The artist was applying mehndi but I could feel Faizal's constant gaze in our direction. It wasn't only Faizal but the group of young individuals, which could be his cousins and friend were staring in our direction.

"Why are they staring at us?" There was excitement lying under Aahna's nervous question, probably enjoying Faizal's stare. The thought of it was boiling my blood. Was he staring at her?

"You people better stopped staring or I will call Bade Abu," Zara yelled in annoyance, they laughed as a result.

"We aren't staring at you, bacha." Zain chuckled walking towards us while the rest followed, Faizal lacking behind as if he had no interest in joining them. He seemed lost as if something else was troubling him. He should be enjoying the event rather than loading himself with responsibilities.

"Ma'am..." a lady objected my move as I was trying to reach for my cell phone.

"I just need to type a message," I mumbled as I was struggling hard to type it from one hand. I placed it on my lap, and typed it.

'Smiling isn't injurious for health.'

"That was so cute," the lady peeped at my screen. "Do you have a boyfriend? Do you want to write his name?" I shook my head.

"I don't have a boyfriend..." Her orbs were fixed on me, clearly not accepting my statement but I didn't add further to the conversation. The minute I raised my head, I found him staring at the screen.  That broad smile playing on his lips was my gift. I had waited for so long to glance at it. To glance at that smile on my messages, to see him smiling as much as I do on his mere messages.

His orbs moved from the screen and got locked on me. His speed increased as he followed them towards us. "Hey," Zain waved a hand in my direction as if bringing me out of dreamland. "And then she claims she don't have a boyfriend. Who is this Mr. Idiot?" Zain mumbled, peeping into my mobile. He was on the verge of grabbing it but I attempted to hold it and messed with my mehndi.

I gasped on seeing mehndi all over my dress. "Oh my god!" One of the ladies yelped.

"Zain! You should stop behaving like a kid," Aahna yelled from the other side. "You spoiled her dress as well as her mehndi. Now, that design won't ever look that great." She was scolding him.

"I didn't mean to!" Zain was staring at me with an apologetic face. "I was just trying to tease her."

"You don't tease people by peeping in their mobile." Zoya countered back.

"What's wrong in peeping into someone's mobile?" Farya muttered, "stop blaming your friend's overreaction on Zain. Everyone knew he meant no harm! She is the one making scenes after scenes in the pre-wedding events. It would be better if she doesn't attend the wedding." Farya muttered; her orbs fixed on Mr. senior Qureshi who was staring in our direction. "Abu isn't pleased," She was glaring at her younger sister, "don't try to act modern just to impress them."

"Impress? What are you?" Zoya was going to argue but Faizal jumped in the conversation.

"Nivi," his voice was so soft as he called me. My heart accelerated at the highest speed but I didn't have the courage to raise my head from the floor. "Nivi," his voice raised a little yet it had its soft edge.

"It hadn't spoiled much of your dress," came reassuring voice of Siddhi.

"I... I..." I choked at my words. It was getting difficult to hold back my emotions. I felt humiliated in front of the crowd, it was more than my dress getting spoiled.

"Nivi," Zoya spoked, I could feel her standing beside me. Her voice filled with concern. "Let's get you to your room." Her voice was filled with so much love and care.

"Zoya, don't test your Abu's patience," her mother protested in the background. I didn't have the courage to raise my head. At that moment I felt so unwanted among them. None of my reasoning was working at the moment.

"Zoya, be seated." Faizal pressed.

"But bhai..." she was going to argue.

"I will take her back," his voice was filled with determination.

At those words, I raised my head. His determined orbs were fixed on his sister. "No need..." someone from the crowd spoked. Farya, Faizal's big sister was walking towards us. "I will..."

"I am not allowing you anywhere near her," his voice was filled with a warning. A gasp left from people surrounding us. Farya orbs widen in horror, she was taken aback with Faizal statement.

"Faizal! Have you lost your mind? Have you forgotten that you're talking to your elder sister?"

"Had she forgotten a minute back that she was talking to our guest? If I had the slightest idea that you would have treated them so harshly, I would have never allowed it." His orbs moved from his mother towards Zoya. "I had warned you. Not once but twice," he was fuming in anger. He was trying hard to hold it back. "I had told you... they won't be able to treat them." I felt a hint of pain in those orbs as he glanced at me. Those orbs always spoked more than his tongue. I wanted to hold him, to reach towards him but I couldn't.

He sighed, shook his head as he grabbed my messy-mehndi hands and dragged me along with him. I could feel each eye on us. We were grabbing attention of the entire audience. My heart was accelerating so loudly. He reached to his room as he opened the door. We walked inside, silence prevailed around us before I heard his soft apology.

"Sorry..." it came as a small whisper. I looked at him for confirmation that my ears weren't ringing. His head had hung down in shame. I won't ever be able to see him, disappointed of himself.

"It wasn't that big of a deal." I attempted to convince him. His hold of my hands loosens as he stared at our messy hands.

"You had so many imaginations for the wedding," he sighed. "You really wanted to enjoy it, make friends..." he shook his head. "Know my family!"

"Those were my fantasies. You know those were just imaginations." I sighed, seeing his sulky face. "Faizal!" I whined that forced him to glance at my face and not my messy hand. "You don't look good in that..." I pointed at his face, "smile..." I pouted, "for me..."

"For you..." he whispered, shaking his head a hint of smile taking place on his face.

"What was that face for?" I frowned in question.

"What face?" He countered back.

"That face which screams I am the stupidest girl you ever met..." I groaned at my statement.

"Correction, the stupidest girl that have the power to swift my mood within second." He shook his head but a genuine smile was playing on his lips.

"In good or bad way?" I inquired, staring at him with hopeful gaze.

"It depends," he winked at me.

"Now, go wash your hands and change into something better." His orbs again drifting towards my palms. "You won't be able to write your boyfriend's name in your mehndi. Nor will be able to discover his depth of love for you."

"Oh!" I giggled at his words, "don't tell me you were jealous."

"Why would I?" He laughed, "I have someone writing my name on her palm." That words did personal damage; it was hard to maintain my smile after those words.

"Yeah," I managed hard to smile at him. "I need to freshen up if you don't mind..." I muttered eyeing him the door.

"I am not leaving the room!" He protested; I widen my orbs at his statement.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I had heard enough of your stories of ending up in crying buckets," he faked a glare at me. I had often messaged him how I had ended up crying buckets after a bad day over some simple matters. "I am not leaving and that's my finale decision..." he pointed at the washroom, "you can change over there."

"You don't have to do that," I protested. "I am often fine after shedding some tears. I had told you; they are important for my system to work properly."

"Nivi, can we accomplish one task without arguing with each other? Because I am not clearly in a mood..." he uttered some curses under his breath.

I gave in, walking towards my suitcase. I removed a suitable dress and walked in the washroom. I did shed few numbers of tears. Those scenarios kept running in my head, those words playing back. Finally, I walked out of it brushing off those tears.

Faizal was sitting on the bed along with Siddhi. Siddhi passed me a concern gaze as I walked out while Faizal was staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. "What is happening outside?" That was the first question raising in my head upon seeing her.

"Nothing much," eyeing me about Faizal presence. I sighed; I was getting worried about the consequences Faizal would have to face due to me.

"Why couldn't you just shut your mouth?" My anger was directed at him. "It wasn't that big of a deal. You knew about my clumsiness and it was just a dress. Nothing that great! Why you had to jump in?"

"They were humiliating my best friend!" He screamed; his orbs locked on mine. Those orbs had turned a shade darker due to the anger bursting in it. "What would you have done?"

"She can't take a word against you. She would have burned the house on fire if it was about you." Siddhi jointed him.

"Stop uttering nonsense, Siddhi." I was getting mad at her supporting him. "Faizal, try to understand your Abu wouldn't be please with your behavior. He was staring at us; at you and the way you have grabbed my hands." Those words directed his orbs back on my hands. Without paying heed to my words, he grabbed my palms, he orbs sparkled as he stared at it.

"Your mehndi still has a darker shade," he seemed impressed with the observation. I was staring at him with 'are you serious?' look because I was in a mood of serious talk and he was running from it.

"You don't have to trouble your mind. I can take care of myself." He pressed, faking a smile.

"I am not coming in those lies. Do you think if you could take care of yourself, I would ever be worried about you, the way I do. I can trust Siddhi on that statement but not you. And never on earth, I want to see those dark circles revolving around those eyes." I glared at him. There was softness in his orbs as he was staring at me, a hint of smile playing on his lip. "And no don't even get started on the statement that you don't have trouble sleeping. Each time you have an argument with your Abu, you have hard time going to sleep. Staying up so late and later boasting about it with me." I grumbled.

"She is so cute..." Siddhi muttered in the background.

"I know," Faizal responded back, a grin playing on his lips. "Always..." There was adoring smile playing on his lips. He shook his head at his thoughts. "It's late, I better get going..." He patted my hair a wide smile playing on his lips.

"Bye, Siddhi." He waved at her as he walked out of the room. I sighed at his retreating figure as I was on the verge of walking towards the bed, I found Siddhi curious orbs locked on me.

"What?"

"Nothing..." she shook her head. "It just fascinated me..." she wandered off with her thoughts.

"Did a huge drama unfolded after we came upstairs?" I inquired the matter troubling me from the minute I had glanced at Siddhi's presence, she gave a slight nod. "They are mad at us?" I wanted her to elaborate further.

"They were..." she paused for a minute. "Bhai's father has a very bad temper. He had lost his calm around the group of audience. He didn't even hesitate to yell at the bride. Others were trying to calm him down..." she sighed. "Zain requested me to come here," she shrugged her shoulder. "If I had known our arrival would cause so much trouble, I would have never agreed..." she felt guilty.

"I hope, he isn't going to be harsh on Faizal."