Daraaz Palkain Visaal Aankhain
Masoori Ka Kamaal Aankhain
Sharaab Rab Nay Haraam Rakh Di
Phir Kyun Rakhin Halal Aankhain
Hazaaron Inn Say Qatal Huye Hain
Khuda Ki Bandi Sambhal Aankhain
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"Anadil Shaikh wald Muhammad Shaikh Afreedi, kya aapko Armaghan Ali Shah wald Shah Hussain say haq mehr rupees 2 lakh main nikkah qubool hai?" The voice of the Imam sahab asked for her permission. (Anadil Shaikh, daughter of Muhammad Shaikh Afreedi, do you accept Armaghan Ali Shah son of Shah Hussain as your husband for haq mehr of 2 lakh rupees?)
Anadil had a moment of deja vu as she was asked the permission for her marriage, the only difference was that this time she was ready from her whole heart.
"Qubool Hai." She whispered, closing her eyes to feel the moment, to experience the ecstasy of being someone's whom you love more than yourself. (I accept.)
She was asked again for two times and both times she accepted, giving her mind, soul, heart and body to Armaghan Ali Shah.
Nikkah papers were kept in front of her and a decorated pen was handed to her. Her hand hovered over the paper for few seconds, a shiver running down her spine. Her fingers trembled as Anadil signed her name with Armaghan with just two words spoken.
A tear slipped past her eyes and fell on the paper on her signature, as she placed the pen down on the paper.
"Mubarak ho meri jaan." Zaisha pulled Anadil into a hug, caressing her head. "Aaj tumhe apni manzil mil gayi." She whispered softly, tears filling up her own eyes. (Congratulations my love. You finally found your destination.)
A sob wrecked through Anadil as she clutched tightly onto Zaisha. Every girl wishes that her parents and family would be with her on this special occasion to send her away under their shroud. She also like every other girl wanted her parents to be there with her on her special day but she was a unlucky daughter who had no one.
Tears slipped past her eyes as she remembered her childhood, how her parents never let a day go when they didn't shower their love on her. They treated her more than a princess and now she was left an orphan despite having both of them in this world.
"Shh, don't cry Anadil." Zaisha placed a kiss in her veil cladded head. "You have cried enough in your life, from now onwards there should be no place for these tears. Your happy days are finally starting, Allah has blessed you with a person like Armaghan sir, you should not cry on His favour on you."
"Why couldn't my parents be with us Zaisha? Why did they had to abandon us?" She asked in a child-like voice, trying to gather herself together.
"Forget about them now, forget the past and move on forward towards a future where there is only happiness." Zaisha patted her head one last time and pulled back.
A frown etched on he face when she saw Anadil's face. "You wasted all of my efforts on your makeup. Look, it's all ruined." She said as she went back to her stuff and started retouching her makeup.
Suddenly, a roar of congratulations sounded from the living room, indicating that Armaghan had finished signing the nikkah papers as well.
Anadil looked at her henna cladded hands and flowers bracelet on her wrists. Despite her denial, Zaisha and Anabiya had forced her for henna and made her get ready like a true bride in a white long dress with golden and brown stone and threading work on it.
Armaghan had handed the dress to Zaisha in the morning when she came for the nikkah, he had bought it when he got clothes for Anadil and Anabiya but only gave the dress the next day on their nikkah. Along with the dress was the earing and headpiece with emerald stone embedded between the stones. Anadil fell in love with the dress, it was not too heavy or too light. It was something in between which made her feel extremely special. The jewellery also wasn't too extravagant, just like she loved.
Zaisha finished setting her makeup and finally gave her permission to see herself in the mirror. Setting her dupatta again on her again, she turned her towards the mirror. According to Zaisha, she could only see herself after nikkah because she wanted her to witness the glow of her face after saying those two magical and pure words. It was her weird logic so Anadil didn't bother to argue with her.
A gasp left her lips as Anadil saw herself in the mirror. Was it really her? How could her skin go from looking dark to this bright? Or was it that this was the first time she was really looking at herself? She wasn't sure. She now believed that makeup had the power to completely transfer a person into what they are not. Her makeup wasn't over the top, it was kept natural but to her it seemed like Zaisha poured all the mismatched foundation on her face.
Anadil was looking gorgeous, maybe she never used makeup hence it was a bit difficult to recognise herself with the makeup. Her face was glowing, the glow that wasn't present in the morning, making her even more unreal. She knew it was the powerful bond that made her glow.
She sighed when she realised that just as all this makeup was washed off, she would be back to the old dark skinned Anadil Shaikh.
"You look Mashallah." Zaisha whispered as she watched Anadil gaze at herself in the mirror. Anadil lifted her eyes and looked at Zaisha through the mirror. She noticed the forlorn look in her eyes as well as something else, and she had been noticing it since she arrived. In all the commotion, she had forgotten to ask her.
"What's wrong Zaisha? Are you okay?" Anadil placed her hand on her hand and asked softly. "Uncle is really fine now right?" Although she had told her that her father was fine now and was at home, it was a minor attack, but still she asked to be sure.
Zaisha shook her head with a small smile. "I'm fine, dad's fine as well."
"Then why are you so lost? Despite being here, you are not here." Anadil asked as she turned around on her seat to fully face her.
Zaisha looked away from her eyes, guilt lacing behind them, tears shining in her eyes. "If I tell you that I did something that is extremely wrong and almost ruined someone's life, would you still see me as your best friend?"
"What do you mean Zaisha? You will always be my best friend and nothing you do can change that." She answered with full surety, although she was a bit scared about what she had done.
Zaisha was about to answer, to tell her that it was her best friend she had wronged, but Anabiya's chirpy voice garnered their attention towards her.
"Zaisha api, Anadil api! Armaghan bhai kay dost chalay gaye, bas Shehryaar bhai hain." She informed them just Zaisha had instructed and went back out just as she came. (Armaghan bhai's friends are gone, only Shehryaar bhai is here.)
Zaisha took a deep breath and composed herself, a smile forming on her lips despite it being forced she was genuinely happy for her best friend. "We'll talk about this later." She made Anadil stand by her shoulders and corrected her veil in front of her face, hiding her features away. "For now, it's all about you. Let's go, it's time to send you away to your husband's room."
Anadil's heart skipped a beat at the way the word husband was attached to her. He was her husband now, she was his wife. Zaisha grabbed her hand and directed towards the room on the first floor, making sure no one saw them on the way.
Opening the door of Armaghan's room, Zaisha led Anadil towards the bed and helped her sit down and fix her dress.
Anadil finally looked up and ran her eyes across the room. A gasp of awe left her mouth as she realised how beautiful the room was. She was sitting on a king sized bed that had wooden bed posts and headboard, carved intricately. On the wall opposite the bed was an LED TV fitted in. On the right of the tv, was a door that probably led to the bathroom, and the left side was a door through which they entered. Under the tv was a three seater sofa and in front was a glass table. On the left side was a wall that was fully covered with the closet from top to bottom. Attached to the closet was a dressing table. The right side had a balcony with slide doors, the curtains pulled back.
All in all, the room was spectacular and a bit bigger than the one she had back from where she came. The room was not decorated properly but there were bouquets of different types of flowers placed on the side table and the sofa as well as the table. The bed had flower petals spread on the bed sheets.
"Okay, I am going to go down and call Armaghan sir. Don't be nervous, everything is fine now." Zaisha advised, bending forward to place a kiss on her forehead, and covering her face properly with the veil.
Just before she moved, Anadil held her hand to stop her. "Are you going back home?"
"Yeah, I have to-but I'll come back tomorrow." Zaisha assured and giving her a comforting smile, left the room.
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Zaisha walked through the hall with a gloomy feeling in her heart. She pretended to be fine in front of Anadil but the guilt was eating her alive from inside.
As she climbed down the stairs and across the kitchen, she almost crashed into someone. If the person hadn't stopped her by placing her hands on her shoulder, then she definitely would have been on the floor.
Zaisha frowned and looked up to see Armaghan sue's friend, Shehryaar it was. She had seen him when she came with but didn't interact. "I'm sorry." She apologised and stepped back.
Shehryaar removed his hand from her shoulder with a slight grin. "It's okay miss, be careful next time."
Zaisha's heart skipped a beat at his smile, forgetting about the gloomy thoughts she had. "I will, thanks." She answered.
"You're Anadil bhabhi's friend right?" He asked, even though he knew the answer already. He just wanted to keep talking to her, there was something about her that pulled him in.
Zaisha nodded, looking straight into his eyes. "Zaisha." She introduced herself.
"Hi, I'm Shehryaar, Armaghan's friend." He informed almost cheerfully.
A smile came on Zaisha's lips at his jubilant mode. "Nice to meet you." Damn, he was handsome.
"So what do you say?"
"About what?" Zaisha raised her eyebrows in question.
"About us becoming friends." Shehryaar smirked mischievously.
"In just one brief meeting? I don't even know you." Zaisha shot back, secretly enjoying speaking to him.
"See, you are Anadil bhabhi's friend, I am your jiju's friend. Hence, we two are/should he friends. You don't know the math rule if a=b and b=c then a=c?"
Zaisha stared at him blankly for few seconds, and then a laugh bubbled out of her mouth. "Man, you are hilarious. I like you."
Shehryaar chuckled. "Thank you miss, I appreciate it."
"I assume you love maths." She commented, starting to walk away, Shehryaar trailing behind.
"Yes, I have a huge passion for it."
"Nice. Can you please tell me Armaghan sir is, I have dropped Anadil in his room. She mist be waiting." She pushed a strand of her behind her ear, quite aware of his proximity.
"He's with Nayel and Anabiya in the garden. Come, I'll take you there."
And they walked off, speaking to each other, starting their own journey filled with love.
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Anadil sat on the huge bed, her fingers playing with each other in nervousness. She still couldn't believe this was all real, that she was sitting in the room of the person who was her raaz-e-qalb (secret of heart).
Her heartbeat increased as the door to her room opened, and footsteps neared the bed. She felt the bed dip as he sat in front of her. He bend a bit towards her and lifted her veil off her face, leaving it bare to his sight. She waited with bated breaths for him to say something.
When there was silence for more than few minutes, Anadil lifted her shivering eye lashes slowly and looked at him, her every pore of the body on the verge of exploding with the nerves.
Her breath hitched when she saw Armaghan staring at her with a heated look in his eyes, the intensity of which was burning her skin. He was sitting so close that she could see his eyes clearly, her image reflected in them.
"Mera Seedha Sadha Mijaaz Tha, Mujhe Ishq Hone Ki Kya Khabar. Tera Ik Nazar Mujhe Dekhna, Meray Saaray Shoq Badal Gaya." The poem narrated in his deep and husky voice caused a delightful shiver to run across her body, her heart on the verge of beating out of her chest. It was so loud that she could hear her own heart beat in her ear, fearful that the person in front of her would be able to hear it. (My temperament was without deviations, how would I know of falling in love. Your one glance at me, changed all of my preferences.)
"Assalamualikum." He greeted, not once removing his intense gaze from her face.
Anadil was starting to feel self-conscious. "Walaikumasalam." She whispered, her throat too dry.
"Kesi hain aap?" He asked, getting up and going to his closet, searching for something. (How are you?)
"Theek." (Fine.)
He came back to the bed and placed the velvet box on the front, an amusing smile on his face. "Main bhi theek hoon Alhamdulillah. Shukriya puchne kay liye." (I am also fine. Thank you for asking.)
Anadil looked away, slightly ashamed.
"Aap khush toh hain iss shadi say?" He asked taking her trembling hand in his own. He looked at the henna patterns with diligence. (Are you happy with this marriage.)
"Khush nahi hoti toh aapke room main na hoti iss waqt." As soon as the words left her lips, Anadil's eyes widened in shock, her lips pressed tightly together and one hand quickly darting towards her mouth. She couldn't believe she really said that. "I am sorry!" (If I wasn't happy, then I wouldn't have been in your room at this moment.)
Armaghan let out a laugh at her slip of tongue, making Anadil close her eyes in embarrassment. "I am glad to know that."
Anadil's nervousness was causing blunders so she decided to just shut her mouth. She opened her eyes when she felt something cold being slided into her ring finger. She looked down at her hand and almost let out a gasp. It was a diamond ring designed beautifully. "It's so pretty."
Armaghan smiled, his eyes full of life. "There's more." He said and took out a pendant with the same design as the ring. "May I?" He asked, pointing at her neck.
Anadil's heart fluttered as she nodded. Armaghan bent towards her and clasped the necklace around her neck, his fingers brushing against her soft skin, making goosebumps arise on her body. Armaghan's heart skipped a beat at the feel of her soft skin on his fingers.
He moved back an inch, looking into his favourite pair of eyes, their faces mere inches away. Without moving away, he brought his hands towards her ears and took out her earrings slowly, causing chaos to erupt in her body and heart.
Not breaking the eye contact, he took out the small earrings form the box and made her wear it with his own eyes, his breath hitting her face, fingers touching her skin. Anadil was amazed at how she hadn't fainted yet. The feelings he was ensuing in her were extraordinary.
Armaghan got up from the bed and extended a hand towards her, silently asking to be held. With a racing heart and confusing mind, Anadil placed her cold, soft hands in his calloused and warm hands.
Armaghan tightened his hold on her hand with a comforting smile on his lips, and helped he get up from the bed. He made her walk on front of the mirror, making her see her reflection in it. He stood behind her, his chest touching her back.
Armaghan looked at her in the mirror, causing Anadil to look up and see herself through the mirror. Anadil was so short that her head only touched his chest. The jewellery he gifted sat so proudly and magnificently against her neck and earlobes. It was simple yet elegant.
"Look into the mirror Anadil, look at us standing together." He instructed with a soft voice, placing his hands on her shoulder from behind.
Anadil did as she was told, her eyes taking in the beautiful sight in the mirror, a sight that automatically brought a smile on her lips. She loved what she was seeing, she had dreamed of this and finally it was a reality, something that she was a hard time in believing.
"What do you see? Kya ab bhi aapka sawaal wahi rahega? Kya aapko ab bhi lagta hai kay main aap jaisi ladki ko apne laiq nahi samajta hoon?" He questioned, he placed his face next to hers, his chin on her. "Kya hum sab ko aik Rab nay nahi banaya? Kya hum sab aik hi mitti say nahi banay? Toh phir aapko kyun lagta hai kay aapki shakl-o-surat say mujhe faraq parta hai." (Will your question still stay the same? Do you still think I do not find a girl like you compatible for me? Did one God not create us? Are we not moulded from the same soil? Then why do you think your features and complexion make any difference to me.)
Anadil only looked at him, her breath quickening at his word and proximity. His warm breath touched her cheek as he spoke. She was in a daze, making it almost difficult for her to concentrate on his words.
Armghan turned her around, making them face each other. Anadil craned her neck upwards slightly, looking into his eyes.
Armaghan spoke again after noticing her silence. "You know what my thoughts were when I first saw your face that day?" His gaze travelled across her face, as if remescing that horrible day. "Your face made no difference."
Anadil's heart stopped, negative thoughts infiltrated her mind at what he said.
He continued. "How you looked didn't lessen my feelings, it didn't lessen the pain I felt when I was aware that on few moments you would be someone else's. If I was superficial then I wouldn't have roamed around in the streets with agony that whole night thinking that we will never meet again. Mainay pehle aapki awaaz ko pasand kiya, phir aapki aankhon say muhabbat hui. Aur ishq aapse hua, aapke chehre say nahi." (I liked your voice at first, then I loved your eyes. I then fell in love with you deeply, not with your face.)
Anadil's eyes filled up with tears as she heard his words and feelings for herself. "Aap muhabbat karte hain mujhse?" She asked with a quivering voice. (You are in love with me?)
"Agar muhabbat na karta toh aaj aap meray room main na hoti." Armaghan teased, returning her own own to her. (If I wasn't in love with you then you wouldn't be here today in my room.)
Heat spread into Anadil's cheeks at that. She looked away from his eyes, unable to look into them.
"Main yeh nahi kahun ga kay mainay aapse khubsoorat ladki nahi dekhi, bohot dekhi hain lekin muhabbat sirf aap say hui. Iss liye mujhe koi fark nahi parta kay aapki shakal aam hai yan khaas. I find you the most gorgeous amongst all the others." (I will not say that I have not seen a more beautiful girl than you, I have but I fell in love with you. Hence, I do not care whether your features are ordinary or more than that.)
"Yeh aap iss liye keh rahe hain kyunkay muhabbat hai aapko mujhse, aur muhabbat main rang roop nahi dekha jata. Muhabbat main muqabil hamseha khubsoorat lagta hai. Lekin duniya ka kya? Since I was a kid, I was taunted for my dark complexion and features." Without meaning to, she was speaking out her deepest fears. And why should she not? He was her husband now, her companion who was nearer than her heart. She was not ashamed to tell him anything after finding out his thoughts. (You are saying this because you love and in love one does not see colour or features. In love, the other person is always seen as beautiful. But what about the world?)
"Exactly Anadil. People who love you will never find you less than anyone else, no matter how you look they will find you the most beautiful. People who hate you, will always find reasons to taunt you and paint a negative picture of you to try and lower your self-esteem out of envy and rage. No matter how beautiful you are, they will never consider you as that. For them you will always be ugly." Armaghan ran the back of his fingers on her cheek delicately.
"Besides, who made these beauty standards? Who categorised people into the labels of pretty and ugly? Who gave them that right? What if who we consider pretty is actually the ugly one? Or the person that is labelled as not pretty are actually the ones who are beautiful? And that ugly people labelled themselves as pretty to feel good about themselves? We are all the same, some have different features than others. What matters the most is the beauty of the heart."
Anadil felt calm at his words, no one had told her words like these hence, she always thought of herself as what others viewed her as. "Aap itne achay kyun hain?" (Why are you so nice?)
Armaghan smiled. "Kyunke aapko lagta hoon." He made her sit back on the bed, knowing she must have been tired. "You should not depend on me for validation if you are pretty or not. You should think of yourself as beautiful only then others will think of you as one. Even if they don't, then that should be their problem not yours." (Because you found me so.)
"You should have been a psychologist." Anadil smiled, sniffing away her tears than were on the verge to flow out if her eyes. All her shyness and nervousness just flew right out of her at his encouraging words and comforting companionship.
Armaghan chuckled. "If I had become a psychologist then how would we have met and how would you have fallen in love with me?" He shrugged mischievously.
Anadil was surprised to see him like this but she would be lying if she said she didn't live this part of him. "Aapsay kisne kaha main aapse muhabbat karti hoon?" She had never felt so carefree as she did at moment. It is rightfully said that love changes you, especially if you get the one you are in love with. (Who told you that I love you?)
Armaghan bent to her height on the bed and looked directly in her eyes with only love there, searching for something. "Aapki inn aankhon nay. Raaz-E-Qalb hoon main aapka. Aapke har raaz aur ehsaas say waqif hoon." (Your eyes did. I am the secret of your heart. I am aware of each secret and feeling in there.)
"Why?" She whispered. "Why do you know me more than myself? Why do you love me so much?"
He shook his head. "I don't know." He answered honestly.
"Why do you still love me after how I broke your heart?"
"Dil mera bhi toota tha aur aapka bhi. Takleef aapko bhi hui thi aur dard mujhe bhi hua. Ansoo aapnay bhi bahaye, aur roya main bhi." (My heart broke as well as yours. You were also in pain and I was hurt just the same. You also shed tears and I cried with you.)
"How are you so selfless?" She asked with wonder, a tear slipping past her eye. His love for her was making her cry.
Kabhi Nafraton Main Mila Sakoon
Kabhi Chahaton Nay Rula Diya
Armaghan lifted his finger and swiped the tear right away. "I am not selfless but selfish because I wrote you in my name as soon as I could after bringing you here."
"I am not complaining." Anadil chuckled softly.
"Okay, enough of crying and all. From today, there would be no tears or mentioning of the past. Everything happened how it was planned by the One above. We got whatever we were destined for." Armaghan stood up fully and went to the closet opening it fully.
Anadil looked inside to see clothes along with his. "Nayel and Anabiya helped me set this up. You should change out of your dress and freshen up. You can take the bathroom, I'll change in the study."
Anadil nodded and got up to take her clothes out after Armaghan took his own out. She saw him open one of the door of the cupboard and she noticed that it was a door to another room, probably the study. Before he went inside, he turned around and looked at her. "Did I tell you, you look extremely gorgeous in this dress." Winking at last, he went inside, leaving a bright red Anadil behind.
Anadil could not believe this was the same intimidating and serious professor she had known. Nonetheless she was so happy that she wanted to scream at the world that Anadil Shaikh was now Anadil Armagahn Ali Shah.
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Anadil was extremely grateful that Armaghan didn't try to get intimate as yet, he wanted to give her some time which she actually needed. No matter how much she loved him, she was not ready for that step. She was too nervous and she wanted to develop her relationship more before any of that happening.
They lay side by side on the bed, the glow from the night lamp was the only source of light in the room. It had been more than half an hour since they had laid down but sleep was really far from them.
Despite being just few inches away, they were far. Armaghan sighed and pulled Anadil towards himself from her waist, causing her to gasp in surprise. "Apna bana kar bhi door rakhna hai toh yeh na-insafi hai." (Keeping a distance despite becoming each others is not fair.)
Anadil did not say anything but only smiled, her heart racing in her chest. Armaghan placed her head on his chest and intertwined their legs together, placing an arm around her waist. Placing a kiss on top of her head, he tightened his hold on her waist, letting out a contented smile at her nearness. His heart on the same condition as Anadil's.
Anadil flushed on feeling his hard body on her soft one, fully bounded together. She could clearly hear his pounding heartbeat against her ear, the place on her waist where he kept his hand tingled and her legs in between his felt like jelly.
Armaghan ran his fingers through her hair, feeling her tense body on his. "Relax Dil." He whispered into the air, trying to calm her and himself down. Anadil shivered at the nickname, feeling elated. She took a deep breath and relaxed herself.
"Goodnight." Anadil mumbled, hiding her face in his chest. She was surprised at herself for being so close to him after just few hours after being married and not feeling awkward or weird. She was nervous and shy sure, but not awkward. On the contrary they were like they were living like this since forever.
Two Raaz-E-Qalb were finally one.
Woh Kehta Hai Tumhari Aankhain Dil Ki Baat Karti Hain
Kehta Hai Tumhari Aankhain Tumhari Muhabbat Ka Iqaar Karti Hain
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Finally the last part of Raaz-E-Qalb. This was the end and I hope you guys enjoyed reading this story... and I hope you guys liked this joke.
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LOL😂 Sorry.
Anyways I seriously hope this part was upto standards because I really had difficulty writing this.
On a good note.... This story has been #1 on ShortStoryCollection amongst thousand others for the past three days and I am soooooo happy for this. Thank you guys soo soooooo much❤🥰😍🤗😘😘 You guys are love❤❤❤ It had also reached almost 300k and wow🥳 Its all thanks to you guys and your lovely feedbacks.
Coming back to the story, what do you think Zaisha is hiding? Any guesses?
Who missed Nayel and Anabiya?
Feedback and inline comments are extremely appreciated😊
That's all for now.
Till next time, take care.💕
Bye 🤗