chapter 32

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Reem's POV

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I was sleeping peacefully, suddenly someone started hammering on my head. I groaned in frustration. My eyes refused to open. I was too deep in sleep to get up

"Ayesha" I shook her beside me

"Hmm" she responded in sleep, the hammering continued

"Ughhh Rukhsana Aunty I fell asleep just five minutes ago" I said in my half sleep state

"Izhaaaan" a voice said and my eyes opened with a jerk, and i gasped loudly. I looked around, It wasn't my room, then the reality striked.

"Izhaan" maa banged on the door.

"Shit" i mumbled, I shook Ayesha

"Wake up" I said

"I am awake" her sleepy voice said.

"Ayesha wake up! Maa is here" I said and her eyes opened, the door knocked again. She jumped out of the bed, and ran towards the door, I quickly went after her to stop her.

"What are you doing?" I asked

"Answering the door for maa" she shrugged

"Oh really! And what will you tell her, why you are here and Izhaan is not" I asked, she looked at me wide eyed

"Oh no" she said

Thankfully the banging stopped.

"We have to bring Izhaan here before maa comes again" i said, she nodded and ran to the adjoining door, she unlocked it then knocked lightly and waited for someone to answer the door

A few minutes passed but nobody answered then she knocked again. I rolled my eyes and went to her, I moved her and opened the door.

Both the guys were sleeping peacefully on the bed. I went to Izhaan

"Izhaan" I called him, but he was out like a log

"Izhaan get up" I said a little loud, but no response, I bent down and shook him

"Get up" I said.

Suddenly knocking started at Athar's door.

"Athar" dadi called. I looked at Ayesha, she looked panicked.

"Take him from here" she said. I shook him vigorously, he startled.

"What?" He asked

Ayesha was already standing at the door, her hand was on the doorknob, she was looking at us to get out immediately

"No time to explain. Let's go for now" I held his hand and tried pulling him up,  he was as heavy as an elephant.

"Go" Ayesha said

"Izhaan dadi is at the door, let's go to your room quickly" I said

"Why should I go? It was your idea to sleep like this now you handle it" he closed his eyes and rested his head on the pillow

"Athar! Are you awake?" Dadi shouted

"Reeeeem" Ayesha panicked, I held Izhaan's cheeks with my both hands and shook him, he opened his eyes

"Please Come, let's go" i pleaded, he sighed and got up. As we exited the room Ayesha opened the door. I quickly locked the adjoining door.

Izhaan yawned and went to lay down on the bed, he got comfortable under the sheets. I looked at him.

"Oh hello! It's no time to sleep, dadi can come here anytime. Wake up, right now" I said, he raised his head up slightly and glared at me

"Do you think I'm a fool. You are making me dance here and there, I couldn't sleep a wink last night, I am only comfortable on my bed" he showed irritation.

"Just get up quietly, I don't want to hear your excuses"

"You didn't let me sleep last night, and you are not letting me sleep even now, you think I'm some puppet?" He huffed and went back to sleep

"Izhaan" I called, he put the blanket over his head.

I stomped my foot in irritation, such a child he is. I marched and stood next to the bed, I pulled the blanket away from his face, he looked at me, then turned his back on me while wrapping the blanket around him.

I climbed on the bed and tried snatching the blanket away, but he was holding it too tightly

"Leave" I said, suddenly he turned to face me and I lost my balance and fell on him. He held me from my waist.

My open hair fell on his face, he looked at me. My heartbeat was rapid. He held my waist tightly making me fall on him even more. I gasped, he smiled. I looked away, I wanted to move away, but it was as if my body has paralyzed.

He held the lock of my hair softly and secured it behind my ear, his touch rose weird sensations in my body. He caressed my cheek with his thumb, my breathing was getting heavier.

"Reem" he whispered, his voice made me even more nervous

He raised his head and brought his mouth to my ear, his cheek grazed against mine, my eyes closed on their own

"Now you don't want to open the door?" He whispered, my eyes opened and I frowned at him, he laughed

"Izhaan beta, Reem" dadi shouted while knocking on the door, my eyes widened in realisation that she has been knocking.

I quickly got off him and ran to the door, i was trying to ignore his laughter, but it was making me too embarrassed.

I opened the door and smiled at dadi, she frowned at me

"What is wrong with you both? I have been knocking for so long" she entered the room. Izhaan was still lying on the bed. Dadi tsked when she saw him

"What is this beta? You are still sleeping" she said

"What to do dadi, ever since your beloved Reem has come, she has not let me sleep" he said with a pout, I glared at him for complaining to dadi about me, then I looked at dadi to defend myself, but found her smiling sheepishly

"Shameless" she said to izhaan, "come for breakfast quickly" she said and left, I looked at Izhaan, I was confused about why dadi called him shameless. Even he looked confused.

My eyes widened when I realised what she must have understood by Izhaan's words, I blushed so hard that I felt my whole body heating up.

He burst into laughter.

"Oh goodness, dadi thought I was talking about..." I covered my ears and ran into the washroom.

Oh God! It was so embarrassing.

I hid myself in the washroom for so long that I got very late for the breakfast. When I reached the table everyone was already there and was eating quietly.

"Sorry, I'm late" I mumbled and dropped next to Ayesha. Her eyes were glassy and red, I asked her what happened, she shook her head.

******

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Ayesha's pov

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I faked a yawn as I answered the door, dadi was standing there.

"Assalamualaikum" I said

"Walekum assalam"

"Both of you come for breakfast"

She said, then maa also came.

"Assalamualaikum" I greeted her, she ignored me, it hurt me immensely, but I stayed quite

"Come quickly" dadi said to me, then they went ahead.

I stared at the sleeping Athar, he was responsible for everyone's cold behaviour with me.

I heard the door knock again, but this time it was on the door next to me, dadi was calling jeeju and Reem, what is wrong with her why is she not answering?

I turned around to open the door and see.

"Ayesha" a voice made me stop in my track, "you are here" Athar got up and walked to me, I glared at him and walked into the closet.

I was nervously walking to the dining room, Reem was still getting ready, and i was feeling so lonely without her, an arm linked with mine

"Good morning" Hayat smiled at me. I was so relieved to see her.

"Good morning" I said.

We settled on the dining table, the whole family was there. I was feeling so out of place, like the odd one out. Jeeju came, I expected Reem to be with him, but she wasn't.

"Where is Reem?" Dadi asked

"She's still getting ready" jeeju replied

"Uff this girl" dadi shook her head

"Izhaan Bhai please remind the photographer to send the pictures by evening" hayat said

"Ok" he replied

"Maa everyone was in awe, all of my friends were saying that we did the great arrangements even at such a short notice" hayat said feeling proud.

"Yeh to Allah ka karam hai k usne izzat rakhli warna logo ne to pooch pooch k pareshan kar diya k aisi bhi kya jaldi thi (It's Allah's mercy. He kept our honor otherwise people really troubled me. They couldn't stop asking what the rush was)" maa's voice was dripping of sarcasm

"Let bygone be bygone" dadi said to her

"How can I? I had such big dreams about this day and it was all ruined" maa said looking at me

"Maa why can't you just let it go?" Athar said

"You don't talk to me" she said angrily

"Please sto...." Athar was saying something but dada ji spoke loudly

"Enough everyone. Just eat quietly" he said, maa glared at me, then looked down at her plate.

I felt such a humiliation, I wanted earth to open up and swallow me. My eyes began to get teary.

"Sorry I'm late" Reem said and sat next to me. She motioned to ask me what happened, I shook my head

She served food in her plate and quietly dug in.

After breakfast all of us were sitting in the living room. It was almost noon now, and we should get going now.

"Reem we should go" I whispered to her

"Ok let's go" she said

"What let's go? Ask dadi first"

"You ask her" she said, I felt so uneasy in seeking permission

"Please, you ask her" I said, she nodded

"Dadi! Baba and mumma are returning to Chandigarh today. May i go there to meet them with Ayesha?" She asked

Dadi looked at dada ji, then she looked back at us.

"The right way would have been all of us to go to meet them, but the situation is as such that we will have to avoid going and as far as you girls are concerned, you have my permission" she nodded

"Thank you dadi" Reem kissed her cheek, then we came to our rooms to get ready to leave.

I was just getting my bag, when Athar came to me.

"Should I come along?" He asked, I couldn't believe he had the nerve to ask.

"No" I snapped at him

"If I won't meet them, how will I improve my relationship with them?" He asked, I scoffed

"Your relationship with them? You have  spoiled my relationship with them and you're thinking about yours. Only I know how humiliated I felt this morning. I am bearing everyone's hatred because of you. I had to listen to maa because of you. I don't even want to look at you" I shouted at him, I left the room and knocked at Reem's door, she opened immediately and we left then

Reem was driving, while I sat quietly on the passenger seat.

"What are you thinking?" She asked

"I'm nervous about meeting them" I answered truthfully, she just sighed in response.

We reached, I rang the doorbell, soon it was answered by a maid. Rukhsana Aunty saw us coming, she came to hug us lovingly

After meeting with everyone, we made our way to baba's room.

"You need to talk to them alone" Reem said, I nodded.

"I have to pack some stuff, I'm in the room "

I knocked on the door

"Come in" mumma said

I opened the door and entered. They were packing their bags.

"Assalamualaikum" i said to them, they both ignored me, I ran and hugged mumma

"Mumma please mujhse aise naraz mat hoiye (mumma please don't be so upset with me)" I pleaded, she turned her head the other way, I went to baba

"Baba! I'm sorry, please forgive me. If you stay so upset with me, how will I live?" I cried.

"I never wanted to hurt you both deliberately, but it just happened. I can never put your head down in shame" I was saying but suddenly mumma yelled at me

"Shut up!" I startled at her sudden outburst, "why have you come here? To see if we are still alive? What do you think? After what you have done, we will forgive you. How dare you to even ask for forgiveness?"

"Mumma I..."

" Don't call me mumma. I am not your mother anymore. You are dead for both of us." She said, I gasped

"No please don't say that"

" You did what you had to. Now you are not related to us anymore. You live or you die. We don't care. Just leave us alone. Don't show your face to us ever again" she shouted, I kneeled next to baba

"Baba look at me. I am your princess. How can mumma say something like this to me. baba please talk to me" I begged.

Mumma held my arm and brought me up on my feet, then she dragged me out of the room and locked it behind me. I stood outside continuously banging on the door while crying my guts out, but the door never opened.

"Ayesha" Reem came from behind me, I hugged her and continued crying.

****

After baba and mumma refused to meet me. Reem brought me back to home, I felt lifeless from inside. How can they turn their back on me like this?

I was sitting in the room, blankly staring at the wall, the door opened and Athar entered.

" When did you return? How did the meeting go?" He had the audacity to ask, I glared at him, then looked down

"Are you ok? What did baba and mumma say?" He asked sitting next to me, I got up from the bed and got as far away from him as possible

" They are not your mumma and baba, So don't talk as if you care for them" i shouted

"I really do care for them" he stood next to me, I scoffed

"What a funny way you have to show your concern. You are sick in the head. After making my life miserable, you have the audacity to come on my face and ask me  how I'm bearing the pain"

"Ayesha all I'm saying...."

"No Mr Khan no! You are not in the position to say anything" I felt so angry at him, I grabbed his collar, "what did I do wrong with you that you have done this with me? Ever since I have signed that marriage certificate all I have faced is insult."

"Ayesha I am also going through the same" he said, I scoffed, I left him and moved back

"Really? You are going through the same, firstly what you did you deserve the worst, and secondly you are here, in your family. They are slowly accepting you. Look at me, my mother closed the door on my face, my father refused to even look at me"

"I will fix it"

"Oh please! You have done enough. I don't need your "help" anymore"

I turned around and went outside.

Reem, Hayat and I went to the lawn and just sat and talked. Hayat is the only person in this family who is so easy to talk to.

Soon it was dinner time, we had food, thankfully there was utter silence on the dining table.

After dinner everyone sat together in the living room and had chamomile tea, Hayat told me it was like a tradition in the family. Since maa had a headache, she went to sleep early.

I quickly did my night routine and slipped into a night gown. I was braiding my hair, when Athar entered in the room. He was staring at me

Why is he even looking at me? I hate it when his gaze falls on me. No matter what Reem say it is not correct for me to get in between them, but I'm helpless, I just can't stand him, and honestly I need Reem more than jeeju does.

I picked up my phone, the battery was low, so I got my charger with me. I walked towards the same door.

"Ayesha" he called, I looked at him, "what are you doing?"  He asked, I rolled my eyes

"Going to sleep" i replied, he ran to my side

"You will not go anywhere, you will sleep in your room" he glared at me

"My room? Which one?"

"This is your room" he pointed towards the floor

"It isn't. It's yours"

"It became yours too, when you married me"

"I don't believe in this so-called marriage" I said, he raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms at his chest

"Oh really"

"Yes! Really! Marriages happen with consents, not blackmailing, so in my eyes this marriage has no value"

"What rubbish! You are my wife and you will stay in this room with me"

"I'm not your wife and I'm done listening to you, now I will only do what I want to, and you cannot stop me" i said and knocked on the door. He was staring at me in anger

The door opened and jeeju came to this side. I looked at him

"Good night" i mumbled and went to Reem, while locking the door behind me.

****

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Izhaan's POV

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"Obaid" i shouted

"Yes?" He came running

"Get me another coffee" i said, he nodded and left.

He returned in five minutes with my third cup of black coffee. I had to do some important work, but my eyes were closing on their own, it's been impossible for me to fall asleep on Athar's bed, so the only thing that kept me together was caffeine.

I have only stepped out of my comfort zone because of Reem.

I was sitting in the living room, my laptop was open in front of me and I was doing some work on it.

"We will watch here" said a loud voice, I looked up, Hayat was dragging Reem and Ayesha with her. My eyes met Reem's, she immediately looked away

"It's ok Hayat! We can watch in your phone" Reem said

"Bigger screen would be better" hayat replied

Hayat sat on the sofa and pulled Reem and Ayesha down to sit with her. She connected her phone with the television, and soon a picture appeared on screen. It was Ayesha's and Hayat's

"You looked so pretty, Sara couldn't stop admiring you" Hayat said to Ayesha

"What's happening?" Athar came and sat next to me

"We are watching pictures. Come you also watch with us" Hayat said to him. He looked at the screen in awe, I smiled

"Whipped" I mumbled loud enough for him to hear it. He rolled his eyes at me.

Hayat was changing pictures, I forgot about my work, and my whole attention was focused on the tv screen.

Athar and I were subtly discussing the pictures while the girls were talking about it loudly, the picture which maa had asked Hayat to take flashed on the screen, I stood so confidently next to her, while she looked so nervous.

"This one is one of my favourites" Hayat said

"It's really a nice picture" Ayesha said.

I was looking at Reem, she was looking uncomfortable, but for some reason I was enjoying her uneasiness, she looked at me, I winked at her, her eyes widened, then she looked away, I chuckled.

"Whipped" Athar said in the same way I said to him, I shook my head.

"Mehndi designer was too good, look at the colour of your mehndi both of you" Hayat said, I also looked at the screen.

Only hand pictures were there, at first all the hands looked the same to me, but then something caught my eyes, it was my name written on Reem's hand. It looked so pretty, how come I didn't notice it earlier.

My phone started ringing, it was an important call, I excused myself and came to my room.

The phone call lasted for almost half an hour. By the time I was done, Reem entered the room. I stood up immediately

"I loved it" i said, she raised her eyebrows at me

"What?" I held her hands and looked for my name on them, once I spotted, i pointed at it

"Thank you for getting my name written on your hand" I smiled, she pulled her hands out of my grip immediately

"Zyada khush hone ki zarurat nahi hai, koi shaukiya nahi likhwaya maine (No need to be so happy I didn't get it done out of my own choice)" she snapped at me, my smile dropped, i narrowed my eyes

"Why are you always so rude to me? What have I done to you?"

"You irritate me, I don't like to be with you" I took a step towards her and held her arms

"I Irritate you? I do everything you tell me to do. Since you have come you have made me your puppet, and I'm trying my best to make you comfortable. What else you want from me?" She broke my grip and moved away from me

"Stay away from me. You told me to pretend to be a couple out of this room, then why do we even have to talk when we are in here" she said with annoyance

Before I could reply to her, her phone rang, i looked at her phone's screen, zuhan with heart emoji was flashing on her phone. Her face brightened suddenly, she answered the call.

"Hello! My sweetheart" she said in a sweet voice

Sweetheart? I didn't know she was familiar with this word.

"Of course I miss you too baby, I will surely come to meet you soon" she cooed

I would be over the moon she talks even ten percent like this with me.

"Absolutely no! You will always be the most important one for me"

"Don't get jealous! He is just a kid!" I was chanting in my heart

A knock on the door diverted my attention, i went to answer the door. A maid was there

"Begum saheba is calling Dulhan" she said, i nodded she left, I came back to Reem

"Dadi is calling you" i said to her, she nodded

"Listen! I have to go now, I will call you back later. I love you so much, bye" she hung up the call and walked out of the room

A wave of fire ran in my body, how can she talk like this to someone else. Only I have a right to hear those words from her mouth.

The heart she has put with zuhan's name belongs to me, I wonder which emoji she has put with my name. I will just check. I quickly took out my phone and called her

My eyes widened when I saw "jackass" written there. I put her phone back. It annoyed me

How is it possible to win her? She is so complicated.

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