There was an empty plot beside their house on which a tent was placed for the mehendi function.
Every corner was decorated with strings of marigold and jasmine flowers. The place was brightly lit up. The gathering was segregated. Separate section for men and women. Well on the side of women, men from the family could come and go. There was a Dj along with the music system and moviemaker was roaming with his camera.
Wearing a silver sequend lehenga, Irum was also busy . The Dj, movie maker and people serving refreshments were men but this was a function, so what was the point of covering the head? "Haya! Shall we start the dance?" Irum adjusted her lehenga while walking towards her. After carrying out every kind of custom Dawar was sent.
"Yes! You get the song ready and.....who is this?" She was busily talking with Irum when suddenly she got shocked. There was a girl meeting with a woman seated on the seat of the first row. The girl was wearing a black abaya wuhh a stole on her head. That was a all women's gathering but the strange thing was she was covering her face with her stole. Only her forehead and eyes were visible....she had besutiful eyes. It looked like she was smiling and talking to the elder woman.
"Who?" Irum turned and saw behind. She took a deep breath and turned back again "That is alien."
"Who???" Haya was perplexed.
"Alien, arey it's Shehla bhabhi. Completely aloof from the world she has built a separate wall around herself. Just to garner attention she attends the function in abaya and naqaab. In a women's gatherin who is she observing purdah from?"
"Yes, True. She is very strange." Shaila bhabhi was the wife of one of their second cousin. She was married just a year ago.
The Dj had set the song. Everyone was enjoying themselves. They forbade the moviemaker from shooting their dance and after that they started dancing. One looked like a golden fairy while the other like a silver one. When their legs started aching and everyone clapped enthusiastically they joyously came down from the stage towards the seats.
"Assalam Alaikum Shehla bhabhi!" That girl was also present on the table. Mehwish, Sehrish and Sana were also present with their mother. Irum immediately greeted and Haya followed pursuit.
"Walaikum as salaam, how are you both?" She warmingly asked them, her two fingers were still holding onto her niqaab. "Absolutely fine. Shehla bhabhi remove the niqaab, who is present here!" Shehla bhabhi smiled and nodded her head but did not remove her niqaab. "MashaAllah you both look very pretty." She was talking and suddenly turned sideways. Haya surprisingly looked at her. Maybe that action was because of the moviemaker.
"What a strange woman, why is she so distrustful of us, its a family movie. Its not like we will show it to any outsiders." Haya murmered angrily.
Then she excused herself from there. Abida chachi was slso present there. After listening to Saima tai and chachi's conversation she wasn't hypocrite enough to talk pleasently with them. Where was amma? Who can she ask if Sabeen phuphu has arrived or not.....or is she even coming? She was restless and confused, then she walked towards her home. She picked the diary that was placed alongside the phone.
After dancing her feet were aching so she removed her sandal and rested them on the marble floor. She landed on the sofa with a thump and began searching Sabeen phuphu's number in the diary. She had never called her before like that...but today she had lost all her patience. She finally found the number and dialled the number from her landline. The bell was ringing on the other end. Her heart started beating frantically. After the fifth ring the call got through..
"Hello", a man's voice could be heard on the other end.
"Assalam Alaikum", she wet her dried lips. He replied in a foreign language.
"I am calling from Pakistan." She replied hurriedly in English.
"Who from Pakistan?" He asked in English.
Her eyes filled with tears.
"I am Sabeen Sikander's niece. Please pass on the phone to her."
"She has gone till Jowahar, let me know if there is any message to pass on to her." He replied busily. Now what is this Jowahar she had no idea!
"That.....isn't Sabeen phuphu visiting Pakistan for Dawar bhai's marriage?
"No she is busy." Maybe he was ending the call she suddenly asked "you....who are you?"
"Her son.. Jihan!" And he ended the call.
With wet eyes she stared at the receiver and smashed the receiver on the handle. She wiped away her tears and started wearing her sandals. She fixed her makeup which got spoiled because of her tears and walked outside towards the gate. Zafar was coming towards her carrying a white bouquet of roses. She got startled and walked towards him "What is this Zafar?"
"Oh! You are here?
A courier man has given this for you". Zafar passed on the bouquet and a closed envelope towards her. Zafar was a servant at Taya Furqan's for the past seven years. Taya had got him from the village. When he arrived he used to speak punjabi and for the past seven years he has been teying to speak Urdu, but fsiled..now he used to speak a mix of urdu and punjabi.
"Okay you may leave." She held the bouquet under her hand and started opening the envelope. It was a plain white paper and a sentence was written in Urdi exactly in the centre
' For the girl....who sometimes cries in fear of making of an unwilling bond and sometimes cries in fear of breaking of an unwilling bond'
She went numb when she read this and started looking here and there. The mehendi function was going on and all the guests, servants were roaming here and there....amidst this was there someone who was noticing her? She turned the envelope..the date mentioned was yesterday's. Just ten minutes ago she spoke to Jihan and cried...
'The present, unwilling bond'
And an hour ago she met Walid and his parents
'Fear of making of an unwilling bond.....'
Who was this so well informed about her whereabouts and how did that person know she was going to cry twice?! She was terrified and constantly kept reading the matter.