Author's pov

Days pass, and tomorrow is the day for Aadhil's engagement. The whole family was busy this whole past month with preparations, and now just a few hours are left.

Everyone is sitting together and talking.
Then Sarah brought a guitar and gave it to Noor.

"Come, Zaib, Noor. Sing something for us." Sarah said.

"Yes. Yes.yes.yes." The rest of the family agreed.

"Let's sing something, Noor." Shahzaib said, and Noor nodded.

Noor played the guitar, and both brother and sister sang together the song mentioned above.

Everyone cheered, and they went off to their rooms as tomorrow would be the big day.

The next day in the morning, the whole house is in complete hustle and bustle.

Noor gets ready in simple attire.

She is passing by Laiba's room when she calls.

"Noor?"

She turned, "Yes?"

"I need a little help."

"What?" Noor asks.

"Dekho na mujhe smjh hi ni aa rhaa k kon se jhumke pehnu? (See, I can't decide which earrings will go with my dress?)" Laiba said.

"Umm, none of them will go with your dress." Noor replied, looking at the earring in her hand.

"Then?" Laiba asks.

"Wear this choker set. It will look much better." Noor said, pointing towards the set placed on her bed.

"Thanks." Laiba said, and Noor nodded with a half smile and came out.

"Noor, ready?" Masooma asks, seeing her coming into the hall.

"Ji Ammi." Noor replied.

"Where is everyone? We will get late." Shahana Begum said, coming out of her room.

"Everyone is here, Dadijan." Shahzaib said, coming into the hall.

"Let's go and get chachi (aunt)." Hamza said, and everyone laughed.

"She is not coming today, lalu lal (idiot boy)." Sarah said to her son, and everyone headed outside to settle in their cars.

"Bhabhijaan, what does Inayat do?" Noor asks Sarah.

"She is a social worker. Runs an NGO and is also engaged in other social works." Sarah replied, and Noor nodded.

They reach the venue, and everyone comes inside. Inayat's family welcomed them.

Aadhil sits on stage, waiting for his fiance.

Then she comes, and his eyes light up and a smile spreads on his lips.

Inayat 👆

She comes on stage, sits beside Aadhil, and they exchange rings.

Everyone applauds them. The elders blessed them with blessings.

Noor comes on stage and congratulates them. "Welcome in family Bhabhijaan."

"Inayat, she is Noor." Aadhil introduced her.

"Oh, to aap hai, Noor. (Oh, so you are Noor.)" Inayat hugged her, and Noor returned that hug with a smile. "Bahut batein suni hai apki. Bahut tamanah thi apse milne ki. (I have heard a lot about you. I was looking forward to meeting you.) Inayat said.

"Ji shukriya bhabhijaan. (Thank you, S-I-L)" Noor replied, smiling, then someone called Inayat, and she left.

"Thanks Noor." Aadhil said.

"Kisliye? (For what?)" Noor asks.

"Woh Inayat......"

"She is going to be a part of the family, so it's courtesy to welcome new family members and whatever differences we have because of Ahmed Khan. I'll never drag her into that." Noor replied politely, and Aadhil nodded.

Then Hamza came and dragged Noor to get ice cream. "Phupho chocolate flavor," Hamza said.

"OK. Lalu lal." Noor teased, and Hamza got annoyed and scrunched his nose.

"Phupho!!! Ammi never stops calling me; at least you stop. Please." Hamza said, and Noor giggled.

A man is hearing their conversation keenly, and he comes towards them.

"Hii. I'm Saad Aslam Qureshi." He approached Noor.

"Hello," Noor replied, frowning.

"Are you Aadhil's sister?" He asks

But before she could say something, Hamza answered, "Yes."

"I'm Inayat's brother." He said, "And I was waiting for you. Ammi told me that I could meet you at the engagement, and my answer is yes." He said that, and Noor is shocked.

"No. No. I'm not her. That is Laiba. She is the one whose marriage was proposed to you. Not me." Noor said it hurriedly. "You have a misunderstanding, that is." Noor said that and tried to leave that place.

Then Saad's mother brings Laiba to meet with her son. "Saad. Meet her; she is Laiba."

"No Ammi. I want her." Saad replied, pointing towards Noor, and Laiba's heart shattered in a million pieces.

"I'm not an object. That you want me." Noor replied with gritted teeth. "You are betrothed to her, so it's better you stick with her." Noor hissed and left.

She is pissed. So annoyed, 'what the hell does he think of himself? He wants me. My foot.' She thought and found Shahzaib.

She looked for him here and there, then finally found him standing with Inayat's father.

"Excuse me." She goes to him and says, "Bhaijan?" She gestures to him to hear her.

"What happens?" Shahzaib asks.

"Give me the car keys. I'm leaving." She demanded.

"Hua kya? (What happened?" he asks.

"Bas dei na. (Please give me.)" She said.

"No, you can't leave the party like this."

"Theek hai. Apko kya lgta hai? Aap chabi nhi denge to kya Mai ja nhi skti? (OK then. What do you think? I can't go if you won't give me the keys.)" She replied and ran from there.

Shahzaib calls her from behind, but she run away. Shahzaib didn't want to create a scene. So he didn't follow her.

Noor ran and entered an elevator. Her anger is at its peak, and she tried her best not to kill that idiot right there.

She takes deep breaths to calm herself.

Come out and start searching for a cab. Veer's car passes her when she sits in a cab with an angry face.

"Is she running from her wedding?" He said to himself and laughed, but something hit his mind when he saw Noor in traditional attire. "I have to talk to her." He said it again to himself.

On the other hand, everyone comes home after Noor.

They know about Saad's proposal as his family changed their offer later.

Everyone is shocked, and Laiba's heart breaks.

Actually, she saw Saad's pictures, and she fell for him. Before him, she also faced many rejections.

Many suitors rejected her for useless, idiotic reasons.

Saad is kind of her last hope because his family really liked her and treated her well. But now everything falls apart again.

Laiba is crying when they come home.

Noor is pacing here and there, fuming in anger.

"What kind of man do you find for her?" Noor roared. "She deserves better than that idiot. Who..." she stopped in the middle, seeing Laiba's sobs. "Why are you crying?" Noor goes to her and holds her by her shoulders. "Don't waste your tears for him. He doesn't deserve you. You will find someone better than him." Noor said, palming her cheeks.

Laiba cried even more and ran to her room.