The seventh chapter is here!

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|~★~|

Lying in her bed, instead of thinking of the person who dropped by her classes, introducing himself as her fiancé, Humaira was thinking about the person who always had an intimidating aura around him, standing with his head low in front of her, apologizing for misbehaving with her earlier.

The message tone from Humaira's phone asked for her attention. She picked it up and found a text from a new number:

Tomorrow at 7? - Furqan.

Okay.

She kept her phone aside, not waiting for his further reply.

The phone didn't make any sound but her Tayi's voice came in calling for her.

Humaira rolled her eyes, " Ab inhe kya chahiye. "

(Now what does she want?)

She came out to meet the one who summoned her. "Ji, Tayi Ammi."

"Who was the guy with you?"

"Umair, he is Baba's eldest son."

"Umair?" She tried to remember, " But his son is that... Saad, right? He has another son?"

" Yeah, he lived in Delhi. But- "

"Oh," Humaira was interrupted by her Tayi, " he is the other son who used to stay with the mother?"

She nodded in reply.

"But why did you come with him? What about Furqan? Did you not get to meet him?"

"Uhm..hmm.." Humaira nodded briefly, " I met him. He came to pick me up to choose the engagement ring."

Her aunt frowned with confusion, " So why were you here with that guy instead of Furqan?"

" Because I don't know him?" She shrugged.

"Well," she sat straight, " How are you supposed to know him if you don't spend any time together? You should have gone with him." 

"Tayi Ammi," she took her seat on the nearby chair, " I know I told you to find me someone. But you cannot expect me to go and roam with random people you'll send to me."

" He was not random!" She snapped.

" Any person I don't know is random to me." She said firmly, " And I don't appreciate anyone sharing my whereabouts without my knowledge. "

" Madam, keep your attitude in check. You are sitting under my roof. I won't all-"

" This roof is as much mine as it is yours. " Humaira cut her off, reminding her of her position, " In fact, more than yours, maybe." She shrugged, relaxing in the chair, " It's your husband's home, but I don't rely on any third person for my share. "

" How ungrateful you are." She said through her gritted teeth.

Humaira laughed hearing that, " It's a family trait, Tayi Ammi. It runs in our blood."

Momina just stared at her niece who was not the kind to stay quiet. How could she expect her to accept anything without questioning it. In the daily soaps, you'd have seen the timid lone child– scared, and obedient, but with Humaira, the case was different. She knew no one was doing her any favour and she was an equal in the house. She didn't take anyone's command. She demanded fairness.

" I want you to treat Furqan nicely. He's your best shot."

" How I treat him depends on the way he treats me." She countered plainly. The normalcy in her voice had more power than any rage.

" That's all you have to say? You've no other problem with him?"

" If you want to know whether I'm fine with his age or not, you can ask that directly, Tayi Ammi. You don't have to beat around the bush." Humaira flashed a warm smile, which seemed to be mocking her aunt, " I've no problem with his age. Honestly, I didn't like how he showed up there, but his behaviour seemed warm. I kinda liked it. " She appreciated his manners, recalling their brief encounter.

" But where did you find him? " She asked her aunt.

" It doesn't matter," she tried to brush it off, but seeing Humaira, she threw in a few more words, " You told me that you are ready for marriage and Furqan happened to be looking for a bride. You fit his preference, and you never shared yours, so call it luck. " She hesitated, " the only preference a girl needs is security, and Furqan happens to have that."

" Well, if a man of that age cannot provide security then what was he doing all these years?" She commented.

"So you have no problem, right?" Momina asked again.

"Nothing as of now."

"Are you still in your wet clothes?" She finally noticed Humaira's appearance.

"I was about to change when you called me. I know you don't like waiting, so..."

Momina shook her head in annoyance, listening to her niece, " Go and change. You ruined the covers. Hope it doesn't stain." She was concerned about her sofa and couch covers.

Humaira stood up, " Relax Tayi Ammi, sirf paani hi hai. "

(It's only water)

Momina followed, mumbling, " Where's the steam iron?" and went to look for the respective item.

Humaira saw her aunt's behaviour with an amused smile and made her way towards her room.

★★★

The next day, Saad and Zoya were meeting for the last time before their wedding shenanigans began. They were sitting in a cafeteria near their workplace, which was their usual spot.

"Cannot believe we are getting married in a week." Zoya grinned, squeezing Saad's hands that she was holding.

"And I cannot believe that there is a possibility of your best friend and my childhood friend not attending our wedding. " Saad was visibly sad about Humaira's cold shoulder towards him.

Zoya sipped on her iced tea," Don't worry about that. She will attend it. She can never be that angry with us. "

" Angry enough not to tell you that she's getting engaged. " Saad broke the news to her.

" What? " Zoya was indeed shocked. Humaira always shared the tiniest bit, but now, "to whom? Don't tell me he's Kashif." Her face showed disdain when mentioning that name.

"Now who's Kashif? I remember the guy is Furqan, some 40 years old."

It took Zoya a few moments to register the information. She blinked a few times before speaking, more to herself than anyone else, " 40 years old? She's really doing that? " A dry chuckle followed her words," she always used to say that she'll marry someone old, because an old person will never leave a young beauty. Can't believe she's actually doing it. "

Saad was looking at his fiancée in disbelief. He expected her to be surprised, but not for this reason. " So you're telling me that Humaira always had this plan- to marry someone older than her? "

" And rich. " She added, after a few seconds of thinking, she continued," though the rich part always seemed like a joke; the age didn't."

" Well, all this is happening because of you." He complained.

"Me? What did I do?" Zoya pouted at his accusation.

"Yes, you." He affirmed, " It was your decision not to tell her about us. I don't know why and neither did I ask, but three years is a long time, Zoya. She thinks it's about months and that is making her this angry. I don't even want to imagine how she'll react when she gets to know that we were together for years!"

"Why do you care so much?" She whined, " I'll handle her, don't worry!"

" She's my oldest friend, Zoya. " Saad reminded her, "Of course I care a huge deal for her."

" Just friend na? Sure- "

" Shut up! " He sighed lazily resting on the chair and throwing his head back, " We are seriously done with people questioning our bond." He straightened again, resting his hands on the table, he leaned in to be close to her, and looking into her eyes, he said, "For the last time, Zoya. Humaira is my oldest friend. She's like a daughter to my father. I don't treat her as a sister, nor do I see her as one. But she's very dear to me and her emotions mean a great deal to me. I might tease her, hit her, but I won't allow any other person... Apart from you, of course– " what started as assertive, toned down on seeing the person on the receiving end, "...to hurt her." He completed.

"And yes," he held Zoya's gaze, " I do love her. The same way as you love her." love her."

There was complete silence after his statement. If there was any other girl in place of Zoya, she would have thrown a fist after listening to what Saad said but not her. She understood. After three years of being together, she understood him.

She had known Saad and Humaira for more than a decade. She had seen them together– their fights, their care, their love. Saad wasn't close to anyone from his dad's students. Not even with her. But with Humaira, he would do everything.

It was Humaira who introduced Zoya and Saad when she needed an internship to help her credits. She was not able to make it into any college placement; that's when Humaira stepped in, requesting Saad to hire Zoya as an intern under him in his office. Saad had no option but to accept it, and as it was unpaid, his management didn't have any problem either. What started as an unpaid internship turned out to be a full-time job because of Zoya's personality of befriending any passerby. This really helps in the field they belong to. She became a full-time entertainment journalist. Reviewing movies, finding gossip, and interviewing Celebrities. She loved her job. And when she started to have feelings for the person she had around this job, she concealed it; thinking he belonged to someone else.

It wasn't until a singer whom she was interviewing asked her out for dinner that Saad reminded her she could not do so, and when asked why, he simply confessed about his feelings for her. It wasn't romantic enough, so, within three hours he managed to turn a corner of their restricted terrace area into the most romantic place and give her the proposal she may have dreamt of or something similar.

No kidding, he took inspiration from her Pinterest board.

The reason Zoya hid it from Humaira was that she thought Humaira saw Saad as more than a friend. One way or another, she tried to confirm if she had any feelings for him. Humaira crushed on every other person, but nothing came after that. Kashif was the only guy who openly showed interest in her, in the most dramatic way possible, but she didn't entertain him. When asked why, Humaira had no specific reason.

Till the time she was confirmed about Humaira having no romantic feelings for Saad, she believed it was too late. She tried to think and wait for the perfect time, but never found one. End result, it was only before fifteen days of her wedding, her best friend got to know about him and Saad, and was angry about it for all fair reasons.

"I know you do." She took his hands in hers, " And I also know that Humaira– more than being angry, she's hurt because of us. "

Agreeing with her statement, he nodded, bringing her palm close to his lips and stealing a tender taste of it, " I'm sorry if my words came out harsh while complaining. "

" My muh-dikhai should be a diamond." She demanded with a straight face.

(Wedding present)

Taken aback by the sudden demand, he pulled his hand back in horror, " Khuda ka khauf karo, Ladki. I'm a mamooli journalist. How am I supposed to afford a diamond set after spending on a one-week-long wedding?"

(Fear God, girl. I'm a simple journalist.)

Bewildered, his fiancée looked at him, " I said a diamond! Single! Pendant, nose pin– to match with this!" She flashed her hand, adorned with her beautiful princess-cut engagement ring.

Saad shook his head, firm with his previous statement, " No, no. I cannot afford more."

Their discussion cum argument regarding the wedding gift continued for quite some time. Zoya demanding her rightful gift after Saad's 'harsh' treatment towards her, and Saad crying how their wedding was draining his bank account and he cannot afford a diamond as of now. Both without realising that they were exceeding their allotted break.

|~★~|

A glimpse of Saad and Zoya, How do you all like them?

And the irony of all this talk about Humaira being a family to Mirzas while she feels alone among her own.

Wattpad, please make me find my people!

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