Mahira's eyes tear up a little bit as she recollected the way they broke up and to think all of that was fake and Ameen did that only for her betterment sake has left her fuming in frustration. She was furious at him for all the heartaches he has caused her, even if his intentions were good. He could have handled the situation a hundred times better, but damn they were really immature back then. And to add more fuel to the fire, that stupid Maya's stupid lies.
She never believed them, until the lipstick mark came into the picture. And to say it was his lips, she wanted to punch him hard again.
He was hardly twenty one and she was eighteen. Thinking of the old times brings a smile to her face, but she replaced it with a frown when he came into her view.
Dressed in a denim leather jacket and a white t-shirt underneath it, Ameen looked handsome as ever. Drool-worthy actually. Mahira had to remind herself that she's here to yell at him and not admire him. As though understanding her face, he gave her a knowing smile. She scowled in return.
"Mahi, have you seen the time? Is this when you wake up?" Rashida asked with a not so pleased look on her face, "this is how she is. Still very immature, I don't think she is ready to be married at all." She spoke those words directly towards Salika and Usmaan Qureshi, who very well know of how against the Hussain family is about this marriage.
As if in trance Mahira realized why she came down without taking a proper look at herself and regretted it immediately. The Qureshi family sat in her living room, who was deep in some conversation until she came. His eyes were fixed on hers the entire time, making her want to throw a few more punch on his nose.
Little Abeera was complaining something to her dad, who was listening to her very seriously with a small frown on his face. Mawra just entered the living room as well and looked at everyone curiously.
"But the kids love each other so much, Rashida. We stopped to this date because of her studies and Ameen's job, but Alhamdulillah Mahira is done with them and Masha Allah, Ameen is successful in whatever he does. What is stopping us now?" Salika insisted that they call each other by names since there wasn't much age difference between the both of them and no need for any formalities like bhabhi or baji.
Ameen grinned looking at her, whose eyes widened with his mother's words. Her expressions were so funny and he was enjoying every bit of it.
"They are right, Rashida. I think we should go with this. Our daughter's happiness matters too." Akram, who was always against marrying off Mahira with Ameen, shocked everyone with his reply. This discussion wasn't happening for the first time, but his answer surely has been very surprising, who unlike every other time has given a positive response.
Ahil, Mawra and Ibrahim beamed at this news and Abeera was still very sad about something. Salika and Usmaan smiled in relief, while Ameen was in utter shock.
Mahira, who was unaware of this was confused. She had no idea that they've already asked her hand in marriage during most of the family gatherings, but Akram dismissed it every single time, with the excuse of her studies.
She also had no idea that, while she was sulking in misery, studying three hundred miles away, Ameen has planned so much for them and one among them was outside, waiting for her to come and see.
"But we should ask our daughter in law as well, is she happy with this sudden marriage?" Salika grinned excitedly, looking at Mahira. Who was quite taken aback. The lady has already fixed her to be the daughter in law. She couldn't help but think; Ameen wasn't lying when he told his mother was very cool.
"Uh, if you don't mind uncle. I want to talk with her first, alone." Ameen requested Akram politely, who nodded a bit hesitantly.
Rashida didn't look happy at all. But didn't make a scene for her husband's sake.
"Shall we?" Ameen asked while suppressing a laugh. She looked so damn cute with that frown on her face, not to forget her satin pyjamas and messed up bed hair.
This girl is going to be the death of him one day.
"Where shall I talk with him, abbu?" Mahira asked without masking that frown on her face. Their family knew there was something wrong between them, so pretended to act unfazed.
"You can go to my study." Akram, who was surprised that she took his permission first told her with a small smile.
"Follow me." With a huff, she walked towards the study which was upstairs.
Ameen had an amused look on his face as he watched her keenly, she was mad at him alright.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOURSELF?" Mahira yelled at him dramatically as soon as they stepped into the study, he raised his hands in surrender.
"Who are you to decide for me? HUH? First, you'll lie about cheating on me and then throw the blame on me saying, its for my sake. And now you want to marry me." She air quoted the words me and my, with a furious look on her face.
"It was for your sake, Hira." She glared at him, "for the last time, Its Mahira for you."
"For the last time, I'm not going to stop, Hira." He added with a sigh, whilst taking a seat on the chair present there. She had her mouth agape, "you had no problem calling me Mahira that day."
Ameen winced at the bitterness as he understood what she was talking about, "I know, I could have handled things in a much better way."
"Oh, you bet."
"I'm sorry, Hira."
"You've already asked that so many times, Ameen. Which reminds me of those messages." He turned sheepish at the mention of the message.
"Damn, Ameen. Is it necessary to send those many sorry? Every single hour?" Ever since she has hung up on him yesterday after she received his snickers boxes, he has been sending sorry non-stop for every single hour.
"Did you even sleep? I thought you'd stop at least in the night."
That was the only reason she woke up late today, she'd have found another reason to wake up late anyway but this was the main reason for yesterday.
"Truth to be told, no. I didn't sleep. My mom told me that we'll pay you guys a visit today, to discuss our marriage and I couldn't get myself to sleep at all." That explained his dark circles. Mahira observed with it a look of disbelief.
"Are you kidding me?"
"Is that concern I'm seeing in your eyes?" Ameen smiled smugly, while she opened her mouth like a fish but no words were formed.
"You wish." She retorted childishly which made him laugh. For a second, Mahira was lost. Damn, his laugh. It was still very contagious. He didn't change at all. He has grown more handsome if anything.
No. Stop daydreaming, Mahi... She scolded herself.
"But with whose permission you've come here? I'm not marrying you." Mahira muttered and his laugh vanished, replacing it with a frown.
"I agree, Hira... I've behaved very childishly in the past. But I did that for you, did you even know how much it hurt to say those words. You can't understand. You can never understand that, Hira. You can never." His eyes were filled with hurt, and his voice was broken.
Mahira's heart started melting slowly, but she wanted to go hard on him. Just a bit more
"I hat-
"Look into my eyes and tell that." His tone was suddenly authoritative as he stood up and came close to her, whilst maintaining some distance.
"I hate- She couldn't do that, it wasn't very easy considering she was still madly in love with him.
"My eyes, Hira..."
"I- stop testing my patience, Ameen. Why are you here now? After all these years?" She hissed at him, with her jaws clenched.
"I want to make everything right, Hira. First I have made the mistake of making you my girlfriend,- Which she cuts it off with a furious glare, "you call me a mistake?"
"Let me finish! Please."
"It was a mistake, yes, I should have made you my wife instead. I waited that long. I could have waited a bit more and married you directly. How did we forget that dating is unacceptable in Islam? Even if we did want to marry one day, haram is haram."
"We've wronged ourselves and I feel like we've been paying its price till today. The heartaches, miseries, everything... I want to correct that, Hira. Please help me correct our mistake." Mahira was speechless the entire time, staring at him with wide eyes. He did make sense though. He made a lot of sense.
Drops of tears rolled down her cheeks as she stared at him silently. Ameen's hands ached to go and wipe it off but he reminded himself that he can't touch her yet. Yes, he's going to do everything right now.
"Your tears are clenching my heart, Hira...Please stop crying," he whispered helplessly, a small smile appeared on his face as he recollected something suddenly.
"Come with me." He said after wiping off his tears, while she scrunched her nose.
"Please."
She didn't want to go, but her legs had a mind of its own, as they followed him behind slowly.
Their families passed curious glances as they crossed the living room, Ameen signed to his mother something who grinned knowingly and turned to explain it to the rest of them.
Mahira who noticed the exchange was curious now as she followed him to their porch.
"What is it?" She asked loudly as he walked towards his car, she couldn't move out of her lawn thanks to her dress.
"Just wait," Ameen said as he brought a big box in his hands whilst shutting the door of his car with the help of his leg.
"Here, look at this." She raised her brows in confusion as he opened the box's lid and her heart skipped a beat at the sight in front of her.
"Is th-that real?" Mahira couldn't believe her eyes.
"What do you think?" Ameen grinned as two little cats stared at her with wide and curious eyes.
"Feels like a dream." She whispered with teary eyes, knowing very well why he got them here.
The two cats began to meow at her, startling her a little bit.
"Does it now?" He asked with a knowing smile, she looked at him with a smile, a genuine smile for the first time after four freaking years. His heart began to race unevenly at that. He was so whipped, alright.
"More like it." She whispered with moist eyes, while her hands moved forward to pet them, to touch them and see if this was real. And God, it was real. So freaking real. The soft furs of the cats cleared her doubts.
The black cat looked at her cautiously and hissed a bit when she touched its partner. The white cat, who seemed to enjoy her pets meowed at the black one calming it down a little bit.
"Did you dream of this? Us with cats?" Ameen asked feeling overwhelmed and emotional, as he recollected memories of the past. Of the days when he casually stalked her like it was very normal. Of how obsessed he was, right from the beginning.
"You have no idea." She replied while tears streamed down her cheeks, the black cat who noticed her sadness licked her hands softly making her chuckle in between her tears. She petted him now.
"Will you marry me, Mahira?" Ameen, who himself was crying asked her hopefully.
"Are you doing this to woo me or something?"
"How the heck do you still remember this? I've asked for this when I was like sixteen or something." Mahira couldn't help but ask.
"I remember everything about you, Hira." Her stomach did a summersault at his words.
"Cats are so misunderstood, Ali. Sure, they are not that affectionate. But they have their own way of showing their love." A sixteen years old Mahira was ranting to her best friend, on one fine Sunday in the Khan villa.
"Don't start again, I'm bored of your cat talks," Alizah whined as they sat in the living room, just chilling and talking like always. Mahira was obsessed with those creatures and keeps talking about them every now and then.
"Just wait and watch, Ali... when I get married know, I'll ask my husband to adopt two cats for us." Her parents are so against having pets and she knew its a waste asking them, so Mahira was already planning about her future.
"Girl cat or boy cat?" Alizah asked like it was the most important thing.
"I want both," Mahira replied with a serious face.
"Ew, what if they have babies?" Alizah scrunched her nose while making a face.
"I'll raise them too. I'll raise all of them."
"What if your husband has a problem with raising so many cats?"
"Then we will have serious issues," Mahira replied as she imagined her future husband saying no to having so many cats. An image of Ameen flashed through her mind abruptly causing her heartbeats to raise.
What am I thinking? He's just a bloody crush. She scolded herself and diverted the topic somehow. But the whole day, her mind was picturing herself with Ameen, as his wife. God, she really needed to get a grip on herself.
"I have no problem with raising them and their kittens too if they have any." Ameen broke her trance as he eyed the cats in the box, who were both so in love and looked eager to be left on the land.
"You are not my husband though." She chuckled softly while staring at the cats with love.
"Let's change it then...Will you let me be your husband? Hira..."
"What if I say no, are you going to take them back?" Mahira asked with raised brows while petting the white cat, who seemed to enjoy the attention.
"They are yours. You can take them." His voice was barely a whisper, the fact that she's already thinking of the alternatives was breaking his heart.
"I will marry you, Ameen," Mahira replied softly whilst picking the black cat in her hands, and placed a kiss on its head.
"I understand, I'm so- WAIT WHAT?"
"I said, I will marry you." A small blush adorned her teary face making him gasp.
Tears of happiness rolled down his cheeks as he stared at her speechlessly before muttering, "freaking finally, Hira... Freaking finally."
"But that doesn't change the fact that I haven't forgiven you." Mahira smiled in between the tears as she held the black cat close to her.
"Yet..." he added confidently while taking the white cat in his hands as he dropped the box on the ground. Ameen still couldn't believe himself but this was actually happening.
He wanted to marry her that instant and take the three of them home already.