's doing this. They both are cousins, best friends, grew up together and its not the first time he had brought her gajras or entered her room by climbing like a monkey.

“Hamza for God sake grow up. Its my wedding day today and you're still behaving like a kid. Just go back. Wallahi do you even know if somebody saw you in my room.....just leave!” She didn't looked at him, her voice breaking, he looked at her one last time and left like he was never there still he was everywhere, in her room, in her shaking voice, in her soul.

And soon the moment came when she was going to be married off to someone she never knew, she shed one last tear on the grave of her one sided love.

"Do you accept Hamza Ali as your husband?”

That one voice, that one sentence, that one question....her eyes were shedding tears in gratitude towards her lord who answered her unsaid prayers.

“I do.”

She opened her eyes and the beautiful memory faded away, her husband Hamza was looking at her smiling, he was still handsome with grey hairs and thin lines. Her handsome old man.

“Happy Anniversary Airah.”

She smiled and patted his cheeks affectionately.

“you don't climb upto my room like a monkey. You have changed Hamza.”

He looked at her stunned and then they both started laughing. Their laugh was full of love and liveliness.

Indeed, Prayers reach beyond heights.

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Note : I hope you enjoyed it ❤️