Lut Gaye || لٹ گۓ

NINTEEN | When The Stars Align (Part I)

                     "o aankh uthi."

           ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

IMAN was astounded.

By the question her father had asked her.

By the three letters that had broken out of her lips in return.

And the stunned expression on Zain's face after she had agreed to marry him. 

Collapsed on the bed in her room after Zain's departure―with her head hanging low and shoulders stiffened, her mind couldn't stop reeling and she couldn't curb the conflicting feeling simmering in her chest.

"Do you think I did the right thing?" Her sullen murmur was directed at the person who stood by the window with his arm leant against the glassy surface and his back facing her.

The person who had a contribution to her acquisition.

Puffing out a solemn breath, Omer swivelled around and moved towards her as the glow emitting from the side lamps coloured his calm demeanour.

"Considering the circumstances, it was the only right thing to do, Bajjo." Omer plopped down next to her, his warm brown eyes studying the downcast profile of his sister.

"I... I shouldn't have done that, Omer," Iman murmured lowly and then her head shot up, turning in his direction as she looked at him with her wide, panicked eyes.

"You weren't there so you didn't see how shocked he looked when I said yes to marry him. It was almost as if... as if he was expecting me to refuse. Maybe he was. Maybe that's why he asked baba jaan to get my consent because he didn't want to―"

"Hit the brakes, bajjo! Calm down!"

Omer's loud exclaim severed the thronging rush of hysterical thoughts spilling out of her mouth. She sealed her mouth and swallowed the rest of the stinging notions her mind was plagued with ever since Zain had left.

He planted his big, warm hands on her tensed shoulder as he opened his mouth to speak again.

"Why are you thinking so negatively? This is the first time baba jaan asked for your approval for something and it's all because of Zain; because he respects your choice and he wanted you to make the decision for yourself. Why don't you look at it that way?"

Iman silently stared at him for a few seconds―her heart swaying and almost accepting what her brother pronounced but it only lasted for a few blissful seconds before pessimism seeped in and shadowed her brain again. 

"No matter how I look at it, I can't overlook the fact that Zain deserves better," she mumbled in a low, gloomy voice.

"You're so unaware of your worth, it's honestly upsetting." Omer withdrew his hands and shook his head in displeasure.

"I'm just... I think I am being awfully selfish, Omer."

"I told you this last night as well that you should only think about yourself now... just like everyone else in this house is!" he pressed.

Iman bit the insides of her cheeks; recalling the conversation she had with him last night. After confronting her father, instead of going back to her room, she had dragged her worn-out self to her brother's room because she badly needed a shoulder to lean on. She needed to hear 'you're going to be alright' from his mouth again so she could pick herself up―so she could save herself.