Jafa By NNM

About this novelette

Jafa (Urdu: جفا) by NNM is a short, complete Urdu novel about Andleeb, an only daughter torn between the man she loves and the parents who depend on her.

The story opens in a hospital. Andleeb’s father, Riaz Sahib, has been kept under observation, and the doctor reassures the family that he will be fine and only needs to stay one night. Andleeb sits beside her father’s bed; her mother, Hameeda Begum, is visibly worried, and Andleeb tells her to go home and rest while she stays with Abbu. Once she is alone, the same thought comes back to her: kaash mera koi bhai hota – if only she had a brother, she wouldn’t have to carry all of this by herself.

The next day her father is discharged, and life at home slips back into its routine of medicines and worry. At college, Andleeb is lost in thought when Shazman, a classmate, startles her. He teases her for always being so serious, but she surprises him with a direct question: does he really love her, and will he stand by her for the rest of her life? Shazman is puzzled but sincere, and promises that whatever happens he will be with her.

محبت ایک طرف، ماں باپ کی ذمہ داری دوسری طرف — عندلیب کس کو چنے؟

A month later, everything is tested. Andleeb asks Shazman to meet her and, before he has even brought up marriage, tells him she can never marry him. She is her parents’ only child: who will bring her father’s medicine, who will massage her mother’s aching knees, who will run the house if she leaves? Shazman is stunned and tries to reason with her, yet Andleeb’s tears show how deeply she believes it is her duty to stay. The title, meaning cruelty or betrayal, suggests that this choice will hurt someone deeply.

NNM keeps this one short and emotional, focusing on a daughter’s sense of responsibility and a love that may not survive it. It’s a quick read for anyone who likes simple, heartfelt stories about family and sacrifice.

You can read Jafa online here or download the complete PDF for free. More by NNM: Mohobat Nhi Ishq Hai and Ghery Badal, or see all NNM novels and other novelettes.