Hand in Marriage (ON HOLD)

This is exactly what is happening

Chapter Nine.

Eyes. Swollen eyes. Red swollen eyes.

That's what I saw when I looked in the mirror right before dawn. I looked past my eyes and saw Aria. She had been sitting on my bed since Azlan woke up which was right after my little outburst after hanging up on Fawad.

Was it an outburst? Was crying furiously an outburst? I was holding all my emotions back for two years.. but as soon as I heard his voice, I lost all control over my emotions.

When Azlan woke up, he mimicked me. He started crying as well. The strangled continuous crying obviously brought attention to our room and Aria came to investigate.

I had to hold back a laugh when I saw her face as soon as she entered. It must've been such a priceless sight to see your one year old son and 19 year old sister crying with the same intensity.

She stood there for a minute, I guess she was determining who was more important for her attention.

Azlan won the first round. She quickly walked over, gathered her son up in her arms and walked out. 30 seconds later, she came back. I guess she dropped him off to his grandparents or his father. She closed the door behind her, grabbed a box of napkins and took Azlan's spot beside me.

After I cried for a few more minutes in her arms, I finally gained the control to tell her the reason of my tears.

"I am not sure whether it was his voice or it was the woman's voice." Was all I could say to justify my emotion overload.

And all Aria had to say in return was, "we'll figure it out." I don't know how she'll do that, but she will.

As soon as I stopped talking, she laid me down and told me to sleep.

I did.

Not for long, though. I woke up shivering even though I had a blanket wrapped around me. I snuggled closer to the body beside me. I was cozy and warm and comfortable until I tried to open my eyes. They were frosty from all the dried up tears.

That reminded me of the reason for me tears.. and my waterworks started again.

It had been almost 2 hours and my crying and settled down to a occasional sniff here and there. Just like a sister should, Aria was there for me all night despite her being extremely pregnant.

"You know Alina, I'm honestly surprised that you were holding back such emotion for a guy you were so against marrying."

I turned around to face her.

"I wasn't against marrying him. I guess I just wanted more of a fairytale wedding. Remember when our mother would tell is stories before putting us to sleep? Especially about the one boy who falls in love with a girl and is willing to steal all the night sky's stars for her? I just wanted Fawad to tell me that he would do the same."

Aria sighed and ran her fingers through her light brown waist length hair.

"I know how you felt. I felt the same way. But remember Roohi? Aunty Marium's daughter? She came to visit me few days before my marriage. I told her how I felt a bit reluctant to the entire idea of marriage because it wasn't how I imagined it to be. She told me one thing which made me fall absolutely in love with Asher that second."

I quickly sat down beside her and crossed my legs, waiting for her to continue.

"She said, 'fairytales don't happen. You make them happen.'"

I thought over her words for a second. I let them sink in.

"I don't get it." I finally said.

Aria smiled. "I won't expect you to. You're in a difficult situation. You will get it one day."