***

"But Ihsan don't you think you are hurrying things?" Anwar Shah watched his youngest sibling with concern. Whatever he was saying wasn't settling well with Anwar and he knew his other brothers and father felt the same.

"Bhai jaan I know what you are thinking,but trust me this time." Ihsan said calmly.

Anwar looked at his father who had a passive look on his face and like many other times he couldn't guess what he was thinking. The matter at hand was sensitive for all of them, afterall it was Saman they were talking about.

"Call them over." Zalqernain Shah spoke after a long silence earning quite surprised looks from his other sons. Ihsan on the other hand looked content.

"But first talk to Saman. If she wants to then only you will proceed ." Ihsan nodded enthusiastically. It was his utmost priority too, Saman was his beloved daughter and he only wanted the best for her.

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"Saman ek cup chai bana do yaar." Throwing his bag on the couch Ahad spoke and next slumped beside his bag. He was exhausted.

"Not now." Saman didn't even look up from her phone as she replied.

"I am tired, Saman please!" Ahad pleaded, earning a surprised look from the other two girls sitting there. Mansha then looked at Sara who herself was shocked at his polite tone. When did he become so humane and that too with Saman.

"Sara can you give him tea please."Saman briefly looked up and spoke making Sara nod but before she  could even get up Ahad stopped her.

"Leave it, I will make one myself." He said got up from the couch. This caught Saman's attention, making her get up too only to earn a glare from Ahad.

"Acha ab saro mat." Ahad rolled his eyes and followed her towards the kitchen.

"What happened to them?" Mansha asked, watching the two walk away. She  was really known for forgetting things but she still remembered how these two used to fight, but now it seemed like everything had flipped upside down.

"It's the rishta effect." Sara replied.

Mansha frowned and watched her for a moment. Whatever Sara said was unable to make her understand, not even a bit.

"Did you forget again.?"

"What?"

"Of Course you did. Ihsan chachu had brought a proposal for Saman and those people are coming tomorrow." Sara said making sure Mansha understand every bit of it.

"I know that but what's that gotta do with Ahad bhai?" Mansha asked again. Sara slapped her head in frustration.

"Mansha, even though Ahad bhai and Saman fight like crazy, these two have a special bond with each other. And I know amongst all of us, for Ahad bhai Saman will always come first. And right now he is worried for her." Sara completed with a small smile on her face. Mansha didn't ask anything further, she wasn't that dumb. She now understood everything.

___________

"What have you decided?" Ahad asked, leaning against the counter while Saman started making his tea. She sighed and looked at him with a tired face.

"Ahad I can't even decide what to wear on my own and you're expecting me to decide this, that too so soon?" She spoke in a low voice.

"But Saman you can't run away can you? Everyone's waiting for your answer."

"I don't know Ahad, I...I just don't know what to do. Everything is so rushed and...and it's not giving me any good feeling." Saman looked at Ahad with helplessness, making him sigh.

"If you are not having good vibes then refuse. Nobody, Saman, nobody will say a word against you." Ahad assured her.

"But Ahad, what about Papa?" Saman asked.

"He is your father, he will understand. And I am there , just trust me." Ahad smiled at her softly but Saman remained silent for a long time. As if dazed, she had no idea why everything was making her feel like this. It wasn't like she had something  else in her mind, giving this whole thing a chance wouldn't hurt her.

"Ahad will it be fine if they...those people come here and I answer after that?" Saman asked slowly but it felt like as she uttered each word,her inside pained. What kind of ordeal was this!

Ahad watched her as she spoke and sighed. He knew what was going inside her and he knew she didn't want all of this but it was for her to conclude.

"Are you doing this for others?" He asked firmly.

"Kind of, I feel refusing them without any proper reason is wrong. At Least I should meet them." She spoke yet there was uncertainty in her voice. Ahad watched her for a moment.

"Saman, listen to me carefully. Do not think of others, please. They are our family and you know very well family always comes first. None of them will be disappointed as you think, and why do you forget that I am there with you. I will handle everything. So please think before you make a decision." Ahad completed.

Saman just nodded. Pouring the tea in his mug she went out.

Ahad didn't know what he should be doing right now. On one side there was Armaan who was the epitome of stupidity and had left everything on a line and on the other hand it was Saman. Even if she didn't want to, she would do it for others. The two most idiotic people of his life had pushed him in a situation where he had to do something but he had no idea what.

"Ya Allah help! "

_____

The buzz in the haveli today was from early morning. Preparation and some more preparation was going around. The guests were after all important.

The family that had sent a proposal for Saman was coming.

Everyone seemed too ecstatic, much to Ahad's irritation. Everything was going  downhill for him. He knew Saman was skeptical about all this yet she agreed to go forward and meet the family and the said guy. On the other hand he wasn't able to contact Armaan, as if his cousin had hidden himself in the farthest corner of the world.

He had a severe headache from last night, nothing was going well. Even at work things were becoming hectic and that had given him a week of sleeplessness and exhaustion.

"For goodness sake can you all just stop!" He yelled with frustration. His sisters and aunts were fussing about something and they were loud, way too much.

Silence prevailed in the room and the shock on the faces of the people around was enough for him to regret.

"What is wrong Ahad?" Munazza asked, watching her son with confusion. He looked frustrated and tired.

"I am so sorry guys it just slipped off. Don't mind me, once again sorry." He apologized sincerely and tried to smile. Yet they all didn't go back to talking, they were still cautiously watching him. He sighed, here goes nothing.

"I was thinking about somethi-" he started only to get cut off by Munazza.

"Ahad, what is wrong? And I know it's not nothing." Munazza sounded stern as if warning him that he better not lie or beat around the bush.

Ahad gulped the lump in his throat, he messed up. He was caught in a situation he knew he couldn't escape. And Ahad so wanted to smack himself for slipping.

"Ammi it's actually nothing.  Work is getting to my head and I -" he spoke only to stop by the sharp look he received from his mother. He looked around and much to his dismay everyone press there was now attentive. Even the Dory Mansha whose attention span was barely seconds.

He couldn't tell all of them what actually was wrong.

Or,maybe he could.

He contemplated for a second and even if one part of his brain said not to utter a single one the other, majority onr said to tell them everything.

What if any of them had a solution to all of this mess.

"Badi ammi it must be nothing, leave him. Anyways, when has he been sensible." It was Nadia who spoke. Munazza remained silent for a few more seconds but she looked convinced. Soon the ladies went back to their thing and Ahad sighed in relief.

He didn't wait a single second and walked away from there. Mentally thanking Nadia. She had helped him yet again and he would thank her later but right now he needed to find Saman. He texted her and soon got to know that she was cooped up in her room.

In no time he was in Saman's room where she sat in complete silence and with worry etched all over her face.

"If you are so worried why didn't you say no?" He spoke. She jerked hearing his voice suddenly.

"I am not worried, just nervous." She whispered back looking at her hands.

"Saman yaar why are you doing this?" He asked,making her look at him.

"Because I want to."

"Do you? Really?" Ahad raised his brows. Anyone could clearly tell she was tensed if they paid enough attention.

"Ahad don't do this. Don't make things hard for me." She pleaded with glistening eyes. Ahad sighed.

"Saman, all I want is to help you yet here you are." He said calmly.

Saman looked down again. Ahad watched her briefly and took a seat in front of her.

"I heard yesterday that the guy lives in England." She spoke after a moment.

"Ahad what if everything goes well and I...things go forward...I will have to leave-" Saman stopped mid sentence. It was way too hard for her to even complete her words let alone think about the said possibility.

The mere idea of leaving this haveli, her home was unnerving enough for her.

"Is that why you are so worried or-?" Ahad asked, urging her to speak more.

"I don't know, everything papa and bade abbu told me sounded nice. His family, him but...but I cannot understand why it just doesn't feel right." She spoke and looked up at him only for her tears to slip out. Ahad could feel the clench in his chest, she looked so vulnerable.

"Maybe it is not right for you. He might be nice so his family but maybe not for  you." 

"I don't know." Saman cried out. Sets of fresh tears ran down her cheeks making her clench her eyes.

"I want to give all of this a chance, it's not like I am bound to get married to him but..but it is the first time and I have no idea why am I being like this?"

"Saman-"

"Ahad why am I such a wreck? Everything is fine yet here I am being a brat. What will papa and everybody say when they hear me now? I am getting everything on a silver platter yet I am being so ungrateful. What have I even done in my whole life to be able to deserve all of this and now when I am getting everything easily I am being ungrateful-" Saman choked on her words.

On the other hand Ahad was stunned.

"Saman stop! Where did all of these come from? Oh my god!" Ahad spoke with exasperation.

"It is what it is Ahad, I am being an ungrateful brat and calling trouble for my family. What will they say to those people  if I ask them to stop all of this? Won't it bring them so much humiliation? The guests are about to come in a few hours-" Saman was now hysterical.

"What should I do now Ahad? " she asked.

"First of all, calm down." Ahad spoke, holding her shaking hands in his.

"I don't know from where all these things came to your mind Saman but trust me you are overthinking."

"But Ahad-"

"Stop. Listen to me first. Carefully."

"We surely can't ask the guests to not come right now. But it is not too late to refuse." Ahad spoke." Things will go as it has to, they will come and we will meet them normally, and...if after that you think," Ahad took a small pause and watched as Saman listened to him. She had stopped crying, much to his relief. "And if you feel that going forward is right, then and then only we will proceed."

"Ahad-" Saman started only to stop by Ahad's interjection."But, if there is any trace of confusion or worry, you will deny. Without thinking much okay?"

Saman stared at him for a while as if the language he was speaking was foreign to her.

"But Ahad-"

"No buts Saman." Ahad spoke sternly.

"I understand what you are trying to say, but think properly. If you are this unhappy and troubled by this proposal, what made you think that you will not be the same after accepting?" Ahad asked. "And do you think our family will be fine with you being like this?"

Saman was quiet now. Ahad's words were making sense to her but then her mind had been already too jumbled to even think.

"So what do I do now?" She asked again.

"Just go with the flow and leave everything to me. Whatever your answer will be...I am always with you." Ahad whispered.

Saman didn't have to think twice now, she knew Ahad. Even if they fought most of the time and weren't on the same page, Ahad had never backed off from his role as a brother. And he was the only one she could trust with her life...she was sure of it.

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Assalamualaikum.

How are you all?

Let's just hope next chapter comes faster.