Hafsa, my daughter in law was pacing impatiently before Nayab's emergency ward and I was sitting and was praying for my granddaughter's health.

I remembered how Hafsa used to be. She was my elder brother's only child. I took care of her and bhabhi (sister in law) after my brother's sudden death.

My sister in law was not strong enough to bear the pain of loss of her beloved husband and so she followed him not before taking promise from me to keep her daughter happy and safe. Hafsa was only 12 at that time.

Samad and Haya were always worried for her and did everything possible for them to bring her out from her room and make her happy.

Haya was two years younger than Hafsa and Adil was three years older than Hafsa.

These three were so close to each other. She and Haya being a cousin and living in same roof were always seem to act like own sisters. Samad with growing age developed some other feelings for her. Seeing their inclination towards each other I thought to get them married.

And they got married when Hafsa was 18 and Samad was 21. They were living happily till my Haya escaped.

After her escape Samad was not in his right sense. He used to blame himself for not being able to protect his little sister. He tried everything possible to search for Haya. He became distant from everyone. He didn't even spend time with his children. Haroon and Zara.

Zara was born 7 month after Haya escaped. His constant grief, guilty and escaped meal led him to lots of diseases. He died before 6 years. That was the time after which Hafsa never talked to me.

I know I've caused a lots of soul to suffer but even I'm suffering a lot.I lost my wife. I lost my both child. Life has never been piece of cake or bed of roses for me.

I looked again at Hafsa. She looked older than her age. She has been through a lot. I couldn't keep my promise to keep her happy and safe. I wiped my tear stained face and moved towards her and stood in front of her.

I clasped my palm before her. She looked at me surprisingly.

"Wi.... Will.... Will you forgive me Hafsa beti (daughter)." I wasn't able to carry my heavy heart anymore. I needed everyone's forgiveness before I die.

She was dumbstruck as if not believing what she heard.

I repeated myself.

Hearing me again she snapped out and held my hand and looked at me with tears brimming eyes.

"No chacha jaan (Uncle), please don't....." Saying she hugged me and cried her heart out.

I caressed her head and cried myself.

"So you will not forgive me." I asked her still caressing her head.

"No......" She said between her hiccups and sniffing.

"I'm sorry." I heard her say after a while when her hiccups has died and now she was busy sniffing.

I was surprised. Why she is asking forgiveness when the one needed forgiveness was me.

She moved away and looked at me. She held my right hand palm and said.

" Chacha jaan, It was never your mistake. You never wanted your children to suffer. It was all destined to happen. It was very childish behavior of mine to run away from haweli and you and blame you for something which was never your fault. Everyone's birth and death are fixed. I'm sorry for leaving you all alone. I'm sorry."She said looking at me with love and guilt.

She was about to say something more when Nayab's doctor called me.

We both moved towards him.

" Doctor how's Nayab? "I asked him impatiently.

" She is fine now Khan sahab. "He informed me.

"What happened to her?" I asked again.

Her BP was very low and this was the cause of her sudden fainting . She will be shifted in normal ward and I'm sure after a little while she will be awake and then you can meet her."Giving me all the required information he moved away.

I muttered Alhamdulillah and looked at Hafsa who was confused.

Confused over what?!!

" Chacha jaan, what's Haya's daughter name." She asked me before I can ask her why she was confused.

" Nayab..... Nayab Hasan Farooqui for the world but for me she is Nayab Haya Khan." I said feeling a pinch of pain in my heart.

"Chacha jaan, you mean Nayab Hasan Farooqui, daughter of Samina and Hasan Farooqui ." She asked me with wide eyes.

"Yes, but they are her foster parents..." I answered her looking at her glinting eyes.

She suddenly hugged me.

"Chacha jaan, you know she is your granddaughter as well as your grand daughter in law. She is my Haroon's wife. I'm sorry I didn't invite you." She was happily chirping and it took me a moment to understand what she was chirping about.

When the truth sank in my mind I moved away and looked at her.

" Are you sure about Haroon and Nayab being in Nikah because when they met me before it doesn't seemed like they knew about their relationship with each other." I voiced my question.

Maybe she was mistaken.

Maybe she is talking about some other Nayab.

"Chacha jaan, this is because they never met before neither after nikah. That's why they are unknown of each other's stature in spite of being bounded in sacred bond of nikah.

But how's that possible?!!!

There nature isn't allowing me to believe that they could marry without knowing their partner to be.

 But I let it go.

"How do you came across her?" I asked her still unclear of some facts.

"Chacha jaan, after my heart stroke I persuaded Haroon for marriage because I wanted to see him married before I die. He finally agreed and gave me the right to choose bride for him. Mine and Samina's common friend suggested me about Nayab when I told her about my bride hunting. We, I mean me and my friend went to Samin's home.Nayab was in hostel so I got to look at her picture only. I instantly liked her. Maybe because of her so much similarities to Haya. After some formal meetings and inspection from both the side, the proposal was accepted.” She sighed after telling me the story before Nayab and Haroon's Nikah.

" If this is true than I should me more than happy that my Haya's daughter will spend rest of her life among her beloved one.” I happily said.

I was really happy.

" Chacha jaan, how do you found her and what about Haya? " She asked me with questioning gaze.

" You know I have never stopped searching her. My constant struggle to find them led me to her. " I said remembering how desperate I've been to find them since I came to know that Haya had escaped with her daughter.

She was going to ask me something more but stopped when she saw Haroon approaching us.

The unknown phone caller's introduction took me off guard

For some seconds I wasn't able to form anything in my mind.

When Amma told me she had found a girl for me and even she had fixed the Nikah's date. I thought before Nikah she will surely hand me some of her pictures or maybe her contact number but nothing happened. She didn't even bothered to tell me her name.

Then I thought the girl would definitely have my number and surely she will call me. But my every hypothesis died and new one grew as a consolation that she might be a shy, introvert and small town type girl, so she didn't try to call me. Even I didn't try to call her or meet her because I was engaged in executing my new project which I cracked in Delhi. But today's revelation killed my last hypothesis as well.

How wrong I thought about my wife?!!

My wife.

Weird.

Miss Hasan..... I mean Nayab is a wild cat.

It's unbelievable that she never tried to contact the person she is married to.

I can't believe this.

Was she forced into this marriage?

Does she like someone else?

If she would have been interested in me she definitely would have contacted me.

Whatever, even I'm not interested in her.

Lier

Shut up.

If.... If she will ask I will gladly free her.... Free her from this unwanted bond..... unwanted for her.

If not???

If not then I will cherish her for my whole life and try to keep her happy.

Of course I will do it for Phuppo's sake.

I feel nothing for her.

After some more battle with my own devil self I moved inside the hospital.

The scene in front of me was..... was outstanding. I've tried enough to melt the ice between Dada jaan and Amma and today they were happily chatting..... not that much happily but they were on talking terms. Looking at them I for sometime forgot about all the matters nudging my mind for their solutions.

When I approached them they stopped talking and looked at me mischievously