Paasban

Chapter 18

🤧🤌👀 how's the story going on?

🦋🦋🦋

Zyra's POV:

The time had come for my rukhsati, the moment I would leave my family and step into a new life with Musa. My stomach churned with a mixture of emotions—excitement, sadness, love, and fear all swirling together.

I could feel everyone’s eyes on me but all of it seemed distant, drowned out by the thudding of my heart as the realization hit me: this was the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.

Amma, Abba, my sisters, cousins—everyone was there, smiling, but the sadness in their eyes was unmistakable. Even Amma, who had been so strict with me in the past weeks, had tears brimming in her eyes.

I bit down on my lip to keep myself from crying, but when I saw Abba, the dam broke. He stood with his arms open, and I immediately hugged him. The moment I felt his arms around me, the tears began to fall freely.

“Abba…” I whispered, my voice breaking as I clung to him. “I’ll miss you so much.”

He held me tighter, his own voice thick with emotion. “We’re only a call away, beta. You’ll always be our little girl.”

I nodded, burying my face in his shoulder, trying to hold on to the moment for as long as I could. Leaving him, leaving my home, was harder than I had imagined.

When I finally pulled away, Amma was next. Her face, which had always been so stern, was now soft with tears streaming down her cheeks. My heart ached seeing her like this.

She took my hands in hers, her grip firm as she stared into my eyes. “Zyra… I know I’ve been hard on you, but it’s only because I wanted the best for you. And now, you’re starting a new chapter. Always be strong, and never forget where you come from.”

I nodded, my voice choked with emotion. “I won’t, Amma. I promise.”

And then, to my surprise, she pulled me into a hug, her tears soaking into my dupatta. I held her close, my own tears blending with hers.

“I love you,” I whispered, my voice trembling. It wasn’t something we said often, but in that moment, it felt necessary.

Amma squeezed me tighter, her voice barely above a whisper. “I love you too, beta.”

The moment felt surreal, like a dream I didn’t want to wake from. My sisters, Maria and Shaheen, joined us next, their eyes red with tears as they hugged me one by one, whispering their own goodbyes. Even Shaheen, who had been teasing me endlessly, had silent tears running down his face as he hugged me tightly.

“Don’t forget us when you’re off with your husband,” he teased, his voice breaking as he tried to smile through the tears.

I chuckled through my sobs, shaking my head. “How could I ever forget you guys?”

Maria wiped away her own tears, sniffing as she spoke. “You better call us every day. We won’t survive without our daily updates.”

I smiled, even as the tears continued to fall. “I promise.”

Finally, it was time. The car was waiting outside, and Musa stood nearby, watching the emotional scene unfold with a mixture of sympathy and quiet strength. He stepped forward, gently taking my hand as I gave one last look at my family.