"I do."

Kind of.

I glanced at Aaban as he was the first one to shout out a takbeer with a bright smile on his face.

Concealing ny scowl, I returned all the greetings and congratulations with a, "JazakAllah, pray that we have a blessed life ahead."

I didn't know how long exactly this went on, but I was grateful when dinner arrived.

I was starving.

Sami and Aaban took their place on either side of me and feeding me a spoon of kheer, Sami said,

"Now that you both have married my cousins, I request you to ask your wives to find a girl for their handsome cousin."

"They have a handsome cousin?" I asked with a mouthful of food as Aaban snorted out a laughter.

Sami glared at him, "The only male cousin they have is me."

Aaban smirked, "Why don't you marry their only female cousin then?"

"They have a lot of female cousins, I have a lot of them, anyway."

"That's from your side, stupid. They only have one from their dad's side."

Sami frowned, and I rolled my eyes.

He certainly wasn't clueless, and this was all his play innocent act.

"You mean, the one Kainaat always sticks with?"

At the mention of her name, I looked at Aaban.

At first, I looked at him out of habit. Everytime we would hear the word 'Kainaat' I'd glance at him with a teasing expression which would make his nose red.

But now I looked at him, in his eyes even, to search for something, anything, that would convey his feelings for her.

I found nothing.

His nose didn't turn red. There was no slight blush covering his face, no spark of something- I don't know the word for whatever it was that used to be in his eyes at the mention of her name- in his eyes.

Instead, now he gave me a teasing expression, much to my dismay.

I put on a smile and turned back to Sami,

"Yes, that one."

Sami made a face,

"She's not my type."

Aaban whistled, "So now you have a type?"

Sami sat up straight, and scoffed, "Yes, please. I won't sign up for just anything. I need standard, I need class."

"I don't know about class," I started, "but you do need classes on how to talk about people you don't even know."

He rolled his eyes, "Whatever makes you and Aaban sleep at night."

"I sleep with your sister."

I spat out the soft drink I'd just taken a sip of, when Aaban said that and gave him a nasty look while Sami just glared at him,

"You did not just say that."

He burst out laughing muttering a meek, "I did."

We didn't get a chance to say anymore as Khalifa approached us.

Going back home was tiring, really. The girl was all tears and red nose by the time me and her settled in the backseat, with Fariyal and Aaban at the front, my brother in the driver's seat.

If I didn't know better, I would've thought this was yet another plan of tayajaan.

I sat there observing the trio. Kainaat was still in tears, Fariyal kept glancing at Aaban every now and then who in turn kept glancing at Kainaat through the rear view mirror.

For a minute I was wondering why was I even there in the midst of this love triangle, but then I realised half of this thing was my fault.

Reaching home was even more of a tiresome job. Thankfully, by the time we reached home, she wasn't crying anymore. After she was introduced to my entire family, Inaya lead her to my room.

Now this was the part I dreaded. I'm a possessive man. I hadn't even cleared the space in my closet for her.

My gaze travelled her as she followed Inaya and unknowingly, a small smile grazed my lips.

There was this thing like a beauty trait in the Khan Family, but Kainaat was something else.

I hadn't payed her much attention when Abaan used to swoon over her, but now that she seems mine, I took my time gracing my eyes with her elegance.

No, I wasn't cheking her out. It's just something about her that makes you want to keep looking, because maybe deviating your gaze will have her in your mind forever.

A minute later Abaan approached me and I gave him a small smile, maybe to apologize or maybe for being caught. I didn't know which one of that was seen more.

"Hey."

"Yeah?"

"Take care of her."

I turned to him, surprised, but before I could say anything he rushed away, as if he would burn if I said a single word.

I sighed, I never asked for life to be this dramatic.

As I avoided the teasing gazes of my cousins while I made my way to my room, I was met with a very stern looking Inaya infront of my door, all hands on hips.

"You can't go in."

I raised my eyebrows, "And why is that?"

She grinned, "Because, you'll have to pay me to get in!"

When all I did was stare at her blankly, she groaned,

"Yaar! You don't even know this much?!"

I rolled my eyes, and did the best thing I could do when I was tired on another level,

"MAMMA, INAYA PAISE MAANG RAHI-"

I was cut shot when Inaya tackled me and put a hand on my mouth,

"Ya khuda! Mummy ko bulane ki kya zaroorat hai? Sirf paise hi maang rahi hu, tumhari zawja nahi!"

"Why should I even give you money?"

She rolled her eyes, "You're a waste of time and fun! Aaban was way more easiee. It's a rasam, bewakoof!"

I made a face, "Ye shaadi hai ya barbadi?"

"Jo bhi hai, agar Bhabhijaan ko dekhna hai aur andar jaana hai, toh humei jaldi se paise dijiye."

Muttering under my breath, I pulled out my wallet and shoved a few rupees in her hand and rushed inside before she could count and demand for more,

"Zaidaan! This is just seventy-five rupees! Come back you-"

Her voice faded in the background as I locked the door behind me and leaned against it, sighing, Allah knew that was a save. Inaya would've taken my entire income.

As per regular habit, I removed my sherwani and kept it on the bed when I noticed a figure standing near the window, her back facing me.

And that's when I realised, she seemed mine.

Now clad in my plain cream kurta churidar, I slowly made my way to her and stood a few feet behind her, clearing my throat.

She just tilted her head to the side, still gazing up at the moon.

Not knowing what to say, I just said,

"I...um, your bags are right beside the wardrobe, and washroom's to our right. You can freshen up and change in the walk-in closet, and I shall change here."

I saw her shifting her weight as she turned her head to the side, her gaze down,

"I think," she took a deep breath, "I think we should pray two rakat to start our life together first."

I rubbed my neck and walked ahead, standing beside her.

She turned in her place, facing me.

And that was all, all, I needed to know that I'll be losing my control around her more often than not.

My breath hitched in my throat as she lifted her gaze to meet mine and I couldn't speak.

Half of her face was moonlit, the soft white moonlight making natural shadows on her sharp features and causing the still unshed tears in her eyes seem like a glint of beauty in them.

Her full lips let out a sigh, "Aapne suna nahi humne kya kaha?"

"Huh?"

At a very dumb reply from me, her eyebrows furrowed and she looked away, her curled her falling on the side of her cheek slapping me out of my trance as I cleared my throat yet again, feeling hot in my ears as I coughed out,

"Ji. Yeah, you're right. I'll lead the prayer. Let's make wudhu."

I spread out two jaanimaaz, and waited for her to join me so tjat we could pray together.

I watched her stand behind me and gave her a tight smile before starting the prayer.

After we were done, I turned around to find her still on the prayer mat,her hands up in duaa, eyes closed and lips still.

And without my permission, I found my heart praying that no matter what she was praying for, may they all come true.

She blew on her hands and moved them in a circular motion around her face once, before loosening her hijab and giving me a breif glance before looking away.

I looked away, knowing she felt uncomfortable and said,

"Do you wanna change in the washroom, or will you take the room?"

I had to strain my ears to hear her say,

"The room."

I took that as my cue and rushed to the washroom, changing and waiting for a few minutes before I knocked from the inside of washroom,

"Kainaat?"

It felt strange on my lips to call her name out loud.

Her name, and it's meaning suddenly clicked in my head.

She's now my Kainaat.

That makes her my Universe.

A whole different universe it is, then.

"Ji?"

She called back and I smiled to myself,

"Are you done?"

She didn't reply me back for a few seconds but then said,

"You can come out."

I turned the knob and made my way out in the walk in closet and adjusted my hair upwards in the mirror and went out in the room.

She was standing near my glasswall, which overlooked our backyard, which was fille dto the brim with flowers of all sorts according to their seasons, her hands up in her hair, tieing them up in a ponytail.

The wind from the window swayed her dupatta and teased her face as the tendrils of her front hair tickled her face and I didn't disturb her until she was done.

"You can take the bed,"

My sudden voice seemed to startle heras her hands curled on her sides, I continued more cautiously, eyeing her hands,

"I'll take the couch."

I watched something flash in her eyes before she crossed her arms over her chest,

"No. I'll take the couch."

"I'm not doing any favor on-"

"I like couches."

My lips curled at her unexpected reply and I bit my lip from laughing the same time as she did and shut her eyes for a second, giving it away that she was more than just nervous.

I walked towards her and pushed a stray hair behind her ear,

"Take the couch, Kainaat."

In that moment, I decided I loved her name more than mine, and I loved it more with mine.

Her eyes widened at the sudden contact of my fingers and she backed away just a bit, lowering her gaze as I towered over her and let out a breath,

"Ji."

She turned around and took a pillow from the bed, passing me as she made her way to the couch-sofa thing my mom had for some reason placed in my room way back when we were shifting newly in this house.

Suddenly remembering the gift I had to give her on our first night, I turned around and caught her wrist, causing the bangles on them to clash against each other, clinging on her wrist and clanking against each other and my fingers,

"Wait!"

She turned on her heel and faced me with wide eyes,

"Ji?"

I pursed my lips, "Aapke liye tohfa hai."

With that, I fished out a pair of anklets from my pocket and dropped the cold metallic jewellery in her warm hands,

"Dadijaan had told me you loved anklets, and how you broke your previous ones on your mehendi just last night. So I thought it was just fit to gift you this as mooh dikhayi."

I watched her visibly relax and her eyes went to their normal size and she wiggled her hand to get rid of my hold, and I obliged.

Bringing her hand closer to herself,she clutched the anklets in her palms and gave me a tightlipped smile,

"Shukriya."

I smiled back before heading back and laying down on the bed.

Turning the bedside lights off, I darkened the room with the light control and tuned to my side, watching her back as she slept without a duvet.

Sighing, I got up again. Taking the duvet off the bed, I stood behind her.

"Kainaat?"

"Ji?"

God, even her voice was beautiful.

"Don't say ji so much around me. You can say something else too."

"Ji."

I had a feeling she was gonna use 'ji' more often now that I'd told her not to.

Shaking my head, I covered her in the duvet, causing her to turn my way.

"Thank-"

"Don't thank me, Kainaat."

"Don't take my name so often."

"Kyu nahi?"

"Kyu haan?"

I chuckled and let her be as I went back to my position on the bed.

Now we were both staring at each other from across the room and her eyes told me that she was daring me to look away first.

But a few minutes later, she visibly squirmed under my gaze and instead turned around, her back to me.

For some reason, smiling to myself I closed my eyes.

"Sunei?"

I peeped my eyes open at her voice,

"Sunaye?"

"You have a nice voice. I mean, you recited Quran very beautifully a few minutes back, mashaAllah."

"Really? JazakAllah, Kainaat."

"I told you not to take my name itna zyada!"

"Shab bakhair, Kainaat."

"Ugh!"

She was a whole different universe and I planned on exploring all of her.

I chuckled as she grumbled and closed my eyes, sleep engulfing me in darkness darker than her eyes in just seconds.

******

"INAYA PAISE MAANG RAHI-" Inaya is asking for money.

Ya khuda! Mummy ko bulane ki kya zaroorat hai? Sirf paise hi maang rahi hu, tumhari zawja nahi!"

-

Oh God! What's the need to call mom? I'm only asking for money, not your wife.

"It's a rasam, bewakoof!" - it's a cultural tradition, you fool!

Ye shaadi hai ya barbadi?- Is this a wedding or a sabotage?

Jo bhi hai, agar Bhabhijaan ko dekhna hai aur andar jaana hai, toh humei jaldi se paise dijiye - whatever it is, if you want to see my sister in law and go inside, then give me money.

Aapne suna nahi humne kya kaha?- did you not hear what I said?

jaanimaaz- paryer mat.

Ji- a polite yes

Aapke liye tohfa hai.- I have a gift for you.

Sunei/Sunaye- listen/ literally means make me listen.

itna zyada!- so much.

Shukriya- thank you.

"Kyu nahi/haan"- why not/yes

Shab bakhair- good night.