In the dazzling world of glitzy weddings and sparkling lehnga cholis, Hayah, a dedicated doctor, finds herself in the most unexpected of predicaments. She's reunited with Saleh, the charming but infuriating heir to a billion-dollar tech empire. Thei...
"Fatima Riaz binte Riaz Ahmed, kya aapne Ali Raza ibne Raza Khalid ba'iwaz haq mehar 20 tola zewar jo mukamal ada kar diya hai, apne nikkah mein qubool kiya?"
(Fatima Riaz, daughter of Riaz Ahmed, do you accept Ali Raza, son of Raza Khalid to be your husband with the payment of 20 tolas of gold jewelry as your Haq Mehr, which has been fully paid?)
"Jee, qubool kiya," Fatima affirmed for the third time. (Yes, I accept)
As her words hung in the air, her father, brothers, and Maulana Sahab quietly left the room to conduct the nikkah ceremony with Ali Bhai's side in the lounge. The room now felt emptier, with just a few of Fatima's cousins and me remaining by her side. I moved closer and wrapped my arm around her, offering a comforting side hug.
"Mubarak ho, meri jaan," I whispered to her. (Congratulations, my love)
In response, I heard only a soft sob, which made me hug her even tighter. Words couldn't fully capture the bittersweet nature of this moment. We were both happy for her, yet the absence of Anabia Aunty, who adored Fatima and treated her like the apple of her eye, was palpable. I couldn't begin to imagine going through such a significant life transition without the presence of my own parents. Their absence was a reminder of how truly blessed we are when they are around.
A few moments later, Ali Bhai's voice echoed through the microphone as he said his "Qubool hai" three times, sealing the marriage. Fatima was now a married woman. The reality of it all was almost unbelievable, but the joy I felt for her was overwhelming. I gave her one last hug before getting up to fulfill my duties for the day. (I accept)
Tying my dupatta securely around my waist, I left the room and instructed the caterers to begin serving food in the lawn. As everyone started to eat, I teamed up with Rohaan, Fatima's brother, and the event decorator to transform the living room into a stage for the rest of the evening's celebrations.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
As I was handling things downstairs, my phone vibrated with a message from Fatima:
"SOS."
My heart skipped a beat. I quickly excused myself and ran upstairs to her room, only to find a perfectly fine Fatima.
"Abay khoti, you look completely okay. Why the SOS?" I semi-yelled, catching my breath.
"But everything is not okay, meri jaan," she replied, clearly stressed.
"What happened?" I asked, concerned.
"Mera dulha mujhe abhi tak dekhne nahin aya," she pouted. (My groom didn't come to see me as yet)
"Haan tou, you're going to have a first look downstairs," I replied, trying to reassure her.
"I don't want a first look surrounded by aunties," she huffed.
"Fair enough, fair enough. You want me to call Bhai upstairs?" I offered.
"Oh my God, if you do that, you'd be my favorite best friend," she said, her eyes lighting up.
"And how many other best friends do you have hidden?" I teased, pretending to be offended.
"Yeh tou main sirf tab hi bataoun gi after you bring my dulha to me," she shot back with a smirk. (I'll only tell you that, only after you bring my groom to me)
"If I don't bring your dulha, I'll change my name," I laughed, heading toward the door.
"How about Shagufta?" she called out as I left the room.
I chuckled to myself as I headed downstairs, scanning the area for Dulhe Miyan. After a bit of searching, I spotted Ali Bhai surrounded by Fatima's uncles on one side and a bored-looking Saleh on the other. Approaching him directly felt impossible with all those uncles around, no doubt bombarding him with tips on married life. Poor guy looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole.
I caught Saleh's eye across the room, and he raised an eyebrow, curious about my antics. Unsure of how to proceed, I pulled out my phone and texted him.
"Yo, can you do me a favor?" I sent.
"What is it?" he replied.
"Can you bring Ali Bhai upstairs to Fatima's room? Or at least get him out of this uncle circle so I can take him to his bride?" I asked.
"What do I get out of it?" he texted back.
"What do you mean?" I replied, slightly annoyed.
"What do I get out of risking my life to bring the groom to his bride?" he joked.
"Risking your life is an over-exaggeration, but fine—what do you want?" I sent back, rolling my eyes.
His response came instantly: "You."
My eyes widened in surprise. What did he mean by that? I looked up at him, only to see him watching my reaction with a smirk. My phone buzzed again.
"You baking me your special chocolate chip cookies."
I sighed in relief and quickly typed back, "You got it."
Saleh POV:
I sat next to Fatima's uncles, trying to feign interest as they surrounded Ali, offering up every piece of marital advice imaginable. Ali looked like he'd rather be anywhere else, and honestly, I didn't blame him. My attention wandered until I noticed her, the girl who'd been on my mind more than I cared to admit, glancing over at me with an expression that was both urgent and mischievous.
What was she plotting this time?
She fiddled with her phone, and a moment later, mine buzzed in my pocket. I checked it and saw her message. She wanted me to get Ali away from the uncles and upstairs to Fatima. I looked between her and the group of uncles, then a grin spread across my face. This was a chance to have a little fun.
I decided to make her work for it, throwing a playful challenge her way. I knew it would annoy her just enough to make it interesting. I watched her closely from across the room as she read my response. I could practically see her rolling her eyes.
Perfect.
I pushed a bit further, joking about the so-called risk involved. She was clearly not in the mood for games, but I wasn't about to make it that easy for her. When she finally asked what I wanted, the answer came to me without hesitation.
Her.
I typed it out before I could second-guess myself, enjoying the thought of how she'd react. When she read it, her eyes went wide, and I could see her trying to figure out if I was serious. The look on her face was priceless, so I decided to dial it back—just a little. I clarified that I'd settle for her famous chocolate chip cookies, and I watched the tension leave her shoulders as she quickly agreed.
Satisfied, I tucked my phone away and stood up, making my way through the throng of uncles to pull Ali out of the circle. This nikkah had just taken a turn for the better, and I couldn't wait to see where the rest of the day would lead.
*hides behind a curtain* Hehehehe so I'm back, kind of? I kind of missed channeling my exam stress into writing, so here I am, I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter and if you did don't forget to vote, comment, and follow. I will try my best to write further, but if I don't maaf kijiye. I love you guys, MWAHHH!!!
