If tears could be collected as a river, the Irfani Haveli would have been drowned by then. Kauser was crying, and no one knew why.

Fida and Shafaq were sitting by her side, in her bedroom. And looking at her childish act.

"Aapi, Marwaan Bhaijaan aapko pasand karte hai isme rone wali kya baat hai?" Fida asked in a confused manner.

Honestly, it didn't make sense to her.

"Bhai se kaun shadi karta hai!?" Kauser shouted in frustration.

Alright, she was engaged to her cousin before, but even then she was not ready for the alliance.

"Aapi, shadi se pehle har mard bhai hi lagta hai." Shafaq voiced out her point of view. And continued, "Mai bhi toh mangni se pehle Kaysan ko Bhai kehti thi."

"Haan, mai bhi bachpan mein apne dil par patthar rakh kar Aziz ko Bhai kehti thi." Fida added.

Kauser looked at them with her reddened eyes. Her sobs decreased as she began to ponder over their point.

"Waise sach kahoon toh mujhe bhi Marwaan ko dekh kar kuch kuch hone lag jata hai." She finally confessed.

"Kuch kuch se apka matlab?" Shafaq asked.

"Matlab... mujhe sharam aa rahi hai." She whined.

"Matlab aap Marwaan Bhaijaan ko consider kar rahi hai?" Fida asked expectantly.

"Mujhe nahi pata! Tum dono abhi jaao."

Fida and Shafaq exchange glances and stood up to leave.

Kauser laid down on her bed. Her eyes wide open and red. Her face reddened by her crying session.

And she began thinking about him.

🤍🤍🤍

Marwaan was standing in the balcony, looking at the unending fields of wheat in front of his eyes.

"Dadajaan ko bachpan mein maine hi bataya tha ke tujhe Kauser par crush hai. Baaki baat unhone khud pata kar li." Aziz confessed, who was standing on Marwaan's left.

"Mujhe koi narazgi nahi hai aapse yaa Nana Abba se. Bas dil mein ek darr hai ke kahi mai Kauser ko kho naa doon."

"Marwaan, tere iss logic par mujhe hairaani ho rahi hai. Do saal koi age gap nahi hota."

"Do saal koi age gap nahi hota sirf agar ladka ladki se bada ho. Lekin agar ladki ladke se ek mahina badi bhi ho toh farq padta hai."

"Kise farq padega? Who cares?"

"Bhai, aapne kabhi notice nahi kiya? Girls ko ek mature life partner chahiye hota hai. Aur log maturity ko age se compare karte hai. Iss-hi simple logic ne bachpan se darra rakha hai mujhe."

"Marwaan, bohat hi ghatiya logic hai tera. Maturity ka connection age se nahi experience se hota hai. Ek poverty mein reh raha 10 saal ka bacha, aish'o araam mein jiye 80 saal ke aadmi se bhi zyada mature hota hai. Aur maturity-wise tu Kauser se sau saal bada hai, iski guarantee mai deta hoon."

"Lekin yeh Kauser ko kaun samajhaye?"

"Mahobatt tujhe hai Kauser se, toh baat bhi tu hi karega."

"Kya guftgu chal rahi hai, my dear cousins." Kaysan jumped into their conversation from nowhere.

"Aaja tu bhi, teri hi kami thi." Aziz taunted him.

"Hamare bina toh har mehfil adhoori lagti hai."

"Ni tu Ghalib hai jo tere bina har mehfil adhoori lagti hai." Aziz taunted him, again.

"Ni aap koi Rahat Indori ho jo baat baat par mujhe taunt maar rahe ho."

"Dono chup karoge yaa mai yahaan se chala jaaun?" Marwaan warned them, putting an end to their bickering. "Yahaan mere dil par bani hai aur tum dono bachchon ki tarah lad rahe ho."

"Marwaan Bhai, to be honest, yeh jo shakhs hamare saath khada hai, uss-se toh aap sau guna khare ho." With his final taunt said, Kaysan left.

"Wah, ise kehte hai ek teer se do shikaar. Mujhe tanaa bhi maar diya aur tujhe approval bhi de diye."

"Kya farq padta hai? Jiska approval matter karta hai usne toh reject hi karna hai."

"Jung ladne se pehle hathiyaar mat daal, Marwaan."

"Yeh jung mai kabhi bhi nahi jeet paunga."

"Marwaan Bhaijaan! Kauser Aapi ne haan kardi!" Fida's loud voice made them jump in horror. But as her said words reached to him, he had that silly loverboy smile.

🤍🤍🤍

"Shafi!" Kaysan chirped while sitting beside her on the wooden swing that evening.

"Aap aaj bhi aa gaye! Aziz Bhaijaan ne dekh liya toh aapki haddiyan bhi todenge aur hamari mangni bhi." She whispered in a hushed tone.

"Mai nahi darta tumhare Bhaijaan se. Haq-halal ki mangetar ho, kisi se chori karke nahi laya." He declared, with a meaningless idiom.

"Kahaan se dhoondhte hai aap yeh bematlab ki baatein?" She frowned while asking. His nonsensical words sometimes irritated her.

"Tumhare Bhai ki dictionary se." He again gave a nonsensical answer.

"Kaysan, jab aap aisi fizool baatein karte hai bilkul zehar lagte hai."

"Aur jab tum mujhe khudse door karti ho, mujhe bhi tum zehar lagti ho."

"Kaysan, aapki baatein kabhi kabhi mujhe bohat irritate karti hai." She was honest while saying these words.

He was quiet for sometime, not having a proper reply to her words. He knew how irritating he can be sometimes.

"Yeh mera nature hai, mai ise change nahi kar sakta. Haan, koshish zaroor karunga, tumhe kam se kam irritate karne ki." He said while tucking her hair strand behind her ear, making her smile.

Shafaq held his same hand which tucked her hair strand, and kissed his palm.

"Aapki koshish hi mere liye kaafi hai."

He smiled, from the bottom of his heart.

"Shafaq..." They heard Aziz's voice and sound of footsteps approaching them.

"Bhagiye! Bhai aa gaye!" Shafaq whisper-yelled.

"Abbe yaar! Yeh aadmi mera saala bana nahi hai pehle hi meri zindagi jahannam kardi hai" He thought to himself, because he couldn't say so to Aziz's obedient little sister. And sprinted away to save his engagement.

🤍🤍🤍

Fida unzipped the backside of her dress, checking the scars on her back.

No one knew about these scars in the house, except for Kauser who helped her with bath for few days.

She just hoped these scars fade away before Aziz find about them. She didn't want to feel more vulnerable in front of him.

The opening of door startled her. Aziz entered the room and found Fida struggling with the zipper of her dress. Before she could zip it up properly, he felt as if he saw a scar on her back through the mirror.

"Fida, apni dress unzip karna." He told her politely yet sternly.

"Aziz, rehne dijiye mujhe uncomfortable feel hoga." She had an idea he saw her scars but she wasn't willing to show them to him.

He uttered no word and moved closer to her. Bringing his hand to her back he unzipped her dress. Fida leaned onto his body, feeling a need of physical and emotional support. From the mirror in front of him, he could see scars on her back.

Scars of nails digging into her skin.

She put her head on his shoulder, her eyes already wet from another emotional breakdown.

Aziz caressed her back with his warm hands. And kissed her temple.

"Fida, daag chand par bhi hote hai, lekin chand phir bhi khoobsurat toh hai naa."

She ended their hug, and looked at him. His eyes had pure love and adoration in them, while her eyes had a wonder.

And then she thought, he has already seen her scars, her broken self. Why hiding them anymore?

She took a deep breath in, and started removing her sleeves. Aziz frowned, what exactly she was going to do? The next moment her dress fell on the floor, she undone her other garments as well.

Her body was filled with many scars. They looked painful, so painful that it made his heart ache. She endured more than his expectations. More than his imagination. More than he could think of. And more than he could bear to think about.

But he smiled.

Because she was still beautiful to him.

His kissed her forehead.

Because she was still the woman he loved.

She accepted his touch.

Because she knew how much her acceptance meant to him.

He embraced her, with her scars.

Because that's exactly what true love is.

That night they didn't consummate, just kisses here and there.

But it was the first time Fida felt good when a man touched her.

🤍🤍🤍

"Kauser, darwaza kholo please!" Marwaan banged Kauser's bedroom door.

"Kauser, mujhse baat toh karo!"

"Kauser, agar itna gussa ho toh haan kyun ki?"

"Kauser, agar do minute mein darwaza nahi khola mai tumse kabhi baat nahi karunga."

"Kauser, I love you, yaar!"

Marwaan kept repeating these words for whole three hours, but Kauser didn't open the door nor she replied to his pleadings.

Marwaan felt as if his whole world ended. His life always revolved around Kauser only. And now when she was ignoring him, his mind was driving him insane.

He was unaware.

Unaware of what was happening inside.

And what was happening?

Money Heist!

Kauser was watching the latest season of Money Heist on her phone with earphones plugged in her ears. She could hear nothing except...

Bella Ciao! Bella Ciao! Bello Ciao!

••••••••••••••••
Before anyone asks,
No, I never watched Money Heist.
Today in school my classmate asked me what exactly Money Heist is, as it's news is everywhere on social media. And by now you all must be aware, writers find ideas from anywhere and everywhere.

Dedicated to
souldead
&
A

krutigupta