Ayat called me and said that she and Anas bhai will be coming anytime soon to invite us for her grand reception party.

I was eagerly waiting for her.

Maybe Haroon was also informed about their arrival because I found him for the first time after Zara's nikah in home at day time.

He was doing something in his study.

A while later they arrived. She was glowing Masha_Allah.

After lunch everyone was busy talking.

"Nayab, I want to talk to you."Ayat suddenly said holding my hand.

She must be wanting to fill me with her new found love.

I smiled at her and took her to my previous room.

She sat on the bed lazily.

" Everything is fine between you and Haroon bhai right?"She asked me out of the blue.

" Don't try to lie to me."She warned me before I say something.

"Why are you asking me this question?" Instead of answering her I questioned her back drawing some pattern on the bed sheet.

"I'm not kid Nayab. You two are behaving like a stranger.I noticed it in the span of two hours only."She said angrily.

But why is she angry?!!!

" Ayat, if you have noticed everything than you must know, Haroon loves someone else."I said giving up because I know she will eventually know it.

"Who told you this? Was it Haroon bhai?" She asked me weirdly.

"No..... I heard him talking to his friends."I told her the truth.

" You know what? You lost your precious time nurturing the half truth passionately."She said looking at me sadly.

What does she mean?!!!

"What do you mean, Ayat?" I asked her confused.

"I mean to say that Haroon bhai loves you and only you. What you heard that night wasn't the whole truth. And I'm telling you these things on what I've heard from Anas."She was blasting bom directly on my head.

She means that what I heard isn't the complete truth.

Haroon loves me?!!!!!

" Nayab, it is still not that late. Please save your nest before the storm of your doubts destroy it."She said holding my hand and squeezed it.

But my mind was loosing it's sanity.

She said it's not that late but will Haroon forgive me for accusing him,for hurting his ego, for making his character dubious in front of his family, for making Amma suffer.

I know he can't forgive me.

"Ayat he will not forgive me."I said hugging her and crying for being so stupid.

" Nayab, you can't give up and presume thing on your own."She said caressing my head.

I can't cry enough for the loss I have done.

___

Ayat was gone after that leaving me in complete distress.

I don't know what to do?

"Nayab, are you alright jaan(life)." Amma asked me when we were having our dinner.

"Yeah, I'm fine."I said and continued eating.

I was busy thinking the whole time but couldn't find a single solution.

I was lying lazily on the bed when I saw Haroon entering the room.

Why he never tried to clear my doubt?

Because he knew, you wouldn't believe him.

He slept beside me and off the side lamp.

I was tossing and turning but wasn't able to sleep.

I could hear Haroon's light snore.

He is already fast asleep.

Huffing, I sat up and switched on my side of lamp.

I looked at Haroon. He was peacefully sleeping on his back. His both hand on his chest.

My gaze wandered over his every features.

He is no doubt a very handsome man.

My hand itched to feel him through my fingers.

I gave up and started tracing his forehead.

He loves you and only you.

Ayat's words started playing in my mind and smile crept on my lips.

I continued tracing his eyebrows, eyelids, nose, cheeks.

I suddenly felt him moving and I backed away my hand.

Oh no...... what the hell was I doing?!!!

When he stopped moving, I quietly off the lamp and slept with my heavily pounding heart.

I don't know when sleep engulfed me.

____________________

My eyes opened with the fajr(dawn) prayer call.

After the Azaan was completed I got up and saw Haroon wasn't there as usual.

He use to wake up before me and go to the masjid.

I did my ablution and prayed.

I thought to make breakfast for Haroon today.

So I went out of the room. I saw khadija Aunty going towards the kitchen.

"Khadija Aunty."I called whilst going towards her.

She looked at me with confused look.

"Can you tell me what Haroon prefer for his breakfast."I asked smiling.

A beautiful smile spread across her lips and she nodded.

I followed her to the kitchen.

She informed me about everything Haroon prefer to eat in breakfast.

I made his breakfast along with a fresh apple juice and decorated the table.

I was done when I saw him entering the dining whilst checking his phone all ready for office.

He sat on his usual seat and put his phone aside and that was when he looked at me.

His gaze held a shock but he diverted it quickly.

"Khadija Aunty......Kahdija Aunty."He started to call her.

" Uh........ummm.....she is doing the cleaning."I told him stuttering.

" If you need anything, you can tell me."I said nervously.

"No thanks."He said and stood up without having his breakfast.

"Haroon, at least have your breakfast."I said following him.

He stopped on his track and turned to me.

" As far as I know, you do not need to fake concern about my business."He said and strode out increasing my guilt.

I went to the room and cried my heart out.

This is all my fault.

I shouldn't have accused him without even listening the whole conversation.

____________________

It's been a whole month since Ayat told me the truth.

We have attended her reception.

Since then I'm trying my best to talk to him, to do his little works, wait for him for dinner.

But he for once never talk to me unless and until it was necessary.

After our reception he had started this 'no talking' game.

I really have hurt his ego.

In Spite of his rude behavior, I fell for him.

I love him.

I can't live without him.

And the painful thing is that I can't confess it to him.

I heard the horn of his car.

I looked at the wall clock.

It was ten past eleven pm.

I was waiting for him to have dinner with him.

Today for the first time I opened my hijab and dressed up for Haroon with little makeup and open hair.

He will see my hair for the first time.

I saw him coming towards the dining directly.

It's been quite long since when we started to have dinner together.

He says nothing but use to have his dinner quietly and leave without even uttering a single word.

"Assalam o Alaikum."I greeted him and he looked at me.

I saw him freezing on his spot.

Does my looks, my hair, my makeup, me........ effect him?!!!

He quickly composed himself and sat on his specific chair whilst answering my salaam.

He had his dinner quietly and went out without even giving me a single glance.

I don't affect him.

The days passed by and our relationship remained same, rather he remained same cold and distant.

"Nayab, what happened kid? I know something is bothering you. You know you can tell me if you want."Amma asked me lovingly patting my cheek.

I was in Amma's room massaging her head.

I really wanted to tell her everything, every single stupidity of mine.

She was waiting for me to talk.

"Amma, I'm sorry. I'm stupid,I'm idiot."I hugged her and started crying taking out my all helplessness, guilt and pain.

I told her everything from the start till now.

"Amma he will not forgive me. I've hurt his ego very badly."I said sniffing.

" Amma, he will le....leave me. But I can't live without him. I love him Amma."I was blabbering everything inside my heart while hugging her tight and crying.

"Shhhh...... jaan(life). Who said he will leave you."She cooed me but I know from his behavior he will soon leave me.

Amma detached me from her and wiped my tears.

" Stop crying and listen to me."She said caressing my head.

"These are things which teaches you how to trust, to love, to compromise.You have to learn from it and avoid it ahead."She said smiling at me.

"Marriage is the strongest as well as weakest bond. Your actions, understandings decide it's durability."She continued, giving me a glass of water.

"You need to water your sacred bond with love, confessions, communications, understanding and trust to make it strongest."She said holding my hand and looked at me.

" And I know you will learn it eventually."She continued.

" You love Haroon then confess it to him, communicate with him,try to understand him and trust him." She was suggesting me to confess my love to him.

I don't find myself that gutsy to confess my love to him.

I nodded to her not wanting to say no to her.

" Now go and wash your face."She said and took her book.

I came to my room.

I saw Haroon sitting on the bed lazily in his casual clothes whilst checking his phone.

He is home this early!!!!

Strange!!!!

I moved towards the washroom hiding my red face and swelled up eyes behind the curtain of my dupatta.

Since the day Ayat and Anas came our home to invite us for their reception, Nayab has been behaving strangely.

She used to prepare breakfast for me. Wait for me for dinner.

And today she was all dolled up and without hijab waiting for me for dinner.

I freezed on my spot for some second looking at her long brown locks.

I so wanted to touch it and feel it's softness but held myself back.

I looked down and focused on the dinner.

Is she trying to work our marriage out?!!!

I can't assume anything on my own and let myself bear the pain of rejection again, unless and until she say it to me.

My phone buzzed and brought me back in the present.

I looked at the caller ID. It was Zara.

"Assalam o Alaikum bhai."She greeted me as soon as I picked the call.

" Wa Alaikum Assalam, is everything all right?"I asked her.

I was in my office.

" Bhai, Ahmad bhai said that he can't come to pick me up. There's some problem with the car."She informed me worriedly.

" Ok, I will come to take you within ten minutes."I told her and came out of my office locking it.

After some instruction to my PA I drove to Zara.

She was waiting for me outside of her college.

We drove back home.

It's been long since I returned home early.

It's only 4 of the evening and I'm home.

After changing into my track suit I thought to meet Amma.

I was going to enter when I heard Nayab crying and calling herself stupid, idiot.

I thought to go back to my room when I heard her narrating all the incidents from start to end.

Oh, it was Ayat who clarified my character to her.

"Amma he will not forgive me. I've hurt his ego very badly."She said sniffing.

Finally you have realised it.

" Amma, he will le....leave me. But I can't live without him. I love him Amma."She was confessing her love for me to Amma.

She has been in love with me all the time and I didn't know.

She is really stupid, in spite of confessing her love to me she is confessing it to Amma.

A beautiful smile spread across my lips and suddenly everything around me was beautiful and lively.

I thought to not listen the further conversation and came back to my room.

I laid on my bed lazily and opened my phone.

I opened the gallery and looked at her pictures. I took them whilst she was sleeping.

Some of them were from Ayat and Anas reception party.

I wanted to appreciate her that day but held back my tongue.

I was busy looking at her pictures when she entered the room with red puffy eyes.

She instantly held her dupatta as a curtain to avoid my gaze and disappeared inside the washroom.

A hearty laugh escaped my throat.

She was out after ten minutes.

"Nayab, I want to talk to you about something very important."I called her keeping my serious self in charge.

She looked at me all confused.

She came towards the bed and sat beside me.

"What?" She asked me when I didn't say anything for quite long.

"I think it's better to finish this namesake relationship."I said and looked at her face which lost it's every colour.

" What do you think?"I asked her seriously.

She looked at me and fell down.

Oh shit....... I was joking.

" Nayab..... Nayab..... "I was shaking her but she was laying there lifeless.

I searched for water and found the bottle on the bedside table.

I sprinkled some water over her face.

" Nayab.... get up. I was joking idiot."I started shaking her again whilst sprinkling water over her face.

Some seconds later I saw her opening her eyes and she looked at me strangely.

I put the bottle aside and helped her to sit.

"You are such a chicken hearted girl. I was joking crazy."I said and hugged her.

She was quiet for a while and then started shaking in between my arms.

And her hiccups and sniffs followed her shaking.

I tried to detach but now she was holding me tightly.

"I'm sorry, I'm really very sorry. Please forgive me and don't leave me."I heard her speaking under hiccups.

I tried to free myself and this time she let me go.

I cupped her face.

" I love you sweetheart and I can't leave you or live without you."I thought to give her my trust.

" Will you trust me?"I asked her and she hugged me nodding.

I should thank Allah (SWT) for clearing our messed up relationship.

" I love you too Haroon"? I heard her melodious confession sipping inside me through my every pore.

A while later we detached.

I looked at her red face.

Some of her hair locks were kissing her cheeks.

I tugged them behind her ear and started caressing her left cheek.

She looked at me whilst blushing.

She looks breathtaking whilst blushing.

I turned her face towards me and leaned over her face pecking her forehead.

I looked at her. Her eyes were close. Cheeks crimson and lips trembling.

I love the effects I have on her.

I got up leaving her and went towards my study room.

I came with a red velvety case in my hand.

I sat beside her and handed her the case who was giving me confused looks.

"What's this?" She asked me.

"Open it and you will know."I said and she opened it.

Inside it was a beautiful bracelet with N and H engraved in it.

" It's beautiful."I heard her exclaiming.

She extended her hand towards me and gestured me to make her wear that.

I took that bracelet and put it on her beautiful wrist.

" It's more beautiful here."I said and she smiled shyly.

____

It's been more than a month, since every mess between me and Haroon cleared up.

Zara's rukhsati was done before two days.

Today was her reception and here I was stuck with my saree.

Haroon wanted me to wear it.

He bought it for me. It was wine colour saree, heavily embroidered with golden colour border and golden blouse.

"Nayab........ Nayab, you are not done yet!!"I heard Haroon exclaiming whilst coming out from his study

"Don't show me your wide shocked eyes. Wearing saree is not any easy task."I snapped at him whilst slamming the saree pin on the dressing table.

"Ok..... here let me help you."He said coming towards me.

I didn't say anything and he started to pin my saree.

"It's done."He said after five minutes, turning me to face the mirror.

He was wearing blue jeans, wine colour blazer matching with my saree and white T-shirt underneath.

"Sweetheart, you will find your whole life shrinking into a mere minute or second if you will start to get lost in my beauty."His self obsessed comment snapped me out.

"For your kind information, I wasn't lost in your so called beauty. I was just checking out if you were dressed up properly or not."I said pushing him aside and started to tie my golden hijab.

"No need for explanation darling,your blush give away the truth anyways."He said standing behind me and started to gel up his hair.

" I will be waiting for you in the car, come fast."He said exiting the room.

I nodded and continued to do my makeup.

Amma and Nana jaan were already gone.

Five minutes later, I heard continues horn. I put on my heel and ran out for the dear life of my eardrum.

"Move your hand from that freaking horn."I shouted at his ear after sliding inside the car.

He smiled at me sheepishly and drove towards the reception venue.

Zara was looking beautiful with Umar bhai.

May Allah (SWT) grant them a happy, healthy, blessed and prosperous life.

" My, my, who is this pretty lady in saree?" I heard Ayat's dramatic gasp.

"Look, who's saying?" I copied her dramatic expression.

She was herself looking pretty in her long ankle length light brown colour frock with dark brown stone work and dark brown hijab.

"Come, let's click some pic with Zara."

She said dragging me towards the stage.

Haroon and Anas bhai joined us later on the stage.

"You are looking beautiful."I heard Haroon whispering inside my ear.

" Finally, you realized."I said hiding my stubborn smile with a slight nudge on his rib.

Haroon was about to say something but was cut off by Anas bhai's teasing comment.

"Romeo, Juliet pose for the pic first. You guys can continue your romance after this."

Everyone laughed looking at us mischievously and made me go all crimson.

I looked at him with my peripheral vision, who was busy enjoying their teasings with beautiful smile across his lips.

I never thought, a person, totally stranger will be that dearest to my heart. I never thought, I could be this comfortable around him. I never thought, my heart can skip it's beat with his little smile. I never thought, he will effect me that much. I never thought, my heart will want to go towards him and only him.

I was looking at my beautiful children enjoying their moment on the stage.

I was seated in one of the corner seat.

I was finally done with my responsibilities as a mother.

Haroon and Zara's marriage was the biggest responsibility on my shoulders.

I saw Nayab smiling shyly and Haroon's gaze was adoring her,loving her.

Whenever, I see them together, I remember Haya saying, after Nayab was born.

"Bhabhi, Haroon will be my son in law."

Since, Haroon was the first child she came across, She loved Haroon dearly.

She has always been the chirpy and happy go lucky girl.

Ah,..... cruel fate of that beautiful princess landed her to the cruel monster in disguise of her husband, Shamsher khan.