The function had gone quite well. The next day was the wedding procession. Everyone had already left for the hall after getting ready. Meher, adjusting her dupatta on her shoulder, was rushing down the stairs when, as she placed her foot on the last step, she heard the sound of her heel snapping. Before she could fall, she quickly grabbed the railing.
"Oh my God! It broke!"
She let out a sigh, looking at her sandal. She was just about to burst into tears over this tragedy when Mashal descended the stairs behind her and came to stand in front of her.
"What happened, Meher? Is everything okay?" she asked with concern, seeing her sitting there.
"My sandal broke! Tell me, what should I do?"
Tears welled up in Meher's eyes.
"Do one thing—go to my room. There's another pair there, take those. And is your foot okay? You didn't get hurt, did you?"
"Yes, I'm fine. You go ahead; I'll change and come."
Hurriedly saying this, she ran back up the stairs.
"Ma Sha Allah!"
She had just turned around when she heard a whisper. Startled, she looked up to see Zaryab standing in front of her.
"When did you get here?" she asked, surprised.
"Right when you were lost in my thoughts," he said with a smile.
"That's just your misconception," Mashal suppressed a smile.
"Then why don't you clear it up for me?"
He placed a hand on his chest and looked into her eyes.
"Anything else?" she asked innocently, blinking.
"There is a depth in your eyes, Mashal, that takes me away from my own world every time."
He gazed into her eyes for a few moments. She stood frozen, and then, smiling, he walked away.
"Mashal, come on! We're already running late!"
Even Meher's voice couldn't shake her. He had already left, but she was still standing there, trapped in the embrace of his love—one she had no desire to escape.
☆☆☆
The hall was buzzing with excitement. All the guests had arrived. After the Nikah, Hareem Bhabhi was seated beside Ubaid Bhai. Dinner had been served. Meher, Mashal, Aini, Aimal, and Momina were standing together, filling their plates. Aimal and Momina quickly took their food and disappeared. Aini turned to the right, while Mashal moved to the left for another dish. Meanwhile, Meher, lost in an original slow-motion moment, was still standing there.
Suddenly, she felt something strange. Startled, she looked around. That's when her eyes landed on the "Hitler" sitting on a couch directly in front of her, staring at her.
Her breath caught, and her hands trembled, making the plate shake violently. Just then, someone crept up close and whispered "Boo" in her ear.
"Ahhh!"
Her plate slipped from her hands and shattered on the floor. But before her scream could fully escape…
She was about to fall when the prankster quickly caught her in his arms. Atish stood up with a jolt.
"Are you okay, Meher Api?"
Straightening up quickly, she smacked Ali hard on the shoulder.
"Ali, you idiot! What did you do?! You made me drop all my food! What if I had fallen?!"
"But you didn't! And besides, I'm here to catch you," he grinned, puffing his collar proudly.
"Enough, just call someone to clean this up," she said, raising her hand.
"As you command!"
His tone was overly obedient. Once he left, she instinctively glanced at Atish again, who was sitting with Zaryab, deep in conversation. They were not only cousins but also close friends.
Luckily, he hadn't seen anything. Silently thanking God, she picked up another plate.
A short distance away, Aini stood, visibly frustrated, because someone in front of her was taking food at an unbearably slow pace.
"Excuse me, brother, could you hurry up? Others are waiting too."
The voice made the guy freeze, but the word brother sucked the soul right out of him. His fast-moving hands halted, and the slow-motion way he turned to look at the girl in front of him—who had a completely unimpressed expression—was enough to shock anyone.
Aini was equally surprised.
"You have nothing better to do than follow me around?" Aini snapped.
"Follow? Right now, you're the one standing behind me, looking like you're ready to hit me with a stick," he retorted, annoyed. After all, he had to take revenge for the emotional wound the word brother had inflicted.
"You—"
"What, you?" He suddenly smirked. "Oh, I get it. You must be regretting calling such a handsome guy brother!"
Stepping aside, he provoked her further.
Aini felt that arguing with him would be a waste of time, so she silently grabbed some biryani.
"I need to talk to you about something important," she said seriously.
Raising an eyebrow, he looked at her. "What?"
Amaan took a deep breath and put on an emotional expression.
"When you're with me, even rice with potatoes tastes like biryani."
Aini stared at him, confused.
"But you're already eating biryani right now."
Amaan showed her his plate. "Yes, but if you weren't here, maybe even this would taste like plain rice."
Aini burst out laughing.
"You're really good at joking!"
Still laughing, she turned away.
For a moment, Amaan was frozen. His eyes remained fixed on her face. Had someone's laughter ever seemed this beautiful to him before? Or was this the first time he had truly noticed Aini's laughter?
Standing there, holding his plate, he felt as if his mind had drifted somewhere else.
A slow smile spread across his lips, and he took another bite of his biryani.
"Hmm… the biryani tastes even better now."
Aini's laughter still echoed in his mind.
☆☆☆
"Guys, pick a horror movie that doesn't scare us at all," Aini suggested.
"Yeah, and please, don't pick one with that creepy, backward-walking witch," Aimal added.
Everyone looked at Aimal in confusion.
"Huh? Which movie is that?"
"You know, the one with a witch who moves awkwardly… kind of like Meher."
Aimal's comment made everyone burst into laughter, while Meher shot her a deadly glare.
"I'm calling Ali! He brought the CDs. You guys sit tight, and don't touch the popcorn or chips before I get back!"
Her warning was specifically directed at Momina and Aimal, who would undoubtedly pounce on the snacks the moment she left. The two were very close friends, and despite having similar eating habits, it was surprising how Momina gained weight while Aimal remained slim.
Meanwhile, Meher, Mashal, and Aini formed another trio. Since they were of the same age, they got along well.
The wedding was over, and tonight, they had planned a movie night with the CDs Ali had brought.
When Meher reached the lounge, everyone was engaged in lively conversations. The large sofas were occupied by people enjoying tea and snacks. Atish, Zaryab, and Amaan sat facing each other, seriously discussing some topic.
Amaan had been a close friend of theirs since college. His father, Mir Subhani, was distantly related to Zayan Khan and Raza Khan and was also their business partner. Mir Subhani and Saman Subhani were also present at that moment.
"Hush, hush…"
Ali, who had been sitting in a corner, listening to Atish and the others' boring discussion, turned to see Meher standing at the top of the stairs, calling him over in a hushed voice.
Her whispering was loud enough that the three men turned their heads to look at her simultaneously.
Slightly flustered by their gaze, she hesitated.
"I'm coming!" Ali quickly got up and walked toward her.
"Why was she calling him?" Atish asked casually.
"Probably needed something. I'll check," Zaryab replied, moving toward the stairs.
"Stop staring at her like a Hitler, man. She's harmless; it's not like she'll attack you and escape from jail," Amaan teased.
Atish clenched his jaw. Forget Meher, Amaan was definitely going to suffer at his hands.
"Stop talking nonsense! There's nothing like that," he leaned back against the sofa.
"By the way, she's not that bad—innocent, playful, and beautiful. But she doesn't suit you. You need someone like yourself, someone who measures every word before speaking."
Without caring about Atish's piercing gaze, he continued,
"And I'm certain you'll never find a girl like that. And the kind of girl—"
"What's with all this girl talk? When I don't even want to get married, why should I think about it?"
He snapped in irritation.
"I know you have a special kind of allergy to girls, and I also know that there's a cure for every kind of allergy. So don't worry—I'll make sure you get married. After all, I'm your best friend," Amaan grinned, making himself look more poisonous than actual poison in Atish's eyes.
"You're not my friend. You're that kind of enemy who, after killing someone, asks about their last wish."
"I'm not that bad! Come on, let's go upstairs and call that old man—I mean, Zaryab. He's probably glued to Gulo somewhere."
Sensing Atish's rising temper, he quickly changed the subject. Who knew, Atish might just beat him up in front of everyone?
"I'm not going. You go," Atish said cautiously, turning towards Uncle Raza. Amaan shrugged and headed for the stairs.
It had been almost 10 to 15 minutes since the three of them left, yet not a single one had returned. While talking to Uncle Raza and Mir Subhani, Atish's eyes kept drifting towards the staircase.
"Where did Zaryab and Amaan go?"
Uncle Raza suddenly remembered and asked.
"They went upstairs," Atish replied.
"Call them back. All the girls are up there. What are those two doing there?"
Uncle Raza frowned.
"Zaryab forgot his phone here. I'll call Amaan," Atish said, taking out his phone.
Even after dialing Amaan's number for the third time, he didn't answer. That's when Atish stood up.
"I'll go bring them back."
Uncle Raza nodded, while Atish quickly took the stairs two at a time and rushed upstairs.
"Put on a good movie, just make sure it's not horror."
Meher had returned to the room, while the four girls were sitting cross-legged on the carpet, chatting away. As soon as they arrived, they leaned back against the wall and grabbed their food.
"These are all horror movies. Let me find something else. It's over there."
After scanning the CDs, he walked towards a rack. Meher placed one hand on her hip and watched him when Zaryab entered the room. The moment he walked in, his eyes landed on his arch-nemesis. In the second glance, he scanned the room before smiling and sitting right next to her. Mashal, who was first surprised by his sudden arrival, became even more confused when he sat so close.
"What is this behavior, Zaryab Bhai? Get up and leave!"
Aimal ordered sternly.
"When two adults are having a conversation, kids should stay out of it."
Zaryab replied nonchalantly.
"Oh? Adults or two lovers?"
Aini teased.
"You've become quite smart, Aini. Since you know so much, show a little more wisdom and move to that side, so I can have a six to eight-word chat with her."
He laughed before winking at Mashal, making her flustered. Aini playfully said "Oh ho" and obediently shifted to sit with Aimal and Momina. The moment she moved, another hero made his entrance. Mashal turned to look at him in surprise.
"Wow, so this is where the full cinema experience is happening. And here I was, torturing my brain with that Hitler downstairs."
Muttering under his breath, yet feeling happy inside, Aman casually walked over and sat down, leaving a small gap beside Aini. Seeing him sit next to her, Aini moved even further away.
Ali had found a CD and was now focused on setting it up, while Meher remained oblivious, completely engaged in her task.
"What are you doing here?"
Mashal asked in surprise.
"You guys are waiting for the movie to start, and I came to check if anyone was missing me."
Aman grabbed a packet of chips and popped one into his mouth.
"Oh yes, of course. Our day is incomplete without you."
Aini said sarcastically, making Aman smirk.
"By the way, should I tell you something?"
"No, don't tell me."
Aini replied in boredom, but Aman ignored her tone and dramatically said,
"Whenever I'm with you, even a cheap five-rupee snack tastes like Lay's."
Aini froze for a second, then her expression turned into disbelief.
"Wait, the first time you said being with me makes plain rice taste like biryani, and now it's Lay's?"
"What can I do? It's your company's magic. Even ordinary things feel luxurious."
Aman shrugged, making Aini glare at him.
"Your sense of humor and your thinking—both are low-budget."
"Oh, so that means you need Lay's with Coca-Cola too?"
Aman put another chip in his mouth.
If Aini had a bottle of Coke in her hands, she would have smashed it on Aman's head. Before she could retort, the villain made his entrance.
Great! The movie had officially begun.
"Oh wow, Aman, the one Ali played isn't even needed now."
Seeing him enter suddenly, Aman stood up in a hurry, while Zaryab, completely unbothered, continued whispering to Mashal. After all, he wasn't scared of his future brother-in-law.
Atish glanced at everyone before his sharp gaze landed on Meher, who, completely unaware of his presence, was busy turning up the volume—without realizing the huge blunder she had just made.
A sudden silence fell over the room.
Ali, who had been staring blankly at the screen, almost choked when a song started playing. His eyes widened in shock, sweat formed on his forehead, and his throat went dry. Slowly, he turned his head and looked at Atish, who was now stepping forward, glaring at the screen with a fiery expression.
Everyone's eyes simultaneously darted to the screen, and as soon as they registered what was playing, the girls screamed in horror.
Aimal and Momina covered each other's eyes and shrieked so loudly that even a deaf person would have heard them. Aini turned her whole neck towards the wall, Mashal tightly shut her eyes, and Meher...
Meher's remote slipped from her hands and fell onto the carpet. Her cheeks turned crimson, and smoke might as well have been coming out of her ears.
"Atish Bhai!"
Ali stammered.
Meher jerked around like she had been electrocuted.
"Atish...!"
She mouthed the words silently, but he wasn't even looking at her.
His gaze was fixated on the screen, his face red with shock and disbelief, as if he was about to burn the whole TV down.
Aman's hands trembled, and the chip packet slipped from his grip.
"Dude! Turn off this Imran Hashmi nonsense!"
He choked as he swallowed a chip.
Meher hurriedly grabbed the remote to turn the TV off, but, as expected, the remote betrayed her at the most crucial moment.
Ali didn't waste another second—he yanked out the wire, shutting the TV down.
Meher felt like her soul had left her body. Her legs wobbled. Ali instinctively stepped forward to catch her, but seeing Atish, he froze.
"Astaghfirullah! La hawla wa la...!"
Aman put his hands on his ears like a pious molvi.
Atish, without saying a single word, stormed out, burning like a fireball.
The moment he left, Aman and Zaryab glared daggers at Ali and stepped toward him menacingly, but Meher stopped them.
"You two go outside. We'll handle him."
She rolled up her sleeves.
Aman and Zaryab obediently walked out without even glancing at the girls.
"See? I told you! The screams came out eventually."
Ali tried to laugh but failed miserably.
"Aimal, lock the door. This guy is laughing too much. Let's show him a horror movie trailer instead."
A few minutes later, the door finally opened.
Someone was pushed out with a forceful shove.
His shirt was torn, his face was red and swollen, and finger marks were clearly visible.
One eye was half-closed, and his hair looked like Abida Parveen's.
He looked like he had just stepped out of an actual horror movie.
"From today onwards, I will NEVER do them any favors—not even if I'm dead!"
Every inch of his body ached.
"I should just disappear somewhere. I don't have the strength to go back inside and let those three break my bones for real."
Muttering to himself, he ran away.
☆☆☆
A Few Days Later
She was walking out of the university with her friends, heading toward the bus stop. She usually got picked up by her father or Zaryab, but today, Zaryab had called to inform her that neither of them could come. They were starting a new project and would be busy.
She was walking briskly, leading the group. Meher's face displayed a mix of anger and disappointment. Today was their final semester result day. She had scored 95%, but she had aimed for 100% (A+). Even though she had topped the class, her mood remained sour—on top of that, the hassle of catching the university bus was another frustration.
"Look at me! I barely got 80%, and I'm super happy. And here you are, acting ungrateful even after topping the class," Aima said, trying to match her pace but getting slightly annoyed.
"I thought I'd get a perfect 100, but that didn't happen. I wrote excellent papers," Meher said, her voice heavy with disappointment.
"Oh, come on! It's not a big deal. Look at me—I barely escaped failing, and I'm still celebrating. You should chill too," Amal said from her right.
"Someone should ask the one who actually failed," Aima smirked, pointing toward Arha, who was busy stuffing a Zinger burger into her mouth.
"Oh, please, she's used to failing by now," Amal joked, making both of them laugh, while Arha looked at them in mock annoyance.
"Ugh, I only failed physics! You guys are such traitors—you didn't even help me, and now you're laughing!"
Meher turned to look at Arha when suddenly—she bumped into someone. The impact sent her registers and files tumbling to the ground.
"Are you blind? Can't you see where you're going?"
Startled, Meher looked up at the boy who had yelled at her. He was standing with his friends, glaring at her.
"I'm sorry, I didn't see—" she quickly apologized and bent down to pick up her register, while the other three helped gather her files.
"Oh, right. Girls like you have such clever ways of getting attention—bumping into guys, then acting all innocent," the guy sneered.
Meher's expression changed. Anger flared in her eyes.
"Oh really? And what else do you know about girls like me?" she snapped.
"When a guy ignores you, you always find a way to create drama," he smirked arrogantly.
A sharp slap echoed in the air.
"If you say another word of nonsense, the next slap won't even take a second," Meher hissed furiously.
The guy lunged toward her in anger, but his friend quickly held him back.
"Forget it, let's go," his friend said, pulling him away.
"This girl won't get away with this! Just wait and see," the guy shouted furiously.
"Oh really? Let's see what you can do to me," Meher stepped forward, but Aima quickly grabbed her arm.
"Meher, stop! Let's go," Amal also held her back.
"You don't know me! I'll ruin you so badly you won't even be able to show your face!" the guy threatened.
"Oh, and I'm the same Meher who doesn't fear anyone. Time will tell what happens to you," she said in a cold, steady voice, locking eyes with him. The guy looked like he was about to explode with rage.
"Listen, Arees, just let it go. Trust me," his friend whispered, giving him a meaningful look. Arees clenched his fists and stormed away.
Just then, a speeding car screeched to a stop in front of them.
"Where are you running off to? If you have the guts, come back, you coward!" Meher shouted.
At that moment, the car door opened, and Atish stepped out. Without a word, without asking a single question, he grabbed Meher's wrist, pulled the car door open, and pushed her inside.
"Atish, you?!" Meher was completely shocked.
But Atish didn't respond. He simply got into the driver's seat and sped off.
"What does he think of himself? First, he bumped into me, and then he had the audacity to insult me! People like him don't even know the meaning of self-respect, yet he was trying to lecture me? If I had gotten another chance, I would've shut his mouth in a way he'd never forget!"
She was sitting in the car, ranting nonstop, while Aatish remained silent, like a dormant volcano ready to erupt. He was listening to her endless complaints with great restraint. He pressed the accelerator, wanting to get Meher home as quickly as possible.
"What was that fool even thinking? He doesn't even have the basic manners to talk to a woman properly! Thought he was some kind of hero when, in reality, he looked like a third-rate side character. And why did you bring me away from there, huh? You should've let me handle it. What could he have done to me? If I had just two more minutes, I would've crushed his ego like a packet of chips!"
Aatish glanced at her sideways for a second.
"As if his expressions were enough to scare me! Hah! I am Mehermaah, not some random girl who would be afraid of people like him. Ugh, if I had another chance, I would've insulted him so badly that he wouldn't have dared to face another woman for the next fifty years. I swear, you should just take me back—"
"Shut up, Meher! Completely shut up! If I hear another word from you, I'll throw you out of this car."
He growled.
"Fine! Then do it! It's not like I'm dying to go anywhere with you!"
Already furious, she snapped back.
Aatish's foot suddenly hit the brakes, and the car came to a screeching halt. Now, he was glaring at Meher with pure rage.
"What is your problem?! Is this what you wanted? That I should have just sat in the car and watched your fight like an audience? Sorry to disappoint you, Miss Mehermaah, but the men in your family are not so spineless that they would leave their women alone in such situations. And one more thing—I could've broken that man's bones, but I didn't. Why? Because I didn't want any more of a scene than you had already created!"
His voice was sharp, his breathing heavy with anger.
"I didn't create a scene! He started it, and I just wanted to end it! But thanks to your untimely arrival, that didn't happen."
The girl who usually feared Aatish was now fearlessly staring into his eyes, arguing back with full confidence.
"Oh, so that was a circus show you put on for the entertainment of everyone present there? Maybe you didn't notice, but all those people were enjoying your free performance."
He taunted.
This time, Meher stayed silent. His words, his tone, and his piercing gaze forced her into silence. Her face burned with anger as she tightly gripped the car handle.
"Well, then why didn't you enjoy it too? Why ruin everyone's fun?"
She muttered, before realizing what she had just said.
"So you admit it now? That you actually created a scene?"
His voice held disbelief at her audacity.
Meher turned red with anger.
"I'm not going anywhere with you. Unlock the car, right now."
She pulled at the handle, but it was locked.
"I may be a decent man, but I'm not letting you leave so easily. Sorry, but that's not happening."
Saying this calmly, he picked up the water bottle from the dashboard.
Meher suddenly fell quiet. She took a deep breath and looked at Aatish. He had just unscrewed the cap, bringing the bottle to his lips, but then he paused.
"Do you want some?"
He turned to her, asking casually.
She shook her head in refusal.
"Good."
Taking a sip, he then looked straight ahead, lost in thought.
Meher couldn't stop herself from watching him. A few moments later, Aatish sensed her gaze and grew annoyed. She was staring at him without blinking.
He turned his head towards her, his eyes sharp.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
She flinched and quickly looked away, facing the windshield.
"Nothing."
Her voice was barely a whisper.
Aatish exhaled deeply and started the car again.
Meanwhile, Meher… she couldn't tell him that he didn't just look good from the front, but his side profile was ridiculously attractive too. But saying this to Aatish would be nothing short of signing her own death warrant.
She quietly closed her eyes.
To be continued…