The Unexpected Vow

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟐

"I'm getting engaged"

"You're getting what!?!?"

I'm almost at the point of shielding my ears with my hands due to the intensity of Inaya's shout. Her eyes are nearly bulging out, staring at me as if I'm an alien who just landed in front of her.

"Eng-ag-ed," the word stumbles off my tongue, trailing away into silence as my gaze drops downward. Getting no response from Inaya, my eyes lift to meet hers again, only to discover her fixed gaze, her body frozen in place without even a hint of movement.

"Wait, what's happening? Why are you suddenly getting engaged?" Her lips abruptly come to a halt as she ponders something before finally posing her question, "And who is he?"

I'm fully aware that the response I'm going to reveal now will likely shock her even more than she was just a second ago. I clear my throat, giving a little scratch to the back of my neck with a nervous smile. "Aryan Kabir"

That's it. Her movement stops again.

She gazes at me for a solid minute before reclining against the couch, crossing her arms over her chest. "Aryan Kabir? The same man we discussed earlier?" Her gaze drifts away from me, fixating on the expansive window before us. I know my silence is enough to convey the answer she seeks.

(I've attached pictures of Aryan's eyes, his house, bedroom and Sara's bedroom's pictures on chapter 2,3,9,10. Go and check them out🫶)

I don't think I've ever witnessed her reacting like this before, especially not to the extent I observed today. She's still in shock. Can't blame her, though. The news is quite shocking.

"Who initiated the discussion about this marriage?" she inquires, her gaze still fixed on the window as she remains seated on the couch, arms folded. "Our fathers," I respond.

"But how did you even agree when you clearly know the issues between him and his father, not to mention his character?" This time, her gaze fixes on me as she voices her words in one swift exhale.

"We misunderstood him, Inaya," I respond softly, causing her expression to gradually ease. "What do you mean?"

A sigh escapes me as I lower my gaze, gently rubbing my temple with my fingertips. "His father spoke to me. It turns out Aryan wasn't the source of the problem; it was his father. Aryan went through so much, more than I ever knew. I was completely shocked."

I observe Inaya as she blinks rapidly, struggling to process it all. Today I've seen her show so many emotions at once, unlike her usual composed demeanor.

"Since this is also about me now, I can share this much with you. But, I can't share any further details about their personal affairs as it's confidential information, and as a psychologist, I'm bound by patient privacy," I explain, watching Inaya nod slowly.

But all of a sudden, her eyes snap in my direction. "But wait...I know you, Sara Zafar. You wouldn't just marry a random dude just because he is suffering.There's gotta be more to it!"

I struggle to hold her gaze after her words. I glance away, checking out everything but her.

"Wait, what's up with those rosy cheeks all of a sudden? Is that blushing, Sara Zafar? You're blushing!" she practically yells, trying hard to catch my eyes as I keep avoiding contact.

She suddenly regains composure, reverting to her usual stoic expression. "You like him,"

My gaze snaps to her, but she avoids meeting my eyes this time, like she's so sure about what she just said.

"N-o, it's n-ot like t-hat," I stumble. But then she lets out a confident laugh. "I can see who's stumbling over words now."

'"I'm not,"

"You are,"

"Shut up"

"You too"

"Wait, where's Bella at?" I ask, prompting Inaya to swiftly direct her gaze towards me as I realize she didn't bring her cat today.

"First of all, I know you intentionally changed the topic. And secondly I left her with someone else," she replies, getting up from the couch and heading to my kitchen. "I thought I was the one you trusted to care for your cat," I mention, waiting for her answer as she grabs two cups, probably for some coffee.

"Yeah, but you've been swamped lately, and now this marriage thing, I don't want to add extra burden on you," she explains.

I furrow my brow. "Hold on, why do I sense a hint of suspicion? Who is this individual to whom you've entrusted Bella?"

Engrossed in preparing coffee, she doesn't spare me a glance as she responds, "Someone who wanted to take care of my cat so badly. But I know very well that my cat doesn't easily warm up to others besides you and me. So I'm 100% sure he's gonna have a tough time looking after her"

My eyebrow arches. "Him? Inaya, what's going on?"

"Nothing is going on. He was just my neighbor who randomly appeared after all these years," she responds, maintaining her usual straight face, while she approaches me with the coffee cups in hand.

"I want details," I say, accepting a cup from her. She settles back on the couch, taking a sip from her own cup. "We were neighbors during our childhood."

"You've known each other since childhood!? Interesting! Your friendship has been going on for ages compared to ours," I exclaim.

She remains unfazed as always. "I never said we were friends. I saw him more as a brother as I don't have any siblings.

I chuckle in response. "You're quite something. And what's the story behind his sudden disappearance?"

"Not entirely sure. All I knew was that his family relocated to another state. I was just a kid, so I didn't dig too deep. But now they've reappeared. I heard his family is moving back to the same house next to ours. No sure if he'll be staying there with his parents as well."

I set down my cup beside me and clasp my hands, resting my chin on them. "This is interesting. You two knew each other from childhood. Then, he vanished, and now suddenly showed up again. What kind of Unexpected Encounter is this huh"

"There is nothing interesting about it," Inaya retorts, a remark I brush off with a smile. "By the way, you didn't tell me his name."

This time, Inaya's gaze fixes on me. "Do you not think you are too invested in this, darling? Plus, we were talking about your thing. You still haven't confessed in front of me that you like Aryan Kabir. Come clean now."

I find myself stuck in that familiar spot of not being able to respond. Getting off the couch, I head to my room. "Oh, I suddenly feel so drowsy."

"Don't pretend, Sara Zafar! Come back here! Our conversation is not over," Inaya calls out, trailing after me.

"We have concluded our discussion."

"No, we have not!"