"You're still our daughter, stop crying." Rashidha ran a hand through her daughter's head as she cried along with her. Mawra hugged her mother and cried emotionally.

Ibrahim and his mother came to the women's side of the hall to take Mawra to the main stage and get done with the photos and stuff, but as soon as he came close to his wife, she ended up crying, panicking everyone for a second. Salika gave him a nod, telling him it was nothing.

"I don't want to leave you all, ammi." Mawra weeps softly as fresh tears continued to roll down her cheeks, "Mawra..." Rashidha kissed her daughter's forehead and eyed her husband helplessly, who was trying his best not to cry. Akram has never cried in front of his kids. They all considered him as their superhero and if he too cried, who will console them? He was staying strong for the sake of his kids. But seeing his little girl as a bride, as someone else's wife is a bittersweet feeling.

Time flies pretty fast indeed.

On the other hand, Mahira was an entirely different case, for seventeen years old she was too mature and childish at the same time; a combined trait of both her parents, "Stop crying too much, Mawra. You're going to look horrible in the wedding pictures, we don't want that. Do we?"

Everyone laughed in between their cries, Mawra just glared at her while giving her an annoyed look, "I won't miss you at all." Her tears stopped at once.

"You wish." Mahira shoved her playfully, making her sister wince. Soon enough the atmosphere turned from emotional to light-hearted and even Mawra smiled a little at the end. Mahira smiled back at her affectionately.

"Where is Ahil?" Mawra asked, as her eyes searched for her favourite brother. He was her only brother. And hence the favourite. Mahira pouted at that, "of course you'd ask for him." She was slightly jealous of her brother and sister's close relationship, which she could never create with either of them.

"Beta, the guests are waiting. We should end up the photo session fast and eat our lunch. Its twelve already." Her father reminded them, and she nodded her head with a sad smile. Suddenly a hand came in front of her, she looked up to see her now-husband standing in front of her, giving her his hands.

Shyly, she held onto it and got up from her seat, Ibrahim guided her to the main stage and the guests were looking at the new couple in awe.

"You look beautiful, Mrs Ibrahim." he slowly whispered in her ears as they stood on the stage, for taking photos with the family.

"You look handsome too." Mawra blurted out in a daze and widened her eyes in surprise, as heat raised on her cheeks and she averted her gaze from his surprised ones. Where did that confidence come from? She had no idea.

"You think so?" Ibrahim teased, as the photographer instructed them to stand for a pose. They did as they're told whilst gazing at each other. His eyes held a glint of mischievousness while hers held shyness.

"Bhai, stop flirting and concentrate on the pictures." came the teasing voice of Ameen, as he joined them on stage and signalled the photographer for a picture. Mawra's cheeks flushed at that remark and she turned her gaze to the camera now.

"He's irrelevant, ignore him," Ibrahim muttered loud enough for Ameen to hear, making her smile at their bonding. One could see the love these two brothers held for each other. It was one of the main reasons why Mawra agreed to marry him in the first place; hoping that he'd give at least some of that care and affection to her. She could only hope that her decision doesn't backfire someday.

"I heard you." Ameen whined as they smiled for the photo, "good." Ibrahim replied with a chuckle.

This was his whole new side which Mawra was witnessing. The fun side. He looked more handsome when he is smiling and being playful. Another blush formed on her face at that thought.

"Get off the stage, people are waiting to take pictures and eat lunch." Ibrahim slapped his brother's hand, who dramatically winced and walked away from there.

"Welcome to the family, Bhabhi." Ameen smiled at her before leaving.

Looking at Ameen and his funny nature reminded Mawra of her own brother, who she hasn't seen throughout the nikkah time. Where the hell was Ahil? She wondered with a frown.

"You okay?" Ibrahim asked in a whisper as an elderly couple joined them on stage and gave them a gift box and posed for the camera. They left after blessing them both, after which Mawra turned to face him with a small frown, "my brother. I want to see him."

"I'll tell somebody," he said, but before he could do it, another family joined them on stage and gave them another gift box, passing the gift to his cousin; who stood behind them just to carry all those gifts, he faked a smile.

Like this, an hour passed, with guests blessing them for a happy married life and giving them some gifts, which his cousin would take away with a small frown. It was one real hectic job.

"Wow, Mr Shah. What a pleasant surprise. I had no idea that you'd come." Ibrahim exclaimed in astonishment, as a couple joined them on stage with gift boxes and smiles on their faces. They had that kind of aura which screamed power and authority.

"Congratulations on the wedding, Mr Qureshi. I happen to be in the city today to take my wife back home," passing his wife an adoring smile, "and your invitation card was still in my car. So, I thought why not? You're going to do a great favour for my village after all." the Shah guy chuckled at the end.

"Thanks. I'm so glad that you came."

Mawra was genuinely confused as to who Mr Shah was. But her eyes widened in surprise when she saw his wife, who was the same lady from the clothing shop, who helped her that day.

"Congratulations. You look lovely in this dress, Masha Allah." Mrs Shah commented with a smile.

"Thank you, I should have thanked you on that day only, something else came up," Mawra shyly eyed Ibrahim at the end, as she remembered their little phone call.

"It was no problem." Mrs Shah smiled as they posed for the camera.

"You both know each other?" Ibrahim and Mr Shah asked at the same time.

"Yes, Abrar. She came to Farhan's boutique two weeks ago. This dress is designed by me. Looks so lovely, isn't it?" Mrs Shah added the last part only for her husband to hear who smiled proudly at his wife's talent. She was indeed great at what she did. He conveyed it through his eyes whilst beaming at her and she grinned back at him. Their eyes get locked for a second before they broke the trance.

Mawra nodded her head with a smile as she eyed her dress, it looked so pretty on her.

Ibrahim observed the whole thing with an amused face.

"Good, now that Hayat knows your wife, it gives me another reason to invite you both to my home." Abrar Shah then smiled at Ibrahim, who nodded with a smile of his own.

So her name is Hayat. Mawra noted to herself.

"I will be available in your village for a few days next month. We can plan something then." Ibrahim wondered

"Of course, you should. Looks like we are taking too much time, the others are waiting to take pictures. See you at the factory then, Mr Qureshi." Abrar Shah shook his hands, "I look forward to that." Ibrahim smiled formally as he watched the couple leave the stage.

"Have a great married life ahead." Hayat Shah smiled warmly at Mawra before leaving the stage.

"Who was he?" a curious Mawra asked him, "he gave us the permission to open our new factory in an interior village. Their first step towards development will be through us." Ibrahim said proudly.

Mawra was impressed. Looks like a lot has happened in her one month's break.

"Is he that powerful? I mean to give you permission?"

"Yes, he is, his family rules their village for over years now. Since he happens to be an educated politician, he wants their village to develop well and when I approached with my plan of opening a factory there, Mr Shah has instantly agreed. Great leader." Ibrahim muttered with an inspired smile.

"They both look so in love," Mawra muttered to herself as a new family joined them on stage. She could only hope that her and Ibrahim's relationship would be in that phase one day, where they can convey anything with just an eye glance.

***

"Feed him." Mahira filmed on her phone as she urged her sister to feed her husband, who glared at her, clearly not liking what she was asked. After two hours of endless pictures and fake smiles, Mawra wanted a break from all these wedding-related things. Who knew that a single marriage could be so tiring?

"You're so unromantic." Mahira huffed, "watch this." Ibrahim winked at his sister in law, as he took a spoonful of biriyani in his hands and took it towards his wife, who gaped at him; which he took as a chance to feed her.

Mawra's face resembled a tomato as she chewed her food, whilst smiling shyly. She did not expect that move from him at all. He became so unpredictable these days.

Whatever happened to the old Ibrahim. It wasn't like she's complaining.

"Awe, so cute." Snapping the moments immediately in her phone, Mahira sequels in happiness, "Your turn to feed, Mawra."

Mawra looked slightly horrified, too shy to feed him. But lifted her spoon with rice anyway and shyly gazed at him, who was already intensely gazing at her. Bringing her hands close to his mouth, Ibrahim helped his wife in feeding him with a mischievous smile on his face, making her go red in shyness.

All their cousins and friends hooted for them making her blush more.

She's been blushing a lot lately. The kind of effect Ibrahim had on her was so crazy.

"Why don't you feed each other the whole lunch?" Mahira added teasingly earning a glare from her sister, "go away. Where is Ahil? I haven't seen him for hours now." Mawra frowned at the end, gone was her blush.

Ibrahim was curious too. In the whole gifts and photo session, they've completely forgotten about her wish to see her brother.

"Oh, he's sulking in in his room," Mahira mumbled casually whilst walking to her friends, to show her snaps to them. She loved taking photos.

"What happened to him?" Ibrahim asked, but panicked seeing tears in her eyes instead.

"He's sad that I'm leaving my home today, forever." as she blurted that aloud, her eyes watered more and tears flow down her cheeks.

"Ahil is very attached to me," Mawra said in between her tears, her appetite to eat lunch has vanished now. Ibrahim wiped her tears helplessly making her freeze for a second.

It sent chills down her spine, as his hands came in touch with her face. Their eyes were locked the entire time, as he wiped her tears, "you can visit him every day. We live in the same city, just an hour away." Ibrahim tried to cheer her up, to which she gave him a weak smile. He understood how tough it must be for her to leave an entire family behind and start a new one with him.

Her family was indeed an hour away from Ibrahim's place. That was the only thing that was keeping her sane right now. Mawra was an emotional mess once again. It was all way too overwhelming and sad. The thought of leaving her family was making her sick from inside.

Mawra wished that she never grew up. How nice it was when she was just a kid. Having nothing to worry about and only play and do fun with her siblings. Those were the days which she'd trade anything to get it back.

The new responsibilities that came along with this marriage were frightening her from within.

"You'll be fine, I'm here for you," Ibrahim whispered to her with his warm smile, and she just stared at him. His words kind of decreased her fears and she smiled at the end.

I'm here for you. Mawra could only hope that he kept his words. After all, he is going to be her everything from today on.