"You gotta kidding me right?" Abrar gave me a weird look like I had grown some ears on my head.

"Abrar, please... Don't make it hard for me," I whined.

" I can't believe that this is coming from a sensible lady like you," a soft sigh escaped from his lips.

" What's wrong in this, Abrar? " I said frowning.

" Wrong? Umaisha, Do you have any idea what are you doing?? They are human not your fucking toys, you can't play with their lives, " he seethed and sighed heavily.

" Abrar please, you know I'm doing this for them," my eyes started bawling. His bitter words were pricking my soul.

"And how can you be so sure that it is her," he leaned forward and stared into my eyes.

" I met Asiya,"

"What the fuck, You met that bit..." He ran his fingers in his hair frustratingly.

"Listen, Do anything you want, just don't force your decision on anyone," he said in a loud tone and walked out.

He never talked to me in that way but I deserved this.

******

"Have you gone mad Umaisha? " Mariya Aapi jerked my hands away and looked at me with shocked eyes.

"Aapi, Don't you like her?" I lowered my head.

" I can't believe this, just cuz you're my sister I can't let you do this to those kids," a frown formed on her face.

" I thought you like her," I sighed, first Abrar and now my own sister.

"I do like her, I like her very much, but still Umaisha what are you doing can't justify your stupid decision," she seethed at me.

" I'm doing this only for Zaynah, Today, I met Asiya," I blew the truth on her.

" What?" She covered her mouth with her hands and her eyes widened from the shock.

"I can't believe this Umaisha, Zaynah is our..." Tears started flowing from her eyes and I hugged her.

"Now I got it why I always feel a different connection with that girl, Umaisha, It's so hard to believe this truth and that monster Asiya did all those things to our Zaynah," she said between her hiccups and my eyes started bawling again.

"Now tell me, am I doing right?" I looked at her with hopes.

" Yes, we can do anything for Zaynah," she nodded her head and my lips curled into a smile. Finally, someone got my back. Now I needed to talk to them.

I didn't know what was going on in our house but I could feel the thick tension in the air. Zaynah was gone and it felt like she had taken away all the happiness with her.

It had become harder for me to move on since the day I saw her at the party.

I wish a miracle could happen and she would be mine!

I knew she didn't feel the same for me but I still wanted her in my life. I was creating fake scenarios in my head when a voice made me snap back to reality.

"Huh... I'm sorry, I didn't see you," I scratched the back of my neck nervously.

" I need to talk to you, Can I?" She looked nervous and anxious.

"Umaisha Aunty, why are you behaving like this. C'mon, you don't need to take any permission," She was a mother figure for me.

" I need your help, I mean I'm sorry Wajahat, I've no idea how to say these things to you, I know I'm being selfish but I'm left with no choice," her face tensed up and she was tapping her feet anxiously.

" I don't know what are you saying?" I looked at her in confusion.

" Don't hate me for this Wajahat please," she gave me a pleading look.

" Aunty please..." I frowned a little.

"I want yo..u.. to ...do some...thing for me," she stuttered.

" I'm your son Aunty, command me anything," I bowed my head and put her hands on my head.

" Marry Zaynah," the words left from her mouth, and my eyes widened.

Wait... Is she doing a prank on me??

She probably noticed my feelings for her and now wanna play with me.

"I'm sorry, Wajahat but..."

"What did you just say?" I cut her off immediately. My heart started doing acrobatics and a wave of heat rushed into my body.

"I want you to marry Zaynah," her tone was lower and filled with guilt.

Only if she knows what was she saying!

"But why?" I tried to hide the happiness from my voice and asked nonchalantly.

"Cuz..." She started telling me in brief and as she was speaking my fist was clenching, several emotions came and went across my face. I was feeling strong pain in my chest.

That girl suffered this much?? I never knew!

"But Aunty, I'm twenty and she might be eighteen or something, Do you think it's the right decision for us?" I wiggled my eyebrows at her.

" I know this is too early, but it's just a nikaah, I am not asking to live like a married couple, I promise you this marriage won't distract you two from your careers And believe me I wouldn't have to do it if I had any other choice," she spoke in a single breath and now she was breathing heavily.

Wasn't it crazy that a few minutes ago I was asking Allah for some miracles and now this was happening to me?

Shouldn't I be dancing from the happiness but Zaynah??

She doesn't feel the same for you!

She loves someone else!

She doesn't even like you!

She probably hates you!

"And what about Farwa?" A thought clicks on my mind and I blurted out.

" I'll handle her, don't worry, it means you're ready?" She looked at me with hopeful eyes.

" I thought Farwa was your priority," I sighed.

"She is...but I need to do this to save Zaynah, you know I don't have any rights on Zaynah, they can sue a case against us, but marrying you to Zaynah can change everything, this is the only way we can save her," a slight relief was forming on her face.

" Can I ask you why Zaynah is so much important for you? I mean you met her two days ago and she's just Zara's friend, Why are you doing all these things for any stranger?" I found it odd. God why I didn't think about this before.

"She's like Wajeeha, when I first saw her, I felt an instant connection with her," her face became pale but she managed to speak those words which made me stunned.

Wajeeha

She probably knows that how much I used to love Wajeeha, She was everything for me, my sister, my best friend, my partner in everything. Yeah, Zaynah's had some qualities of Wajeeha but still, this was odd that she was taking this big decision for a girl just cuz she was similar to her dead daughter in a few aspects.

I knew she was hiding something from me but I had to stay silent.

"Did you ask Zaynah?" I knew she was gonna freak out or probably reject me.

"I'll ask her, don't worry, but are you really ready for this marriage?" She looked at me in disbelief.

" Yeah, how can I deny your words," a small smile was plastered on my face.

"Oh my God! Thank you so much. I don't know how to thank you, you have no idea what you did for me," tears started forming in her eyes from happiness and her lips were curled into a smile.

And you have no idea what you did for me!

"I know a few years ago I forced you with Farwa" she lowered her head, " I was selfish that time and once again I'm becoming selfish...Can you please forgive me?" Her consciousness was probably showing her mirror but only if she knew this time she was doing the biggest favor of my life.

"It's okay aunty, anything for you," I smiled at her genuinely and she walked out with a relieved face.

I needed to put my head in sujood, I never knew that Allah would listen to my heart like this. I was the happiest person on this planet as I was going to marry the love of my life.

Imagine seeing her daily in your house!

Imagine her presence in your home!

Imagine holding her hands, seeing her hair, giving your last name to the owner of your heart!

I blushed like a girl.

Imagine she tells you that she's forced into this marriage.

Imagine she tells you how much she hates you.

Imagine she still loves that guy.

The blood rushed to my cheeks and my heart started pounding in my chest.

I was lazily lying on the couch scrolling memes but my head was stuck in Shah Mansion and Asiya. It was so strange that the woman I met two days ago reacted like this.

There's something I'm unable to figure out

I groaned and closed my eyes, Asiya's voice rang in my ears and my breath got hitched. I opened my eyes and calmed my heavy breath. I touched my nerves, it was running fast and I was drenched from sweat.

I was spooked by the ringtone of my phone, I looked at the screen. It was Azlan.

God, I missed him!

"Hello," my voice started shaking.

"Umm, are you okay Zaynah?" His voice came out like a cry. My heart skipped a beat.

"What's wrong Azlan,"

"Are you okay Zaynah?" His tone was loud and dripped from fear.

"Yeah I'm perfectly fine, but what happens to you?" My mind started imagining all the worst things it could do.

"Nothing babe," he sighed

Babe...

The blood rushed into my cheeks, "I know there's something Azlan, just tell me that," I calmed my heartbeats and asked.

" I had a bad dream," he replied shortly.

"What did you see?"

"I saw we both are walking on the shore of an ocean then a wave came and blew you away from me. I heard your last scream and you were gone," his words were making my mind blank.

What if his dream is gonna be true? I never told anyone but I know someone's stalking me and Asiya... she is gonna do something for sure!

"Zaynah, I feel like I'm gonna lose you, Zaynah I love you more than my life, my everything, I can't imagine losing you," his new confession made my heart beat in a new rhythm. I didn't feel the same for him but there was something in my heart for him.

"Azlan, don't say like this. Life isn't a joke, it doesn't end when someone leaves or stays..."

" But I'll die Zaynah for sure," he cut me off and I got the adrenaline rush in my body.

His tone was firm that made my heart shivered.

Did I just play with Azlan's feelings unintentionally?

I was the one who gave him hope.

I talked to him cuz I wanted to distract myself from Wajahat.

Tears made their way to my face, my voice got lost and my whole body became cold.

"Zaynah Fatima, You're the love of my life and I can't imagine my breath without you, and I'll die without you," he said in a firm tone and hung up the call.

Before I could think anything else, a figure walked inside. I was startled to see Mrs. Umaisha in my room.

Why is she here?

Does she wanna talk about Asiya or something?

"Asslamalaikum," I stood up straight and greeted her.

"Walekumassslam, Zaynah I wanna talk to you something, something very important," she said in a single breath. She was looking nervous and worried. I wondered what was she gonna talk to me.