“You shouldn’t have pulled her in that manner,” a minute later Mumtaz was by my side. Her orbs were glaring at her son.

“It isn’t due to him,” I felt the urge to defend him. “It just…” I shrugged my shoulder, “I miss my parents. I had never stayed away from them for so long.” I confessed, wiping my tears. “I felt alone as if I was far from my home.”

“Aww…” Mumtaz wrapped her arms around me in a side-hug. “Why are daughters so lovely and why always they have to leave us?”

“Ammi,” Faizal groaned. “Stop proving to me that you love them more.” As Mumtaz pulled away from me.

“Oh! Please,” Farya rolled her orbs. “Everyone knows who is Ammi’s favorite.”

“And everyone also knows who is Abu’s favorite,” Zoya mumbled walking towards Mr. Qureshi and wrapping her arms around his neck. “You’re the unfavorite child.” She added at the end making the rest to laugh while Farya glared at her.

“But she would be always my favorite,” Ahmed came in support of his wife while Farya shook her head, attempting to hide her blush.

“Candu…” Azia’s arms extended to me.

“We know you have your favorite as well.” Mr. Qureshi chuckled as he shook his head. I was stunned from a minute seeing the smile playing on his lips. “Farya, she is going to make you travel to Kochi.” He voiced out, “I had never seen her getting so attached to anyone before not even Faizal.” I had never expected him to joke. I was taken aback with him joining in the conversation.

“Why don’t we…” Ahmed was going to utter but Farya gestured him to halt.

“Its magic of candies,” Faizal mumbled as he grabbed a chair and sat down, eyeing the vacant one beside his. I shook my head; I wasn’t going to accompanying them. No, never!

“Nivi, come on!” Zoya dragged me along with her. “How you all could be having lunch forgetting me?”

“We were just practicing to enjoy ourself without you after all, you’re getting married.” Faizal winked at her only to receive a glare.

“You had forgotten us from past few days, did we complain?” Ahmed jointed Faizal in teasing her.

“When did I forgot you?”

“You didn’t introduce to me, your on-line friend. I had to do it myself,” he made a sad face.

“That was because my mood was off.” She paused for a second as if recollecting something, “and that wasn’t my duty but bhai’s. You should be complaining to him that why he never mentioned about his friend?”

My breath got struck as the words got registered in my brain. Faizal hand stopping in the mid-air as he had started serving me roti on the plate. I heard him sigh as he continued with his work as if nothing had occurred there was a pin-drop silence for a second as I slowly forced my orbs to glance at the person.

Mr. Qureshi orbs were fixed on his plate as if he hadn’t heard a word. Everyone on the table was stunned, they looked among themselves as if still trying to register it.

“I too have the same complain,” Mr. Qureshi’s stern voice spoked. “I wasn’t also being introduce to them in a proper manner. I wasn’t even informed about their arrival.”

“Actually…” Zoya was attempting hard to find a proper word to handle the blunder she had created. Faizal orbs were casted downward on the table.

“You think I would have denied their visit if you had mentioned it?” He questioned, his orbs moving between Zoya and Faizal. “I would have abandoned your wish?” His orbs fixed on Zoya. “At least you would have attempted to ask rather than assuming that I will deny.”

“I can’t say if you would have denied Zoya,” Faizal muttered. “Because she is getting married and she won’t any longer be staying with us but that wouldn’t had been the way you would have reacted with my guest.” He raised his orbs, staring straight into Mr. Qureshi orbs. “They are my guest and I didn’t want to invite them because I knew my family won’t be able to treat them in a proper manner.”

“And guess, what?” He shook his head. “You have proved me correct.” His orbs glanced at me for a minute, “she was missing home and you know why? Because at each second during the past few days, you made her feel as if she won’t ever belong here. I wasn’t sure what was said in that table and why she wasn’t able to even finish her most favorite dishes but surely, she is attempting hard to hold herself strong.”

My orbs were fixed at him. He had always understood me in ways words couldn’t describe.

“It was just Aahana…” Zoya was going to continue but she stopped on realizing that Mr. Qureshi and rest of the family members were present.

“Aahana!” Faizal groaned, “she needs to stop acting as if she owns me.”

“Faizal!” Mumtaz yelled, “just because we are listening doesn’t mean you can utter rubbish.”

“I am not speaking rubbish; I am speaking the truth.” He sighed as he felt my hands around his knuckles. He needed to calm down before he regrets voicing something which he never meant to utter to his parents. “Abu,” he closed his orbs as his voice soften as if he was attempting hard to calm his nerves. “Irfan was praised because he decided to follow his heart rather than listening to his parents’ decision.” He paused a minute longer, “I hope you will measure me on the same scale if I chose to follow my heart.”

“What are you driving at?” Mumtaz was fuming in anger.

“I am not trying to offer any of you false hope,” he pressed. “I had never appreciated the idea of a Nikah with Aahana and it will be better if you stop expecting that my decision would change in future.”

“Your Nikah with Aahana was decided…” Mumtaz was going to argue but Mr. Qureshi gestured her to shut her mouth.

Ahmed attempted to lighten the mood but it turned impossible. Azia was a source of distraction for the rest as I forced myself to complete the food in my plate due to Faizal as he was glaring at me.

“You will be a strict father,” I pouted as I wiped my lips with the tissue. We were making our way inside the bus.

He chuckled as he stared at me with curiosity, “why so?”

“I always thought you would go easy on child but you can act strict if you want to,” I shook my head. “You reminded me of dad for a moment,” there was a sad smile playing on my lips.

“You miss him,” he concluded.
“And I am going to meet him within three days,” I shrugged my shoulder. “One week,” I shook my head. “We had been planning about it from almost a year and its already over.”

“Over,” he muttered. That word had the sadness underlying in it or was I imagining things? As we got in the bus, he walked towards his front-seat while I dragged myself to Siddhi’s seat.

“You both forgot me,” Siddhi glared at me. “You left me in the bunch of bullies as your prince charming arrived.”

“Prince-charming?” I laughed, “slow down if you don’t want us to be kicked out of the bus.”

•••

As expected, Manali was cold than I expected. We had reached last night and we were forced to cover ourself with two blankets at night. Fortunately, I had to share my room with Siddhi so we didn’t meet with much problem.

“Are you going to Meerut?” Siddhi inquired as we were getting ready for the wedding.

“Nope,” I mumbled. “I am going to walk back to Kochi.”

“I have the same plan,” Siddhi muttered. “Just a day,” she took a breath of relief.

While I was glad to go back home yet I wasn’t sure how long I would have to wait till I meet them again? Will it be in my wedding or Siddhi’s?

“Just a day,” as I repeated her words, she glanced at me.

“Nivi,” she pulled me into a hug. “As much as I am glad that I will walk away from them but I will be separated from you as well,” she pouted. “You should have taken more holidays,” she pleaded.

“More holidays! You’re aware my boss wasn’t even allowing this!” I huffed, “I will have to work on Sundays to manage my pending work. There would be dozens of file waiting for me.”

“But I have enough pictures of us together to post on your birthdays or post randomly till our next meet.” She sighed, “hopefully, it won’t take us years.” I wished the same!
I glanced at her; she had wrapped herself in heavy embroidered salwar suit. It was golden in color; she allowed her hairs to be flow freely as she placed the net dupatta on her head. A dark-red lipstick playing on her lips, while eyeliner was making her orbs sparkling bright.

“You look breath-taking,” I complimented doubting my look as I stared in the mirror.
I had opted for sky-blue salwar-suit, it had heavy stone work. The pant was more like pajama-trousers, wide at the ankle. It rather felt like I was wearing a gown. The color did suit on me and there wasn’t any doubt in it. I opted to tied my hairs into bun as a dupatta was fixed on my head. A big golden- earrings were around my ears as bangles were adoring my hands. A sweet-small necklace tied around my neck as I applied a slight lipstick. I didn’t like red one so I opted for pink, just using Kajol and yet I did justice to the elegant dress I was wearing.

There was a knock of the door and Siddhi walked towards it to open it. An anxious Zara accompanied with Aahana walked inside. They both looked like a princess in their elegant dress. “Do you have safety pin?” Aahana inquired; I nodded as I moved towards the dressing table which had turned into a mess.

“Thank you,” she muttered in rush as she walked out but Zara stayed behind.

“Mashallah!” The wink she passed us was enough to make us giggle. “Malika a Husn,” she darted her gaze from me to Siddhi.

“Zara!” Zain pushed the door as his orbs got locked on us. His kept his hand on his chest as he muttered these words, “umr nhi thi meri ishq karne ki galib bus ek chehra dekha aur gunah kar baitha.”

“Ishq tha jo chehre pr dil de baitha agar mohabbat hoti to sidha rooh se takrati.” I was shock with my comeback while the rest was having the same expression.

“Waah!” Zara voiced her excitement, “you have an answer for this?” she inquired in challenging manner towards Zain.
Zain raised her hand in surrender while others laughed. “Very few can complete with him or make him speechless.” Zara muttered.

“I am not speechless,” Zain defended himself. “I opted not to argue with beautiful princess.”

“Beautiful princess!” Zara scowled, “you never called me that!”

“Aww…” Zain wrapped his arms around Zara. “Because you’re not one.” He winked while he pulled her cheeks. “You always look gorgeous.” Zara had a broad smile playing on her lips. “It will be better if we leave or Aahana would come screaming behind us,” he waved us bye as he dragged her along with him.

•••

I was awestricken as I glanced at the bride, she sat on the couch which was placed on the raised platform, her orbs lowered in shyness as the white-net dupatta was hiding her face. She looked like an angel descended from the heaven as she sat along with his groom on the stage.

Nikah was done, they had decided to spent their rest of life together, a promise just not made to each other but Allah. “Come, lets wish them.” Siddhi dragged me towards them.

This was the first time; I was playing attention to the groom. When Faizal had shared the picture, I didn’t have a good view about Zoya’s would be husband. I thought that he didn’t do justice to her beauty, according to me she deserved better but in person he looked different. He looked handsome in the black coat, his hairs styled backward, while a warm smile was playing on his lips. He stood from the couch as we approached them.

“Thanks for attending our Nikah,” he bowed a little in respect.

“This is Nivi,” Zoya introduced.

“Have an amazing life ahead,” I congratulated her. Zoya had a wide smile playing on her lips.

“She came from South to attend our wedding?” Irfan orbs widen in surprise, “I am sorry… I wasn’t able to meet you earlier,” he apologized. “But I had heard a lot about you.” He paused for a second, “I hope you enjoyed the wedding.”

“We did!” I passed him a smile as we were on verge of walking out of the stage.

“Wait a second!” Zoya grabbed my shoulder. “I don’t have a photo with you,” she grumbled as she called out the photographer. “One photo please…” she requested.

The photographer was positioning the camera but Zoya stopped him. “Wait a minute!” She muttered something to Irfan and he started waving in a direction.

“Faizal bhai!” My heart accelerated at the thoughts. I forced my brain to stop building expectation. “One picture,” he whispered as Faizal rushed towards us.

His frown disappearing as he glanced at me and Siddhi. He shook his head, “I don’t have time…” he mumbled and I wished I could kill him alive. He was the main villain of my love story. I groaned at the thought of it.

“But I won’t mind sharing a photo with two beautiful ladies,” Zain jumped.

“We weren’t asking for your presence,” Zoya grumbled. “That side…” she pushed Zain towards Irfan.

“Bhai please… you’re not present in a single picture,” Irfan kept persisting and Faizal walked in. It was officially our first picture together!