Forced To Be One

12.

- Kinza -
After we arrived home, Ahad had quietly stopped outside my house, all the way home we stayed quiet, there were moments were I tried starting a conversation, but he just didn't listen, so I decided to ignore him too, so when he stopped outside my house, I quickly let his car and went inside without even giving him a glance.

I made my way inside when I heard the doorbell behind me, I opened the door to see Ahad with my bags, but without saying anything he just shoved them in my hand, he was being really rude, baba had come behind me and saw Ahad, "ah beta, you're at the right time, have dinner with us, your dad is here too" "sure uncle" and they walked past me like I didn't exist. Sighing I went to my room to put away my bags and went down to help with dinner. Once dinner was set, everyone sat for dinner, but I was feeling tired so I excused myself and went to rest early. 

-°•○●°- 

I had finished reading Isha, when there was a knock on my door, 'must be mama, she must want to see what I had bought', without much thought I responded with 'come in'. I turned around to see Ahad standing there, still looking serious like he always does, I just raised my eyebrows asking him what he wants, but he just kept looking at me, ignoring him I went back to brushing my hair, "Kinza stop being stubborn" "and how am I being stubborn?" "gosh, you should have just stayed at the shop with me" "well I wasn't doing anything useful so I decided to save time" "why do I even bother talking with you" "okay then don't, go talk to your girlfriend, go" I nearly pushed him out of my room and closed the door, he wouldn't bother me again. 

- Baarat day -
The day had come so fast, it did start with two days in between, but still I hadn't expect it to come so soon. I hadn't seen Ahad since a few days, and the other days we had been so busy with other things, the day before yesterday, Ahad's family came over and helped with decorating the hall, then yesterday was spent either getting my henna done or mama getting emotional every few minutes she saw me.

But now the days here, the day I will be officially married. I had gotten ready at home by my cousins and friends, then once we were all ready, we made our way to the hall.

"Nervous api?" Neha asked, "kind of, all eyes will be on me" "of course, you are the bride" we both laughed and tried to make the moment less nerve-wracking for me.

Once we got to the hall, it was beautiful to see everything decorated, no one let me help decorate since I was the bride I should focus on my self, I ended up sleeping or reading those days.

Ahad and his family were already at the hall and were waiting for us. Once we arrived, all light were on me as mama and Neha helped me get to the stage and helped me sit beside Ahad. For a while neither of us didn't say anything to each other, we just say there as many relatives and friends had come up to congratulate us.

After many photoshoots and more smiling, Ahad's friends had come over, "man congrats on wedding" he thanked them, then the music started playing and they all started dancing, everyone was enjoying the moment. I would be lying but I was feeling alone all by myself sitting here.

I had gotten up to go to the small room a the side of the hall, mama said I could go in their if I felt too overwhelmed. I had almost entered when I held Ahad's friends, I turned to see Ahad with them too, "I'm surprised bro, all through school and uni, you always talked about one girl and that was Rana" "yea well-" "you also had promised her you'd marry her, do you still like her?" Ahad didn't respond  he just chuckled at what his friend said and before he said something I left.

I quickly entered the room before someone saw me. Ahad likes Rana?  I remember Rana, she was a beautiful and graceful person, she was in the same year as Ahad as I was in the year below them. We were all in the same uni too, until the last year when she went abroad to study. The thought of Ahad liking Rana kept coming back, then a flashback of a few days ago came back, 'no, it's for my girlfriend' what if he was serious

"Api, api are you alright?" Neha and Zara looked at me worried, I'm perfectly fine, I just got a little anxious with all the talking and light and you know" I said quickly to not make them worried, "nothing to worry api, do you want me to bring the food here or will you come out" "um here please" they both smiled and soon came back with a plate of food for me.

I quietly ate in the room since most my family were busy  attending the guests, and I wasn't sure where Ahad was. I was done eating when Ahad came in, he just quietly looked at me but I just looked away, "come on, everyone is waiting", without saying anything I got up and left the room with him following behind me. It was time for all the traditional games that everyone played, like the salt in the groom's milk and stealing his shoe and demanding money, it was so fun watching everyone, but I kinda wished I wasn't the bride. "Hi Kinza?" Saif had come up on the stage with his sister and mother, the mother and sister both hugged me and congratulated me, they were really sweet people. 

After meeting all the guests and all the games it was time to leave, walking off the stage and walking towards the car felt strange, I hugged my parents but they were crying more than I was, I hugged Neha next, "stop crying stupid, I'm literally next door" "I know, but still, you won't be there to wake me up in the morning, and who's clothes am I going to steal" we both laughed at her joke trying to cheer up the moment. 

Ahad gently held my wrist and we both entered the car, I waved to my family as we drove off, I wasn't crying, It wasn't the last time I saw them, they would literally next door to me. The drive was short and quiet between us, I was too busy thinking about my family that I had forgotten I was sitting beside him.

We had arrived to his house before his family, since both our family were going to stay late cleaning up and finishing an work. Ahad opened the door and I slowly stepped out, with all the tiredness, the heels really hurt and my dress felt really heavy, I leaned on the car as I slowly walked, I wouldn't be surprised if I had blisters, I had groaned at every step I was taking, it was getting really hard. I was about to take my next step when I felt a hand on the waist and was picked up in a bridal style. 

"what are you doing?" I said looking at him, again him with his serious face, "calm down, you were walking too slowly, we'd be there all night" I just huffed and didn't say anything since my feet already hurt. When he opened his bedroom door, the room was beautifully decorated, I looked at Ahad that said something under his breath, then he looked at me "it was ami and Zara" "I didn't say anything". 

Ahad took his clothes and went into the bathroom, while I looked around the room, it was his normal room with flowers hanging around the room, his room was clean, and organized. His walls painted a light brown colour, a bookshelf with books, I looked closely and found some picture frames, One was of his family, one was of both our families a few years ago when the company had  first opened, and a picture of his friends in college, I saw him standing beside his friend and Rana, I recognized her.  I remembered what I heard his friend say to him, and something hurt, but maybe he doesn't like her anymore, it's been years. There was still an unsettling felling.

Once Ahad had come out of the bathroom, I took out a pair of sleeping clothes from my bag and went into bathroom. I would be lying if I said I spent almost an hour in the bathroom, removing my makeup and taking out all the pins, taking off my clothes, I took a quick shower to cool myself down before I head to bed.  

When I came out, I saw Ahad waiting for me, "finally, let's pray and then head to bed" "sure" I said drily and went to take out my shawl, and laid my prayer mat behind his, after we were both done, we sat there praying. Once done, I got up and put my shawl away, Ahad saw something and stood in front of me, "gosh you're like a kid, you forgot your pin" he said carefully taking it off, I mumbled a thank you, I laid at the corner of the bed, while he slipped in the other side. We were both really exhausted from our day we both ended up sleeping. 

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what do we think, Ahad still likes Rana?

What if Rana shows up, will it cause trouble between our two people?

What will Kinza do?