Adhoori mulaqat hi tou phir se milne ka vaada hota hai.

ادھوری ملاقات ہی تو پھر سے ملنے کا وعدہ ہوتا ہے

Seconds collided into minutes, hours, days. I felt like eternity moved through me, as I stood watching my reflection from underneath my veil. The muffled sounds of jewels and the soft thud of a door closing shut bought me back from my trance.

I watched one makeup artist dust my bare shoulders with a golden highlighter that caught the light from the setting sun. My hair had been pulled back into a neatly packed bun and the bruises on my neck well concealed with a gold polki and kundan chokar necklace, festooned with gems of untold variety. Despite the veil covering my face, my obsidian eyes glowed with the copper and gold shadows on my eyelids, my eyes edged with the strokes of a deep black khol.

My mother sat besides me and revealed a set of bangles from inside the box. I watched in silence while my mother threaded the golden bangles though my wrists. "These belonged to your dadi." She said cuffing the kangan around my wrist. "She gave them to me when you were born." Her eyes warmed with her memory and a sad smile played on her lips. "I wish she was here with us."

I pursed my lips, feeling the cool metal of the kangan settle against my skin. "I wish too. But I know she is happy for me." Mom nodded and then turned around to uncover a few rings from another box. A gasp escaped my lips seeing them, "I'm not wearing another pieces of jewellery mom. I can barely move."

"These are just rings, Shany." She argued, slipping them on my fingers. "Have you taken pain medication for your bruises?"

I nodded my head, suddenly feeling conscious of the blue bruised patches on my midriff and side. "The swelling and discolouration is still there. It's so ugly, I don't want anyone to see it."

A final fragrant of sunshine spilled across my room before Huda drew the curtains of the window shut. Silence brewed in the room. My mother's apprehensive eyes caught mine, her greys reading the worries floating in my perturbed orbs. A numb furor sucked the excitement that was dancing in my eyes, but my mother caught my hand in a soothing embrace.

"Don't let that eclipse your shine. Today is your day."

She ran a hand over my dress, her slender fingers appreciating the fine craftsmanship of the outfit. "Thank god Layla was able to arrange for this." I chuckled softly. I was dressed in a dull gold embroidered shirt that shimmered under the light and a voluminous burnt red silk lehnga skirt, almost the same colour as the roses adorning my bun.

"You look beautiful." She said just when the door creaked open. Zaroon Bhai and Layla walked in. My mother smiled down at them, before she left to get dressed herself.

"Aliyaar Bhai will lose his mind when he sees you today." Layla squealed in excitement, but Zaroon Bhai's face remained tight and drawn.

I forced out a smile at her before turning back to meet his concerned gaze. "What's wrong Bhai?"

He sighed and then took a step towards me. "Shany, do you really want this?" He asked with a voice heavy with worry. "Do you know what you're getting yourself into?"

I opened my mouth to respond, when Layla's reproachful sound stopped me. "I told you not to create doubts in her head. Not today. It's her wedding, for God's sake." She shot at him with furrowed brows.

"She is my sister. I'm concerned for her." Zaroon Bhai's voice rose above her and Layla took a step forward in his direction, her eyes cutting through him. But Zaroon Bhai remained unflinching, his stance broad and powerful. "I will not let anyone force her into something she doesn't want."

"She is not being forced. She is happy. Can't you see." Layla shot back in agitation. "What's gotten into you these past few days?"

Zaroon Bhai opened his mouth to reply, when I shot out. "Stop it both of you. What's wrong Bhai?"

"Shany, I know you were forced into this relationship to help our family, but we have secured enough funds to finance this election. You don't have to sacrifice your life."

"I'm not sacrificing my life," I smiled at the concern on his face. "This relationship truely is my choice and I'm happy with it." I tried to convince him, but his face remained drawn and relentless.

"He is using you for his advantage. All he cares about is the power and position you can get him. He is the reason why Baba is facing these charges."

Everything around me melted to shadows and silence. The bitterness of his words settled within me and the waft of gloom and despondency began to shroud me. The fear. The anguish. The nothingness. All emotions can flooding in, choking me without explanation.

Layla stood besides me with a shocked expression plaguing her face. But she did not say a word. Zaroon Bhai's revelation was no new information, yet it stirred something deep within me. His words were late. The brilliance of my awareness has risen far above me and I would not let the swirl of his stormy clouds veil my leaden sunshine.

"Bhai, it wasn't Aliyaar, but Ibrahim Taya's actions that got him where he is. I trust Aliyaar." My lips quivered but my words reverberated through the room.

Zaroon Bhai's eyes narrowed and a flash of anger shone in them. "Are you hearing yourself? You're taking his side when you know well the only reason he is marrying you is to pressurise our family to make him the Chief Minsiter."

"He wouldn't have had to do that, if our family had honoured their promise. His demands are nothing new—"

"I can't believe you're taking that son o—"

"Stop." My words echoed in the yawning tension of the room. "You're talking about my future husband. I have immense love and respect for you, but I will not tolerate another word against him." My pulse jumped, but my words were glazed in ice and warning.

A flash of surprise lingered on his face and his lips tightened into a frown, but he remained silent before he nodded his head and turned around to leave the room. "You might regret this, Shanzae." The hushed whisper of his words fell upon the room like a poisonous draught of the wind.

➰➰➰

My parents lead me down the lavish hallways of our haveli towards the outdoor gardens where the ceremony was supposed to take place.

It was time. This was finally happening.

A smile fluttered on my lips at the thought. The guards threw the doors open and a torrent of rose petals rained upon us. The whole garden was decorated with hues of gold and bronze. Pale pink and white flowers decorated the walkways and quarries. The elaborate flower arrangements ran through the length of the cavernous gardens, from the entrance to the stage.

The stage.

He was there, wearing a black sherwani jacket and around his throat coiled a necklace with red stones. Under the blinding lights his bronzed skin shone with an unnatural gleam. His black hair were styled back to frame his face and those golden orbs, that shone from underneath his thick brows and sooty lashes, but there was something about that ageless gaze that was holding mine with a raw emotion. He was handsome— strikingly beautiful, frighteningly enigmatic.

For a second I felt breathless, my heart constricted at the sight of him. I hadn't looked up again, but I knew his eyes were pinned at me while I walked down the aisle towards the other side of the stage. With each step I took towards my new life, the air got filled with joyous murmurs and sounds.

Layla and my cousins gathered around me when I reached the stage and helped me up. I was seated on the other side on a dais, a veil of flower garlands separating the two of us. And it was at that moment the reality of the moment finally set it. My heartbeat rose to my ears and my breath became laboured.

Was I making the right decision?

Macabre thoughts began to rub against the edges of my composure and I felt my body trembling with the vortex of feelings racing through me. Fear began to grip my heart and I rubbed my clammy hands together, my fingers knotting together in agitated knots. And then the whole gathering fell into a meditative silence. No murmurs, no rustling, no sound, except the soft voice of the moulana reciting a few verses of the Quran.

My breath became low and shallow and the glorious happiness of the day began to fade to a mottling of greys and darkness. I felt darkness begin to hug me, when the voice of my grandfather fell upon my ears.

"Shanzae."

I looked up and saw every eye in the room peering down at me with a concerned expression. "Do you accept this nikkah?"  He asked, and from the look on his face it was evident, this wasn't the first time he had ask.

"Shany. Are you alright?" My father's voice sounded from besides me. Another knot formed in my stomach, but I nodded at him reassuringly. A wash of relief washed over his face. "Dada Jaan is asking you, do you accept this nikkah?" He said pointing towards the paper in front of me.

I looked down at the paper and then up at Aliyaar through the veil of flowers. Despite the very brief look, I could sense his eyes pinned at me with an indecipherable expression. His gaze raw and piercing. But there was one emotion that shone brighter than the sun — fear.

Fear of losing me.

That one emotion. That one vulnerable look. That one honest gaze was all it took for all my fears to ebb away into the crags of silence. My heart swelled and I felt hot tears beginning to well my eyes. And with that the words rolled past my lips.

"Qubool hai."

The confusion on my face faded with the ready appearance of a winsome smile and a riotous celebration of cheers rang though the guests. Congratulatory hugs and kisses filled the air with a celebratory joy and delight.

Layla helped remove the partition from between us and I saw Aliyaar sitting on the other side, watching me with a smile playing on his face. He held his hand out for me, and I couldn't help but smile at how relieved he was. His eyes lit with approval as he drank in my appearance.

My cheeks stained pink, and I suddenly felt too coy under his appreciating gaze. I looked down demurely, but held my hand out for him to hold on to. His hand was warm, but his grip firm yet gentle.

"Ajj tou lag raha hai apka meri jaan lene ka irada hai, begum sahiba."

JaayyWrites sent a wedding gift. 🤧

@shininggstaar sent another gift. 🥺🥺

^Shany's wedding dress.

Eeeeeeee!!! ☺️☺️☺️

Thoughts.
Hope you all liked it.

Until tomorrow, keep me in your prayers.

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