CHAPTER 29- MARRIAGE PROPOSAL

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Next Day, Rifaat missed Ahaan terribly. Last night itself she thought of texting him, but since there wasn't any text from him she didn't. She didn't want to look like a despo. Mr. Siddiqui noticed his niece sulking again. He asked her multiple times but she didn't say him anything except that she was fine.

'Is it about that rascal, Hariz. Isn't it?' Mr. Siddiqui said as he and Rifaat drove to work. Only after her uncle mentioned him did Hariz came in her mind. Rifaat is surprised that in the last one week she hasn't once thought of Hariz. He had always been in her mind, depressing her. With Ahaan, things have begun to change. Rifaat shook her head and turned her head looking out from the window.

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Ahaan sat squished between his parents in a cosy living room. A grumpy expression on his face. His mother managed to doll him up and bring him to meet his potential bride. Ahaan had come running from Mumbai fearing for his father but it turned out that his father hadn't fallen from anywhere, not the stairs and not in the garden. He just had terrible knee pain due to age and was advised to use clutch for few days. Ahaan was shocked and then annoyed when he knew all this was a set up by his parents, her mother being the master-mind, to bring him here and make him meet his future alliance.

'Nice place, Haina?' Mrs. Qazmi said to her husband who nodded his head in agreement.

'Arey beta, please smile.' she added looking at Ahaan. But he didn't bother changing his demeanour. Ahaan doesn't mind meeting up a girl like he had met Abeer but coming to their homes, having their snacks and tea, and meeting the girl like she is some show piece is something Ahaan doesn't approve of.

'Good morning.' A short middle-aged man came to them. Ahaan along with his parents stood up. Mrs. Qazmi nudged Ahaan's arm and whispered urgently, 'Fix your facial expressions.' Ahaan straightened up and adjusted his white shirt's collar.

'Hello...' the man, the girl's father, shook Ahaan's hand. Ahaan greeted him politely and shook his hands. A woman slightly older than the man hurried to them. She is dressed in bright neon green and golden saree. Her greying hair tied in a loose bun. She greeted them and hugged Mrs. Qazmi who hugged her back warmly. They sat and the servants began bringing snacks, few biscuits, Pakoras, Samosas. Ahaan gulped looking at the table filled with snacks, it will be hard to reject this alliance. Unlike last time when he had gone to meet Abeer, this time Ahaan has made up his mind to reject this alliance.

'Here beta, have this. Our beti, Farzana has made this by herself.' The woman pointed at an obvious from shop Samosa. Ahaan politely refused, he is having only few biscuits. At least, after he breaks the alliance he won't be guilty of eating too much at their place.

They spent few minutes talking, which was mostly Mrs. And Mr. Malik questioning Ahaan about him, his work and other general marriage questions. Ahaan answered everything confidently. He could feel his mother beam beside him. Soon, Farzana was brought in the typical stereotype fashion. She wore a pink and golden suit with dupatta covering half her face. Her head lowered and she carried tray filled with five cups of tea. Ahaan didn't look at her, he lowered his head. For some reason, he felt uncomfortable staring at a girl this way, it didn't feel right to him. He stared at his clasped palms instead.

'Waah, beta! Awesome tea.' Mrs. Qazmi complimented, her husband also took a sip and nodded in agreement. Ahaan also enjoyed the tea. The girl still has her head lowered as she sat timidly beside her mother, it looked like she was very nervous.

'Aur Batao, Beta. What you do?' Mrs. Qazmi asked happily.

'Ji, I am in my last year of my engineering college.' Farzana said meekly. Her gaze lowered, she kept fidgeting nervously with her fingers. Ahaan looked at his mother, the girl is too young for him. He is thirty-one and she must be twenty-two. Ahaan felt very uncomfortable as he calculated the age difference. But then he inwardly smiled, this is perfect reason to reject this alliance.

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Rifaat desperately needed a distraction, so she made excuse to her Uncle about health and ventured out for some sight-seeing. She stumbled upon a parlour that offered Tattoo and piercing. Looking at it she got a toofani idea. She pushed the door and entered the parlour. Removing her sunglasses, she placed it on her head and looked around. The parlour didn't seem tacky, in fact it was very much professional and posh.

'Maam, May I help you?' a worker wearing maroon Kurthi and black churidar along with black apron, asked Rifaat politely. Rifaat looked at woman and smiled formally, 'I want a piercing.'

Rifaat felt slightly nervous following the woman into a small cubicle. Beside this cubicle is a cubicle where Tattoo is done. Rifaat chose piercing thinking it to be less painful than getting inked.

'Where you do want the piercing, Maam.' The woman asked. Rifaat thought for a while, she is thinking having the piercing done somewhere intimate. Only for her. After thinking for a while, Rifaat said confidently, 'I want belly piercing.' The woman nodded and disappeared from the cubicle.

Rifaat sat on a small round blue chair and looked around. She tried to focus on the interior of the place and not think of anything else, nothing. After a while, the woman reappeared. Rifaat is then asked to lay on a white and pink stretcher. The woman pulled Rifaat's yellow Tee up exposing her navel.

'Ready, Maam!' the woman asked Rifaat one final time. Rifaat nodded and then relaxed turning to look up at the well painted ceiling. She felt the woman's fingers on her stomach and closed her eyes.

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Ahaan felt strange standing on a terrace with this girl timid girl, Farzana. She still has her head lowered. They are standing perfectly still since ten-fifteen minutes.

'So? You...are....'

'Please marry me... please don't say No. Please don't reject me.... please.' The girl panicked. Ahaan stopped speaking abruptly and blinked at the girl stunned. She is now looking at him with fearful eyes.

'Huh!'

'You are the tenth guy who has come to see me. Everyone.... rejected....me....my parents will have a heart attack if you too reject me...please.... agree to the alliance.' She began to cry. Ahaan is worried now. How the heck did he land himself here, with a sobbing stranger? Ahaan didn't know how to console the girl as she continued crying. Ahaan looked around, he is wondering if anyone will catch them, misunderstand them, and beat him up for misbehaving with the girl? Ahaan shook his head, what is he thinking?

Ahaan took out handkerchief from his right pocket and forwarded to her, 'Hey, don't cry.' The girl sniffed and took the handkerchief from him. Ahaan watched as she wiped her tears and nose.

'Better?' he asked softly The girl nodded, her head lowered again. She is playing with the helm of her dupatta. Ahaan is relieved that she has stopped crying. Now, there is silence between them once again.

'Farzana.' Ahaan finally spoke.

'Ji!' she said softly. Ahaan felt guilty as he said, 'You are very beautiful girl, Farzana. I am sure you will be a very good wife but... (she looked up at him fearfully) I am sorry.' He finished. He couldn't say further as he noticed tears in her eyes. Ahaan's biggest weakness is to see tears in a woman's eyes. He closed his eyes, Rifaat smiling face came flashing before his eyes and this gave him strength to say whatever he said, 'It is not your fault. Don't blame yourself. Please. The problem is with me. I...love someone else... and our age difference, I am like ten years older than you.... I didn't want to come here but my parents...'Ahaan said making an apologetic face. The girl looked at him for a second before breaking down crying, again.

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