In The Pursuit Of Love

Blithe before the Storm

Assalamualaikum beautiful readers!! Hope you all are doing fine! Here is the long pending chapter and I am sorry for keeping you waiting for so long.. Enjoy the long chapter and let me know in the comments how you are liking the story so far.. Also if you find any character names changed from what I have mentioned before, do drop in a comment subtly so that I can rectify that mistake, as I tend to forget the names of my characters. Stupid? I know ;)

"The believers, men and women, are protectors, are supporters one of another: They enjoin what is just, and prevent what is evil: They perform regular prayers, practice regular charity and obey Allah and His Messenger. On them Allah will spread His Mercy. Truly Allah is Supreme in Power, All Wise." - 9:71

The nikah was to be held after Asr in the masjid and the wedding was to take place in the evening. With only two hours left for the nikah, the house was full of chaos. Guests kept pouring in just to take a look at the bride once before she actually gets nikahfied, without having pity on the hosts, for Aamina felt like she would go mad. Should she attend the guests or stitch the button on one of Mehreen's kurta, which she was to wear during the nikah.

Her phone rang and after listening to it, she groaned in frustration, disconnecting it in a rage. It was her husband and he had forgotten the receipt of the natural flowers, which were to be delivered at the venue for decoration, at home. Moreover, she had to search the whole wardrobe, as her husband had buried it in the depths for it was important and he couldn't lose it.

She looked around, and smiled how her family members were taking care of the guests, and when her eyes landed on Nargis, who was swiftly trying to disappear, avoiding the glances of the people, she immediately called her, her voice louder than it should, making her stop in her tracks.

She turned around, and Aamina put on a smile, a tired one, and signaled her to come closer.

"Sorry beta, but your uncle has given me a tedious task just now and this needs fixing right now, as Mehreen has to wear it. Can you do it? Please" she implored with a soft smile and Nargis returned it with one of her own.

"Sure Aunty. You don't have to ask" Aamina thrust the kurta in her hand, and left, not before turning around to glance at her and sigh.

Oblivious to the sigh, Nargis exhaled noisily, staring at the work in hand. Since the morning, Aamina had been entrusting her with one work or the other, engaging her in the smallest of the things. It's not that she did not like it. It was the first time that she was feeling that she was important. That she belonged.

But she did not wanted it.

For Allah's sake, all her plans to leave were thrown out the window, for she didn't get even a second to lose the gaze of Aamina, let alone leave the house.

After having stitched back the button and getting it approved by Aamina, Nargis made her way towards Mehreen's room. As she entered, she was met with at least a dozen pair of eyes, all aunties, none of them whom she recognized, with the exception of Mehreen missing.

"Umm..Mehreen?" she asked to no one in particular, getting intimidated by the staring gazes of each and every one of them in the room.

"I don't know beta. We have been waiting for her for quite some time, to see her, but she is nowhere to be seen" one aunty took upon her to answer on behalf of all the aunties, as the rest of them nodded eagerly.

She is hiding.

Nargis looked around with a smile on her face. "Aunty she must be taking a bath. I guess it will take time"

A minute later all the women were leaving, murmuring on how girls these days take so much time to bathe. As soon as the door clicked close, the bathroom door opened, and Nargis saw Mehreen peep from behind the door and heaved a sigh of relief upon finding the room devoid of all the unknown aunties.