21| Ahad

Two days later, we were still at my parent's house and Nawal looked so happy since morning that I wondered what the occasion was. She dressed a little special in her lilac and silver shalwar kameez suit and even wore a few silver bangles on her wrist. Her hair were left loose behind her and some had been brought to her front over her shoulder.

"What's the occasion, jaan?" When I couldn't hold it in, I asked her as I put my hands on her waist and she gasped.

"Ahad, do not romance with me here. We're at your parents' house!" She tried to turn around but I held her in place as I softly blew at the exposed skin of her neck from the back, causing her to shut her eyes and slightly lean back.

"We were expected to spend our wedding night in this room, Jaan. Some harmless romance between a married couple shouldn't bother anyone." Instead of blowing this time, I left a small peck on her neck and she completely leaned back and placed her head over my shoulder.

"Ahad, stop it. Please." She pleaded as she looked tortured, trying to hold herself back.

"And why should I?" I trailed a finger from her neck to her shoulder and down her arm. Finally deciding to stop torturing her, I pressed my lips to hers as she turned around and put her hands on my cheek and shoulder. The dresser was right next to the door so I reached out a hand and locked the door, wanting no one to interrupt our moment and to save ourselves from the embarrassment too though Nawal would probably be the only one embarrassed. I had kept my hands off of her for most of the time since that night to not make her uncomfortable and the most I did was cuddle with her in bed since I was now used to it but she looked so pretty in that dress that I couldn't stop myself anymore.

Surprisingly, Nawal was the one to deepen our kiss as she kissed me as hard as I would and I returned the same heat, tightly gripping her waist and tugging her as close as she could get. Her hand roamed the length of my chest before she pulled away and looked away.

"Oh, look I ruined your lipstick," I smirked before using the edge of my thumb to wipe off the tiniest bit of lipstick that had spread out a little. Her lipstick did a good job staying.

"Leave me alone now. I won't ever be able to get ready like this."

"Why are you getting ready, though?" I asked as I realized I still hadn't gotten my answer.

"You'll find out soon enough, have some patience."

For the next few hours, Nawal and Rumi were nowhere to be seen as they had locked themselves in Rumi's room. I know that everyone was confused as to what the two were scheming and I was just as oblivious to the entire situation. Amongst others, I had felt their absence the most, specially Nawal's after the mind-blowing kiss we had shared in the morning and I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Man, I was whipped.

Just sometime before lunch, the bell had rung and Sameer bhai offered to open the door and I tagged along. When we opened the door, my in-laws were standing there, all dressed up but nothing over the top and it reminded me of how Nawal was dressing up too. Probably had something to do with them but I still didn't know what. Sameer bhai had run over and called my parents so we could properly welcome them to our house and just then Nawal came downstairs. She hugged her parents and brother and smiled encouragingly at her brother for who-knows-what as they all sat down in the living room.

"What a nice surprise?" Mom told them, looking just as surprised as she claimed to be.

"Actually, bhabhi, we had to talk about something very serious with you all," Aunty said, referring to mama as bhabhi because of the friendship between our fathers. Then I noticed what my mother-in-law had said. She wanted to talk about something serious. Had I done something to upset Nawal and they were here to take their daughter back? I panicked in my seat as Nawal funnily looked over at me.

"Is everything okay?" I whispered in her ear and she just nodded. That wasn't enough reassurance.

"I don't want to beat around the bush or anything so I'll just say it. I've been looking for a wife for my son for a while now and I think your daughter, Rumaisa, would be perfect." Wow, she really didn't beat around the bush. Mom and dad looked taken aback by her words but my parents-in-law just patiently waited for them to recover from the shock of it all. Rumaisa and Rauf? Through our small conversations, I knew that Rauf was a good man and most of all he was Nawal's brother so I didn't doubt him being a nice person.

When mama recovered from her initial shock, she looked overjoyed and close to tears. She had finally found a worthy rishta for my baby sister after months of searching. She never let it show but I knew that worry had been eating her alive from the inside and she was close to giving up after so many tries. It was like Allah had heard her prayers now.

*rishta: marriage proposal.

"Beta, where is Rumi?" She turned to my wife because right now only she seemed to know where Rumi was after hogging her for the past two days.

"I'll bring her." She got up and went upstairs to my sister's room and conversation continued downstairs.

"Bhabhi, how did you consider my Rumi?" Mama looked so grateful that she looked like she just wanted to hug aunty right now.

"Nawal had talked to me about her for Rauf. At first, I was just as surprised as you are right now but later I thought more about it and why not? Rumaisa is our damad's behen and I didn't see anything wrong in it." Aunty glanced at me for a second and I smiled back before looking at my mother again.

*damad: son-in-law.

"Asalam Alaikum." We all looked up as Rumaisa greeted us. Nawal and Zoha were standing on either side of her and my youngest sister was wearing a pistachio green dress with its net dupatta resting on her shoulder. Zoha looked a little underdressed next to Rumi and Nawal but I doubt she would have dressed up even if she knew about everything. Nowadays, she had been a little moody and wore the simplest and lightest clothes she found.

Aunty patted the seat next to her and the girls took Rumi and sat her down over there. She kissed the top of my sister's head before smiling at her.

"Bhai, bhabhi, we'll be looking forward to your answer. I would love to have this beauty as my bahu." My mother-in-law hopefully looked at my parents and mama grabbed her hands.

"Bhabhi, I'm sure there couldn't be a better rishta for my daughter. We accept." Everyone hugged and clapped and Zoha brought out the sweets that my in-laws had brought with them. Rumaisa had lowered her gaze the entire time, only nodding to a few questions she was asked and I found it so uncharacteristic of her. She was the one from all three of us that would talk without thinking and since she was the youngest, we had all babied her and now she was getting married. I had the same thoughts when Zoha was about to get married.

Aunty slid on a ring on my sister's finger and told us that it wasn't an engagement ring but just a small gift from her to her future daughter-in-law. Mama asked them to join us for lunch but they politely refused and said that they should be on their way now. Once my in-laws left, the rest of the family sat and talked about what just happened but I excused myself and asked Nawal to come with me to our room.

"You did this?" I inquired softly.

"Not all of it but yes. Aunty had seemed so worried about Rumi's rishta and mama had been looking for a girl for Rauf bhai too so I thought... They looked so happy."

"Thank you. For thinking of my sister even though I know that your brother was involved too but something tells me it initiated from my sister before going to Rauf, judging from all the 'talking' you and Rumi have been doing." I sincerely thanked her and kissed the top of her head.

"You thought right. Rumi didn't want me to tell this to anyone before but now it has happened so I'll just tell you. That day, Rumi told me that she was interested in my brother so that's what I went to talk to my mother about."

"Rumi's interested in Rauf?" Both my eyebrows flew up as I looked at her unbelievingly and she quietly laughed.

"Everyone was just as shocked so you are right now, trust me. I had never thought of Rumaisa and Rauf bhai for each other."

"I hope the outcome of their marriage will be good." I genuinely said.

"Insha Allah."

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(A.N): Introducing Rumaisa Iftikhar and Rauf Arshad! Will their marriage work out, though? Keep reading! Please vote and comment to support the story <3