Aziz-E-Qalb

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Author's POV

Ain paced anxiously in her room, debating whether to tell her Taya Abbu about the creepy messages she had been receiving. But the thought of bringing it up felt embarrassing. What if he dismissed it? What if he thought she was overreacting?

Lost in thought, she stopped abruptly when her Dadi Jaan entered the room.

"Sit down, girl. I need to talk to you," Nilofer said with her usual authority.

"J-j-ji, Dadi Jaan, you could’ve called me. I wo—"

"Forget all that and come here," she ordered, gesturing to the bed. Ain quickly obeyed, sitting beside her grandmother.

"Do you like someone?"

Ain's breath hitched. "Dadi Jaan, what are you saying—"

"YES OR NO, ZAINA?" she demanded, her voice sharp.

Ain’s heart pounded in her chest. "N-no, Dadi Jaan."

Nilofer observed her intently before nodding. "Good. We’ve arranged your marriage. You’re getting married in two weeks to your Phupho’s son, Nawaz. Everything is ready; you don’t need to pack anything."

Ain’s body turned cold. "M-my marriage? To Nawaz Bhai?" Her voice wavered.

"Are you questioning my decision?" Dadi Jaan’s gaze hardened. "Do as you’re told!"

With that, she walked out, leaving Ain frozen in shock.

She barely knew Nawaz. She had seen him only twice in her life. He lived abroad, and the only things she knew about him were his name and his disturbing reputation.

Musa’s Reaction

Musa stormed into the house the moment he heard about Dadi Ammi’s decision.

"DADI AMMI! HOW COULD YOU ARRANGE HER MARRIAGE WITH NAWAZ? DO YOU EVEN KNOW HE HAS A TWO-YEAR-OLD SON?"

Nilofer remained unfazed. "So what? His wife passed away long ago. The child needs a mother."

"SHE IS A CHILD HERSELF! FOR GOD’S SAKE, DON’T DO THIS TO HER!"

"Lower your voice, Musa!" she snapped. "I made this decision after careful thought. Nawaz is a good match. Besides, who would marry an orphan girl? At least Sameera sent a proposal—"

"I WOULD."

The room fell silent.

Musa’s voice softened, but his conviction remained strong. "I would have married her, Dadi Ammi. And I would’ve done it happily. But you didn’t even think to ask me."

Nilofer stared at him, taken aback.

"I already spoke to Baba," he continued, his tone calmer now. "He reminded me that Arshad Chachu had taken a promise from him—to have Ain and me married."

A gasp escaped from the doorway.

Ain rushed inside and flung herself at Dadi Jaan, hugging her tightly.

"YAYYY! Dadi Jaan, you caught the perfect bakra! Now I won’t have to leave home or find another ‘husband’!" She squealed, jumping in excitement.

Nilofer chuckled at her antics, patting her head affectionately. "May Allah protect my child."

Musa, however, was still processing everything. "Wait. This was a setup?"

Ain turned to him, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "No, Bhaijaan! Dadi Jaan explained how I’d have to leave the house after marriage, and I just... I couldn’t do it. So, I asked her to find a solution. And she told me about this plan because you would never agree otherwise!"

Musa exhaled sharply, shaking his head in disbelief. "Dadi Ammi, what did you teach her?"

"Enough talking!" Nilofer waved them away. "Go prepare for the wedding."

Ain beamed and tugged on Musa’s arm. "Come on, Bhaijaan! We need to go shopping! So many things to buy, so little time!"

Musa chuckled but suddenly stopped in his tracks. With a swift movement, he pinned her against a nearby wall, making sure they were out of sight.

"We need to do something about that ‘Bhaijaan’ word, Ain," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead before walking away, leaving her flustered.

Dinner was quiet, with occasional murmurs between family members. The tension in the air thickened when Dadi Jaan cleared her throat.

"Zaina’s marriage is in two weeks. All arrangements should be completed—Haldi, Mehendi, and wedding preparations. Inaya will handle the decorations."

Inaya, Musa’s younger sister and a renowned event planner, blinked in shock. "Oh. Uh, okay." She had barely paid attention to Ain all these years, having lived abroad for most of her life.

Ashraf Khan hesitated. "But, Ammi, Zaina’s wedding was supposed to be with M—"

"We know, Ashraf," Nilofer interrupted. "Arshad spoke to us about it already."

His wife, Rabiya Begum, smiled secretly, relieved that Ain would now have a secure future.

(Her heart was practically bursting with joy.)

With no further objections, the family continued their meal before dispersing to their rooms.

At 3 a.m., Ain sat in the kitchen, absentmindedly eating while feeding her cat, Sheru.

Meanwhile, Uzair sat in his room, rubbing his temples. His migraine was unbearable.

When he was younger, his mother used to massage his head whenever it hurt. He missed that. He missed her.

Deciding that a cup of hot chocolate might help, he walked into the kitchen—only to find Ain whispering to her cat.

"Sheru, can you believe it? My wedding is happening, and I have no parents or sisters fussing over me like in dramas. I only have one brother... who hates me." She sniffled. "I don’t even steal his chocolates or ice cream like Adil Bhai does with me. I don’t know why he dislikes me so much."

Her voice broke. "If Ammi and Abbu were here, they would’ve scolded him and fixed everything."

Uzair stood frozen at the doorway, his heart clenching.

His eyes burned as he realized—he had been pushing her away all this time, not out of hate, but out of fear.

A deep breath shuddered through him before he finally spoke. "brother can never hate his Chanda."

Ain’s head snapped up.

Tears welled in her eyes as she stared at him in disbelief. "Bhai?"

Before she knew it, she ran into his arms, sobbing into his chest. "You called me Chanda."

Uzair held her tightly, his own tears falling. "I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry." He whispered the words over and over again.

Musa, who had come to check on Ain, stopped at the doorway, watching the siblings reunite. A soft smile touched his lips as he quietly left, happy for his Ain.

Uzair kissed the top of Ain’s head repeatedly. "Now, my Chanda’s wedding will happen with grand celebrations. Her brother is here."
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Hey guys

I am so sorry to keep you waiting but I was really busy with my classes and all.

(I was kinda disappointed by the response I got from previous chapter, but it's ok)

Do comment 💬 and Vote ⭐

Signing off