|| S H A N Z E ||

“I think she is right!”

We stood up and turned to the door where Zeeshan was standing. Everyone looked at him with wide eyes and gasped. I was shocked to hear this from him.

“Why don't you marry her with Hasan,” Zeeshan suggested so causally like this relationship didn't mean anything to him in which we were soon going to tie.

“This is what you want, Mahira? Right?” He asked and turned to Mahira.

His changed in sudden behavior confused me and when he walked in my direction and stood beside me, I got goosebumps. I watched him and his expressions as he narrowed his eyes at Mahira.

“I am gladly to say, Mahira, I will not let this happen. You sister is and always will be mine and no one can take her from me. And I will not let this happen or allow anyone to take her away from me,” He said with something in his voice like a promise and challenge.

I observed his face expressions more carefully and tried to read what he was feeling and what was in his head but his blank and serious face was not giving me any expression.

“And in this I am with you. I will make sure no one take your Shanze and my angel away from you,” I heard Hasan voice which pulled me out of my observation-land.

I looked at Hasan from Zeeshan and saw something shinning in Hasan's eyes. His voice also had some emotions. Hasan smiled at me softly and looked up at Zeeshan who was still beside me.

“I am at ease to know my daughter is in good hands and now I can sleep peacefully at nights without worrying about her,” Dad said, proudly and smiled proudly at Zeeshan.

“Mahira, go to your room and take your dinner with you. You are no more needed on the table right now,” Mom ordered, strictly and angrily to Mahira who was glaring at me.

“I am no longer hungry,” Mahira said and pushed the plates away before running upstairs and closed her door with a bang.

“Zeeshan son, I am so sorry for her behavior. Please don't mind her,” Mom apologized to Zeeshan with a sad and guilty smile.

“You don't have to apologize and please don't ever apologize me in future because it makes me feel a low person to whom an elder is apologizing. Here you are my elder and elders never ask for forgiveness when they are correct,” Zeeshan said, politely.

“What brings you here, soon to be brother in law? Don't tell us that you come here to see our Shanze because you can't resist to see her till wedding?” One of my cousin asked Zeeshan to light the tension in the room.

“Actually, mom told me to buy a dress for for Shanze and give her to wear on haldi. She wanted to visit you all but due to Rania's, she didn't come,” He explained and handed a bag to mom.

I remembered Rania appi had an appointment with her doctor for regular check up today. All I said, I couldn't wait to hold her baby.

“I think I should go because I have meeting early tomorrow,” Zeeshan said.

I excused myself from there and silently went to my room. This all thing was confusing me so much. First, before our date fixed, he always behaved rudely to me then when our grandparents announced to tie us into a knot, he gave me cold shoulders like he wasn't happy with our wedding. Now, he stood up for me and fought with my sister.

“What are you, Mr. Zeeshan Khan?” I asked myself and sat on my bed.

Fifteen minutes later, Hasan entered in my room with my plate and his plate in his hands. He sat beside me and put our plates on the floor.

“Wait a second! As much as I remember, isn't he in China?” I asked Hasan in confusion because I knew when last time someone spoke about him in front of me, he was in China and in the whole scenario of what was happening today, I didn't notice his arrival.

“Don't you know?” Hasan asked me and tilted his head in confusion.

“Know what?” Now it was my turn to get more confused.

“He came back the day before yesterday,” He told me, slowly and looked at me like he was searching for something.

I quickly looked away from him because I didn't know about it and no one had informed me about Zeeshan.

“Are you happy about your wedding?” He asked me in soft voice five minutes later.

I quickly looked at him and frowned. I also asked myself the same thing but didn't get the answer and how could I when I didn't know what the person to whom I was going to marry thought about me.

“Shanze,” He called my name and pulled me out of my confuse thoughts.

“If my dad is happy and satisfied then I am also happy. As long as he is happy then I am happy. His happiness means a lot to me,” I told him with a smile.

“God forbid but what will happen if he becomes against this relationship after your marriage?” He asked me.

“You are over thinking, Hasan,” I dodged the question and told him.

“Over thinking? I am not over thinking, Shanze. How come you don't know he is back?” He asked in his firm voice.

“He must have text me but you know about wedding days coming near and I was busy in preparations. I didn't have much time to check my phone,” I reasoned him and hoped he satisfied with my answer.

“You must be hungry, Shanze,” He mumbled and I knew he wasn't believing me because he knew me so well.

He picked the plates from the floor and put them between us and fed me again and also ate with me.

“Just remember I am always here,” He whispered and put the spoon in my mouth.

As he was feeding me, I felt something, a kind of emotion which was confusing me more if possible. Today was an officially a confuse-Shanze-day. After finishing dinner, a yawn escaped from my mouth and my eyes was starting to close.

“Sleep, Shanze,” He said and helped me to lay on my bed and put the thin blanket on me.

I smiled at him and closed my eyes with a yawn. I was almost in the land of darkness from where my dreams were going to begin when I heard a voice,

“I think I am in love with you....”

This voice was saying something more but I slumbered in the darkness.

• • •

I blinked many times at the things in my room and the chaos in my room. My cousins and mom, all were running here and there in my room and not letting me stand up from my bed.

“Mom, what are you doing?” I asked my mom who was ordering my cousins.

“What are still doing here, Shanze? Go and get ready. Take the shower and wear the clothes which I hanged in the washroom,” Mom yelled at me, stressfully.

“Mom, are you... OK! OK! I am going,” I was going to ask her about her health but the glare which sent in my direction, I said it and went to washroom.

I sighed and looked down at my hands which had henna but it was dried now. I opened the tap and washed my hands. The water on the sink turned brown then red and soon my hand was red with henna. It was not red colour but maroon colour, a type of darkest colour which henna could give.

I closed the tap and looked at my hands but quickly looked away as I remembered for whom I had this henna on my hands. I removed my clothes and turned on the shower and took a shower.

After showering, I wrapped myself in towel and towel dried my hairs. After drying my hairs, I picked my clothes which mom hanged and changed in them. It was a yellow colour frock which stopped an inch before my knees and it was paired with yellow colour gharara. The frock had embroidery designs of its neckline and on the sleeves in red and blue.

I stood in front of the mirror and stared at my dress with a sigh. There was a knock on the door. I opened it and saw Hasan who was staring at me from head to toe with open mouth.

“When will you stop being so beautiful?” He whispered still staring at me.

“Wow!” He mumbled and stepped aside to let me enter in my room.

Everyone in my room stopped working and looked at me with awe. Mom came to me and looked at me with tears in her eyes.

“She doesn't need makeup. She is rocking in this dress like it is made for her,” Hasan said from beside me.

“My daughter!” Mom whispered and kissed on my cheek.

“Girls, take her and don't put much makeup on her face,” Mom said to the girls and quickly wiped her tears and walked out of my room.

They all took me and made me sit on my bed and started their work on my face. One was doing my hairs, one was doing my makeup and others were sitting on the floor and decorating a tray which had small plates with small candles and haldi.

“Done!”

After half an hour later, girls said and looked at me with smile. I looked at Hasan was staring at me with a small sad smile. He mouthed ‘magnificent’ and walked out of my room quickly.

“Why is everyone so emotional?” I asked particularly to no one.

“Because now you are a guest for few days in this house,” My cousins answered me and took me in front of mirror.

They braided my hair and put in on my right shoulder and pinned my yellow colour dupatta on my hairs. My makeup was natural, just a light pink colour lipstick, foundation cream and mascara.

They all took to the garden to my house which was decorated with flowers. Thin with colour blankets were spread on the grass and multi colours cushions were placed on it. For elders, who couldn't sit on the ground, had separate sitting plans.

“Mashaa Allah! My daughter is looking like a pure angel,” Dad said and kissed on my forehead and hugged me.

I put my head on his chest and felt the warmth of father-hug. Dad pulled away and kissed me one more time on my forehead. His eyes were shinning with tears but he held them.

My cousins took me where I was supposed to sit. Five minutes later, my whole family came with my in laws. Grandma started the ritual and dipped her fingers in haldi then put it on my cheeks. After grandma, my mom came then my soon to be mother in law and Rania appi.

My female cousins sat on the ground and started singing songs. One by one everyone came to put haldi on my face and gave me their blessings. My cousins had almost put all the haldi on my face and hands. Hasan also came with an amuse smile and dipped his hands in haldi and rubbed them on my face before I reacted.

“I will not leave you, idiot son of Hasan,” I gritted in anger and dipped my hands in haldi.

“Hey! Don't curse my future ki--,” He mumbled and before he stopped, I rubbed my hands on his face.

“If you both have done with your romance then let me put this haldi on your face,” Mahira said suddenly came in front of us out of nowhere.

Hasan rolled his eyes but, nonetheless, stepped aside to let her put haldi on my face.

• • •

After my haldi, I was taken in my room and was strictly prohibited to step out of my room and let any men enter in my room, even Hasan.

I was also prohibited to remove my dress but I took off my gharara and wore yellow pajama. I unpinned my hairs and placed dupatta on the bed and went to my washroom to wash my face.

When I entered in my room, there was a knock on my balcony door. I quickly picked my dupatta and wrapped it on my head and held the corner of it over my face, just my eyes were shown. I opened the balcony door and gasped when I saw Hasan on the balcony.

“What ar--,”

He quickly put his hand on my mouth before I yelled completely. He quickly entered in my room and locked the door of my room and turned off the lights. He came back on the balcony and looked at me.

“We are going on an adventure!” He told me, excitedly.

“Wha--,” I was whispering but again he cut me.

“Jump with me!” He said and held my hand.

“Hasan, n--,”

I was going to scream when he jumped off my balcony but quickly put my hand over my mouth. I looked down at the ground then at Hasan who was ready to catch me. I sat on the railing of balcony then quickly jumped with my eyes closed.

I was caught and two arms were wrapped around me. My toes were touching the ground and slowly I opened my eyes and noticed an inch distance with Hasan and my face. He was staring at me then quickly looked away and cleared his throat and rubbed his hand on his neck.

“Sorry!” He mumbled with pink cheeks but didn't look at me.

“Let's go!” Before I told him its OK, he pulled me to his car.

“Are you kidnapping me before my wedding so I can't marry?” I asked him to ease the tension between us.

“Hope so. And when no one finds you and then suddenly comes to know you are with me and spends days before your Nikkah with me then they have to call off your Nikkah with Zeeshan and marry us both. Perfect plan, right?” He joked but I felt something in his joke but brush it off and smiled at him.

“Where are we going?” I asked him as he was driving.

“Surprise!” He said.

“You know very well if someone knows I am not in my room then R. I. P me!” I mumbled and bit my nails.

A very bad habit of mine whenever I was stressed or nervous, I bit my nails. Five minutes later, the car stopped and Hasan climbed out of the car. He opened my door and pulled me out gently. I looked up and froze. I quickly put my dupatta on my face and turned my back to him.

“Seriously, Hasan? If mom or dad comes to know he is here and have seen me before wedding, then I will be dead,” I said to Hasan who was smiling at me.

“How anyone comes to know this? Because you both will not tell anyone and I don't want to die without marrying,” He said and pushed me to Zeeshan.

“Have fun!” Hasan yelled and ran off in other direction.

I looked around the area as we walked. It was a big ground where many markets were. As we both were walking, Zeeshan held my hand and stopped walking. I also stopped and stared down at our hands then at Zeeshan. He slowly moved my other hand from my face and let the dupatta slipped from my face.

“How much you love him?” He asked me.

I was confused on who he was referring then it clicked me, it was Hasan. Before I stopped my mouth, the words slipped out on there own.

“As much as I can!”

I looked at him with wide eyes when I realized what I said. His eyes were getting dark with anger which scared me. He held my hand more tightly and pulled something out of his pocket. My hand was turning white and was paining me.

“Next time, I don't want to see you near him,” He ordered me and slipped against ring in my finger.

The cold metal and the coldness in his voice made me shiver in fear. I tried to step back but it was like his eyes had held me.

“This time I stopped myself but next time I will not stop myself and will do something which you will hate but I don't,” He challenged me and firmness and seriousness in his voice was telling me how serious and angry he was.

. . . . . . . . . .

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