His Hidden Crush

Chapter 8

Ayat POV:

“MashaAllah, my beti is looking so beautiful. Allah buri nazar sy bachaye.”
First of all, phupo came forward to meet Zara seeing her in bride attire praising her. She was wearing a red sharara at her favorite niece's wedding.

She, Ami and tayi ami took Zara to the bridal room and baba and Taya abu too went to greet some guests who arrived after us just then. I decided to follow Zara but Zahran bhai stopped me.

“Ayat!!” I turned my head towards him.
“G, bhai?” I asked being confused.
“Wear the gajras you're holding.” He pointed to the gajras which I was holding in my mehndi filled right hand.
“Ohh, haan.” I gave him a smile and he reciprocated it.

Taking the gajras from my hand, I started to wear them but I couldn't do that.
Me being a certified clumsiest person, my gajras got stuck with my bangles.

Being frustrated, I gritted my teeth and glanced at bhai who was watching me with a neutral face.
One second passed..
Two seconds passed..
Three seconds passed..
Then, a light chuckle came from bhai.

“Bhai!!! Don't make fun of me. Help me to wear them.” I whined and rolled my eyes.
He seemed to freeze for a moment but then stepped forward and took my soft small hands in his rough big ones and made me wear gajras. I was watching him doing this with gentle care as if he were afraid to hurt me. My gaze went from my hands to his face. At the same moment, he, too, glanced towards me and our eyes locked together. My heartbeat suddenly raced.

What the fuck was happening to me??

“It's done, Ayat.” He whispered in a low husky voice without breaking eye-contact.

“Huh?”

“Gajray! Done!” He pointed towards my gajray filled hands with his eyes.

“Oh, thank you, bhai.” He was still holding my hand and was looking so intensely at me. It made me so nervous and shivers ran down my spine.

No idea how much time passed like this. Seconds? Minutes? Hours?
Didn't know.

But then, someone cleared their throat acknowledging their presence.
We came back from our trance.

Bhai left my hand and maintained a distance looking at the intruder. Rauf bhai happened to be the intruder who was glaring at me -which I assumed due to- anger. Then he smiled at Zahran bhai when he asked him something.

What have I done? I don't remember doing anything. Right?

Zahran bhai smiled at him and embraced him with a bro hug and took him with himself, conversing about I don't know what.

I immediately rushed towards the bridal room.
Something is seriously wrong with me!

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

“Zara Sheikh wald Hassan Sheikh apka nikah Waqas Malik wald Ibrahim Malik se, haq meher 20 lakh ruppey tay paya hai. Kya apko ye nikah qubool hai?” Qazi sahab asked Zara.

All the ladies of our house were sitting in the bridal room along with Zara. I was sitting beside her holding her hand. She was shaking and silently sobbing too. Silence filled the room for a second but then.
“Qubool hai”  She answered breaking the ice as well as tension.

Zara replied ‘Qubool hai’ two times more, becoming Zara Waqas Malik from Zara Hassan Sheikh. She signed the papers with shaky hands as tears fell from her eyes making me cry too.

Qazi sahab went towards the gents' side for Waqas bhai approval for nikah. After getting that, dua was made and the bride and groom sat beside each other on the stage.

After completing all rituals involving the ‘doodh pilai’ rasam which obviously I did, I got a whole fifty thousand rupees that, too, from Zahran bhai. Being Waqas bhai's childhood best friend aka brother, he gave me the money.

It was the time of rukhsati. Zara met with everyone one-by-one.
Starting from Taya abu and tayi ami. Both of them hugged her and gave her dua with a little crying. Taya abu's only daughter was leaving his house. Then, ami and baba patted her head and wished her.

Zahran bhai was holding a quran at her head the whole time. He too was holding back his tears just like me. Then, she met phupo and phupa and turned towards the bhai. He hugged her and she reciprocated the hug clutching his tuxedo in her hands tightly. Bhai broke the hug and placed his hand on her head giving her his blessings.

Zara hugged me then and I was no different than bhai. I cried holding her already missing her, my cousin, my best friend, my crime partner. Our hug lasted a few more moments, so ami came forward and separated us.

Waqas bhai took Zara's hand in his and led her towards the car and she left. I was still crying so tayi ami hugged me comforting me and I buried my head in her chest crying for my best friend's departure.

Her departure made me cry more and more. After Tayi ami's failed attempt of comforting ami, Taya Abu and baba tried to comfort me too but all in vain. I cried and cried longing for my cousin sister. I missed her already. I didn't realize we were so close until today. I anticipated this to happen yet it hurt so much. Everyone left me on my own then, giving me some time to become normal.

After deciding to leave me on my own, for some time. Everyone left for their work. Taya abu and baba went to make sure everything was in place and tayi ami and ami went to see off guests leaving me sitting on a chair at the corner of the hall. And phupo… I didn't even know where that evil woman was, not forgetting her son.

“Bs, Ayat, ab or nahi rona. Us k agay hi zindagi k liye dua kro.” Suddenly bhai's hand came on my head, patting it lightly in an attempt to comfort me. Raising my head, I watched him with my bloodshot eyes and tear stricken face and slowly nodded my head but again bursted into tears on the reminder of Zara. He shook his head indicating me not to cry. He sat beside me comforting me with his soothing words that surprisingly made me stop crying.

**********

After crying, I felt good. Zahran bhai helped a lot. Almost every guest left at this time. It was 10:30 p.m. Standing outside the hall, we all were ready to leave, too.

“Oh no! I think I left my purse inside.” Shahida aunty, Taya abu's friend's wife said. “Ayat, go search for it. It must be inside the bridal room.” Ami ordered me. Nodding my head, I went inside the hall.

I walked past the gents sitting area and was heading to the ladies’ section but the light went off making me pause for a moment. I turned on the flashlight of my cell phone and continued my way.

“Here it is.” Spotting her purse, I took that in my hand and headed to the exit of the hall. I reached the gents section walking from there holding aunty's purse in one hand and my cell phone in the other. Someone grabbed my neck from behind by one hand making me stop on my track and the other hand went on my mouth, muffling my voice.

Then, the person whispered in my ear in a low voice. “Finally, you've reached my hands.”