Arsal.

The next few days were spent making sure all the preparations were in order for the wedding, all the reservations were taken care of and all that.

Which had proven to be hard considering that something had happened and the Hall where the Mehendi Function was to be held was not reserved or something.

"Abba I have tried everything. They're saying that there was a mishap and that the reservations got mixed up." I was pacing the living room as I explained everything.

Abba, Rehman Uncle, Mohsin Uncle 'Shams' father', Shams, Daniyal and Rohail all were sitting, brain storming to come up with a solution to this. All the guests had been invited and the caterers were booked and now? We don't have the venue anymore.

Just then Jiya came down the stairs eating something. She looked at all of us and confusion spread throughout her face.

"What's happening here?" She questioned no one in particular but Rehman Uncle replied instatly.

"We no longer have a venue for the Mehendi Function." He said rubbing his temples.

"What's the problem with that?" She asked lightly as she sat on the arm of Rehman Uncle's sofa.

"The problem my dear is that no venue means where are we going to hold the function?" Abba told her like she was a five year old who couldn't understand simple things.

"Why don't you guys just have the function here?" She was looking at us like we were stupid.

Her idea did make sense. I mean the backyard is really big and is enough for the Mehendi Function where not a lot of people are invited.

"She's right!" I looked at Abba and Mohsin Uncle to make my point. "I mean we would have to tell the caterers to deliver food here. The guests are only family and close friends so we can call them and we would just need to decorate and we still have a week till the function."

I had already started planning what we would need and how things will be done. Jiya had given a brilliant idea.

"See! no big deal." Jiya waved her hand dismissively and walked away to the kitchen.

"I'll make the arrangements, Abba why don't you tell Ammi and Phuppo to call the guests?" Abba nodded at that and I followed Jiya to the kitchen.

She was making something in the frying pan and it smelled amazing.

"I didn't know you could cook." I sat down at one of the chairs and turned it to face her.

"You don't know a lot about me." She turned to look at me as well.

"What are you making?" I pointed behind her and she just shrugged at me. "French toast."

"You know I suddenly have the urge to eat french toasts." I acted as though I had suddenly had a craving for them and looked around me like they would suddenly appear in front of me.

"And are those french toasts I smell?" I acted smelling the air to find the direction.

I walked towards her she was facing me with a raised eye brow and hidden smile.

I was right in front of her maybe a little closer than intended. I could feel her stiffen and look up at me. I could hear her unasked question 'What are you doing?'

I reached behind her grabbed the plate that contained the French toast and got away from her reach.

Her eyes widened at what I did. She came after me but I kept my back to her and took a bite. After taking the bite I stopped. It was good but a not sweet enough.

She snatched the plate from my hand and glared at me.

"It needs to be sweet." I told her with my full mouth.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "I happen to like it just the way it is." With that she snatched the fork from my hand as well and walked out.

My eyes trailed after her. "Ahhhh...." I sighed as I sat on the chair again. "What the hell are you doing Arsalan Qadir Ali?" I spoke to myself with a bit of self loathing.

"You should just tell her the truth about your past like she told you." That was something I had been struggling with.

The truth, that is.

She told me about her past and everything but I still kept mine hidden behind a lock.

I mean she had trusted me enough to tell me about Rayan. Why couldn't I share my past with her? Why couldn't I tell her about Rida and her family?

Jiya.

Arsal was just so confusing to me right now. At first when we had arrived, he was kind of angry at me but after we talked and decided to know more about each other, I had thought it would still take some time to even talk normally with each other but he had gone on to flirt with me non stop.

He was teasing me all the time. He was joking all the time, making fun of me and infuriating me as well as riling me up.

And today when he supported my idea like that it made me feel good. I mean yeah it was a good idea and all but his support meant a lot in that moment.

But after that, what he did in the kitchen was unexplainable. He was so close to me. Our faces so close, his left hand resting on the counter behind me so close to touching my waist but barely making any contact.

And the look in his eye was something else. No teasing, flirting or joking. It looked like he had wanted to tell me something but didn't know how to. It looked like he felt guilty about something but I didn't know what he had to be guilty about. And there was something else in those orbs as well that I hadn't been able to name.

I shook my head as I looked in the mirror I was standing in front of. Then at the plate that still contained the half eaten french toast. In my haste to get out of there I had taken the fork that he ate with.

What was the big deal anyway? I mean we were cousins, we shared all the time before. But somewhere from inside came a voice, but it was before the Nikkah. Now, you two are husband and wife. Now, it should mean something.

I mean it should, shouldn't it? And maybe it did but then again maybe it didn't.

.

At night I kept tossing and turning on the bed but I couldn't seem to find a position comfortable enough to even attempt to sleep.

I looked at Naina and Kiran, they were both very peacefully sleeping. Why couldn't I sleep like that?

I tiptoed out of the room, doing my best not to make a noise. Once outside I heaved a sigh of relief. I walked downstairs and towards the back lawn. There were a few benches there so I could take in some fresh air.

I walked from through the doors and was instantly greeted by the fresh smell of flowers and leaves. The air was a little cold so I pulled my shawl even closer to me and walked towards the bench near the rose bushes.

My back was facing the doors I had come through. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I relished in the quietness of the atmosphere. The silence somehow soothing.

It had been a few minutes since I had closed my eyes. Suddenly there was a hand on my shoulder and before I could scream the hand clasped my mouth shut. I was panicking, what if it was a thief? Or worst a murderer?

Suddenly I felt someone near my ears whispering. "Calm down. It's just me." That's when I recognised that it was Arsal.

After that he loosened his grip on me slowly and then I turned around at lightning speed and hit him in the chest.

"You're gonna give me a heart attack!" I exclaimed to him in a harsh whisper and turn back around looking at the moon above us.

He sat besides me and that was when I realised he had a bowl in his hands and was eating strawberries. "Want some?" He was looking in my eyes and I had the sudden urge to ask him if there was something he wanted to tell me but I squashed the feeling down and was about to take a strawberry when he pulled the bowl out of my reach.

"I didn't say you could have some." He told me seriously and I just turned my head back to facing the moon and closed my eyes.

All the while I could hear Arsal eating those strawberries because he was chewing so obnoxiously. What was he trying to achieve here?

I just cleared my head of those thoughts and stood up. I fixed the shawl I had draped over myself before leaving the room and turned towards the doors when Arsal caught my hand in his and pulled me back.

He made me sit on the bench besides him again.

He took a deep breath and turned twards me. "I need to tell you something."

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