In the car, Ayla turned toward Kaif with mischievous gaze. "Aaj apko kaha se khayal aya hume pick karne ka?"

(What made you think of picking me up today?)

"Zarrar se milne aya tha, socha tumhe bhi pick karlu," Kaif replied casually, his eyes on the road.

(I came to meet Zarrar, so I thought I’d pick you up too.)

"Kuch kehna hai apko?" Ayla asked, noticing the slight furrow in his brow. His silence and hesitant expression only confirmed her suspicion.

(Do you want to say something?)

Kaif glanced at her, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Tum kaise samajh jati ho?"

(How do you always know?)

"Bas samajh jate hain, bataiye kya baat hai."

(I just do. Tell me, what’s the matter?)

Kaif hesitated for a moment, then spoke. "Tumne Eifa ke liye Shyra se baat karli hai?"

(Did you talk to Shyra about Eifa?)

Ayla blinked, confused. "Haan, humne apse aur tayi jaan se discuss toh kiya tha. Kyu? Kya hua?"

(Yes, I discussed it with you and tayi jaan too. Why? What happened?)

"Kuch nahi bas..." Kaif paused, exhaling. "Zarrar ki tabiyat theek nahi rehti, woh bahar ja raha hai apne treatment ke liye lekin ussey pehle woh apni beti ki shadi karna chahta hai toh maine socha Kian ke liye..."

(Nothing, it’s just...)

(Zarrar isn’t well. He’s going abroad for treatment, but before that, he wants to get his daughter married. So I thought about Kian...).

"Unki toh dono betiyon ki shadi ho chuki hai?" Ayla interrupted, frowning as she recalled attending both their weddings.

(But both his daughters are already married?)

"Uski teen betiyan hai," Kaif corrected gently. "Sabse choti Ishmal zyada kisi se milti nahi lekin bohot pyari hai, aaj mila main ussey. Sabse choti hai isliye Zarrar uske liye pareshaan rehta hai."

(He has three daughters.)

(The youngest one, Ishmal, doesn’t interact much with others, but she’s very sweet. She's the youngest that's why Zarrar worries about her a lot.)

There was an unmistakable softness in Kaif's tone, a warmth that hinted at his fondness for Ishmal.

Ayla studied him closely before replying, "Humne toh already Shyra se baat karli, ab aise mein kahi aur rishta dekhna sahi nahi."

(But I already talked to Shyra. In this situation, looking elsewhere isn’t right.)

Kaif nodded, understanding the sentiment. "Haan, Eifa toh phir apni beti hai." He agreed. Some matters were simply beyond their control. After all, fate had its own plans, and their duty was only to follow where it led.

(Yes, and Eifa is our daughter after all.)

"Waise tumne Kian se baat ki Eifa ke barey mein?" Kaif suddenly remembered and asked.

(Have you spoken to Kian about Eifa?)

"Woh parhai baad shadi ka kehte hain, lekin unhone kaha hai humari pasand se shadi karenge." Ayla's voice carried a hint of pride for her son.

(He says he’ll marry after completing his studies, but he also said he’ll marry whomever we choose.)

"Phir bhi, Ayla." Kaif said, "Eifa aur woh kafi close hain but zaroori nahi ki woh raazi ho. Azrin aur Arsalan bhi toh close the." Kaif reminded her, and Ayla’s smile faltered. How had she forgotten that?

(Still, Ayla...)

(Eifa and he are quite close, but it doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll agree. Azrin and Arsalan were close too.)

"Achha Kian se main baat kar leta hoon," Kaif reassured her, and with that, they reached Khan haveli.

(Alright, I’ll talk to Kian.)

•••

Eifa's gaze lingered on a distant point, her thoughts spiraling into an endless loop of uncertainty. The crisp night air kissed her cheeks, but she barely noticed, lost in her world until a sharp snap of fingers jolted her back to reality.

Shahnan stood before her. "Kya hua?" he asked softly, taking the swing beside her. "Aap aise kyu baithi hain?"

(What happened?)

(Why are you sitting like this?)

Eifa tried to muster a smile but failed miserably. "Nothing. You wouldn’t understand." she said, shaking her head lightly.

"Try me," Shahnan insisted stubbornly, taking a seat on the swing next to her.

Eifa let out a resigned sigh. She knew Shahnan wouldn’t give up easily. "Tumhare matlab ki nahi hai. Tum yeh batao, iss waqt kaha se arahe ho?" she deflected, hoping to steer the conversation away.

(It’s nothing that concerns you. Tell me, where were you coming from at this hour?)

"Don’t change the topic," Shahnan said firmly, leaning closer. "Kya hua hai, Eifa? Aap pareshaan kyu hain?"

(What’s wrong, Eifa? Why are you upset?)

Eifa exhaled deeply, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the chain of the swing. "Kuch nahi bas Kian ka proposal..." Eifa turned to face him, pulling her legs up to sit cross-legged.

(Nothing, just Kian’s proposal...)

"Apne toh mana kar diya haina." Shahnan interrupted, his voice laced with urgency, needing reassurance.

(You’ve already refused, right?)

"Puri baat sunoge?" Eifa shot him an annoyed look, and he fell silent, nodding for her to continue.

(Will you let me complete?)

"Mujhe lag raha hai main galat decision toh nahi le rahi?" she confessed, her voice tinged with doubt.

(I feel like I might be making the wrong decision?)

"Bilkul bhi nahi." he replied instantly, his tone unwavering. "Kian bhai aur apka koi match nahi." Just saying their names together felt like a bitter taste in his mouth.

(Not at all.)

(Kian bhai and you aren’t a match.)

"Ghar wale disappoint honge." Eifa’s voice trailed off, resting her cheek in her palm. "Dadi Azrin api ke time hi itna gussa hui thi, phir maama bhi khush thi. Aur badi mummy, woh meri ideal rahi hain bachpan se, main unke bete ko kaise reject karu?"

(The family will be disappointed.)

(Dadi was so angry during Azrin api's time, and maama is happy. And badi mummy, she’s been my idol since childhood. How can I reject her son?)

Shahnan felt an overwhelming urge to shake some sense into her. Was she really hesitating because of everyone else? What about herself? Or him?

"Larkiyon ko bohot kuch sochna samajhna parhta hai tum nahi samjhoge." she added, her voice low, as if justifying her turmoil.

(Girls have to think about so much; you wouldn’t understand.)

Frustrated, Shahnan smacked his forehead, causing Eifa to raise an eyebrow at him.

"Eifa," he said her name with deliberate calm, his patience hanging by a thread. She was the only one in front of whom he always tried to keep his temper in check. "Kuch baatein itni serious hoti nahi jitna aap soch sochke bana leti hain. Apko nahi karni shadi toh inkar karein. Jinko apki khushi se matlab hoga woh disappoint nahi honge."

(Some things aren’t as serious as you make them by overthinking. If you don’t want to marry, just say no. Those who truly care about your happiness won’t be disappointed.)

Eifa turned away, biting her lip, but Shahnan wasn’t done. He placed a hand gently on her head, tilting it back toward him. "Aap samjhi ki nahi?"

(Do you understand or not?)

"Samajh gayi," she muttered, swatting his hand away. Her lips curved into a reluctant smile. "Ki tum kuch zyada hi bade ho gaye ho aur advice dene lage ho."

(I get it.)

(That you’ve grown up way too much and started giving advice now.)

The sound of her laughter, even faint, brought a grin to Shahnan’s face. "Hasti hui achhi lagti hain aap," he remarked. "Bewajah pareshaan na hua karein."

(You look nice when you smile.)

(Don’t stress unnecessarily.)

Eifa laughed at his compliment, hiding her face with her hand.

"Aur tum," she stood up, dusting off her clothes, and leaned closer to him. "Yun bado si baatein karte hue achhe lagte ho." she teased, ruffling his neatly styled hair with her fingers.

(And you...)

(You look nice giving such mature advice.)

The soft strands fell over his forehead, but Shahnan remained still, his gaze fixed solely on her.

When she withdrew her hand, he caught it, holding her palm firmly yet gently.

"Kya dekh rahe ho?" she asked, confused by his sudden action.

(What are you looking at?)

"Maine suna hai ki kismat hatho ki lakeero mein hoti hai," he said cryptically, leaving her more perplexed.

(I’ve heard that destiny is written in the lines of your hands.)

"Achha? Tum meri kismat parh rahe ho? Kya likha hai?" she asked playfully.

(Oh? Are you reading my fate? What does it say?)

"Nahi, main bas dekh raha hoon mera naam likha hai ya nahi." he said with such confidence that her smile froze.

(No, I’m just seeing if my name is written there or not.)

"Toh mila kya?" she teased, still believing he was joking to distract her.

(So, did you find it?)

"Haan, mil gaya." His unwavering gaze met her hazel-brown eyes. "Eifa, mujhse shadi karengi aap?"

(Yes, I did.)

(Eifa, will you marry me?)

For a moment, Eifa no longer saw the 20-year-old Shahnan before her but the 12-year-old boy who had once proposed to her in this very aangan. Back then, she had laughed it off, telling him to grow up. But this time, she couldn't laugh. She saw something in his eyes that made her pause.

"Nice joke," she said, pulling her hand away.

"I'm not joking. I'm serious," he said, standing as she turned to leave.

"Shahnan!" she scolded, spinning around to face him. "Enough!" She still hoped he'd laugh and admit it was a prank.

Shahnan's face fell slightly. "Aap mujhe kab serious lengi? I know you want me to focus on my studies and career, and I'm working on it. Lekin aaj Kian bhai ka proposal aya, kal kisi aur ka. I can’t tolerate that."

(When will you start taking me seriously? I know you want me to focus on my studies and career, and I’m working on it. But today it’s Kian’s proposal, tomorrow it’ll be someone else’s. I can’t tolerate that.)

"What?" Eifa was genuinely baffled now. "Shahnan, main tumse 4 saal badi hoon."

(Shahnan, I’m four years older than you.)

"40 saal badi nahi hain aap." Shahnan countered.

(Not forty years older.)

"Tum..." Eifa was speechless. This wasn't the 12-year-old boy she could brush off with laughter. "Tumhe sharm ani chahiye aisa kuch sochte hue bhi."

(You...)

(You should be ashamed even to think like this.)

"Eifa, main shadi ka keh raha hoon, isme konsi sharm? Main apse mohabbat karta hoon aur shadi toh wahi karte haina jaha mohabbat..." He was genuinely confused, unable to see what he had said wrong. In his mind, he believed she felt something for him too.

(Eifa, I’m talking about marriage. What’s there to be ashamed of? I love you, and people marry where there’s love...)

"Bas, ab ek lafz na kehna." she snapped, her voice firm. "Aur apne dimagh se yeh ulte seedhe khayal nikalo. Aye bade mohabbat karne wale, age dekhi hai?"

(Stop! Don’t say another word.)

(And get these silly ideas out of your head. You, talking about love? Have you even looked at your age?).

And with that, she stormed inside, leaving him behind.

Shahnan ran a frustrated hand through his hair, sinking back onto the swing. His gaze lingered on the path she had taken before he pulled out his phone, dialing his father's number.

But then he put the phone down. Talking to Dad wouldn’t help; Hanan would scold him for even speaking to Eifa, especially since he’d already been warned to stay away from her. Whatever needed to be done, Shahnan would handle it himself.

•••

When Eifa entered the room, her steps were heavy, her heart weighed down by a storm of emotions. She found Kulsoom and Sharfa sitting together on the bed, giggling over something on Sharfa’s laptop. Their laughter felt like an unwelcome intrusion into her already chaotic thoughts.

"Eifa, idhar dekho, kitna pyara dress hai." Kulsoom beamed, grabbing Eifa's arm and pulling her to sit beside them. She pointed to the screen, where an extravagant bridal lehenga glittered on display.

(Eifa, look at this, isn’t this dress beautiful?)

“Yeh kis liye?” Eifa asked, her voice distant, the question almost mechanical.

(What’s it for?)

“Aise hi, jabse apke aur Kian bhai ke proposal ka suna hai hum toh theme wagera sab dekh rahe hain, kitna maza ayega na.” Sharfa chirped, her enthusiasm grating against the raw edges of Eifa’s nerves.

(Just like that. Ever since I heard about your and Kian’s proposal, I’ve been looking at themes and everything. It’ll be so fun, won’t it?)

The mention of Kian’s name, coupled with the thought of marriage, tightened the knot of tension in Eifa’s chest. She felt anger bubbling up, irrational yet uncontrollable.

“Kya iss ghar ke bachho mein bachho wali baatein nahi rahi?” she snapped, her tone sharp enough to make both girls blink in surprise. “Tum log ki age hai shadi ki baat karne ki? Laptop band karo aur so jao.”

(Do the kids in this house not talk about anything childish anymore?)

(At your age, are you supposed to be talking about marriage? Shut the laptop and go to sleep.)

Without waiting for a response, she stood and walked out of the room, her departure leaving a stunned silence in her wake.

“What’s wrong with her?” Sharfa whispered, breaking the stillness.

“Chorho, hume kya. Chalo hum movie dekhte hain.” Kulsoom replied, shrugging as she turned back to the screen.

(Forget it. Why should we care? Let’s watch a movie.)

•••

The oppressive air of the room felt like it was closing in on her. Eifa decided to retreat to her own home for the night. She needed space, needed quiet, needed to untangle the relentless knot in her mind.

In the solitude of her room, she sat on the edge of her bed, her thoughts spiraling. “Woh toh chota hai,” she whispered, pressing her palms against her forehead. “Infatuation ko mohabbat samajh liya hai.”

(He’s too young.)

(He’s mistaken infatuation for love.)

Her heart ached with frustration. She had always thought Shahnan’s childhood crush on her was fleeting, the kind of innocent affection that would fade as he matured. She had brushed it off, telling him to grow up with an indulgent smile, assuming time would handle the rest.

But time, it seemed, had done the opposite. Instead of fading, his feelings had taken root, growing into something far more intense and complicated.

She lay down, trying to will her restless thoughts into submission, but the memory of his proposal replayed in her mind. His earnest eyes, the confidence in his voice—it was too much.

Eifa sat up, the suffocating weight of her emotions making it impossible to lie still. “Mujhe Shahnan se aram se baat karni chahiye.” she muttered to herself. Her voice trembled, betraying the turmoil she tried to suppress.

(I should talk to Shahnan calmly.)

And yet, as much as she told herself that, a small voice in the back of her mind whispered otherwise. What if this wasn’t just immaturity? What if he truly believed what he was saying?

•••

What Kaif was thinking turned out to be true. Kian’s reaction was exactly as he had expected.

"Eifa? Papa, please. Woh meri achhi dost hai but as a partner? Nahi!" Kian found it absurd that they had even thought about him and Eifa in such a way. Eifa was like a sister to him—a close confidante with whom he shared everything. But this? He had never even considered it.

(Eifa? Papa, please. She’s a good friend, but as a partner? No!)

"Aur Eifa mein kami kya hai?" The way Kian said her name made Kaif’s temper flare. How could anyone tolerate a slight against their brother’s daughter?

(And what’s lacking in Eifa?)

"Maine kab kaha kami hai? Lekin hum dono ne kabhi ek dusre ke barey mein aisa nahi socha. Yeh khayal hi ajeeb hai." Kian said helplessly, unsure how to explain.

(I never said there’s anything lacking. But neither of us has ever thought about each other that way. The idea itself feels strange.)

"Theek hai. Zabardasti ki shadi ke haq mein main bhi nahi. Tumhe nahi karni waha shadi toh theek hai." Kaif took a deep breath, calming Kian. Finally, Kian could breathe easy; the tension had been weighing on him.

(Fine. Even I’m not in favor of a forced marriage. If you don’t want to marry her, that’s fine.)

"Ab main jau?" Kian asked, standing up. But Kaif gestured for him to sit back down.

(Can I leave now?)

"Ek aur baat discuss karni thi tumse," Kaif said thoughtfully, and Kian sat back down, intrigued. Kaif then told him about Ishmal.

(I needed to discuss one more thing with you.

"Tum ek baar mil lo Ishmal se, achhi larki hai." Kaif concluded after explaining everything. Kian nodded absentmindedly.

(You should meet Ishmal once. She’s a nice girl.)

Two proposals in one night—one from a girl he had known since childhood, like a sister, and the other from someone he knew nothing about, except for what his father had said, which made him feel sorry for her.

•••

Eifa didn’t wake up to her usual fresh morning today. The memory of last night still lingered in her tired, slightly red eyes. Her restless sleep had done little to soothe her tangled emotions. Dragging her feet, she got ready and stepped out of her room, her mind clouded with unresolved thoughts.

Just as she opened the door, Ehan emerged from his room, stretching his arms as if shaking off the remnants of his own sleep. He paused mid-yawn when he saw her.

“Tum aj yaha soyi? Khairiyat?” he asked, his brows furrowing in surprise.

(You slept here today? Everything okay?)

“Haan bas, Kullu aur Momo baatein bohot karti hain.” Eifa replied with a shrug, brushing off his concern.

(Yes, it’s just that Kullu and Momo talk too much.)

Ehan raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. “Momo pe ilzam na lagao, woh kaha bolti hai zyada.” he teased, his playful tone pulling a small laugh from her.

(Don’t blame Momo. She doesn’t talk that much.)

“Waise suno, mere paas good news hai,” he said, leaning in as if about to reveal a secret. His sudden shift in demeanor piqued her curiosity.

(By the way, listen, I have good news.)

“Kya?" she asked, lowering her voice instinctively.

(What?)

“Subah namaz ke baad papa aur bade papa ko baat karte suna maine.” he began, his excitement barely contained. “Halaki papa ne mujhe bhej diya tha waha se lekin maine chupke se baat sunn li.”

(After morning prayers, I overheard papa and bade papa talking.)

(Though papa sent me away, I secretly listened in.)

Eifa tilted her head, her brows knitting together in both suspicion and interest. “Kya suna?”

(What did you hear?)

“Kian ne mana kar diya shadi se.” Ehan announced, grinning as though he’d scored the winning goal in a match.

(Kian refused the proposal.)

Eifa froze for a moment, his words sinking in. Then, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her chest, she exhaled deeply. Relief washed over her like a cool breeze after a stiflingly hot day.

“At least 1 problem toh solve hui.” she muttered to herself, her voice soft but audible enough for Ehan to catch.

(At least one problem is solved.)

He frowned slightly. “1 problem? Aur bhi koi problem hai? Kya hua?” His cheerful tone shifted to concern, his eyes scanning her face for clues.

(One problem? Is there another? What happened?)

“Arey mera matlab aise hi... kuch nahi, chalo nashta karte hain.” Eifa deflected quickly, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

(I meant it in general. Nothing. Let’s go have breakfast.)

Ehan narrowed his eyes for a second, but then shrugged, deciding not to press her further. “Okay, but koi baat hogi toh tum mujhe bataogi?” he asked, giving her a pointed look.

(Okay, but if there’s something, you’ll tell me?)

“Uffo, zahir hai tumse hi share karungi,” she lied smoothly, knowing full well that this wasn’t something she could share.

(Uffo, obviously, I’ll share it with you.)

After breakfast, the uneasy calm in her heart gave way to the need for action. The relief over Kian’s refusal was overshadowed by the storm still brewing between her and Shahnan. She couldn’t let this fester any longer.

Determined to address it head-on, Eifa decided to visit Azlan’s house. Maybe if she spoke to Shahnan in person, she could help him see sense. But when she arrived, she was met with disappointment. Shahnan wasn’t home.

Eifa stood there for a moment, her resolve faltering. She had planned her words, steeled herself for the confrontation, and yet, once again, life had thrown her off balance.

•••

So, how's the update? Do vote and comment 💕

-Ufaq