Guards informed Mehrab that there is a girl asking to meet him.

Confusingly, he went outside to see who is it.

"Tum? Tum yaha kya kar rahi ho?" Mehrab was shocked to see Anabia on his door.

(You? What are you doing here?)

"Mehrab! Hum..." Anabia's gaze stopped at him, as if looking for him for the first time.

(I..)

He was wearing a black shalwar kameez and he looked charming in it.

"Tum... tumhari engagement haina aaj? Yaha kya kar rahi ho?" Mehrab opened his mouth to reply, but when saw her attire, he remembered it is her engagement today, and asked.

(You... isn't it your engagement today? What are you doing here?)

"Hume nahi karni engagement." Anabia declared.

(I don't want to marry Zaryab.)

"What?" Mehrab looked at his guards, who were trying to eavesdrop, holding her arm, he took her in the corner. "Dimagh theek hai tumhara?"

(Have you lost your mind?)

"Haan! Pehle kharab tha ab bilkul theek hai. Hume laga Zaryab humse pyar karte hain hum unke sath khush rahenge lekin, hum kaise khush reh sakte hain jab hum aap pasand hain." Anabia wasn't one of those girls who keep their feelings in their hearts, she loves him, and she made sure he knows that.

(Yes, I have lost my mind that I said yes to Zaryab thinking he loves me and I will be happy with him, but how can I be happy with him when I like you.)

Mehrab looked at her with disbelief, he was too shock to say anything.

"Pagal ho kya?" When he finally got his voice back, he shouted at her. Making her jump.

(Are you mad?)

"Aap kaise baat kar rahe hain humse?" Anabia was surprised by his behaviour. She thought he will be happy.

(How are you talking to me?)

"Aur kaise baat karu. Abhi issi waqt yaha se jao." Pointing at the gate, he told her to leave.

(How I am supposed to talk to you then. Leave right now.)

"Par, Mehrab..."

"Ek lafz nahi. Jao yaha se." Holding her arm, he dragged her out from there and pushed he out of the gate.

(Don't say a word, leave.)

"Mehrab, apko hua kya hai." Anabia almost fall but held herself together, turning to him, she asked. By now, tears started forming in her eyes. "I am not leaving until you talk to me."

(Mehrab, what's gotten into you?)

"Toh Yahi raho for all I care." Mehrab looked at her for few seconds then said, leaving her.

(Then stay here.)

Anabia looked at his back with open mouth. She couldn't believe he just left her.

"Haan toh yahi rahenge jab tak aap humse baat nahi karte." She shouted after him. But he didn't turn back. He entered his house.

(I will stay here until you talk to me.)

Huffing, Anabia looked around, and sat on the small boundary wall, crossing her arms over her chest. She would not leave until he comes out and confess his love. He have no right to reject her like that when it was him in first place who was running after her.

•••

Mehrunisa was out to the doctors, today was Haniya's appointment, when she returned she saw a girl sitting beside the gate on small boundary gate.

"Yeh kon hai?" Haniya, who also saw her through the window of the car, asked.

(Who is she?)

Mehrunisa told the driver to investigate on the situation, while a maid came and helped Haniya to get down from the car.

After Haniya was eaten and slept, Mehrunisa left her room and went to the living room. A maid was waiting there for her to tell her everything.

"Uss larki ko abhi andar bulaiye." After listening to everything, Mehrunisa ordered.

(Call that girl inside.)

When the maid left, Mehrunisa went to Mehrab's room to talk to him first.

"Mehrab! Yeh bahar kon hai? Kya chal raha hai?" Standing on the doorway, she asked.

(Mehrab, what's going on here? Who is that girl?)

Mehrab was laying on his bed, his eyes covered by his arm. He quickly stood up when heard his mother's voice.

"Mom, aap kab ayi? Hani kaisi hai?"

(Mom, when did you come? How is Hani?)

"Woh sab chorho, yeh batao bahar ladki kon hai?" Mehrunisa didn't reply to any of his questions and asked.

(That's not important, who is that girl?)

"Woh... pagal hai koi." Mehrab's mood sulked in the mention of Anabia's name.

(She... is a mad girl.)

"Kahi yeh wahi ladki toh nahi jissey tum pasand karte the?"

(Is she the same girl whom you liked?)

"Nahi, yeh woh nahi hai." Mehrab instantly refused.

(No, she isn't.)

"Toh fir apni engagement chorhke woh yaha tumse milne kyu ayi hai?" Sharply, she asked.

(Then why she is here to meet you instead of her engagement venue?)

"Main nahi janta." Frustratedly, Mehrab answered.

(I don't know.)

Before Mehrunisa could say anything further, maid came there, telling her the girl is here.

"Ussey andar kyu bulaya hai?" Mehrab asked, not pleased with this information.

(Why did you call her here?)

"Toh kya iss haal mein ussey bahar rehne doon?" Mehrunisa glare at him, then left.

(Do you want me to leave her in this condition?)

Wanting to talk to the girl.

•••

"Naam kya hai tumhara?"

(What's your name?)

Mehrunisa asked the maid to serve them tea, when the maid gave tea cup to Anabia, she refuses it. Mehrunisa looked at her from head to toe, she was very beautiful, and looked from a nice family, why would she leave her house on the engagement.

"Ana.. Anabia Ahmed." Meekly, Anabia answered.

She was outside from a long time, still in her heavy frock, her throat dries up but she couldn't eat or drink anything that maid offered her.

"Mehrab ko kaise janti ho? Yaha apni engagement ceremony chorhke kya kar rahi ho?"

(How do you know Mehrab? Why are you here?)

"Aunty... Mehrab..." Tears brimmed in her eyes. "Mehrab aur hum sath mein parhte hain. Senior hain humare." Wiping her tears, Anabia told her everything.

(Mehrab and I study in the same university. He is my senior.)

Mehrab and her were friends, when suddenly Mehrab stopped talking to her, she said yes to her friend's proposal, only for her to later realise she likes Mehrab.

"Par Mehrab tumhe pasand nahi karta." Mehrusina told her.

(But Mehrab doesn't like you.)

"Woh jhoot bol rahe hain. Shayad gussa hain ki humne Zaryab ko haan kyu kaha, Zaryab aur unki nahi banti... humse galti ho gayi, hume pehle realise nahi hua." Once again, Anabia burst into tears.

(He is lying. Maybe he is angry with me because I said yes to Zaryab. He and Zaryab doesn't get along... I made a mistake, I didn't realise it earlier.)

Mehrunisa took pity to the girl, she found sincerity in her words. But she was at fault for leaving her parents's house though.

Getting up, she went to sit beside Anabia. "Dekho, koi bhi mohabbat iss qabil nahi ki maa baap ki izzat ruswa karo." Patting her back to console her, Mehrusina told her in soft voice.

(No love is worth enough to ruin parents's reputation.)

"Aaj tumhari engagement hai, tumhare parents ki kitni beizzatti hogi ki tum ghar pe nahi."

(Today is your engagement. How humiliated your parents are going to be because you are not at home.)

"Chalo, ansu saaf karo, pani piyo. Main tumhe ghar chorhke ati hoon."

(Clean your face, drink some water. I will drop you to your home.)

"Nahi, Mamma papa..." Scaredly, Anabia started saying.

(No, Mamma papa...)

"Kuch nahi kahenge. Main baat karungi unse."

(They won't say anything, I will talk to them.)

•••

With Mehrunisa, Anabia left for her house. Mehrab didn't come out from his room even when Mehrunisa asked him to come with them, he just scoffed and refused.

The car stopped in front of Anabia's house. Mehrusina looked at the beautiful white color house which was decorated with lights and flowers.

"Anabia, behtar hoga tum apne ghar pe inn sab ke barey mein mat batao. Tumhare parents ko bohot afsos hoga." Before getting down, Mehrunisa advices her.

(Anabia, it would be better if you don't tell your parents about these things. They will be disappointed.)

"Hum kya kahenge?" When she was leaving the parlour, she didn't think of conclusion. She just wanted to talk to Mehrab. But now, when she was returning her home after 4 hours, she was scared what everyone was thinking.

(What will I say?)

"Achha main dekhti hoon." Mehrusina assured her.

(I will handle that.)

Together, they entered the house. Inside the house was a somber environment.

Badia was sitting on the sofa, crying, while Zaniya and Zayrah were trying to console her. Zabail was standing on the corner, in her bridal attire, looking at the empty space. While Zimraan was talking to someone on his phone. Zain, Zaryab, Shaam, and Ali weren't there.

"Mamma!" With low voice, she called her mother.

"Anabia!" Everyone looked at her.

Badia instantly stood up and hugged her tightly. "Kaha thi aap? Kaisi hain? Kya hua?" She bombarded her with questions, while hugging her tightly which made her gasp for air.

(Where were you? How are you? What happened?)

"Badia! Piche hato." Zimraan's ordered her, sternly.

(Badia! Stand back.)

"Zimraan!" Badia didn't like his tone, as she looked at him surprised.

"Idhar aao, Badia." Zimraan once again told her, looking at Anabia.

(Come here, Badia.)

Anabia bowed her head down, not able to meet with her father's disappointing gaze.

Badia did as she was asked to, silently, she went to stand beside Zimraan. Zabail was just behind them.

"Kaha thi tum?" Zimraan asked.

(Where were you?)

Anabia felt herself shrinking in her place. Her father never scolded her, never raised his voice at her, was never strict to her. Even now, his voice was very low and calm, but the disappointment in them was heart breaking.

"Papa, hum..." Feebly, she started saying.

(Papa, I...)

"Maaf kariyega meri galti hai." Mehrusina spoke up.

(I am sorry it's my fault.)

All eyes turned to her, as Mehrunisa explained Anabia was helping her, she has fainted outside of the parlour and Anabia was just helping her, she couldn't leave Mehrusina in this condition and that's why it took so much time. Mehrusina apologise to them for ruining then function, while praising Anabia too.

•••

"Bhai! Aap kyu pareshaan hain, Allah ka shukar hai Annu theek hai." Zaniya kneeled in front of her brother ans console him.

(Bhai! What are you worrying about? We should be thankful that Annu is fine.)

"Haan, bhai, aise toh apki tabiyat kharab ho jayegi. Aaj jo hua na soche, function kisi aur din ho jayega." Zayrah added.

(Yes, bhai, you will fall sick if you keep thinking about it. We can have the function some other day.)

"Zaniya! Zayrah! Raat bohot ho gayi hai. Aap log ghar jana chahiye." Calmly, Zimraan told them.

(Zaniya! Zaryah! It's really late, you two should go home.)

Whatever happened here just an hour ago was devastated. But Zimraan's calm and composed behaviour made everyone more anxious. He didn't utter a word since Mehrusina left, he didn't say anything to Anabia, he just left for his study room, silently. They were afraid it was the calm before storm.

"Mamu, aap..." Zain started saying, but Zimraan showed him his hand.

"Pareshaan mat ho. Sab theek hai. Anabia theek hai. Aap log ghar jao, aram karo, aaj bohot thakan bhara tha."

(Don't worry. Everything is okay. Anabia is fine. You all should go to home, today was very tiring, you should rest.)

Badia nods her head at them, telling them to leave, they are okay.

Reluctantly, Zaniya and Zayrah left, they didn't want to leave their brother in this situation.

They all were shock from what happened today. It was supposed to be one of the happiest days for them, but Anabia's missing turned it into a gloomy one. They were embarrassed in front of guests, Zain and Zabail's nikkah didn't happen.

"Zimraan!" When everyone left, Badia sat beside him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Aap theek hain?"

(Are you okay?)

"Anabia jhoot bol rahi hai."

(Anabia is lying.)

•••

Okay, I am gonna give a really really really unpopular/controversial opinion here but Anabia is not that much at fault.

Okay, hear me out- Mehrab was the one who approached her first. (She had a crush on him, but she never approached him...) he thought she is Zabail and approached her, befriend her. Now, when Anabia was confused about her feelings toward Mehrab, Hoorain was the one who keep pushing her to Zaryab. (Because she didn't want Zaryab's heart to break...) Anabia is selfish, she thinks of herself only, her actions can not be justified, but she is not completely at fault.

-Ufaq