The Moment She Saw Him

Part 35

Sehar

"SEHAR! Wake up! It's already 8, and we need to get ready. There's so much to prepare!" Ziya's voice pierced through my ears, dragging me out of my dreams. I realized today marked the beginning of something important.
"Okay, okay, I'm up! Relax. We'll manage everything," I assured her groggily, sitting up in bed.
The morning passed in a blur as I helped Ziya's mom with the preparations. Ziya, meanwhile, had gone to the parlor to get ready. Before she left, I reminded her makeup artist to keep her look simple and natural. Her mom had already picked out the hairstyle.

By 3 p.m., it was my turn to get ready. I wore a pastel pink kurta that I absolutely loved. It was elegant yet understated. While doing the finishing touches to my makeup, Ziya walked into the room, fresh from the parlor. She froze in the doorway, her mouth wide open.
"What's wrong? Do I look bad?" I asked, a little nervous.
"Sehar, YOU LOOK GORGEOUS! Stunning, beautiful, amazing! Like a literal goddess!" Ziya gushed all in one breath.
Her enthusiasm made me burst out laughing. She ran over, hugged me tightly, and whispered, "Thank you for being here. I mean it."
By 4 p.m., we were wrapping up the final preparations. The doorbell rang, and both Ziya and I froze. We exchanged nervous glances before darting into her room, listening to the muffled sounds of people arriving. Ziya's dad answered the door, and soon we could hear Raza's mom's voice, followed by Raza himself. The chatter grew louder, but we stayed put, too anxious to step out yet.
Ziya started pacing the room, wringing her hands. She stopped in front of the mirror, examining her makeup nervously. "Do you think she'll like me?" she asked, her voice shaky.

I walked over and placed my hands on her trembling shoulders. "Ziya, she's going to LOVE you. You're the best daughter-in-law she could ever wish for and the most amazing wife anyone could dream of. You're perfect."
She still looked uncertain, so I added with a teasing smile, "And don't forget, you make the best tea. I wasn't lying when I said you'd be the best chai-maker five years ago."
That earned a small laugh from her, and just then, we heard the door handle twist. Ziya's mom peeked in, smiling warmly. It was time.
We took one last look at ourselves in the mirror and took deep breaths.

"Baby steps, Ziya. Look down and walk gracefully, like the elegant woman you are," her mom coached gently.

With that, we stepped out, ready to face the moment we had been preparing for.

Hamza

The house was decorated with lavender and other flowers I didn't know the names of. It smelled like lavender—Sehar's favorite. Raza was wearing a white kurta with a lavender coat. He looked amazing, really cute. I wore a simple pastel pink kurta.

We sat down, and Ziya's father started talking about how he raised her and her personality. I wasn't paying attention. My thoughts kept going back to Sehar. The lavender smell around me kept reminding me of her. For five years, I never cried while thinking about her, but now, I felt like I might. The memories were too strong.

Raza noticed. "Hamza, are you okay? You look lost," he asked. He usually understood what I was thinking just by looking at me, but now, even he seemed confused.

"I'm fine," I said with a small smile, but it didn't last. I tried to distract myself, but it didn't work.

Then Ziya's mom said with a smile, "I think the girls should come now," and left the room. Raza looked at me and smiled, but I couldn't smile back. My mind was stuck on Sehar. Everything felt heavy, but I stayed because I had to be here for Raza.

Suddenly, Raza's eyes moved to something behind me. His smile grew, and I thought I saw tears in his eyes. But then his face turned to shock. Curious, I turned around.

And there she was.

It was Sehar. Her almond-shaped eyes were staring at me, just like they used to. Her smile, the one with the little dimple, disappeared as soon as she saw me. My heart sank, but I couldn't look away.

Sehar was standing right in front of me.