Stars are just big rocks in space that shine in the dark night. So, don't worry if you feel like a rock now, it's morning, you just have to wait for your dark night.
'Wait, What!?' Jian looks at her friend in disbelief, 'But why?' Aina asks. Afza shakes her head and asks, 'What you are saying is, you haven't told Aayan yet that you love him?' Ruhee nods her head. The girls were seated inside their college cafeteria, and Ruhee had just told them that she hasn't told Aayan yet, that she loves him. Her friends stare at her in disbelief, 'It's hard.' Ruhee whines to them, 'It's just three simple words, "I love you.", how come haven't said it yet?' Jian asks, 'I'll say the same thing when it's your time and you think it's hard.' Ruhee says, glaring at Jian, 'Has he told you?' Afza asks, and Ruhee shakes her head, 'You both are getting officially married soon, and you haven't even confessed yet? Are you people dumb?' Aina bursts out.
Everyone stares at Aina. Aina is not the type to lose her cool so easily, but this was a really big deal for her. Jian places her hand on Aina's shoulder and says calmly, 'Aina, calm down.' Aina breathes heavily but calms down soon, 'It's not like I don't wanna tell him, it's just, I never got the right moment to.' Ruhee in a low voice, looking at her glass of juice, 'Okay, everyone, Calm down. It might be just three words for us but for her, it's a whole different feeling. So we need to be patient with her.' Afza says to everyone, and they all nod along with Ruhee. Afza holds Ruhee's hands and says, 'Listen Ruhee, You have to tell him. You are meeting him today after college, and it will be the best timing, okay?'
'I was wondering if I really do have to tell him.' Ruhee says, and Afza's grip on Ruhee's hand losens, 'I mean, we are getting married, officially. So, he must already know that I love him, right?' Ruhee finishes and looks up at her friends to find then staring at her. Jian clears her throat and gets up from her seat, which was opposite of Ruhee, to go and stand behind her, 'Oww!!' Ruhee exclaims massaging the back of her head, 'What was that for?' she asked Jian, as she just smacked her head, 'Listen here lady, you are going to tell him, and you are telling him today. Is that clear?' Jian says, keeping her hands on her hips, 'Yeah, If not, I am gonna personally have you executed.' Aina adds, 'I think that's to harsh.' Afza says, and Aina and Jian turn to glare at her at the same time, which causes her to shut up in fear. They look back at Ruhee and say together, 'Are we clear?' Ruhee just nods her head vigorously, not to provoke them, 'Good.' They say again, and Jian sits beside Ruhee, 'So, have you heard that Janice is committed?' Aina asks, getting back to her soft mood, as they start chatting again, like they just hadn't threatened Ruhee. Ruhee smiles and looks at her friends.
How did I get so lucky?
College was done and the girls had just walked out the gate. They looked around, for any sign of Aayan's driver and they literally, saw a sign. A guy dressed in a white drivers uniform stood before a black sedan holding a sign board that read "Ruhee Shariff" in bold. Jian closer to Ruhee's ear and asked, 'Did you not tell Aayan to pick you from in front of your college and not the airport?' Ruhee let's out a heavy sign and walks towards the driver with her friends. She stands before him and asks, 'Did Aayan send you?' she asks, and he nods his head. She also nods her head and says to him, 'I am Ruhee Shariff. You can put this board down now.' So he does. He opens the passenger door for her to get in. She turns to her friends and says, 'Bye. Wish me luck.' They hug her and send her off, as if she is going on "Mission Impossible." Ruhee gets inside the car and the driver closes the door. He gets in the driver's seat, and drives away.
Ruhee pulls out her mobile from her bag and texts Aayan.
Ruhee - I am on my way.
And with in a second, she got her reply.
Husband - Okay. See you soon.
Ruhee smiles at the text and looks out the window. Ruhee was very happy and excited to see Aayan, but she was even more excited to confess to him, and also slightly nervous. She didn't know how he would react. Thanks to her father and her friends, Ruhee had realised that she had fallen in love with him, and the moment she did, she wanted to tell him, but ended up asking him to permanently be her husband. She wanted to say "I love you" instead of "I chose you" but it turned out for the best. They were officially getting married now, so she figured she had many more chances to tell him.
The car came to a halt and Ruhee looked outside the window. She frowned at the place. She was so confused about the venue, that she didn't notice that the driver had gotten out of the car and had opened her door for her. She thanked him and got out aswell. She looked at the venue and asked the driver, 'Are you sure this is the place Aayan had asked to bring me to?' The driver nods his head, and Ruhee walks towards the party hall. She stands in front of the entrance and knocks on the door, that causes the door to open, which startles her. She turns around to see the car speeding off. She turns back and looks at the slightly open door.
It feels like a scene from a thriller film.
She takes a huge gulp and enters the hall. She enters to see the hall pitch black, 'Aayan.' she calls out but she gets no reply. She takes a step forward, and two yellow bulbs light up on her sides. She is surprised for a moment, but takes another step forward, and two more bulbs light up on her sides, and more the steps she took forward, the more the bulbs lit up. This caused a big grin to form on her face, as she was currently walking on path of lighting bulbs. After walking a bit further into the hall, with bulbs lighting her path, she comes to a stop, when she notices that the bulbs didn't light up on her next step, which caused her to pout.
She looks up to still find it a bit dark and unclear, 'Aayan.' she calls him again. And as soon as his name left her mouth, a frame of the same yellow bulbs lit up on her far left, that held a big photograph of a smiling Ruhee. She frowns at her picture. Next, another frame of the yellow bulbs lit on her far right, which held a big photograph of a not so smiling Aayan. She smiles at his picture. Another frame of the bulbs lit, this time on the far end before her, that held a big picture of both, Aayan and Ruhee hand in hand and smiling faces. Ruhee recognized the picture to be the one that was taken at the mall.
Below the couple frame, two more bulbs light up, and there stood Aayan Ibrahim, looking at Ruhee with a slight smile. He starts walking towards her and just like before, yellow bulbs light his path. He soon came to stand before Ruhee, hands at his back, looking at her with the same slight smile. Ruhee smiled back at him and began, 'Aayan, all this...' But a finger on her lips stops her, 'Not yet.' he says to her in a low voice and she frowns at him. Aayan moves his finger away from her lips and takes a deep breath and begins, 'You are like the shining moon in my dark sky. The only flower that grew on my dead land. You are like an angel from the heavens...' Aayan stops in the middle and says, 'Not something I would say, right?' he asks Ruhee and she nods her head with a frown, but still smiling. Aayan nods his head and says, 'I was given a big speech and I took alot of time memorizing it and now as I say it, it doesn't quite fit. So, let's say something that I would say.' Ruhee nods her head at him, again.
Aayan's face goes serious and he looks right into those raven black eyes and says, 'I love you.' Ruhee's breathing hitches and her heart starts beating hundred miles per hour. Her eyes go wide as she stares into his intense brown eyes, 'You were someone I wanted to protect since the moment I saw you...' Aayan begins in a low voice, 'You made me laugh and smile, and made me feel many more emotions that were foreign to me. You made me spend more time with my Ammi. You made me talk about my father years after he passed away. You made me enjoy small moments of my life. You took me to my childhood happiness and embraced my broken past. You accepted my complicated family and neglected their flaws.'
By now, tears had welled up in Ruhee's eyes and were flowing down her cheeks, as she stared into his intense eyes and heard his honest words, 'You know my past, you are my present, and are sure to be my future.' After Aayan says that, a yellow spotlight shines on them. Ruhee saw Aayan move a step back with her tearful eyes and get down on one knee. Ruhee cupped her mouth with her hands as tears flowed down her face. Aayan brought his hands forward that held a black velvet ring box. Ruhee's heartbeat increased its pace more, as Aayan opened the box to showcase a beautiful silver ring.
Ruhee looked at Aayan's face, as her entire body was shaking. He looked at her and finally asked, 'Ruhee Shariff, Will you marry me?' Ruhee closed her eyes as tears flowed down her face. She couldn't believe this was actually happening. She always wanted the love of her life to propose to her and he was. Ruhee opened her tearful eyes and looked at the man, who was the love of her life. She moved her shaky hands from her face and took a deep breath, swallowing her tears. She formed the biggest grin on her tear stained face and says, 'Yes.' she nods her head vigorously and continues, 'Yes, Aayan. I will marry you.' on hearing this, a big smile graces Aayan's lips.
Aayan pulls the ring from the box and places the box down. He takes hold of Ruhee's shaking left hand, and with his shaky hand, inserts the ring in her ring finger. He looks up at her as he stands up, and pulls her into his arms for a warm loving hug. They hug each other like their life depended on it. After a moment, Ruhee lifts her head from his chest, and looks into Aayan's slightly watery brown eyes and says in a low voice, that only they could hear, 'I love you, Aayan.' On hearing this, Aayan's smile drops. A lone tear falls from his eye as a big grin stretches on his lips.
They just smile goofily at each other, still in each other's arms. Aayan's eyes shift to Ruhee's lips and he moves closer. Ruhee waits for him to close the distance, when red rose petals start falling on them from above. They look up and Ruhee smiles at the the falling petals, as they touch their faces like feather. She looks at Aayan to see him frowning, which causes her to frown aswell. Soon, they could hear multiple claps and they look around. All the yellow bulbs suddenly die and the entire hall lights up, not with the bulbs, but the tube lights. Ruhee's and Aayan's eyes go wide at what they see.
Oh God!!