With silent steps, Sheherbano entered the haveli. Making sure no one saw her but a maid noticed her. Sheherbano kept her finger on her lips, asking the maid to be quite, as she took few steps forward and saw the lady of the haveli

Noor-Jahan Begum was instructing something to the gardener, who brought the fresh rose from garden for the living room

"Yeh dekhiye apne toh inme se kante bhi nahi hataye," she heard Noor-Jahan Begum's words

(You didn't even cut the thorn,)

"Lekin kanto ke beena to gulab ki koi khoobsurati hi nahi hoti, ammi," Sheherbano said in her thick British accent, startling Noor-Jahan, as she turned to her

(But what's the rose beauty without thorn?)

"Sherry?" Noor-Jahan's eyes fall on her, for one second she was shocked to see her but another second she evolope her into tight hug

"Aap aney wali thi aur bataya nahi,"

(You were about to come and didn't tell anyone?)

"Ammi..... Can't..... Breath!" She choked her words

"Oh maaf kariye," Noor-Jahan quickly left her, Sheherbano took some deep breath to get her pace back

(Oh! I'm sorry,)

"Baki sab kaha hain?" They started walking to lounge, holding Noor-Jahan's arm, Sheherbano asked

(Where is everyone?)

"Apke Abba aur Bhai toh office mein hain aur Jiya apne kamre mein hain,"

(Your father and brother is in office and Jiya is in her room,)

"Hum unse milke atey hain," she asked for permission which Noor-Jahan gave her

(Can I go to her room?)

"Sherry ka kamra saaf karwaiye aur unka saman unke kamre mein rakhwa dijiye," when Sheherbano left, Noor-Jahan ordered a maid

(Clean Sherry's room and place her things there,)

Quitely, Sheherbano entered Jiya's room. Jiya was on her study table busy in her notes, when Sheherbano went behind her and put her hands on Jiya's eyes

"Guess who?"

"Sherry?" Jiya's lips curved up as she touched her hands

"Aap kab aai?" When she put her hands down, Jiya turned to her

(When did you came?)

"Abhi-abhi," Sheherbano answered, as she made herself comfortable on Jiya's bed

(Just now!)

"Bataya bhi nahi," Jiya close her notebook and also went on her bed

(And didn't informed anyone?)

"Surprise!" She wave her hands in the air

"Achha hua agayi! Ab kuch din yahi rahogi na?" Crossing her legs as she comfortably sat, Jiya asked

(Now you'll stay for some days?)

"Kuch din? Purey ek mahine yaha rahungi," picking pillow she leaned on it

(Some days? I'll stay here for one whole month,)

"Sach?" Jiya excitedly asked, her face showing happiness which wasn't visible in her eyes

(Really?)

"Sach! Internship ke liye kuch countries ke option mein se India bhi tha so I picked India,"

(Really! I'm here for my internship,)

"Yeh toh bohot achha Kiya! Abba bohot khush honge waise abba ke office mein internship karogi?,"

(That's really nice, Abba will be very happy,)

"Nahi, koi R&M karke company Hai... Jiya, Everything is okay right?" Sheherbano was telling her but when saw Jiya's gloomy eyes, she asked

(No, it's some R&M company...)

"Yeah! Everything is okay! Tell me about your journey," Jiya shrugged the topic away and muster a huge smile

"My journey was just.... Sleeping," Sheherbano act to sleep and said, making Jiya laughed at her act

Jiya's phone which was on study table started ringing

Jiya got up and picked it, but seeing the caller i.d she decline the call

"Who was it?" Her face was now sour that Sheherbano couldn't help but ask

"No one!" With her phone in her hand, Jiya returned to her bed

Sheherbano nurrowed her eyes at Jiya and took her phone which was silently vibrating,

"Sherry!"

"Jamal ka call kyu nahi pick Kar rahi ho?" Sheherbano asked confusingly

(Why aren't you picking Jamal's call?)

"Aaj Kal humari zyada baat nahi hoti," Jiya shrugged her shoulder

(We aren't talking much,)

"Did you guys fought with each other?" Sheherbano nurrowed her brows and asked

"Nothing serious, don't worry! Tum jao fresh toh ho jao,"

(Go and get fresh up,)

"Then say it clearly you don't wanna talk in my presence," dramatically, Sheherbano left her room and went to her own

Maids were arranging her clothes in cupboard when she entered her room

"Issey rehne dijiye, main khud Kar lungi," Sheherbano dismiss her

(You can go, I'll do it by myself,)

Since she has opened her eyes her, she has saw her mother doing her own works, they had servants but her mother never liked it

She always told Sheherbano never be so dependable on someone that you can't even cook your own food

That's why, Sheherbano never made herself dependable on maids, if there come a time she can do all her work by herself. Unlike Jiya, who doesn't even picked her own clothes for day, for that small work she needed a maid

After she was done with her clothes, she took shower and changed into shalwar kameez, although no one ever stopped her for wearing jeans. But still, whenever she came India, she prefers wearing traditional dress

She hunged the wet towel on the back of the chair and picked hair brush. While brushing her hair, her eyes fall on the newspaper which she earlier bought at airport when she was in waiting area

After brushing her hair, she thought to read it because she couldn't read it at airport

"Eligible bachelor business tycoon, Nawab Shams Malik is all set to tie a knot very soon"

The very first headline made her roll her eyes

"We don't have anything else beside knowing when will Shams Malik marry," she whispered to herself and was about to turn the page when something cought her eyes

Malik is all set to marry a businessman, Shahmir Ali's daughter very soon

"Jiya?" Sheherbano's hazel eyes widened as she confusingly asked to herself

<><><>

"Aap kyu nahi samajh rahe hain meri baat?" When Sheherbano entered Jiya's room, she heard Jiya's voice

(Why aren't you understanding me?)

Controlling her anger, Sheherbano knocked on the door. Although she was already inside of the room

"Main apko baad mein call karti Hoon," Jiya quickly disconnected the call and looked at Sheherbano, who was now changed in green suit and her raven hair wet

(I'll call you later,)

"What's this?" Sheherbano showed her newspaper and asked

"I was about to tell you," Jiya took the newspaper from her and glance at the headline

"About to? But didn't? If I didn't have come here, I wouldn't have know." Sheherbano was complaining when her eyes fall on Jiya, it's when she realized why Jiya's eyes were gloomy

"Jiya! Are you happy with this marriage?" Softly, putting her right hand on Jiya's shoulder, Sheherbano asked

"Doesn't matter! Abba said I have to marry him," Jiya mumbled and went to sit on bed

"And Jamal?" Sheherbano followed after her

"We have broke up, don't worry about me! I'm fine," Jiya gave a small smile to Sheherbano

"You aren't looking fine to me, I'll talk to Abba!" With determine in her eyes, Sheherbano got up

"Let it be Bano! Ammi has tried to talk to him," Jiya hold her hand to stop her

The same time someone knocked on the door

"Jiya!" Knocking the door Noor-Jahan Begum entered the room. But seeing Sheherbano with ferocious look, she stopped and turned to Jiya, asking what's wrong with Sheherbano

"She read the newspaper," jiya informed her

"And I'm really angry, no one bothered to tell me anything," Sheherbano crossed her arm over her chest and turned her face other side

"Beta, yeh sab itni jaldi hua ki hume khud pata nahi Chala, warna sabse pehle toh hum apko hi batane wale the," Noor-Jahan lovingly said to Sheherbano

(Beta this all happened so fast we couldn't do anything,)

"Theek hai! This time, I'm letting it go," Sheherbano uncrossed her arms but the pout didn't left her lips

(Fine!)

"Aur aap, jaldi taiyyar ho, Shams ki mummy arahi hain," Noor-Jahan turned to Jiya

(And you! Go get ready, Shams mother is about to come,)

"Kyu?" Jiya made a face

(Why?)

"Tumhare liya juch jewelry pasand ki thi wahi dikhana hai," Noor-Jahan said

(She wanted to show you the jewelry she picked for you,)

Jiya's sulking got deeper

<><><>

"Come with me downstairs!" Jiya said to Sheherbano, who was devouring the snacks which was made for Shams' mother

"Fine!" Sheherbano put the samosa down, and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand

Going to restroom she wash her hands and face,

"Let's go!" Wiping her face she said to Jiya, Jiya put the dupatta on her head

"Assalamualaikum!" When they reached downstairs, Jiya greet the lady sitting with Noor-Jahan

"Walekum-Assalam! Idhar aaiye mere pass," she pat the space beside her, Jiya went to sit beside her

(Come, sit with me.)

Sheherbano was still awkwardly standing there, when Noor-Jahan called her beside her

"Yeh ladki Kon Hai?" Zainab Begum asked looking at Sheherbano

(Who is she?)

"Yeh mere marhoom devar ki beti Sheherbano hai," Noor-Jahan introduced her

(She is my deceased brother-in-law's daughter Sheherbano,)

Sheherbano Ali or Sherry, as everyone calls her, was born and raised in London, when she was still in her school when her parents passed away in car accident

Shahmir Ali and Noor-Jahan raised her, whom she started calling Ammi and Abba, Jiya was her cousin sister but they were like real sister

Sheherbano was doing her graduation in London but every holiday, she comes India or they visit London.

Zainab Begum nod her head, acknowledging her then turned to Jiya showing her jewelry which she picked for her

"Excuse me!" Sheherbano phone vibrate in her hand, she excused herself and went out of the house

"Hello!" It was her professor, after her phone call was done, she was about to go inside the house, unaware that another person was also just going inside and collide with him

Sheherbano fall down, holding her forhead which was bumped into person's shoulder, she raised her head to look at her person, whom she bumped into, seeing the tall figure, a gasp left her mouth

It was the same person whom she didn't know about just hours ago. But her sister is engaged to him

Nawab Shams Malik

"Aap theek Hain?" Shams also bent a little to help her. but stopped when got a proper look of her

(Are you okay?)

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