"Muntaha jaan, go and get ready. I'll look over the food for you."
Umayyah Saleem told her daughter when she came down to the kitchen after getting ready for the dawat and found her daughter still obssessing over the paaye she had been making from last night. She had been pestering her to teach her how to cook the dish and finally when she started cooking them last night as they are supposed to be cooked over night, she had been glued to the pot only making a few appetizers and salads for the guests and leaving everything else on her mother and the maids. She didn't understand why her daughter was so persistent about making such a difficult dish but she didn't stop her.
"Nai, Ammi. I'm just giving the finishing touches. I'll go in a few minutes." She said checking the gravy for any errors. It appeared fine to her but she asked her mother to check the taste.
"It is really tasty. Now, hurry up. Your Chachu's family has already arrived." She said rushing her daughter out of the kitchen.
Muntaha went to her room and took a shower to clean herself up from the sweat and smell of spices. She changed into a pastel green and pink dress and wore her small dangling earrings and the golden pendant.
She blow dried her hair and left them open, flowing behind her back with just two strands pinned back in a half updo. She quickly did her makeup with a pink lip gloss and mascara and a little blush with highlighter. She slipped her sandals on and descended down the stairs to the living room to greet everyone. She was surprised to see that her in-laws had also arrived. She said her salams to everyone and sat beside Aiman. The atmosphere of the living room was getting tense by the passing seconds as everyone was anticipating the topic of the nikah. Faris was wearing grey slacks and and a light blue button-up shirt indicating that he came straight from the office. Zayyad Khan decided to cut the chase and said, " I would like to discuss the matter at hand." Muntaha's heart was beating so fast that she doubted it will break through her ribcage.
Saleem Ahmed looked at his wife and she told Muntaha to go check everything in the kitchen and set the table. She stood up on slightly trembling legs and went out of the living room. Aiman followed her out saying she'd like to help.
She had been fussing here and there for the past thirty minutes with no news of what is happening in there. The anticipation was killing her and she started messing up things and Aiman had to cover up her mistakes telling her not to fuss and giving her assurities.
They both were standing in dining room after finally setting the table and Abdullah entered the dining room with a sweet after five minutes of them standing there. He looked at Muntaha yelling a loud 'Bhabhi' and came towards her shoving it in her mouth and embracing her in a hug.
She became a little uncomfortable and confused but her confusion was vanished when everyone entered the dining room behind him with smiles adorning their faces. Faris was saying something to her father and her father had his arm around his shoulder with a smile on his face. The sight made flowers bloom in her heart and her lips lifted up in a smile.
Abdullah still had his arms around his sister-in-law and Faris glared at him seeing this. Aiman pinched Abdullah on his waist and he said, "Ouch, woman!" Aiman signalled behind him with her eyes and he turned at his head to look at his brother who was giving a warning look.
"Array Bhai! I was just congratulating Bhabhi." He turned back to Muntaha and hugged her again saying, "Rishta pakka! Ab ap humari hui."(The union is fixed. Now you are officially ours.)
Faris held him by his neck and dragged him back from his wife giving him a glare.
"Mera matlab apki hui. Ow! Dard ho raha chordo na."(I meant yours. Ow! Leave me na. It's hurting.) He pleaded his brother who was pulling his ear.
Muntaha's father went towards her and hugged her kissing her forhead and whispered, "I am sorry, meri jaan."
"Why are you apologising? I should be doing that. I am so sorry, Baba." She said hugging him back with teary eyes.
"Wah! It smells so delicious in here. I am so hungry." Abdullah sat in one of the chairs and lifted the lid of one bowl inhaling the aroma.
Then he gave everyone around him a puppy-eyed face making them laugh. Everyone sat in the chairs and started eating. Muntaha was serving everyone along with their housemaid.
Muntaha was serving Aqsa Zayyad when Aiman questioned her loudly, "Muntaha, where are the paaye? I think you forgot them in the kitchen." Roses bloomed on her cheeks and she started stuttering, "I-uh...actually...."
"I'll serve everyone and you go bring them from kitchen. Aunty mentioned you had been fussing over them since last night." She said eyeing his brother and got up taking the ladle from her hand.
"You know, Bhai loves paaye." Abdullah said dragging the word 'love' and winked at Faris making him cough on the water he was drinking.
"Array Bhai! Araam se. Abhi to rukhsati ki date bhi fix nahi hui, ap pehle hi Bhabhi ko stroke de do tension se. Dekho wo kese pareshani se dekh rahi hain." He said in a teasing voice rubbing his back.
Muntaha, who was actually looking worriedly at him, diverted her gaze and went to the kitchen with blushing cheeks. When she brought paaye, she placed them on the table and was about to sit beside Safi when Aiman said, "Array! Serve him na. He had been waiting so patiently for his favourite dish." Muntaha looked at his plate and true to her words, it was empty even though everyone else was eating.
She moved towards him with her eyes downwards with haya and served her husband. She then went back to her seat and served a little rice for herself but couldn't eat as she was waiting for his reaction.
The elders including Shehryar were having a conversation of their own without paying attention to them. The youngsters-Aiman, Safi, Muntaha and Abdullah- were waiting for Faris to taste the dish and give a reaction. He put a morsel in his mouth and chewed slowly. Too slow for everyone's liking. He looked up due to feeling their constant gaze. Everyone was looking at him expectantly and he raised his eyebrows at them.
"How is it?" Aiman finally verbalised the question which was in everyone's eyes.
"It's good." He replied and Muntaha lightly smiled seeing the genuinty in his eyes.
"Good or very good?" Abdullah said with a smirk.
"Very good." He replied stressing the word 'very' his lips tilting up in a smile.
Muntaha blushed lightly when his gaze lifted up to hers and she moved her attention towards the food avoiding looking into his grey orbs. The lunch went smoothly and then everyone shifted to the living room again with their desserts.
"I think we should only do a small function of nikah to make it official and the rukhsati can be done after the kids complete their studies." Umayyah Saleem suggested and everyone pondered over the idea.
"Faris is going to complete his last two semesters this year and then start his house job. But he is already quite stable and completely independent with a job of his own." Aqsa Saleem said trying to move forward the rukhsati knowing his son's impatient nature.
"Also, he'll take over the company next year as the CEO after completing his house job and will practice medicine on the side." Zayyad Khan mentioned, his pride in his son flowing in his lehja.
"So we can do the rukhsati next year after he takes over?" Aiman suggested.
"But she'd only be twenty then. Also her studies will be incomplete." Muntaha's father was ofcourse protective over his only child.
"We can do the official nikah ceremony now and the rukhsati before Muntaha's house job starts, that'll be three and a half years from now." Zayyad Khan said and everyone agreed on the suggestion.
Well, everyone except the groom-to-be. He looked at his parents with helpless eyes but couldn't say anything as he knew it was the most logical thing to do.
"Or han, humare yahan riwaj hai ke larka larki nikah k baad rukhsati tak ek dusre se nahi mill sakte. Badshaguni hoti hai." (And yes, it is a tradition in our family that after nikah the husband and wife cannot see each other before rukhsati. It's bad omen.)
First Zayyad Khan got confused as to what his wife is saying but then she gestured with her eyes to play along and he understood.
"Oh! I almost forgot about that. Yes, yes. They are not allowed to meet or even see each other." He tried to play along but it was quite difficult to control his laughter because of the expression on Faris and Muntaha's faces.
"Wow! It's such a good tradition. I completely agree." Muntaha's last hope died when her mother supported this ridiculous thing. Umayyah Saleem caught up on the mischief in Aqsa's eyes and played along.
"There is no such tradition! Yeh to ghalat baat hai." Faris spoke up abruptly as he couldn't stop himself. How can he not see his wife?! He so difficulty controlled himself on such a prolonged rukhsati as he actually came here mentally prepared that he will take his wife with him today itself. He agreed to the three-year gap for the sake of Muntaha as she is still very young and she won't be able to live her student life to the fullest as a married woman with all the responsibilities but this is totally ridiculous. He would never agree to this. She is his wife after all. He has all the rights to see her, meet her and do much more.
Everyone looked at Faris who had stoop up in the fit of rage with wide eyes. They tried their best but couldn't stop themselves after seeing the expressions on his face. Afterall, it was a first for anyone to see him acting so helpless and confused just like a puppy. They bursted out in laughter. Firstly, Faris couldn't understand what were they laughing about but then he realised that they were pulling his leg only. His ears tinted red with embarrassment and he escaped their laughters and went to the back garden.
Now all attention was diverted to the blushing bride-to-be who was also relieved that it was just a joke. She couldn't bear everyone's teasing gazes and left saying, "I'll ask the maids to bring tea."
"Bhabhi! Please check up on Bhai also. Kahin embarrassement mai pighal hi na gaye hon." Abdullah called after her making everyone laugh again.
Muntaha made the tea for everyone herself and asked the maid to serve everyone. Then she went to the back garden with the excuse of checking up on her husband even though she herself couldn't understand why she wanted to see him.
When she entered the back garden, Faris was standing near the bench facing the white roses she herself planted. She went to stand beside him and said in a small voice after a few moments, "These are my favourite. They are just so beautiful."
Faris turned to look at her and observed her features. Her hair was floating around due to the light breeze and her eyes were shining in the sun. Her cheeks adorned a light pink blush and it took everything in him not to smudge the gloss on her lips. He had all the rights on her but he didn't want to scare her away.
"Indeed beautiful."
Muntaha wasn't sure that he was still talking about the roses as she could feel his heated gaze on her. They both stayed quite for a while and then Muntaha turned around to leave but Faris held her wrist to stop her.
"I-uh...I want to say something."
Muntaha's heartbeat escalated and she whispered a 'jee'. His hand on her wrist send tingles through her arm and she felt haya surrounding her.
"I just wanted to say that I...I have never been much expressive about my feelings." He started after pulling her back a little and turning her around to face him.
"But I also know that the things you made me feel, I've never felt them before. You take away my breath every time you laugh on something you found funny or give that bright smile of yours which is enough to lighten up a room, just like the the stars you are obssessed with lighten up the sky."
"The green eyes of yours, they always capture me in a trance and I forget whatever I have on my mind-" He said tilting her chin up and gazing into her eyes.
"-which is why I forgot the long speech I had in my mind that I wanted to say to you." He said scratching his neck lightly in embarrassement making Muntaha laugh loudly which made his lips tilt up in a smile.
"I know it is not easy for a girl to leave her family behind and start a new life." He said tucking some of her hair behind her ears which were hiding her blushing cheeks from him.
"But I promise, I'll take care of you, all your needs and wishes. I'll always put your safety before mine, your health before mine and your comfort before mine." He pulled out a small blue velvet box making her eyes widen.
"I know we are already married, but... will you be mine?" He opened the box to reveal a gold ring with a princess cut emrald in the middle and small diamonds lining the band. The emrald shined in the sunlight making Muntaha gasp.
Muntaha was already feeling all emotional with tears in her eyes and Faris was making it difficult for her to control herself.
"It's beautiful." She whispered lightly, fearing her voice might break whatever trance they were in but she said it in such a small voice that Faris didn't hear her and continued his blabbering thinking she didn't like it.
"It reminded me of your eyes. I know there is supposed to be a diamond but...I uh-I can get you a diamond one too." He said a little nervous that he might have offended her by not getting her a diamond.
"Oh, shut up! I love it." Muntaha said smilling widely with tears running down her cheeks and slipped her finger through the ring he was holding. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a hug and whispered, "I was always yours." in his ear.
Faris felt like he was on the top of the world when he heard those words and wrapped his arms around her waist tightly, hugging her back and kissed her temple.
Their moment was interrupted with loud cheering and they pulled back from the hug to see everyone standing behind the half-opened glass sliding glass door which leads to the back garden.
"Wah, Bhai! I didn't know you were so romantic." Abdullah said turning off the his phone with which he was recording the whole scene.
"Did you want him to romance with you?" Aiman smacked his head and went to hug a blushing Muntaha who tried to escape the attention by hiding behind Faris.
Faris gave his wife's hand a squeeze and went towards Abdullah.
"Oye! Why did you record it?" He said holding his ear even though his own were a little pink due to being slightly embarrassed.
"Ow! I just wanted to show my bhateejay bhateejiyan (nephews and nieces) how romantic father they have." Faris pulled his ear a little more but his mother stopped him.
"Leave him, beta. Zindagi mai pehla dhang ka kaam kiya hai isne. Send me the video too." His mother said and everyone laughed at Abdullah's expense making him pout and rub his ear.
Author's Note
Not going to give a vote goal because there are merely two or three chapters left. But please do vote.
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