The Addiction of Love

VII

Misha and Kiaan sat on two single sofas, while Ramza and Aamna sat on the couch in front of them. All four of them had different expressions on their faces. Misha was scared, Kiaan was nervous, Ramza kept staring at them with a blank face, and Aamna just looked at all of them in confusion.

"Ab koi batayega bhi mujhe ki hua kya hai? Ramza, kya baat hai?" Aamna couldn't take the suspense anymore.

"Tum in dono se kyu nahi poochti?" Ramza replied, still glaring at them.

Aamna sighed and looked at her kids. "Misha, batao mujhe. Kuch kiya hai kya tumne? Kiaan?"

"Maa, woh.." Misha nervously looked towards her mother and then Kiaan.

"Haan, batao apni maa ko apne baare mein." Ramza said.

Kiaan cleared his throat. "Aunty, main aur Misha ek dusre se pyaar karte hain."

Aamna's eyes widened and she looked at Misha for confirmation. Misha slowly nodded her head.

"Par yeh kaise, kab hua? Misha, tumne mujhe pehle kyun nahi bataya?" Aamna was surprised at this new information.

"Inhe batana hota toh kab ka bata dete. Woh toh aaj maine inhe haath pakde hue dekh liya, warna hame toh kabhi pata hi nahi chalta." Ramza snarled. He deliberately didn't tell Aamna about them coming out of the store room as he didn't feel it was right to do so.

Ramza then looked at Kiaan and asked him, "Kya irada hai tumhara meri beti ko lekar?"

"Matlab?"

"Matlab sirf uska haath pakad ke ghumane ka irada hai ya zindagi bhar ke liye uska haath thaamne ki himmat bhi hai?" Ramza rudely questioned him.

"Ramza," Aamna tried to calm her husband, but Kiaan's voice silenced everyone, "Main shaadi karunga Misha se."

It was time for Misha to be surprised. She stared at him, speechless, and so did her parents.

Kiaan looked into Misha's eyes and said again, "Agar Misha haan karegi aur agar aap log ijazat denge toh main Misha se jitni jaldi ho sake utni jaldi shaadi karna chahunga."

Misha couldn't believe he was proposing to her for marriage in front of her parents, but that did not mean she didn't like it.

Kiaan continued speaking, "Uncle, aap mujhe bachpan se jante hain. Main kabhi Misha ko takleef pahuchane ka soch bhi nahi sakta. Main wada karta hoon bahut pyaar se aur bahut khush rakhunga use. Please hamare rishte ke liye haan karde."

Ramza heard him patiently and then asked Misha, "Do you also want to marry him?"

She looked at her mother, who had a small smile playing on her lips, and shyly nodded her head, "Ji, abbu."

"Theek hai phir, kal subah hum Zahra aur Amir se baat karenge is baare mein." Ramza declared and a huge smile broke out on Kiaan's face.

Aamna stood up and hugged Misha first and then Kiaan. "Tum toh sachi mein mere bete ban gaye." She said to Kiaan.

He smiled at her, and then went to Ramza. "Thank you so much, uncle."

Ramza patted his shoulder, "Agar meri beti ko kabhi bhi koi bhi dukh hua toh mujhse bura koi nahi hoga."

Kiaan nodded his head.

Even though Ramza knew that Kiaan would never hurt Misha, it was still his duty as a father to warn him once.

"Aur suno, abhi se lekar nikah tak Misha se kam se kam 2 feet ki doori bana kar rakhoge. Samajh gaye na?" Kiaan knew he was referring to the store room incident, and he nervously agreed to that as well. But now that meant he'd have to convince his parents to suggest that the wedding should be soon. He couldn't go long without touching his girl.

The next morning, the first thing Aamna did was call Zahra.

"Kya baat hai! Aaj subah subah meri yaad kaise?" Zahra teased her friend when she picked up the call.

"Bas tumhe ek khush khabri deni thi." Aamna spoke.

"Kaisi khush khabri?"

"Hamare saalon pehle ka sapna sach ho gaya." Aamna told her.

"Kaunsa sapna?" Zahra was confused.

"Misha aur Kiaan ki shaadi ka sapna."

When Misha and Kiaan were barely a few months old, Zahra and Aamna talked about how good it'd be if they marry each other. But as they grew up, the only relationship that bloomed between them was friendship. And even though both the mothers wanted them to fall in love, they never vocalised it in front of them because they never wanted them to feel pressured by the fact that their mothers wanted to see them married. By the time they graduated college, both the ladies had given up on their dream. But God had his own ways of making things happen. He took time in granting their prayers, but He did grant them.

While Aamna told the entire story to Zahra, their happiness knew no bounds. Zahra informed Amir as well. He was shocked, but in a good way. The parents started with the wedding planning right away as the couple didn't want to wait long.

Ramza had forbidden Misha to visit Kiaan's home. So now every time Kiaan had to come to their home to meet Misha, and that too only in the living room, where Ramza could keep an eye on them. Kiaan was getting really irritated at his father-in-law's rules, but he didn't have any other choice. The only time they had some privacy was when they both stood on their respective balconies and talked on the phone. He still couldn't touch her, but something was better than nothing.

The wedding date was decided two months later. It was too late for Kiaan, but since they both were the only childs, the parents wanted to throw a grand wedding for them. And the planning and preparations would take at least two months. Because of Misha's busy work schedule, most of the things were being handled by Kiaan. He would ask the designs from the wedding planner and send them to Misha. Then whenever she'd get time between or after work, she'd go through them and tell him her views. And then after discussing, he'd confirm them with the planners.

Misha was glad to have gotten a partner who understood her and her busy life, and she made sure to never go to bed without letting him know how much she loved him and appreciated him.

Three weeks before the wedding, Zahra and Amir came to Delhi. They both, along with Kiaan, came over to Misha's place for dinner. Everyone fed each other sweets on the happy occasion.

Zahra engulfed Misha in a motherly hug. "You've no idea how happy I am that you're going to be my bahu."

"Khush toh mujhe hone chahiye. Saas ki jagah ek dusri maa jo mili hain mujhe." Misha replied.

Zahra chuckled and brought her hand up to show her a gold kangan that she always wore. "Yaad hai bachpan mein tumhe meri yeh kangan kitni pasand hua karti thi."

Misha smiled at the memory of her playing with that kangan. She had always loved that piece of jewelry.

"Jab meri shaadi hui thi toh meri saas ne mujhe yeh muh-dikhai mein di thi." Zahra said while taking it off, "Aur aaj mein yeh apni bahu ko de rahi hoon."

Zahra made Misha wear that kangan and smiled at it. "Par yeh aapka hai, main kaise le sakti hoon?"

"Is kangan par mere baad meri bahu ka haq hai." Zahra assured her, "Aur tumhare kismat mein Allah ne yeh kangan pehle se hi likh diya tha, shayad isliye tum yeh bachpan se itna pasand tha."

Misha blushed at her choice of words, and looked at Kiaan. He was smiling as well.

Maybe it was true, maybe they were always meant to be together. It just took them a long time to understand that.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

Haaye, koi mujhe bhi aise saas laa kar do!

Epilogue coming up.

I know this story was short, but I didn't want to drag their cute love story by adding unnecessary drama.