CHAPTER 24: one step closer

HII GUYSSS!!

YOUR SUPPORT MEANS A LOTT!!

I AM HERE WITH THE NEXT CHAPTER!!

DO COMMENT ABOUT YOUR VIEWS AND DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!!

EVERY SINGLE VOTE AND READ ENCOURAGES MEE!!

LOVE YA'LL

HAPPY READING!!________________________________________________________________________________

ASIM'S POV:

only one word to describe today. HECTIC! it's my cousin zain's marriage today and the whole house has been a ruckus. We had the haldi and the mehndi too but due to my busy schedule i couldn't stay there for more time. I personally apologized to zain for not being there the whole day, and he being the understanding brother he is, forgave me easily. Though i am really happy for zain i am still irritated. This noise is making me sick. Well there was another reason why i was annoyed. I haven't been able to spend time with aayat much. We can't have our regular tutoring sessions because of the wedding. And during the night she's too tired. She still waits for me so that we can eat dinner together though. But still it was not enough for me. I mean now that we were becoming friends and we were still at the first step, more interactions are needed.

The wedding was being held in our house itself. We have a big garden and zain wanted a private crowd for the guest excluding publicity, so here we are. Damn i should've done this too. But who was i kidding, the media would've found out any way. Well i've been standing here near the stair case since half an hour, this is the only place Where there wasn't much noise. I was looking around among the crowd to find that one person but it seems like she's been swallowed by the ground. Where was she anyway? we have helpers to help with the work. Ammi and chachi are supervising. She shouldn't be doing much work then. Not after i told ammi to keep it light on her as she was already troubled with a lot of assignments. She's been stressing out a lot on assignments recently and i don't want her to wear out physically too.

Yesterday at haldi and mehndi as well, I hardly saw her sit. She was either roaming around with snacks and drinks for the guests or sat for continuous long hours to fill other women's hands with mehndi to get the work done sooner. This girl needs to chill. And out of all these things, it would be appreciated if she took out atleast a good 15 minutes to speak to her husband and ask about his whereabouts. She must know i am alive or not atleast.

SHUT THE FUCK UP ASIM. STOP THROWING TANTRUMS LIKE A BLOODY TEENAGER.

I was giving myself a mental lecture to stop behaving this way when someone pushed me from behind and I stumbled forward.

ASIM: who the fuck-

AAYAT: sorry sorry maaf karna. Woh bohot kaam hai aur mai jaldi mei thi toh dekha nai. Lagi toh nahi aapko?

(sorry sorry, actually there's a lot of work to be done and i was in a hurry so i didn't notice you. You're okay right?)

Were violins really being played in the background or was it only me? This girl how can she be so beautiful. My eyes refused to blink as if they would miss the most beautiful sight even if they blink for a single second. She's been trying to tell something but i am not able to hear anything.

My listening and seeing senses are not matching. Damn i am messing it up!

AAYAT: are you okay?? what happened?

ASIM: kuch nahi... w-woh b-bas kuch k-kaam ke baare m-mei soch raha tha. Where are you going anyways?

(nothing, i was just thinking about work.)

AAYAT: ughh woh flowers waali decoration abhi bhi baaki hai.. the platform needs to be decorated with flowers and rose petals. I am going to do that.

(ughh the flower decoration is still pending.)

ASIM: aayat i've told you not to do too much-

AMMI: arree tum dono yahan seediyon ke paas kya kar rahe ho? Asim beta pata hai tumhaari nayi nayi shaadi hui hai lekin abhi usko ek kaam diya hai.. karne do usse. I know you told me not to give her much work but this was urgent. She won't be allowed to do any work after this.Do one thing, asim you're anyway standing here being jobless. Go help your wife. This way the work will be completed fast too.

(what are you guys doing near the stairs? asim i know you're newly wedded but now i've given her some work.)

ASIM: did she just tell i am jobless?

i looked beside me to find aayat blushing. Why was she blush- oh yeah right. Newly married, near the staircase. Ammi can go overboard sometimes.

ASIM: umm should we leave?

AAYAT: y-yeah s-sure.

She was walking in front of me while i followed her from behind. She was wearing a sharara today with oversized ear rings. There wasn't anything too grand but damn this girl had the ability to make the most simple dress look like it was a designer piece. As of make up, she had previously told me she didn't like make up too much. Only a light one during functions if its important. Yeah exactly, she didn't need make up. make up needed her.

CRINGE.

I don't know why, but i wanted to capture her in my phone and save it for me- I mean for her too. She's been busy so she might've not taken many pics. These could come in handy if she would need pics.

We reached the platform that is to be decorated with flowers and the flowers were already kept in trays nearby. We both sat down on the platform and started spreading the flowers on the platform.

AAYAT: umm did you have breakfast?

ASIM: ughh no.

AAYAT: whyy??

ASIM: did you have?

she slowed bent her head and shook her head as no.

ASIM: yeah exactly. Aayat i know you have to help in these situations but you have to take care of your health as well.

AAYAT: yeah i know. I'll eat something don't worry.

ASIM: no i don't trust. Hey excuse me? can i have a plate of fruits for this miss here? I asked a helper.

he came with a plate filled with different types of fruits which were cut of course.

ASIM: thank you. You can leave-

AAYAT: excuse me! can you give me the spare fork you're holding? Thank you.

she took the fork from him and placed it in the plate as he left us alone.

ASIM: why do you need an extra fork?

AAYAT: It's for you. I know you won't eat too. We can share this plate. Anyhow these are too many for me.

I just nodded at her and tried to look unbothered. But only I know how happy i was. She genuinely cared about me. I could feel it.

We were just decorating the platform with flowers while sharing the same plate of fruits while someone approached her. They both were talking to each other and she was smiling looking ethereally beautiful. This is the best time to click her pic. I slowly took out my phone and clicked a few pics and slowly kept it inside as if nothing had happened.

We resumed doing our work while my phone pinged indicating i had a message. I opened my phone only to find out the message was from aliya. She sent me a few pics of me and aayat while we were decorating the platform and one of them was of when i was clicking her pic. She sent a "thank me later" after the photos as i just chuckled at her. Well these were beautiful indeed.

The whole day went by like that. My brother zain was finally married to his fiance rehmat and he looked genuinely happy. I was, well i was busy admiring a certain someone. It's finally the end of everything and I am here in our room in my normal T-shirt and sweat pants, lying on the bed and admiring the photos. I felt the bed sink beside me indicating someone's presence.

It was aayat. Her hair are wet. Looks like she just had a shower. *gulp*

AAYAT: i am sooo tired.

ASIM: well you can't be all energetic after all the work you've done you know.

AAYAT: it was important!! i am the daughter in law of this house you know. I'll have to take some responsibility.

ASIM: yeah yeah agreed wife.

Damn it just came out of my mouth in flow. But it did sound nice tho. wife.

AAYAT: will mr. HUSBAND you could've taken a moment to praise your WIFE a bit. I was all dolled up and each and every guest praised me. But my husband here was too busy doing nothing to even praise me.

ASIM: ughh.. you looked beautiful.

AAYAT: yeah thank you so much *sarcastic smile* anyways, what were you looking at?

ASIM: nothing important.

AAYAT: show me too!

ASIM: its nothin-

she snatched the phone from my hand and looked at the screen. Damn i was caught gawking at my own wife's pictures.

AAYAT: so you did think i looked good today. But why secretly tho? i could've posed for you lol.

ASIM: its j-just t-that y-you were b-busy s-so i thought i-it would be h-helpful if i clicked a few pics as you were not able to.

AAYAT: well these are beautiful. send these to me me pleasseeee!!

I just nodded at her and forwarded the pics to her.

AAYAT: the ones with both of us on the platform too.

she had a slight blush on her face. cute.

ASIM: alright. its pretty late. I think we need to sleep now.

she just nodded and headed towards the couch with a pillow and a blanket. That's where she's been sleeping ever since we've been married. I don't know why but i felt a pang in my heart seeing her sleeping on the couch. I'll have to think about this. I can't let her sleep there.

TIME SKIP

NEXT MORNING:

ASIM: ammi, why have you called us here? I have an important meeting-

AMMI: no you don't have any important meeting. I've asked your PA to cancel all your meetings.

ASIM: ammi! why would you do that?!

AMMI: well you see zain and rehmat were married yesterday and as per our family tradition the newly weds have to visit our hometown and live there for 15 days and perform rituals. We had to do this during your time too but you were disappointing as always. So you both men need to take a leave from the office for 3 days as we'll be leaving after 3 days and help your wives with all the stuff.

Though ammi stated it more like an order, she was still uncertain. After all, no matter who passed orders my say was final. I moved my gaze to aayat and saw her face which was having a kind of pleading expression. Well she wanted to go maybe. If she wants, we go.

ASIM: alright..! i'll come.

ZAIN: oh i am always ready to help my wife you know.

He was very open and lovely towards his wife for a newly wedded couple. One look at them and anyone could tell they were so in love. Theirs was an arrange marriage like ours too. But they found love. I thought about me and aayat and it hurt. It hurt like a bitch. Who was i even blaming? It was me who wanted to maintain distance.

As everyone left for their rooms to prepare for the trip, aayat pulled me to our room.

As soon as we entered our room she gave me a tight hug.

AAYAT: thank you sooooooooooo much for saying yes!! i really needed to refresh my brain.!!

ASIM: y-you're welcome.

AAYAT: ohkiee then we'll begin with the preparations later!!

I just nodded and watched her sprint away with excitement. In whatever step we were, we were moving ahead and i could feel it. ONE STEP CLOSER TOWARDS EACH OTHER WITH EACH AND EVERY MOMENT.

_______________________________________________________________________________

END OF THE CHAPTER~~!!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT GUYSS!!

LOVE YA'LL!!

KEEP VOTING!