the two ends of the thin chain against her pale, bony neck. She tilted her head sideways and gazed at herself in the mirror with a charming smile. The Zoha etched name pendant was something that she always wished she had one. When she was little she even asked dadi if she could buy an artificial necklace of the first letter of her name, because she, herself, couldn't afford to buy a real one. But after years, she forgot about it and never asked for it.

Thank you, Shehryaar for fulfilling my wish, she said quietly. You truly are the one to whom I have given my heart to.

She hooked the chain around the nape of her neck and let the pendant on her chest rest forever. It seemed like this was the necklace that completed her. It brought that special feeling that could never detach from her. Whenever she looked at it, her mind swooned at the intangible presence of Shehryaar around her. She felt like he was always near her even when she couldn't see him.

**************

The next evening, Zoha took out the shopping bags from the wardrobe and put them on the bed.

"I am surprised that you found everything," Saliha said. "I thought it would at least take two days."

"I thought too," Zoha said. "But my friend helped me a lot. I wouldn't have been able to do it without her."

"I can't wait to see what you got," Saliha pulled out the dress packed in the plastic bag and noticed the color. "It's light pink," she said, expressionless.

Zoha glanced at Saliha's face and thought, did she not like it? "Yeah, I like that color," she spoke hesitantly.

Saliha unpacked it and laid it on the bed. "Ma Shaa Allah this is so pretty." Her eyes widened with an unexpected astonishment.

Zoha stopped twiddling with the tail of her dupatta and fell at ease. "Bari ammi, do you think it's really fancy?" She sat on the bed and looked at the dress.

"It looks perfect."

Zoha took a glimpse of Saliha's face, observing her expression time to time. "The minute I came across this style in the catalogue, I fell in love with it."

"Good choice."

Zoha smiled. "The bottom is palazzo style."

Saliha unfolded the bottom that was kept aside and held the satin palazzo in the air. "This looks so cute."

"I am glad you liked it. I was scared what if I bought something that you didn't like."

"I wouldn't have said anything." Saliha put the palazzo down. "I would've wanted you to wear what you liked. This dress is beautiful."

"Oh I forgot," Zoha got up and rushed to the wardrobe.

"What did you forget? Was there another bag or something?" Saliha checked the other bags that jewelry set and accessories in it.

Zoha opened the wardrobe, took out her purse and brought it to the dressing table. She rummaged for the envelope that had money. "I have some money left," she said.

"Really? I thought you would have had used all of them." Saliha chuckled.

"I still have five thousand rupees." Zoha plucked out the blue bills and showed them to Saliha.

"Keep it."

"No, it's fine, Bari ammi. I bought everything I wanted." She walked over to give it to her.

"No, beta, you keep it. It was meant for you."

"But I don't need it."

"I know. But your baray abu will be upset if you give it back. He wants you to use every rupee he gave you." Saliha folded Zoha's hand that had five thousand rupees. "It's all yours," she assured with a hearty smile.

Zoha looked at her hand with a tinge of surprise. She didn't insist and kept the money.

"By the way what mall did you get your dress from?" Saliha said.

"We went to dolmen first and then Tariq road, Hyedri." Zoha stashed the leftover, unused money in her wallet and hung the purse back in the wardrobe. "Hyedri was so crowded that we didn't even have a place to sit. My legs are hurting from walking."

"You aren't used to it that's why. It will get better in one or two days." Saliha was looking at the jewelry set. "Ma Shaa Allah this looks gorgeous." Her eyes were smiling from delight.

Zoha went over by the bed and looked at the jewelry. "I was lucky I found the exact matching one. We visited many stores, but sometimes the right color combination was not there. And custom ones took time. So we bought what was available at the moment."

"You did amazing shopping. I am so happy."

"Doesn't the pendant look so real?"

"It's pretty shiny. Ma Shaa Allah Ma Shaa Allah nazar na lag jai." She closed the velvet box and put it on the bed. "This is just your engagement shopping. How will your things be when it's your Nikah and Walima." The glisten of happiness coated her eyes.

Zoha was delighted at the thought of being a bride, looking beautiful. It was beyond an indescribable feeling.

"I am really happy that everything is finally going good," Saliha said. "And hopefully it stays like this."

Zoha casted her gaze on the shopping bag and thought. I hope so too, she said in her heart.

"Let me just see your sandals and then you can put everything away."

"Yeah sure." Zoha pulled out the shoebox and showed the silver sparkle coated scarpins. "I couldn't find the right size at first. We got this from Hyderi."

"These are so pretty," Saliha complimented. "I am glad you didn't get the sandals, like the tiny heel ones. These scarpins match more with the style of your dress."

"I know." Smiled beamed on Zoha's face. "All the credit goes to Hoorain. She had been a great help and company."

Saliha kept looking at the scarpins. "It was good that you had your friend with you. Manal wouldn't have been able to come."

Zoha put the scarpin back in the box and topped it with the lid. "What is Manal wearing?" She garnered all the shopping bags and put them on the rocking chair and some on the floor.

"She didn't say anything about her clothes yet."

"Did you ask her?" Zoha noticed worry envelope Saliha's eyes.

"I haven't. Been busy lately inviting people. "A pause knotted between them." She wanted to buy new clothes for your engagement. But she already has so many of them in her wardrobe. There is absolutely no need for another one."

"Do you think I should talk to her? And help her pick a dress?"

"Yes, of course. I probably won't have time to help her with things."

"And what about you?"

"I have tons of clothes. I don't get invited to many weddings, so they are left hanging in the wardrobe. I am sure I will find something." Saliha rose from the bed. "By the way when is your college ending?"

"Around week and a half?" It came out more as a question than a statement. "I have finals in two days."

"Oh wow. Two days. You must studying hard."

Zoha nodded. "I had been studying from a week now."

"Lots of things are happening at the same time for you." Saliha stepped toward Zoha and cupped her chin in her hand. "But I want you to have proper rest too. I don't want you to take a stress."

How can I not stress when my finals are near? Zoha thought.

"I know your finals are really important. But don't pressure yourself too much, okay?" Saliha gazed directly in her eyes.

Zoha nodded in her hand.

"That's good. In Shaa Allah you will score high as you always do."

"In Shaa Allah."

Saliha slipped her fingers from beneath Zoha's chin and ambled to the door. In a snap she disappeared out of the room.

Zoha sighed. She was contend that Saliha liked everything. She didn't have to worry about shopping anymore. It was out of the way. But she had to worry about her finals. It was still looming on her head. She wondered if Hoorain had made a copy of the print out she told. That was the first thing she had to remember to take from her tomorrow morning.

She went to the bathroom, performed wudhu and began her prayers. When she was done, she unpacked her dress and hung it in the wardrobe, nicely. She walked over to the bed to unbox the shoes and placed them under the hanging clothes in a small show rack. It was a perfect place. Next she mindfully put the jewelry in the bottom last drawer where she kept her other jewelries that she rarely wore. They were mostly for the fancy events like parties and weddings which she hardly remembered attending in the last couple of years.

Beside her engagement clothes, she had also bought her home clothes. All the shalwar kameez and kurti trousers she had even before dadi was alive were pretty old. She was tired of wearing the same ones over and over. She sometimes felt embarrassed that other girls in college wore new style clothes and she was stuck with the long kameez that was a fashion two years ago.

Taking each pair of shalwar kameez out of the shopping bags, she tidily hung them in the thick wooden hanger. The dupattas of all of the new clothes were decently long. When she was done, she stood in front of the open chest of the wardrobe and scrolled her gaze up and down and across the store of clothes. The setting looked perfect. It was just the way she wanted.

Closing the wardrobe, she ambled to her queen size bed and one by one grabbed the shopping bags that had simple, pretty designs with a print of different store names on them. She gathered them in her hand and folded the bunch in half to dispose off, since they were of no use. The room looked clean, except for the bed sheet that was tousled from sitting on it. She fixed that and lastly glanced around the place. Everything was good. She switched off the lights and deserted the room.

The whole house was pretty quiet. She couldn't hear any sort of sound beside her own footsteps, going down the stairs. She headed to the kitchen, dumped the empty shopping bags and made her way to the study room. As she was thinking, a thought of Manal struck her. She felt bad that a girl who loved shopping, wearing the best clothes and going to places was bound to bed, with no choice but to wait for the hour when she could finally walk. Zoha wanted to go visit her in the room and give her company. But she had to focus on her studies. There was nothing more important than that at the moment.

As she reached her hand for the knob, suddenly the door of the study room flung open from the other side and she was thrown back in shock. Her wide eyes caught Shehryaar standing in the way, clasping the door knob, surprised. Zoha clutched her chest, breathing harder.

"You?" she said.

Shehryaar froze, staring at her.

"Scared me." Zoha's dupatta slipped from her left shoulder, covering her hand that was against her chest.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said.

"You almost gave me a heart attack," Zoha said.

"Are you okay?"

Zoha didn't say anything. Then she lightly nodded her head.

"I'm sorry," he truly meant it.

"It's okay."

When Zoha looked at him, his expression like a hour needle stuck in the clock, she noticed his eyes were fixed on her upper chest or her neck. She couldn't quite tell where exactly he was looking.

Out of the blue, a smile enveloped his lips and he kept looking at the same spot. "You are wearing the necklace I gave you."

The bell ran in Zoha's head then. She touched the gold pendant resting on her neck and looked at it by pulling it forward within her sight. "I found it on the dressing table last night. It had your name on it."

"I didn't expect you to wear it this soon," he said.

As Zoha inclined her gaze at him, the sweet drop of smile was still hanging on his lips. "I couldn't resist myself."

"I thought of giving you one many days ago. But was waiting for the perfect time."

"It's really pretty. Thank you," Zoha spoke in a calm, soft voice.

"Thank you for accepting my gift."

"How could I not? I always wished to have a necklace of my name. It's the perfect gift." Zoha fixed the dupatta that had slipped off her shoulder.

Shehryaar took a step toward her, lessening the distance between them. "Always wear this in your neck. This is the symbol of my love."

Zoha's innocent, small eyes were lost in Shehryaar's charming ones. She could feel his warmth surround her, even though he hadn't touch her.

"You know the necklace of your name makes you look even pretty. It shows people that however much beautiful the name is, the girl is million times more beautiful," he said.

Zoha could feel her heart beat escalate as the spell of Shehryaar bounded her.

"I can't wait for the day when we are finally engaged," he said. "Every day feels like never ending to me when I don't see you."

Zoha didn't look in his eyes. She clipped the edge of her creamy yellow georgette dupatta in her fingers and moved past him, grazing her shoulder against his side.

"I have left something for you when you go inside."

Zoha looked at him curiously.

"Go and look at it yourself," he said.

Zoha pushed open the door and wandered her gaze around the study room like it was a totally new place for her. As she slipped her hand from the door knob, a sweet, rich smell struck her nose, putting her at daze. She knew this fragrance. It was very familiar. She walked more farther in and caught a sight of single stemmed, red rose sleeping on her desk. She picked it up and brought it near her nose.

"This is beautiful," she said, smelling.

"Guess where it is from?" Shehryaar said, folding his arms across his lower chest.

Zoha turned around. "The petals are pretty fresh."

"Looked like you haven't been in the lawn lately," he said.

"You got it from the lawn?"

Shehryaar nodded. "Whenever I look at them they reminded me of you. So I picked one."

"It smells so good."

"You are the first girl I have ever given a rose to."

Zoha looked at him, smiling. "Thank you."

"You didn't have to say it."

*******************************