Author's pov

"KYA??? (WHAT??)" Ira yelled, and Noor shivered. She clenched her dupatta tightly in her fist. "Veer?"

"Where is dad?" Instead, he asks because he is the only one who can save him from his mother's wrath.

"Tu bahr aaa. (Come out,)" she said.

"No," he replied stubbornly.

"Veer ye koi mazak ki batt nhi hai. (Veer, this is not some kind of joke.) It's a serious matter. Tell me clearly, and if you pull some stunt again, then only God will save you from me." Ira said, taking steps towards them, and Veer held Noor tightly from her shoulders. Keeping her as a shield.

Ira is running from here to there, and Veer is hiding behind her. Pulling her here and there, he tries to not get caught by his mother.

Noor is stuck between mother and son, and she has no idea what to do.

"Koi mzak nhi hai. Biwi hai meri apki bahu. It's not a joke. She is my wife and your daughter-in-law.)" Veer said, peeking through Noor's shoulder.

"Tu kuch bi khe ga or mai maan lungii (you think you would say anything and I will believe it.) No." Finally, Ira caught him and pulled him out, holding his ear.

"Aaoou Aaoou Maa." Veer cried in pain. "It's hurting. Please leave."

"No, I'll not. Tell me the truth." Ira said, pulling his ear more.

"Ssss....aaahh... Maaa, I'm not lying. She is my wife. I swear. Wait!! Let me show you pictures and our wedding."

"Ye sab kya chll ra hai? (What is going on?)" Pratap asked, entering inside, and saw the scene in front of his eyes. Ira was pulling Veer's ear, and a scared girl standing in the corner.

"Ira?"

"Ask your son." She replied.

"Veer? Kya kiya tune ab? (What have you done now?" Pratap asks, worried.

"Dad woh......"

"Shadi ker k aae hai shabzade. (Your prince is married.)" Ira said, and Pratap looked at Noor in disbelief and shock.

"Kya? (What?) Veer, is this a joke?" Pratap ask.

"No dad." Veer replied, showing wedding pictures and their wedding documents.

"Tera dimag too khrab nhi ho gya? (Are you out of your mind?)" Pratap asked in disbelief.

"Court marriage? Seriously? Jab mai tujhe bol rhi thi shaddi K liye tab too nhi mana (when I was telling you to get married, you were not agreeable)" Ira said, and everybody looked at her, shocked. "Tab kyu nhi btaya mujhe jab mai bar bar puch rhi thi k koi ldki hai too bta de (why didn't you tell me when I was asking if you like any girl, then tell me)"

Everyone is shocked by her answer. Because that was not the reaction Veer and Noor expected.

"Maa, you are not mad?" Veer ask

"I'm mad. How can you get married like this? I have so many desires for your wedding, and what have you done? Court marriage?" Ira said.

"OK, so you are mad because of court marriage, not because I'm married, right?"

"Shut up, Veer!" Pratap interrupted.

"Chup rhe Pratap. (Quite Pratap.) Veer, answer me?" Ira interrupted Pratap.

"Ira yaar, this is not a joke. For God's sake, he got married, and that's with her." Pratap said, and Ira got confused.

"Aap jante hai ise? (Do you know her?)" Ira is confused.

Instead of answering her, Pratap goes towards Noor, and he is worried about her condition. She had cried a lot; it's clear from her puffy red eyes.

"Beta, you can tell me clearly if he did something or forced you to marry him." Pratap asked, and Noor looked at him.

"Dad?" Veer said it in disbelief.

"Shut up! I'm not talking to you." Pratap said it sternly and asked Noor again. "Bache (child), tell me. You don't have to be scared of him." Pratap ask calmly.

Noor looked at Veer, then at Pratap. Veer gulped nervously.

"No." She whispered, and Veer took a sigh of relief.

"See, I told you..."

"For God's sake, shut the fuck up!" Pratap cut him again.

"Pratap language." Ira warned.

"What language, Ira? You have no idea what he has done." Pratap replied frustratingly. "Shahzaib will never let it go easily. He will never agree."

"Shahzaib? You mean the owner of Masooma  Enterprise?"Ira asks in disbelief, "That means she is Noor Alam Shah?"

"Yes." Pratap agreed.

Ira never saw her, but she knew about her. She is successful; everyone knows her name, whether they've seen her or not.

"Veer?? We have no issue, but I know her family would never accept this relationship." Ira replied.

"I know. I know that's why I have to do this." Veer said

"At this cost?" Pratap asks, pointing towards Noor.

"Dad, we don't have other options. We loved each other, and her family was never going to be ready....."

"So you made her leave her family?" Pratap cut him off.

"No, it's not like that, dad. Mom was forcing me...."

"That's not an explanation. I even asked a thousand times if you liked someone." Ira cut him off this time.

"I know, but we kept it a secret." Veer tried to justify himself.

"Veer tu chup reh. Tu jitna bol ra hai na Mera utna dimag khrab ho rha hai teri bate sun k (Veer shut your mouth. The more you talk, the more I'm getting mad hearing your  excuses.)"Pratap said it in an angry tone.

"But dad?"

"KYa dad? Your father is right. You should have told us. We talked to her family. Maybe they agreed. After all, we all want the betterment of our children." Ira said, going towards Noor.

She caresses her head and wipes away her tears. "Are nhi roo nhi bache? (Don't cry, child.) It's ok, but at least you should have come to me. I would have talked to your family." Ira said, embracing her, and Noor was just crying silently.

"Ira ab kya bahu yuhi drwaze pe khdi rhe gii? (Ira, now what? Do our daughters-in-law stand here in the doorway?" Pratap said. "Whatever happened, happened. We can't ignore the fact that they are married now."

"You are right, Pratap." Saying this, Ira runs inside the kitchen and says, "Kamala." She called the maid, and after a few minutes, she came back with kalash, kumkum, and puja thal. (Some Indian rituals to welcome newlyweds)

She placed the kalash and kumkum thal in front of Noor. "Ab tu wahi khda rhe ga? Yaha aa apni biwi k sath (are you going to stand there? Come and stand beside your wife.)" Ira said, and Veer stood beside Noor.

Ira did their arti and welcomed Noor into the family.

"Noor, push this kalash with your right foot, and then walk with these kumkum on your feet." Ira said, and Noor did nervously what she said.

"Welcome to family beta, and don't worry, everything will be OK." Pratap said to Noor:

"Maa..."

"Baat na ker mujhse. (Don't talk to me.)" Ira cut him instantly. "I'm still mad at you."

"Maa yaar, if I told you, then you have planned a big fat Punjabi wedding, but we want it low-key." Veer said, trying to justify himself.

"Ira, take her upstairs." Pratap said, "You come with me." And take Veer inside his study.

"You shouldn't have done that." Pratap said "Shahzaib will never..."

"I'm not afraid of him. Why you are?" Veer said, cutting his father off.

"It's not fear, but Veer, don't do something childish. Tell me honestly. I will handle your mother. Why have you married her? Even are you married to her or not?"

"Dad yaar. I told you guys. We loved each other, and it's all happened in haste because her family will never accept us. She is my legal wife."

"Whatever, but don't ever hurt her. She already faced so much in her life; now definitely Shahzaib's reaction will hurt her more." Pratap said. Actually being in the same business circle. He knew about Ahmed Khan and his family.

Veer frowned upon hearing his father's word because he didn't know anything and wanted to ask but kept his mouth shut.

"Veer ." Ira comes inside to study.

Both turned to her, and she saw Pratap tensed. "What happened, Pratap?"

"You two talk. I'm leaving." Veer excused himself and ran out.

"Pratap?" Ira asks again. "Everything will be OK."

"I'm not worried about him. I'm worried about her. She is Shahzaib's life. Everyone knows how much he cares about her, and he is also a strict man in religious matters. He will never accept them."

"He is her brother. He will forgive her." Ira assured him.

"That man never forgave his father, Ira, and this betrayal is more than that. He raised her as his daughter. And a father can go to any extent. You know that. She faced so much, Ira, and I don't want her to face her brother's wrath. They are kids, and they took an impulsive step."

"God will do everything right." Ira assured him. "Pratap. They married secretly. Now the wedding can't happen, but we can at least throw a reception party to welcome our daughter-in-law, and maybe this helps in melting her family's heart as well." Ira suggested, and Pratap agreed.