Fareeha was much more confident now. She sat in the usual spot at the café, adjusted the olive green dupatta on one side of her shoulder, and glanced at the door. Imtiaz was good with words. Or perhaps no man has ever spoken too sweetly and highly of her. Adil did, but not in a romantic sense. And, Hadi.

Feeling bitter, Fareeha picked a glass of water. Just as she was about to sip, she noticed someone watching her. Diagonal to her table, a man behind a Khaleej Times newspaper seemed suspicious. He peeped. Fareeha choked on the water, and her eyes widened. He stuffed his head back into the paper.

She placed the glass on the table. Pressing her lips together, she looked around with uncertainty. Before she rose from her seat, a kind voice interrupted her, - "Hi, Fareeha."

She fumbled, knocking the glass over, and spilling water on the table. Fareeha gasped, covering her mouth with one hand.

Sarfaraz straightened, pulling down the paper to his lap.

"Oh, are you alright?"

"I am sorry, I am sor—"

"It is okay—not a big deal." Imtiaz held her shoulders. A waiter appeared and began cleaning, suggesting that they take another table.

What the hell? A second meeting and he was touching her. The audacity. Weirdo. Sarfaraz glowered at them. Getting up, he shuffled to a seat closer to theirs.

"Um, Imtiaz." Fareeha hesitated, slipping half her hair to her back, - "Can we go somewhere else—somewhere open?" She placed a glance through the corner of her eye, - "Like some park—"

Imtiaz smiled, - "Of course. But first have the coffee here, the one you loved." His eyes sparkled.

Fareeha nodded, shyly, - "You noticed?" She knotted her finger with the golden border of her dupatta.

"Obviously. You are going to be my wife. I should notice that."

She giggled.

Hot lava of anger boiled inside Sarfaraz, watching them. Fareeha was such a dumbo. She sways towards anyone nice to her. Perhaps because of her dad. Or—him?

He shook his head, looking away from them. By now, their coffee had come. Imtiaz kept smiling at Fareeha, and she blushed as both picked their mugs.

Adil's words echoed in his head as Sarfaraz recollected the night of his movie's premiere.

"And why such an extreme reaction from you? Do you have feelings for her?"

"Feelings? For her? She is my best friend and as any man should, I was concerned for her."

"This? Is this just a concern? You would have murdered me. I don't think that's normal—concern."

"Since we got together, it's always her. Even on our dates, you are on call with her. Remember that night, you just left me in the car for her, and another night I was fanatically calling and you left your phone and spent the entire night with her, even at the restaurant with that fake Hadi—again—her."

"That night, I was calling you like crazy, the whole night, and you—were with her—her—then, Adil had to step in. My mother would have—and you weren't there. I needed you—I wanted you."

Sarfaraz frowned. Was he obsessed with Dania or Fareeha?

"You and Fareeha are so close, so close, that she even knows the moles you have—knows you in and out, something I—"

Later in the hotel room. Sarfaraz took the excuse of a headache and took leave from the wedding function. At this point, he was wondering what was he even doing in Dubai. So he was about to book his and Fareeha's ticket back to Mumbai. Just then, the doorbell to his suite disturbed him. Dropping his phone on the bed, Sarfaraz casually walked to the door.

Surprised, he blinked at Fareeha. She was in the same suit as in the morning. A bright grin beamed on his handsome face.

"Fareeha!" He leaned, grabbing her in a tight embrace. Fareeha uneasily shifted her face as her neck got stretched. Other than that, she doesn't reciprocate the hug. He pulled away from the embrace and held her shoulders.

"I knew it. You can't be away from your chaddi-buddy. Right?" He winked, nudging her arm lightly. Fareeha remained with a straight face. Quietly, she unclipped her purse and took out an envelope.

Sarfaraz continued to smile, - "No need for this formality. I won't be accepting your resignation."

"Take it?" She urged him, still expressionless.

He nodded and took it from her hand.

Fareeha'spulp round lips formed a stony smile, as she spoke, - "Respecting our years' oldfriendship. I thought you should be the first one to get this." 

"What the F**k. Next week?" Sarfaraz looked up from the card, his eyes almost popping out in shock.

"Yeah!" She shrugged.

"Are you ma—"

"Bye!" Fareeha waved a little and turned to leave.

Sarfaraz threw the card, and charged behind her, - "How can you—" He reached out for her. Before he could grab her arm, she turned and sprayed perfume into his eyes.

"Ah!" He winced, stumbling back, and rubbed his eyes.

Fareeha clenched the bottle tightly and turned. She hurried to the elevator, as she couldn't see or hear him in pain. Inside the closed elevator, Fareeha pressed her back against the mirror wall, taking deep breaths.

Enough was enough. She kept reminding her heart how merciless he was whilst breaking her at the most vulnerable point. Also, how manipulative he was. Hadi would easily talk her out of this. But won't leave Dania despite her telling so. Imtiaz was the perfect man, finally, someone who liked her and did not make her insecure. And she wanted to marry him.

Coming out of the elevator, Fareeha hurried into her room, locking herself. She dropped her purse and dupatta on the bed and then rushed to the washroom.

Though she didn't love Imtiaz; she wanted to marry him. Because why not? Just like Adil, maybe she was crushing over Sarfaraz. Thinking it to be love, she can't risk her future. And for whom? Someone who never takes even a second to demotivate and devalue her. Accept it or not, her best friend had much of a hand, like her father, in her low self-esteem. Imtiaz was boosting her in every way. And love? She will eventually fall in love with him. This time, truly.

Afterwashing her face and changing her dress, Fareeha lay for some rest. But everytime, she anxiously glanced at the door. For the first time, she was scared ofSarfaraz. Why was he overreacting? Like always. What was new? First Adil andnow Imtiaz. Not like he loved her, obviously, but because he didn't want tolose his punching bag—she.

Sarfaraz's eyes still stung. Washing it for the millionth time, he decided to call Adil for a remedy. His stepbrother assured him that he would send the prescription. After he had done that, Sarfaraz called him again.

"You showed your real face, bro, stabbed your chote in the back."

There was a short pause, - "Huh? Dude, are you drunk, minutes before you were speaking so sweetly?" Adil took a short pause again, - "You are so selfish, Hadi."

Sarfaraz paced on the balcony of his suite in his night robe, - "Then, why did you fly back to Mumbai with Dania? You know she—"

"She broke up with you, right?"

Sarfaraz clenched the parapet railing, - "You wish. She remembers all the lines, word by word, of my proposal for so many years. She thought of me. Why else will she keep my words in her heart?"

"Cause of guilt," Adil responded simply.

Sarfaraz scoffed.

"Yeah, right?"

"You don't believe? It doesn't matter. Focus on someone whom you really love. Someone, whom you don't deserve, still, she madly, blindly stood by your side."

Sarfaraz turned to face the night sky. His immediate thought was Fareeha.

"But she is getting married to some random dude. This was going to be my next point."

"She loves you, now you decided whom you want."

"What?" Sarfaraz gasped in shock, nearly toppling from the high-rise hotel room.

"Remember that night, someone got her drunk? It was then she confessed that she loves you. I knew it since."

"Then dude, why is she getting married to that chomu?"

"What else will she do? Unfortunately, she loves a thick head like you."

Sarfaraz rolled his eyes.

"Do you love her or not?"

"But Dania loves me. I know she does. She was the answer to my years of manifestation." He replied defiantly.

There was a long pause, and he thought the phone got disconnected.

"Then,"

Sarfaraz flinched at the sudden re-appearance of Adil's voice, - "I have something for you. I am disconnecting. Check your WhatsApp."

A few minutes later, there was a ting of a text message. Sarfaraz opened the image his elder step-brother had sent, and his jaw dropped.

There was Adil in shirt and pants, and next to him was Dania in casual clothes but wore an elaborate red net dupatta and a Maulvi in front of them. Their hands cupped for prayers and a few papers with English and Urdu writing.

Sarfaraz zoomed in on the title of the papers: Nikahnama. His brain was blown away. Despite loving him, Dania chose her mother over their relationship. From the start, she was unsure about them. He dropped his hand, staring at the sky.

Fareeha was right. How did he not see this coming? All the time he was doing Ji-Huzoori, she was happy with him. And the one moment, he took a stand for himself. Once. And, she didn't take time to remove the ring. Like she was waiting for that one chance.

And, Fareeha. Since childhood,, she was with him. A few times taking up the blame for his mischievousness. And very comfortably covered up for him, so much that now it came naturally to her. Honestly, thinking, Sarfaraz realized she was his hands and legs and brains.

He sighed, throwing the phone on the bed,, and glared at the photo Adil had sent him.

With Adil, he had a reason to hate Fareeha being with him. Then, why was he so frustrated and desperate for her to not marry Imtiaz? She will have to marry someone, someday, right. Right? Hadiya had warned him multiple times. This was inevitable.

Sarfaraz tilted his head back, resting it against the bedpost. Fareeha hates his guts now. Before blabbering that night, he knew one thousand percent that she would have forgiven him. But Imtiaz came out of the syllabus.

He browsed through photos of Fareeha and his fun times. In almost of them he had a bitter expression throughout while she was all smiles. One photo of them, where he was aggressively tugging on her choti and she was bashing his hand. This made him chuckle. Most of the time he was rough on her, but she always had his back. And, without realizing he began to take her for granted.

"She loves you. Now you decide who do you want?"

Sarfaraz dialed Fareeha's number, and it came as busy. Perhaps she was chatting with that chomu Imtiaz. He huffed, tossing the phone, and fell face front on the bed. It was pathetic that all their lives he took her for granted. Mocking and taunting her, and now his realization hit him just as he was about to—no, lost her.

A couple of hours later, he tried aga, andnd it was the same. She most probably had blocked his number.

The next morning, Sarfaraz was shocked as Sheetal complained about Fareeha flying back to Mumbai.

"Don't tell me you are flying back, too. Imean,n what is the point of you guys—"

"Sheetal." Sarfaraz held her shoulders, - "I understand this isimportant for you, but—if I miss this flight to Mumbai, I might lose my everything."He explained, giving her a staid look. 

Go girl, Fareeha, be strong. We are with you.

𝐼𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓃𝑒𝓍𝓉 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇:

Do you Fareeha Usmani, daughter of Feroze Usmani accept............... as your wedded husband for mahr  fifty lakhs." 

Are you guys, excited? This will be the next chapter? Whom do you think she is getting married to? Drop lots and lots and lots of comments to get this part by tonight ;)

Finally, Sarfaraz seems have gotten some sense,

Till now, Adil and Fareeha were - Bhains ke aage been banana...

Do you guys think Sarfaraz can/will do something or lose Fareeha.