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I got two more creations from two amazing readers!
First from storiesbyzainab
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And second by Imaginaryverse_03
Thank you not both so much!
In fact thank you to every single one of you for the wonderful contribution by your reads, votes and comments!
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Yamna
I blinked. "The soup fell."
Rohaan, who still held onto my arm which he had grabbed to stop me from falling down the stairs along with the tray and the bowl of soup, looked amused. "The soup fell? That's your answer to my proposal?"
Proposal?
"Haye Allah! I feel like a dream that I didn't even know about is coming true!" Anabia Tayi's voice came from downstairs.
I turned and saw my parents, Tayan and Anabia Tayi there, and my cheeks turned a deeper shade of red. Feeling shy beyond words, I turned and ran towards Haya Appi's old room.
*
Rohaan
I stared after Yamna. "Was that a yes or a no?"
"That was a, 'ladki ko sharam aarahi hai, buddhu'." Mama shook her head at me.
*"The girl is feeling shy, dummy."
Saba Chachi gave me a warm smile as she walked past me, carefully avoiding the soup. "I'll find out the answer, Rohaan."
I glanced down. Mama had her arm around Papa's waist, and both were staring up at me with delighted smiles. Even Yasin Chachu looked delighted.
Great, the parents are happy.
What about the girl?
*
Yamna
"Would you like to marry me, Yamna Yasin?"
I pressed my hands against my face, resisting the urge to squeal.
"Yamna?"
I looked up and saw Mama come in and close the door behind her. She came and sat down beside me. "I know that you already refused one rishta, Yamna, so I would understand if..." Her tone was teasing.
I bit my lower lip shyly, shaking my head.
"You don't want to marry Rohaan?"
"Mama!" I wrapped my arms around her, burying my face against her neck.
"Yamna Yasin, do you want to marry Rohaan?" She whispered.
I nodded. "Yes."
"Oh, my sweet Yamna. I'm so happy for you." She kissed the side of my head. She pulled back, placing both her hands on my cheeks. She kissed my forehead and got up. "Let me go and tell everyone."
"I...I'll come with you." I said. "I'll...I'll hide behind you."
"Meri pyari si jaan." She took my hand and led me out of the room.
I kept my gaze lowered. Rohaan was cleaning up the soup, while his parents and Papa were still in the foyer, waiting for us.
"It's a yes from Yamna." Mama announced.
I squeezed Mama's hand, not daring to look up.
"Alhumdulillah!" Anabia Tayi's tearful voice finally made me look down, and I saw her looking up at us, a tear running down her cheek.
Papa and Tayan hugged each other tightly for a few moments, with Papa seeming emotional and Tayan patting his back reassuringly.
Mama led me downstairs, and as we passed by Rohaan, I looked up at him. There was awe in his gaze, and a small smile. My mother hugged Anabia Tayi tightly, both of them crying.
My aunt then hugged me tightly, kissing my cheek and giving me numerous duas.
Then Tayan turned to me and placed a hand over my head. I wrapped my arms around his waist, resting my head against his chest and closing my eyes, feeling emotional. "Yas, she was already ours, and now it's going to be official in a completely different way, In Sha Allah."
Rohaan came downstairs, setting the tray and the bowl as well as the floor wipes on the side table.
"My boy!" Papa pulled him in a hug.
"The kids have truly surprised us." Anabia Tayi said. "But this is the best surprise ever!"
The front door opened and Arsalan Bhai walked in. He looked at everyone, eyebrows raised. "Assalam Alaikum! Why is everyone gathered here?"
"Walaikum Assalam!" Everyone replied.
"Arsu, congratulations!" Anabia Tayi hugged him. "Your brother finally got the long lost akal."
Arsal Bhai looked at me, then at Rohaan, before a huge grin lit up his face. "Finally, yaar!" He strode forward to hug his brother.
I took the tray and the bowl and took it to the kitchen, my cheeks burning. I started to wash it, when I felt his presence beside me.
"I would love to hear your answer myself."
"You heard my answer through Mama." I replied, simply.
"I want to hear you say, hamster." He leaned against the counter. "It's really important for me to know that my wife-to-be fully consents to our relationship, and is not under any sort of pressure from anyone."
"I'm not under any pressure."
"Then answer this directly. Would you like to marry me, Yamna Yasin?"
I looked up at him for the first time since his proposal. I felt like I was dreaming. "Yes."
He smiled.
"Why?" I asked, softly.
"Why what?"
"You are Rohaan Rehan Tariq, the great detective. There are so many potential rishtay for you." I dropped my gaze once again. "Why me?"
"I'll answer that with a question of my own. Why not you?"
I blinked, startled. "Umm..."
He studied my face. "Talk to me. Be honest. Why do you think that it shouldn't be you?"
"I didn't think..." I swallowed hard. "I thought I was just an annoying hamster for you. And then there are much prettier girls who are much better options for you."
"You are my hamster. But you're not as annoying anymore. And, call it an extremely biased opinion, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I don't recall seeing a prettier girl." He reached out to wash his hands, and as he did so, he splashed me with a little bit of water.
"Rohaan!" I shrieked as my glasses got droplets on them. I hated it when that happened! I narrowed my eyes at him.
"One thing, Yamna? Now when you go complaining, would you be complaining to your Tayan or to your father-in-law-to-be?" He laughed as I splashed some water over him as well, which he managed to avoid by stepping back.
"I don't like you!"
"Good thing we're getting married then, In Sha Allah!" Laughing again, he left the kitchen.
I smiled to myself, blushing once again.
*
Rohaan
It was midnight, but my sisters came over when they heard the news.
Chachu and his family had already gone home because Yamna had university in the morning, and I knew that Behaya was disappointed because she wanted to hug her Yum-Yum tightly.
She hugged me tightly instead. "I'm so, so happy, Badrooh!"
Hoor hugged me from the other side, in tears. "I can't believe this. Our Ro..."
And of course, Arsal also joined the group hug.
"Our Yum-Yum will officially join our team, In Sha Allah." To my surprise, Behaya also had tears in her eyes.
I looked over at my parents, who were looking at us all with adoring smiles. It felt beautiful to see my family so happy. Alhumdulillah!
*
Yamna
11:53.
"Ya Allah! Uni!" I sat up straight when I saw the time on my phone. "Why didn't the alarm go off?" I jumped out of bed and always tripped over my laptop that I had left on the floor, rather than getting up to put it on the desk last night. "Mama!"
I quickly performed the morning routine and raced downstairs. The house was quiet and empty. "Mama!" I saw the message on the small white board on the fridge.
Yamna, I had to leave early for work. -Mama.
I sighed. Was there even a point in going to uni now? The thought of getting back into bed was so tempting.
I basically got engaged last night!
The reminder came into my head and I grinned until I remembered my initial reaction.
"The soup fell."
I groaned in mortification. Rohaan had asked me to marry him, and all I cared about was the soup.
Rohaan asked me to marry him.
Me. And Rohaan.
I closed my eyes and I saw the teasing look in his eyes, each time he did something to annoy me or prank me. I thought about pouting and running off to tell Tayan. The moment I used to see Tayan, I had my list of complaints ready against Rohaan.
And now I was going to marry my childhood enemy, In Sha Allah.
I wasn't silly. I had read romance novels before, and I was well aware of those feelings.
But I hadn't yet deeply pondered upon my feelings for Rohaan. All I knew was that I had no hesitation in marrying him. The other rishta, I had refused without second thought, but with Rohaan I didn't think twice.
After breakfast, I went up to my room and opened my diary to make a list.
Analysing my feelings for Rohaan
1) He makes my heart pound harder. Just hearing his voice or his name makes my heart pound harder.
2) He makes me blush. A lot.
3) When he looks at me with that signature smile of his, I feel beautiful.
4) I feel safe around him, comfortable.
5) I trust him completely. I know that he'd have my back in any and every situation.
6) He makes me happy. :)
7) When I thought that he was seriously hurt in that police incident, I'd never felt fear that powerfully in my life. And it made me want to cry endlessly.
My heart was pounding harder even as I wrote the list. I was naïve, but I wasn't clueless. I knew very well that I was either in the process of falling in love, or I was already deeply, heads over heels in love. If I had to pick, I'd pick the latter because the feelings were just too powerful.
*
Rohaan
"Who told you and Arsal to stay awake all night?" Mama asked from the back seat as I yawned once again.
"We were playing that new zombie game, Mama." Arsal muttered from beside her.
"You two are still children." Our mother said, fondly.
I put my sunglasses on, taking a sip from the coffee that I had picked up from the services. I'd needed that since we were driving back relatively early in the morning. I couldn't stop thinking about Haya's phone call yesterday.
"Okay, step one is done. Marriage proposal has been accepted, Alhumdulillah." She had said. "Now, your homework is to figure out your true feelings for Yamna Bhabi-to-be."
"Homework?" I had laughed.
"I think you're very close to realising, which is why you proposed. I want you to address those feelings directly now, Badrooh."
I had laughed again, but her words had remained in my mind. I had accepted something like this from Hoor, not Behaya. But Behaya had changed a lot, especially after having kids.
"Rohaan?"
"Hmm?" I jerked out of my thoughts and glanced at my mother in the rear-view mirror.
"If you're tired, we can stop for a bit." My mother said.
"No, I'd rather just get home and sleep." I said. "Don't worry, Boss Woman. I'll get you all home safely."
"I was saying that I was thinking that since Yamna will be our badi bahu, In Sha Allah, I want to buy her special outfits for Arsal's wedding." Mama said.
"As you wish, Mama." I smiled.
"Is that right? Suddenly so obedient towards your mother?" Papa looked at me from beside me.
"Of course he will be, Papa. This is about pampering our Bhabi-to-be." Arsal, of course had to say something. Sometimes I felt like he had been training under Behaya his whole life, and had now taken up her full-time position as a pain in my a**.
"Arsal, shut up. You focus on yourself right now."
"I can multitask." My brother shrugged.
*
After a long sleep, we all headed to the medical facility where Dada Jaan and Dado were. Even Hoor and Behaya had come.
"To what do we owe this beautiful honour!" Dado asked, smiling.
"We're just waiting for Yas." Papa told his parents, who sat in comfortable chairs in their private room.
Yasin Chachu and his family arrived not too long after and they greeted the most senior members of the Tariq family.
I glanced at Yamna, who wore a light pink floral knee-length dress with white leggings and white flat sandals. Her hair was in a braid that rested over her left shoulder. Compared to her, I was dressed in black jeans and a black t-shirt.
She headed straight to hug Dado and Dada Jaan.
"My sweet, lovely angel Yamna." Dado whispered, kissing her cheek.
Papa casually placed his arm around Chachu's shoulders. "Mum, Dad, Rohaan has proposed to Yamna, and soon she will be our elder daughter-in-law, In Sha Allah."
I expected Dado to burst into tears, which she did. What I didn't expect was for her to say, "Finally, you all realised!"
Dada Jaan gave a pleased smile.
"Wait, what?" Chachu asked his mother.
"I've been thinking about this for a while now, and I felt that our Yamna and Rohaan would make a beautiful couple." Dado looked at me, before squeezing Yamna's hand. "And Yasin, Saba, you two will never have to worry about Yamna again. My instincts say that."
Chachu came up to me and patted my back. "I know, Mum. I wouldn't trust anyone more with my daughter."
Dado and Dada Jaan exchanged a glance, before Dada Jaan spoke. "We were going to ask you to prepone Arsalan's Nikah, anyway. But now I think it would be wonderful if the Nikah is done for both couples as early as possible. The rest of the ceremonies can be done later, if you wish."
The parents exchanged a look.
"We are in our nineties now, Rehan, Yasin." Dado said. "We are living on bonus time. Allah knows when our time will come. We have seen Haya and Hoor's weddings, and Ma Sha Allah, their kids. We would like to see at least the Nikah of the rest of our grandchildren as well."
Yamna moved to stand behind her mother, almost hiding.
"Great idea, Dado!" Haya spoke, enthusiastically. She walked forward and pulled Yamna in a hug.
"For Rohaan and Yamna, we can speak amongst ourselves, Mum." Mama said. "But we have to also speak to Tahira." She looked at Arsal. "Are you okay with this idea, Arsalan?"
"He waited ten years. I think he's more than ready." Behaya spoke, making us all laugh.
Arsal nodded, a shy smile on his face. "I don't have a problem."
"Yamna? Rohaan?" Dado looked at each of us in turn.
"I'm okay with it." I said.
Yamna muttered something against her mother's shoulder, and Chachi is the one who replied. "Yamna is okay with it too."
Mama smiled. "We'll speak to Tahira about this, and then we'll let you know."
*
I had to leave the room to take a phone call from work.
As I was heading back, I heard a soft whisper. "Rohaan!"
Surprised, I turned and saw Yamna standing in a side hallway, her cheeks pink. "Secret meetings already, huh?" I grinned, walking over to her.
She looked anxious.
"You okay?" I asked, concerned. "Do you not want to go ahead with the Nikah right now?"
"No, it's not that." She shook her head. "But, whenever we have the Nikah, I want to complete this year and graduate."
I crossed my arms over my chest. "And you think that as soon as the Nikah is done, I'm going to ask you to stay home and make rotis?" When she didn't reply, I continued. "Do you not know me, hamster?"
"It's not that. I just have so many questions."
"Then ask me those questions. I'll answer them to the best of my abilities." I leaned on the wall beside her, turning my head to glance down at her.
"I don't know what I want to do. I don't know whether I want to work after marriage or not. What if I choose not to work?"
"Then you don't work. It's all up to you. And if you then decide to work, that's also up to you. You won't ever have any restrictions regarding that."
"Can I bring my soft toys?" Her gaze dropped as her blush deepened.
"What?" I laughed in surprise.
"I want some pinkness in your room. Our future room. And my soft toys are my comfort." She looked so embarrassed that I wanted to hug her...except that it wasn't halal yet.
"I thought I'd be your comfort." I smiled down at her.
"You will." She reached out and traced a finger over my watch, shyly.
"As long as you don't expect me to cuddle a toy bunny at night, I don't have any issues." I chuckled. "Bring whatever you want." I straightened up. "I want you to always feel as comfortable as you've always felt at your Tayan's house. It has always been your home too, hamster. It's just going to be your home in a different way now, In Sha Allah."
"I started having soft toys when I started to sleep in my own room." She explained. "I used to feel scared and I used to clutch onto it. I didn't know many duas by heart then, so I just used to recite the Darood and hold onto my soft toys. Ever since those days, even now when I get nightmares, I hold my soft toys for comfort. The difference is that now I know duas that I recite first and foremost."
"Fair enough." I said. "But In Sha Allah, once we are married, you're going to have to get used to turning to me for comfort, along with the duas, of course." I smiled down at her again. "Any other concerns or questions? I mean, you can always talk to me at any time, but anything particular that you can think of right now?"
She shook her head. "No, I'm okay. What about you?"
"Me?"
"We're both getting married, In Sha Allah. You must have some questions and concerns too. Some expectations?"
"I only want one thing from you, hamster. I want you to trust me completely. No matter what happens, I want you to unconditionally and blindly trust me, because I promise you that I will always give you my hundred percent loyalty, and I will never give you a reason not to trust me."
"I already trust you completely."
"I always put my family first. I'll always put you first. Just retain that trust, okay?"
She nodded.
"Great. We should go back in before it starts to look dodgy."
She giggled.
We locked gazes for a few moments, before I walked away and down the hall.
*
"Tahira is okay with it." Arsalan announced.
Us four siblings were outside in the garden of the medical facility where my paternal grandparents were currently residing.
"You asked her before Mama did?" Hoor asked him teasingly.
The grasshopper actually blushed.
"Hoor, be understanding. A decade of waiting is a long time." Behaya pinched Arsal's cheek teasingly. "Finally, Arsal is this close to getting his love, In Sha Allah."
Tahira, our future sister-in-law, had no family to support her. She had wanted to become properly independent before marriage, to learn how to stand on her own two feet. She had told Arsal that if he wanted to wait that's fine, but she wouldn't force him. He waited. He truly loved her.
"Forget me. Look how sneaky Ro turned out to be." Arsal teased me.
My sisters laughed and I just shook my head.
"I'm really happy though. Our Arsu finally got his true love, and Ro and Yamna found each other." Behaya smiled. "Now, I'm waiting for the Nikah."
"I hope it's soon, otherwise I wouldn't be able to properly enjoy." Hoor, who was five months pregnant, pouted slightly.
"We can video call you during the Nikah." Haya teased her.
"Shush." Hoor slapped her arm lightly. "I'm not watching the Nikah ceremonies of my brothers on a video call! I want to be there in person."
Behaya looked at me. "Is Yum-Yum happy?"
"She is." I smiled.
"Have you done your homework?" She asked me, pointedly.
"What homework?" Hoor asked, curiously.
"I wanted him to directly address his feelings for Yum-Yum." Haya shrugged.
"I proposed. What else do you want me to do?"
"Admit how you feel about her directly."
Arsal grinned in amusement. "This should be good."
"Shut up, grasshopper."
"Tell us, Rohaan!" Now Hoor's eyes widened in excitement, as she slid her arm through mine.
"Come on, Ro." Behaya slid her arm through my other arm.
I shrugged. "I really like her."
"Oh, great! We're back in Primary School!" Behaya rolled her eyes, sarcastically.
Hoor looked at me with a small smile on her face. "You can tell us. We've known you forever."
I looked at my sisters and brother. These were three of the people I trusted with my life, after my parents, of course. They knew me, whether I admitted anything or not. So, was it really such an 'uncool' thing for me to confess in front of them?
"When did you realise that you liked her?" Hoor asked.
"I don't know. I just knew that I hated seeing her hurt and upset, and I found myself being very overprotective of her. I just figured because she was so naïve and vulnerable..."
"When did you realise that it wasn't just because she's so naïve and vulnerable?" Hoor continued the questioning.
Maybe when I saw the b*****d picking on her by snatching her diary?
Or maybe the day when I'd seen her shaking and trembling after hearing about Yusuf's death? When I'd just wanted to hold her in my arms and protect her from all the pain in the world.
"All I know is that she means the world to me." I admitted silently, my hands in the front pockets of my jeans.
*
Yamna
I rested my head on Dado's lap, like old times.
Dada Jaan had been taken for his routine walk by Papa and Tayan, and the mothers had gone to get the food from the cars. We were all going to eat with the seniors of the Tariq family.
"Are you happy?" Dado caressed my head.
I nodded. "Very happy, Alhumdulillah."
"Call it my bias, or call it the experience of this elderly woman," She said. "But you two will be good for each other. Rohaan will take such good care of you, he'll love you and protect you so much. And I know that our sweet little angel, or Yamna, would be good for him. You'll be his strength, his support, his partner. His job isn't easy, but having you by his side will be the strength that he needs. In Sha Allah."
"He's so confident and strong, Dado. Ma Sha Allah. I'm so weak and shy. Am I really good for him?"
"Women have strength within them that they don't even realise, Yamna. In fact, all humans are stronger than we give ourselves credit for them. Allah doesn't send us on this planet with enough strength to survive this world, my sweetheart. But you need to start believing in your own inner strength, okay?"
I felt a tear run down my cheek. "I love you, Dado." I feared losing her. She had been such an amazing guidance for all of us, and one of the scariest parts of life is our aging loved ones.
"I love you too, my little Yamna. My Yasin's little sunshine." She smiled. "You know, your Tayan has a great hand in supporting your father enough to stand up on his own feet. He fought for Yasin, even fighting against your Dada Jaan. I, for one, am very glad that you are going into your Tayan's family. You will be greatly loved and cherished there, all connected to how much your Tayan adores Yasin."
"I feel so safe, Dado."
"Ma Sha Allah." She ran both hands over my head. "May Allah give you all the happiness in the world. May you always feel this safe and happy. And may you and Rohaan live a long and blissful married life together. Ameen."
I looked up at her. "Rohaan's job is very dangerous. May Allah always protect him and give him a very long and healthy life. Ameen."
"Ameen." She smiled tearfully. "I sense a deep, irrevocable love, my sweet sunshine."
Tears were running down my cheeks, as I felt extra emotional and vulnerable with my Dado. "I do. I love him a lot, Dado. I love him so, so much that I feel like my heart will burst."
She wiped away my tears using her hands. "Does he know that?"
I shook my head in denial.
"Why do you love him?" She asked.
I sniffed, playing with her fingers. "I feel safe with him in every sense of the word. I feel like I can be myself without being judged or criticised. I feel like he sees me for who I am, and not just some stupid, shy nerd. I feel beautiful around him, in every sense of the word. I feel special. He makes me happy. He takes care of me. And he even said I can bring my soft toys with me."
She laughed as a tear rolled down her cheek. "You don't need him to verify how beautiful and amazing you are, my princess. But I'm so glad that he makes you feel so good about yourself. That's a very important trait for a life partner, to pull someone up and not bring them down. I hope he helps in improving your self-esteem, because you don't realise how wonderful you are, my love. Ma Sha Allah."
*
As we were all heading towards our cars, Haya Appi and Hoor Appi stopped me.
Haya Appi crossed her arms over her chest, a frown on her face. "You need to respect your elder Nands, am I clear?"
I looked at her, taken aback.
"That's right. Haya and I have a lot of control in our maika, and we will keep an eye on things." Hoor Appi added.
I felt a little confused. "Umm..."
The two burst out laughing, before pulling me in for a group hug.
"You are our jaan, Yum-Yum." Haya Appi pinched my cheek fondly. "In fact, if Ro gives you trouble, let us know, okay?"
"We'll always support you. We know how annoying Ro can be." Hoor Appi grinned.
"I can't wait for you to come as our Bhabi, In Sha Allah." Haya Appi said. "Tahira fits in so well with us as well, and now that you're coming to, it's going to be great, In Sha Allah."
I smiled. "I'm so lucky. Alhumdulillah."
We heard laughter, and turned to see Papa chatting to Rohaan and Arsal, putting his arms around them both. I had rarely seen Papa this happy, and I knew that he was probably the happiest about this marriage alliance. His respect for Tayan was almost on a parental level, and it made him truly happy that his sunshine would be going into the home of his beloved elder brother.
"Alhumdulillah, our families are so happy. May Allah protect us all from evil eyes. Ameen." Hoor Appi had followed my gaze.
"Ameen." We all repeated.
I saw Mama and Anabia Tayi chatting over something, both smiling. Then Papa walked over to Tayan and hugged him.
Our beloved paternal grandparents, Nina and Tariq Hafeez had set a strong foundation for the Tariq family. It had continued for decades, and I prayed that it would continue for many, many more decades to come.
Ameen.
*
A sweet, emotional chapter.
Looks like a double-Nikah will be coming up soon!
Favourite part?
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