Meera and Haider had freshened up after the morning's session.
Meera had worn a beautiful red Anarkali which Noor had designed for her. She wore complimenting jhumkas and a beautiful nose ring.
She has middle parted and braided her long hair. Meera looked stunning in the simplest outfit and minimal jewellery.
Haider too had been given clothes per selected by Noor before she left. He was given a white kurta with a black overcoat.
"Don't you look ravishing my Queen." Haider said huskily in Meera's ear.
"No Haider." Meera said turning around and pushing him away and his advances towards her.
"No what, you don't look beautiful or no you don't want to ha-."
"No means don't trouble me, we are getting late and Ammi jaan must be waiting for us." She said quickly turning around to face the mirror, she quickly rubbed the khol on her waterline and sprayed the itar ammi be had given her.
Haider looked at her through the mirror, a small smile tugged on his lips, how did he become so lucky to have this woman in his life.
Meera watched him looking at her, a faint blush tinted her cheeks. She turned around and looked at him clearing her throat.
"Are you planning to celebrate your entire Eid in this room, because I'm not." She said looking up at him.
"Haider ?" She called him but he just looked down at her and smiled, dazed.
"Haye Ram ! Haider Zahoor Ali Khan chale ab." She said pulling him by his hand dragging him towards the palace courtyard.
The palace courtyard was beautiful decorated with silk drapes and flowers.
All the residents of the palace and important members of the court were present with their families.
The crowd had parted for their king and queen as they walked hand in hand towards the slightly elevated platform built.
Ammi he stood their wearing a yellow and green silk saree, beaming at her children.
"Eid Mubarak Ammi Be." Haider greeted his mother enveloping her into an embrace, still holding on to Meera's hand.
"Eid Mubarak meri jaan." She said pulling him down and kissing him on his forehead.
"My children look so beautiful, may Allah protect you from the evil eye and give you all the happiness in the world." She said patting Meera's head giving her blessings.
"Ameen." Said a familiar voice. "Thora pyar mere liye bhi baccha lena Ammi Be."
Meera and Ammi be turned in the direction in a flash and saw the noor of their eyes standing there, glowing.
"Noori ?" Meera whispered and laughed not believing her eyes.
She freed her hand from Haider's and ran to her friend enveloping her in a hug.
"Sambhal kar bhabhi jaan." She said looking down at her stomach, Meera followed her gaze to see a very slightly noticeable bump behind her heavy clothing.
"No."
"Yes." Noor laughed as Meera cried enveloping her in a hug again.
"Oh I've missed you." She said catching her breath.
"I've missed you too Meera, now let me see my mother and brother, don't be selfish." She said pulling from the hug and sticking her tongue out at her.
Haider and Ammi be stood their, Ammi be had tears in her eyes and Haider smiled wide.
"Oh my baby." Ammi be said hugging Noor showering her with kisses. "I've missed you so much my darling."
"Ammi now it's my turn." Haider said with a pout, making the women laugh. He pulled Noor from Ammi Be's hold and then wrapped her in his arms.
"Oh my little one I've missed your stupidity and your laughter." He said resting his chin on her head.
"I've missed you to bhai." She said holding him tightly. "I loved delhi but I missed home." Noor said wiping the tears which had formed in her eyes.
"Eww don't ruin my Eid outfit." Haider pulled her away from her still holding her by her shoulder at an arms length. "Did you wipe your snot on my kurta noori?" He asked her seriously making Inayat and Meera laugh.
"What did they feed you in Delhi Noor, you look fat." Haider said looking at Noor top to bottom.
"It's not called being fat it's called being pregnant." She said with a wide smile.
"What ?" Haider and Ammi be gasped.
"Told you I'm coming with a gift."
"Tahir that fucker, where is he ? He touched my baby ." Haider grumbled.
"More like I touched him." Noor said rolling her eyes.
"Noor." Ammi be hissed. "When will you stop saying the most inappropriate things."
"Assalam Walekum everyone." Tahir walked in joining the small group.
"Noor I told you to wait for me, you are so hungry to get all the love for yourself, learn to share." Tahir complained.
"Ammi Be Eid Mubarak." He said hugging Inayat, she showered him with kisses and blessings.
Tahir next moved to Meera, he scanned her and said, "Meera Bibi what did they feed you here ? You look fat." He said with a smirk.
Haider looked at Tahir giving him a deadly stare.
"What ?" He said looking at Haider with a poker face.
"You called my wife fat, I called yours we are even."
Meera chuckled. "Eid Mubarak Tahir bhai." Meera said.
"Eid Mubarak Meera." Tahir said giving her a quick hug then moving towards Haider.
"Aur batta, kaise katte mere binna tere din ?" Tahir said shoving Haider playfully.
"Bohot sukun se." Haider said with tight lip smile.
"Aise matt dekh zalim, baccha konsa Allah tala darakt se tod kar dete hai ? Tu toh khush ho mamu banna raha hu tujhe." Tahir said with a wide smile hugging Haider from the side.
"We'll talk about this later." Haider mumbled, trying to hide his smile.
"Ammi Be, Zulekha appa isn't here ?"
"Uh actually meri jaan Zulekha isn't keeping well, I don't think she will be joining us." Inayat said throwing a quick warning glance at Meera and Haider who gave a slight nod in understanding.
Inayat did not want to worry Noor about anything which would cause her the slightest harm, specially in her delicate condition.
"Hadi did you know about Noor coming."
"Of course he knew Ammi, this brother and sister duo planned this surprise for our pretty ladies." She said walking towards Haider and holding her brother by his waist.
Haider looked down at her, he remembered how his tiny hands had held Noor when she was born, he felt so proud when Baba had told him that now that he was a big brother he would have to protect his younger sister, he would have to be her person knight.
Now his baby was going to have a baby. He felt his eyes moisten, he quickly brushed away the treacherous tears and bend down and pecked her forehead.
"You've grown up."
.
.
.
The news of Noor and Tahir's return had reached Kanika.
Kanika sat with Zulekha in her chamber, collecting her thoughts and controlling her emotions.
"Now what do we do ?" Zulekha asked pacing the length of her room.
"We do what we were supposed to do, and drop that look from your face, you'll clearly attract unwanted attention." Kanika chided. "You go and start mending your relationship with Haider and try and be nice to Meera, don't ruin it." Kanika spat.
"I just want her gone." Zulekha screeched.
"And I'm working on that, the least you could do it try not to wreck my plan." Kanika lashed out at her and left Zulekha's room.
She stood in the balcony at the end of the corridor which overlooked over the palace courtyard.
Her eyes immediately landed on the man whom she had loved, whom she still loved.
He stood there, in a beige kurta, his hand around his wife, laughing at what the woman she hated the most who had once been her best friend.
She wiped the lone tear before it could fall.
AN: thank you guys for the votes and comments.
Someday I'll surely cry because you guys make me so emotional with all the comments and messages.
I love how some of you are so into the story hehe
The major plot twist is just two chapters away and I want to give you all daily updates so I'm editing the chapters quickly.
Keep voting my lovelies.
Lots of love
xoxo