Khaani FF: Mera Dushman Mera Ishq chapter 13 page 7 (Urd/Eng) upd - Page 6

Chapter 12: Zindagi, maut aur kismat

Anjum held out a mug of hot chocolate to Khaani, who was sitting in the couch, looking shaken. Amidst all the chaos at the Rendezvous club between the patrons, staff and the police, the two girls quietly slipped away. They were now at Anjum's place.Luckily for them, neither of Anjum's parents returned from work; otherwise it would have been hard for them to conceal the ordeal Khaani just went through.

"K", Anjum said kindly, "Please, yeh peelo. You'll feel better.". Bursting into tears, Khaani hugged Anjum and sobbed. "Thank god, tum aa gayi Anji...warna woh mujhe jaan se maar deta!". Anjum patted her back and said consoling,"Aisa kuch nahi hota...please shant ho jaao.". Khaani shook her head and replied, "Tumne uski aankhein nahi dekhi. Unn mein junoon sawaar tha!". "K, I think tumhe uske khilaaf complaint karni chahiye! You cannot let him get away with it.", Anjum suggested.

"Nahi! Usse koi fayda nahi hoga. Aakhir woh Defence Minister ka beta hai. Woh log abhi power mein. Saboot aur gawah gayab karne uske liye baaye haath ka khel hai! Police bhi ussi ka saath degi." Khaani answered bitterly. Anjum sighed and said, "You may not be far from the truth. Tumhari call aane ke baad main police ke paas gayi thi.". "What?!", Khaani exclaimed panicking.

"Don't worry! Maine unhe tumhari family ke baare mein kuch nahi bataya", Anjum assured her, "I just told them ke Mir Hadi meri cousin ko utha le gaya. But unn logo ne kuch nahi kiya! Instead, they just laughed at my face aur kaha ke main unka time na barbaad karu.".

"Phir tumne kya kiya?", Khaani asked. Anjum smiled wickedly. "Do you remember that bomb scare at my University last year?" Anjum asked, raising an eyebrow. Khaani pondered at her words until she finally realised how her cousin saved her and started laughing. Anjum kept the mug on the coffee table and dropped on the sofa next to her cousin, joining her in her laughter. After few minutes when the laughing died down, Khaani asked her, "Magar tumne yeh kiya kaise?".

Anjum said, "Club gayi, pretended to have a good time. Mauka milte hi chhupkar Club Manager ke office gayi aur police ko number milaya. I pretended to be the staff. Unko kaha ke woh jaldi se Rendezvous aa jaye yaha bomb hai.". "Aur itni aasaani se woh maan gaye?", Khaani asked in disbelief. "Of course not!", Anjum said rolling her eyes, "Unhone to mujhe tab seriously liya jab maine unhe dhamki di: Ke agar unke aane se pehle bomb phat gaya toh Defence Minister Mir Shah ke bete ke maut ke zimmedaar woh honge! Tab na unn logo ne club aane ki zehmat ki!".

"Unn Mirs ne kya haal bana diya humare law and order ka!", Khaani bitterly. Her eyes fell on her wrists: there were angry red marks; the pattern of the rope clearly visible, reminding her of what she went through. Wiping her tears, Khaani angrily got up, "Trust me Anjum! Main uss Mir Hadi ko chhorungi nahi. Uska political career shuru hone se pehle hi barbaad dungi main! Mark my words!Usse pata nahi usne Khaani ke saath ulaj kar apni life ki sabse badi galti ki hai.". "K, where are you going?", Anjum asked. Her concern for her cousin written all over her face. "Please, don't do anything rash.", She pleaded. Khaani smiled at her concern, "Of course not, uss Mir Hadi ko main baad dekhlungi. Filhaal mujhe Sarim ke conference ke liye nikalna hai", she said, patting Anjum's shoulder, "Tum mujhe please drop kardogi Anji?".

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~Mir Mansion~

Mir Hadi twisted and turned again and again, trying to get some sleep but to no avail.

Irritated, Hadi got up from his bed and started packing around. Maine trigger kyu nahi dabaya? Hadi thought to himself, Aisa kya tha Khaani ke baaton mein ke main ruk gaya? His phone rang, it was Khaani. Hadi picked it up. Before he could answer 'Hello' Khaani spoke up,"Jo cheap harkat tumne mere saath ki hai Aaj uska jawab tumhe apne haar se Deni paregi, Mir Hadi.". Hadi laughed and replied,"Awaaz Laut aayi tumhari? Abhi kuch der pehle toh mere saamne aasu baha rahi thi, apni maut ko gale lagaa ko taiyyar!"

"Exactly",Khaani countered,"Main Marne ko taiyyar thi magar tumse darr kar tumhare aage jhuki nahi. Maine tumse apne zindagi ki bheek nahi mangi! Ab tum isse samaj jao ke tumhare saamne kaun khadi hai aur woh kya cheez hai!". Yahi to main samaj nahi paa raha ke tum kya cheez ho Khaani?Hadi thought to himself, frustrated. "Mere paas tumhari bakwaas ke liye time nahi hai! Phone kyu Kiya?". Khaani replied,"Tumhe aagha karne ke liye phone Kiya hai. Yaad hai maine tumse kaha tha ke you don't want Sanam Khan as an enemy. (in a fake cheery tone) Congratulations! You have just earned Sanam Khan as an enemy!Bhale hi publicly tum Sarim se muqabla kar rahe ho. Magar tumhari asli Jung mere saath hai...Ab tum dekhte jaao Sibi kya, maine agar Pakistani politics se Mir Hadi ka naam naa mita diya to mera naam bhi Sanam Khan nahi!". Saying this, Khaani hung up. "Hello!Khaani?Khaani?", Hadi yelled at the phone but there was no answer from the other end. "Samajhti kya hai woh khudko?", Hadi said frustratedly as he dialled Khaani's number again and again but call kept getting disconnected, making Hadi feel all the more frustrated.

Hadi spent the next few days feeling restless and anxious. Before meeting Khaani his life had been pretty much straightforward: Enjoy all the privileges that went with being a Mir. Join the party. Carry forward the family legacy. But what happened between him and Khaani threw him off balance. Sure, he was physically present. Campaigning day in and day out. But his mind couldn't be farther away from the elections. All he could see was Khaani's face flashing before his mind. Her eyes defiant as she stared down at his gun.

One evening, Ali found Hadi in his room, resting in the couch staring into space. Ali called him but Hadi didn't respond. Ali shook his shoulders, startling his friend.

"Hadi", Ali said,"Kaha kho gaya hai yaar?Main kabse awaaz de raha hu.". Hadi replied,"Ali, woh pareshaan kar rahi hai, yaar.".

"Kaun?", Ali asked confused,"Ayeza?". Hadi shook his head and said,"Nahi yaar, woh Khaani-Sanam Khan.".

"Ab kya kiya usne?", Ali asked bewildered,"Dekh Hadi, tu please abhi kuch impulsive matt karna abhi elections ka time hai. Teri ek galti tujhe elections Hara sakti hai. Woh jo bhi kar rahi hai usse karne de, elections jeetne ke baad tu usse badla le lena".

"Usne abhi tak Aisa kuch nahi kiya", Hadi replied, a tad annoyed,"Uss din...tere aane se pehle main trigger dabane wala tha, yeh baat main bhi jaanta aur woh bhi. Magar phir woh mere se darri nahi, ulta woh dattkar khadi rahi marne ke liye taiyar.".

Confused, Ali asked,"Tu kehna kya chahta hai?". Hadi explained,"Ali aisa pehli baar hua hai ke Mir Hadi ne kisipe banduk taani aur woh darra nahi, usne apni jaan ki bheek nahi mangi. Aisi kya baat hai uss ladki mein yaar?".

"Hadi yaar tu kinn chakkaro mein padh raha hai, isse kya fark padhta hai ke woh darri ke nahi",Ali replied,"Achchi baat yeh hai ke tune uss din goli nahi chalayi, warna bohot badi mushkil mein padh jaata. Dekh tu uss ladki ko jaane de, apne campaigning pe focus kar. Jab se Khaani ne campaign join kiya hai, Sarim ki popularity aur bhi badh gayi hai. You need to buck up. Tu abhi bas elections jeetne mein focus kar.". Hadi shook his head and replied,"Nahi Ali, mujhe iss baat ke teh tak pohochna hai, warna mujhe cheyn nahi milega.".

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One day, Hadi was driving when he spotted a Mercedes drive past him. It was Khaani's. On an impulse, he changed course and started tailing her car. After a few minutes, Hadi's car overtook Khaani's, blocking her way. Hadi got out of the car and knocked on Khaani's window. Khaani rolled down the window. Hadi noticed she was wearing her signature Gucci shades. "Ji kahiye", Khaani said in an overly polite tone, "Kya masla hai aapko?".

"Mujhe tumse baat karni hai", Hadi said. Khaani scoffed and replied,"Arre wah! Itni tameez?! (Sticking her head outside the window, looking on either sides) Shayad guards nahi hai tumhare saath iss liye aaj tumhari awaaz mein woh garmi nahi.". Incensed at her words, Hadi pulled the door's handle with the intention of forcing Khaani out of the car. But the door was locked. Khaani chuckled at his attempt. "Arre itni mehnat nahi karo, ye dekho (unlocking the door) aa gayi main bahar. Ab Sibi ke runner-up candidate ke liye main itna toh kar sakti hu.".

"Zyada udho Matt samjhi", Hadi warned her,"Abhi polling start bhi nahi Hui hai. Kya pata results tumhe surprise karde?". Khaani's smile faltered,"Dekhenge. Ab Mera waqt nahi zaya Karo aur batao kya baat hai?Aise mera raasta kyu rok rakha hai?".

"Tum mujhse darrti kyu nahi?", Hadi asked, his eyes earnest. Khaani stared at him for a moment and said,"Yeh kaisa sawaal hai?". Hadi did not budge "Mujhe jawaab chahiye.", he said.

Khaani pursed her lips. Toh yeh phirse mujhe darrane aa gaya, she thought. "Kyu darru main tumse?", She asked defiantly. "Mir Hadi hu main", he replied with a tone of finality,"Kuch bhi kar sakta hu.".

Folding her arms, Khaani asked challengingly,"Aur zyada se zyada kya kar sakte ho mujhe darrane ke liye?".

Hadi looked at her as if she was stupid,"Tumhe jaan se maar sakta".

"Toh uss din maara kyu nahi?Bas trigger dabane ki der thi.". Her words put Hadi at discomfort. After all this was the question that has been haunting him for days.

Khaani didn't wait for his answer, she said,"Kyuki zindagi aur maut ka faisla uparwaale ke haath mein hota hai, tum jaise mitti ke putlo ke hathon mein nahi. Uss din meri kismat mein zindagi likhi Hui thi iss liye tum chahkar bhi goli nahi chala paye. Mir Hadi...tumhe bada shauk hai na khuda banne ka? Magar tum yeh nahi jaante ke zindagi, maut aur kismat: inn teenon par sirf Allah ki hukumat chalti hai.". Without waiting for an answer, Khaani got back in her car and revved up it's engine. She took a U-turn leaving behind a flabbergasted Hadi.

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Precap: Khaani stared at the phone in disbelief. Her pictures- taken from her private social media account without her consent- were all over the internet. One of the headlines read: Sanam Khan ki behayi ki peshkash.

Tumne yeh achcha nahi kiya Mir Hadi, she thought angrily.

Chapter 12: Life, death and fate(Eng)

Anjum held out a mug of hot chocolate to Khaani, who was sitting in the couch, looking shaken. Amidst all the chaos at the Rendezvous club between the patrons, staff and the police, the two girls quietly slipped away. They were now at Anjum's place.Luckily for them, neither of Anjum's parents returned from work; otherwise it would have been hard for them to conceal the ordeal Khaani just went through.

"K", Anjum said kindly, "Please, drink this. You'll feel better.". Bursting into tears, Khaani hugged Anjum and sobbed. "Thank god, you came Anji...otherwise he would have killed me!". Anjum patted her back and said consoling,"I would have let nothing happen to you. Please calm down.". Khaani shook her head and replied, "You don’t know Anji, he was positively murderous!". "K, I think you should report him. You cannot let him get away with it.", Anjum suggested.

"No! That will be of no use. He’s the Defense Minister’s son after all. Influencing evidences and witnesses would be a child’s play for him. Even the police will side with him.” Khaani answered bitterly. Anjum sighed and said, "You may not be far from the truth. After your call, I directly went to the police station.". "What?!", Khaani exclaimed panicking.

"Don't worry! I didn’t mention your family", Anjum assured her, "I just told them Mir Hadi kidnapped my cousin. But they didn’t believe me. They just laughed at my face.".

"So how did you rescue me?", Khaani asked. Anjum smiled wickedly. "Do you remember that bomb scare at my University last year?" Anjum asked, raising an eyebrow. Khaani pondered at her words until she finally realised how her cousin saved her and started laughing. Anjum kept the mug on the coffee table and dropped on the sofa next to her cousin, joining her in her laughter. After few minutes when the laughing died down, Khaani asked her, "How did you pull it off?".

Anjum said, "I went to the club, pretended to have a good time. Slipped into the Club Manager’s office and called the police. I pretended to be the staff and told them that someone had planted a bomb in the club.". "And they believed you?", Khaani asked in disbelief. "Of course not!", Anjum said rolling her eyes, "At first they didn’t take me seriously. It was only after I told them that if the bomb goes off, then they’ll have to answer to the Defence Minister because Mir Hadi is at the club".

"Just look what the Mirs have done to the law and order!", Khaani bitterly. Her eyes fell on her wrists: there were angry red marks; the pattern of the rope clearly visible, reminding her of what she went through. Wiping her tears, Khaani angrily got up, "Trust me Anjum! I won’t spare that Mir Hadi. I am going to destroy his political career. He will rue the day he messed with Khaani."

"K, where are you going?", Anjum asked. Her concern for her cousin written all over her face. "Please, don't do anything rash.", She pleaded. Khaani smiled at her concern, "Of course not I’ll deal with Hadi later. But now I need to rush to Sarim’s conference", she said, patting Anjum's shoulder, "Can you please drop me, Anji?

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~Mir Mansion~

Mir Hadi twisted and turned again and again, trying to get some sleep but to no avail.

Irritated, Hadi got up from his bed and started pacing. Why didn't I pull the trigger? Hadi thought to himself, What was there in Khaani's words that made me stop? His phone rang, it was Khaani. Hadi picked it up. Before he could answer 'Hello' Khaani spoke up, "You will have to pay for wgat you did today with your defeat, Mir Hadi." Hadi laughed and replied, "Ah! I see your voice has returned. To think a while back you were crying in front of me, ready to embrace your death!"

"Exactly," Khaani countered, "I was ready to die but I didn't bend in front of you out of fear. I did not ask beg for my time! Now you know who you are dealing with and what is she made of!" Hadi thought to himself, frustrated, I can't figure out what you are made of, Khaani. That’s the problem. "I don't have time for your nonsense! Why did you call?", Hadi snapped.

Khaani replied, "I called to warn you. Remember, I told you that you don't want Sanam Khan as an enemy. (in a fake cheery tone) Congratulations! You have just earned Sanam Khan as an enemy! Though publicly you are competing with Sarim, but your real battle is with me...Forget about Sibi, I am going to eliminate your name from Pakistani politics!" Saying this, Khaani hung up. "Hello! Khaani? Khaani?" Hadi yelled at the phone, but there was no answer. "What does she think of herself?" Hadi said frustratedly as he dialed Khaani's number again and again, but the call kept getting disconnected, making Hadi feel all the more frustrated.

Hadi spent the next few days feeling restless and anxious. Before meeting Khaani his life had been pretty much straightforward: Enjoy all the privileges that went with being a Mir. Join the party. Carry forward the family legacy. But what happened between him and Khaani threw him off balance. Sure, he was physically present. Campaigning day in and day out. But his mind couldn't be farther away from the elections. All he could see was Khaani's face flashing before his mind. Her eyes defiant as she stared down at his gun.

One evening, Ali found Hadi in his room, resting on the couch staring into space. Ali called him but Hadi didn't respond. Ali shook his shoulders, startling his friend.

"Hadi," Ali said, "Where are you lost? I've been calling you for a while now." Hadi replied, "Ali, she's bothering me." "Who?" Ali asked, confused, "Ayeza?" Hadi shook his head and said, "No, Khaani-Sanam Khan." "What did she do now?" Ali asked, bewildered, "Hadi, please don't do anything impulsive right now, it's election time. One mistake from you can cost you the elections. Let her do whatever she's doing, you can take revenge after winning the elections."

"She hasn't done anything yet," Hadi replied, a little annoyed, "That day...before you came, I was about to pull the trigger, both she and I knew this. But then she didn't cower, instead she stood ready to die." Confused, Ali asked, "What are you trying to say?" Hadi explained, "Ali, this is the first time that Mir Hadi aimed a gun at someone and they aren't scared, they didn't beg for their life. What is it about that girl?"

"Hadi, what are you getting yourself into?" Ali replied, "It doesn't matter if she'sscared or not. The good thing is that you didn't pull the trigger that day, otherwise, you would have been in big trouble. But for now, leave that girl alone and focus on your campaigning. Ever since Khaani joined the campaign, Sarim's popularity has increased even more. You need to up your game. Right now, your focus should only be on winning the elections." Hadi shook his head and replied, "No, Ali, I need to understand what’s the matter, otherwise, I won't be able to rest."

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One day, Hadi was driving and he saw a Mercedes drive past him that belonged to Khaani. On a whim, he changed his route and started following her car. After a few minutes, Hadi's car overtook Khaani's, blocking her path. Hadi got out of the car and knocked on Khaani's window. When Khaani rolled down the window, Hadi noticed she was wearing her signature Gucci sunglasses. "Yes, how may I help you?" Khaani asked in a very polite tone.

"I want to talk to you," Hadi said. Khaani scoffed and replied, "Wow! So polite! Maybe you don't have guards with you today that's why you sound so decent.”

Incensed by her words, Hadi attempted to pull the door handle with the intention of forcing Khaani out of the car, but the door was locked. Khaani chuckled at his attempt and said, "Don't try so hard, here I am (unlocking the door and getting out of the car). It’s the least I can do for Sibi's runner-up candidate."

"Don't think too highly of yourself," Hadi warned her, "Polling hasn't even started yet. Who knows, the results might surprise you." Khaani's smile faded. "We'll see. Don't waste my time now and tell me what you want? Why did you block my way?"

"Why aren't you afraid of me?" Hadi asked with sincere eyes. Khaani stared at him for a moment and asked, "What kind of question is this?" Hadi stood his ground and said, "I want an answer."

Khaani narrowed her lips. So, he's here to scare me again, she thought. "Why would I be afraid of you?" she asked defiantly. "I am Mir Hadi," he replied authoritatively, "I can do anything."

Folding her arms, Khaani challenged him, "And what is the worst you can do to scare me?" Hadi looked at her as if she was foolish, "I can kill you."

"Then why didn't you kill me that day? You just had to pull the trigger." Her words made Hadi uncomfortable. After all, this was the question that had been haunting him for days.

Khaani didn't wait for his answer, she said, "Because life and death are in the hands of the almighty, not in the hands of puppets like you. That day, it was my fate which saved me, that's why you couldn't even fire the bullet, even when you wanted to. Mir Hadi... you may think that you are God on earth, but you don't know that life, death, and fate are only controlled by Allah's will." Without waiting for an answer, Khaani got back in her car and revved up its engine. She took a U-turn, leaving behind a stunned Hadi.

Precap: Khaani stared at the phone in disbelief. Her pictures, taken from her private social media account without her consent, were all over the internet. One of the headlines read: Sanam Khan's vulgarity exposed!.

"You will pay for this, Mir Hadi," she thought angrily.

Chapter 13: Mujhe pyaar hua tha (Urd)

Khan Mansion

Yeh Hadi ne abhi tak meri video release kyu nahi ki? Khaani thought to herself, as she mindlessly pushed the food on her plate. It was one of those rare occasions when the entire Khan family sat together for dinner. Woh kis baat ka wait kar raha hai?She finally broke out of her reverie when she heard her name being called. "Khaani beta?", Nayeema called, "Tum yeh kabab kyu nahi try karti?". Khaani smiled and nodded.

"Dadi", Sarim said, "Mujhe aapse ek important baat discuss karni, mere upcoming rally ke baare mein". "Aha! Sarim", Abul interjected, "Itne time baad toh puri family saath baithi hai. Tum kyu siyasat ki baat lekar saara maahol kharab kar rahe ho?".

Sarim replied, "Dadi kal tumhare campaign ke liye Sindh chali jayengi Abul, iss liye mujhe abhi inki ijaazat leni paregi.". "Kis baat ki ijaazat, Sarim?", Shiasta Begum asked curiously. "Dadi, main chahta hu ke mere agle rally mein Khaani opening speech de." Sarim's words was met with silence. Finally, Yousuf said,"Humare yaha ladkiya rallies mein speech nahi deti.". Sarim asked, "Magar party mein aurtein toh rallies mein speech deti hai.". Abul chuckled and replied, "Tum nahi samjhe Sarim woh party members hai, lekin humare khandan ki ladkiya aise bahar sar-e-aam logo ke beech mukhatib nahi hoti. Yeh humare khandan ke riwaayat ke khilaaf hai. Rallies mein shaamil ho sakti hai magar speech nahi de sakti. Aaj tak dadi ne kabhi speech nahi di.".

"Sarim, mujhe koi speech nahi dena. I don't know yeh idea tumhare dimag mein kaha se aaya, you know I have stage fright.", Khaani said. Sarim reassured her,"Khaani don't worry. I will be there to help you. But please tum manaa nahi karna. Women empowerment mere campaign ka ek bohot important theme hai, aur agar mere ghar ki ladki agar awaaz nahi uthayegi toh voters ko mujhpe aitbaar kaise hoga?". Mahnoor replied in a saccharine sweet tone,"Maaf karna Sarim beta magar tumhari behen par aisa kaunsa zulm ho raha hai ke usse apni awaaz uthani paregi?".

Salman countered,"Ladkiyo ki awaaz humesha protest karne ke liye uthni chahiye aisi to koi shart nahi hai bhabi. Agar aapke paas awaaz hai to aapko uska istemaal karna chahiye, yeh aapka haq hai. Main maanta hu ke aaj tak iss ghar ki kisi bhi aurat ne public platform mein koi speech nahi di, lekin iska yeh matlab nahi ke kabhi nahi degi. After all, hume bhi waqt ke saath badalna chahiye, warna party ki relevance khatam ho jayegi. Aur ammi, aaj kal toh ladkiya masha allah pe jaa rahi hai, toh Khaani ka ek opening speech dene mein kya badi baat hai?".

Yousuf turned on his younger brother, "Badi baat yeh hai ke humara khandan-". "Yousuf!", came Shiasta Begum's mild reprimand. She turned towards Sarim and said, "Agar tumhe lagta hai ke Sanam ke speech dene se tumhare campaign mein koi farak padega, to theek hai Sanam speech de sakti hai, magar dhyaan rahe ke iske speech mein aisi koi baat na ho jo humare party line ke khilaaf ho.". Saying this, Shiasta Begum got up from her place and retired for the night. Behind her, each member of her family was undergoing different emotions. Salman and Sarim were grinning at each other, wordlessly congratulating each other on mission accomplished. Abul quickly engaged his father in an entirely different conversation, trying to deflect his anger. Khaani, on the other hand, was completely flabbergasted. What was the dragon lady playing at?!This was so unlike her rigid and vicious nature. And why on earth did Sarim suggest something like this? He knew how much she hated to be in the limelight. Sarim's voice brought her out of her reverie, "Khaani", he said, "Hum kal se tumhare speech ki taiyyari karenge!". Khaani answered, "Sarim, tumhe aise mujse poochhe begair yeh decision nahi lena chahiye tha. I am not comfortable with public speaking".

"Khaani beta, tum bilkul chinta nahi karo, tumhara bhai aur main tumhe sab sikha denge", Salman said.

Nayeema piped in,"Sarim sahi keh raha hai Khaani, voters uspe kaise aitbaar karenge agar uski khudki behen apne awaaz ka istemaal nahi karegi?Tum ghabrao nahi, sab achcha hoga."

For the next few days, Khaani spent most of her time preparing for her upcoming speech. Knowing that how important the rally was to Sarim, Khaani put her heart and soul into it. Although, being an introvert, she hated having the spotlight on her. Even as a child, she was more keen towards group activities which didn't require her to lead from the front. Be it at home or academics, it was always Sarim, who always took charge growing up, never her. She knew if she dug in her heels, Sarim won't push her; but now that her grandmother permitted her, shelving a decades-old tradition of women of this family not addressing the public, that motivated Khaani to give the speech. If nothing else, it will set a precedent for her younger sisters.

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Two days before the rally

Khaani gave a final glance around her room, before heading downstairs where Sarim and her father were waiting for her. They'll be heading for Balochistan today. After bidding farewell to Nayeema, Sana and Sara, the trio was about to leave when Shiasta Begum stopped them, looking extremely agitated. She was trailed by her elder son and daughter-in-law. "Yeh ladki kahi nahi jayegi.", she commanded,"Aur ab se yeh humare party ke kisi bhi campaign mein hissa nahi legi!". Her words shocked her younger son and his family. Salman protested, "Ammi, aap yeh kya keh rahi hai aapne khud hi to-". But his mother was in no mood to listen, "Main achche se jaanti hu maine kya kaha tha, Salman. Lekin afsos, jo yakeen aur izzat main tumhari iss beti ko dena chahti thi, woh iske layak nahi hai! Hogi bhi kaise?Apni maa pe jo gayi hai!". Salman let out a frustrated groan and said, "Ammi aapko khuda ka waasta hai kya hua hai saaf saaf bataye kya masla hai?!.".

Shiasta Begum shook her head and replied, "Nahi, main ab kuch nahi bolungi. Yeh lo(extending her phone towards him) apni iss ladli ke behayi ka namuna dekh lo!". Khaani closed her eyes, anticipating the inevitable. Lagta hai Hadi ne woh video viral kar hi diya, Khaani thought with resignation. Standing next to her father, Khaani stared at the phone in disbelief. Her pictures- taken from her private social media account without her consent- were all over the internet. The headline read: Sanam Khan ki behayi ki peshkash. Tumne yeh achcha nahi kiya Mir Hadi, she thought angrily.

"Astagfirullah", Salman muttered under his breath. He was looking at a picture of his eldest daughter inside a swimming pool in a swimsuit, flaunting her bare arms and back. The rest of the pictures, more or less, had the same effect. Someone (Khaani had a very clear idea who) went through her Instagram account and particularly chose the pictures where she wore revealing clothes and decided to leak them. But how was it possible? Given her family's profile, Khaani didn't even use her real name for this account.

"Yeh kya behudgi hai!", Sarim cried, "Aise kaise koi Khaani ke social media se pictures leak kar sakta hai?! This is wrong! Baba hume yeh report karna chahiye". Salman didn't respond. His face had gone with red with rage, as tightly clutched the phone. "Baba!", Sarim appealed again. Khaani didn't say anything. She could feel the anger, emanating from her father; the shock and fear coming from Nayeema aunty and the girls and the vindication from her grandmother, uncle and aunt. Salman finally spoke,"Nayeema, Khaani aur uske samaan ko uske kamre mein le jaao.". "What?Baba Khaani ka to speech-", Sarim started but Salman cut him off. "Sarim, main tumhara gaadi mein intezaar kar raha hu, jaldi aao.". His tone had such an air of finality, that Sarim didn't argue. Without casting a second glance at his eldest daughter, whose eyes started trickling with tears, Salman Khan walked out of the door. Kissing his sister's forehead, Sarim said, "Tum chinta nahi karo Khaani, main sab kuch theek kardunga.". Saying this, Sarim quietly left.

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"HADI!!HADI!!Hadi uth!!", a voice called out to him. Reluctantly, Mir Hadi opened his eyes only to find his best friend Ali standing over his head. "Uff!Ali yaar!", Hadi said annoyed, sitting up,"Aise koi uthate hai?".

"Saale", Ali replied, "Tune khud itna bada karnaama saranjaam diya hai ab attitude dikha raha hai?"."Maine kya kiya?", Hadi asked confused. "Ab itna bhi modest matt ban", Ali replied, "Waise, I must say, yeh bohot hi smart move tha. Tu agar video footage release karta to shayad woh tujhpe backfire kar sakta tha. Lekin isse toh kisiko pata bhi nahi chalega ke tune yeh sab kiya hai aur elections teri mutthi mein!". "Peheliya matt bujha", Hadi said annoyed, "Aur bata kya hua hai?". Wordlessly, Ali shoved his phone in Hadi's face. Taking the phone, Hadi started scrolling. There were pictures of Khaani. In one picture, she was inside the swimming pool with her back against the camera. Her face was tilted towards the camera. She was winking and had a cheeky smile on her face. Jo bhi kaho, ladki hai badi haseen, Hadi thought smiling to himself. "Kya baat hai, tu aise muskura kyu raha hai?Yeh pictures tune leak nahi kiye?", Ali asked. He had expected Hadi to be boastful, instead he was smiling sheepishly.

"What?!", Hadi asked surprised, "Nahi! Main kyu uske pictures leak karne laga. Usse mujhe kya faida milega?". Ali sighed and said, "Hadi tu pictures ko chhor aur uske saath ke article ko padh, tujhe sab samajh aa jayega.". Hadi went through the article, it said how this supposed exposé into Khaani's vulgar lifestyle may affect Sarim's chances in the election, paving the path for his-Mir Hadi's victory. Before Hadi could comment on the article, his phone rang. It was Khaani. He answered. Before he could say anything, Khaani charged at him,"Mujhe jab bhi lagta hai ke tum isse neeche aur nahi gir sakte tum aur bhi neeche gir ke apna purana record Tod dete ho!".

"Kya matlab?!", Hadi asked.

Khaani let out of a hollow laugh. She wasn't being herself, Hadi could sense it. Hadi started to speak"Agar tum unn pictures ki baat kar rahi ho to maine-"

"Don't bother!", Khaani snapped,"Apni safayi tum voters ke liye bachakar rakhna future mein tumhare kaam aayegi! Apne jeet ki khushiya jitna chahe manalo Mir Hadi. Yaad rakhna: Jo pain aur humiliation aaj mujhe feel ho Raha hai, main tumhe wohi pain aur humiliation lautaungi with interest!Goodbye!".

"Hello! Khaani? Khaani! Sh*t!",Hadi cried exasperatedly. Ali asked,"Kya keh rahi thi woh?". "Usse lagta hai ke maine uske pictures media mein leak Kiya hai! Can you imagine? Woh aisa kaise soch sakti hai mere baare mein?!", Hadi said angrily.

"Wait?!Matlab inn sab mein Tera haath nahi tha?Tujhe inn pictures ke baare mein kuch nahi pata?", Ali asked. "Absolutely not!", Hadi replied vehemently.

"Toh phir yeh Kiya kisne?"Ali wondered.

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A week after the picture leak

Sitting in Rendezvous, Hadi aimlessly scrolled his social media. Almost every other post had the same topic: Sanam Khan and her so-called moral depravity. It's ironic how the very social media accounts that had been singing praises of Sarim's beautiful sister few weeks back were now assassinating her character based on a few pictures. Wakayi, yeh log kisike sagey nahi hote, Hadi thought bitterly. Just then his eyes fell on the video of a news debate. The debate was about Khaani's pictures and one of the panelists who was vehemently berating her was a member of his party. He quickly dialled his father's number. "Hello, Hadi beta", Mir Shah answered from the other end. "Baba aapne kal raat ki news debate dekhi hai? Woh Sanam Khan ke baare mein, uss mein Hammad Mehmood panelist hai.". "Ha", Mir Shah,"Thoda dekha tha kal, I have to say kaafi achhe tarah se handle Kiya usne debate ko. (chuckling) AeM waale ko to ek dum chup Kara diya.". "Lekin Baba", Hadi said frustratedly, "Woh gaya hi kyu? Isse to yahi lagega na ke unn pictures ke leak ke pichhe humara haath hai!".

"Ha to lagne do, kya farak padta hai?", Mir Shah replied,"Elections ke time parties ek dusre pe aise ilzaam lagate rehte hai.". Hadi replied,"Baba, mulk mein kya muddo ki kami hai, ke ab humare log aisi bekaar cheezon ko lekar debate karenge?".

Mir Shah explained patiently,"Dekho Hadi, yeh sab batein tumhare aur mere liye bekaar hai, lekin humare conservative voters ke liye yeh ek bohot badi baat hai, especially kyuki inn Khans ne humesha se khudko bohot pakeezah aur conservative portray kiya hai, yeh Inka sabse bada x-factor tha aur ab inhi ki beti ne inko jhuta sabit kar diya! (chuckling) Kaash mein Shiasta Begum ke chehra ka rang uddte huye dekh sakta jab unhone inn tasveeron ko dekha hoga. Trust me Hadi, iss scandal ne tumhare jeetne ke chances ko aur bohot zyada barha diya hai. Iss liye meri baat maano tum inn chhoti chhoti baaton pe dhyaan matt do aur apne campaign pe focus Karo, thik hai?".

Hadi nodded,"Ji, baba", and hung up.

Hadi took out the bullet from his wallet and stared at it. Sahi to keh rahe hai baba, he thought to himself, mujhe to abhi apne aanewale Jeet ki khushiya manani chahiye thi, to phir main itna upset kyu hu?Pure mulk mein aaj zaleel aur ruswa tum ho rahi ho, toh takleef mujhe kyu ho Rahi hai?Tumhe blackmail bhi to main, elections mein aage badhne ke liye kar raha tha. Jo main chah Raha tha wohi toh hua, aur woh bhi mere bina kuch kiye, phir bhi main itna bechain kyu hu?

Ali walked in with a young man. "Hadi, dekh mujhe kaun Mila aaj?", he said. Hadi looked up and saw it was Karim, their old schoolmate. "Karim!", Hadi exclaimed, getting and hugging him,"Kitne dino baad mila yaar, kaisa hai?". "Ek dum thik!Tu bata teri campaigning kaisi chal Rahi hai?".

"Ha, bilkul thik", Hadi replied, his mood reasonably uplifted. The three friends sat around the table to discuss old times. It was Karim, who brought up the burning topic,"Waise yeh news channels ko ho kya Gaya hai? Jaha dekho Sanam Khan ki baatein.". Hadi's face went grim at this. "Ha, ab kya kare?", Ali said non-chalantly,"News channels ko jisse TRP milegi, woh toh wohi dikhayenge.".

Karim said smirking,"Ha, toh dikhaye magar pictures blur karne ki kya zaroorat hai?Hadi, teri to broadcasting minister se achhi khasi jaan-pehchan hogi? Unn se keh zara blur hatake tasveerein dikhaye, TRP's(winking) apne apne badh jayengi!". Karim laughed at his own joke, failing to notice Hadi's tense body language. But Ali noticed it and tried to divert the conversation to another topic. But Karim was in no mood to change the topic. Karim continued, taking a sip of his drink, "Waise, ab main samjha Sarim Khan ne campaigning ke liye apni behen ko kyu aage kiya...usse bhi pata hai uska x-factor kya hai. Frankly, agar main yaha ka citizen hota, to main seedha Sarim Khan ke paas jata aur kehta,"Dekh Sarim, tujhe vote-donation Jo chahiye le le bas mujhe ek raat ke liye Sanam-"

Karim couldn't finish his words. He had to duck to save himself from a glass bottle Mir Hadi swung at him. Before Karim could protest or Ali could react, Hadi threw himself at Karim, mercilessly punching and kicking him. Hadi yelled,"Teri himmat kaise huyi uske baare mein aisi ghatiya baat karne ki?!!!Woh meri mohabbat hai!!!Woh meri Khaani hai!!!".

Ali, rushed to his side"Hadi tu yeh kya kar raha hai!", he said trying to restrain him,"Maar kyu Raha hai tu usse?!Chhor usse! Marr jayega woh!".

Ali successfully managed to pull away Hadi. "Karim ke liye first-aid lekar aao", Ali instructed one of the waiters, as he pulled Hadi inside the restroom.

Once inside, Ali angrily pushed him,"Have you lost it, Hadi?! Tune humare sabse purane dost par haath uthaya!". Hadi countered, "Purana dost hai, iska yeh matlab nahi ke apni limit cross karde!". "Kaunsi limit Hadi?Yeh pehli baar to nahi usne aisi baatein ki ho", Ali demanded,"Woh ladki kaun lagti hai teri? Aur tune usse apni mohabbat kyu kaha?". Hadi stayed quiet for a while, before finally realising what he had said in a fit of rage. "Kyuki mujhe Khaani se pyaar ho gaya hai", Hadi said more to himself than Ali. The moment Hadi spoke those words, he finally felt the peace that had been evading him all these days.

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Chapter 13: Mujhe pyaar hua tha (Eng)

Khan Mansion

"Why hasn't Hadi released my video yet?" Khaani thought to herself, as she absentmindedly pushed the food on her plate. It was one of those rare occasions when the entire Khan family sat together for dinner. "What is he waiting for?" She finally snapped out of her reverie when she heard her name being called. "Khaani, why don't you try these kebabs?" Nayeema asked.

"Dadi," Sarim said, "I need to discuss an important matter with you about my upcoming rally." "Aha! Sarim," Abul interjected, "We are all together as a family after a long time. Why are you spoiling the mood by talking about politics?"

"Dadi is going to Sindh tomorrow for your campaign, Abul. That's why I need her permission now," Sarim replied. "Permission for what, Sarim?" Shiasta Begum asked curiously. "Dadi, I want Khaani to give the opening speech at my next rally." Sarim's words were met with silence. Finally, Yousuf said, "Women in our family don't give speeches at rallies." Sarim asked, "But female party members give speeches at rallies, right?" Abul chuckled and replied, "You don't understand, Sarim. They are party members, but the women in our family do not address the public like that. It goes against our family's tradition. They can attend rallies, but they cannot give speeches. Dadi has never given a speech till date."

"Sarim, I don’t want to give any speech. You know I have stage fright," Khaani said. Sarim reassured her, "Khaani, don't worry. I will be there to help you. But please don't refuse. Women empowerment is a very important theme of my campaign, and if the daughter of my house does not speak up, how will voters have confidence in me?" Mahnoor replied in a saccharine sweet tone, "I am sorry, Sarim beta, but what kind of oppression is being inflicted upon your sister that she has to raise her voice?".

Salman countered, " There is no such condition, bhabi, that girls should only always raise their voices to protest, If you have a voice, you should use it, it's your right. I know that no woman in this house has ever given a speech on a public platform, but that doesn't mean she never will. After all, we should also change with time, otherwise the party's relevance will end. And Ammi, nowadays girls are excelling in every field, so what's the harm in Khaani giving an opening speech?"

Yousuf turned towards his younger brother and said, "The thing is that our family-". "Yousuf!", came Shiasta Begum's gentle reprimand. She then turned to Sarim and said, "If you think that Sanam giving a speech will make a difference in your campaign, then it's okay for Sanam to give a speech. But make sure that there is nothing in her speech that goes against our party line." Having said that, Shiasta Begum got up and retired for the night. Each member of the family was going through different emotions. Salman and Sarim were silently congratulating each other on accomplishing their mission. Abul quickly diverted his father's anger by engaging him in a different conversation. Khaani, on the other hand, was completely shocked. What was the dragon lady up to? This was unlike her rigid and harsh nature. And why did Sarim suggest something like this? He knew how much she disliked being in the spotlight. Sarim's voice brought her back to reality, "Khaani", he said, "We will prepare your speech starting tomorrow!". Khaani replied, "Sarim, you should not have made this decision without asking me. I am not comfortable with public speaking."

"Don't worry, Khaani, your brother and I will teach you everything," Salman said.

Nayeema added, "Sarim is right, Khaani. How will voters trust him to empower their women, if his own sister doesn't use her voice? Don't be afraid, everything will be fine."

For the next few days, Khaani spent most of her time preparing for her upcoming speech. Knowing that how important the rally was to Sarim, Khaani put her heart and soul into it. Although, being an introvert, she hated having the spotlight on her. Even as a child, she was keener towards group activities which didn't require her to lead from the front. Be it at home or academics, it was always Sarim, who always took charge growing up, never her. She knew if she dug in her heels, Sarim won't push her; but now that her grandmother permitted her, shelving a decades-old tradition of women of this family not addressing the public, that motivated Khaani to give the speech. If nothing else, it will set a precedent for her younger sisters.

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Two days before the rally

Khaani gave one last look around her room before heading downstairs, where Sarim and her father were waiting for her. They were going to Balochistan today. After saying goodbye to Nayeema, Sana, and Sara, the trio was about to leave when Shiasta Begum, accompanied by her elder son and daughter-in-law, stopped them, looking extremely agitated. "This girl is not going anywhere," she commanded, "and from now on, she will not participate in any campaign of our party!" Her words shocked her younger son and his family. Salman protested, "Ammi, what are you saying? You said-". But his mother was not in the mood to listen, "I know very well what I said, Salman. But unfortunately, the trust and respect I wanted to give to your daughter, she isn’t worthy of it! How could she be? She takes after her mother after all!" Salman let out a frustrated groan and said, "Ammi, for God's sake, tell us what happened?!"

Shiasta Begum shook her head and replied, "No, I won’t say anything now. Here, take a look (extending her phone towards him); the proof of your beloved daughter's shamelessness!". Khaani closed her eyes, anticipating the inevitable. It seems that Hadi had gone ahead and circulated that video, Khaani thought with resignation. Standing next to her father, Khaani stared at the phone in disbelief. Her pictures - taken from her private social media account without her consent - were all over the internet. The headline read: Sanam Khan's double life. I won’t spare you, Mir Hadi, she thought angrily.

"Astagfirullah," Salman muttered under his breath. He was looking at a picture of his eldest daughter inside a swimming pool, wearing a swimsuit, showing her bare arms and back. The rest of the pictures, more or less, had the same effect. Someone (Khaani had a very clear idea who) had gone through her Instagram account and specifically chose pictures where she wore revealing clothes and decided to leak them. But how was it possible? Given her family's profile, Khaani didn't even use her real name for this account.

"What the hell!" Sarim cried, "How could someone leak pictures of Khaani's social media like this?! This is wrong! Baba, we should report this." Salman didn't respond. His face had gone red with rage as he tightly clutched the phone. "Baba!" Sarim appealed again. Khaani didn't say anything. She could feel the anger emanating from her father; the shock and fear coming from Nayeema aunty and the girls, and the vindication from her grandmother, uncle, and aunt. Salman finally spoke, "Nayeema, take Khaani and her belongings to her room." "What? Baba, Khaani's speech-" Sarim started, but Salman cut him off. "Sarim, I'm waiting for you in your car, come quickly." His tone had an air of finality, and Sarim didn't argue. Without casting a second glance at his eldest daughter, whose eyes started trickling with tears, Salman Khan walked out of the door. Kissing his sister's forehead, Sarim said, "Don't worry Khaani, I'll fix everything." Saying this, Sarim quietly left.

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~Mir House~

"HADI!! HADI!! Wake up!!" - a voice called out to him. Mir Hadi reluctantly opened his eyes only to find his best friend Ali standing over his head. "Ugh! Ali!" Hadi said annoyed, sitting up, "Who wakes someone up like that?"

"You rascal!," Ali replied, "after pulling off such a big stunt, you're acting so innocent" "What did I do?" Hadi asked confused. "Don't act so modest," Ali replied, "I must say, it was a very smart move. If you had released the video footage, it could have backfired on you. But now, no one will know that you did it and the elections are in your pocket!"

"Stop trying to flatter me," Hadi said annoyed, "and tell me what's going on." Wordlessly, Ali shoved his phone in Hadi's face. Taking the phone, Hadi started scrolling through pictures of Khaani. In one picture, she was in a swimming pool with her back against the camera, winking and smiling. She is beautiful, I will give her that, Hadi thought to himself smiling.

"What's going on, why are you smiling like that? You didn't leak these pictures?" Ali asked. He had expected Hadi to be boastful, instead he was smiling sheepishly.

"What?!" Hadi asked surprised, "No! Why would I leak her pictures? What benefit would I get from that?" Ali sighed and said, "Forget the pictures and read the article about her, you'll understand everything." Hadi went through the article, which talked about how this supposed exposé into Khaani's vulgar lifestyle may affect Sarim's chances in the election, paving the path for Hadi's victory. Before Hadi could comment on the article, his phone rang. It was Khaani.

"Everytime I think you cannot go lower than this, you do something worse and break your own record!" - Khaani charged at him as soon as he answered the phone. "What do you mean?!" Hadi asked. Khaani let out a hollow laugh. She wasn't being herself, and Hadi could sense it. Hadi started to speak "If you're talking about those pictures, then I-"

"Don't bother!" Khaani snapped, "Keeping your innocence intact for the voters. You will need it in the future! Enjoy your victory, Mir Hadi. Remember: the pain and humiliation that I am feeling today, I will return it to you with interest! Goodbye!" "Hello! Khaani? Khaani! Sh*t!" Hadi cried out in frustration. Ali asked, "What did she say?" "She thinks I leaked her pictures to the media! Can you imagine? How could she even think that about me?!" Hadi said angrily.

"Wait, so you had nothing to do with this? You don't know anything about these pictures?" Ali wondered. "Absolutely not!" Hadi replied vehemently.

"Then who did this?" Ali asked.

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~A week after the scandal~

Sitting in Rendezvous, Hadi aimlessly scrolled his social media. Almost every other post had the same topic: Sanam Khan and her so-called moral depravity. It's ironic how the very social media accounts that had been singing praises of Sarim's beautiful sister few weeks back were now assassinating her character based on a few pictures. 'These people are never loyal to anyone,' Hadi thought bitterly. Just then his eyes fell on the video of a news debate. The debate was about Khaani's pictures and one of the panelists who was vehemently berating her was a member of his party. He quickly dialed his father's number. "Hello, Hadi beta," Mir Shah answered from the other end. "Baba, have you watched last night's news debate? The one about Sanam Khan, where Hammad Mehmood was a panelist." "Yes," Mir Shah replied, "I watched some of it yesterday, and I have to say he handled the debate quite well. (chuckling) He shut up the opposition completely." "But Baba," Hadi said frustratedly, "why did he have to go? It will seem like our party is behind the leak of those pictures!" "Let it be, what difference does it make?" Mir Shah replied. "During elections, parties always throw such allegations at each other." Hadi replied, "But Baba, is there any lack of issues in our country that now people are debating such useless things?" Mir Shah explained patiently, "Look Hadi, all this is pointless for you and me, but it is a big deal for our conservative voters, especially because these Khans have always portrayed themselves as very pure and conservative. This was their biggest X-factor, and now their own daughter has proven it false! (chuckling) I wish I could have seen the color drain from Shiasta Begum's face when she saw those pictures. Trust me, Hadi, this scandal has increased your chances of winning even more. So, listen to me and don't focus on these trivial things, think about your campaign, okay?" Hadi nodded and hung up.

Hadi took out the bullet from his wallet and stared at it. Baba is right, he thought to himself, I should be celebrating my upcoming victory, but why am I so upset? You are being disgraced and humiliated, so why do I feel the pain? I was blackmailing you to win the elections. What I wanted has happened, and that too without doing anything, so why am I so restless?"

Ali walked in with a young man. "Hadi, guess who I met today?" he said. Hadi looked up and saw it was Karim, their old schoolmate. "Karim!" Hadi exclaimed, getting up and hugging him. "It's been so long, how are you?" "I'm good. How's your campaigning going?" Karim asked. "It's going well," Hadi replied, his mood reasonably uplifted. The three friends sat around the table to discuss old times. It was Karim who brought up the burning topic, "What's wrong with these news channels? Everywhere you look, it's about Sanam Khan." Hadi's face went grim at this. "Yes, now what to do?" Ali said nonchalantly, "News channels will show whatever gets them TRP." Karim said smirking, "Yes, they will show it, but why blur the pictures? Hadi, you must have a good acquaintance with the broadcasting minister. Ask him to show the pictures without blurring them, and the TRPs will hit the roof(winking)!" Karim laughed at his own joke, failing toTop of Form notice Hadi's tense body language. But Ali noticed it and tried to divert the conversation to another topic. But Karim was in no mood to change the topic. Karim continued, taking a sip of his drink, "By the way, now I understand why Sarim Khan asked his sister to campaign for him...he knows pull in the crowds. Frankly, if I were a citizen here, I would go straight to Sarim Khan and say, "Look Sarim, take whatever you need, just give me one night with Sanam-" Karim couldn't finish his words. He had to duck to save himself from a glass bottle that Mir Hadi swung at him. Before Karim could protest or Ali could react, Hadi threw himself at Karim, mercilessly punching and kicking him. Hadi yelled, "How dare you talk such cheap things about her?!!!She's the love of my life!!!She's mine!!!". Ali rushed to his side,"Hadi, what are you doing!", he said, trying to restrain him, "Why are you hitting him?! Leave him! He'll die!". Ali successfully managed to pull Hadi away. "Get first-aid for Karim," Ali instructed one of the waiters, as he pulled Hadi inside the restroom. Once inside, Ali angrily pushed him, "Have you lost it, Hadi?! You just hit our oldest friend!". Hadi countered, "He's an old friend, but that doesn't mean he can cross his limits!". "What limits, Hadi? It’s not like he has said things like that before?", Ali demanded, "What does that girl mean to you? And do you realise you just called her your love?". Hadi stayed quiet for a while, before finally realizing what he had said in a fit of rage. "I have fallen in love with Khaani," Hadi said more to himself than to Ali. The moment Hadi spoke those words, he finally felt the peace that had been eluding him all these days.