Zoya was sitting before the mirror in her room and removing her jewellery after the Haldi Ceremony. In few hours, the Mehndi-Sangeet function would start. And she was asked to clean herself and start getting ready for the ceremony.

The arrangements had already begun in the hall. While everyone was in their room getting ready for the next function, Arjun was already in the centre of the hall passing instructions to the decorators on where to set the stage. Aditya stood next to him lost in his own thoughts. He was still in his Haldi clothes while Arjun had already changed into the simple ones.

"Arjun, tujhe ready nhi hona h?", Aditya asked.

"Nhi bhai, aap jaao main yahan kaam khtm kr ke hi aaunga", he replied without looking.

Aditya stood there thinking of how to convince Arjun to come with him. Arjun turned to find Aditya still standing at his place.

"Bhai, aap gye nhi ab tk", he asked.

"Bas jaa hi rha tha. Main soch rha tha Chote.....main tere saath hi jaunga", Aditya answered.

"Bhai, mujhe time lgega yahan pe. Aap kb tk aise haldi lage hue kapdo mein khade rahoge mere saath", Arjun told as he now instructed the man where to hung the chandelier.

"Mujhe Zoya ko yeh dena h", Aditya said taking out a small box from his pocket. It was the same diamond-locket jewellery box he had bought for Zoya. "Tu bhi chal na mere saath", Aditya insisted hopefully.

Arjun gave him a pitied look, "Tch tch tch tch.....aapne yeh abhi tk nhi diya bhabhi ko. Ek gift bhi aap khud.....", he paused in between his sentence. Aditya looked around him to know why he paused. Noor was passing by them carrying a polybag in her hand. Arjun thought for a second & instantly an idea clicked his mind.

"Noooooor", he called out aloud.

Noor who was at the foot of the stairs stopped and looked at the direction of his voice. Arjun was flashing a wide smile causing Noor to roll her eyes.

"Zara yahan aaogi.....please", he asked.

'Ab inhe humse kya chahiye', she thought and went to him.

"Boliye?", she said with full attitude.

"Tum abhi tk tayaar nhi hui Noooor?", he asked. Aditya looked at him in confusion as he didn't understand what he was upto.

"Phle to hamara naam Noooooor nhi, Noor h. Aur hum aapko kyu batayein", she replied.

'Yeh teedhi kheer h, aise nhi maanegi', Arjun thought.

"Tumhe pata h......aaj tum kitni sundar lag rhi thi", he started flirting keeping his wide smile which irritated Noor.

"Aap hume itna masca kyu laga rhe h. Koi kaam h?", she directly asked.

'Kitni chalu h yeh', Arjun said in his mind.

"Kitni smjhdaar ho tum! Woh actually na, Bhai ko tumhari help ek chahiye", he said gesturing towards Aditya.

Noor's eyes moved to Aditya and her expression became soft. "Jeeju, boliye", she spoke with a kind smile.

Arjun nudged Aditya's arm asking him to speak. "Noor.....kya tum yeh mere liye Zoya ko de dogi....please", he said extending the box towards her with a beautiful smile.

His charm was such that even Noor melted. "Sure Jeeju! Aapko bhala hum kaise mana kr skte h", she assured him taking the box. Arjun first time saw her cute smile that she gave to Aditya and his eyes rested on her face.

"Thank You", Aditya said giving her another charming smile. And after giving Arjun one last glare, she left.

"Kitna akadti h na bhai yeh", Arjun said watching Noor heading up the stairs. He immediately recieved a slap on the back of his head by his brother.

"Bahot bolne laga h Arjun", he said.

"Aahhh! Yeh sahi h......apna kaam ho gya to bhai ko bhool gye aap", Arjun complaint rubbing his head. And he received another hit in the answer.

"Kaam kr apna", Aditya said and left.

For few seconds, Arjun stood there surprised at the change in his Bhai's behaviour. "Oh bhaiya, yeh jhoomar mere sar pe girane ka irada h kya?", he shouted & got immersed in his work.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Zoya appi, dekhiye hum aapke liye kya laaye h", Noor sang entering Zoya's room.

Zoya was wiping her face with cotton with a handheld mirror in one hand. Noor kept the jewellery box on the dressing table and herself sat on the bed.

"Kya h Noor?", Zoya asked without looking.

Noor emptied the polybag & came out a stunning mehandi-colored designer gown.

"Aapke liye aaj ke function ka dress", she said unfolding the gown. "Gift h Ammi-Abbu ke taraf se", Noor added.

Zoya hold the dress in her hands like a display, "Bahot sundar h Noor. Unhe hamari taraf se shukriya kahiyega", Zoya smiled now trying the dress in front of the mirror.

Suddenly Zoya's eyes caught the attention of the silver box lying on her dressing.

"Ohh hum to batana hi bhool gye", Noor said getting up from the bed as she saw Zoya picking up the box.

"Yeh aapke unhone diya h", she said playfully nudging Zoya's shoulder, "I mean hamare hone wale Jeeju ne dia h".

"Ad...Aditya ne?", Zoya hesitates taking his name for the first time.

Noor nodded, "Appi ab jldi se khol ke hume bhi dikhaiye na isme kya h".

Zoya opened the box to found out the diamond locket-chain shining from it.

"Wow! Kitna pretty h na appi?", Noor said jumping in excitement.

Zoya took out the chain from the box taking it between her fingers. She observed the locket bringing it close to her face. It was indeed beautiful.

Aditya who was passing by Zoya's room stopped and waited to hear her reply. A broad smile found its way to his lips when words came out from her mouth, "Bahot khoobsurat h".

He was so lost in her that he didn't even realise that Noor was watching him. "Jeeju, aap wahan kyun khade h?", she asked in a teasing tone.

Before Aditya could respond, Zoya's eyes fell on his reflection in the mirror. She caught him smiling before he could have brushed it off and their eyes met at one point on the mirror.

"Ahem ahem", Noor made the sound breaking their little mirror-moment and causing Zoya to turn. Pretending that he was just passing by, Aditya quickly ran from there making Noor to giggle and tease Zoya more.

"Noor, ab aap bhi jaaiye yahan se. Hume ready hona h", Zoya ordered & Noor left.

Zoya carefully put the locket back in the box and opened the bed-side drawer to put the box in there. There was an envelope lying inside that drawer. She reached for it to check what was inside. There was a name written in bold-capital on the front - ADITYA.

It was the same envelope Waseem had given her that night when he had told Zoya about her wedding being fixed to Aditya. Zoya remembered throwing the envelope inside the drawer without even bothering to look at it. Since then it lied there untouched.

Now that she realised that she hadn't opened it, Zoya swiftly broke the seal & these came out.

Even Zoya couldn't help her breath getting hitched inside her throat at the pictures that came out. He was so charming even in the photos.

'How can someone be so damn good-looking?,' she asked herself. Suddenly Zoya felt something she had never done before. Her heart was pounding inside her chest. She placed her hands on her chest to feel her heartbeat and closed her eyes. Her heart beated even faster.

What was this new feeling? What was happening to her? Was she.....? No, no, no, no! Zoya opened her eyes & slided the photos back in the envelope. She put the envelope in the drawer and rushed to the bathroom.

~~~~~~~~~

"Waseem aapko lgta h jo aap kr rhe h woh sahi h?", Roshnaq asked him.

"Aapka mtlb kya h Roshnaq?", Waseem questioned back.

"Hamara mtlb aap achhe se jante h. Aapke Sahir ko reject krne ke peeche kya wajah kya thi, yeh aap bhi jante h aur hum bhi", she bitterly replied.

"Yeh sb baatein ab krne ka kya mtlb h?", he sourly asked.

"Sahir ek achche insaan the......phir bhi aapne Zoya ko majboor kia unse alag hone ke liye......sirf issliye kyun ki aap ne Aditya se Zoya ka nikaah bachpan me hi tay kr dia tha".

Waseem scoffed in anger at hearing the truth, "To kya chahti h aap? Hum Zoya ka haath uss fatichar ke haath me de dete......jiske na khoon ka pata h aur na khandaan ka".

"Kam se kam ek baar aapne hamari beti ki pasand ko mauka diya hota", she argued.

"Roshnaq, aap achche se janti h hum ne bahut phle vaada tha Hooda sahab se. Hamari Zoya ka nikaah hoga to unke bete Aditya se hi".

"To ek vaade ke liye aap hamari beti ki pori zindagi barbaad kr denge?".

"Hum jo kr rhe h ussi me Zoya ki bhalayi h. Agar hume phle pata hota, to uss nikamme, naalayak aur nihayati badtameez aadmi ko hamari beti aas-paas bhi nhi bhatakne dete".

"Pr ek baar..", Roshnaq was saying but Waseem raised his palm to shut her up.

"Waseem Siddiqui apna vaada har haal mein poora krega....chahe usske liye usse kuch bhi krna pade", his eyes burned when he said those words.

"Aur Zoya? Unka kya?", she asked keeping her voice low.

"Zoya ka nikaah kl Aditya se ho jaega. Usske baad woh Delhi chali jayengi unke saath. Aur iss baat me hume koi shaq nhi h ki Aditya se behtar shauhar unke liye koi nhi ho skta......Iss baare mein hume aur koi bahas nhi krni h", he concluded and went out.

**********

Hello! Back with another update!

You'll be finally witnessing AdiYa's wedding in the next two chapters. And there are new things coming up post their marriage. I'll be announcing it soon.

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Keep reading, keep loving!