Everyone was wearing something "Flowy" with a lot of layers so that it twirled whenever they danced. Zoya was wearing a Mustard/rust lenhnga with the chatta patti dupatta in shades of pink, blue and golden that was laced with the gotta on the edges. And jhumkay, her favorite golden jhumkay! Her hair was pulled in a braid, because she couldn't handle her open hair and lehnga at the same that.

Ajeeb! (strange) Why did Alizey have to make a theme for every function. Wear this, wear that! What if I trip in this lehnga? Who is going to pick me up? Huh? Mera tu koi shauhar bhi nai hai? Kahin giri pari hoon ge, koi uthae ga bhi nai? (I don't have a husband. I fall and no one will be there pick me up.) More importantly who is going to lift up my spirts and my exceeding low self-confidence if I do take a fall?

Zoya thought as she struggled with her mustard skirt. The cancan and the flowy skirt made her feel dreamy, wanting to twirl every now and then but the stairs were nightmare turned into reality. And damnation then there was the going to loo part.... She didn't want to think about it. She had avoided water like Chotay pandit from Bhooll Bhooliya the whole day in hopes that she won't have to go to pee.

(AUTHOR's NOTE: Remember the scene where Rajpal Yadev jumps everytime Akshay Kumar shouts PAANIII")

How was she supposed to get that chore done? Praying that she never has this overwhelming need to pee, Zoya marched back to the farmhouse to get those, dandiya (the sticks, p.s Gujrati frens please don't murder me...) which Kaiant had forgotten. It was unthoughtful of K(Kainat) to ask her to bring dandia considering she had twisted her foot three days back. Zoya could have said no. But could she have?

Zoya didn't know why she had always felt the guilt saying the word, "NO". It was just a N and an O but, no she felt the monstrous guilt blocking her windpipe which forced her to utter a "Yes". And if it wasn't a yes, then it was a lie. Like the one in case of Abdullah. She had lied and told him that she was already engaged to a Mamo ka beta, when she didn't have Mamo to begin with.

Zoya was holding her arms as she walked back to the farmhouse which was glowing from a distance. She was busy talking to herself, when she heard a voice.

"Leave me! I swear, if bhai finds us we are dead meat." Said a shy voice.

Okay! Just my luck to stumble upon the not so private couple. Yes zindagi, throw that to me. Make me feel single and miserable.

Zoya had decided to take the long way, just to avoid the couple hiding behind the bushes. Until she heard more of them and cursed herself for the bad turn.

"He won't kill his family." said a male voice. Even though he himself had said it, Zoya could feel a sense of doubt in his sentence.

"You know Moiez, he would. He still thinks I am his baby sister."

"But you aren't the baby he considers you to be. You are my baby, Minaal."

GROSS!! Is say behtar pickup line hai mere pass! (I have got a better pickup line than this.)

Oh shittt!!

Fuckity fudge chocolate browine. Its Moiez and Minaal.

How did I miss that?

Ufffff

She is right Moiez, maar day ga Irtaza tumahin. (Irtaza will kill you)

Zoya wanted to shout. But at the same time, she didn't want them to know that she had heard them.

Deciding that she would talk to Minaal about it later, Zoya took the long turn hoping that they would get done with their "stuff" when she returned. Her foot was going to hurt like a little beetch due to the extra walk but "sahe lein gay".(will bear it) She told herself.

The dances were just about to start. She knew that because her phone kept buzzing. She had to be quick. She didn't want to miss the performances. On her way out from the farmhouse after grabbing dandiya, Zoya found Minaal standing beside the bushes. This time she was alone and sort of decent.

"Meenu! Come walk with me." She said earning Minaal's attention who blushed.

God, why am I calling her Meenu when I know only jerk lawyer calls her that.

Because , of your smartass , "If only I can call you Meenu" reply to her "Can I call you Zoe" request .

But then I didn't know that she was Irtaza's sister and only he exclusively called her Meenu.

Whatever !!!! Now you know that nickname is exclusive stop using that.

But I.....

Shhh!!

Focus on the matter's at hand right now.

You wanted to talk to Meena....

Adjusting her dupatta, Minaal joined Zoya as they walked on the path that led back to the garden where the Mehndi was going in full swing. Zoya hesitated as she looked at Minaal and at the ground and then back to Minaal, debating whether it was her place to say what she was going to or not.

Talk to her, Zoya. She needs to hear that. Don't you consider yourself her elder sister?

Yes but she isn't my younger sister. And what if she minds it? Plus, it's really not my business.

What happened to helping other people? And doing good?

AHHHH!!!!

"Minaal, I want to talk about something. I hope you don't mind. I consider you my sister, and that is only why I am going to say, what I am about to say." Zoya said as she eyed the embarrassed Minaal who had gotten the slight idea, what Zoya was talking about.

"I am sorry. But ughhh how do I say it without sounding like a bitch. I am not even family, but I need to say it. Please, don't get involved with anyone. Be it your cousin or anyone else. There I said it."

"Zoe, I ...." Minaal began but Zoya was a woman with huge ass responsibility which she felt like shouldering. She wasn't going to be interrupted.

" Meenu, if he loves you, he has to ask your brother. Do it the respectable way. What is the worst that could happen? Your brother could refuse? But then your mother is there and so am I. Although I am no-one but still, I'd try to make him see sense in the proposal."

"But this? Do you know how much it would have hurt your brother, if he would have found you with Moiez instead of me? And yes, I saw you both. I initially decided not to say anything, but Meenu I like you. It would crumble both your mother and brother, if anyone bad mouths you. We as a women owe it to ourselves to safeguard our honor and our character."

"What if you don't get married to Moiez. But instead to some other guy who loves you. And who you grow to love. Looking at Moiez is always going to remind you of the liberties which weren't his in the first place."

"I hope you are going to understand what I am trying to say. I know this feels like a lecture but if he loves, you he should ask for your hand in marriage. If he can't grow some balls to talk to your brother, don't mind my language please...... he doesn't deserve you." Zoya told Meena as she patted her back and walked ahead to let the words sink. Zoya hoped and prayed for Minaal to get her sense.

He watched her struggle with the dupatta which got caught in the flowers at the entrance. She frowned as she turned back to detach it. The rust color she was wearing suited her ivory skin. She was actually glowing. Her lips he knew were plum mainly because she had been biting them. MashAllah, he found himself whispering as he took in her appearance. She did look beautiful. But then, she always had looked beautiful. Today she appeared graceful, and he knew she was going to lose all that grace and poise in say 5 minutes.

He was eyeing her when, he saw Minaal enter followed by her. And all the Zoya appreciation thoughts he had in his mind, zapped out as he took in his sister's swollen eyes. Irtaza had seen Minaal's dark eyes welled with tears as she entered the Marquee with Zoya. He saw his Meenu, nod at Zoya and he knew something was up. Zoya was smiling like she had won a lottery while his baby sister had tear stains on her cheeks. It summoned every protective brotherly instinct that he possessed. And he possessed a lot of it.

What the hell had she said to Meenu? Just half an hour ago, she was all smiles. But now his baby sister was crying. And he didn't know why? But he did have an idea who was behind it.

Detaching himself from his group of friends and cousins, he went after Meenu who was sipping water. "Meenu, are you okay?" He asked as he glared at Zoya who was quite obvious to it. It angered him some more. She was laughing and associating with the aunties!

When asking Minnal about her well-being, Irtaza had used the same tone he had used with Sara, Alizey's niece. Because his little sister seemed as vulnerable and fragile as little Sara. His Meenu who hadn't even cried when he had left for London, had swollen eyes.

What had upset her this much, that she was crying a while ago.

What had Zoya said to her?

He wondered as he turned his attention from his sister to the doe eyed troublemaker who was talking to Hashim and his mother while the little Sara tugged on her hand demanding her attention. She never slowed her conversation which was going in, but she did bend down to pull Sara in her arms and continued where she had left. Until her eyes meet his stare.

He was expecting her to run in the opposite direction, but she didn't. She stood there, took a deep breath as she rolled her eyes at him before giving him a forced smile. She was shooing him away. If he was furious before he was enraged now with her audacious eye roll.

Meenu on the other hand laughed as she observed Zoe and then her brother. Her tears shimmered, on the edge of her lashes. "She doesn't like you very much." she commented with a sigh.

"Of course, she doesn't. I am everything she wants to be and isn't. Plus, the feeling is mutual. " He responded with so much animosity that all the hope Minaal had for Zoya, and her brother was lost. Just like that poof, in the air. Gone.

"You can't keep your eyes off each other. You have been glaring at her since she entered the Marquee. And before that during the dance practices... well never mind. "

Irtaza's pulse quickened. Had he been doing that, staring at Zoya? Maybe he was, but it wasn't what Meenu thought. He observed her because he......... Irtaza ragged his mind for the reason that didn't pop up like he had expected it too.

Because umm I want to know about the trouble she is going to land in next. And how she is going to tackle it, is the entertaining part. Yes, that is it. The very reason I observe her.

But right now he was glaring at her because, she made Meenu cry. Nothing more than that. The real question was, "Did Zoya watch him in the way he watched her? Observing his every move? Did she too discovered his unconscious habits, like he had discovered hers? For instance, she licked her lips every time when she was asked a question, she dreaded answering.

"I was just looking out for the rest of us. Making sure, she and all of us stay out of trouble. God forbid what if she sets this Marquee on fire? Irtaza responded as he shrugged and then folded his hands behind his back.

"You know that is a lame excuse? She didn't even start that fire. It was Kainat who forgot, to unplug her curling iron." Minaal replied as she made a face at her brother's snobbish attitude.

So poor Zoya had to suffer the shame of being the irresponsible one, when it had been Kainat all along? Why didn't she say that when she was being lectured. She had just stared ahead ashamed as if she had done it. He wondered and then shook his head. Meenu is wrong. It was her doing.

"Whatever you say. I left you and her out of my sight and here you are sobbing like a child. Don't deny that. You have been away and with her for what? Half an hour? Don't you see the pattern here?"

Was it possible? That it was what Meena thought it was. That he was weirdly attracted to her. Who is not attracted to chaos and disorder? He asked himself.

People with OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) that involves symmetry and order. People like you!

His alter ego mocked him for his hypocrisy. Yes, he shouldn't be attracted to her as she stood for everything he wasn't and he hated with passion. He wasn't about to admit his attraction to Zoya, not even to himself.

Nothing could come out of that attraction, he knew it. They were polar opposite; she needed some guy who had lot of time on his hand. He had none to give. At least not to her.

"I wasn't crying because of her. I just .... I love you, bhai. I am sorry for everything." She sobbed her apology before turning away.

"Don't be hard on Zoya, bhai. She doesn't mean any harm." Minaal told him before disappearing out of his sight.

"Hard on Zoya?"He repeated. Hell, he was going to be as hard as he could be on, Zoya. Damn that sounded so wrong. He needed answers. He wanted to know what had Zoya said to Meenu that made her cry. Zoya was going to apologize.

The dances began. First Kainat and Azeem danced. And then it was the turn of Hashim's cousin and friends. Followed by Alizey's cousin. When Zoya's turn came, she was a nervous wreck. She was supposed to second Alizey and Hashim with Irtaza.

Yes! She really was that unlucky. Alizey had paired her with Irtaza, the man she wanted to avoid! That too not so subtly. Her cheeks turned red as she thought about the incident.

The dance practices were going on and she being the clumsiest person took over the nanny duties for all the kids who would have been running around like crazy. That and the fact that she wanted to avoid someone whose name began with an "I"! She thought that if she hid all day in the nursery, no one was going to bother her. (SHE THOUGHT WRONG)

"Sarah! This chai, uff. Ek aur cup mil sakta hai."(can I get another one) She had asked Sarah sipping the water from her small tea sets, while Sarah blushed and then nodded.

"Musa, get the biscuits for Zoe", Sarah ordered her little cousin who rushed to get biscuits.

"Yum!" She moaned as she licked the cream off the Oreo biscuit when she was pulled out by the knock on the door, which had been open!

Turning her face, towards the disturbance she came face to face with the Corona of her life.

"Alizey is calling you!" He said with a smug and irritation. And she knew why he was irritated. Obviously, the Mr. Esquire didn't like the errand boy duties Alizey and Hashim kept throwing at him.

"But why is she calling me? She knows I strained my muscles.", Zoya said cradling her foot which was in better shape than before. But no-one needed to know that.

"She is calling you. Because you aren't her "Daddy's" naukar(servant)! And you need to join the dance practices ASAP!"

Zoya stared at his face and thought about the secret. She shook her head in denial.

He didn't get it. No, he didn't. I am sure, Alizey wouldn't have blinked because main tu wahan thee he nai.(I wasn't there) Alizey just used that "Mere baap ki naukar nai ho(Not my dad's servant)" phrase casually. Jese hum use kartay hain. Haina? (Like we do it .)

"What?" He asked and she realized that she was staring hard at his face, lost in her thoughts.

"Sorry, wool gathering", she whispered as she shook her head and then followed him.

Long story short, she followed him to the dancing room, only to realize that only unpaired people were her and Irtaza. Of course, honey it had to be him. The things that you really really avoid are thrown at you!

"You both are our mains! The least you could do, is a dance!" Alizey said as she looked at Irtaza and then at Zoya.

Is she thinking what I think she is thinking? Don't Alizey, don't try to set me up with him.

" Irtaza you are freaking her out with your constant scowls. Zoya, he doesn't bite! He looks like it, but he doesn't. " Hashim declared, giving a sheepish smile to Irtaza as he turned to Zoya giving her a cheeky smile.

Bites? Dekh ase raha hai jese kacha chabba jae ga. (If looks could kill, I would have been in pieces right now.)

Doesn't bite, my foot !!!

I don't want to dance with him. Alizey please don't do this. Yaar! I don't want to dance period. You know I am not good at this. PLEASE.

"Yeah, Zoya just a song! " Alizey said as she batted her eyelashes THRICE and Irtaza looked at her with a reverted expression. Zoya could actually now hear herself telling her crush code to Irtaza like an audio record playing in the back of her mind again. She heard her panic stricken nervous voice,

"........And me and Alizey have this sign. When she wants to introduce me to a potential crush material, she blinks three times and then say a sentence which had the word" 'Daddy' in it........."

Please Alizey, don't use that Daddy word in your next sentence. Please, don't. He knows. Don't Alizey. STOP RIGHT THERE. STOPPPPP!!!!

Zoya was mentally begging, but that ship had already sailed. Alizey was so into setting her up with Irtaza that she ignored her silent plea or maybe she was completely oblivious of it. Either way she didn't get the "no" signal Zoya was trying to send by desperately staring at Alizey's face.

Alizey was so proud of her match making mind that she didn't notice Zoya or Irtaza had been looking at her intently, waiting for her to use the daddy word in the sentence.

"Irtaza, please be careful with her. She injured her foot and is a little clumsy. And you lady, DADDY ka valima nai hai. (It's not my father's reception.) Stop shaking your head at me. Meri shadi hai(it's my wedding) and you gotta dance." she told her.

Fuck!!

Zoya's face flooded with color. Her whole body was prickling with embarrassment as she looked at Irtaza whose eyes were dancing with humor.

Where is the manhole in which I am supposed to jump? UFF, he is enjoying himself. Say something. Anything to misguide him. Yeah, go for anything which makes the Daddy comment normal without any ulterior meaning to it.

"Uncle kay pay tu main then he nai... dance kahan say. (I didn't exist at Uncle's... Me Dancing? not possible) You know I don't dance. " Zoya tried but again Alizey ignored her and went " Whatever, you aren't the nanny Daddy hired to look after the kids. You are my best friend! You have to dance. " Alizey replied and winked.

God Alizey, you imbecile. STOP IT. HE KNOWS

I hate my life.

Sub buray log hain.(Everyone is bad) Alizey, you don't deserve me.

Zoya was turning red more embarrassed and mortified than ever. Kainat and Fazeela who knew the code word, seconded Alizey raising their thumbs up.

"Okay, Alizey. I got the memo. Its neither your Daddy's valima nor she is your Daddy's mulazim(servant)." He replied using the word again. And Zoya felt as if she has been stung. Her cheeks were now flaming.

Honestly, I'm such a moron.

I shouldn't have accompanied Irtaza in first place.

Fancy thinking even for a moment that Irtaza wouldn't remember what I said. Let alone care about it!

Fancy thinking, he would not act like he knows everything about me every time we meet.

Fancy thinking that he would notice something as tiny and insignificant as Alizey blinking her eyes three times.

Fancy thinking, he would think that Alizey had something in her eyes rather than decoding the crush signal ...

"It's your turn," Kainat said giving her a slight push pulling her back to the real world. She gulped as she marched to the stage.