♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎
♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎
The hustle and bustle of her surroundings didn't affect her as she silently sat in a corner of the hall, on the empty space near the window, immersed in reading her book.
"Oof! Take this basket of flowers inside for now. And did you look at the lights outside? They aren't even as bright as my bare face right now, go arrange for more." Hamida, her eldest aunt, was going berserk with the arrangerments for her eldest son's wedding, which was held in the haveli, that very night.
All her cousins and family members were there, as they were all busy with the preparations of the wedding of the eldest son of the family. The young girls and boys of her age all excited about the dance they were going to perform the night, as they kept practicing with loud music turned on.
However, she wasn't interested. For her, it was going to be a difficult night since he was going to be here too. She told her heart that she just had to act completely normal infront of him, but how could she when only the mention of his name infront of her made her heart flip flop, when she would literally lose her wits if she ever chatted with him which was a rare case since he was a very busy man now.
"Soha!" Her mother called out from the other side of the hall, standing near the open kitchen. She was so into reading, as the story was reaching it's climax. She slowly got up, taking tiny steps towards the kitchen, her eyes not leaving the lines on the pages infront of her.
"Here. Take these flower petals to Musa's room." She handed her a shopper to be taken to the groom's room for decoration. Soha hummed in response, holding it, her eyes still attached to her book.
"And keep this book away for today at least, and join your cousins." Her mother shook her head at her daughter, who just replied with a "hmm" again and left to do the task.
She was so into her book, as she finished reading the last line and moving the shopper of flower petals onto her wrist, she tried using her hand to turn the page. Not realising her surroundings, she walked carefree in the straight direction, where she was hit into someone's arm really hard, the book almost flying off her hand as she dropped the shopper to save it instead.
"Wh-" Her words hung in open air as she didn't even bother to shut her mouth looking at him standing before her eyes with all his might.
The flower petals spread out of the shopper around and under their feet, as they stood there, facing each other after a whole four years.
He passed her his soft smile, completely the same as before, but maturity visible in his features now. His hair neatly brushed, the black dot still the same under his right eye, he wore his business suit looking broader as if he had worked out a lot to literally carry the large business on his shoulders.
"I'm sorry. Didn't see you there." His dark brown orbs flashed her a genuine spark, as if glad to see her.
Why is he sorry when it was actually my fault? Her heart thudded in her cage as she tried her best to remain composed. She held the book above her chest tightly, as if to hide her nervous heart from him.
"Salaar beta. You're here." Hamida made her way towards him, as Soha internally thanked her for stepping in at the right time.
She wasn't even ready to face him yet, why did he have to appear out of nowhere? As usual, Salaar style.
She looked down at the petals under their feet on the floor, as her eyes further widened when Hamida stepped on them to meet Salaar with a warmly hug.
Oh shoot! She was definitely dead by her mother's hands. She's gonna go all 'aik kaam bola tha wo bhi nahi kar payi!'
"Sofiya kahan hai beta?" Hamida inquired about his mom, glancing at the main door behind them.
(Where's Sofiya?)
"Ammi bahir Sabiha khala ke paas hain." He answered as sweetly as ever. Sabiha, who was Soha's mom had gone outside, probably from the kitchen's backdoor, as Soha sighed, but the problem wasn't solved yet!
(She's outside with Sabiha aunty.)
She was still looking down at the floor with a frown on her face. What is she supposed to do now?
"Chalo, mai mil kar ati hun." She further crushed a few petals, passing by them outside the door.
(Okay, I'll go greet her.)
Soha followed her steps, biting her lower lip fully looking at them dying under her feet.
"Tumhe kia hua?" He questioned, furrowing his brows at her and turning towards her (further stepping on the poor things), as he had expected at least a 'Hi' from her, since they were meeting after so long.
(What happened to you?)
"Kia hua? Look at what you did." She pointed at the floor. "Mama is going to kill me like these crushed petals under your feet!" She further frowned, complaining.
He smiled looking at her, very same childish techniques. She had not changed at all, other than the fact, she had grown taller and slimmer than before, and prettier.
"Don't start crying here, please. I don't want to hit hat-trick at us meeting in a crying pool of your tears." He dramatically joined his hands, stepping back, away from the petals and her.
He was referring to the time when they were small, and he had visited her home. She was playing in her garden, when her favourite red scarf her mom always tied around her neck, flew away towards a branch of the tree, getting stuck there. She placed a stool and somehow climbed up the tree's branch, getting a hold of it. However, looking down, the 8-year-old her didn't know how to get down.
"Hi Soha!" He arrived and shouted for her, when he saw her crying sitting on a tree's branch. "How did you get up there?" He quickly neared the tree.
Her sobbing got louder and she held onto the branch and her scarf tightly.
He was 11-years old at that time, as he got up on the stool, his tall height helped his head reach the branch's level. "Come on, I'll help you down. Hold onto me." He let out his hand as she quickly placed hers in them.
She was quite heavy at that time, being a bit chubby. She had landed on his back, as she sat on it safely, while he cried out in pain. Since then, he had started calling her 'chubs'.
He was like a hero to her at that time, as she couldn't help but get a crush on him. Later on, the second time was when she was seventeen, and she wanted to get a pet cat for herself. Her mom wasn't agreeing and she had always been stubborn as well, like mom like daughter. She fought with her mom, and went to the balcony crying.
"What's wrong, chubs? Why are you crying here in the cold?" He had asked, coming in the balcony to meet her, as soon as he arrived.
It was winters time, and they had vacations. They usually only met during the vacations since they lived in far away cities from each other. Almost took 5 hours from each others home.
"Mama doesn't let me get a pet cat." She cried out. "I've told her they're clean and I'll take care of it, I really want one!" She was a loud crier, who wasn't easy to shush if once started crying. "And I'll still focus on my studies. A cat won't stop me from doing that!"
"Hmm.." He listened to her ranting quietly, standing in the cold, though he was tired after the long ride and craved a warm cup of coffee.
"Everyone has reasons for what they say or do. And parents never want bad for their children right? Maybe, you could get one later on, when you're mature enough and Khala is convinced that you'll take care of it."
She still stood their sulking, with the tissue he had handed her in her hand.
Maybe he was right, it's not like if not today than never. She could get it when she's grown up enough.
"You know, I'm allergic to cats." He said, staring at the moon, as the clouds slowly traveled above the starry night.
She stared at his side profile, stunned. At both, his words and his looks. "You are?" He nodded, as her eyes never left his face.
"This is the second time we're meeting like this. And honestly," he turned his head towards hers, "you're a really bad crier to handle." Chuckling he turned around, motioning his hand towards the door's direction looking at her, whose cheeks had turned pink due to his comment.
"Can we go inside now? It's quite cold. We don't want us both sick these vacations now, we've planned lots of trips to enjoy."
She quickly walked inside, holding her flushed cheeks in her cold hands. That was the last time they had met, and that was the time she couldn't save her heart from falling hard for Salaar Sohail.
She quickly got out of her trance, as she squatted down, placing the book on her lap. She was never the type to cry infront of anyone, but she had done that twice infront of him, without any regrets though. He didn't make her feel bad about it. But, she was so embarrassed right now for sulking when she was just meeting him after so long.
Grabbing the shopper, she started fisting the petals and throwing them in it.
"Hey, you don't have to." He too slowly crouched down, feeling bad about it. Afterall, it was him who caused it.
"I'll go get fresh ones. My car's parked outside anyways." She paused, looking at him. He just drove for five straight hours and must be so tired, but he's still offering to help.
"You don't have to worry about khala crushing you now. I won't let you get crushed alone, since I was the one crushing them, no?" He laughed, getting up as he motioned her to get up to. He still has the habit of using body language to grab attention.
Soha stood up, looking anywhere but him. Can he stop, he's crushing on my heart right now again!
"By the way, I'm hurt." He held his chest. "We're meeting after so long, and you don't even ask how I've been. Leave that, I didn't even get a single hi from you miss Soha!" He acted as if she's become some high person now, who didn't give him attention.
He called me by my name. Is it because I always scolded him for calling me that, or because he's changed not meeting me for four years.
"Uh, sorry." Forming simple words was getting hard for her, as she again hugged her book. "It.. I- I was just-"
He let out a laugh, a light-hearted chuckle, as Soha couldn't help but again get mesmerised. "It's okay, I don't bite people for not greeting. I see your love for books still hasn't changed?" He tried changing the topic, noticing the discomfort in her. Was he making her uncomfortable now? Their relation had never been unwelcoming though, they'd always been closest of friends.
"Yeah." She nodded staring at the ground.
What are you doing Soha? Say something! Ask him, how's he been?
"Okay, I'll quickly go buy some fresh flowers, because I feel like your brain's still imagining Khala crushing you like them." He awkwardly held the back of his neck, stepping towards the door.
"Huh, yeah.." She gulped, and opened her mouth to say a thank you, as his back towards her made her think otherwise. Let's just stay quiet.
She almost ran up the stairs to hide herself away and curse herself for the embarrassing encounter as she abruptly stopped hearing him call her out.
"Soha!" Why did her name hit so different coming out of his mouth. She turned towards him, meeting his eyes.
"Nice to see you again." He smiled, butterflies twinkled in her stomach.
Her lips broke into a shy grin, without her registering the action herself.
//♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎//
"Where's my net dupatta!?"
"Has anyone seen my red heels? They have shiny glitter covering them fully."
"Where is the darned mascara?"
All the girls were getting ready in the mirrored room, especially arranged as a parlour for them in the haveli.
Everyone shouting and looking for their stuff, as it seemed like such a mess. All of them had make-up covering up their faces, with fancy and glittery clothes, with long pencil heels matching their outfits.
"Do I look okay?" Soha asked Batool, her cousin, who was the sister of the groom.
"Soha! What is this?" She stared at her, observing her from head to toe.
"Soha, you look so-so, I must say." Shanzay commented shaking her hand up and down.
"Tumse poocha hai kisi ne?" Soha placed her hands on her waist, glaring at her younger sister. She was three years younger than Soha, but a chatter-box and her first hobby would be; getting ready and putting up make-up on herself for no reason, just like now, she had it tossed on her face, making her look older than her age.
(Did anyone ask you?)
"Soha, you look good as always, but isn't it too.....wee bit?" Batool once again looked at Soha's simple outfit choice. In addition, she hadn't even let anyone put on mehendi on her hands nor any make-up on her face except the light lipstick and eye liner. She looked so simple among the rest of the girls, putting in too much effort to get ready.
"Is it?" Soha looked at her outfit in the mirror, flipping her long straight hair, which she had simply left open, behind.
"But it's fine if you're comfortable like this, dear. You look beautiful, Masha'Allah." Sofiya, who was getting her hair done, passed her an assuring nod. Soha shyly pulled the strands of her hair behind her ear. "Thank you Khala."
(Soha's outfit, since I suck at describing, i'll not even try and just show!)
//♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎//
"Hey, beautiful." Soha was startled as someone came to sit beside her. Her cousins were performing the dances they had been practicing since the last month, as she was busy in clapping and hooting for them, with a huge grin on her face. The lights were turned off, as the stage spotlights shone bright.
"Uh, hi." She replied to the stranger, not to be rude, since he seemed like someone from the bride's side.
Continuing to clap and focusing back on the performance, she ignored the boy who was sitting beside her seat, studying her features.
"I must say," he grabbed her attention as she peeped at him, "as simple as you're looking, you seem to be the most appealing girl here."
Was it just a simple compliment or is he trying to flirt with me here?
But why would he?
"Thanks." She turned back towards the stage, pushing the strands of her hair from above her shoulder, to the back, as they irked her ears due to the heavy earrings.
"Hey man. That's my spot, can you move aside?" Another known voice startled her, as her heart caught up it's speed.
Gosh, she had tried her best not to come across him, but here he was, standing in his black kurta right above her head as she couldn't help but gape at him.
"I've been sitting here since quite a long time now. Didn't see you around?" The man lazily shifted his eyes back at her from him.
Salaar fisted his hand. He wasn't the type to lose his cool, but he clearly saw this guy checking out his cousin and he couldn't sit still there.
Grabbing the guy from his arm, he pulled the trash up, glaring at him.
"Well, now you did."
Soha gasped at his sudden exceptional behaviour, as he slightly pushed him away, though he wanted to land a punch on his face, but he didn't want any drama. He sat down next to her, keeping one foot above his knee, his arm going around the back of her chair, on top of it, nearing her. Which was intended to hide her away from that trash can's eyes.
Soha's gaze was fixed on him, as she tried gulping down her nervousness, but his face being right infront of her didn't help her heart much as he sat there looking completely drop dead gorgeous in the desi fit, and his lavender perfume scent filled her senses.
His eyes lay on hers soon as well, peeking at her lost orbs on him.
"You're so naive, chubs." He murmurred.
//♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎//
|Author's Note|
Why are they so kayoot!?🤧🤚
How did you all find the first chap?
Do lemme know pwease!✨
Until next update,
take care🥀
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