"Samantha please don't place that lamp on the ground" stresses Jayson

oh don't worry I've done this plenty sir, it's My job to decorate, don't you stress yourself over this

"I fear you sam" he lets out a laugh

"so do i mister jay" i joke

"are we done here Sam?, what more do we need now?" he questions

"i think we're missing some exquisite lights and a fancy touch on the outer side don't you think sir Jay?"

"as much as I'd hate to admit that you're correct missy, I'd have to say, something quite isn't catchy about this place, don't you wonder if there are more houses we could acquire and bling them up ratherly then make this dusty old house a better place, it's foundation even seems to be near to crumbling, this house isn't quite far from falling apart sam, shouldn't we reconsider?"

as Jayson tenses about the houses foundation Samantha worries of nothing as she knows, this house contains of much history, history people would want to know, a story behind a couple who lived here before In the ancient times where there was war in this country this house survived, the couple may have not but the place surely stands straight as evidence to their societically forbidden love, the more jayson worries, the more Samantha prays for a love like that to ignite again for her to document

"jay I really think we shouldn't take this place for granted, it may not look special, but it holds special memories, furnishing a place which holds such strong feelings really appeals to me comparatively to some average top notch house we wouldn't really need to add anything to, this house really deserves some recognition jay, the idea of having rental people in such a historical house, it gives me goosebumps of joy" Samantha looks at jay with such mesmerised eyes

"er, I have of no clue what you have spoke of, but I'm willing to give this a shot, but if u may not mind darling, id love to know what historical events have occurred here" jay catches interest in how Samantha speaks of this place

"so where do I begin from jay?, there was a man named azhar..

back in old times

when India and Pakistan partitioned

a girl named Maniya who after partition was hiding from the Indians for a long time for she wasn't allowed a stay in India at the time since India and Pakistan had not had a political fight not long ago,

she was finding refuge on the streets disguised as a indian she was surviving on bread each day

"sunno" a man yells at maniya

her fear was sensed from a mile when she had heard his yell, in fear she started walking faster

"sunayi nahin de raha" he yelled again, threatening if she doesn't stop walking he will report to the police

"kon ho ap"

A windy And unsettling day for everyone, Samantha was worked up for people to admire he places beauty like her

She looked forward to each day come, but days went by and no one was willing to take it as a rental, sam was losing her hope and jay was getting worried more and more with passing time due to Sam's nature

"I know you're a very hardworking woman Sam but don't u think you should catch a break now?"

"Jay, just why doesn't anyone see this house as anything more than just four walls like me?" as She gets more agitated feeling unheard and not understood

"Sam not everyone feels as deeply as you, not quite everyone feels that a house with four walls could have more meaning than just, well, four walls. It's how humans are some may live here for rent but maybe just because It comparatively costs less to other rental houses, you mustn't beat yourself over such trivial matters, how will this dream work otherwise?"

"I just don't understand, It's so much more than four walls,

It's so much more than it's understood, it's not fair" Sam's hope starts to crumble more and more as they speak till Jayson asks

"Oh right!, when do you plan on continuing the story?" Jay asks joyfully

"What story jay?" her baffled wondering if he's speaking of the one she had told earlier

"maniya one silly" jay giggles

"you were listening wow I thought you weren't interested?"

"Sam, you were the one talking, how'd I miss anything said by you ?"

Samantha blushes and moves onto the story

"Sooo where was iii? she exaggerated

"then at the signal they-

****************

"ap idhar se hain" azhar smiles

"mujhe thaane nahin lekar jane walle the ap?" maniya aggressively asks

"arre, ap toh bura maan gayin" he laughs

"toh aur kyun nahin manungi? ap aire ghaire pooch rahe ho main kidhar se hun, matlab kya hai apka?" she flares

"ilake ka pooch raha tha" he yells to her as maniya walks away

"mera peecha mat kariye" she spoke loudly.

she heads down the lane to head and realises she can't find the money she collected and panics, she rushes to find it but found it nowhere, maniya thought it was the man she had just met and ran back to the main street"

"gadhdar!!" she yells at the man standing in front

"ap?, apse baat karni thee aik second apne mujhe ky-" as he talks, maniya cuts him half way, he laughs at what she had just called him

"chor kahinke paise mere le liye apko pata hai main kitni mehnat karti hun aik aik rupe ke liye?, meri ammi ko main dekh nahin sakti woh mujhe chorkar chali gayin ap paise chori kar rahe ho mere, meri zindagi hee kharab hai aur mazeed ap mat keechar uchaliye" she sulks

he just sits to listen to her as she was ranting till she had stopped he let out an uncontrollable laugh

"kya cheez hain ap"

"toh aghar hindustani na ho toh ap phir aur kon ho?"

azhar asks

"apko nahin bata sakti main kon hun" she answers

"itna bologi naam kya hai?"

"maniya aur apka? "

"woh toh hum number apka lekar batayeinge"

"main kyun dungi number apna, woh bhi apko"

"dost hun apka"

maniya laughs histerically

"arre"

police starts approaching the lane

azhar pulls maniyas hand and drags her to the corner

"chupi raho mani, bharosa rakhiye mere upar aur nikal jayiega samjhin?" he then runs towards the police

"azhar rukiye" she panicks

scared for her life, maniya runs away but looks back to azhar and the police was beating him mercilessly

a day passed by and mani came back to look for him, she was scared she wouldn't find him

"kidhar ho"

she walks mumbling to herself of how guilty she feels.

she prays to her god to find him safe and sound and the second week of azhar being lost maniya walks on the road in search for him like for the past 2 weeks she had been without missing a day

"kidhar ho, nazar mein bhi ajao ab kitna aur din nahin dikhoge"

a voice enchants from afar

"azhar!"

maniya turns back to look at who it was and he stood there with bruises and open wounds on his body

"azhar naam hai mera maniya ge"

maniya rushes into his arms

"apne mujhe bacha liya liken ye kya kardiya hai apna haal azhar?, unko kya bola tha aisa ke ye haal kardiya hai"

maniya cries

he wipes her tears and his as well

"hum kya kya kargaye apke peechay mani" he laughs

" kuch nahin bola, bas nasha mein honeka natak kiya take mujhe lekar jaye warna apke peechay aate"

maniya holds him close to her

"arre itna na kariye loug ghalat samajh jayeinge, main samajhta hun apki khushi par-" maniya cuts him half way and angrily says

"toh kehne di jiye sabko, apne meri jaan bacha li, main Sara din raat thanne mein guzarti aghar ap mujhe chorke jate apne apna haal kharab kardiya main kaise apka shukriya kahun" maniya falls weak to the ground crying

"kya hogaya, kuch khana peena nahin kiya mani?"

"ap mujhe mani kyun bolte ho?"

"dost ho na meri" he smiles

he grabs her by her hand and then picks her up entirely

"ghar chal lo mere, kuch khao"

he takes her into his broken house and lays her down as she sits up he hands her a tray of food

"kuch khao, kamzor par rahi ho ap" he worries

"kyun ye sab kar rahe ho mere liye"

"phir wahi sawwal?, dost samjho mujhe aur idhar hee raho"

maniya gets stunned

"idhar???!!"

"kyun aur koi rehne ke liye jagga hai apke paas"

"nahin liken-"

azhar puts his hand on her mouth

"toh mat inkar kariya, nahin chuhenge apko"

he puts his hand away

"ye pheli aur akhri baar tha" he blushes and moves away

maniya goes to sleep beside azhar as she has no other place to be

"maniya" he calls her out

she turns to her right looking straight into azhars light brown eyes from upclose

"bolein" she responds as she gets lost in his eyes

"shadi kareingi ap mujhse?"