𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬

2

Arsalan POV:

Wedding day
For the first time in my life, I will admit that Airah is looking beautiful. Her brown hazel eyes, those pouty lips, and damn, her smile. She looks beautiful.

"Baraat aane mein time hai kya?" I ask Yasir.
(Is there still time for the groom's procession to arrive?)

"Pata nahi. Imran Abba ko abhi call aayi thi. Keh rahe the ke aarahe hai."
(Not sure. Imran Abba just got a call. They said they’re on their way.)

I’ve been watching him for a while, and I’ve noticed that he’s been staring at Iqra the whole time. His eyes are fixed on the stage where Iqra is sitting beside Airah. “You got a crush on her?” I ask.

“Not just a crush, bro. I’m in love with her. Completely in love with her,” he replies, his eyes still fixed on Iqra.

“Can’t believe that the day has come when Yasir Furqan Siddiqui is in love!” Tariq says from beside me. I laugh.

"Tariq, sirf Yasir nahi, tere bhai ko bhi mohabbat ho gayi hai," (Tariq, it’s not just Yasir; your brother has also fallen in love.)
I say, pointing at Ziya, who is looking at Hiba and lost in his own world. Tariq laughs while Yasir chuckles.

“Well, I hope they get married soon. They’ve been engaged for quite a while now. Bhai is so crazy for her,” Tariq says.

“What about Hiba?” Yasir asks.

“Bhai ne kuch bataya nahi uss bare mein. Shayad pucha nahi hai ab tak,” Tariq replies.
(He hasn’t mentioned anything about it. Maybe he hasn’t asked her yet.)

I stand up and walk towards Imran Chachu (father's younger brother). “Chachu, baraat ko kuch zyada late nahi ho gaya hai?”
(Uncle, isn’t the groom’s procession getting a bit too late?)

"Wohi toh, beta. Kabse call kar raha hoon, utha hi nahi rahe hain phone," Chachu says worriedly.
(Exactly, son. I’ve been calling them for a while, but they’re not answering.)

"Kya hua Imran, ab tak phone nahi utha unhone?" My dad comes and asks.
(What happened, Imran? They still haven’t picked up the phone?)

"Nahi, Abba—" The sound of the phone ringing cuts me off. Imran Chachu picks up the call. After a while, his face loses all its color.

"Lekin aap ne toh kaha tha—" The person on the other side hangs up the call, leaving him mid-sentence.
(But you said—)

"Kya hua, Imran?" My father asks.
(What happened, Imran?)

"Woh log keh rahe hain ke unke beta ne chupke nikah kar liya hai."
(They’re saying that their son got married in secret.)

"Lekin unhone kaha tha ke aisa kuch nahi hai," Abba says angrily.
(But they said there was nothing like this.)

"Woh keh rahe the ke unlog ko bhi abhi is baat ka pata chala hai. Mazrat maang rahe the," he replies.
(They said they only found out about it now. They were apologizing.)

Airah’s POV:

"Airah, waise Aasim tumhe nerd nahi lagta?" Talbiya says, at which Iqra and Hiba laugh.
(Airah, doesn’t Aasim seem like a nerd to you?)

"Please yaar, ab toh uski jaan chhod do. Aaj shaadi hai humari."
(Please, guys, leave him alone now. It’s my wedding day!)

"But don’t you think that Arsalan Bhai is looking extra handsome and sexy in that cream-colored kurta?" Hiba says, pointing at Arsalan, who is standing with Abba and Farooq Taya (father's elder brother).

Iqra smacks Hiba on her arm and says, "Sharam nahi aati engagement ho chuki hai tumhari"
(Aren’t you ashamed? You’re already engaged.)

"Aur jinse hui hai na, woh idhar aapko hi dekh rahe hain, Hiba Appi," Talbiya adds.
(And the person you’re engaged to is looking right at you, Hiba Appi.)

"Go to him, Hiba Appi; he’s been staring at you for a long time," Iqra says.

"Mat karo yaar!" Hiba says, her cheeks tinted red.
(Don’t say that, guys!)

"Yasir bhi tumhe hi dekh raha hai, Iqra," I say.
(Yasir is also looking at you, Iqra.)

All three of us laugh, while Iqra tries to hide her face in Hiba’s dupatta. "Acha acha, girls, don’t make noise. You are on stage. Behave yourselves," Iqra’s mom says.
(Alright, alright. Girls, don’t make noise. You’re on stage. Behave yourselves.)

I look up to see Arsalan, Baba, and others walking towards me. "Moulana saab, nikah shuru karein," (Moulana, please start the wedding ceremony.)
Arsalan's father says as Arsalan sits in the place beside me. The place where the groom—Aasim—was meant to sit. Yasir, Ziya, and Tariq sit in front of us.

I look at Iqra to find that she’s already looking at me, her face full of confusion.

"Baba, ye nikah kaise shuru karwa rahe hain? Baraat toh ab tak aayi hi nahi," I say.
(Dad, how are they starting the wedding? The groom’s procession hasn’t even arrived yet.)

"Bhul jao unhein, beta," he replies softly.
(Forget about them, my child.)

What the hell is happening over here?