Ishqiya (Editing)

CHAPTER-5

With the wedding day drawing near, excitement filled the haveli. Ayaan eagerly counted down the hours until he could finally marry the love of his life, Inaya. Unable to sleep, he decided to text her,

Ayaan:Are you awake? I can't sleep, tomorrow we are going to get married.

Inaya: Yes, I'm excited but I have to sleep now. Otherwise I'll have dark circles. Good night.

Ayaan: Good night, love.

Needless to say, the groom-to-be couldn't contain his excitement, and so he headed up to the terrace to soak up the fresh air. But, seemingly out of nowhere, Maira showed up, seemingly lost in thought and taking in the same view of the moonlit sky.

It was an awkward moment, but Ayaan was curious as to why she was up at that hour. 

"Maira, you're here. Is everything alright?" he asked, clearly puzzled as to why she'd join him considering how awkward things had been between them lately. 

"I couldn't sleep, Ayaan," she admitted, fighting to keep her emotions at bay.

The thought of the upcoming wedding was just too much for her to handle, knowing that she was going to lose one of the most important people in her life to someone else. But, she gathered up her courage and faced him, avoiding eye contact and trying to keep her emotions in check. "I'm excited for you," she lied, putting on a brave face.

Ayaan saw through the façade, though. "Thank you, Maira. But I'm sorry. I truly am. I may have hurt you, but I'm glad you refused. If not for that, Baba would have forced me to marry you," he said, expressing gratitude in a heartfelt and sincere way. Her heart sunk, and tears welled up in her eyes as she struggled to hide her true feelings.

As he couldn't make sense of his emotions, he decided to make conversation with her, wondering about her future plans. She mentioned her acceptance into an MBA program in New York, but begged him not to share the news with anyone else. Ayaan was surprised by her decision to entrust him with a secret, and he couldn't help but wonder why Maira had chosen to divulge this information to him first.

They stood there in silence, taking in the beautiful lunar night sky. Unfolding before their eyes was the stunning scenery of the moon's reflection in the glistening water, but both were lost in their own thoughts. Maira appreciated every moment she spent with him, knowing it might be one of their last.

"When are you leaving?" he asked, acknowledging her impending move tied to her MBA program. "Next week," she replied, struggling to hide her sadness. Ayaan could sense the emotion in her voice. He took a deep breath and sought to console her. "Why didn't you tell Phupi first? She's your mother. This is a big news," he said, but she simply responded, "I felt like sharing it with you."

Ayaan couldn't shake the feeling that he was about to lose something important. He had an urge to convince her to stay, but he didn't know where that desire came from. They parted ways, with Maira retreating to her room. Ayaan couldn't help but think about what had transpired, the moon's light casting an ethereal glow across his face.

With the wedding day quickly approaching, he had been immersed in excitement, only to have it all come crashing down when confronted by Maira. The emotions he had been so carefully keeping at bay were now impossible to ignore. Although he was happy with Inaya, he also realized how important Maira was to him and the role she played in his life. With his mind in turmoil, Ayaan let out a deep sigh and headed to bed, where he slipped into a restless sleep, unsure of what the future would hold.

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