Healed, With Love

23. Discovering Truth

"Falak? You awake?" Falak was busy looking at the pictures of Ateeb's engagement when she heard a knock accompanied by Ateeb's question. She left the pics scattered on her duvet. Upon unlocking the door, she saw Ateeb's glowing face.

"Still awake!?" He asked looking around.

"Uh huh!! Busy with pictures bhai!" She stressed on the word picture.

"Pictures?"

"Yes bhai! Got it from the photographer today." He noticed pictures scattered in her bed. He headed towards her bed and sat at the edge, resting his back at the headboard. He saw a single photo which had been developed into an unusual size it was a little larger than the others, the picture was upside down.

"That one seems to be odd one among the rest." He said pointing his index finger towards the picture.

"Odd one? Bhai it's not an odd one, it a special one." She took the picture and said with a smile.

"What's so special about it?" He asked with his eyebrows raised. She turned the picture and Ateeb could do nothing but smile at the picture.

It was a candid shot of the moment when Ateeb was holding Mehek's hand and was busy looking at her. Whereas she had a beautiful shy smile on her face.

"So bhai! Don't you think it's a special picture. Mom wanted it to be a little bit huge size. She even has made a special place for the picture in her room.

"In her room?" He asked frowning. Literally thinking how to have the picture for himself.

"Bhai? You, thinking always without reacting is gonna get you in trouble if you don't express your thoughts." Said Falak.

"Why do you think that?"

"You were this close of losing sanity, when you heard that Mehek is engaged." She said making a little gesture of space between her thumb and forefinger.

"Don't try to deny it bhai!" Before he could deny she pouted protesting.

"Sigh! Well, I'm still confused Falak." He admitted heaving a heavy breath.

"Confused? Bhai don't you think it's too late to be Confused? You're already engaged!"

"I'm not confused about my engagement. What I'm confused is... I'm more curious than confused. I want to know the mastermind behind all this." He said looking at her book shelf. He focused hard and found Mehek's picture behind a book. Only quarter of it was visible but he could still recognise it, as it was the only picture, which he kept staring at without purpose for long, long moments. He had been searching for it from the past two weeks, he was about to ask Falak about it, when realization kicked in. He remembered her asking him to choose a dress from the catalogue and Mehek wearing his chosen dress.

Falak was having a close watch on Ateeb. His expressions were so instant. He opened his mouth to say something but then again closed it, frowning like he was deep in his thoughts, he gawked at her. She realised that her brother had discovered the truth. She smiled a smile-too-sweet, at him.

"Falak, you!? You were the one behind everything!?"

"Bhai! You make me sound like a criminal!" She wanted to pout at him but his expressions were so incredible. She couldn't hold back her laughter.

"It's not funny you know! And you.... how did you.... where did you..." He stammered. He certainly did not know how to ask her about Mehek's picture. He was already astonished that his sister knew his feelings about Mehek.

"How did I get that picture? Simple bhai!! I borrowed it from your diary." She shrugged like it was very common. Where in fact she was a bit tensed, thinking, what if her brother felt angry or upset about it. Falak was too sensitive about it.

"Borrowed it!? What for exactly?"

"Well,....um... Mom and dad wanted to know about your preference so I borrowed it!" Ateeb literally jumped.

"What? Mom and dad saw Mehek's picture in my diary!?? Oh my god" He groaned. He felt embarrassed.

"Bhai!! Please sit here! There are a few things which you need to know." Falak made him sit back in her bed.

"Few months ago, Sufiyan uncle and sabura aunty were here. They wanted to know about someone. Mehek had been proposed by...." She was cut off mid sentence by Ateeb's yelling.

"Who the hell proposed her?" He was now hell angry on whoever the poor soul was.

"Bhai!! It's in the past now. She is engaged now." She winked at him. Ateeb blushed at his sudden outburst.

"I don't know much about them Bhai. Sufiyan uncle seemed quite satisfied with the proposal so he was here to know more about it from dad, seems like dad knows them better. I heard the entire conversation when I was passing by. I couldn't hold back any longer and I literally demanded Mehek to be my sister-in-law." She stated.

"That's..... well that's just one point but how did you do it..  What if I had rejected it." He asked with a smile.

"No bhai! You wouldn't have rejected."

"How come you're so sure about it! Everyone has the liberty to choose their own life partner." Falak laughed at him

"Sure, everyone does. But bhai! I don't think you've agreed reluctantly to this proposal."

"Okay.. how did you guess.. that....uhmm." He cleared his throat, still hesitant to ask the real question.

"Guess what bhai?" She asked. Holding back her smile.

"Umm... nothing, I should go I guess...." He looked around.

"Aww!! Bhai you're so adorable!!" Falak pinched his cheeks.

"Whatttt, adorable?" He groaned.

"Ok, I'll tell you. I know you like Mehek because it was very obvious bhai."

"Obvious? How?" His eyes widened at her words.

"Where each one of our guests in my birthday party were busy wishing me, you were busy staring at her." He statement made him blush. He cursed at himself for being this obvious to the whole world.

"Hey! Wait!? If it was my engagement from the beginning, then how come Yawar uncle and Zaryab were still present. The certainly did not look offended that Sufiyan uncle rejected their proposal." He frowned.

"Bhai! Zaryab Bhai's proposal was never meant for Mehek. It was for Rifa.
We planned It out. We knew it was the best way to get things into action." He was amazed at the events which had happened behind him.But then again he smiled at the thought of what his sister had done for him.

"Thank you so much princess, May Allah grant you a beautiful and happy life ahead." He kissed her forehead and left to his room.

Falak smiled at his brother's blessing and looked at the beautiful picture of Ateeb's engagement in her hand. 

Hi sweeties,

A little long chapter as a gift to my beauties!

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With love,
            Kiara💞