"No...please sorry...I don't have anything to give...no alternate..."

"Asmara!...Asmara!Asmara... beta get up...it's lunch time,Asmara!"I heard Mama calling me.

I opened my eyes and saw Mama sitting beside me,with a smile on her face,I smiled back.

"Go,freshen up now and come downstairs.Everyone is waiting for you on the dining table."Mama said.

I nodded and asked about Sara

"She left with Ayesha to market.They have something to buy for mehndi function."Mama told.

"Okay Mama,you go,I am coming in 2 minutes."I said getting up from bed heading towards bathroom.

After freshening up I went to the dining hall.He was also there...Seeing him I remembered my strange dream.Thanks to Allah that was just a dream.

"Assalam o alaikum!"I greeted everyone.

"Wsalam princess,sit and start your lunch."Baba said with a smile on his face.

I started having lunch when I felt him staring at me.I looked up towards him but he was just having his lunch but I felt his gaze.

Baba and uncle asked"you two talked,was it all nice?"

I frowned asking"when?"

And he choked drinking water and gazed at me with wide eyes.

"It was all nice Baba...we are good."he said looking towards me.

He lied,we never talked,why did he lie?

"We are happy for both of you.May Allah bless you both."Uncle Ahmed said with a huge smile.

Everyone said "Ameen!"

"So lunch is over,we should head home Ahmed and Hashim?"Aunty said.

"Yes Mama!so lets go."he said.

"Okay!now we may take your leave Ali and Shiza bhabi."Uncle Ahmed announced getting up from his seat.

We all got up,Aunty and Uncle came towards me and said "keep smiling beta."

I nodded with a small smile. All of them left.

I called Ayesha Api to know where they were."Asalam o alaikum Asmara!How are you my little sweet bhabi?"She asked excitedly.

"I am fine.Where are you and Sara?"I asked.

"She is with me,we are buying some jewellary.We wanted to take you with us but your husband wanted to talk to you so we left you there."she said teasingly.

"Api when are you both coming back?"

"In an hour sweety."she replied.

"But we are going straight to home.I have some preprations to do.Sara will accompany me there."she added.

"Okay Api,Allah hafiz."

"Wait,wait,wait!Asmara?you want to join us?I'll send someone to pick you up,pack your dress which you are going to wear tonight.okay Allah hafiz."she said and hung up the call without listening to me.

Now what will I do there.He will be there.I don't want to face that lair.What to do now?Nothing Asmara you can't do anything now except packing your things.I packed all my and Sara's stuff in a bag and went outside the room Mama was in the kitchen making tea.

"Mama!where is baba?"I asked.

"Your baba is sleeping.Hashim called me,he is coming to take you to their house."

"Wh..."I was saying when the door bell rang.

"Go grab your things he is here I guess."Mama said and went to open the door.

I don't want to go,not with him.Allah I am stucked now,what to do?I went to my room and grabbed my stuff meanwhile Mama called me downstairs.

"Coming mama!"I replied.

When I went there He was standing in a very serious mood,I felt uneasy,why he is like this?

"Let's go."he said plainly.

I just nodded and started walking behind him.He took my bag from me and placed in the backseat,opened the door for me and asking me to sit in the car.

I sat quietly,he entered the car and started driving.I thought he would talk to me but he was just quiet.I glanced towards him and saw he was frowning.So he didn't want to take me to his house.Ayesha Api forced him.

I started playing with my hands,then I saw a bracelet in my hand...wait!it is the same bracelet he gave me in my dream.I was talking to myself.

"That was reality."he said.

"Huh?"I was in a shocked state.

"That was not your dream.I gave it to you in real."he said smiling lightly.

"Oh no!that was not a dream."I was totally embarrassed now.

He chuckled saying"your are so innocent and cute my little wifey.You thought that was a dream."he said while laughing.

I just bowed my head down,how foolish I am.I cursed myself.

"So!do you remember the whole dream?"he asked mischievously"You fainted!you know.Was this is in your dream too?"

"No I just remember till the...till you asking me to close my eyes then you cupped my face and kissed my forehead."I placed my both hands on my mouth realising what I just told him.

He laughed again"Now you are looking funny titli but cute also...my joker"he said pinching my nose lightly.

"Ok let me tell you what happened next.You fainted Mrs.Hashim and I got panicked seeing you like that.I placed you on the bed,sprinkled some water over your face,you moved a little and then slept.Then you again saw me in your dream."he teased me while laughing.

Tears formed in my eyes and I felt myself choking.Then I began to cry,I don't know what happened to me but I felt insulted.How could he call me joker?How could he make fun of me?He is so cruel,he is a monster.

"Hey!Asmara? why are you crying...what happened Asmara!"he asked stopping the car.

"I want to go home,I don't want to go to your house"I said while crying.

"Ok..ok I'll drop you where ever you want but stop crying...please don't cry."he said worriedly.

After a while when I stopped crying,he started the car."We are going to market to pick Ayesha and Sara then I'll drop you both your home."he said in a serious tone to which I nodded.

Rest of the drive was silent,neither of us talked.

We went to the market and saw Ayesha and Sara coming towards the car.They opened the door and entered the car.

"Hey!lovely couple.How was your 1st drive."Ayesha api asked.

"Stop your nonsense Ayesha.Just keep quiet.No more words"he said angrily.

"Sorry."she said.

"Where you want to go now?"

"Y..your...hh..home!!"I said slowly.

After 20 minutes we reached their house,he left the car immediately Ayesha Api and Sara stepped out of the car and came to my side.Opening the door Ayesha Api said"are you okay Asmara?I don't know what happened to him that he shouted? I know you are scared.Don't worry I'll tell baba,he will scold him."

I just nodded negatively controlling my tears"N..no..Api don't tell anyone."

"Okay Api nobody will tell anyone,just come out."Sara said holding my hand pulling me out of the car.

"So girls!let's take some rest then we will get ready."Ayesha Api announced.

We all went inside aunty was sitting in the lounge.We greeted her,she kissed my forehead and said"welcome home!my daughter."I gave her a small smile.

"Mama we are going to take some rest in my room."Ayesha Api told her mother.

"Hm,okay take rest.You all must be tired.It's already evening so get ready by 9:00pm."aunty said.

We went to Ayesha Api's room.

She said "take some rest then we will get ready,I am coming in bit,ok?"

"Yes api."Sara replied.

After a while Sara slept but I was wide awake just crying.I don't know what is happening to me.But his angry voice shook me to core.I am so much affected by his words,may be I over reacted."Ya Allah!I don't know what is all this,I was feeling pain in my heart,I just wanted to cry.

Why my life is so unpredictable?Why all of this is happening to me?why Allah why?"

In the mean time Ayesha Api came and said"Asmara!come with me.Hashim wants to talk to you please."

I just nodded and started following her to her brother's room.

"Hashim!here is your wife,now solve the matter which is bothering both of you."She said and walked out of the room.

Now I was standing in the middle of the room like a statue...after a long scilence we both said in unison "sorry."

He glanced towards me,came forward,held my hand in his and said"I am sorry Asmara...I really am sorry...I shouldn't have called you names.We are not that frank.I am sorry and for shouting at Ayesha,sorry again.I am feeling very low of myself that I made my wife cry on the day of my marriage."

"No please...don't...no need to say sorry...I over reacted."I said honestly.

Wiping my tears off my cheeks,he said"Please accept my apology or do you need any sorry gift?"and at the end he chuckled.

It made me smile with tears in my eyes,I smacked his chest lightly.He held my face and kissed my forehead."keep smiling my innocent titli,it suits you and don't punish your beautiful eyes"he said touching my eyes.

"You know I learned two lessons today.first apology does not matter but sorry gift matters alot and second,never ask your wife to close her eyes before giving or taking sorry gift otherwise she will faint and later on she will think its was the dream."he whispered huskily in my ear and at last he kissed my earlobe.I felt a shiver ran down my spine.I clutched my dupatta tightly,my cheeks,my nose heated up,my heart rate increased,my breath hitched in my throat.He moved backward giving me space.

"Now go and get ready my dear,it's

almost 8:15pm."he said breaking my trance,I left the room running as fast as I could,keeping hand on my heavily beating heart.What was that?

Dated 9th feb,2020