SEVENTY-FIVE

AYSHAM’S POV:

It was a storm. It was raining heavily in broad daylight giving the expression of evening in the noon. It wasn’t like a rain you call lovely as it was the one which brings destruction. Shaking my head at my own thoughts I thought about the positive thing and that was my wedding which was happening in a normal and more realistic way.

Taking in a shaky breath I went to stand in front of the mirror the final touch of my make-up was done and the make-up artists went away packing their stuff turning me into someone who was mesmerized by seeing herself in the mirror. Yes, I was really looking like a bride. Tears started filling in my eyes as no matter how much a girl negates her wedding deep down, she has a desired to be in a wedding dress. I never wanted a fancy wedding as I just wanted a good spouse but seeing myself right now in the mirror, I was feeling blessed to be here after all the pain I went through. I knew that life is never the same. There would be pain and joy side by side and I had to live like that with a positive mind if I wanted to be happy.

Deep thoughts were running in my mind when I glanced myself in the mirror in fresh red lehnga choli with work of golden embroidery on it. The dubatta was also beautiful which was pinned up on my head at that time. The jewelry wasn’t heavy as the dress already was. Everything was decided by Areej as her fashion sense was fancy rich. Everything was up to the mark and exquisite. The moment, I started thinking about her she entered through the door with a gasp.

“Hey you are crying?” She asked with her wide eyes as I smiled while shaking my head in no.

“No, I wasn’t.” I mumble.

“Well, you shouldn’t be because it’s not like you are going to leave everyone. You are just going to be closer to everyone and him especially after this.” She winked as she rubbed her thumb under my eye as I couldn’t help but hug her.

She was acting like she wasn’t the one who was going to marry him in the night in front of the whole world. She was enjoying my wedding at the time.

“Are you okay?” I asked and she knew what I was talking about.

“Yes. I am. It’s just a show and I have to just act and besides that I am going to come and live in this mansion. There would be anymore tolerating my father and his stupid rules. Now let’s go. Your Nikah is going to happen.” She said as she grabbed the maroon colord veil from the bed and hide my face with that in a way that people still could see me through the veil because it was see-through but it enhanced the beauty of the bride.

“Let’s go your groom will officially hold you now. Dadi had given him a very hard time already.” She said as I smiled at the part that my Nikah was going to happen again because it wasn’t done properly before.

With a shaky breath we moved towards the stairs as Areej hold my lehnga when Suzi also came to help me as the lounge was decorated in a beautiful hall with only family members and friends who were standing for me.

The moment I stepped on the last stair a hand appeared in front of me to hold and by seeing it I knew it belonged to Dad. I glanced up at him as he had a small smile on his face but it meant millions of emotions were going through him at that time. He loved his son as that was visible in his eyes and he loved me too because his son had the same feelings for me.

“I am glad you are by his side.” He whispered as soon as I grabbed his hand and we started walking towards the aisle when my eyes landed on him wearing a black sherwani. He was looking handsome as always but the thing that strike my nerves were his emotions. His emotions were blank and his eyes were stoned. Did something happen?

Everything was fine last night. Shaking my head, I smiled although there was a feeling inside me that something bad was about to happen but I shouldn’t care since he was with me. He loved me and that’s all mattered. I was getting closer to him step by step and he was getting clearer to me with each step.

“Here, take my daughter.” Dad said as he handed my hand to him which he took in a robotic way although there was warmth in his hand but something wasn’t matching his eyes.

“Are you okay?” I mumbled and what he did in turn was he didn’t even look at me when he rasped “I am fine.”

Fine wasn’t okay.

The Nikah ceremony started as we both were seated opposite to each other with a flower curtain in between us. I couldn’t see him properly again.

“…do you take Aysham Zubair as your wife.” He was asked three time and he replied three time. “Qubool hai” Without any hesitation making my heart flutter.

“…do you take Farzan Shah as your husband.”

“Think again about this Aysham. He looks hot but he is stupid actually.” Muzamil bhai warned me as everyone laughed at him.

“Don’t you have any will to live?” Farzan asked as I knew he had his jaw clenched at that time.

“Of course, I have but I can’t live seeing my cute sister ruining her life by marrying you. It’s violation of human rights.” Muzamil bhai passed a teasing remark.

“You should talk about animal rights.” Farzan retorted back as everyone laughed but one glare from Dadi made everyone silent when she motioned me to answer which I did three times. “Qubool hai.”

“Now you can see each other. You must be dying for not being able to see her for a week.”

“For a week she just…” Suzi was about to blurt something when Areej nudged her an elbow when she further added. “…she just agreed that she is so sensitive that we thought she would get sick.” She changed the statement as Dadi glared at her for few seconds but then let it go when Farzan stood up and came towards me displacing the curtain as he kissed me from above the veil. He lifted up my veil then as his eyes met mine and then for the first time, I felt the stone breaking in his eyes and that sent a soothing sensation inside me when he landed another kiss on my forehead making me close my eyes. His lips lingered there for a moment and then he lifted back down my veil to which I was glad because I had teary eyes at that time.

He went to meet other people as they congratulated him while Areej and Suzi helped me to go in the room which was now belonged to Farzan and me. The room was decorated beautiful with scented candles and flowers making the environment dreamy.

“Fine. I have to run now for my appointment because no matter what I should look hot in the magazines for tomorrow.” Areej said as she kissed my cheeks before running away as we both waved at her.

“I am going to see the arrangements and let me bring you something to eat.” Suzi said as she made me sit on the bed.

“No. I want to eat with him.” I said and she smirked wiggling her eyebrows as before she could say anything I stopped her. “I know. Don’t say anything.”

“He would come after biding goodbye to everyone. You have to wait then.” She informed with a laugh.

“I will.” I smiled as she left.

I still had the veil covering my face as I wanted to him lift it up again because I wanted to see the same expressions of relief this time. Half and hour passed when he entered the room with a tray in his hand with all the amazing food from the menu which we all decided together. Even he had the dessert.

“Why haven’t you eaten yet? I could get later.” He glared as I smiled under my veil when he came to sit in front of me with the tray of food in between us.

“Don’t do this again. At least you should have eaten a little.” He scolded as I absorbed his features into me. He is so handsome with a frown. Something was happening with my hormones.

“Won’t you lift up my veil?” I asked as he didn’t even look at me for once since he had entered the room. He filled the spoon with biryani and motioned towards me when I asked him.

“Not now.” He rasped in his thick masculine voice as he was looking at my hands and still not at my face as the veil was see through. Shaking my head, I took the spoon from him and ate the food without lifting my veil because I didn’t want to lift it myself either.

We ate in silence as I knew something was bothering him but I decided to ask that later after eating the food.

“Why are you not eating?” I asked as I stopped eating glaring at him.

“I am.” He took another spoon as he had a total of four or five and that was it when I even completed the dessert which he gave me to eat and finish acting like a mother to me.

“No bas.” I said as I was full and he was giving me more.

“You sure?” He asked raising his eyebrow.

“Yes. Werna phat jaoon gi men.” I said as I noticed a slight twitch of his lips from one side. He smiled. He finally smiled.

“Farzan…” I was about to talk with him when he said.

“You are leaving.” He threw a bomb at me as I couldn’t understand what he said.

“What? Where?” I trembled as I knew something was going to happen.

“We are smuggling weapons today through ship. You have to go with that ship.” He said as he put the tray on the table while I stood up with a racing heart.

“Why?” I asked as he must have some excuse for that.

“I could have smuggled you long ago but there was a problem with our weapons. I never wanted you. But I needed you. I wanted to taste what Jameel had tasted since I thought he was with you when that f**ker betrayed me but turning out that you were a virgin made it more interesting. You were yearning for love which I gave to you and in turn you gave me the s*x I needed. It’s equality but I was going to smuggle you when we were back from Paris but Dadi came. I respect and I didn’t want to hurt her because she was happy seeing you. I had to pl…”

Slap!

The sound of slap echoed in the room with the sound of my soul leaving my body bit by bit hurting more than ever. The ring I was wearing in my hand scratched his cheek but I didn’t care about that. There was a long silence in the room as I was so shocked that even tears weren’t forming in my eyes. I had nothing to say and nothing to think even. My breathing became heavy and rugged as I just glanced at his face for something but he wasn’t even looking at me. This wasn’t possible as after everything I had went through I never though Allah would do that to me. I never thought Farzan would say something like that to me.

“Fine. If you don’t want to go then you won’t. Stay here in the mansion.” He said and left.

He left leaving me alone there with a trembling heart that was barely even beating.

All the negative thoughts how my mother died leaving me young, how my father left me even before my birth, how my aunt treated me and how I ended up with him all at once hit me as I thought I would have a heart attack because I was having difficulty while beathing. I snatched away my veil for which I stupidity waited for him to lift up.

“Ah! What happened? Why are sitting on the ground?” I didn’t know when I sat on the ground when Suzi came in to see me in that devastated state.

“L-lie…” My voice cracked as it was barely audible. “…it was a l-lie. All lie….” One tear dropped from my eyes and then another and then started I crying hysterically in her arms.

“What happened tell me? You were so happy. He was so happy.” She asked confused.

“Everything was a…lie…I n-never d-did anything w-wrong…he said…he smuggled…ship…he said…he…” I was broken so much that I didn’t even know what I was saying but I was telling her everything. The storm outside had ended as it had now entered my life.

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