Ek Nayi Shuruaat

Hi friends, I watched Yakeen ka Safar again recently after a break of almost four years. It touched my heart again the same way it had before, and I couldn't help but want to write something for two characters that impacted and inspired me deeply. The courageous and heart-rending tales of Dr. Asfandyar and Dr. Zubiya made me want to write a small one-shot on their happy wedded life. Just a small ode to one of my favorite couples of all times. Here it is, do vote and comment if you like it. 

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The bright fairy lights still hung around the windows, casting surreal spots of red, green and yellow contrasting with the clear, inky black summer sky. Though it had been a week of her wedding with her beloved, Asfandyar, Zubiya still couldn't believe her stars. It was as if she'd soon be woken up from this beautiful dream, and back to the dreadful reality where she was unwanted, unloved and shunned by all.

Right at that moment, Asfand placed an arm around her shoulders, breaking her reverie. He cocked his eyes at her, silently asking her if she was okay. He could sense her unease, her dilemma every time. Zubiya merely smiled and shook her head. Lubhna and Usman entered the drawing room carrying a few heavy albums. Asfand and Zubiya were seated on the carpet, already poring over tons of photographs of each of their childhoods.

Zubiya had made it a point to collect those old photographs when she'd gone to Karachi for the wedding. They were her only memories of a family, a childhood she often yearned to go back to. Most of all, she collected photographs of her ammi and abbi and herself. Asfand had initially been against the prospect of Zubiya going back to the house where she'd been so badly mistreated and then evicted right in the middle of the night. Zubiya too had not wanted to go back, for the memories were too painful- as if all the good ones were shadowed by the recent past, the turmoil that had begun in her life after her ammi's accidental death.

Rehan had begged Zubiya and Asfand to allow him to conduct the wedding at what he still ironically called Zubiya's home. Finally, when Asfand had realized his point of view- he only wanted to redeem Zubiya's respect in the eyes of their family, their neighbourhood, to proclaim to them all that Zubiya was innocent, that he relented.

The nikah had been a simple ceremony in itself. Both Zubiya and Asfand had grown beyond the pomp and show, and just wanted the people who were closest to them- those who had stood by them in their worst times by their side. Agreed, the guests were only a handful.

Zubiya's bhabhi stood in a corner, just a mute spectator, barred from all the preparations or festivities and mostly given a cold shoulder by her husband as well as Zubiya's inlaws. Though she was stunned to know that Zubiya was marrying into one of the most prominent and reputed families of their country. Her envy multiplied a hundredfold when she got to know her husband to be was a renowned surgeon, not to mention an extremely attractive man.

Other guests included a couple of Zubiya's friends from her MBBS days, her khala, Khajistha, the doctors from Neelam Valley, and Asfand's family, Ismail, Daniyal's old friend were present on the occasion. Dr. Haroon, had of course lightened up the atmosphere with his impromptu jokes.

Post the nikah, the walima was hosted in Islamabad. Decked in a bright bridal attire, Zubiya found it hard to contain her smile or her blush, as her now husband, Asfand sat beside her on the flight, and pampered her to the fullest. He wasn't the only one- Gaiti, and her inlaws too couldn't get enough of their sweet, new family member. Lubhna's smile could have lit up the skies- such was a mother's joy seeing her child finally happy and settled. Usman too could no longer hide his emotions. The moment he'd seen Asfand steal glances at Zubiya at dinner two months ago, and reading his body language around her, his instincts both as a lawyer and as a father both told him that Asfand was falling for her. Since then, Usman too had been silently hoping to welcome Zubiya as his daughter-in-law in the house.