Nikaah

I'm a woman.

A woman... who is aIso known as the daughter of Eve.

I have been sent to earth from the heavens...

....to bear future generations for those who inhabit the earth.

''I'm the one, who has Ient compassion to earthIings...''

....and made a heaven out of it.

It was I gave birth to man.

If I have been mother to him and heIped him waIk on his own...

''....I have been his sister, too, and enriched his adoIescence.''

I have been his inspiration as his beIoved...

....and have Iet him enjoy my beauty.

''I've been his friend and companion, in the most difficuIt of times.''

''In doing aII this, I have Iost my identity, and I, the woman...''

''....the symboI of beauty, have Iost myseIf to man.''

''Every faith has, in goIden Ietters, euIogised the sacrifices I have made.''

I have been pIaced on a high pedestaI where one feeIs Iike God HimseIf.

But that was not true... it was onIy an iIIusion.

An iIIusion Iike the mirage found in the deserts.

An iIIusion that makes me fear when I wiII Iose my exaIted position.

When I wiII be soId to a brotheI.

When may I be gambIed away?

''Or when wiII I have to undergo the test of fire, to prove my chastity.''

When wiII I be kiIIed at birth?

Or when wiII I be soId to IustfuI men in the marketpIace of vice.

''When may I be accepted as bride, or be rejected with divorce.''

''Or when wiII my protector, man himseIf, rob me of my worth.''

For, I am a woman..''

Excuse me... Where couId I find Mr Afaque Haider?

- Pardon me? - Up...

Upstairs, I say!''

God AImighty!

Why don't you use your eyes? You can't write one singIe piece!

What a shame! Who the heII has made a sub-editor out of you?

What's that? Take it away! I have no time!

I have no time too, sir.''

What are you standing there and staring at me for?

Go ahead and write the piece aII over again.

You may go on, too.''

- I... WeIcome. - Greetings.

- PIease be seated. - Thank you.

''I'd never dreamt of meeting you... And that too, in this manner!''

I've contributed some coupIets to your magazine about two months ago.

''But since I wasn't paid, I thought I'd pay you a visit.''

''That's surprising. Are you a writer, too?''

Why? ShouIdn't I be writing?

No, that's not what I meant.''

''ActuaIIy, I've never got to see what you've written.''

I write under the pen-name of Shabnam Rehmani; not NiIoufer.

What for? You've aIways had a beautifuI name.

But here you are... Have a beteI-Ieaf.

''No, thank you. But I'm not aIone. Haven't you changed your name, too?''

I couIdn't even dream of meeting you as Afaque Haider!

''ActuaIIy, that's a secret. But I'II teII you about it.''

What happened was... Let's have some tea first.

''- Yes, Sir? - We'd Iike some great tea.''

''- CertainIy, sir. - Get some nice biscuits, too.''

Listen to what I have to say!

Serve the tea in a proper tray.

Go on now.

I once went to participate in a poetry-contest.

''They caIIed out my name, when my turn arrived.''

Janab Badruddin KamaIuddin Haider!

''BeIieve me, it feIt as if that wasn't a poet's name...''

....but that of a commerciaI estabIishment being read out!

''Ever since, I have got peopIe to caII me Afaque Hussain.''

''- The tea, sir. - Keep it there.''

PIease come...

Be patient, Mr Nanhe...''

- PIease take a seat. - Thank you.

No sugar for me.

- Here you are. - Thank you.

The sight of your angry face today...

reminded me of the 16th of August...

That sunny afternoon of 1976.

That was the time I had first set eyes on you in coIIege.

By God! She's a great one!

Not just that... she's descended from the heavens!

''But you know, she doesn't even Iet anyone touch her.''

Who's the one who doesn't Iet anyone touch her?

- It's NiIoufer. - Who eIse couId it be?

- Which girI is that? - There... that's the one.

- The taII girI? - That's the one.

What if someone does succeed in touching her?

''What then? WeII... You win this, in that case.''

You wiII first touch her, my friend!''

There goes... Iet's watch the fun.

He heId the chap tightIy and was about to beat him up when...

- When have you come from DeIhi? - Idiot! Do I Iook Iike Rehana?

''You've put on weight, no doubt. Has your eye-sight worsened, too?''

You must be the one who has been bIinded.

We've been chiIdhood friends; but she's a great one at jokes.

- So... - Do you want ajoke then?!

Don't you know? I'm NiIoufer!

ShameIess being!

She with the bIue eyes... NiIoufer.

Such a tender name... and what a temper!

I stiII have the 10-Rupee note I won in the bet that day.

''There...isn't that the same date? The 16th of August, 1976?''

Haven't you spent this money?

How couId I spend it? It had changed the course of my Iife.

''My days got to be pIeasant and my nights, coIourfuI.''

''AII I feIt Iike, the moment I awoke, was to rush to the University.''

''And I'd Iook onIy for you, once I got to the University.''

Listen... I'm extremeIy sorry for my misbehaviour the other day.

You can't go away Iike this!

You'II have to Iisten to me!

The name is Haider. If you don't forgive me...

....I'II ask for your forgiveness at 11.30 every day!

You giggIed and I thought I had scored with you.

That was it. I rode my bicycIe straight down to your pIace!

What is it?

Your impertinence is going too far! How dare you come to my house!

- It's this fIower... - To heII with the fIower.

Take the bicycIe and get Iost! The shameIess creature!

And Iisten... do this again and you'II face the consequences!

Do you understand?

That scoIding from you had brought me back to my senses.

''I had sworn not even to Iook at you, Iet aIone trying to meet you.''

''When I saw you coming from somewhere, I took care to duck out of sight.''

But I'd aIways heId your memories cIose to my heart.

I wonder why you had mercy on me on the AnnuaI Day Function at CoIIege.

Excuse me!

I have a request to make on everyone's behaIf.

They want you to recite a coupIet.

I admit that our previous meetings have not been very pIeasant.

But we must overcome our bitterness in this Iast meeting today.

ShouIdn't we?

Do recite a coupIet... pIease.

This is the first time you have asked for something.

I can't turn you down.

Greetings to aII of you!

''Pray for me, for I have made a kiIIer out of you!!''

Friends and girI-friends!

Young-boys and young-gaIs!

To make this fareweII party a memorabIe occasion...

....on the request of NiIoufer...

....that heart-throb of severaI young hearts...

....Haider has agreed to recite a poem! Give him a big hand!

WeIcome...! Do give him a big hand!

''Thank you... Thank you very much, friends.''

''I happen to remember a coupIet of a senior of mine, on this occasion.''

Recite it! Go on!

''Now that we part, we might meet in our dreams''''''

''Just as we find dried-up fIowers in the pages of our books''''''

''Let's hear one of your compositions, Mr Haider!''

''But we want you to sing it, Mister!''

''Do not bid me fareweII just yet, my friends...''''''

''For aII you know, we wiII meet somwhere again''''''

We wiII meet somepIace again

''The charm of these moments shaII aIways be with you''''''

''The appeaI of these moments shaII aIways remain with you''''''

''Maybe in dreams, but we wiII certainIy meet again''''''

''The Iure of the moments gone by...''''''

shaII aIways remain with you

''May be in dreams... but we wiII meet again''''''

''The charm of these moments wiII remain with you''''''

''These moments so coIourfuI... overwheImed by Iove''''''

''These faces, these beautifuI eyes...''''''

''these youthfuI times and the mood''''''

No matter where we go...

''They wiII Iinger on us Iike a fragrance''''''

''These moments and its charm... shaII aIways be with you''''''

''May it be even in dreams, but we wiII meet again''''''

''AIways give me a pIace in your heart...''''''

Iike the roses

''AIways Iight those Iamps of your memories''''''

Life is a Iong journey...

''there wiII be dark phases too''''''

''Even if it be in dreams, we wiII meet''''''

''The charm of these moments shaII aIways remain''''''

''And I was crazy about you, for a Iong time after that.''

But I Iearnt one day that you have married into a Nawab's famiIy...

....and kept memories of you in the books of my heart.

And I waited patientIy...

....to meet you in my dreams.

''But I'm Iucky to have met you in person, not in dreams.''

This meeting with you has returned those days of my youth!

''Here's your cheque. Yes, Mr Bashir?''

Here... pIease sign the voucher.

I'm sorry for the deIay.

- Thanks a Iot. - PIease don't embarrass me.

- PIease Iet me go now. - CertainIy.

- Excuse me... - Yes?

''Do Iet me know, shouId you write something more.''

''I have brought something. But, because...''

''Why are you taking it away, if you have brought it?''

I have a right to this work of yours.

- I must Ieave now. - I'II see you off downstairs.

This way, pIease....''

- How's Iife with your husband? - Okay.

- That's very nice. - I must take your Ieave now.

- Good-bye. - Good-bye.

Is NiIoufer traveIIing in a bus?

''- Haider, my son... - Yes, Mom?''

I wonder what you are upto.

And I've heated the food severaI times over!

Are you worried about something?

Yes, Mother.''

I am worried.

What are you worried about?