Madiha Shah, a young woman from a middle-class family, finds her life unexpectedly entangled with the illustrious Zafar Shah Abraar, a prominent business magnate in India and the elder brother of her betrothed, Zahid.
As fate would have it, unforese...
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Madiha sobbed, hugging her mother. "Take care of yourself, and don't forget to take your BP medicines on time."
Sabina nodded, her condition no different than her daughter. Madiha then hugged her father and brother.
"I have raised her with a lot of love." Rahim said to Zafar, "She is very sensitive. Be patient with her as she adjusts into the new household."
Zafar held his father-in-law's hand. "Don't you worry about her anymore. She is my responsibility now and she'd be treated no less than a queen. I promise you."
With a final round of hugs, Madiha was helped inside the car and Zafar got in from the other side. She waved her family bye as the car zoomed off the grounds of the farmhouse.
She was still crying silently, so Zafar picked up a tissue box and passed it to her. She took one wordlessly and wiped the tears, careful to not smudge her makeup.
The drive from the farmhouse to the haveli in the city was almost two hours. Since it had been a long day with the nikah ceremony and an emotional rukhsati, Madiha felt her eyelids get heavy halfway through the journey. She rested her head on the headrest and allowed herself a small nap.
Zafar was looking outside the window when soft snores reached his ears. He turned his head only to find his hours-old bride sleeping in a rather uncomfortable position. The uneven road caused her head to repeatedly jolt from the headrest to his shoulder. Fortunately, his broad shoulder blade offered a cozy spot for her to rest her head, prompting her to find further comfort in her slumber. He admired the sleeping beauty for quite a while before looking away.
They reached the haveli a few minutes after eight at night. Even though Zafar didn't want to, he had to wake Madiha up. He slowly whispered her name and slightly grazed his finger on her cheek. That was enough to make her eyes flutter open. As soon as she realized she was sleeping on his shoulder, she jerked up. "I am sorry I didn't realize.."
"We have reached." He opened the door to his side and stepped out. Then he circled around to come and open the door for her. She picked up her heavy garara with a loud sigh. He knew she might need help standing up, so he forwarded his palm. She gladly took it and put all her body weight on his arm to stand up.
Almaas had left soon after the nikah so she could welcome her daughter-in-law in the haveli. She stood on the porch with Ziya and other relatives behind her. As the married couple walked up the few stairs, Almaas opened her arms wide open. Madiha hugged her with no hesitation.
"I formally welcome you to this home, this family, Madiha. I hope this place embraces you with warmth and love. I assure you'll always find support and understanding from every member of this family." Almaas said before kissing Madiha's forehead.
The jitters and nervousness Madiha had been feeling about becoming a part of this family was slowly fading away by the kind of warmth and love being shown to her.
After reaching inside, they were first taken to have dinner. Madiha was surprised by the size of the dining room. Everyone sat together as the servants came forward to serve them the meal.
Dinner was a noisy affair with all the relatives gossiping. Then Zafar and Madiha were brought to the living room, where the couches were pushed back and a huge silver pot with milk filled in it. It also had rose and marigold petals.
"Bhabhi, can I please have your engagement ring?" Ziya forwarded her hand.
Madiha nodded and slipped off the diamond ring that Zafar had made her wear. Ziya made the couple sit face to face before dropping the ring in the pot and mixing it vigorously.
"You know the rules," She chirped, "whoever finds the rings dominates the marriage."
Madiha and Zafar shared a look before dipping their right palms inside. The pot was actually very big and there were a lot of petals added that made it difficult to find the ring. But Madiha was determined to find it. Her hand was moving fast, trying to feel everything. On the other hand, Zafar was very relaxed, barely moving his fingers. But thanks to all the movement she was making, the ring itself floated into his hands. He brought his hand out, with the ring held between his fingertips.
"Bhai wins," Ziya shouted, "that means he will be the dominant one."
Zafar shook his head. "No." He passed the ring to Madiha, "I won it for her."
Madiha blushed as the relatives admired his words, causing her cheeks to turn a shade of red. With her cheeks still flushed, she placed the ring back on her finger.
"Now, the next ritual." Ziya said, "It is time to give me my gift."
"What gift?" Zafar asked her little sister.
Ziya fake gasped. "Bhabhi, does the groom not give a gift to his sister after marriage?"
Madiha nodded her head.
"See, bhabhi agrees too." Ziya glared at Zafar. "I want a gift right now. I also accept cash, but it shouldn't be less than one lakh."
Zafar called a servant and asked him to bring the package that was delivered yesterday. The servant returned with a box. Zafar placed it on Ziya's palm. She opened it and shrieked in happiness when she found the last model of iPhone inside.
"You're the best, bhai." She hugged Zafar.
He gave her a small smile. And it was the first time Madiha had seen a smile on his face. And she found it beautiful.
"Okay, now I think every ritual is done." Almaas intervened, "Madiha and Zafar, you both should rest now."
"No, Maa sahib," Ziya stopped them, "the most important ritual is yet to be done."
"Which one?"
Ziya smirked. "The groom needs to carry the bride and take her to the room."
Madiha's eyes widened.
"Oh, that sounds very important." Almaas smiled as well.
"Ziya..no," Zafar said.
"No excuses, pick your bride up and take her to the room." Almaas left no room for discussion.
Zafar looked at Madiha, asking her through his eyes if she was okay with that. When she showed no sign of protest, he bent down to place a hand on the back of her knees and the other hand went on her waist. He swiftly hoisted her up like she weighed nothing.
Everyone hooted as he started walking up the stairs. With flushed cheeks, she was gently carried by him into his bedroom. Having seen such scenes in movies before, where the hero would sweep the heroine off her feet, she had often wondered how it would truly feel. Now, experiencing it firsthand, she realized that it surpassed all her expectations and felt even more incredible than she had ever imagined.
