Samar's P.O.V.

My gaze follows Waliyah storming back inside of the house, and wanders back off to Ayra who looks really distressed, did they just fight? Breathing out heavily I greet Ayaan Baba and Saboor Ammi and go stand near Baba, and the other men as they chat away, when a stranger comes swinging his arms my way with a smile. "Samar right?" He asked extending his arm, as he saw my confusion, "My name is Shahmeer, Haider's older brother."

I shake his hand, "Nice to meet you, heard great things about you." I reply back, wary about why he had approached me so suddenly. 

Shahmeer smiled at me. "Can't say the same about you," His words took me by surprise.

"Excuse me?" I said tilting my head to the side, almost intimidatingly, "I just met you." What does he think he knows about me that he already has a bad impression of me. . .

"Haider has spoken about you, how you two got married, how you treat her. . .Wafa may have taken your side infront of me, but that doesnt let you off the hook, Samar." 

What the fuck? My mood significantly drops, as I look over at Haider, who tries to avoid my gaze every way possible. "What happens between my wife and I, is none of your business Shahmeer, because she is MY wife." I emphasize saying MY "I do not know what Haider told you when it was not his place to be spreading rumors, but Waliyah and I are very happy with one another."

Shahmeer raised his eyebrow at me, "So why didnt she come to greet you?"

"Is she my maid?" I said arrogantly, and he looked taken aback, "She is busy with the wedding preparations, she does not need to come to me right away. I do not have that disgusting old mindset that you do that if she doesnt come to be it's automatic disrespect." He kept quiet, "What cat got your tongue now?" Shahmeer exhaled before breaking out in a smile, confusing the absolute fuck out of me, "Why are you smiling?" 

"Because," He said slapping my arm causing me to glare at him, "I was testing you."

I looked over at Baba who had a soft smile on his face as well, "What?"

"I had spoken to Wafa earlier," Shahmeer admitted, "She had said the exact same thing as you were saying, but as a childhood best friend I needed to test out the waters too, to see if you are really serious about her. Wafa has a habit, of lying about how she is, and what she actually feels, so the only way to be sure was to test you." 

"And you passed," Baba added on, "With flying colors actually."

Calming down alittle, I inhale sharply, "Glad I did then," I say softly. I do not know what I did that made me pass, because, for a long time, I have been failing at being a husband. 

Shahmeer's smile fell, "You good?"

"Fine," I reply before I walk off towards the table with the drinks on it. . .Non-Alcoholic, do not worry. I have no plans of embarrassing Waliyah, than I have already in the past four years. Grabbing a glass of water I lean against the wall enjoying my time alone, away from the small talk, and slowly became lost in my thoughts. . .Where did Waliyah go?

. . .

Waliyah came out of the house 30 minutes after I had arrived, it seemed as if she was having struggles walking since she kept grabbing the walls to walk when she first came out, before getting lost in the festivities, alongside her sisters, and friends. She looked beautiful in her jodha. . .it was modest, but perfect on her. . .Why hadn't I noticed her beauty before?

Especially when she smiled, her smile. . .Why hadn't I noticed how powerful her smile was? Smiling along with her secretly, I keep admiring her from afar. . .Waliyah is beautiful inside and out. 

Her heart made her beautiful, her thought process made her beautiful. . .her simplicity made her beautiful. . . But I fucked it all up. If only I hadn't believed Maryam over her. . .if only I hadn't teated her the way I have the past four years. . .now I have no idea where to start. . .how to apologize, how to make her beleive that my eyes have been opened, but there were no words to describe how much guilt I had felt...because I still did not love her.  I still love Amal, and I always will... but a little piece of me will always care for her, and always respect her. . .I just do not know if I can love her, the way I had loved Amal. 

"Kya dekh rahe ho?' (What are you looking at?) Maryam said scaring the absolute shit out of me, as I stood up straighter ready to jump. 

I glare at her, "Fuck off Maryam,"

Maryam rolled her eyes, "Oh come on, you cannot still be mad at me over the Dholki thing." Oh, I was mad, not at the dholki thing, but how she manipulated me against Waliyah. How she had meticulously planned everything to make me behave the way I did towards her. . not blame her completely because most of it was my own actions and behaviors but she was the catalyst behind them. 

"Why did you show me a fabricated diary?" I asked getting straight to the point, "What made you plan so intricately to make me hate Waliyah?"

Her body froze, "W-What"

"Don't lie." I said turning towards her, "I found the original diary, and there are nothing but well wishes, and prayers for Amala and I. So do not fuck around, and tell me why." Fear was evident in her eyes as her hands began to shake out of nervousness, "Maryam!" I snapped, 

"I hate her," She said quickly taking a step back, "I hated Amal, and I have always hated Wafa because anything that I wanted she took it away from me and gave it to her." Maryam admitted, "I liked you first, I wanted you first, but then Wafa came in between us. . she did everything to make you Amal's when she herself loved you! She is so fucking stupid, she thinks that everything needs to be shared in the world, but love isnt meant to be shared, Samar." Her eyes had a weird type of crazy in them, "She did not have to share you with her, she did not have to hand you to Amal!"

"I love Amal!" I exclaimed to her, "I went to Waliyah asking for help, I asked her to help me win her over, but she did not hand me over to her. I am not a thing, that you can just pick up and say here, take Samar Maryam. Amal and I loved each other, sure Wafa began to love me too, but the true meaning of love, is letting go sometimes, and that is what she did."

Maryam scoffed, "Since when did you start feeling for her?"

"Since I figured out how you used the fuck out of me to get your way with her. I do not beleive a word that comes out of your mouth now Maryam, and if you do not want me to tell your husband about your obsession with me, go away now."

"You wouldn't"

"Fucking try me," I said crossing my arms, my eyes traveled behind her, smiling at her husband who was intently watching us, I wave to him, as Maryam slapped my hand down. "Go away then."

Hamza slowly began walking over to us with Danish in his arms, "Too late," I whispered as he came to stand between us.

"Kya chal raha hain?" (What is going on?) He asked looking back and forth between us, 

"Kuch nahi," (Nothing) Maryam said quickly, "Just asking if he wanted anything,"

Hamza looked at her suspiciously but backed down, as he usually did. "No, I do not need anything," I responded smirking at her, Danish babbled sticking his hands out towards me. "Do you mind if I?" I ask Hamza, who handed Danish over. "Each time, I see kids, kinda makes me want some."

Hamza smiled as Maryam glared at me, "Is Wafa not wanting to?" He asked genuinely curious. 

I shrugged, "Never had the conversation," I said gently playing with Danish, "But defintiely will in the near future."

"Is this the cool kid's corner?" Shahmeer said, walking over to us, and grabbing our attention. "Am I welcomed?"

"Of course, you are," The more the merrier, so I did not have to stand listening to Maryam go on about how terrible Waliyah is, and how terrible my deceased wife was. . .Danish kinda shrunk into my embrace more as he spotted Shahmeer. 

Shahmeer smiled giving Danish his space, and took a step back. "Samar, Wafa was actually asking for you, Saboor Khala wants a photo of you two applying haldi on Ayra." 

"Okay," I handed Danish back to Hamza, and was ready to walk away when. . .

"How well do you two know each other?" Maryam asked, 

I furrow my eyebrows and say, "Why?"

Shahmeer's smile fell, "Maryam," He said firmly, "Don't."

"Why?" Maryam said, "He deserves to know." She smirked at me, "You did know that Shahmeer is her ex-finace right?"

I stood up alittle taller, "What?"

"You didn't know?" She asked condescendingly, 

No, Samar. . .do not fall for her words again, you have already fucked up everything, there is no need to fuck up the situation more. Trying to push back any. doubt I turn to ask Shahmeer, whose facial expression said everything. . .Why didn't Waliyah tell me? 

"Samar, man...It is something of the past before I had left for America." Shahmeer explained, "I am sure Wafa did not mention anything about it because of how well everything is going on now after all the troubles."

His words came in one ear and went out the other. I hated the look on Maryam's face as if she had some victory over me. "Samar?" Shahmeer said my name softly. 

"It's okay," I choked out, "I am sure Waliyah had her reasons," I wanted to show Maryam that this situation she had created had no effect on me when all I wanted to do was drag Waliyah into a room and demand to know the answers. Clenching my jaw I walked off, to see Waliyah waiting on me. She hadn't spoken to me the whole afternoon, and now she wanted to see me. 

Standing beside her, we take a photo with Ayra, "We need to talk." I said firmly through gritted teeth. Waliyah looked at me confused, but nevertheless nodded, obviously not wanting to create drama at the functions. 

I was not going to ask her harshly. . .it was going to be a civil conversation. . .a calm one, if she cooperates, which I doubt. 

My eyes find Maryam's again, who had amusement written all over her face, but I was not going to let her win. . .not this time.