Kahani Hamari Fasana Hamara

Chapter 3

Mariya Raha Ayub

"Abbu, what are you talking about?" I said in a calm voice. "I told you that I'm not planning to get married any time soon."

"I had already talked to the boy's family. There's still time; make up your mind," Abbu said dismissively as he left the living room.

I hadn't expected such an unpleasant conversation with my father, I had hoped that after three long years, he might feel some happiness upon seeing me again, but I was mistaken.

All my life, I worked hard just to hear my father praise me, to be proud of me. But it never happened. My father always saw me as a burden.

How had I even entertained the thought that things might be different?

The happiness of returning home had vanished, replaced by a growing sense of anxiety. I turned towards my mother, and she gave me an apologetic smile.

I pushed those thoughts aside. I didn't want to revisit the pain of yearning for even a small bit of his appreciation, which always seemed out of reach.

"Don't worry, beta I'll talk to your father," Ammi spoke softly as she passed me a plate of rice.

I couldn't blame my mother entirely, as she always deferred to my father. I wished she could have been closer to me

I took a spoonful of rice and paneer. God, I missed this-my ammi's homemade foods. It had been a day since I arrived, and Kainat had kept calling me to come to meet her soon.

Yesterday evening, I had gone to the market with ammi and bought plenty of traditional wear that I usually didn't wear and couldn't even remember the last time I did. Weddings were fun with traditional clothes, heels, and churiya. I had already packed my bag and was planning to go to her place in the evening.

-

"Surprise!" I exclaimed as I hugged Kainat tightly. She pulled back, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Mariya, finally," she said gently as she pulled me into another hug. We both giggled.

No matter how much time passes, there are some people who will always remain the same

"Aakhir, waqt mil hi gaya tumko," Kainat said, rolling her eyes dramatically.

Kainat had beautiful brown hair and pale skin, with striking green eyes. She had been beautiful inside and out.

"Shukar karo, aa to gayi," I threw the playful taunt at her. "Kafi na shukri ho waise tum."

"Alhamdulillah, it's not like that," She said with a laugh.

She had wrapped her arms around my shoulders, and I had embraced her waist. We had laughed together, only to end up crying.

Kainat pulled away from the hug, a playful glint in her eyes. 'Got yourself a British accent now, huh?' she teased with a smirk.

I laughed, shaking my head. "Tell me, how are you feeling?" I asked, shifting on the sofa to get comfortable.

"I'm kind of excited, kind of nervous," She admitted, her cheeks flushing slightly with a hint of a blush.

"It's perfectly normal. Everything will go well, Inshallah," I reassured her with a playful smile. "I'm here, after all."

She smiled back at me, "So, where are we going tomorrow? You haven't told me yet," I said, leaning in slightly.

"We're going to a movie," she began, then paused, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks. "And... Shams is joining us too," she added softly.

"God, you've only got three days left before the wedding," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Who goes to a movie at a time like this?"

"Me," she replied with a playful shrug. "Come on, it's getting a re-release."

"Don't tell me, Is it Laila Majnu, the one you've sent me a thousand reels of?"

"Here's the interesting part," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"What?"

"You know my cousin, Faraj Bhai?"

"Yeah."

Kainat had a second cousin, Faraj Ayad, who was the CEO of Ethereal Style in Abu Dhabi, a company that primarily specialized in men's clothing. She had always spoken highly of him. Faraj... certainly not the one I knew.

"He booked the whole theatre just for us," she said, her voice filled with a mix of excitement and awe.

"What?"

"Yeah"

"Your cousin certainly has a lot of money to waste" I said, raising an eyebrow with a hint of amusement.

Seriously, who does that? Reserving the entire hall just for a movie? It's insane.

Kainat and I spent hours catching up on each other's lives. Although we used to have weekend FaceTime calls, talking face-to-face in person is so much more enjoyable. I missed so much in those three years.

I placed my bag inside the wardrobe in the guest room. A bedtime shower has become a staple of my nighttime routine, so I took a quick shower and performed my wudu. I dressed in a simple white maxi dress, wrapped my head in a towel, and applied some toner and moisturizer. As I removed the towel and opened the bathroom door, rubbing my damp hair with the towel, I noticed a man lying on the bed, his eyes closed and his arm resting on his forehead.

Familiar.

What on earth is he doing here?

Before I could process it, I threw the towel at him, causing him to flinch and sit up. His eyes widened slightly before he went expressionless.

"Tum?"

"Aap."

We spoke in unison.

Hello beautiful souls, Sorry for not posting. But don't worry, I'll be sharing more updates soon. I've added some extra details to the story to make it even better. Thanks for sticking around!

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