Clad in the yellow silk suit she was sitting on the couch when a call indicated her to reach the corner of that well-decorated room. "Afifa Aapi, give this to Shifa aapi... I'm going now." Bilal hurriedly passed her the floral bracelets and some more flowers and in no time he ran back. For the first time, the little twenty-four years old boy was doing some work without anyone's instructions.

Afifa stepped toward Shifa's room but she was encountered with a face which was uninviting to her. "Woh... What a scene... One fragile flower is holding so many flowers"

"Shariq, stay within your limits... I'll smack your face with my heels right in front of everyone... I'm not Shifa." She grits her teeth.

"That's what I already know very well. You're not like that Shifa, that's why I like you Afifa." Shariq took a step ahead and Afifa's heart skipped a beat. No matter how bold and courageous she but was while encountering such a situation she was unable to hold her heart which started beating fast. "Make these flowers more beautiful by putting them in your hair." He almost whisper near her ear and stepped out ahead. Afifa was shocked, her heart was working faster and her brain stopped working. Taking a deep breath she stepped towards the room where her friend was sitting on the bed clad in a yellow and green delicate suit but unlike the usual bride, she was holding books in her hand instead of thinking about grooming herself.

"Shifa, flowers for you." she put the flowers on the dressing table Afifa sat down beside her best friend. "What's wrong with you?" Shifa asked after reading the pale face of her friend, but this girl decided to hide everything so that bride wouldn't be angry or stressed.

"Nothing."

"Afifa, I know you very well, if you're silent in this manner then something is not well." Shifa put her books down and Afifa picked the flowers in a hurry.

"Come here, let me tie your hair." Saying that Afifa gestured Shifa to sit on the chair which was present in front of the mirror. Shifa understood by then that there was something fishy but what? She doesn't understand.

Lost in herself somehow Afifa managed to decorate her friend's hair with those flowers as well as made her wear the floral jewellery, Shifa was looking extremely beautiful in light makeup and red flowers.

"Affo, now you sit here." Shifa held her hand and made her sit on the chair, at first afifa was confused but Soon Shifa started undoing her bun. "What are you doing Shifa?" She asked; surprised. But Shifa decided to stay silent and let her action show up the result. After the struggle of some twenty minutes, she converted Afifa's hair into a beautiful side braid with a white flower in every alternate knot. Afifa was stunned, she didn't want to show it in front of Shariq to give him a false hint that she was interested in what he was trying to do but sometimes things don't go accordingly.

Both the girls were looking pretty but it seems the smile was offended by their lips. Both of them were awarded something was wrong with their friend but didn't know what. "Why aren't you looking happy?" After all, Afifa raised a question which directly hit Shifa's heart. "I'm happy." She told an untruth as if she could hide her emotions from her best friend.

"You're not. Tell me." Afifa asserted which forced Shifa to put her heart out. She told everything about what Daniyal was talking to David. Afifa was kinda shocked to know that.

"Afifa I love him...'' Shifa muttered, "but he can't love me back... Why this is happening to me?" Tears tried to conquer her beautiful Brown eyes but this girl has been practising controlling them for many years so somehow she managed to gulp them back. Afifa holds her hands in an assuring way and gives a tight hug.

"Shifa, this time you're lucky enough to get whom you love." She and broke the hug. "Love is not important in a relationship but respect and support, and jiju does both." Afifa was saying when Shifa's ringing mobile disturbed the peace of the room. It was Daniyal's call.

"Talk to him, I'm going." Afifa passed her mobile but she carelessly through it on the pillow after silencing it.

"I don't wanna talk to him."

"Shifaaa... Yaar he cares about you, that's why he's trying to talk to you."

"Don't give me false hopes Affo, he doesn't love me and he can't in future too. And it's not his fault, he already told me this, it's my bad, I forget everything he's still on his words." Shifa was sounding frustrated and it was obvious for any girl to feel frustrated when she doesn't get love from the desired person. But here Shifa wasn't only angry and frustrated with Daniyal, deep down she was more hurt because of Anwar's silence. Moreover, Hamdan was late to arrive. In this situation, she was feeling like all the important men in her life have no place for her that's why she was frustrated but sometimes it was difficult to understand her feelings, so she put all the blame on Daniyal and only Daniyal.

"This marriage is much better than a marriage in which two people don't hold any emotion for each other. At least you both are good friends." Afifa told her but the frustrated girl huffed.

"What's the benefit of only friendship? After getting married won't you want your husband to show some love by praising you, your dressing or your beauty? Friendship is not enough." Afifa's heart skipped a beat as someone praised her with a lot of emotions in his eyes and voice

''Shifa, I've to tell you something. About someone..." Afifa muttered. After detecting seriousness in her voice Shifa nodded her head. She knew very well her friend can't be serious in any condition but if she is serious then the matter must be important "tell me I am listening" overlooking her problems Shifa decided to fulfil the duty of a best friend.

"Someone is behind me... He claims that he likes me." Pressing her lips together Afifa shared to give a smile to Shifa's lips.

"Who's he? When did he propose to you? From when did you know him? Is he from our college? Or school? Do I also know him?" Shifa asked all the questions in a single breath and surprisingly she was doing the same work which Afifa did when she got to know something about Daniyal.

"Hold on girl... Hold on... Don't be so happy because you'll not like that person..." Afifa took a step back while showing her hand to stop, "don't make riddles, tell me clearly" shifa demanded but a call stopped Afifa to answer the question. It was time to take Shifa to the stage and the conversation ended up there only.

Soon the function started and everyone was busy feeding sweets to Shifa and applying turmeric paste to her face but Afifa was feeling nervous as a pair of eyes were staring at her without wasting time.

No one else but Shariq

Finding a chance he came near her and passed a genuine smile. "As I told you, these flowers are looking good on you. Thanks for fulfilling my demand."

"Excuse me... It's not because you told me. I've done what I liked..." Rolling her eyes Afifa looked away but Shariq liked this act too. Being family friends he knew Afifa since childhood, with passing time he didn't even realise when she started liking her, but he recognised his feelings when Musa was fixing his Match with Shifa.

"Why are you so rude to me?"

"Rude? Am I rude?"

"Yes, you're." He asserted in the reply to that dramatic question but Afifa jerked her head.

"If this is rudeness then what will you call your behaviour with Shifa?" Afifa asked with anger and for the next few moments, Shariq only stare at her face. "Can't you think as an individual? You have a life too that you have to live with an identity other than being Shifa's best friend. Here I'm talking about you and me why are you bringing her in between?" Afifa was not expecting this reply, she was trying to do a reality check but this time Shariq did so.

"Leave my way." She snapped rudely. An inverted smile captured his lips. "You know what, when you like someone her every smile gives happiness and every rudeness hurt like a dagger." His voice was holding different amounts of emotions and for the first time, he was successful in making Afifa believe that he was not only flirting but saying every sincerely.

"Don't be a fool, I don't know what rubbish are you saying." With this statement, she stepped forward leaving Shariq alone. He kept gazing at her without knowing that a pair of eyes was seeing him too

<><><><><>

The function was over, Shifa was feeling tired after sitting for so long, moreover, all the turmeric paste present on her face was irritating her so she decided to bathe as soon as possible and when she stepped out of the bathroom Maryam was already sitting on the bed. She smiled and open her arms for Shifa.

"Mumma" she hugged her mother like a small baby and Maryam also kissed her head in the same way she did the first time. Both the mother and daughter were feeling another kind of pain because of this separation but Maryam was happy too.

"How will I live without you?'' Asked Maryam with a faint smile which lead to tears in Shifa's eyes. "I also don't want to go away from you." Mumbling that Shifa closes her eyes. Maryam was seeing her arms then at Shifa and remembered the time when she picked a doll like a girl first time in these same arms.

"Shifa tell me one thing." Breaking the hug she asked and cupped her daughter's face. "What is wrong? You're not looking as happy as before?" A mother can sense problems in her children and Maryam never fails to do so.

"No," Shifa lied but Maryam again understood. "Tell me shifa, what's the matter." This time Shifa's eyes filled with tears and she didn't even control them.

"I'm afraid Mumma." She muttered and cried silently, Maryam was shocked to saw her crying miserably, she wasn't the same Shifa whom everyone knows. She was another girl who was hidden behind the skin of Shifa eventually hidden from the eyes of the world till now.

"Shifa... What are you afraid of?"

"What will happen if I and Deni will not get a happy ending just like you and..." She left the sentence in between but Maryan's heart forget to take another beat as she was fighting with the same fear secretly. She could not even imagine Shifa in that condition.

"Don't even say this. Don't even think this Shifa... Deni is not like Aatish." Pulling Shifa in her arms Maryam ensured her but this fear was already killing her, resulting in tears started dripping out of her eyes.

"Deni's parents are not like those cruel people who don't know the meaning of humanity...'' Maryam mumbled, this time she wasn't assuring Shifa but herself.

"Now don't cry, you'll be happy with Daniyal. In sha Allah" Maryam clean Shifa's tears with her fingers and smiled just to cheer her up but Shifa wasn't feeling well. But before the conversation would go on her mobile rang. It was Daniyal's call. He was trying to talk to her from the time when he saw Shifa crying on the CCTV record, but she cut the call again.

"Why are you avoiding Daniyal?"

"I'm not"

"Shifa... Don't lie." An unexpected scolding

"Because... Because I am not in the mood to talk to anyone... I just don't want to talk to him or anyone else but he's not understanding and calling me again and again." Shifa huffed but this time Maryam sighed.

"Now you're getting married, so keep one thing in your mind... Sometimes there is no dispute between two people but communication gaps create misunderstandings. Share clearly what do you feel, instead of hiding that. Okay?" Maryam asked and Shifa nodded but she again cut Daniyal's call.

"Tell him that you don't want to talk... Why are you forcing him to think that you're angry with him or ignoring him?" Shifa sighed and nod her head while typing a text

Deni, I'm sitting with mummy. can't talk now.

Then when will you can? In no time she received the reply which skipped a beat of her heart, somewhere in her heart she felt happy that Daniyal was so impatient to talk to her.

Idk, I'm not getting time, someone is always around me.

Fine, but call me when you're free. She received a text for which she gave the shortest reply. Ok.

After the short conversation, she had just put the mobile down when a knock on the door grabbed the attention of the mother-daughter duo. Anwar stepped into the room through the already open door, he didn't say or ask anything just sat down beside Maryam.

"Aapko kuch chahiye?" Asked the obedient wife politely but this man and his rudeness...

(Do you need something?)

"Agar kisi cheez ki zarurat na ho to yaha aa nhi sakta?" A reply in his cold tone and Maryam sighed while showing her disappointment with her eyes.

(Can't I come here without any need?)

"Mene aesa to kuch nhi kaha..." She muttered under her breath but Anwar ignored her while looking toward Shifa

(I didn't mean that)

"Practical ki tayyari ho gyi?" This question was only for Shifa, for the first few moments she was amazed that Anwar was talking to her but then nodded her head without choosing to use any word for replying

(Prepared for the practical?)

"And tomorrow is your viva. Right?" He asked in the same cold tone but Shifa shook her head.

"Not tomorrow, but they after tomorrow."

"Hmm... Fine. I'll drop you at the college and will take you back home along." Shifa furrowed in confusion but asked her doubt without feeling hesitant at all.

"It may take hours, will you wait for me outside the college?"

"You just focus on viva and practical," she nods her head. Her viva was tomorrow and the practical was on the next day of the wedding. Before she could pick the book up one more time Bilal walked into the room with something in his hands.

"What's this?" Maryam asked and Bilal placed the pastry box in front of Shifa. "Mango pastries... You like it na." Asking the question, Bilal opened the box and Shifa suddenly looked at Anwar. She remembered her childhood, many times Anwar used to order Hamdan to bring mango pastries for Shifa as she liked that. With passing time her choice was changed, she does not like it that much however today Anwar wanted to make her remember that he doesn't show but he loves her like a daughter.

"Chocolate kahan hai?" Anwar asked And the forgetful Bilal smacked his forehead.

(Where is chocolate?)

"I forgot"

"You're good for nothing." Mumbling that Anwar stood up but Shifa's eyes filled with tears of joy, she wanted Anwar to sit with her for some more time but he already left the room. Maryam was happy, at least he showed the little amount of love for his daughter.

"If you don't want to eat just wanna cry over it, then it's fine. I'm having it." Bilal picked a spoonful of that pastry and Shifa made a fake cry face. "Mummaaa... He's so annoying."

After all, the bride-to-be smiled with joy which provides another level of happiness for her mother.

<><><><><>

Hands were decorated with henna till elbows, skin was glowing due to different bridal treatments she was getting for last few days, and her face was looking a bit different due to the nose ring she was wearing and reshaping of her eyebrows for the very first time. But unlike all the other brides who stay involve in showing their shyness, she was busy with her book, completely ignoring the fact that tonight was her wedding.

"Shifa"

"Ji papa?" During the whole half-hour journey she lifted her gaze for the first time, Anwar gestured her to his left side making her realise that they reached college.

"Oh." Mumbling that Shifa unfast the seatbelt and stepped into the college followed by Anwar.

"Papa, it may take hours, my roll number is second last in the whole class" Shifa informed while walking along with Anwar who didn't reply just hummed and soon he was stopped when saw a formally dressed man already waiting for him.

"Good morning, Sir" Shifa greeted the lecturer who came near Anwar while Shaking his hand with him and exchanging greetings.

"Good morning Beta, first of all, congratulations." He greeted back Shifa with a smile and then looked at Anwar.

"We don't have time to wait for her turn, she's the bride and you can understand na, how important it is to be at home right now." Anwar said in his signature tone and the lecturer nodded his head.

"Don't worry, I understand." He assured Anwar and ordered Shifa to go for Viva. Thankfully, the whole process took only half an hour or even less, Anwar was still waiting for Shifa who was now talking to a friend of hers... Umm... Not a friend but less than a friend and more than just a classmate. Everyone was amazed to see Shifa with that look which was indicating towards her marriage. Soon realisation hit her hard that guests must be waiting for her at home to perform some rituals so she should rush back to home.

"How was it?" Asked Anwar as soon as he saw Shifa, "it was easy." With this reply, she followed Anwar to the car.

The journey back to home was as silent as expected, Shifa was seeing her hands and tried to believe that it was not a dream but reality. The initial of Daniyal's name was present on her right palm and the dark stain of Henna was yelling that her husband will love her unconditionally but she was not listening to it.

After a few minutes of silent gazing the henna, she started seeing outside the window... There was no interesting view but she was not feeling bored, reason was unknown to her.

The car stopped at a place and she looked in forward to understanding the reason. Nothing special just a traffic light that was showing red colour. She again turned her head to see the outside view but this time a smile crept on her lips as she found a gol gappa vendor on the corner of the road. For a few seconds, she wanted to ask Anwar for that but then she dropped the decision resulting... Her smile was also dropped. But a pair of eyes was already noticing her expressions.

"Khana hai?" A voice echoed to break the glass of silence.

(Wanna have it?)

Shifa looked at her father and slowly nod her head, Anwar parked the car at corner and gestured her to go which brought a smile to her lips. What could be better than a gold gappa treat?

"Bhaiya kam teekha." With this command, she took the plate and started having her favourite treat. Anwar was standing a step away from her, seeing the happiness on her face just because of these small things. After having only a few water balls she looked at Anwar who was waiting for her, though she was not done with it still sighed and after the vendor "how much?" Her expressions were clearly telling that she was not satisfied yet and Anwar knew how to read the silence

"Aur khaa lo."

(Have some more.)

What else did this girl want other than this small gesture of love from her father? What would be wrong if Anwar was showing his love in the same way from childhood?

After filling her heart as well as the stomach with the spice water balls she left a long breath with relief as if she got something vital for being alive.

She has the vendor about money and was about to draw out the same amount from her purse when Anwar gestured for her to put the money back and paid by himself. , with a satisfactory smile, Shifa hopped in the car with a relaxed feeling but looked at Anwar in a hurry.

"Papa, Hamdan bhai?"

Anwar sighed and shook his head, "due to a storm his flight is several hours late, maybe he'll arrive tonight or tomorrow." Shifa's smile died one more time. "It means he will not attend my marriage?" She asked in a hushed tone, Sadness was peeping out from her voice and Anwar was answerless.

"If not in wedding then he'll attend the reception for sure. Not don't spoil your mood." With this reply Anwar resume the drive but this girl was missing her Daan bhai badly. So one could replace the love of siblings and She was realising it today only.

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To be continued...

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