*****
Darya sat staring at her hands that were covered with freshly done mehendi. The smell of the henna was enticing but not enough to calm her nerves down. It had been 3 weeks since she had 'yes' to marrying Zamurad and since then, the Malik house has been in an uproar- literally.
The fact that after meeting her now to-be husband, the thoughts of the mysterious eyes were replaced by his form. The way his eyes seemed so expressive yet the treasure chest that had more in itself to unravel, the smile that he wore that looked filled with bliss but hid deep secrets inside, the way he understood her unspoken words and tried his best to cooperate and not to forget, the words he said after their first and last encounter.
The words that had her heart stuttering in her chest, as if it had forgotten it's own beat and was waiting for him to teach it.
Since that day, her mind did go haywire but with the thoughts of what her future held with him. A smile remained constant on her lips as though happiness surrounded the very air that she breathed.
All in one, Darya Malik knew that her decision would lead to nothing but a tranquil filled eternity.
An eternity with him.
"Oye hoye, koi apne to-be shohar ke khayalo mein gum lag raha hai."
The familiar voice of Zaahira that held a teasing tone to it brought Darya back from her contentment filled thoughts. Her eyes glistened with merriment while a beguiling blush rose over her cheeks.
Zaahira laughed at her cousin's shy state while Darya just poked her tongue at her.
"Just wait until it's your turn."
This time, Zaahira rolled her eyes before waving her hands in the air in a dismissing manner.
"Puh-lease, I am not marrying anyone until I turn 25."
"Woh toh baad ki baat hai."
Zaahira played deaf to Darya's words and looked at her phone. The very moment there was a ring of notification and the mischief that now reflected clearly in Zaahira's eyes alarmed Darya a bit.
"Darya.."
She dragged the name with a sweetness that could cause diabetes but the minty mirth in them made Darya narrow her eyes at her cousin sister.
"Kya hua? Kya message aaya hai?"
Zaahira just winked at her sister before looking around and just in time, the toofan Malik boys, Zameer and Murad came rushing to Darya's side with a smile so bright that Darya almost got a panic attack thinking what karname they had done now.
"Kya kiya hai tum teeno ne?"
"Why'd you think that?"
Zameer placed a hand on his chest and shook his head in mock hurt but all Darya did was stand up from her place and take a few steps back.
A person must be cautious at all times!
Before she could walk away, Zaahira was quick to pull her back to the couch and held onto her upper arm tightly while Darya looked ready to yell for help.
"Kya kiya hai tum logo ne?"
The three ignored the whine in her tone and led her to the guest room towards the far end in the residence.
"Meri mehendi hai! Plan on locking me or something?"
"Kitna bolti ho aap, appi. Hush now."
"Wahi na, I want my new rolex."
"I want another sabyasachi lehenga."
"Mera toh ek naye phone se kaam chal jayega."
"Main ambani ka bank account sambhalne wali lagti hu?"
Darya retorted to the three of their demands. The namune shamelessly shrugged their shoulders and gave her a light push into the room.
"Aap ko kuch karna bhi nahi hai. Just talk and look pretty. Baki sab jiju sambhal lenge."
Saying that, Zaahira shut the door with a thud, locking her inside. Darya took a few seconds to process her cousin's words and when she did, her wide eyes darted across the room in nervousness.
"Assalamu alaikum."
The rich voice was filled with satisfaction as it resounded right next to Darya's ears. Turning around in the most anxious of ways, Darya dared to look up into the eyes that seemed to be filled with disbelief and awe.
A shy smile graced her lips as she took a few steps back upon realizing how close they were standing to each other and gave him a meek reply back. Zamurad raised an eyebrow in amusement at her silent and shy state but not an ounce of complaint entered his heart.
"You bribed them?"
Darya tried to control her laugh as she asked the question after a minute of silence as the two registered each other's presence around them. At her question, it was Zamurd's turn to become all nervous as he chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck before shrugging his shoulders as if it were an obvious question.
"Kyu nahi? Aaj kal kuch bhi free nahi hota."
His lame excuse made Darya bite the insides of her cheek to stop the amusement filled laughter. She cleared her throat and tilted her head a little to the side. Her eyes narrowed upon realising something important.
"Zamurad, you shouldn't be here. Mama ne mana kiya hai na."
"Toh? Mujhe laga you'll be happy to see your to-be husband waiting for you in a guest room like those cliche movies."
His words held a tinge of confusion and Darya sighed at how adorable he looked trying to justify his actions.
Seems like the prim proper army man wasn't all that rule abiding!
Zamurad stood in front of her with a small frown which was quick to dissipate in thin air upon seeing how ethereal she looked in the emerald coloured floor length frock. It was simple yet so enticing! Made of velvet, it looked like that of which a royalty would wear. The full sleeves were covered with golden ministrations that added a finishing touch to the whole dress. A dupatta made of net with thick golden embroidery added to her breath stopping look.
Darya blushed beautiful shades of red on sensing his heated gaze on her. No, it wasn't filled with emotions such as desire or want, no, they were filled with admiration and an innocent touch of fascination.
"Masha'Allah..."
The whisper was meant for himself but in the haya filled silence, it was quick to reach Darya's ears who ducked her head down to stop herself from turning more red than she already was.
"A-aap sirf milne aaye the? Mil liye na. Ab jaye. Kise ne dekh liye toh."
Darya mumbled once she finally felt her ability to speak register back in her mind. Zamurad took a step forward and much to Darya's embarrassment, before she could lean away, his face was directly in front of hers.
Darya gulped as she saw him staring into her eyes as if in a trance- a trance so hypnotic that he couldn't remove himself from its clutches.
"Abhi toh aaya hu. What's the hurry?"
His whisper fell right next to her ears and Darya knew she had broken all her records in blushing just because of this man in less than an hour!
"W-we'll get in trouble."
"Roaming in the wild mountains is a bigger trouble, don't you think?"
His voice was rich with amusement and Darya fumbled on her steps upon hearing his words but when their meaning finally registered, her eyes shot up to his in surprise.
"How do you know that?"
Zamurad blinked a few times, the trance that he once was now partially broken as he took a step back. A hazed look clouded his brown irises and Darya watched as he lost himself to his thoughts for a few seconds.
Clearing his throat, Zamurad straightened his posture and gave her one of his charming smiles- a smile of secrecy.
"Well, you do have siblings who love to gossip."
He shrugged innocently at the end, his excuse seemingly the most convincing as Darya chuckled lightly to herself.
They stood in silence, the conversations ending there as they kept peeking glances at one another. Zamurad took deep breaths as he opened his mouth to speak but before he could, a long bang on the door had the two jumping surprise.
"Have her all to yourself tomorrow! Aaj ke liye bas karo warna kise ne dekh liya toh bahot maar padegi."
Hearing her brother's words, Darya clicked her tongue but blushed in bashfulness. Zamurad too scratched the back of his neck to stop the rising blush and just as Darya was about to open the door, he was quick to hold her wrist in a firm yet gentle grip.
The silence around favoured the intense battle of their eyes as he leaned in, the tip of his nose brushed hers and Darya watched with wide eyes as he gave her a small smile.
"Forgot to mention it, lekin aaj chand bhi charma jayega aap ko dekh kar."
And with that, he took a step back, winked at her and walked out of the window at the far corner that he had used to sneak in.
Meanwhile Darya stood unblinking in her place. Her heated form still stared at where he stood not seconds ago as she tried to process his words that had lit her heart with a fire so stint, that it still craved a longer look at the rough woods- his eyes.
She touched the tip of her nose, her eyes blinked once and before she knew it, the hues of red had covered her cheeks along with the haya that seemed natural with him around.
*****
"Qubool hai."
And hearing it for the third time, Darya could not stop the thundering of her heart in her chest. Her eyes overflowed with tears. Happiness or sorrow, it was beyond her to comprehend.
Zaahira sniffled beside her cousin as she side hugged her. Dua smiled a teary smile as she kissed her daughter's head repeatedly, murmuring soothing words to calm her rising nerves.
"Darya, bacha n-na ro itna. T-tabyat kharab ho gayi toh?"
Mahira, her chachi, said in a gentle tone. Her condition was no different as she tried to control herself from breaking down into tears. The day when her bhai bhabhi had first entered the home with her wrapped in a fluffy blanket, secured safely in her baba's arms, replayed like a memory of yesterday in her mind.
Oh what a tiny little thing she was!
Zaviyar stayed strong as he led his jigar ka tukda towards the car where her husband awaited her. Zayn stood beside the car, his eyes narrowed at a nervous Zamurad who didn't know what to say or do.
He wasn't abducting Darya for crying out loud!
"I have personal experience with hand to hand combat. So just because you're an army man, do not for once think that I'd be afraid to beat your-"
"Zayn!"
Mahira reprimanded her husband's choice of words with a stern look and narrowed glare while Zayn just grumbled under his breath and coughed to stop himself from being emotional upon seeing his princess in tears.
"Darya, shush ab. Itna kyu rona? We're right here by your side. Jab chahe tab aa jana."
"Haan, lekin visits limited rakhna. Saal mein ek do hafte chalega. Usse zyada nahi."
Zameer said with a teasing look and was met with a smack on the back of his head by his mama. He gave her a sullen look and rubbed his eyes that suddenly felt a little watery, maybe because he didn't get enough sleep- well, that's what he said.
Zaviyar looked at his son with a knowing look before dismissing his words and putting Darya's hand in Zamurad's. The latter stopped himself from panicking as he looked at his crying wife, not knowing how to console her because by Allah, he wasn't going to leave her here now that she was his rightfully!
Darya sniffled as she kissed Murad's forehead. The boy was a crying mess as he hugged his appi with occasional hiccups leaving his lips.
"Z-zyada tang nahi karna Zaahira ko. A-and take care."
She whispered to him and Murad could only give a small nod as he tried to collect his emotions. She then hugged Zaahira who wasn't ready to leave her. The latter refused to say anything as she leaned on her mother's shoulder and watched as Darya flicked Zameer's forehead lightly.
"T-tujhe toh badi khushi ho rahi hogi?"
"H-haan, ho rahi hai."
He mumbled, trying to hide his wobbling tone but she knew him better. A soft sob escaped her lips as she hugged her brother tightly. Zameer finally let the dam of his tears break as he reciprocated the hug, telling her that he wasn't crying and it was just the normal watering of his eyes.
As if!
"Acha sun, saal mein nahi, mahine mein ek do hafte ke liye aana. Please."
He whispered next to his appi's ears and Darya chuckled but anyhow gave him a nod.
Bidding a teary farewell to her parents, Darya didn't know if she could handle more so kissing the cheeks of her mama and abbu, she walked towards the car and Zamurad was quick to help her in sitting on the passenger seat.
Darya bit her lips to stop another sob from surfacing and Zamurad started the car, leading her away from the people that were her family.
But even he is now!
Her heart whispered and her sorrow-filled thoughts came to a halt. She sniffled lightly and looked at Zamurad who gave her a concerned glance before turning his attention to the back seat and before Darya could blink, a box of tissues was put in front of her.
"Please na roye. I promise I'll take you to meet them every week, if you'd like. Video call bhi kar sakte hai. The network in the house is pretty good to make a stable call. If you'd like, unhe her friday dawat par bhi bula sakte hai? On a second thought, that's actually a good idea. What do you say? Aur yeh kya aansu bahaye ja rahi ho, acha lagta hai kya? Uf ladki! Yaha chand soch raha hai ki usme kya kami reh gayi aur tum ho ki apni aankho ko aziyat de rahi ho!"
And he blabered on.
Darya was too stunned to speak. She watched in awe as he kept rambling, trying to remove any traces of sadness from her mind and heart. His expressions kept changing as he scrunched nose and then smiled and occasionally chuckled to himself, all the while upholding the one-sided conversation while Darya remained mute, not understanding how her luck had gotten her the best man one could ask for!
Zamurad took deep breaths as he finally felt himself at a loss of words- literally. He had shared more than half a dozen humorous incidents with her and felt pride surging through his form when he noticed her eyes gleaming with happiness and not tears. The frown on her face was no longer in existence, instead, a small smile of what might be contentment had replaced it with great joy.
Parking his car, he quickly got out to assist her like the gentleman he was. Darya watched as he gently took her hand in his and supported the heavy bridal lehenga that she had worn without any complaints. Closing the door behind her, he sighed as he took in her dazed state.
As he stepped a little closer, Darya shook herself from her thoughts upon smelling his calming scent. It was so unnaturally soothing that she found herself taking a step to get more of it, unconsciously getting closer to him than expected.
Darya stilled in her place when she felt a pair of warm lips being placed on her forehead. A familiar feeling of comfort and safety was what embraced her next and she sighed softly. Zamurad smiled down at her and just like that, the air around them fell into hushed conversations of its own while the two remained silent.
*****
Zamurad watched as Azra dragged his wife away from him and towards his room. His eyes held the tiny bit of annoyance when even after half an hour of their arrival, his sister wasn't over with her nonsensical rasme.
"Ab kya hai?"
He groaned as he watched Azra coming down the stairs with a mischievous expression that screamed trouble. The woman just shrugged innocently and forwarded her hands.
"Chillar nahi hai. Kal aana."
Saying that, he got up from the couch and tried to walk past her but the woman was stubborn as hell as she gripped his forearm with a glare on her face.
"Chillar chahiye bhi nahi. Kadak note nikale aur chalte bane."
Their parents snickered at the two and departed for their room and seeing as there was no chance that Zamurad could pursue his sister, he grumbled incoherently under his breath before smacking her with his wallet.
"Yeh le. Ab dafa ho."
Azra ignored his rude behaviour and danced in joy as she picked the wallet and raced to her room. Zamurad took that as his chance and quickly made a beeline for his room but at a distance of 10 steps, his phone rang loudly, hindering his actions much to his dismay.
"Hello?"
He asked rudely only to be left gobsmacked when the person on the other side turned out to be his general.
"Zamurad, I hate to ask this of you, but we are in dire need of your help. The illegal animal exploitation group is getting out of stands. The killings have increased by a huge number and we need you here, right now. Board the latest flight as soon as possible. This is an order."
And before he could say or do something, the phone was hung up and all that he was left with was a weeping heart that was being consoled by the eerie whispers of his mind.
**********
Judaai Judaai, haan yeh kaisi judaai...
I feel so bad- not really!.... Lol, chalo jokes aside waise how was the chapter? Started off so happily and merrily but ended with a heartbreaking cliffhanger...
Now now, we all know Zamurad is dedicated to his uniform like it's a part of his soul. Ab socho socho, what decision he'd make!!🤷♀️😌
***********