Paasban

Chapter 6

Tere chehre se nazar nhi hat'ti naazare hum Kiya dekhe~

🦋🦋🦋

After letting Shaheen know to stay put for the nikkah, I made my way back to the bridal room, my heart racing for reasons I didn’t care to admit. As I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, my eyes immediately scanned the room, searching for Zyra.

And there she was.

Our eyes met for a fleeting second, but she quickly looked away, her cheeks flushing a delicate shade of pink. I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to hold back a smile. What was it about this girl that made it so damn hard to focus?

I turned my attention to Maria, forcing myself to speak. "Are you ready, Maria?" I asked, keeping my voice steady. She nodded nervously, her hands fidgeting slightly as Zyra's sister stepped forward to cover her head with the veil.

But I couldn’t help it—my eyes flickered back to Zyra.

Just at that moment, she turned to look at me again. Her smile wavered the second she saw me watching, and she quickly looked away, her discomfort evident. I felt a smirk tug at the corners of my lips. She was trying so hard not to meet my gaze, but every time she did, I felt that electric jolt rush through me.

Before I could dwell on it further, the door opened, and her father walked in with the Maulvi and a few other men. The air in the room shifted, the ceremony about to begin. Maria reached for Zyra’s hand, gripping it tightly.

With the number of people filling the room, it became cramped. I had to step forward, Sana and Arif right by my side, as we made space for the others. But even as the room buzzed with activity, my attention kept drifting back to Zyra, her presence grounding me in a way that made me uneasy—and yet, I didn’t want to stop.

Not even a few minutes later, I found myself standing directly behind Zyra. The room was chaotic with movement, people adjusting themselves for the ceremony. As if on cue, Zyra reached up to adjust her dupatta, and in that moment, her hand lightly brushed against mine.

She immediately turned, her eyes widening in surprise, and our gazes locked. Amusement sparked in mine as I watched her lips part slightly, caught off guard. I didn’t break the stare. Instead, I tilted my head slightly, the hint of a smirk forming on my lips. Her reaction was almost immediate—her cheeks flushed a deep shade of red, and she quickly looked away, embarrassed.

I allowed myself a small chuckle, but it quickly faded as I noticed Arif and Sana staring at me, amusement written all over their faces. They both raised their brows, a silent question hanging in the air. I rolled my eyes and tried to shrug it off, shifting my attention toward the Maulvi, who was beginning the vows.

But even as I tried to focus on the ceremony, I couldn’t help but notice Zyra’s sister and cousin. They had been staring at me and were now, whispering and giggling between themselves. I glanced down at Zyra, who had noticed their giggles. She tilted her head back slightly, catching my eye once more, her expression now a mix of annoyance and embarrassment.

She mouthed, “What?” with a small frown before turning her head sharply, clearly irritated by the attention.

I leaned back against the wall, trying to act casual, but amusement still danced in my eyes. Sana and Arif continued to look at me closely, their curiosity evident, but I did my best to ignore them. I crossed my arms, pretending to be indifferent.

Still, despite my best efforts, my gaze kept drifting back to Zyra. Every time I looked at her, I felt something pull me in—a feeling I wasn’t quite ready to acknowledge. But damn, it was getting harder to resist.