With souls, Paired

Chapter 16

Salam🙂
I hope y'all doing fine.
Ramadan Kareem. And I hope you enjoy the chapter.

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"Cake!" Karim heard his Aunt Halima shout to everyone. The decorators had done a pretty impeccable job. He looked at Zaira who was now sitting exactly by him.

She kept pulling on her dress. You could tell she was very uncomfortable. Her forehead was covered with a layer of sweat but Karim purposely ignored it before someone suggested he give her his handkerchief.

Zaira had drank something so far but Karim had refused anything. He couldn't stomach anything at the moment.

"Come on." Karim felt a hand over his arm. It was his mother dragging him to the cake stand with Zaira following them.

When they got there, his mother handed a knife with a bow on it to Zaira. Everyone looked at them fondly.

Karim placed his hands behind him. Just staring at the three tier cake. Why cut a cake here only to cut another one at the walimah? He would never understand weddings.

"Take her hand." Naima moved his hand from behind him and placed it on her hands that were holding unto the knife near the cake.

Nothing.

No spark. No electricity. Nothing like the books said happened. Nothing like it felt when he had Amira's hands in his. Her hand was warm though but nothing. Just a cold, empty feeling.

He came to his senses when he felt her hands moving towards the cake to cut it. Flashes of camera went off and he could have been blinded by it.

He was about to move away when Zaira picked a piece of cake to feed to him. She was really good at the whole acting thing. More than Karim could even acknowledge.

"Eat." She ordered as she brought the cake closer to his lips.

"I think I'm good." Karim declined.

"I wasn't asking. Eat. And it would do both of us good if you weren't sulking in all our pictures. If I can keep my smile on throughout, I'm sure you can too. Now eat." She forced the cake into his mouth with a smile and to everyone who was watching them it was just a wife trying to get her husband to eat some cake.

"Now smile." She added after wiping her hands.

Karim didn't know why he was even listening to her in the first place. But he eventually put a small smile on his face.

"It's time for pictures." Naima came to them to announce. As at now everyone was seated at their tables. Some watching them, some talking to each other and others taking their own pictures.

"Family first." Naima announced. Tawfiq cleared his throat. Everyone was family. Naima chuckled and smiled.

"My bad. Direct family first." Everyone laughed.

At least some people were enjoying themselves.

The moved to the photoshoot area with Karim just wishing they'd skip this.

"Bride and groom in the middle. Sir can you stand by your son and ma'am by your daughter-in law." The man taking the pictures directed his parents.