Dasht-e-Ulfat Novel By Shazain Zainab

Dasht-E-Ulfat Ep # 8

It was nighttime. A gentle breeze was blowing. The moon in the sky was playing hide and seek with the clouds. Outside, the lawn was decorated with fairy lights. White sheets were spread over part of the lawn, with maroon-colored cushions placed around. In the center, a dholki was set up, adorned with garlands of marigold flowers, and a few petals were scattered over the white sheets. This area had been specially decorated for tonight's dholki ceremony.

Durab, after getting ready in his room, stepped out and walked a bit before resting his hand on the railing. He was watching the servants working in the TV lounge below when Zuraiz and Hadid came and stood behind him.

"I don't understand where all the servants were this morning," Durab gritted his teeth as he spoke.

"Brother, we gave them the day off until tonight," Amna, who was passing by, overheard Durab's words and replied. After saying this, she walked away as quietly as she had come.

Meanwhile, Zuraiz and Hadid suppressed their laughter, and Durab turned to watch the "disaster" — as his sister called her — walking away.

"What a disaster my mother has created! She's brought a storm into her brother's life," Durab muttered through clenched teeth.

"Well, say what you will... your sister is a perfect match for you," Hadid said, placing a hand on Durab's shoulder and winking.

"Not just a match, she's two steps ahead," Zuraiz smiled as he looked at Durab.

"Come on, guys, let's get ready. We've only got half an hour left before the guests start arriving," Durab said, moving forward. Zuraiz and Hadid shrugged their shoulders and headed to their respective rooms.

****************

Noor was sitting in front of the mirror. She wore a bottle green long kurta with matching capris underneath. A matching dupatta draped over her shoulder. On her face, the only makeup was a soft baby pink lip gloss, making her look like an innocent princess. Today, she looked particularly beautiful with her hair down.

Amna was dressed in an olive-colored frock with a matching dupatta over her shoulder. After applying kohl to her eyes, she looked at her final look in the mirror. The color suited her perfectly, and her brown eyes, lined with kohl, looked even more mischievous. She had left her black hair loose.

Sawera, on the other hand, had been struggling for a while to tie the string at the back of her zinc-colored frock. After several failed attempts, she finally called out for Jaza.

"Jaza, I'm stuck with this string..." Sawera said, exhausted, as she had been trying to tie it for the last twenty minutes.

"When I told you earlier to let me tie it, what was the problem? I prepare your clothes, and now I have to deal with your tantrums too? I need to get ready myself!" Jaza, who had been helping Sawera with all her little things, snapped in frustration.

"I'm your younger sister. Older sisters are like mothers," Sawera said, trying to sound wise.

"Oh, how sweet! Should I adopt you? Where's my baby's bottle?" Jaza replied with a sarcastic smile.

"I'm not saying anything anymore! If Mama were here, I wouldn't even talk to you. Just a little help, and you're acting like I'm torturing you," Sawera complained, pretending to be dramatic. Jaza put her hand on her head in exasperation while Amna and Noor smiled, watching their bickering. They both knew well how Sawera always made a fuss about getting ready and was never satisfied with anything.

"Dear, if Mama were here, her slipper would already be in her hand with how much you've been bothering me. Now stand still like a human, or else go downstairs with the string untied for the dholki," Jaza said as she stepped forward and began tying the string on Sawera's frock.