"Yes, we are thinking about that."
Shehryar was having a conversation with a few friends of his office collegues and business partners standing in the back garden of their house where the event was supposed to take place. Most of the guests had arrived and the stage was being set up as the guests mingled. There were waiters going around with the refreshments and there was an open buffet planned for the dinner. It was definitely a lavish event but no media was allowed as it was a strictly private party.
Wali and Shehryar had made an entrance together and then went their own ways to greet the guests. There were alot of people wanting to talk to the Shah brothers for their own purposes and they were quite aware of it.
Shehryar was trying to pay full attention to the conversation but his eyes wandered time and time again in search of his woman. He had loved the flowers she sent in the morning but he missed her hand written note she always sent with them. Maybe he had scolded her too much last night but she should also not just go around behaving like a child.
She was his woman and she should act like that.
And yes, he was jealous by those pictures and articles but he should be. He had loved her all her life and even the thought of her being with someone else disturbed him immensely.
His chain of thoughts was disturbed by the guy, who was the son of his father's friend, standing to his left asking, "Who is that?"
He looked in the direction the guy pointed at and the cocktail glass in his hand almost slipped as he stopped breathing for a moment.
What in the world....
There stood a gorgeous woman clad in a beautiful net saree looking like a siren. The saree had accentuated her hips in a delicious way and the milky skin of her waist was exposed and enticing. Her swan like neck and collar bones were tempting with just the right lighting falling on them. Her laugh sound like chimes as she tucked her raven hair behind her ear, her rings catching the light.
She was none other than the love of his life and his fiance, Badiya Shehryar Shah. Well, Badiya Hussain for now but that would be changing soon.
Very soon if she keeps dressing like that.
He excused himself from the men and walked towards the girl who was planning on giving him a heart attack.
And as he walked towards her, he couldn't help but notice the heads she was turning and capturing the attention of everyone.
Badiya had taken alot of time in getting ready so when she came down from her room, everyone had already left for the garden. She also made her way towards it and stumbled a little but caught herself just in time. She took a deep breath and straightened her posture before opening the doors and stepping in the garden.
The place was beautifully decorated. There were accent tables placed here and there with rose arrangments and scented candles setting the mood. The stage was placed in the perfect location and there were low wooden sofas and cushioned seats placed infront of the stage. The whole setting of the back garden was lavish and aesthetically pleasing to her eyes.
She looked around for familliar faces and found Wali standing with a friend of his whom she knew from his instagram stories. She made her way towards him trying her best not to trip over and maintaing a confident posture.
Wali turned around when his friend abruptly stopped talking and looked at something over his shoulder with an open mouth. His own eyes became the size of saucers when he saw Badiya walking towards him. He would have gawaked at her if she hadn't been Badiya, his partner in crime and Bhabi.
Badiya stopped infront of Wali and snapped her fingers infront of his unblinking eyes as he didn't say anything even after two minutes of staring at her and he blinked.
"Diya, you look so hot." He cheekily complemented her and she laughed loudly unaware of the heads she was turning and a burning pair of eyes looking at her and tucked her hair behind her ear.
"You look handsome yourself." She said brushing his pockect square.
Wali's friend cleared his throat to get their attention.
"Oh, Diya this is my friend, Moez. And Moez this is Diya." He introduced them both.
Badiya greeted him with a smile and he greeted back and asked with a teasing smile.
"Meri Bhabhi?" (My sister-in-law?)
"Han. Teri bhi or meri. She's engaged to Bhai." (Yes, yours and mine too.) He replied with a laugh to his friend's teasing remark.
"It's not official yet." Badiya muttered with a glare to Wali.
"Official kya, by the way Bhai is looking at you, I think Qaazi hi bulwana parray ga." (Not only official, by the way brother is looking at you, I think we'll have to call the Qaazi/Priest.)
Badiya gave him a horrified look and didn't dare turning around in the direction Wali was looking at.
"Wali...." She whispered in a scared tone.
"Darna nahi hai, meri cheeti. Urra dena hai aj Bhai ko." (Don't be scared, my lioness. You'll blow him away today.)
He winked at her and turned to his friend telling him about how Badiya has selected the outfit for them as this is their tradition. Badiya was about to answer when Moez asked something but she got startled by the sudden pull on her waist.
She looked up startled and her eyes met Shehryar's which a had a flame burning in them. She wanted to cower back because of the intensity of his gaze but she straightened her spine instead gathering all the courage she had and ignoring the feel of his hand on her bare waist. She turned back towards Wali's friend and tried to start up a random conversation.
"I saw some birthday bash pictures on Wali's instagram story last month. It was yours, right?" She asked sweetly trying to step out of Shehryar's arm.
"Yes, it was so lit. We all went to-" Moez was about to start enthusiastically telling her about his birthday bash trying to ignore the tension between the couple when Shehryar cut him off.
"I actually have to discuss something important with my fiance. Please excuse us." Shehryar tightened her grip on Badiya when she tried to move out and excused themselves.
He took her to a secluded hallway, his hand still on her waist, using a different entrance and finally left her when they reached a corner. He pulled her to stand in front of him of him and glared at her.
"What the hell are you wearing?"
Badiya was flustered because of his coarse touch on her bare skin as it was very new to her but she gained her senses back. When he yelled at her, she wanted to yell back due to the pent up anger but she decided to cut through fire with ice.
"Clothes. And why the hell did you drag me here. There's a party going on outside." She said folding her arms making the drape of the saree gather and exposing her midriff from the front.
"Yes, a party where every freaking man is ogling at what's mine!" Shehryar yelled cornering her to a wall.
Badiya just looked at him stunned for a moment and Shehryar took a deep breath.
"Go and change." He ordered her making her look at him woth her mouth open.
"No, I won't."
"Badiya, I said go and change out of this thing." Shehryar was losing his temper. He had the need to control everything and this was not going the way he wanted to.
"Listen here, mister. Don't try to Badiya me. I will not be intimidated by you. I can wear whatever I want to and I will wear this. You are no one to stop me. I am not your property." She said taking a step towards him and pointing her finger at him and he clenched his fists.
She the walked passed him, flipping her hair over her shoulder with a poker face but internally she was squealing at the perfect dramatic exit.
~
Hasifa was sitting at the table looking around at everyone mingling. She had to accompany her father to a party his friend was hosting. She was not interested in coming along as she didn't know anyone here but her father insisted and she melted when she heard it's a Qawali Night. And well, who says no to free food.
She was looking at the stage being set up by the musicians when a guy came to sit at the empty chair beside her. She looked at him and recognized him. He was the same guy who came to their house a few weeks back to meet his father with another man.
"Hey there." Wali said with a smile. He had finally located his strawberry sitting alone at a table and he couldn't let the chance go. He knew she was Iqbal Uncle's daughter as he had visited their house with his father and was enthralled by a girl who was eating strawberries walking towards the staircase without paying anyone mind. He had never been captivated by anyone like that but she was beautiful. Her light brown eyes glimmered under the lights as she looked at the strawberries with excitement. He couldn't help but look for her when they were leaving and he finally found her on a balcony playing with a cat. She looked like a princess to him and he started to feel like she should be his queen.
"Asalam o Alaikum." Hasifa went back to stare infront of her after muttering a salam.
'Shit.' Wali thought, he was trying to be cool but it backfired.
"Walaikum Asalam." He cleared his throat and replied back to her salam.
"Kya mai apka naam puchh sakta hun?" (Can I know your name?) He was not going to back down because of the stoic expressions she had on her face. She will crack under his charms. Every girl does.
"Hasifa." She turned to him and made an eye-contact and Wali lost it. Her eyes were just so deep that he found himself losing in them.
When the guy kept staring at her without blinking and didn't say anything she cleared her throat bringing him out of his daze.
"Uh-sorry, I didn't catch that." His ears turned a little pink in embarressment as he zoned out infront of her like that and he rubbed the back of his neck.
Hasifa's lips lifted in a small smile looking at his antics and she repeated her name.
"Hasifa. Hasifa Iqbal."
"Hasifa." He tested her name on his tongue and his heart skipped a beat.
"It's a unique name." He said trying to maintain the eye-contact but her gaze was too intense.
"I get that alot." She said in soft voice and he noticed the movement of her lips which were coated in a light pink lipstick.
"I am Wali. Wali Khalil Shah." He forwarded his hand but she didn't take it and just gave him apologetic smile.
"Nice meeting you." She turned back to looking around and he tried to think of something to talk to her.
"So, since you didn't wish me I assume you don't know it's my birthday today." He said with a boyish smirk. He was not one to extract wishes out of people like that but he couldn't think of anything else to say.
"Oh, I didn't know this was a birthday party. Happy Birthday." She said with a soft smile.
"Thankyou. My gift?" He asked with a cheeky smile.
"Well, I didn't bring anything."
"You can still give me something." Her lashes were so long, he noticed.
"Like what?" She asked with a raised brow.
"Like your contact details." He said with a smirk and her aura turned cold.
"I don't give my number to strangers." She said in a cold voice.
"We can be friends." Wali proposed without being mindful of her change of expressions.
"Sorry but I am not interested." Hasifa thought the guy was being friendly so she interacted with him as he seemed nice but he lost all the charm when he asked for her number. She had faced it alot- guys trying to get her number- and she found it really cheap.
"But I want-"
"Look, Wali, you seem like a decent guy so I'll say this politely. If I am talking to you nicely, it doesn't mean I am easy or I'll just go around giving out my number to any guy. I don't appreciate you trying to be so frank with me. I hope you understand what I am trying to say." Hasifa cut him off and ranted in stern voice. She really disliked the guys who thought they have pocketed a girl if she talks to them politely or nicely. She didn't have a single male friend, only aquitances because she knew the boundaries her religion has set for her.
"I...uh-I am sorry. I just...I didn't mean to offend you. Excuse me." Wali apologised and got up to leave. He felt embarrassed that he had offended her. He didn't mean to though. It just felt natural to him. He had an outgoing personality and he had alot of friends including girls and exchanging numbers was the first step to try to get to know someone for him. And he had never really asked a girl for her contact details before, it was the other way around always and he never felt weird when a girl asked for his number. But now if he thinks about it, it must be different for girls.
'I am so stupid.' He thought with a pout.
Hasifa was still thinking about the strange conversation she had when a girl in a beautiful saree aproached the table she was sitting on.
"Excuse me, can I please have this water?"
"Sure." Hasifa replied with a polite smile.
Badiya had walked back into the garden after that heated encounter with Shehryar and she felt thirsty. There wasn't any waiter in sight but she spotted a girl clad in beautiful henna green colour dress with an untouched glass of water infront of her.
She looked nice so Badiya went and asked her for water and then sat down beside her.
"Your saree is very beautiful." Hasifa complimented after Badiya had finished the glass of water.
"Thankyou. Wali bought it for me. I love the colours of your dress."
"Thankyou." Hasifa gave her a smile but also got curious on the mention of Wali.
"Wali as in the guy jiski yeh birthday party hai." Hasifa asked.
"Yes, that Wali. We are family friends and know each other since childhood. Did you see him today? I chose the outfits for the birthday boys." Badiya told her excitedly. She was never so open with anyone but this girl had an aura which made her feel comfortable around her. She didn't seem like a wannabe either
"Boys?" Hasifa asked with a frown.
"Yes, boys. Today is Wali and Shehryar's birthday. Shehryar is Wali's elder brother. They are both three years apart but born on the same day. How fun is that!" Badiya laughed loudly and Hasifa also smiled as her laugh was contagious.
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Badiya Hussain." Badiya forwarded her hand towards Hasifa and Hasifa shook her hand introducing herself.
"Hasifa Iqbal. My dad is Mr. Shah's college friend."
And both the girls kept talking about everything till the time dinner was served and they both had dinner together. Badiya got a call from her mother in between and she told her mother that she was with her friend which made Hasifa smile.
They both were still having the last of their desserts talking non-stop about anything and everything when Shehryar came to fetch Badiya.
"Badiya, the Qawali is about to start." He gave the girl Badiya was sitting with a polite smile and said looking at Badiya.
"Okay!" She stood up excitedly and turned to Hasifa.
"Come."
"I think I should check up on my father once." She said as she didn't want to intrude.
"All of Abbu's friends are with him seated there." Shehryar told Hasifa. The girl wasn't invited by Wali or Shehryar and the only other people invited with families were his father's friends so he assumed her father must be one of them.
"You're Shehyar Shah?" The question slipped before she could stop herself. His features resembled some of Wali's and Badiya mentioned it's both the brother's birthday today.
"Jee." He replied and thought she must be living under a rock to ask him that but he shouldn't be so cocky. He must not be that famous.
"Happy Birthday." Hasifa stood up and wished him with a smile.
"Thankyou. Shall we?" Shehryar returned the girl's smile politely and gestured towards the stage with his hand.
The three of them walked towards the stage and Hasifa spotted her father standing with a few men- one of them being Wali- but she walked towards them nonetheless followed by Badiya and Shehryar. She stood near her father after greeting everyone with a salam. His father wrapped his arm around her kissing her forehead and introduced his daughter to his old friends.
"You already know Sherry and this my lovely daughter Diya, Sherry's fiance." The man standing near Wali introduced Badiya and Hasifa looked at her with a surprised face. They both had talked about alot of things but she hadn't mentioned anything about her engagement.
Badiya really wanted to say their engagement is not official yet but who was she kidding. They'll be engaged in less than week. She wanted to smack Wali for the teasing look on his face but she controlled herself. She found Hasifa looking at her with a surprised face and gave her an embarrassed smile.
When they all finally moved to sit after the Qawali started, Badiya took Hasifa with her after asking Mr. Iqbal. They both sat down in the second row and a shiver passed through Badiya due to the cold. She regretted wearing such clothes and not even bringing a cover-up for the cold night.
"Here." Hasifa held open her shawl for Badiya and Badiya gave her a thankful look wrapping it around her making them both cocooned in the embroided shawl.
"So, you're engaged?" Hasifa said after she felt an awkward silence between them.
"Yeah...." Badiya replied without looking at her.
"Cheer up. I don't mind you not telling me. We just met so it's obvious we don't know much about each other." Hasifa said elbowing her lightly and Badiya gave her a thankful smile.
"Do you mind me asking is it arranged or love?" Hasifa asked with a teasing smile. She had grown comfortable with Badiya over the past few hours so she didn't hesitate to ask.
"Pfffft, Shehryar and love. He's such a khadoos that I doubt he knows how to spell love." (brute) Badiya scoffed and said with an eyeroll making Hasifa laugh.
"I really doubt that. Look at the way he keeps looking at you, like you're the centre of his universe." Badiya looked at where Shehryar was seated and their eyes clashed. The lyrics matched her feelings as she got robbed of her breath due to the intensity of his gaze.
نگاہوں سے نگاہوں کو ملا کر لوٹ لیتے ہیں
Badiya couldn't bear his captivating eyes and turned her back to the stage.
"He's just trying to make sure I am not doing something that'll set his house on fire. I almost did that once." Badiya said with a half-hearted chuckle.
"Whatever floats your boat." Hasifa teased and they both hummed along the lyrics of the beautiful Qawali.
Soon Wali came from where he was dancing with his friends on the makeshift dance floor and took Badiya and Shehryar with him to dance and Hasifa smiled looking at their goofiness. What she didn't notice was the longing look Wali gave her.
Author's Note
I know I am the worst the author ever for making you guys wait for so long but I had no motivation to write whatsoever. I actually pushed myself to write for you guys so I hope you like the chapter.
Please share your views in the comments.
I tried to make it as real as I could for whatevaaaahh 's character so I hope you guys like that part.
Please vote and share.
~Author. ❤