As Irsia walked through the door she heard her family already pestering Sibtain with questions. She chose not to enter the drawing room and sneak up to her room. As she was climbing the stairs her mother called her.

"Irsia where do you think you are going?"

Irsia groaned silently and turned around to face her mother who was standing outside the drawing room. "To my room."

"Why?" Irsia shrugged in response. "Come back here. Why are you going to your room when everyone else is sitting inside with Sibtain? It looks rude."

"But mama I don't know him. I mean-" Sibtain heard that and looked up.

"He is your cousin. Now don't argue and come inside." She huffed but agreed to join the others.
As she entered the room she walked straight to Zahra and sat beside her.

"Irsia did you meet Sibtain?" Her grandfather asked. She nodded in response. "When?"

"When he arrived. I was in garden with Zahra." She answered and looked down, all this while unaware of the pair of light brown eyes on her.

"See dadajaan, Irsia aapi applied henna on my hands. You were so engrossed in talking with Sibtain that you didn't even notice," she pouted but then continued, "anyways how is it?" She asked extending both her hands towards her grandfather.

"Aha! Very beautiful."

"Thank you."

"Show me." Sibtain asked his cousin. Zahra showed him the henna as well.

"It is very beautiful."

"Our Irsia is very talented," Noor-din Khan said smiling proudly at his elder granddaughter.

"She indeed is," Sibtain agreed as he gave a single glance in Irsia's direction, who smiled a little and quickly looked away.

"So as I was saying you will come with me tomorrow," Noor-din said to Sibtain.

"But I don't even know them. What will I do there alone and that too two days prior."

"What are they talking about?" Irsia asked Zahra.

"Dadajaan is asking Sibtain Bhai to join him tomorrow to attend Zoya aapi's wedding ceremony."

"But that is after two days."

"Yeah and that is what the whole discussion is about."

"C'mon Sibtain, it is the first time you will be attending the Kashmiri wedding. I want you to see everything, not miss out on anything. Know your culture."

Sibtain placed his hand over Noor-din's and smiled. "I understand bade dadajaan. All I'm saying is that I don't know them so it'll be kind of awkward for me and on top of that I'll be alone there. So please understand."

"You won't be alone. I'll be there and your grandfather will be there as well."

"You know what I mean." Sibtain gave him a knowing smile.

"Dadajaan, Sibtain is right. He'll be bored there all on his own. I'm going day after tomorrow. I'll bring him along. That will be feasible for everyone." Aazir told his grandfather and received a grateful smile from Sibtain.

Irsia was busy reading her book when Sibtain joined her on the couch. She turned her head and found Sibtain sitting at the other end of the couch, sipping coffee. He had changed into black T-shirt and trousers. He gave her a slight nod and a smile. She returned the smile and resumed reading her book.

"Sorry to disturb you but can I ask what you are reading?" Sibtain asked her.
"Pride and prejudice."

"You love reading novels?" She nodded her head. "Which is your favorite?"

"I can't name one. I mean I love classic novels but then there are Harry Potter series, divergent series, The fault in our Stars, Brida, etc.. I just love reading."

"Wow! You have read a lot. I like classic as well."

"Really? Which is your favorite book?"

"The one you are reading." He tilted his head in the direction of the book in Irsia's hand.

"Mine too. I've read it like twenty plus times." Irsia was suddenly talking freely with him, all shyness gone. Sibtain had a smile plastered on his face all this time.

"Hey." They were interrupted by Shahzain. They both looked up at him.

"Hey." Sibtain greeted him. Shahzain sat between the two.

"So it looks like you two are friends now."

"No." "Yes." Irsia and Sibtain said together. They looked at each other.

"I mean we were just talking about the book," said Irsia.

"Okay," Shahzain said looking a bit suspiciously between the two.

"So where are others?" Sibtain asked.

"They will join us shortly."

"But where are they?" Irsia asked.

"We are here." Abu Bakar said climbing up the stairs. He was holding two boxes of extra large pizza and three coke bottles.

"Wow a pizza party!" Irsia exclaimed.

"She goes crazy whenever she sees pizza. So beware!" Shahzain told his brother loud enough for Irsia to here.

"Hey. Don't lie." Irsia slapped his arm and then turning towards Sibtain said, "Don't listen to him. He is lying."

"Don't you remember what happened two days ago?"

"Well it was because I love pizza."

"What happened two days ago?" Sibtain asked, sounding interested.

"We went to this pizza shop, Amigos, and ordered three large pizzas and we were only seven people. She ate how many, four slices? Yes four. So she ate four slices already and still she was eyeing the pizza on the next table."

"I wasn't."

He shushed her and continued the story. "Either her innocent face did the trick or they were creeped out, the nice couple offered her a slice from their pizza which she happily accepted."

"What?" Sibtain looked at her with wide eyes. You eat this much and still you aren't fat?"

"He is lying. I wasn't eyeing their pizza. My eyes just happened to roam across the room and stop at their table two times." Shahzain raised his eyebrows. "Okay four times." Sibtain chuckled.

"What can I do. It was my favorite pizza, Mexican Bite. I told him and Aazir to order Mexican but they were dead set on Shezwan and Chicken Blast."

"Yeah it definitely wasn't your fault." Sibtain said trying not to laugh.

"Hey do you want to eat or not?" Abu bakar asked.

"Yes." Irsia shouted excitedly and then looked at the two brothers. She cleared her throat and said yes again in a lady-like manner. Both brothers were smiling at her and the elder one was enjoying himself.

It was almost seven in the evening when Aazir knocked at Irsia's bedroom door.
"Irsi?"

"It's open." She shouted from inside.

He opened the door and found her reading. "Close the book. We are going out."

"Where?"

"On a drive to Boulevard."

"Great. I'll get ready in five minutes."

"You only have two minutes else we are leaving." With that he closed the door and walked to his own room which was three doors down. He knew his sister. Her five minutes were actually fifteen to thirty minutes and this was his tactic to bring her on time.

Irsia quickly changed into blue kurti and black jeans. She placed a blue hijab over her head and ran downstairs where Aazir and Sibtain were busy with their phones.

"Where are others?"

"They went to their rooms to get ready." Aazir answered.

"When?"

"Two to three minutes ago."

"But you said we were leaving in two minutes time."

"And it is already ten minutes since I said that. Don't worry they will be here any minute now."

"This is not fair."

"Look at the bright side. For the first time in your life you can proudly say that you were ready on time and actually waited for others." Sibtain chuckled but quickly coughed to hide it.

"Shut up Aazir. Don't tease her."  Abu Bakar said coming down the stairs.

"There comes my favorite brother." Irsia said giving Abu Bakar a smile. He placed his arm around her shoulder and they walked out of the door.

They went out in two cars. Aazir, Sibtain, Irsia and Zahra in one and Shahzain and Abu Bakar in another.

"Let's go to Sonmarg tomorrow." Zahra said excitedly.

"No. If we go there tomorrow we will be tired the next day and we have to go to Zoya's home that day. So no Sonmarg tomorrow," said Aazir who was driving the car.

"Then how about some nearby place?" Suggested Irsia.

"How about Pari Mahal and rest of the Mughal Gardens?" Asked Sibtain.

"Good idea." Aazir agreed.

"Then it's a done deal." Exclaimed Zahra.