Noor

7

Night had fallen, and the festivities had wound down into a more subdued mood.

She sat on her bed, with her cousin's and Samiksha

They were chatting, their voices soft and comfortable. The room was lit only by a single lamp, casting a warm glow. Mohini was conspicuously absent, a detail that didn't go unnoticed.

"Where's Mohini?" Minza asked, looking up from the mirror where she was removing herjewellery .

"I saw her earlier," Maria chimed in, her voice slightly muffled from the cream she was applying on her face. "She said she needed some air."

"She's been acting strange all day," Samiksha added, her brow furrowed with concern. "I hope everything's alright."

"Maybe she just needs some space," Noor said, her tone reassuring.

The other girls nodded in agreement, the conversation moving on to other topics.

"Let's play truth or dare!!!!"

Minza spoke

The other girls brightened up instantly.

"Oh, yes! That's a fantastic idea," Samiksha exclaimed, a mischievous gleam in her eye.

They all gathered around in a small circle on the floor, a mix of laughter and whispered conversation filling the air. Noor settled back, trying to push aside her lingering concern about Mohini.

"I'll start," Minza declared, her eyes darting around the circle. "Maria, truth or dare?"

Maria looked a little nervous, but she played along. "Let's go with truth."

Minza tilted her head, mock-contemplating.

"Alright then...when and how you did you fall in love with our to be brother in law?"

Maria laughed, her cheeks flushing slightly as Harun was engaged to Minza and Maria was engaged to Viraj.

"What kind of question is that?" she protested, but there was a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

"Answer the question, Maria," Minza urged, grinning.

Maria thought for a moment, then said, "If I'm being honest, there's this one time when He came To turkey and Harun bhai Haan was outside so he asked me to come with him and see market since no one was there and we did lot's of shopping,explores the good and streets it was indeed heart warming..."

The other girls squealed, egging her on to describe.

The game continued, giggles and shrieks filling the room as the girls took turns asking each other intimate and silly questions. The air was lighthearted, a welcome respite from the intense emotions of the day.

During a lull in the game, Samiksha looked over at Noor.

"Truth or Dare, Noor?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.

Noor was pulled out of her thoughts by the question.

"Uh... truth," she decided, feeling unusually vulnerable.

Samiksha paused for a moment, then her smile widened.

"Since how long our Sehzadi love Raj?"

Noor felt a flutter in her stomach. She was suddenly reminded of the reason for all the celebrations. Her wedding.

The other girls looked at her, their eyes wide with curiosity. Noor took a deep breath, considering her answer.

"Since In childhood I gotta know that I'll be married to him," she said softly, a smile spreading across her face.