When Dreams meet Destiny

Chapter 34 : Of Secrets, Teases, and Jealousy

"Are you serious?" Maryam's eyes widened as she stared at Sara.

Sara smiled mischievously and said, "Obviously, I'm serious. Seems like Yahya Bhai hasn't talked about this topic with you yet."

Maryam shook her head, confused yet intrigued. "No, he hasn't. Thanks for reminding me—I'll ask him why he wouldn't."

The two of them were sitting in the lawn, the late afternoon sun casting soft golden hues over the garden. Their conversation had taken an unexpected turn, and now Maryam was both clueless and pleasantly surprised. Sara leaned forward, lowering her voice as though sharing a secret.

"Okay, so here's the thing," Sara began, her tone serious yet slightly hesitant. "One of my cousins—my Bua's son, Zahran—is planning to bring a proposal this week."

Maryam blinked in surprise. "A proposal?"

Sara nodded. "Apparently, our families had this idea in mind since childhood. I always thought it was just talk, you know? A casual thing. But turns out, for the elders—and Zahran—it's pretty serious. When we met him at the wedding last week, he..." She paused, biting her lip.

Maryam tilted her head curiously. "He what?"

Sara sighed. "He confessed his feelings. Said he's serious about me. Like, really serious."

Maryam chuckled softly, watching the conflicted expression on Sara's face. "And what did you say?"

"Well, what could I say? I kind of melted," Sara admitted, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "But I'm still processing it. I don't know what to do."

Maryam grinned knowingly. "He's handsome, he's a good human being, and he prays five times a day... Sara, it sounds like you're already interested."

Sara shook her head quickly, trying to suppress a smile. "Not at all."

Maryam raised a brow. "Really?"

Sara looked away, her lips twitching with the effort to hold back a grin.

Switching to a more serious tone, Maryam said, "Sara, in my experience, Istikhara is the best solution. You know Zahran, his family, everything about them. And from what you've told me, it all sounds really positive. Especially since Zahran seems so serious about you. When it came to Yahya, I didn't know anything about him—not even a single hint. But I still performed Istikhara, and look, Alhamdulillah..."

Sara nodded slowly. "Maybe you're right. I just need some time to process everything. I'll perform Istikhara once my parents officially ask me to."

Maryam smiled gently. "That's a good idea." Then she leaned back and added, "You know, I've seen almost all your cousins, but I don't think I've ever seen Zahran."

Sara's lips curled into a sly smile. "Wait, let me show you."

Maryam raised an eyebrow. "You already have a picture?"

Sara rolled her eyes. "Of course! He's my cousin."

Maryam laughed. "Thank God you didn't say brother."

The two giggled, and Sara pulled out her phone. She turned the screen toward Maryam, showing a group picture. In the photo, Yahya stood in one corner, next to Sara. On Sara's other side stood a girl, and next to her was a tall, handsome man in a beige shirt—Zahran.

Maryam pointed at him and said teasingly, "Even in this picture, he's looking at you."

Sara blushed furiously. "No, he's not! He's looking at Yahya Bhai."

Maryam's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Yahya and Zahran don't get along?"

Sara chuckled. "Not really. Ever since childhood, the elders would say things like, 'Me and Zahran' or 'Yahya Bhai and Irha.' It annoyed Yahya Bhai to no end."