#Sehmat Syed

[kabhi-haath-pakad-k-tu-mera]

Familiar

A Raazi Fanfiction

Samar was Iqbal's splitting image. Sehmat couldn't help feeling overwhelmed any more than she could help a painful trip down the memory lane.

He had been Iqbal’s spitting image since the day he was born. His every feature matched that of his father, and as Sehmat held him, she could not help but feel overwhelmed. 

The infant’s wide eyes were strikingly like Iqbal’s, looking at her in wonder, his little hands reaching for her—giving her a familiar sense of calm while also making her heart give a painful throb. It had not sunk in completely, not yet—She was his mother, Iqbal his father. She wondered for a second how he’d have felt if he had known.

 The little one was still looking at her, still trying to reach for her, and then, the most random thought crossed her mind. When had she last met Iqbal’s eyes? And then, For the first time since the last seven months, her mind went to the one moment she had locked away in the back of her mind. She exhaled sharply, averting her gaze from her son’s deep brown eyes. 

She did not want to think about it. Not now, not ever. It would haunt her for the rest of her life, how these familiar pools of brown had searched her own, how his eyes had exhibited the betrayal he had so clearly felt. She didn’t know how she would ever be able to look into her son’s eyes without seeing Iqbal, his accusing gaze upon her, asking her, “Was any of it true, Sehmat?"

[livinthefandommlife]

Raazi

I caught the movie Raazi a month ago and have not been able to get over it since.

Does anyone here know where or who I can go to for fanfics based on the movie? Especially AU ones if possible? Ya girl needs to cope. Send some help this way in the form of suggestions please.

❤

[atrashcanraccoon]

WATCHED RAAZI FOR THE FIRST TIME LIKE 5 MINS BACK

bro

i'm telling you bro

vicky kaushal as iqbal syed bhaiiiiii

I FUCKING MELTED OKAY LIKE FIRST THOUGHTS ARE LITERALLY LIKE HOW MUCH I AM ABSOLUTELY INVESTED IN IQBAL LIKE SIRRRRR I'M IN LOVE W YOU

sehmat janeman only- alia was fucking amazing. that scream after abdul's accident is resonating in my head. i wanna protect her so bad.

ALSO iqbal i'm in love w you, i get that you're no longer, yk, here, but feel free to mohabbat kar-ify me right back bc holy shit by the gods the CHOKEHOLD THAT MAN HAS ON ME-

vaise bhi real bisexual heartbreak was when vicky-katrina got married. wdym upar se yeh bhi dekhna padray????

[amongxylophonesandglockenspiels]

Bollywood Movies Part CLXXIV

Ratan Singh (Shahid Kapoor), king of Mewar, goes to Sinhala where he falls in love with Padmavati (Deepika Padukone) and marries her. Meanwhile, Alauddin Khilji (Ranveer Singh) ascends the throne of the Delhi Sultanate by murdering his uncle and father-in-law Jalaluddin Khilji (Raza Murad). When Alauddin hears of Padmavati’s beauty, he lays siege to Mewar’s capital Chittor to claim her.

TW for movie: ritual mass suicide. For a film that had so much controversy surrounding it, Padmaavat is surprisingly boring. Shahid Kapoor and Deepika Padukone have no chemistry. Many of Ratan Singh’s and Padmavati’s dialogues are very preachy. The dying at the end takes entirely too long. However, Ranveer Singh is fantastic in his villainous role, as is Jim Sarbh as Alauddin’s eunuch general Malik Kafur. Favorite songs are Khalibali and Ek Dil Ek Jaan. Neither song has subtitles.

Naina Mathur (Rani Mukerji), a teacher with Tourette’s , gets her first job teaching the students of 9F at her former school St. Notker’s. The students of 9F are from the local municipal school that was dismantled due to its lease being up. Naina must work to gain their trust and figure out how to engage their interest in the material, as her job hinges on the class passing their final exams.

Hichki is about a teacher using her life experience to help her students. The movie is very predictable, but is still good despite this. Rani Mukerji does wonderfully in her role, but the students are the highlight of the film from gambling Ravinder (Swaraj Kumar) and rapping Ashwin (Benjamin Yangal) to okra obsessed Tamanna (Poorti Jai Agarwal) and rat toting Tara (Riya Shukla.) Harsh Mayar is spectacular as Aatish who lashes out against their new teacher due to his trust issues. Neeraj Kabi is good as Naina’s foil Mr. Wadia, the teacher of 9A. Favorite songs are Madamji Go Easy and Khol De Par.

Sehmat (Alia Bhatt) follows in her father’s (Rajat Kapur) footsteps as a spy for India when she learns he is dying from lung cancer. After a crash course in spying, she is married to Iqbal Syed (Vicky Kaushal), the son of a Brigadier General (Shishir Sharma). Even though her position is precarious, Sehmat works hard to infiltrate the household and find information for India.

Raazi is a fascinating spy story that shows the intricacies of espionage and also shows the consequences. Based on the novel Calling Sehmat by Harinder Sikka, itself based on the account of an actual spy in the early ‘70s, Raazi does not shy away from showing how complicated living such a double life can become. It is nuanced and makes the all the characters sympathetic. Alia Bhatt performs admirably as Sehmat and Vicky Kaushal is also quite good in his role. Favorite song are Raazi and Ae Watan. Neither song has subtitles.

[webseries99]

Raazi

A Kashmiri woman agrees to marry a Pakistani army officer in order to spy on Pakistan during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971.

Hidayat Khan is the son of an Indian freedom fighter and agent posing as an informant for the Pakistani government. He wishes to make his 20-year-old daughter Sehmat an agent and continue the family tradition of being in service to the country. Sehmat leaves college. She is hastily trained by senior RAW officer Khalid Mir. Her father uses his friendship with Brigadier Syed of the Pakistan Army to get Sehmat married to his son, Iqbal Syed, a military officer. Sehmat quickly settles into her married life, she falls in love with Iqbal. But everything starts to complicated.

The post Raazi appeared first on Download Web Series.

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[shakeel786blog]

Raazi Review – Bollywood Hungama

In the past few years, Bollywood has churned out some very exciting spy films like AGENT VINOD [2012], PHANTOM [2015], BABY [2015], BANG BANG [2014], EK THA TIGER [2012], TIGER ZINDA HAI [2017], D-DAY [2013] etc. Most of these films also had the role of a female spy who looked like she meant business and would easily kick ass. Katrina Kaif’s portrayal in the TIGER series is the most apt example. But imagine a spy who’s completely feminine replete with long, flowy hair and salwar kurtas et al. Anil Sharma did slightly touch upon this aspect in 2003 with his biggie THE HERO: LOVE STORY OF A SPY. Now Meghna Gulzar attempts to make a complete film on this aspect with RAAZI. So does it manage to engross viewers like the other spy films? Or does it fail in its endeavour? Let’s analyse.

RAAZI is the story of a young girl from India sent to Pakistan as an undercover agent. The year is 1971. Pakistan is all set to make a surprise attack on India and the Indian intelligence is trying it’s best to get the details. Hidayat (Rajit Kapur) lives in Srinagar and travels to Pakistan for business. He is a part of the Indian intelligence but has convinced Pakistani Brigadier Syed (Shishir Sharma) that he works for them. Hidayat is terminally ill and he asks Syed if he can get his daughter Sehmat (Alia Bhatt) married to Syed’s younger son Iqbal (Vicky Kaushal). Syed agrees and surprisingly, Sehmat also gives her nod. Sehmat is obviously being married to Iqbal to spy in the house of Syeds and she gets adequate training from Khalid Mir (Jaideep Ahlawat) from Indian intelligence. Sehmat gets married and she gradually gets attached to Iqbal, who gives her the space and doesn’t force himself on her. Meanwhile Sehmat begins her surveillance and finds out crucial information regarding naval attacks planned by Pakistan against India. However the challenges faced by Sehmat are immense and one wrong move can prove fatal for her. What happens next forms the rest of the story.

RAAZI is based on Harinder S Sikka’s novel ‘Calling Sehmat’. The story is novel and stands out from the rest of the spy films as the lead character goes to any lengths, morals be damned. And this bit comes across very nicely. Bhavani Iyer and Meghna Gulzar’s screenplay is a mixed bag. In most scenes, it’s simplistic and engrossing.

RAAZI doesn’t commence on a high note but grips viewers well. The characters are well established and Sehmat agreeing for the dangerous mission could have come across as not so believable. But thankfully that doesn’t happen. Her training sequence is interesting but the film gets better once she moves to Pakistan. Though the film drops for a while, it picks up brilliantly in the intermission point when Sehmat drives the jeep. Arguably it’s the best part of the film. Post interval, the film has some engaging moments but at the same time, the film begins to slow down. There should have been a more gripping cat and mouse chase game but that never really happens. The manner in which Sehmat is able to escape suspicion most of the times is very unconvincing. The finale however makes up for the minuses to an extent. Some of the scenes however gets complicated. For instance, some of the details provided by Khalid during Sehmat’s training is difficult to process as it is presented too quickly. Also the interest drops in some scenes. Meghna Gulzar’s dialogues are simple and neat and are very craftily written. Meghna Gulzar’s direction is impressive. Despite the content being niche, she tries to tell the story in a commercial format. She does falter at places but overall, manages to do justice to the plot.

Alia Bhatt delivers a powerhouse performance and this is surely one of her most accomplished works. Her character is living a double life and she brings out this aspect very nicely. In the emotional and breakdown sequences, she shines! Vicky Kaushal has a limited screen time but he leaves a mark. His character is sure to be loved. Rajit Kapur is quite endearing. Jaideep Ahlawat is very good. This talented actor deserves to be seen more in movies. Shishir Sharma is quite dependable. Notice how endearing he looks when he’s interacting with Sehmat but transforms in another avatar altogether when he’s talking business. Amruta Khanvilkar (Munira) is lovely. Arif Zakaria (Abdul) plays a dynamic role with panache. Ashwath Bhatt (Mehboob) has a small role but is effective. Soni Razdan (Teji) is okay. Other actors do a good job.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music is melodious but won’t be remembered, except for ‘Ae Watan’. The song has an anthem like feel and can get a longer shelf life if it’s played during Independence and Republic Day celebrations in the country. The title track gets noticed while ‘Dilbaro’ is completely relegated to the background.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Tubby’s background score is quite exhilarating. Jay I Patel’s cinematography works big time. The exterior shots of Kashmir are simply breathtaking. Nitin Baid’s editing is nice but should have been more razor sharp. Subrata Chakraborty and Amit Ray’s production design is very authentic. Maxima Basu Golani’s costumes are appealing. Harpal Singh’s action is subtle and not very detailed.

On the whole, RAAZI is an interesting thriller brilliantly narrated by Meghna Gulzar that makes for mature viewing. It is a film that celebrates nationalism that is devoid of the colors of religion. At the box office, it has the potential to grow with positive word of mouth and keep its makers happy.

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[kabhi-haath-pakad-k-tu-mera]

Khwahish

A Raazi Fanfiction.

 Hidayat’s heart broke into a million pieces every time he looked at her now. Her radiant demeanor had turned sombre. She had changed dramatically, and he was responsible.

“देख रहा था–जो सुस्थिर हो

नहीं बैठती थी क्षण भर,

हाय! वही चुपचाप पड़ी थी

अटल शांति सी धारण कर।”

~सियारामशरण गुप्त, एक फूल की चाह

Translation :

“I watched–she who remained still

Not even for a moment,

Oh! She was lying quietly

With an air of uncanny silence around her.”

~Siyaramsharan Gupt, Ek phool ki chah (A wish for a flower)

~~~~~~~

Hidayat’s heart broke into a million pieces every time he looked at her now. Her radiant demeanor had turned sombre. She had changed dramatically, and he was resposible. 

She was not the Sehmat who used to smile brightly at butterflies fluttering in the garden anymore, the Sehmat who used to grin cheekily while asking her mother for loquat, the Sehmat who was optimistic always. You could practically feel it.

 She was now the Sehmat who had been forced into war, the Sehmat who was pondering death, the Sehmat who had undergone training as a spy. 

She was not the same Sehmat whose presence was made known to every corner of the house anymore, the one who was always onto a task with a vigour and a bright smile—She had now turned into the Sehmat who was facing a near impossible, more than dangerous and trying task, all because of her love for her country. Love for her country, which was a part of their family’s legacy.  

Hidayat the patriot was proud, but Hidayat the father was scared. More than anything, he was saddened. It was harsh to be sending his daughter—his only child, his Sehmat—straight into the heart of danger. The guilt was heart wrenching—another stab to his already wounded conscience.

 He sorely wished he had consulted Teji before making his decision, but impulsiveness was his fatal flaw—his father had told him so. He acted before thinking. He remembered his Abbu warning him several times against this trait of his. 

Hidaya sighed. He wished he had been wiser. He wished he hadn't imparted such altruism into her. He wished he had been a better father. He wished she’d smile again. He wished he could turn back time, for he had turned his radiant daughter sombre, and he’d give anything to be able to undo it.

[bookmyshowtickets]

How Excited Are You For Alia Bhatt's Next - Raazi?

Who's excited for Alia Bhatt's next film Raazi? Of course, a whole lot of you are. After seeing the kind of movies the actress has been part of so far - Highway, Udta Punjab and so many others, we can't wait to see what she has in store for us this year.

Alia's next film - Raazi will be her first project in the year 2018. The actress will be playing the role of an Indian spy in this film directed by Meghna Gulzar. The story of the film revolves around a woman named Sehmat who marries a Pakistani man in 1971 with the intention of sourcing out information from Pakistan. Sehmat's father Hidayat (Rajit Kapur) urges his young daughter to become a spy for their country. Soon, Sehmat marries a Pakistani Military officer Iqbal Syed (Vicky Kaushal) and moves to live in Pakistan with her in-laws and husband. Here, she goes on passing information to her home country. But, will she succeed in her mission or will be fail? Will she be able to accomplish her mission without affecting the relationship she has with her husband - Iqbal? Find out soon in theatres near you.

Produced by Karan Johar, Hiroo Johar, Apoorva Mehta, and Vineet Jain and co-produced by Priti Shahani, Raazi  will see love and patriotism put to the test.

Alia Bhatt in this film's trailer looks intense and impressive. As a spy and a wife, Alia's character definitely will go through an emotional turmoil but how she will handle the turmoil is something to look forward to. Alia is also seen training to be a spy in the trailer. Alia's co-star Vicky Kaushal who is know for the film Masaan (2015) looks to be in his elements and this maybe one of his best roles in the recent times. The chemistry between the lead pair is really something to watch out for.

Director Meghna Gulzar, the daughter of the legendary lyricist, novelist and director Gulzar will be looking for another hit after her last film Talvar (2015) starring Irrfan Khan and Konkana Sen Sharma. The title track has been sung by Arijit Singh whereas the song Dilbaro has been sung by Harshdeep Kaur, Vibha Saraf and Shankar Mahadevan. The lyrics of the Dilbaro song are written by Gulzar.

Interestingly, Raazi is based on the book 'Calling Sehmat' written by Harinder Sikka and the film is based on the backdrop of the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971. Slated to release on 11th of May, 2018, the expectations are surely sky high for this movie with what seems to be a brilliant plot and a great cast and crew. The final verdict on the film will however be given by the audience when the film hits the big screen. Till then let's wait and watch!

[affablealia]

Hmm, great spy wife.

[lazyupdates]

The 1971 war serves as the backdrop of this spy thriller. Tempers are high on both sides. The Indians are covertly training and supplying arms to the Mukti Bahini which is struggling to turn East Pakistan into Bangladesh. Pakistan naturally doesn’t want this to happen and is hatching up secret plans of its own, preparing for a full scale war with India. Alia Bhatt plays a Kashmiri girl Sehmat, who gets married to a Pakistani army officer Iqbal Syed (Vicky Kaushal) at the insistence of her father Hidayat (Rajit Kapur), a double agent whose loyalties lie with India. Iqbal is the son of Brigadier Syed (Shishir Sharma), a high ranking army officer, who also happens to be Hidayat’s handler in Pakistan. Hidayat is dying of cancer and wants his daughter to take his place. Khalid Mir (Jaideep Ahlawat), a veteran Indian intelligence officer, teaches Sehmat the tricks of the spy trade before she’s married off. In Pakistan, she doesn’t have any direct contact with Indian authorities and has to rely on her wits and ingenuity to get the job done. How she sets about it and what sacrifices she has to make forms the crux of the film…

The writing is spot on. From the first frame to the last, the film is filled with enough twists and turns to make Alfred Hitchcock proud. And thankfully, jingoism has been avoided. There is no Pakistan bashing or India bashing in the film. Both sides go about their jobs as professionals, believing in their respective cause. The film could easily have delved into melodrama but that has been avoided as well. And thankfully Alia isn’t made out to be some kind of lady James Bond. She gets both shaken and stirred and it’s her fragility that makes the drama more compelling.

The first part of the film, where we see her initiation into spycraft and deals with her training makes for interesting viewing. She moves around like a young colt, unsure of her moves, getting startled by every new thing but slowly finding her pace and rhythm and winning the grudging respect of her teachers. The second part sees her using those teachings, out-thinking her opponents in hostile territory. She goes around with a smile on her face, doing everything a new bahu is supposed to do while plotting all the time. Anyone is bound to crack leading such a life and the film’s most believable moments happen when she cries in the shower or when she breaks down completely towards the end, wanting an out from her horrible double life.

Alia is the soul of the film. You can feel the strain she undergoes of being a field agent, laying aside all humane feelings and knowing well she may have to pay the ultimate sacrifice. Her reaction shots while inside the Brigadier’s household are breathtaking indeed. You clap when her patriotism come to the fore, when she points out that all that matters to her is serving her country

Vicky Kaushal too rises to the occasion as a gentleman who loves her with a quiet dignity. The love doesn’t waver even when he reports her betrayal. The duo make for a nice couple and do share a certain chemistry and you actually feel bad for him because of that. Jaideep Ahlawat as the icy covert operative is effective and so is Shishir Sharma as the Pakistani general who loves his family, dotes on his new Indian daughter-in-law but hates her country. The rest of the ensemble cast too have done their jobs well.

Care has been taken making the film’s as authentic as possible. Production design and costume design are to the point and the use of vintage cars and stock footage adds to the film. It’s been shot and edited well and doesn’t actually sets a foot wrong overall.

It won’t be wrong to say that it’s one of the most fiercely patriotic films you’ll ever see. That a female star holds centre stage makes for a welcome change. Alia Bhatt’s histrionics alone are worth the price of the ticket.

[blogging4myself]

Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal played a game of reference to context and the result was hilarious – watch exclusive video!

Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal‘s Raazi is just around the corner and we are quite excited to watch the movie. The period thriller sees Alia play an Indian spy married to a Pakistani army officer. But before the film’s release, we decided to play a small and interesting game with the duo. We spied on Alia and Vicky’s lives and presented them with four audio clips each. We then challenged them to identify their own surprising statements by just listening to parts of the audio and boy, oh boy! What followed is something you cannot miss out on!

Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal took up the challenge and while they laughed at their own statements and even found it difficult to identify them, they aced this guessing game quite well. We made the stars hear the statements they made at press conferences, movie promotional events, movies, short films, award shows and interviews. Alia and Vicky identified some of the clips instantly, while for some them, they took a while. Vicky even gave one incorrect answer initially, but rectified it quickly. However, Alia was the one who got all the answers bang on! Clearly, she has a fantastic memory. Check out our exclusive game segment with the Raazi stars in the video above and share with us your thoughts in the comments section below! (ALSO READ – Exclusive! Vicky Kaushal is confused if Alia Bhatt is still friends with Katrina Kaif – watch video)

Directed by Meghna Gulzar, Raazi revolves around the life of Sehmat (Alia Bhatt) who gets married to a Pakistani Army officer – Iqbal Syed (Vicky Kaushal) so that she can spy on them and give critical information to the Indian army during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. Looking at the trailer, we feel Alia and Vicky will give their career best performances in the movie. So stay tuned to BollywoodLife as we get you all the dope and updates about Raazi right here.

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[mediabolnet-blog]

Watch Online Raazi Trailer 2018 Alia Bhatt Vicky Kaushal

New Post has been published on http://www.mediabol.net/watch-online-raazi-trailer-2018-alia-bhatt-vicky-kaushal/

Watch Online Raazi Trailer 2018 Alia Bhatt Vicky Kaushal

Watch Online Raazi Trailer 2018,Raazi Trailer 2018,indian film Raazi Trailer,Alia Bhatt movie Raazi,Watch the Official Trailer of ‘Raazi‘ starring Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal,Raazi is an upcoming Indian period thriller film directed by Meghna Gulzar and produced by Karan Johar.

Watch Online Raazi Trailer 2018

Raazi:

Raazi (English: Agree) is an upcoming Indian period thriller film directed by Meghna Gulzar and produced by Vineet Jain, Karan Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar and Apoorva Mehta under the banner of Dharma Productions. It features Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal in lead.The film is an adaptation of Harinder Sikka’s novel Calling Sehmat, about an Indian spy married to a Pakistani man during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.

Cast:

Alia Bhatt as Sehmat

Vicky Kaushal as Iqbal

Rajit Kapoor as Hidayat

Shishir Sharma as Brigadier Syed

Jaideep Ahlawat as Khalid Mir

Alia Bhatt as Sehmat

Watch Online Raazi Trailer

[kabhi-haath-pakad-k-tu-mera]

A Masterlist of all my Raazi fics

Raazi Canon Fics :

1. Familiar

2. Khwahish

3. Acquaint

4. The Diary of Iqbal Syed (in progress)

5. Saheli

6. Embrace

7. Nishkarsh 

Raazi AU Fics :

1. Samar

2. If The Stars Align In Our Favour (in progress)

3. Blood and Tears

[kabhi-haath-pakad-k-tu-mera]

If the Stars Align in Our Favour

Ch. 5 — The Result

“The path of life is twisted,

Fate, wickedly entwined,

Take hold of your intent,

The way ahead is clear.”

**********

The one day that Iqbal is home and rested long enough for her to broach the topic is right before they leave. It is, coincidentally, also a rare occasion wherein he is in bed before her. Not sleeping, no—because sleep is hard to come by in such times for everyone—but resting all the same. 

Sehmat steals covert glances at him through the mirror she is sitting before, brushing and tying up her hair with trembling fingers, though whether they are trembling due to the secret she is about to reveal or something else is anyone's guess.

She sets her comb down but does not get up, looking at the tired, worried, and wary woman in the mirror for a long minute. She lets out a soft sigh before getting up and making her way to the bed, pulling back the covers and settling under them as softly as possible so as to not disturb Iqbal, but once she is under the covers he shifts over and turns off the night-lamp beside their bed. She watches as he resumes his previous position, lying on the bed but not closing his eyes. He stares at the ceiling, deep in thought. She wishes she could read his mind. Everything would be so much easier if she could read his mind. She sighs again, turning her own eyes towards the ceiling, listening to the sound of silence—only the fan rotating on its axis and the voice of the nightlife. The cantonment is quieter than usual. Somewhere in it all is the quiet sound of Iqbal breathing—a reassuring sound, though she doesn't know if she would be able to hear it again after tonight. The thought builds a painful lump in her throat.

Iqbal breaks the unnerving silence softly. “Sehmat?” 

She turns to see him looking at her, concern and a question in his voice. 

“Yes?” she asks in an equally soft voice, not missing the involuntary tremor in it.

“Are you alright? You seem distressed.”

“Oh,” Sehmat breathes out, “yes I’m—” Words die in her throat. 

Yes I’m fine. It’s nothing. 

She could say this. She should say this. Except she’d be lying. And Iqbal would see through it.

“I …” she tries again, still wondering what to say. She pauses, turning towards the ceiling again. She can feel Iqbal’s eyes on her. He puts a comforting hand on her own, and she decides to go with the truth.

She takes in a deep breath and asks, voice carefully devoid of anything but curiosity, “What do you think of– of children?”

She feels his hand tighten on hers, feels him get up from his reclining position to look at her, and feels the careful deliberation in his voice as he answers, “They’re … alright, I suppose?” He pauses, and Sehmat sighs. “But …” he continues, voice even more careful than before, as if he were treading on eggshells, “... I had always hoped to have a family … and now that I—we are married …” he trails off, looking at Sehmat with an unreadable expression. She is still looking at the ceiling, watching the light from outside dancing on it. She swallows, picking at a stray strand of thread at the edge of her blanket. 

“Sehmat?” Iqbal says again, and the urgency in his voice compels her to finally look at him, worry, confusion, and what she thinks is hope, on his face.

“I have to tell you something,” she whispers, and Iqbal squeezes her hand softly. She entwines her fingers with his. “I’m pregnant.” 

Her heart is pounding as she whispers the last part of the word, eyes on Iqbal’s face trying to discern his reaction. It is not on either ends of the spectrum. There is a glimmer of happiness, yes, and his lips turn up in an awed smile, but more than that there is concern, and his eyes are searching hers. 

When a few moments of silence have passed and Iqbal’s initial shock has worn off, he asks, a hint of hesitation on his voice, “This is a good news … isn't it?” 

“Yes,” Sehmat says, a little surprised, “yes, of course.”

“Then why do you sound so worried?” he asks tenderly, drawing closer and brushing her cheek with his hand, “why do you look so scared?” 

Sehmat looks at him, more surprised than before, lips parted to speak but at a loss of words. He has caught her off guard. And in that moment she cannot help but say all that has been bothering her ever since they announced the war. 

“I am happy,” she says in a shaky voice, still looking at him, “but this is not the best time to have a child, is it?” She shuts her eyes, turning away. “You’re going off to fight. In a war.” 

Beside her she hears Iqbal sigh. 

“Who knows if– if you’ll even be–” she stops, unable to go on. She opens her eyes, leaning against the headboard, and looks at her hands instead of at him.

“Sehmat,” Iqbal sighs softly, drawing her against himself the way he always does to comfort her, her head leaning against his chest, listening to his beating heart, and his arms around her, giving her a sense of protection—however false it may be. 

"It's going to be okay," he says, pulling her closer, rubbing comforting circles on her skin, with surety neither of them can possibly have, but it serves to comfort her all the same. "I'll be back before you know it. And I'll be here to meet our child." 

She certainly hopes so.

**********

They go off to fight. 

She watches him approach the car from their bedroom window and her heart begins its descent to the pits of her stomach. It is barely dawn, the sky only now beginning to lighten, and the window pane pressed against her cheek is strikingly cold, but it helps in keeping away the waves of nausea which otherwise threaten to overpower her. 

Iqbal looks up towards her as if he had already known she was watching. It reminds her unnervingly of their wedding day. It hasn’t been too long since then, but that memory somehow feels as if it were of a different lifetime. He had known where to find her even then. They hold each other’s gaze for a moment, and Iqbal gives her a slight smile which she tries and fails to reciprocate. It is almost too much to take. Because this is it. This is war. This is war, and they are on opposite sides of it. There’s going to be a battle.  Her husband will be fighting in that battle. Iqbal might die. Countless others certainly will die—soldiers from her motherland and his. And however much she may want Iqbal to come back home, she wants her country to remain safe and sound more than anything. If she had been oblivious to the enormity of the situation before, she certainly isn’t now. The burden of the scene is beginning to settle around her like a blanket, one that is weighing her down unpleasantly.  

The world is grey, she decides, not black and white as she had once believed. She had been naive back then. There is no good side or bad side in war, there is your country, and your duty to your country. And that is what they’re all doing—serving a higher entity, a noble entity. Their countries. She had always known that she'd do anything, give up anything, for her country. And now she is. She doesn't regret her actions, no. Because regret and guilt are two separate emotions. The same way her duty and her conscience are separate. One always overpowers the other. No, Sehmat does not regret her actions, does not regret saving her country from being caught unawares, but watching her family members—because that is what they are. Family—climb into the vehicle does wrack her with guilt. If they were to get hurt or …  or die … 

He gets in and they set off. Her eyes stay on the vehicle until it is a tiny speck indiscernible from its surroundings, and she doesn't leave the window even after that—she hasn't got the strength, and there are too many things for her to brood about. 

**********

It is Munira bhabhi who pulls her out of her brooding. Well, her, and the investigating officers who come to the Syed house to investigate. It's a regular investigation they say, a part of the head-count they've been conducting while they're looking into the fire. It's been a week since the men have been gone. Sehamt does not miss the way their eyes stay on her suspiciously once they find out she is Indian by birth. 

It is again Munira bhabhi who takes charge. Protecting Sehmat fiercely and glaring the officers down into submission. And it works. It works, because they are a part of the Syed Family. Probably the most powerful army family in the cantonment. They leave them alone soon enough, or, at least, pretend to. Sehmat sees them looking from inconspicuous nooks and crannies, her own spy's eyes finding them with practiced ease, and gliding over them as if they weren't ever there with the same practiced ease. 

She doesn't go to Saadiq anymore, nor to Imtiaz to buy flowers. The first time that she had set foot in Sarvar's store has also been her last. She keeps up the pretences until the number of spies keeping track of her lessen, and only then does she dare step into her own shop—not that there is anything other than business to look forward to over there. She has had no contact with South for a month. It worries her.

**********

Two weeks since they've been gone later they hear news on the radio of Pakistan's aerial attacks on Indian Air fields. It's December the 4th. Sehmat's heart positively stops beating. 

**********

A day later they hear of Indian attack on the harbour, something she knows is because of her information. The destruction is huge, positively crippling. At least one thing she is sure of: Pakistan will not win this war. Not with their Navy and Air Force in this state: crippled crafts and fuel and ammunition that is burning up the sea. 

The civilian lives are in danger too. Munira bhabhi's family—her mother and father and her brother's wife and children—were hard to contact, but they're okay. For the time being, at least. The guilt she is feeling grows as she sees Munira's eyes shining.

**********

Four days later there is another attack—by India, on Pakistan—on the same Karachi harbour. The fire from the first one is still blazing. Shaken whispers around the cantonment tell of abandoned Naval plans and a PNS Ghazi. 

Sehmat notices the spies coming back, their eyes trained on her.

Perhaps, she thinks, it's time to visit Suraiya appa. 

**********

One week, or less, later, there is news when Sehmat comes down for breakfast. Not of a victory or of a defeat, but of the end of the war. Of an Instrument of Surrender. Of a country called Bangladesh (so they won. Relief like nothing floods her soul). Of soldiers taken as prisoners of war—not in the west, no, but in the east. Her heart goes cold anyway—she doesn't know where they are. However she—and Munira bhabhi, going by how pale she looks—prefer not having to think about that. 

They go to the Mosque to pray instead. Spies don't follow Sehmat anymore, not after Suriya appa's unconditional and strongly worded order to the chief of the investigating agency—who owed to her and Colonel Siddiqi his position—about how to treat the wives of officers gone to war. There is still nervousness in her as she steps out of the house and towards the Main market. The only respite she has is the Sarvar Store still being open—so they don't know—and of Imtiaz giving her a not unintentional look. 

She looks pregnant now—she has gained the weight. She still hasn't told her superiors. A frightening thought settles into her mind that she pushes away. She doesn't know if Sarvar or Imtiaz or Saadiq would convey this piece of information to Mir sahab. On one hand, it's the logical thing to do. On the other hand, they wouldn't know if this was ever the part of a plan. She herself had been planning on waiting until at some opportune moment, in some celebration or other, she had the chance to meet Kabir sahab, or, more easily, his wife Pallavi. What other way does she have, that is not suspicious? The phones don't take calls from India yet. They won't for a sufficiently long time.

**********

A month and half after they had left, the men come back. All three of them, each in one piece. They have scars—physical and mental ones—and they have a hardness behind their eyes. It is the humiliation of defeat and the unsettling truth of a battle. They don't look at her any differently though. They truly believe she is of here now. 

And they are happy—they had apparently already known when they had come back, she is told that Iqbal told them right before they entered the battlefield—for her and Iqbal. For the future that is to come. 

Iqbal is no less soft than before—she doesn't think she could see him in any other light, this side of him stands out so much—but he is less like himself. The same hardness behind his eyes too, though they soften considerably when they are trained on her. It makes her conscience heavy.

But her family is home now, and her Home—her country—is safe, and perhaps, perhaps, so is she. 

**********

Read Chapter 1

Read Chapter 2 

Read Chapter 3 

Read Chapter 4 

[kabhi-haath-pakad-k-tu-mera]

Samar

A Raazi Fanfiction.

In an alternate universe Iqbal is able to meet his child and name him. Happy drabble. 

The first time Iqbal holds his son he is awestruck. Awestruck at how tiny he is, and how perfect. At first glance he resembles him perfectly—same dark skin, same brown eyes—but on taking a closer look he can see Sehmat’s features in him. They are a lot more subtle than his own, but there is no mistaking that happy curve of lips when Iqbal strokes his cheek—exactly like the one that he is so accustomed to—or his high cheekbones and sharp nose which speak of his Kashmiri descent. 

  Their son is perfect, Iqbal decides, and he cannot believe that he has had a role in his creation. He slowly turns back towards Sehmat—who is lying in her hospital bed half asleep, tired from the long labor—and gently pads across the room towards her from where he is standing near the window, evening light falling on them. He is mindful of every step he takes, because he is holding a child—something he’s never done before—and any missteps could lead to disastrous consequences. Sehmat stirs as he approaches her, even as he tells her to relax, and sits up with some effort. Iqbal places the child into her arms gently, and both of them—Sehmat and he—sigh a collective sigh. 

They sit like that for a while, mostly because Iqbal doesn't know what to say, and Sehmat is too tired to say anything. The baby fusses in her arms and takes hold of Iqbal’s finger when he traces his hand, and for a moment, for a single moment, Iqbal forgets about the war that is being fought outside this happy bubble that has enveloped him and Sehmat. The one that has enveloped his family.

It is Sehmat who breaks the silence as she gently strokes the child’s soft hair. “What will we name him?”

Iqbal looks up from the baby, and muses his wife’s question silently as he takes in truly how tired she is, and, in that particular moment, how vulnerable she looks. He slowly disengages his hand from his son’s, and brushes away a stray strand of hair from her face before returning his gaze towards the child. Dusk has fallen properly now, the sky outside more pink than orange, tinged with inky blue. It fills the room with an ethereal sort of light. 

“Samar,” he says after a while, looking at Sehmat intently while she ruminates his idea. She too turns to look at the child, then looks up at Iqbal and smiles. 

“Hmm … He does look like a Samar.”

[kabhi-haath-pakad-k-tu-mera]

All Raazi covers I've ever made.