"You two are thinking about divorce?"

"What's wrong with you two?"

"What were two you even thinking?"

The voices rang through the premises of Sayyed residence.

The lounge area was filled with people from both families.

Two weeks have passed since Mishkhat left.

A week since she send the divorce papers.

Three days since the elders came to know about it.

And it was utter chaos since then.

And it was all excepted for Mishkhat.

She was ready, he wasn't.

"Who's idea was it?" Umera asked, almost seething with anger, almost greeting her teeth.

"Mishkhat's." Hamza Sayyed whispered, pain was evident in his voice.

Pain concealed with frustration, anger and helplessness.

He is helpless right now.

He is tired right now.

Tried without even trying.

He just wanted to make this marriage work. But that seems like a lost dream right now.

"And why ain't I even surprised?" Nirma, Hamza's sister scoffed.

Mishkhat's head almost snapped at her but she controlled. It's not the time, yet.

"You are not doing this. Shadi ko waqt hi kitna hua hai aur abhi se rishta todne ki baat kar rahe ho?" Umera said, looking at Mishkhat, taunting her.

"Mishkhat ap bina koshish kiye hi peeche haat rahe ho." Mustafa, Mishkhat's father said after minutes of silence.

"That's what I am saying to her, Uncle. She isn't even trying to give this a chance, to give us a chance. She is walking out of it. This isn't right. That's not how relationships work out." Hamza said shaking his head.

That's not how relationships work.

"Rich coming from you." Mishkhat scoffed, for the first time in this hour she uttered something.

Hamza's eyes found hers and he withdraws them the very next second. As if it's a sin.

It is one.

He shouldn't have said that. He really shouldn't have.

For Hamza Sayyed never had any idea, how a relationship works, let alone theirs.

"Mishkhat he isn't wrong." Her father again started but Nirma cut him off.

"He is definitely wrong. But your daughter surely is. How can she just ask for a divorce, unless she is seeing someone else." And with that Mishkhat lost it.

The last thread has been broken.

Her eyes searched for his and he isn't even looking at her. Hamza Sayyed had been a coward whole his life, he still is one and will always be one.

"Humare ghar mein talaq na kabhi huye na kabhi hoga." Umera sensed the change in Mishkhat's form so she tired to manage the damage.

But the damage was done.

The thread has been broken.

And it's time to call the check.

It's to raise the hellfire.

"Which reminds me Nirma, Ali was asking about the divorce papers? You haven't signed them yet? He said something about dragging it court, maybe you should give him a call." Mishkhat said as she stand on her feet from the couch, she is done here.

Every head turned towards her, then towards Nirma. She gasped and then gulped.

She wasn't excepting Mishkhat Khawar to do that to her.

She wasn't excepting the sweetest girl, too sweet for her own good, to just reveal her biggest secret.

She wasn't excepting her to know this.

But whom she is kidding.

She should have known this.

Ali and Mishkhat were classmates and they were in touch all along. She should have known this for Mishkhat Khawar is no more the naive girl who would take shits from anyone, let alone from her.

For Nirma Sayyed had done this before, she had questioned her character once.

But that time Mishkhat just let that go.

This time she didn't, she wouldn't.

"Yeh kya bakwas kar rahi ho tum." Umera screamed shaking with anger. Mishkhat was talking nonsense.

Her beloved daughter isn't getting any divorce. She will never.

But one look at the brother-sister duo and she stumbled back to her seat.

Mishkhat wasn't talking nonsense. She was saying the truth.

Nirma is actually getting a divorce. Ali had sent her the papers a month ago, he made it clear he isn't going to live with her anymore. Nimra had lied to Ali about a lot of things but the last nail to the coffin was when she forged his house papers. That was it. He is divorcing her and for good.

A relationship based on lies and betrayal wasn't meant to work out.

Theirs will never.

"And Baba." Mishkhat looks at her father with a painful smile and he gulps.

All his life he had seen her fighting for every ounce of happiness. He isn't a good father. They never had a great relationship.

But she is a great daughter.

Even when he disowned her for loving a guy he never liked.

Even when he didn't see her for two long years.

Even when she got the job and took care of his health.

Even when she yes to him to marry the guy who ruined her.

Mishkhat Khawar had always been a great daughter, a rebel but yes!

He nodded at her and she continues, "He isn't wrong at his place Baba. He wants to give this a chance. I get it." She gulps as she walks and stands by her lawyer, Binafsha, who just gives her shoulder a light squeeze.

"But what about what I want Baba?" She whispers and everyone looked at her.

What does she want?

No one bothered to ask her.

Hamza wanted to end their relationship back then.

Umera wanted her out of her son's life.

Her father wanted her to leave her college.

Her father wanted her to marry Hamza.

But when had anyone asked what Mishkhat Khawar wants?

"No one ever asked me what I want. And I get it. But I now, I want y'all to know. I want this divorce and if not then I am willing to walk out of it with or without breaking off the ties." She doesn't want to stay.

She isn't going to.

With that, she walked out of the residence, not at once looking back.

Not at once looking at Hamza Sayyed.

_______

IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT, the sky is void. So is her life. The cup of chai that rest. They had been back for hours, she hadn't talked about it to anyone.

Mishkhat Khawar had a messy life.

But she fought for every ounce of her happiness. She found those in little things.

The love tale with Hamza.

The heartbreak saga he gave her.

The drastic changes in her life when she moved away from here.

And then she moved away.

A soft smile dances on her lips.

That life is stupid, crazy and everything that makes her laugh every day.

That makes her live every day.

That makes her love every day.

Life there is busy, chaotic and everything that keeps her mind away from the past. Something she need, something she buried deep inside her. For she knew, even if she tries, she can't unlove the gut with onyx pair of eyes, the guy who was her definition of home once, the guy she hates to love. But that doesn't chains her to be there.

For Mishkat knows, never to be an option for someone, she learnt it hardway.

And the day she became that, she left. And she will not be that again.

For Hamza, she might have feelings, a soft spot even more, but staying with him after everything, never a thought.

He wasn't there when she needed him the most, he wasn't there when she was collecting her pieces and bleeding to death while piercing soul. He wasn't there for her. A reason enough not to be with him.

She is lost somewhere in her thoughts when her phone rang.

An unknown number appears on the screen, she picks it up and the next minute, she is rushing to the hospital.

Umera Sayyed had a heart attack and no one was there.

_____

The hospital rush had settled a little, Mishkhat has been done with the paperwork. Hamza or Nirma isn't here when Umera was shifted to the cabin. A minor attack, they didn't put strains just yet. She will be under observation for twenty-four hours until the further procedure.

Mishkhat enters her room with heavy feet. Umera motions her to sit by her side.

She had hated this girl. But even after everything, she is here by her side.

Mishkhat Khawar really knows how to make a place for herself, without even trying.

"Hamza and Nirma were at Ali's place. It will take them some time to be here." Mishkhat said, letting her know her family will be here soon.

"Why are you here Mishkhat?" Umera couldn't help but ask.

"When aunty called me I just rushed here. Someone needs to be and I am still a part of this family."

"Why don't you just give it a try Mishkhat? Rishton ko jod ke rakhni padti hai."

"Sirf toote huye cheezon ko jod ke rakhni padti hai. And broken things are fragile, our relationship is even more." Mishkhat smiles at her, painfully.

"All because of me right? I asked him to leave you." Umera cried, she is regretting it. But Mishkhat just shake her head.

"No not because of you Aunty. You asked your son to leave me. Hamza has always been a great son and he just did that again. But aunty, he was my lover too, and in the process of being the best son he just ended up being a terrible lover, he just ended up breaking me in the process. And I didn't deserve that, but I don't blame you either."

"You don't?"

"No, I don't. I rather blamed us, Aunty. I knew one day we need to cut things off because Hamza will not be the one for me. Even if I was ready to let go of a lot of things for him, I knew he would have never taken a stand for. And I couldn't just end up with a coward lover." Mishkhat said then slowly stands up.

She nodded and said take care.

"It's painful to see how my children are having broken marriages."

"Having broken marriage is far better than having a suffocating one."

She is ready to leave when Umera take a hold of her and said, "I wish you stayed in this family, I'll be missing your evening tea."

"Maybe someday I'll make you that again. But for now, you need to sleep and get well soon. I can't stay here anymore."

With that, she walks away.

______

Hamza was walking towards the cabin when Mishkhat walks out of it. He finds his step halting and hers slowing down. She did everything tonight. She helped him without even asking.

"She is sleeping." She said and he nodded.

"Thank you." He whispers and she nodded.

"I will drop you off." He said and she denied it.

"I have my car Hamza, you are needed here."

But he needed to be with her.

He needs her.

He wanted to scream but couldn't. She had already done a lot for him and his family. They had hurt her enough.

"About today and the papers," He started but she just squeezes his arm.

"You already have a lot on your plate right. Think about it later. And let me know. We will meet and settle the things with Benafsha."

"You aren't staying." She smiled at him.

"Next time I want to meet you with the papers Hamza."

With that, she walks away, not at once looking at him.

Not at once looking at Hamza Sayyed.

Things have changed.

They really have.

For Mishkhat Khawar had always looked back at him.

Always.

Even he didn't stay.

Even when he didn't look back.

But that was passed.

It's gone.

Now she isn't looking back.

Mishkat Khawar isn't looking back at Hamza Sayyed.

She is leaving.

Mishkat Khawar is leaving Hamza Sayyed.

And she isn't staying with him.

Mishkat Khawar isn't staying with Hamza Sayyed.

And that's the bitter reality he have to live with.

____