𝐏𝐞𝐡𝐥𝐢 𝐍𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐫 [Completed]

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿-2

He closed the file in which all her information was present. It had been a day since he had seen her, and in the evening, all her information arrived. That girl was on his mind constantly, even in his dreams. Now, he was certain that he only wanted her-the first girl who had captured his heart and mind.

"Come in," he permitted the person who knocked on his study door.

"Bhai, everyone is waiting for you in the dining area," Shifa, her sister, informed him. He smiled and stood up to go with her.
She ranted about her university and friends, sharing gossip, while he listened attentively.

Upon reaching the dining area, he greeted everyone. During dinner, his grandmother initiated a conversation.
"Shahmeer beta, it's time for you to think about marriage. If there's someone you like, please let us know."

"I'll give you an answer in a day or two," he replied.

Everyone felt relieved because whenever they brought up his marriage, he would simply say no.

Later on, they retired to their rooms. His thoughts were consumed by Zar, yes, his one and only-Shahmeer's Zar. He was certain about his feelings; no woman before her had affected him in this way. He looked at the picture of her from the file Khan had given him, smiled widely, and drifted into dreams of her.

The next morning, he told about Zartasha to everyone at the dining table.

"Mashallah," his grandmother exclaimed, "finally, my grandson has got some sense."

"Who is she? How is she?" his mother asked, beaming with joy.

He showed them Zartasha's picture.

"Mashallah, she is such a beautiful girl," his grandmother praised her beauty, and everyone agreed.

"You all should go and finalize the proposal. I don't want any delay," he said, excusing himself from the table. Everyone smiled, witnessing his eagerness. It was indeed a rare sight to behold.

The next afternoon, Shahmeer's parents and grandmother were ready to leave for Zartasha's home. Shifa and Sufiyan sulked as they wanted to meet their future sister-in-law, but Shahmeer denied their request.

Khan, Shahmeer's personal man, rang the bell at Zartasha's house while they waited in the car. Since they were well-known, it was risky for them to step out of the car.

After a few minutes, Zartasha's Tayi opened the door. She looked suspiciously at the bulky man dressed in black and wearing black goggles.

"Yes?" she asked.

Zaidi's family stepped out of the car. Instead of Khan, Shahmeer's father replied, "Assalamu Alaikum, is this Zartasha Bukhari's house?"

Her suspicion grew upon hearing Zartasha's name. She nodded, and her son, Rashid, came to the door.

"Sir, you all are here!" he exclaimed.

"You know us!" his mother asked.

"Amma, these are Ali Zaidi and his family, the famous businessman. Please come in, sir," he replied, moving his mother aside to make way for them. His mother remained cautious, but their inquiry about Zartasha stuck in her mind.

Faiza Zaidi, Shahmeer's grandmother, politely greeted them and sat in the lounge.

"Are you inquiring about Zartasha?" her aunt asked curiously.

"Is Zartasha at home?" Shahmeer's grandmother asked, ignoring her question.

"She's at the university. She should be coming soon," she replied.

"The truth is, we are here to propose a marriage alliance for Zartasha for our son, Shahmeer," Shahmeer's grandmother began the conversation, explaining the reason for their visit as the elder of the family.

These words were nothing short of a shock for the Bukhari family. Her aunt composed herself and asked, "Perhaps you have come to the wrong house looking for Zartasha." She forced a fake smile, but her face betrayed her nervousness, and her color drained.

How could a wealthy and renowned family consider a girl from a poor family for an alliance? She wondered.

Before they could discuss further, her uncle entered the house, greeting them with Salam. He recognized them, and his wife informed him about the reason for their arrival. He, too, was shocked.

"How do you know Zartasha?" he asked.

"Their son has seen her at the university," her aunt mumbled, but her words were audible enough.

"My son is a businessman. He saw Zartasha and took an interest in her," Shahmeer's father replied. At that moment, Zartasha also returned from the university. Offering a quiet Salam, she entered the kitchen, realizing that there were guests in the house who needed to be served.

Her aunt tightly gripped her elbow and dragged her into the kitchen.
"You go to university so you can easily talk to boys.Like mother, like daughter," she scolded.

Zartasha was shocked. What was happening now, and why was her aunt blaming her parents? Wiping away tears, she emerged from the kitchen with a tray and served everyone. Shahmeer's grandmother called her to sit beside her, leaving Zartasha bewildered. Whenever guests came, she was treated as nothing more than a servant. Furthermore, what confused her even more was that this family appeared decent and affluent, unlike people from their own society.

After a brief conversation, they left the house, saying, "We will wait for an answer."

As they left, Zartasha's aunt grabbed her hand, causing her to stumble and fall to the floor.

"This is why you wanted to study!" her aunt shouted at her. Tears streamed down Zartasha's face as she listened to the accusation. She stood up, shaking her head in denial. She didn't even know who those people were.

Her aunt slapped her, and her uncle intervened, saying, "Go to your room. Your aunt will come to talk to you."

"You didn't ask anything, and your sister, she..." his wife said angrily.

"You stay quiet," he retorted, then went outside to call his sister.

As the elders entered the house, Sufyan and Shifa bombarded them with questions.

"What did they say?"
"How does bhabhi look?"
"When will we get to see her?"

Meanwhile, Shahmeer impatiently waited for an answer, but his siblings continued their barrage of questions.

"Stop. Let them sit," Shahmeer finally intervened.

The elders let out a sigh. "They will inform us tomorrow," their grandmother replied, addressing all the questions in one statement.

"What are they waiting for?" Shahmeer asked, furrowing his brow. Why were they waiting, and what was there to think about? People usually said yes without thinking twice to them.

"It's a matter concerning a girl, son. You have a sister also," his father explained. Shahmeer nodded and excused himself.

Meanwhile, Sufyan and Shifa gathered around their grandmother, eager to learn more information.

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