Author's POV

Hana ran inside, wiping her tears, and went straight to the kitchen. She silently wept there until Muneeb came in.

"Hey, Princess... what happened?" Muneeb asked with concern.

"N-nothing," Hana stuttered, quickly wiping her tears and turning her back to him.

"You're crying! I can see that," he said, gently holding her arms and turning her to face him.

"What happened, Princess?" he asked again.

"Nothing, Muneeb... I'm okay," Hana replied with a fake smile.

"You don't want to share it with me, right? That's okay... but remember one thing: if you ever want to talk or need someone, I'm always here for you," he said, wiping her tears with a smile.

A small, genuine smile appeared on Hana’s lips.

"What is going on here?" they heard a voice, and Muneeb immediately took a few steps back.

Hana turned and saw Riya standing at the kitchen door, her eyes slightly narrowed.

"Um... Riya aapi... she wasn’t feeling well, so I was worried," Muneeb quickly explained.

"What happened, Hana?" Riya asked with concern. Hana gave her a small smile.

"Nothing, aapi... I was feeling hungry, so I came to the kitchen, but he thought I wasn't feeling well," she explained and walked toward the door.

"Oh, okay... I was looking for Rumaan but couldn't find him. Do you know where he is? Baba is asking for him... it's already late and he hasn’t cut the cake yet," Riya said as both came out of the kitchen.

Hana looked toward the door and saw Rumaan entering, but out of nowhere, Marziya came in front of him. Hana walked toward them.

"What is this?" Hana heard Marziya’s angry voice.

"Um... aapi..." Rumaan became tense, rubbing his cheek. That’s when Hana noticed a red mark.

"Tell me... whose lipstick mark is this?" Marziya asked again, angrily.

"MINE," Hana said, stepping from behind Marziya, and both turned to look at her.

She walked up to them and stood beside Rumaan.

"It’s my lipstick mark, aapi," Hana said, looking at her sister. Marziya looked embarrassed and walked away after nodding.

"Huh! She scared me," Rumaan sighed in relief. Hana turned to face him, and he smiled at her.

"I hate it," Hana said through gritted teeth as angry tears escaped her eyes. She grabbed his arm and dragged him outside again. Rumaan looked confused.

"Wha—?" He didn’t get the chance to say anything as Hana began rubbing his cheek a little roughly with her fingers.

He understood what she meant and let her continue.

"It’s clean," he said after a while, as Hana continued rubbing. His cheek was slightly burning from her persistent rubbing, but he ignored it because of the tears falling from her eyes.

"Why did you let her kiss you? It... it hurts, Maan... When that Ellen clung to you... why didn’t you stop her? Is she more important to you? And me? Am I nothing? Her gift is the best gift and... and mine?" Her voice cracked, tears continuing to fall.

"Hey! Hey! It’s not like that, Hanu... Look, Ellen is gone. She came here just to say goodbye to me. And about her gift—yes, her gift is the best..." he paused, and Hana felt her heart clench.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

"...But your gift is the bestest—something no one can ever replace..." he paused again and leaned closer to her ear. "Last night was the best night ever. And for me, no girl is more important than you."

He pulled back slightly to look into her eyes. Hana’s heart melted.

"But that doesn’t mean I’m changing my lifestyle or letting you control my life! I hate serious relationships because I don’t like to be controlled by girls. I’m giving you more importance than I’ve ever given anyone... because you’re different. And I really like you. You’re mine. But Hana, that doesn’t mean I’ll do whatever you say. No! I’ll do what I want!" he said sternly. More tears flowed from Hana's eyes, and a soft sob escaped her lips.

"Shh... Ellen is gone. So relax," he said, cupping her face, trying to calm her because her tears made his heart uneasy.

"You look beautiful... You almost took my breath away when I saw you in this. Black suits you. And a saree? Huh! I never thought a girl could look this stunning in a saree," he said sincerely, trying to make her feel better—which worked, as she blushed deeply.

Hana lowered her gaze, feeling shy. A soft smile appeared on her lips. Rumaan sighed inwardly with relief.

He smiled at her shy expression, lifted her face, and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Hana’s heartbeat quickened as she closed her eyes and placed her hands on his shoulders, kissing him back. After some time, he pulled back and looked at her.

"Are you okay now?" he asked with a smile. Hana nodded shyly, looking down.

"Then... shall we go?" he asked, holding his hand out to her. But before she could take it, something struck her.

"Maan... what did Ellen give you?" she asked, and Rumaan’s face immediately lit up.

"Oh! How could I forget! Hana, I was coming to you! I wanted to tell you first!" he exclaimed excitedly, while Hana looked at him, confused.

"What?" she asked.

Rumaan took out the pass and held it in front of her.

"My dream’s key!" he exclaimed joyfully. But Hana didn’t understand.

He held her arms and spun her around. "Hana! Hana! Hana! I’m so happy, so happy!"

"Alhamdulillah... may Allah always keep you happy like this," Hana prayed aloud, and Rumaan stopped, smiling at her.

"But tell me, what’s the reason for your happiness? And what is this?" she asked curiously.

"I’m going on a world tour in three months!!" he exclaimed happily.

Hana’s face fell, but she quickly covered it with a smile.

"Oh..." she didn’t know what else to say, so she hugged him.

"I’m really happy for you," she said, trying to feel happy for him but failing.

"Now let’s go... everyone is waiting for you to cut the cake," Hana said as she pulled away.

"Okay," he said and turned, but Hana held his arm and turned him to face her again. She stepped close, cupped his face, and pulled him down.

"Happy birthday," she whispered, kissing his forehead.

"Thank you," he replied, kissing her nose, making her giggle softly.

"Now, shall we?" he asked again, holding his hand out to her, which she took happily. They both went inside.

Rumaan cut the cake, and everyone wished him and gave him lots of gifts. His friends enjoyed the party to the fullest.

After the party, everyone went home—except Muneeb.

Shabana Ahmed and Marziya insisted he stay for a few days. He really tried to leave, but they didn’t let him go. In the end, he agreed.

Shabana told Ahmed that she wanted Hana and Rumaan’s ruksati as soon as possible, and Ahmed agreed. He said they would talk to Hana and Rumaan the next morning.

***********

Author's POV

"So tell me, what’s your decision?" Ahmed asked with a serious expression.

Hana and Rumaan were seated on the couch in Shabana and Ahmed's room.

Ahmed and Shabana had just spoken to them about their ruksati. Ahmed mentioned that he and Shabana wanted it to happen next week—which made Rumaan panic. He was utterly shocked by his parents' sudden decision. He had been just about to tell them about his world tour, but before he could open his mouth, they dropped this bomb.

Shabana hadn’t told Ahmed what she had seen. She only told him that Rumaan had started to like Hana, so it would be best to do the ruksati before Fathima's wedding next month. And Ahmed had agreed.

Rumaan wanted to tell his parents that he wasn't ready. But he knew if he said no, they would be disappointed—and he couldn’t bear that.

He looked over at Hana and noticed how her eyes lit up. She was about to say something, but he gently held her hand and gave it a squeeze, making Hana turn to look at him. She noticed the distress on his face and frowned. She raised her eyebrows questioningly. Rumaan slightly shook his head—just enough for only her to notice.

Hana didn’t understand him at first, but then it clicked—his world trip. He was telling her to disagree.

But before she could speak, Riya entered the room.

"Mama, Baba... Nawaz aa rahe hain!" (Nawaz is coming!) Riya informed them excitedly.

"What? Really, aapi?" Rumaan asked in surprise, and Riya nodded.

"Oh, that’s good! Finally, he found some time for us," Ahmed said happily. Nawaz was Riya's husband.

"Yeah... he said he’s only coming for Fathima’s wedding," Riya said, rolling her eyes.

"Be grateful, Riya. We all know how busy he is. Yet, he still made time for the family function," Shabana lightly scolded her.

"Whatever," Riya shrugged and looked at Hana and Rumaan.

"What’s going on here?" she asked, glancing between her parents and the couple.

"We were discussing their ruksati," Shabana replied.

"Oh! So Rumaan is agreeing?" she yelled excitedly.

"They haven’t said anything yet," Ahmed said, looking between Rumaan and Hana.

"It’s final! They both like each other, and I know Rumaan has no issue with this. Am I right, Rumaan?" Shabana asked him sternly, making him gulp. He looked at Hana again, silently pleading for help.

"Rumaan... say something," Ahmed asked firmly. Rumaan became even more tense. He didn’t know how to say no without hurting Hana—and he didn’t want that.

"I’m not ready for this," Hana blurted out, and all heads snapped toward her.

"What!?" they all said in unison, while Rumaan silently stared at her.

"What are you saying, beta?" Ahmed asked gently.

"Uh... um... Baba I..." she trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"She wants to complete her studies first," Rumaan said abruptly.

"What?" Shabana asked.

"Yes, Mama. She wants to complete her education before the ruksati," he said, giving Hana an apologetic look. Her eyes filled with tears, but she blinked rapidly and swallowed hard, holding them back.

"Hana... you can finish your studies after the ruksati," Riya chimed in, clearly disapproving. She thought Rumaan was on board, and now it looked like Hana was the problem.

"After she finishes her education, we’ll go ahead with the ruksati," Rumaan said quickly.

"Hana, beta, you tell me. Do you really want to complete your studies first?" Ahmed asked softly, moving closer to her.

"No... Riya is right. She can complete her studies after the ruksati," Shabana jumped in quickly, knowing Hana was only doing this for Rumaan.

"Shabana, I’m talking to Hana," Ahmed said firmly, silencing her.

"Tell me, beta," he asked again, gently placing his hand on Hana’s head.

"Uh... ye...yes... Ba...Baba," she stuttered, guilt washing over her for lying.

"Then it’s final. Until she finishes her studies, no one will bring up ruksati again," Ahmed announced. Shabana looked at him wide-eyed. She tried again to convince him, but Ahmed didn’t change his mind.

Rumaan let out a sigh of relief, while Hana controlled her emotions and tears, masking it with a blank expression.

Riya, however, was visibly annoyed. She made a displeased face and walked out.

---

Rumaan’s POV

I was stepping out of my room when I heard shouting coming from the kitchen.

I turned and saw Marziya aapi and Riya aapi standing at the kitchen doorway. Marzi aapi was smiling, while Riya aapi narrowed her eyes at someone—or something—inside.

"What’s happe—" I started to ask but was cut off by a loud yell.

"How dare you!! Now you’re dead!!" Hana screamed, holding a rolling pin.

"Look, angry cat! I was—" Muneeb was saying while running around the table, but Hana cut him off.

"Did you just call me an angry cat!?" Hana shrieked, trying to hit him with the rolling pin.

"No! I didn’t call you an angry cat, pagli! (duffer) I was saying, look out the window—there’s an angry cat!" he said, pointing outside, trying to save himself.

"I know! I know what you meant!" she yelled again and made another attempt to hit him. He ducked just in time.

"Princess, I’m sorry! I really didn’t know that ice cream was yours!" he tried to calm her, but it didn’t help.

"But you could’ve asked before eating it! You know I’m the only one who brings ice cream here—and that too, it was chocolate ice cream! I know you knew it, but still, you ate the whole dabba! (box) Didn’t think about me even once!" she shouted and this time, managed to lightly tap him with the rolling pin, making Muneeb scream dramatically.

It was obvious she barely touched him, but he acted like she broke a bone.

I stood there, watching them, feeling something inside me burn. They kept running around the table, yelling, arguing, laughing—whatever it was, I didn’t like it. But I held myself back because both Marzi and Riya aapi were standing beside me.

"What a drama," Riya aapi mumbled. She then grabbed Marzi aapi’s elbow.

"Marzi, let’s go. You’ve been standing too long—you’re already not feeling well. Come on," she said, and Marzi nodded with a smile as they both walked away.

I kept looking at them as they left, but Marzi aapi’s smile triggered something—her and Hana’s conversation echoed in my head.

“Khala was saying, ‘I wish I could make Hana my second daughter-in-law!’ And you said, ‘If I wasn’t already married, you would've surely given my hand to Muneeb.’”

Hana’s words rang in my ears, and I became restless seeing her and Muneeb together.

I saw Muneeb suddenly grab Hana’s wrists, making the rolling pin fall to the ground. He pulled her a little closer, and that was enough for me.

"What the hell is going on here!?" I barked harshly. They both turned and looked at me. Muneeb immediately let go of her wrists.

"Maan! He ate my ice cream!" Hana complained, pouting.

I walked in front of them, standing right between them.

"I’ll buy you loads of ice cream. Now let’s go," I said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her with me. But she stopped.

"No! You’re not going to buy me ice cream! I want Muneeb to buy it for me! He ate—"

"Enough, Hana! I said let’s go," I shouted, making her flinch.

"Hey! Easy, man! Why are you yelling at her?" Muneeb intervened.

I glared at him. "If you’ve forgotten, let me remind you—she’s my wife! I’ll do whatever I want!" I said coldly, then dragged her away. This time, she didn’t resist.

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