PYAAR HAI YA SAZA--(seq. 2 SAU DARD HAI)

Aaliya dug her nails deep into her palms as a bout of pain washed over her body.her insides churned as images of him getting knocked down by blows came reeling into her mind.She felt her lungs squeeze out the air to the very last bit,as she gasped for breath,choking on her own tears.She stood behind the counter of the dhaba,as he came hobbling inside with much difficulty,pain etched across his bruised face yet fighting tooth and nail to not let it overcome his senes and give away his pretence-that he was strong and stoic.

"Zain bhaijaan...aapka yeh haal kisne banaya--"Rafeeq and Sarju exclaimed in unison ,as they rushed to his side.Zain slung his arms on them.."Main theek hoon...yeh mamuli sa chot hai--"his stormy eyes met hers.he managed a wry smile,wincing as another torrent dull ache spread to the very ramifications of his spine.

"Aap pagal ho kya---humare saath chaliye dawaai--""Aapne toh subah se kuch khaya bhi nahi..Zain Bhaijaan?"

The silence gnawed at their insides as they looked at each other across the room...the most painful part more painful as they'd wish for it to happen instead of endure the silence. When they endured the silence they wished for pain rather then endure it.

he noticed the pain in her eyes..she could fool anyone with her fake smiles..to the world she might be happy...but both of them knew that he could look right through them...He had expected her to interject while the people misunderstood his intentions and started thrashing him for supposeddly misbehaving with a lady in the swimming pool when clearly he ahd jumped from the height with his hands interwined in hers.He could have easily fought back,taken steps to control it...but he didn't.his eyes,not even for once left her cold ,dead ones,as she looked over from afar as they hit him.More than the festering pain of the breach of trust,the same pain which she ahd to go through when he divorced her,or the searing pain down his back, was the absence of recognition in her eyes that hurt him the most-she just stood like a stranger in the crowd..he was astranger to her eyes.Though Rafeeq and Sarju forced him to take a bite,he refused and went into the kitchen ,to go to the backyard and freshen up, to get on with her daily chores.he ahd promised his father that he would get his Bhanji back to Barkat villa,back into his life where she belonged.he took off his shirt,and washed his wounds,the pellucid water washed off his blood and dust.he tried bending his vruisedd arm to apply the medicine on his back,when he felt someone stop him.She turned him aroundand snatched the ointment from his hand..and with a determined look on her face she started applying it over his wounds.he gasped in pain as her fingers touched the bruise on his back.Tears mottled her face,as she bit back to prevent herself from sobbing.A gripe of pain overpowered him,he hissed as the headache refused to go.when he turned to face her once more,he noticed her tear stained face.She winced everytime,he did.Her frantic eyes looked for any other wound,her tears betraying her facade..she was about to go away ,when he caught her hand.."MAmu Ki Bhanji..." She cut him short"Nahi main Mamu Ki Bhanji hoon..na mallika-e-Zain...main Aaliya hoon-sirf Aalia..iss dhabe ki malkin.."A lone tear escaped from his eye...he knew why ,yet he wished he wouldn't be remined of the reason every now and then...

----------------------------------------------------------------

The thuderstorm was coming,they were growling ,ominous dark clouds gathering above,loming over them.they were the last two sould left in the dhaba.She peered through the windows before closing them with a shut.She was about to open the latch of the door,when he stopped her-"itni raat ko kahaan jaa rahi ho--aur baarish hone waali hai-there's a storm raging outside,Aaliya.."She closed the door once again-perhaps he was right.She found him squatted in acorner,trembling slightly..the lights flickered ,before darkness enveloped them for the night.there was sudden down pour and they heard the gust of winds and hammering raindrops hit against the windows.The violent raging wind raced through the streets and the clatter of loose roof tiles could be heard form afar.

"Zaun-humme aaj rukna hoga.."
"Hmm..."his dry cough echoed in the darkness.."Tu-Tum andar jaa ke so jao-main.."
"Aur tum?"she chided herse;f as soon a sthe words left her mouth-she was not supposed to show her concern.

"Main yahi--"

"Haan tum yahi par so jaana--Shab bakhair."

"Shab Bakhair."his whisper dies down as she slammed the door behind her...Zain looked at his watch..it was 11.00 at night.Zain tried closing his eyes..the storm would soon subside and very soon the nigth would pave way fora new day..he regretted not taking the pills,when Sarju and rafeeq had offfered him..A splitting pain wa sradiating through his body,pulsating at the back of his head...he tried closing his eyes again..he groaned and opened his eyes..his wath read 11.15 pm...only fifteen minutes had passed..it was as if it time had sudenly decied to tick away slowly...

he could hear the rustle of sheets from the other room.probably she wa still awake.he tried to smile remebering the times when he had held her in his arms through such stormy nights.he remembered the times when he had whispered sweet nothings into her ears,hoping that it would help her fall back into a slumber..but even a simple smile hurt him.

he sat at the very corner of the room,his body backed up against the wall and covered by the sheet that served a s a cover,and the jute rag that served a shis pilow lying beside him.he was unable to sleep on his back..his body aching,cheeks burning with the flush of fever,and the bruises paining like never brfore.he would have cried for help,but ... there was no stength in his voice,just a whisper.He shivered and his teeth clattered as he felt the tingle run down his back once more.his breth quivered in short,quick gasps as he inhaled ,his lungs having no other choice painfully and rigidly took in the chiled air..."Aaliya.."his whisper died down as sleep took over him...

Aaliya couldn't sleep.She tossed around the bed,wondering what he was doing.She clicked the dor open..the dim light of the candle burning away in acorner,paved her way through the darkness..She noticed his hunced figure in a corner..the cloth loosely wrapped around his shivering body...instictively her hands reached to touch his forehead..her fingers singed .he was as hot as a burning coal..."yeh Zain bhi na...Zain!! Wake up--Zian ankhe kolo..."
"Aa--urr-liya...Aagh...uhh..Aa-uuhhAaliya.."

"Zian wake up..son mat Zain...main abhi kuch banakar laati hoon...Zain look at me..!Aaliya hai na tumhare paas..kuch nahi hone dungi main tumhe..Zain..."She was about to go,when she felt his feeble grasp on her finger fall limp...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

His body was giving away-he was in a delirium.She fed him the ot soup and medicine,and slinging hisa arms around her body she took him inside to the room.She laid him down on the bed,his head resting on her lap,while she applied the wet cloth on his forehead...Zain was too deep in his lsumber to notice anything...Aaliya rested her head on the wall behind her..broken flashes of her past haunted her once aagin...

Her fingers traced his bruises...they were supposed to be together,then why did their fate pull them apart?At first there was silence.A misty haze appeared on the horizons of her mind.that's wers she hid everything.She could feel the hard lump inthe back of her throat ,as tears began to form.Slowly her breathing,holowed itself,and small but intense pain struck the top of her head.before Aaliya knew,they were shouting,they were her own yet they seemed so foreign and distant...

"I can't do this anymore..."Aaliya heard herself say...