"Enough of your meaningless joke," Zoya groaned, pulling her arms around mine and dragging me along with her out of the bus. We had stopped to have dinner. A beautiful moon was shining up in the sky, bringing a beautiful smile on my face.

"She is enjoying my jokes; you might find it boring." Zain defended himself.

"Stop troubling her, bhai." Aahana scolded his brother. "You need to stop as Abu and Ammi aren't pleased with your behavior."

"The secret is..." he whispered in her ears. "They are never pleased with me, so I don't care." With those words he walked off.

"Don't mind him, Nivi." Aahana attempted to apologize, "he is just stupid. All those flirting is harmless." I blinked at her in assurance.

"No, I am not offended rather I find him cute." I assured her but someone else responded as he walked out behind us.

"Whom you don't find cute?" His voice was filled with sternness as he walked past us.

"What's wrong with him?" Aahana stared at his retreating figure with concern. "He is acting rude from morning..." she shook her head as she followed in his direction.

"Forget him," Zoya dragged both me and Siddhi towards a vacant table. "Let's have a time dedicated to us." She gestured us to grab a sit. "I have so much to talk to!" She sounded excited, "I had been so busy from past few days, I couldn't manage time to interact with you."

"Hi, Siddhi!" Zoya glanced at Siddhi. "I had heard a lot of things from bhai."

"Okay, I need to know, good or bad things?" Siddhi had a nervous smile playing on her lips.

Zoya laughed, "unfortunately, he did praise you. He considers you more mature than Nivi, though you are the younger one."

"I knew it!" I grumbled while Siddhi laughed.

"He loves irritating her," she came in his defend. "Thank you for inviting us to your wedding though we hardly know each other."

"I want to know you," Zoya's orbs moved from Siddhi to me. "He might not be that expressive but you both hold importance in his life. He had never introduced any of his friends on his own account. But he did with you," her orbs settled on me. "That's why I was curious to know about you." She passed me a warm-smile, "I know you both weren't welcome warmly in our family." She seemed disappointed with herself. "I apologize for it but I promise that you won't any longer be treated in the same manner."

"You don't need to do that..." Siddhi and I was going to oppose but she interrupted.

"We are friends, right? So, isn't it my responsibility that you feel wanted and belonged in my city? Among my family and friends?" She had a sweet smile playing on her lips.

"You didn't introduce me to your friend, Zoya." Came a masculine voice interrupting our conversation. We turned to find a guy, holding Azia in his arms. My entire attention was grabbed by Azia, who was staring at me with her sparkling orbs, as if she recognized me.

"I thought you will be as uninterested as your beloved wife."

"You can't mock my wife in front of me, Sali Sahiba," he faked a glare while passing us a friendly smile. "Namaste, I am his brother-in-law, husband of her elder sister and she..." he pointed at Azia, "she is..." before he could complete Azia interrupted.

"Caandu..." her arms were extended in my direction as if struggling to reach me. His father was staring at her with horror-written over his face.

"Did... she... just....?" Zoya almost choked on the water she was drinking, her orbs staring between me and Azia.

"I can't believe it?" Zoya's brother-in-law, glanced at our direction.

"Caandu..." Azia's scream out louder and I stood from the chair, reaching to her.

"Do you want Candy?" I inquired, trying to search if I had any in my purse. I removed one and placed in her tiny palm that was extended towards me.

She pouted, "Caandu..." her orbs were brimming with tears.

"She likes you," her father concluded as he extended Azia towards me. "She wants to be in your arms," he explained and I carried her.

The minute she was in my arms, her pout faded into a sweet-smile. Her tiny palms reaching to my cheeks. "Awww... this is so wholesome movement," Zoya cooed. "Let me take some pictures," she mumbled removing her cell and directing it in our direction for pictures.

"You surely should," Azia's father encouraged her action. "Farya would be so overwhelmed on seeing her mingling with others." There was a proud smile playing on her father's face unaware about his wife hate towards me.

"I don't think so," Zoya didn't even hesitate to express my doubt openly.

Ahmed Khan ignored his sister-in-law comment over his wife. "Are you so offended because I disturbed your get-together with your friends?"

"Jiju, you know the reason behind my sour mood," she shook her head. "Though I know you shouldn't be one of my targets but your wife really tested my patience last night."

"She was just concerned about you, Zoya." Ahmed attempted to defend his wife action. Faizal had often praised his brother-in-law and at times, I was convinced that Faizal was closer to him than his elder sister.

"Why are we even discussing it?" Zoya shook her head, "I need to use washroom." With that as an excuse, Zoya walked away.

"I surely, shouldn't have interrupted. She was in a very good mood before my arrival," he sounded guilty as he extended his hand to take Azia but she wasn't planning to leave. "Azia, come...." He was trying to take her but she cried in protest. "You shouldn't trouble guest like that..."

"It's fine..." I assured him, "she isn't trouble. She is adorable," I muttered.

"Yes, we will like to spent some time with her if you don't mind." Siddhi jointed me though unsure yet Ahmed went alone, leaving his stubborn daughter behind.

"He seems a nice guy," Siddhi expressed her opinion. "Only few have matched my vibes," she commented.

"Let me guess," I interrupted her grabbing a seat with Azia in my lap. "Him, Zoya and Zain..." she smiled at my answer.

"But you missed one," Siddhi orbs sparkling in enthusiasm."Zara!" She paused for a moment as if considering, "Aahna had been nice to us but I don't like the vibes she gives off, there is something unsettling about her."

"I thought it was only me," I interrupted her thought.

"And I thought you adored her presence," she was taken aback with my thoughts.

"Hmm... I don't dislike her but yes, I don't like her either not that much..." I shrugged my shoulder not having an appropriate word to frame it. "But earlier I thought it was the jealousy kicking in but if you feel the same, I find it odd."

"I don't think she likes us either," Siddhi muttered. "Just slowly look at the direction I am staring," I waited for a moment before obeying her command. Aahna was sitting at the far corner staring at us, a fake smile was playing on her face. "Her smile doesn't feel genuine as if she is forcing herself to be nice to us."

"But why would she do that?"

"Maybe because her cousin and sibling are adoring us?" She smiled staring at Azia in my lap, "even her would-be niece adores our presence. Isn't it Azia?" The statement at the end did crush my heart to a certain extent yet I managed to not show it on my face.

°°°

"You can't steal your friend like that from me, Zoya?" Zain sounded hurt as he walked towards our table.

"I hadn't stolen them from you." Zoya defended herself as she was eating biryani. "You were the one to walk off on them." She rolled her orbs, "after promising them to have dinner together."

"I didn't walk on them!" Zain plastered a hand on his chest to add a dramatic effect. "I had gone on search to find a table."

"And it took you so long to find one?" Zoya raised a brow in question.

"By the time I found one, I saw her enjoying in your company so I didn't interrupt." He pointed at the corner; he was having dinner a minute back. "And thought to join those creatures but none of them deserve my company." He shook his head in disapproval.

Both the bus had stopped in the Dabba, so it was entirely packed with Faizal's relatives. Zain had seated with Aahna and her friends, while Faizal's parents and Zara's parents had a separate table along with Faizal's elder sister. At the corner Faizal was sitting with his other cousins along with his brother-in-law.

"They surely had kicked you out not able to handle your bad humor." Zoya commented while rolling his orbs.

"Do you find my humor bad?" Zain stared at me in interest.

"You're better than someone I know," I giggled at the lamest joke I had heard before.

"Don't tell me you're comparing him with bhai?" Siddhi came in protest, "Nivi, he is better than him."

"I didn't say a name," I tried to defend myself.

"But your, that teasing smile speak volume." Siddhi glared in my direction, I ignored her and attempted to reach for the spoon but Azia on my lap was making it impossible. Ahmed had walked towards us twice to take her but she was adamant not to leave my side, getting defeated he had walked away.

"You can't do one work assign to you," I heard that familiar-heart racing voice and I turned to glance at him. Faizal was staring at Zain in disapproval as he walked towards me. "Azia, come..." he extended his hand towards her.

Azia pouted in defense, "Canduu..." she touched my face as if conveying to her Mamu she didn't want to leave with him.

"Azia..." He forcefully grabbed her from me.

"Faizal..." I attempted to stop him but he passed me a glare. "She will cry," I attempted to reason-out.

"The bus will leave within few minutes," he muttered before taking the crying baby away from me.

"You hadn't touched your plate," Siddhi noticed. "Nivi, make it fast!" She muttered, shaking her head in disbelief at me. "You will starve to death for the night."

"So, that's the reason he asked me to take Azia." Zain shook her head, "you could have said it yourself, Nivi." The smile that he provided me made me look stupid. That was the reason I adored Faizal, he never made me feel stupid in his presence. Even if he found me stupidest human existing on the planet.

As predicted by Faizal, the bus did start after ten minutes. Mr. Shoaib Qureshi, Faizal's father was calling out people to get into the bus. I had to leave behind my half-finished biryani and rush to the washroom. Siddhi was suggesting to accompany me but I urged her to go. As I reached towards the female session, I scolded myself for wasting so much time. There was a huge queue waiting in front of me. I sighed, walking away wasn't a better option as well because I was clueless if the bus would stop nearby so I decided to stay behind risking the option of getting scolded or being left behind. I trusted two people in that bus who won't leave my side.

After wasting twenty minutes, I walked out of the washroom-area. And my eyes went on the location the bus was parked to find it empty. My heart sank at the thought of it. Anxiety kicking in! What if they didn't notice my absence but Siddhi was aware about it. Maybe they didn't hear her! Not even Faizal?