“When do we say that a love story has started? My understanding is that the defined time cannot be very specific, it can be considered to be as long as you are alive. Let's say it begins when a person is born and ends when he dies. Here, I am not referring to the romantic relationship between two people, rather to the heart that wants to be loved, filled with the desire to share this love with others. Nevertheless, what inspired me to write, my dear diary, is the traditional tale of love. I have known that love blooms in the hearts of teens, twenties but recently I have witnessed love thriving among people in their forties, the love that is confined to the dramas, movies and novels. But love being the potion made from magic that puts all colors in these stories is extracted from intricate tapestry of real-life encounters, isn’t it? Like a puzzle with endless possibilities, where each piece represents a unique kind of affectionate narrative, contributing to a bigger picture. That is why I want you to know that I feel incredibly privileged to be able to witness a love tale unfolding in later stages of life, it fills my heart with joy to observe such a special bond concluding that love is not bounded by constraints of time.”

Ayesha closed the notepad google app and headed down stairs to brew tea for her dad. If there was anyone in the world she cared the most, it was her father. She had this ritual of penning her ruminations post-slumber while being student of masters in Urdu language in Karachi university. Now, you can readily ascertain the underline impetus for her penchant for the art of writing. It served her as introspection, allowing her to examine her experiences and sentiments of the day. She didn’t do it as a therapy rather she had this habit from early age but instead of an application or software her friend of old times was a dairy and a pen. After a span of 15 years of professing their love, one of her kin recently tied the knot. Long story short, the couple had been together for almost two decades, following the initial objection from their respective families, they managed to reconcile and made their families approve of their relationship. Thanks to their unwavering trust in one another and dedication to honor their commitment, ultimately they got married in their forties. Upon returning home after classes, her mother revealed the news to her that the ceremony occurred with very simplicity. This topic had always been on top of the list of family gossips. Ayesha possessed a poetic nature always inclined to romanticize. While the adults perceived it as a mere ceremony uniting two individuals, for Ayesha, it held a fascinating allure in accordance with her innate disposition.

Situated a modest distance away from Nazimabad in the city of lights, Karachi, resided Abdul Hadi within the confines of Gulistan e Jouher. Ayesha's exclusive peer in their university, with whom she had never said as he possessed an aversion to social interaction, assuming the role of a solitary and independent individual within their class. Despite both being of average academic proficiency, their essences diverged profoundly, and yet their paths had never converged leaving no room for skepticism that their fates were destined to intertwine.

“I believe Raja Gidh was truly ahead of its time, displaying the remarkable courage of Bano Qudsia, indeed a daring leap, particularly as a female author. The portrayal of the bond between central characters would have been viewed as exceedingly audacious during that era.”

Afzal, a pupil in the Urdu department, uttered these words as his final remark when Professor Ashraf prompted him to express his perspectives in a discourse on novels.

“Afzal, your selection of words has exhibited continuous improvement, and your comprehension of this literary work is incredibly accurate. I commend you on your exceptional performance. Now, if anyone else wishes to share their thoughts on Bano Qudsia's masterpiece, Raja Gidh, please feel free to do so.”

During this instance, Zara Amjad Khan, raised her hand along with a handful of other students who had meticulously formulated their core concepts of the novel. Consequently, she garnered the attention of Sir Ashraf, who held her in high regard as his most cherished student among all.

Abdul Hadi, as per his usual demeanor, displayed to exhibit minimal engagement during class sessions. It appeared as though he harbored no interest towards the subject matter altogether. However, unbeknownst to his fellows, he surreptitiously absorbed every syllable voiced by each speaker. He belonged to the group of students who refrained from actively participating and raising their hands in any form of discussion. Therefore, he had never vocalized his thoughts within the classroom setting. He merely existed as a peripheral character in the kaleidoscope of others vibrant lives.

“Sure thing, Miss Zara! We're all ears for your thoughts and opinions.”

As Zara prepared to speak, Abdul Hadi remained rooted in his original posture, occupying one of the rearmost seats of the classroom. Yet from his vintage point he had an unobstructed and clear view of Zara and her best friend Ayesha beside her, seated on a chair in the second row. Right from the inception of their classes, he had taken notice of Zara’s knack for unveiling fresh and avant-garde ideas, whether it was about pros or verse. It was evident to him that she always brought something unique to the table, and that she possessed an unparalleled ability to infuse the discussion with imaginative perspectives, leaving all others in eager anticipation of her contributions.

“As I embarked on the journey of reading "Raja Gidh," I was immediately enthralled by the sheer brilliance and exquisite beauty of each sentence. It felt as if every word held a profound universe of its own, brimming with wisdom, waiting to be unveiled differently every time the readers who reads it more than once, and that's what a good book do. Without giving away any spoilers, I can confidently say that this literary book explores a multitude of issues and myriad of harsh realities. In an era saturated with love stories that often feel contrived and detached from reality, the author has masterfully crafted a narrative that exudes incredible authenticity. It feels like a glimpse into someone's actual lived experience. The characters came alive for me, evoking a deep sense of empathy and allowing me to vividly envision myself in their shoes and imagine what it would be like to be a part of their world.

I must applaud the author for not only raising important discussions but two central themes stood out to me highlighting: the significance of avoiding judgment and the detrimental consequences of engaging in illicit means of earning. Although it had many things that needs a discussion, distinctly. I will only emphasize on the last part about being non-judgmental”

Abdul Hadi's complete attention shifted towards Zara, his hands clasped together and pressed against his mouth, as if attempting to read her mind. Little did he know that Fatima, one of their classmates, had keenly observed this sudden shift in his focus and that he had unknowingly developed a newfound interest in the ongoing conversation. The entire class descended into a hushed silence, as if a pin drop could be heard, with Zara assuming the role of the focal point for all.

“We are all aware of the implications associated with engaging in illicit means of earning, especially considering the fate of the son. However, I understand your curiosity about the aspect of non-judgmentalism. Allow me to shed light on my perspective. While the characters in question may have been involved in illegitimate relationships, it is ultimately between them and Allah to address their wrongdoings. The rest of us are not involved. What I mean is that you can determine what is right or wrong for yourself, but you cannot impose your judgments on others. If you believe someone is in the wrong, you can only offer guidance and it is up to them to listen and follow. If they continue to believe their actions are justified, all we can do is pray that they find the right path. Additionally, it is important to recognize that each person has their own journey and experiences. We should not impose our standards on others.”

“So you mean while the relationship may have been right for them individually, it goes against societal norms and is considered morally wrong in general.” One of her class fellow interrupted by asking the question.

“I foresaw this eventuality. I am not asserting that it was morally correct or incorrect. Rather, I implore you to bear in mind that the circumstances the female protagonist experienced, or more precisely, what she inflicted upon herself, was not a source of amusement for her. Initially, she fell in love with an individual who betrayed her, causing immense damage to her entire being. Then, she engaged in a physical relationship with someone she did not love, and when he proposed to her, she declined. This pattern of behavior proved to be self-destructive. Illicit relationships are typically pursued for pleasure and kept hidden due to personal reasons, but she was emotionally numb. She genuinely felt nothing. As some people are not very into worldly rights and wrongs, quoted by Rumi, “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing there is a field. I'll meet you there. When the soul lies down in that grass the world is too full to talk about.” She paused, and was about to utter words that she did not realize would deeply resonate with one of the souls present. "When a heart is shattered, it can succumb to two forms of toxicity: one where it assumes the role of a victim and the other where it becomes an avenger. Let us label them as 'Revenge Mode' and 'Victim Mode.' Personally, I am inclined towards the revenge mode, and I find myself operating with that when someone inflicts harm upon me. In this mode, you have ample time to analyze your situation, to strategize your revenge, unaware that as time passes, the anger within you gradually dissipates, and you ultimately extricate yourself from it because you come to the realization that seeking revenge would be futile. This occurs when you possess the wisdom to let go of things. This form of bravery is a rare trait possessed by only a few individuals. On the other hand, what we refer to as the "Victim" mode is like a self-created quagmire. In this toxic mindset, you perceive yourself as weak, leading to inaction, lack of anger, and an unwillingness to take a stand. You let your guard down, causing harm to yourself through suffering and excessive overthinking. You believe that you deserve the negative outcomes, becoming sadistic and blaming fate. Your willpower diminishes as well."

Abdul Hadi's heart had a moment of realization, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It's often said that men as compared to women tend to have more knots in their hearts when it comes to understanding their feelings.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Zara chimed in, “You know, I've always had these two types in mind, but this novel introduced me to a whole new category: 'The mixed one' or 'The self-destructive one.' The female lead perfectly embodied this type, creating a mess for herself and destroying everything in her path. She couldn't handle rejection, and her anger turned against her because she was head over heels in love with the male character or this was the truth for her. Honestly, she went through so much suffering in this world, but they say those who suffer here will find comfort in the next. Now, whether their relationship was right or wrong, we can't really judge. It's definitely a sin overall, but who knows how it'll be in front of Allah." Ayesha paused, letting her words sink in and then she added, “This was insight of the story, what I think is it revolves around the lives of its characters and explores the consequences of their choices. It's a thought-provoking and engaging read that has captivated many readers over the years. In the context of the novel "Raja Gidh" Bano Qudsia actually scrutinized through the lens of the male’s, the tumultuous journey of the female protagonist's. The novel describes the repercussions of the actions and the profound impact they wield upon one's emotional equilibrium. It raises questions about the authenticity and sustainability of endurance of relationships forged upon superficial or misguided intentions.”

The entire class fell into a state of silence, yet it was her classmate, Wajeeh who initiated the applause. The class collectively regained their awareness, as they had been spellbound by her words and were momentarily lost when she ceased speaking.

“Splendid job indeed! This is precisely why I convey to my colleagues my immense pride in the students who consistently offer inventive perspectives. I will definitely discuss with them for they shall be happy to know your insightful observations on the themes encapsulated within this book.” creating a pause that hung in the air, he continued, “I hope that you have diligently documented the subject at hand. Would you be so kind as to share with me a written manifestation of your central idea?”

“Sure sir.”

And the class was dismissed.

When leaving the last corridor, Ayesha excitedly, said to her, “Today, you were so phenomenal, everyone in the class was giving you a round of applause, you were the star!”

“I understand. But your appreciation is biased the reason you being my friend. And as I am growing I pay attention to those do not clap for me.” In real, Zara was as dramatic as she sounded.

“Ask anyone, I assure you they will say the same.”

“Except” Zara opposed.

“You mean, who?”

“Abdul Hadi, I saw him. Why doesn’t he ever applaud for me? He is always a verbal vanish artist” She mockingly said.

“And why are you so fixated on his reluctance to clap” Ayesha tried to sought her interest in his life.

“Not fixated, just curious. What’s the deal with him, Can’t he just raise his hands and join in on the fun? Is it a task for him?” Zara was giving the comical vibes to Ayesha and Ayesha was done with the subject, she was over it, thus she said, “Actually I feel, he’s like a stealthy shadow, a fan of silence. He never speaks up, never engages with others, and seems to have a sense of sadistic streak since day one, not a peep, not a sound, quite the mysterious character.”

“Yeah, it’s probably for the best if he remains just quite till the end of last semester.”

Ayesha raised an eyebrow as she didn’t understand what she meant.

Zara started to explain, “Casually checking out how good looking he is, Picture this: if he was a bit of smooth talker, with the fondness of flirtation, girls would be head over heels for him. And these young ladies would undoubtedly succumb to his charm with utmost ease.” Zara was such a mood.

She was always one to fearlessly speak her mind, sometimes without much thought or consideration. She was the star of her class, the topper, an active student, and quite the blunt force. Moreover, she was a genius, and interestingly, her occasional mistakes or flaws often went unnoticed by others.

No one can predict when a genius will do something silly, but only the genius themselves know. So only she truly knew when her brilliance took a backseat. And she was fully aware of her quirks and embraced them with confidence. She was unique, one of her kind.

“He is not exactly a visually appealing person, to be honest.” Ayesha gave her opinion.

“You don’t give a hoot about appearances and we have always seen him acting all high and mighty, but if you look at a different angle, you might have a whole new perspective. But what can I say when my very own friend is like a blast from the past, and what can I say about your beliefs, a girl straight outta the 19th century, how on earth did you ended up here.”

“Because I am a time travelling Victorian lady.” Ayesha played along.

“Hey lady, tell me about your adventures”

“The adventures I’ve had! From dodging corsets to outsmarting time paradoxes, it’s been quite jolly good time.” They were each other’s good friend for a reason.

And just like that, they shifted gears and the subject of their casual chat took a delightful turn.

Ayesha busted into laughter, “It won’t be wrong if I say I know all your nerves and which one to stretch to get a rise out of you.”

“Lay off the button pushing.”

Zara presented a grateful bow, “Score!”

“Look, I had a feeling you are definitely not my buddy”

“Fine. Make me your villain" Zara exclaimed with an air of theatricality. This line was from a netflix series that Ayesha had been practically bugging Zara to watch, but Zara had been postponing for ages. In her view, if the initial scene of a series failed to captivate and entice her to continue watching, so was her view of the same series as well, it was not worth her while. However, after enduring two months of Ayesha persistently asking, "Have you seen Shadow and Bone?" Zara had gone weary. Just to be able to chat about it with her bestie, she finally caved in and started watching it last weekend, and she ended up binge-watching both seasons in one fell swoop.

“Have you seen the second season of Shadow and Bone?” Ayesha asked pleasantly flabbergasted.

“Of course. How could I deny you, Miss. Alina Starkov? Your request holds an undeniable power over me” She was totally immersed in the character.

“Hahaha. Quit your funny business, such a silly goose! I have had enough of you” She paused and then asked so what do you say about darkling?”

“Oh well, look, how deceiving but how charming.”

“To be honest, going against my grains about looks, he indeed is charming and I just love the character portrayed by Ben Barnes.”

“Call him Darkling.” Zara insisted.

“Okay, so Black heretic was indeed charming.” She took the other name of the character instead of what Zara proposed. Just by then they have reached the main gate, so they were parted. “Alright. Allah Hafiz” “Abu is here, will see you then tomorrow”.

“Allah Hafiz” replied Zara going towards his brother’s car, and they had zero idea that Abdul Hadi was lurking just a stone's throw away, and who knows if he caught wind of their chitchat!

“How's Ayesha?” inquired Abrar, Zara's older brother who recently returned from Germany after graduating in Engineering.

“She's doing great, and you know what? I totally killed it in class today,” Zara replied with excitement.

“Oh, she’s your BFF, right?” Abrar asked, shifting the focus away from Zara’s self-praise.

“Yeah, she is, and you know that.” responded Zara with a great focus on each word.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I wanna know why though?”

“I don't have a specific reason. Our vibes matched, and we became really tight friends.”

“No, I actually wanna know what qualities of hers did you spot when you were becoming pals or what do you fancy about her.”

“And why do you pose such inquiries, like you got an interest in her and wanna propose, huh?" she blurted out, her words flowing smooth until she stopped realizing her slip-up.

“Oh my stars, why didn't I think of that. Do you like her? Are you seriously into her, like romantically?” She was astonished and very keen to know the reason of Abrar asking those questions.

He could only offer a smile and gaze ahead through the window. “You're a real piece of work, you know that. Nobody should have a sister like you,” he intended to provoke her, “What do you mean?” and was successful.

“Look at you, if someone else was in your shoes, I'd be off the market by now.”

“I ain't here to provide you any services, and if you want any in the future, you better be paying up.”

“I see. So, what's the price tag then?” he asked, being curious.

“Maybe some late-night escapades; joyrides you know, and including in ice-cream” she suggested.

“That sounds like a fair deal” he chuckled, finding' it amusing.

“I can't believe it! My tight-fisted brother actually agreed to my demands for the girl he fancies!”

“When did I said such words?” as much as he wanted to avoid the conversation Zara kept jumping on it.

“You would have never consented to the arrangement.”

“I am not that miserly.” he defended himself.

“Indeed, it's remarkable how a woman can metamorphose one's life.” she added more to fun.

“No one has undergone any transformation. Now, kindly refrain from speaking about me in her presence. It would be unseemly. I will handle the situation independently.” he shifted the direction towards some seriousness.

“You've already planned everything ahead. Frankly, I will be the happiest person to see both of you together, however, I have no inkling of how she will react. She is not an ordinary woman. But she is also not very ambitious, she is a simple girl but very sensitive and although she never divulges her ideals so I am not well acquainted with them about her ideal, but here is the thing that I precisely know what you should avoid doing.” she cautioned.

“Such as?”

“Such as initiating communication with her via text messages.”, she warned.

“I had no intention of doing so. She appears to be exceptional, which is why I am considering her.”

“Are you implying that you have taken an interest in her, looks like a very serious one?” she teased, giving him a playful glance. He simply glanced at her back, and she burst into laughter for a moment and then asked, “So, what is your plan?”

“I am thinking to ask Ami to visit their family and present my proposal to them, decently.”

“Does she know that too? Am I the one who is very late in knowing what is happening in my only brother’s life?”

“No my dearest sister, how can you think about it. She doesn’t know anything. Actually, No one. I happened to be thinking about my personal life and that I should start my own family and I have always seen you taking her name so frequently, so I wanted to know her a little bit more through you, since she is your friend.”

“Like a medium?” She acted as if she was astonished while she still was only in her teasing mood.

“Yes, how intelligent you are to guess it right.”

“So of you! Well if that is the case, I think I should talk to her first and try to figure out the next step.”

“And you promise that you will not blow up this and create a mess for me?”

“Of course, I will! that is what little sisters do to their brothers.”

Abrar showed his specific look which Zara ignored as if she has not seen him.

The first blob of water touched his face, he stopped in the middle of the road. It was night, and as usual he went for jogging. But that raindrop had gotten him into deep thinking. For others rain refreshes them, but it caused a turmoil in him. He closed his eyes, and kept his face towards sky. His thoughts have gotten wings to find someone, who lived there above skies. His thoughts were about the signs that he was recently noticing and he was confused whether they will take him to the right path? which was only meant for him or he was running for a mirage. He knew he was selfish, and he has burnt all his ships, and has closed all doors to that path, deciding that there will never be a turning back.

He took out his cellphone, “I am in pain, I have done everything that I could do. Why can’t you see it?”

The message was sent on a WhatsApp number, but it wasn’t delivered like hundreds of previous texts. It was obvious that he was watering the dead flower. He put it back in his pocket, corrected his cap and started the jogging again.