2 Nov 2019

Hi, guys! How are you all? I hope you're all doing well? How's your weekend going? To make it better, here's the next chapter of 'Arranged or Love?'! Enjoy! ;)

"Love is of all passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart, and the senses." - Lao Tzu

Alayna's POV

At half seven, Sara informs me that Zayan and his family are here for the haldi and sangeet.

"The groom and his family are here! And they've bought so many lovely gifts for you, Alayna," Sara tells me, grinning widely.

My cheeks heat up as I stare into the mirror again. Zayan's here. I'll be seeing him very soon, when I'm taken downstairs. There's one week left for our wedding, and today's the last day we'll both be seeing each other until the wedding day. After today, the next time we see each other, we'll be husband and wife.

The thought makes me blush furiously. In one week, I'm going to be Zayan's wife.

"Earth to Alayna!" Sara teases, poking my side gently. I jump, glaring at her.

'What were you saying?' I ask her, jumping out of my thoughts, too.

She grins mischievously. "I was saying, Zayan Bhai looks very handsome tonight. He's wearing a simple white kurta and matching trousers, but he looks.. wow. You won't be able to keep your eyes off him." My heart rate accelerates. Why do I like it so much when she calls Zayan 'Bhai'?

'Sara! You're crazy. And anyway, we won't be sitting together for our haldi!' I say, nodding to myself.

She smirks. "Who told you that? You won't be sitting besides each other, but you'll be sitting opposite each other. You'll be awestruck when you see the hall downstairs, Alayna! It's been decorated so beautifully, fully transformed. You'll be sitting opposite each other, about five metres apart," she explains, a glint in her eyes.

My heart starts to race as I stare at my sister. 'Really? I thought we were going to be in different rooms. Or at least, with a curtain in between us.'

She winks at me. "That was the original plan. But I helped with the decorations, and I told Mum and Dad that it looks better this way. Also, I couldn't keep you and Zayan Bhai apart, could I?!"

My cheeks burn deep scarlet, and I feel my palms start to get sweaty. I'm feeling so nervous right now. Zayan will see me, I'll see him. We'll be sitting across each other. If he has that silly smirk on his lips..

My female cousins, Aliya and Mum come rushing to my room. 'Alayna! Are you ready to go downstairs?' Mum asks me, grinning. Her eyes are filled with excitement and mischief.

I feel my heart thudding loudly, and I stand to my feet. The girls grin, coming to me to take me downstairs.

They hold a large, yellow decorated dupatta from all four corners above me, and make me stand underneath it. Oh, my god. I can't believe this is happening.

I keep my gaze trained to the ground as they take me downstairs. We walk past the living room, past the kitchen and dining room, into the main hall. I finally look up, and my breath hitches in my throat when I see what the hall has been transformed into. It looks magical, absolutely magnificent.

The entire hall has been decorated in different shades of yellow and silver. I see all my close friends and family sitting in chairs around the hall, smiling at me. I bite my lip nervously, looking around. Small yellow and silver fairy lights are lining every inch of the walls of the hall, and also the ceiling. The silver chandelier in the middle of the hall looks dazzling and super sparkly. There are two small, fully decorated couches in the middle of the hall, five or so metres apart, and they're decorated with fresh yellow flowers. Fresh flower petals are covering the walkway I'm currently walking on, and they smell heavenly. All my close family and friends are dressed in white and yellow, matching the colour scheme.

There are stalls of food at the sides of the halls, holding all my favourite snacks. There's lots of samosas, pakoras, spring rolls, barbecue chicken, cupcakes, muffins, brownies, doughnuts, mini fruit trifle and mini eclairs, profiteroles and an assortment of cakes.

Music is playing from the far end of the hall, all my favourite sangeet and wedding songs. There's a DJ, who Armaan is currently talking to.

Sara and Aliya hold the dupatta from the front two corners, and they lead me to the small couch, which is only big enough for one person. I gracefully take a seat, smiling at my relatives and friends who greet me.

Then, I see him. He's sitting opposite me, on an identical, intricate couch. He looks stunned, and he's staring right at me. I bite my lip, quickly averting my gaze. If he sees me checking him out, he won't stop smirking. I'm going to be a bright red tomato throughout my haldi function.

But I can't help it. I find myself staring at him again, and he's still looking right back at me. His lips have now curled into a handsome smile, and he winks at me when he sees me looking at him. I blush furiously, clearing my throat and gazing down at my hands in my lap.

That was awkward! I hope no one else saw him wink at me like that.

Hanna, Aunty and Laiba come to me, complimenting me happily.

'Alayna, dear, you look perfect. Absolutely perfect. You look like an angel,' Aunty says, kissing my forehead gently.

I blush, thanking her quietly. "Thank you, Aunty. You look lovely too!"

'You do look amazing, Alayna. Zayan can't keep his eyes off you, and I don't blame him,' Laiba says softly, winking at me. She sets a strand of hair which has come in front of my face.

I giggle quietly, biting my lip. "Thank you, Laiba."

'Alayna, my best friend! You look so damn hot!' Hanna says, kissing my cheek softly. I shake my head at her craziness, chuckling quietly.

"Not as hot as you," I say to her, winking.

She rolls her eyes. 'My brother's a goner. He can't stop staring at you,' she whispers into my ear. This makes me turn bright red, and I glance at Zayan again.

He looks very handsome indeed. He's wearing a simple white kurta and trouser, and damn. He looks good. Pakistani clothes look amazing on him. As I said before, I don't know why he's a doctor. He should be a model.

********

Fifteen minutes later, the haldi ceremony begins. Sara and Mum come to me, rolling the hem of my trousers up slightly. It makes me blush harder. However, thankfully they don't roll it up too high. I'd forgotten that the guests would apply haldi to my arms, face and feet. It's sure gonna feel weird having people touch my feet. They're super ticklish.

It's only the females, Dad and Yusuf Bhai who apply haldi to me. Well, that's until the official haldi ceremony ends. All my close friends and female family members, Dad and Yusuf Bhai take turns to come over to me and Zayan and apply haldi to us. At first, I feel very ticklish, but I become used to the sensation quickly.

At the end of the ceremony, my hands, feet, ankles and cheeks are covered with haldi. It feels nice, though. Mum had told me that the haldi makes the skin glow and shine, enhancing its natural beauty.

The sangeet will start ten minutes after the end of the haldi ceremony. However, I need to pee before the sangeet begins.

My haldi is still wet, but I tell Mum that I need to use the bathroom.

'I'll come with you, sweetie. Your haldi is still wet,' she says to me gently, giving me a sweet smile.

I shake my head. "It's drying, I'll be back in just a couple of minutes Mum. You take care of the guests. I'll be back."

I head out the hall and go upstairs to my room, quickly using the bathroom. I glance at my reflection in the tall, full-length bathroom mirror and smile to myself. Today's been a lovely day.

I exit the bathroom and am about to leave my room, when I hear the clearing of a throat behind me. I twirl around quickly, my eyes widening. Because I know exactly who that is.

Zayan.

He's standing in front of me, smirking. 'It's great to see you, Alayna,' he says, teasingly.

My cheeks heat up, and I'm glad for the haldi that's covering them. He looks amazing, even with haldi on his face.

"Zayan, what are you doing here?! Did someone see you come upstairs?" I whisper, shutting the door quickly, in case someone comes.

He shakes his head, amused. 'You look beautiful, Alayna,' he tells me, his gaze travelling from head to toe.

I shiver slightly under his brooding gaze. "Thank you, now go downstairs. People will get suspicious."

'Let them get suspicious. We're getting married in a week. This time next week, you'll be my wife.' His eyes are dark and filled with various emotions.

My cheeks warm up further. "Zayan, Mum or Aunty will come upstairs," I whisper, staring into his dark, hooded eyes.

'They won't come. I came upstairs, because I needed to do something,' he says, stepping closer to me.

My heart starts to race faster with every step he takes towards me. Five seconds later, he's just inches away from me.

"What did you need to do?" I whisper, unable to look away from him.

He brings his face closer to mine, and I swallow, hard. My heart's beating like crazy, the butterflies in the pit of my stomach are dancing with joy, and I feel like pulling him closer.

He touches his cheek, removing a fingertip of the haldi on it. Then, he brings his hand to my face slowly. He touches my face with his feather-light touch, applying the haldi to my cheek. My heart is now thundering in my chest, threatening to escape.

How such a small action, such a small touch has made me feel this way is absolutely crazy. I stare at him, and he gazes back into my eyes.

'It wasn't fair, how everyone else applied haldi to you. I had to apply it too,' he whispers into my ear, his voice low. I swallow, fisting my hands to my sides. How does he have such a strong effect on me?

I don't speak, but I bite my lip nervously. His gaze falls to my lip, and his eyes darken further. "Alayna," he whispers, his voice strained.

'Yes?' I whisper in response.

"I can't wait for next Saturday. This next week is going to pass so slowly, I just know it," he says, swallowing. I see his adam's apple bobbing in his throat, and for some weird reason, I want to touch it.

Right at that moment, I hear footsteps. They're getting closer and closer to my room, and my eyes widen in shock. 'Zayan, someone's coming!' I whisper, doing the first thing I see. I push him into my closet, closing the doors quickly. Then, I take a seat on the edge of my bed, trying to calm my nerves.

My door bursts open, and Hanna and Aliya walk in. They're both grinning at me from ear to ear. Do they know? I discreetly look around my room, but nothing looks suspicious.

'Alayna, are you okay? You look shocked! It's only us. Don't worry, it's not Zayan,' Aliya says, winking at me.

I nod, clearing my throat. "I was just about to come downstairs. Has the sangeet started?" I ask them, trying to ignore the fact that Zayan is just metres away, inside my closet.

They shake their heads. 'No, we were all waiting for you and Zayan.'

"Zayan? Why? Where is he?" I ask, my voice coming out weirdly.

'Oh, he stepped outside for a couple of minutes. He's in the back garden with Usman Bhai,' Hanna says.

I nod. "Oh, okay. Let's go downstairs then. I don't want to keep everyone waiting."

'Wait, wait, wait. Me and Hanna were just talking about something. This time next week, it will nearly be your... wedding night,' Aliya says, shocking me.

My heart starts to pound in my chest. She's right. This time next week, me and Zayan will be married, and it'll be our wedding night. The week of my wedding has come so fast.

'Are you excited for it?' Hanna asks me, winking.

My cheeks heat up, and I bite my lip nervously. Thinking of my... wedding night makes me so nervous. I have no idea what I'll do. What will happen.

"Hanna! Shh," I say, my cheeks bright pink. I pull their arms to take them out of the room, remembering that Zayan's hiding in my closet. This is so embarrassing.

'You will tell us everything, right? On your walima?' Hanna asks me, her eyes wide. 'Well, not absolutely everything, because ew. Zayan's my Bhai. But I still want to know everything.'

Oh, my god. I can't believe these girls. They have no idea that Zayan's right here and he can clearly hear everything they're saying. I feel mortified right now.

"Me too! Alayna, you asked me everything on my walima. It's gonna be payback. I also need to know everything, and I mean everything. You will.... you know, right?" She asks me in a low whisper. It's definitely not quiet enough, though.

'Aliya! I can't believe you girls. Let's go. I'll answer all your questions later, but not right now,' I mutter, embarrassed as hell.

Aliya raises an eyebrow, looking around my room. "Why not now? Is Zayan hiding somewhere?"

I shake my head furiously. 'Because everyone's waiting for us downstairs! It's time for the sangeet to start. He's not hiding, he's most likely downstairs, waiting for us.'

Hanna and Aliya look at each other, raising their eyebrows. Then they turn to me. "Okay. You'll need to tell us everything later then. Including if you'll... do it on the first night," Aliya says bluntly.

I burst into a coughing fit right as I hear a shuffling sound from inside my closet. Did he just hit his head or something? I close my eyes shut tight, knowing I've been caught.

'Alayna! I can't believe you! I mean.. I would totally do the same thing. It's exciting, right?! Me and Aliya will now head downstairs, but you need to join us in no more than two minutes,' Hanna says, grinning widely.

Aliya smirks, nodding. "Both of you. Get downstairs. There's only a week left, after that you can do whatever you want." She leaves me in shock by saying this, as her and Hanna leave my room, closing the door on their way out.

As soon as he hears the door click, Zayan steps out of my closet, running the back of his head. I rush over to him in worry, while my cheeks are bright red. I really hope he didn't hear what Hanna and Aliya were saying. But I know he heard every word.

The smirk on his lips tells me he heard everything, very clearly.

'Are you okay, Zayan? Did you hit your head?' I ask him, standing in front of him.

He nods, his smirk broadening. "Yes, but I'm okay. I was standing properly, until I heard what Aliya asked you."

I hide my face with my hands in embarrassment, groaning loudly. 'Zayan, you didn't hear that. You did not hear that. Okay?' I mutter, unable to meet his eyes.

"Didn't I?" He murmurs.

I look up at him, meeting his heated gaze. 'No, you didn't hear that. And I'm sorry, for what Aliya and Hanna said. This is so embarrassing. We should get going downstairs,' I whisper, rushing out the room with the brightest blush colouring my cheeks.

I hear his laughter behind me as I run downstairs.

********

I'm unable to meet Zayan's eyes for the rest of the evening. The sangeet goes by smoothly, and it's lots of fun. All our friends and family perform several dances and sing traditional wedding songs, including our parents.

At the end of the night, everyone tells Zayan to sing a song for me. They've all heard his voice before, when he sang 'Pehli Nazar Mein', and they know what a good singer he is. At first, he's reluctant, but when he sees me grinning and raising an eyebrow to challenge him, he nods, standing up from his seat on the couch.

Hum tere bin ab reh nahi sakte (I can't live without you)

Tere bina kya wajood mera (Without you, how can I exist?)

Tujh se juda agar ho jayenge (If I got separated from you)

Toh khud se hi ho jayenge juda (Then I will be separated from myself)

Kyunki tum hi ho (Because it is only you)

Ab tum hi ho (Now it is only you)

Zindagi ab tum hi ho (My life is only you)

Chain bhi, mera dard bhi (My peace and my pain)

Meri aashiqui ab tum hi ho (My love is only you)

I'm in awe when he sings one of my favourite romantic Bollywood songs, 'Tum Hi Ho' by Arijit Singh. It's such a beautiful, emotion-filled and romantic song, it makes me tremble. When he sings, I'm unable to look away from, mesmerised. His eyes are on me the entire time when he sings. Everyone starts to tease us, but at this moment, I don't care. Right now, he's the only one I see.

Everyone gives him a huge round of applause when he ends the song, and some of my friends and cousins start whistling loudly, continuing to tease us.

His eyes are dark, filled with several emotions I cannot decipher. How I wish to know what he's thinking right now. He's looking at me so intensely, I feel like I'm about to burst. My entire body is beet red, I'm blushing like crazy.

Hanna pokes me in my side, making me jump. She looks extremely happy, grinning at me and then at her brother. "I had no idea he had it in himself, to be romantic!" She says, chuckling.

I bite my lip, flushing. 'I didn't know, either,' I tell her truthfully.

"So tell us, what were you both doing upstairs?" Aliya whispers into my ear. Hanna and Aliya are standing on either side of me, giving me teasing looks.

I laugh quietly, shaking my head after feeling my hot cheeks. 'Nothing!'

"You were definitely not doing nothing," Aliya says, looking proud of me. Hanna nods.

I roll my eyes at my best friends. 'Okay, okay. I'll tell you. I went upstairs to use the bathroom and when I got out, Zayan was there. He surprised me, made me jump. I thought I was daydreaming, but I wasn't. He followed me upstairs, because he wanted to.. he wanted to apply haldi on me like everyone else,' I tell them.

They both stare at me in shock, before they start laughing and tease me to no end. "That's so romantic, Alayna. If only Kabir did something like that too, but he was boring!" Aliya says, chuckling.

Hanna looks at her brother, who's looking right at us. She gives him the biggest grin, before turning to me. 'You two weren't up to anything at the hospital, were you? Maybe when you were 'on call', or when you were working together on a case?' She whispers, her jaw falling open.

I giggle quietly, shaking my head. "No, Han. Of course not."

'I wouldn't put it past you two,' she replies.

I shake my head again, laughing quietly.

********

All of my friends and family take lots and lots of pictures with me as the night comes to an end.

I have a professional photo shoot with Zayan, which I'm extremely shy in. The photographer tells us to stand closer together, but I'm way too shy. I stand next to him as he clicks photos of us together, but I'm a blushing tomato. Never had I thought in my entire life that I'd be such a blushing bride. I mean, surely every bride blushes to some extent. Me, however, I look like my face is on fire whenever Zayan's around.

The photographer tells Zayan to put his hand on my shoulder for a picture, so Zayan reluctantly does after I nod at him, giving him permission. However, when I feel his touch, I jump, feeling the current return after so long. It travels through my whole body, it makes me feel as though my whole body is on fire.

I glance at Zayan who looks back at me with a gentle, caring smile. He looks so handsome. He's literally the epitome of perfection. I can't help but smile back at him, staring into his sparkling, blue-brown depths.

'That's perfect. You're both photogenic, you don't even need to pose,' the photographer says to us with a smile.

I swallow, continuing to stare at Zayan.

'You're very beautiful, Alayna,' he whispers into my ear.

I blush furiously, hitting his arm playfully. I almost hide my face in the crook of his shoulder, but I remember that the girls are around, and that sadly, I'm not married to him just yet.

More photos of us are clicked together, before the photographer takes some individual pictures of both of us.

Our haldi and sangeet night was amazing. Although I blushed brighter than a tomato throughout the evening, I had lots of fun with all my loved ones. I can't believe how quickly time's passing by. This time next week, I'll be married. I'll be someone's wife.

It's almost 3am by the time I fall asleep that night. I fall asleep as soon as my head hits my pillow, and I have a blissful sleep.

********

I spend the next few days with my family. I spend quality time with them, knowing I won't get this time back. I'll be able to come back whenever I want to see my family, but it'll never be the same again. I'm going to miss them badly.

I cry several times in the next few days. When I return from a short shopping trip with Sara the day before my Mehndi, I find Mum in tears in the living room. Dad and Yusuf Bhai are trying to console her, but their own eyes are filled with tears. I enter the living room and hug Mum without saying a single word. I cry in her arms, and she holds me for a long time. I fall asleep in her lap that night, with her massaging my scalp with her fingers, just like she used to do when I was a small child.

********

How was it, guys? Hmm? Was it okay? I liked writing this chapter, and all the upcoming chapters! Right now, the next four chapters are written and ready!

What was your favourite part of this chapter?

Zayan's getting a little... naughty. Lol! What do you think of his this side? And Alayna's constant blush?

Zalayna's haldi and sangeet are... done! What's next?! I have so much planned for this book, I'm so excited for all of you to read!

Question: I want to know where all my lovely readers are from! Where are you guys from?

Bye guys!! x