Shazain was thinking about the plan to kidnap Seher. He was talking to himself.

I needed to be very cautious and careful. Abducting her from her own kingdom and her house needed a lot of courage and I could go through any danger to have that girl. This would be like a slap to Salahuddin. He will know my power. I would kidnap his sister under his nose.

Fakhruddin and Nur Jahan were either big fools or very cunning people, they chose to stay in an unguarded house instead of the big palace. I very well know that it was a big show-off, proving to people that they are humble kings and queens. Only, I know how cunning Nur Jahan is. She knew all the tricks in the books to lure my father by using her beauty.

It was my poor grandmother who stopped her from taking over our kingdom, but she could save her son from falling into her trap. My grandmother told me that Nur was truly a witch, who later seduced young and handsome Fakhruddin, who was ready to marry a divorced woman. Years back, knowingly, she came to our kingdom to lure my father into the death trap.

These were all the misconceptions he had about Nur Jahan which were fed by Najma begum.

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Shahzain had been keeping an eye on Nur Jahan's house for the past two days. He was waiting for the right opportunity to take Seher with him. He decided that he would straight away marry her, either by blackmailing or, if needed, using physical force.

For the past two days, he had been sneaking into Seher's room and one thing he came to know about his would-be wife was that she was a sound sleeper. He recalled the day when he first entered her room through the open window and was frozen on his spot. He closed his eyes and her beautiful face flashed.

The first time I laid my eyes on her, she was sleeping in a simple teal-colored dress, her beautiful golden locks covered her angelic face. Her sweet, heart-shaped lips were to die for. She was the most beautiful girl I ever laid my eyes on. She looked so innocent, so pure. Something deep stirred my heart. I don't know why I felt a need to protect her, keep her away from all the prying and lustful eyes of the cruel world.

The next moment, I became angry, thinking about all the pain and misery her mother had caused. I vowed to myself that I would never let her beauty affect me. I jerked all the irrational thoughts and went out of the window.

He opened his eyes.

How can you think like that, Shazain? Don't let that girl affect you. She is beautiful, just like her mother. Her mother's beauty drove your father to the point of insanity. Don't let her rule you. You are marrying her just for revenge, nothing less, nothing more.

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After the prewedding functions, everyone retired to their rooms and houses except Ayat, Seher, and Nur Jahan. Nur Jahan wanted to have some girl talk.

"Ummi, you know, tonight brother Murad came through the back door " Ayat pronounced new information.

Nur and Seher turned their heads towards her.

"I know he came to see Seher. You should have seen the way he was looking at her. You know, Ummi, he was looking the same as Brother Shuja looked at that girl in the market."

Once, Shujauddin went to market with his mother and sisters and saw a beautiful girl without a proper veil and was staring at her. Nur saw this and gave him an earful about how pious men and women always lower their gaze.

"Ayat, that was different. Seher is going to be his wife and men can look in that way to their wives and how come you saw him when others did not notice," Nur Jahan thought this was the perfect opportunity to talk to her daughters about marriage and its expectations. she did not want them to enter marital homes like her without any knowledge.

"Ummi, I am not like this Seher, always in her own world. I am a fighter and you told us that a woman should always be aware of her surroundings."

Ayat was just a more modified version of Nur Jahan in every sense.

Nur explained to them how a girl should respect, obey and take care of her husband and should never refuse his legitimate wishes.

Seher was just quiet and listening to her mother. The concept of physical intimacy scared her, but Ayat was different and her questions made Nur Jahan embarrassed.

"Ummi, can you tell us how you make Baba do sit-ups when you are angry?"

" Who told you Baba never does anything like that?"

"Come on Ummi, I saw you many times, Baba, who is scary to everyone outside, is afraid of you inside."

Nur couldn't help but smile." Some things are just meant to be very personal, just between husband and wife. Ayat, you should always respect your husband and be more careful when you are among people. Whatever you do inside your room is between you two.

Not all men are like your Baba. Some are like your brother Shamsuddin, short-tempered and impulsive. You need to be very patient. Love always wins, but remember one thing. Never bend more than you can, raise your voice towards injustice and never lower your self-respect. "Nur saw Seher, who was very quiet.

"Seher is something bothering you?" Seher just kept her head in her mother's lap."I am scared Ummi, I always saw Murad as one of my elder brothers. I don't know whether I will be a good wife like you. You know Ummi, I want to be like you and Baba, both of you don't need words to communicate. You read each other's faces"

"Seher, Murad is a good boy.After marriage, you will see him in a different light. Your views will change with time. I always felt that anyone who marries you would be very lucky. You are just like your name, you can fill anyone's dark light with brightness. Always remember your Ummi and baba are there for you. Sometimes you need to fight for yourself. You should not be scared all the time." she kissed her daughter.

"Seher, if Bahar says anything just give her a slap and don't run around and do your work as a maid. You are a princess ". Ayat never liked Bahar, her aunt's daughter, who was very dominating.

"Ayat, stop this attitude. I fear for your future husband". Nur was genuinely concerned about Ayat's attitude. Instead of dividing equally, God gave all the patience and timidness to Seher and all the anger and impulsiveness in Ayat.

"It is very late, girls go and sleep, daughter Seher, don't worry about anything". She hugged her baby and tears came out of her eyes. Girls are like birds in the nest. When their time comes, they just fly to their own homes. Nur didn't know why she was feeling very uneasy. She hugged Seher for a long time. Maybe this is how the feeling is when your daughter gets married, she thought.

Nur missed her birth mother. If she were here she would have asked how she felt. Her Amma Jaan was very old and mostly confined in the house.

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Nur and Fakhr choose not to live in a big palace, they considered themselves tribal people. There was no threat in their kingdom even though they had a big empire now, but still, they lived in those mountains from where they began their journey. Fakhr, built a big house for his family surrounded by beautiful gardens. They choose not to have many guards around their houses. They preferred their privacy. Just like he dreamt, he raised his children like a normal happy family.

Shahzain was getting restless. Seher's window and curtains were closed.

What if she is sleeping somewhere else? I should have picked her up yesterday. If I don't get her today, she will be wedded to that Jester. The thought of her with someone else boiled my blood and burned my heart. I cannot understand why her family chose that weak doctor for her. She should be with someone who can protect her, in short, someone like me. I would not hesitate to pick her up from the wedding and declare war.

Shahzain's thoughts were going wild at that moment. He saw Seher opening her window and her angelic face soothed his burning heart.

Seher recalled everything her mother had explained to her. Her mother was her best friend, but still, there were some worries she couldn't share. She never saw Murad as her husband but she knew if her baby chose him then it was in her best interest. She had been feeling restless for the past few hours. Her heart was beating fast, her mum said about wedding jitters. She was lost in her thoughts but the realization hit her as if someone was watching her. She looked around. What if it was some jinn(Spirit, Devil) like her amma Jaan's stories? She quickly took a step back. She was about to close the window when it was obstructed, and a handsome man entered it. Seher closed her eyes in fear and quickly started reciting the verses of the Quran.

Shahzain was looking at this tiny girl in amusement. Any sensible lady would scream but this unique piece was reciting the Quran.

"Please, Brother Jinn leave from" here she started shivering and reciting verses quickly. She should have listened to Amma Jaan who used to warn that young girls should not stare at the night sky.

"Seher. Open your eyes ". He came very near her and whispered.

She opened her mouth to scream but a strong palm covered her mouth, stopping her noise.

A shiver ran down both their bodies. For Seher, it was the first time a man other than her siblings and father touched her and was this close to her.

For Shahzain, this was the girl who he had dreamed of for a long time.

Her frightened almond-shaped golden orbs clashed with his fierce copper ones. They were lost to each other.

Seher never saw anyone as handsome as the man in front of her. His hair was gold and coiffed to perfection. He was definitely an extraterrestrial creature. Seher then recalled that she had to lower her gaze. She quickly closed her eyes again and was trembling in fear.

Shahzain was hypnotized by this beauty. He quickly regained his senses and his hand was still on her trembling lips and her closed eyes stirred an unknown desire in him. On the other hand, he removed the cloth with a sleeping potion and placed it on her nose. Seher went into a deep slumber. It took all his restraint to stop himself from kissing her. He knew his limits.

I will not stop once you are in my Nikah.

Just then, he heard a noise outside the room.