broken candle
“Sofi, why don’t you deep fry the pakodas until I am giving the final steam to this biryani…Nouman’s family would be coming any moment” shouted Abeeha from the kitchen.
“i am not interested Baaji, also I am busy seeing the dresses your mother in law has sent.” trying the maroon dress’s look on her, Sofiya answered from the room.
“Sofi, I am giving you 10 minutes to come here, otherwise it won’t be good for you.” sprinkling the brown onion slices on the biryani Abeeha gave her the last warning.
“whatever.” ignoring her elder sister Sofi made herself busy admiring her own reflection.
Suddenly a thought came to her and she searched for her phone stuffed under the gifts.
“here it is.” switching on the front camera she clicked a perfect selfie showing the beautiful girl in the beautiful dress.
“tum aaj milne nahi aye na, ye lo aur ab tarso mere liye.”( you didn’t come to meet me. Now miss me.) typing the message below the picture she clicked SEND and Blocked him.
She very well knew how desperate he was going to be after seeing her photograph but now he would be unable to talk with her.
Smiling to herself she went for the other dresses and bent to grab the deep green long Anarkali.
“sofi!!! What is this?!” Heena’s voice boomed in the room.
“what happened Ammi, I was just trying …” with a slight embarrassment, Sofi tried to cover the thing.
“do you even understand what are you doing, this is Beeya’s wedding dress which you have been admiring yourself in.” their mother was angry on this childishness.
“what happened Ammi?, she just tried it, nothing big.” Controlling the situation Abeeha saved Sofi from their mother’s wrath.
“ I am not taking it, was just trying.” sofi replied with tears forming in her big eyes.
“Sofi,… it is okay. Now change and help me in the kitchen.” Beeha told her lovingly.
“wearing someone’s wedding dress is not a joke Girls, I don’t want such jokes from now on,” Heena instructed strictly before going in kitchen for other preparations.
“by the way, your dress is so beautiful Baaji…” Sofi commented as they both changed for the guests arriving.
“hmmm.” Abeeha hummed as she was busy making her hairs.
“Baaji, would you like to tell me a thing?” Sofi asked taking the comb and making her hairs.
“i won’t answer any of the wild questions of you.” sensing the sudden seriousness in Sofi’s attitude Abeeha eyed her.
“arey No, no…” Sofi sat in front of her. “ do you feel the excitement of your wedding Baaji?,I mean it would be a surreal feeling na.”
“and why are you asking me all this …haan?” Abeeha asked her. “ something cooking inside your brain!!!”Tapping on her head she left the dressing stool.
“you are so boring Beeha, don’t know how Nouman Bhai loves you this much.” Sofi sighed annoyingly.
“you are going to get beaten by Ammi someday Sofi if Ammi hears all this nonsense.” Beeha left the room smiling inwardly on her question.
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“See, Jameel Bhai, I don’t want to make any delay to do the Rukhsati of my Abeeha.” Mrs Sayyed, Beeha’s mother in law declared lovingly.
“we understand you Bhabhi but you also understand our situations na, just last month my Bhai Sahab passed away.. it won’t look good na.” Beeha’s father kept his point.
“alright as you say Jameel, it was her wish to fix the date today only.” An ex-army man Mr Sayyed replied.
“where did these kids go, it is getting late?” Mrs Sayyed asked taking the tea.
“Heena, call them… I don’t like all these shamelessness.”Jameel muttered under breath with anger clouding his face.
“calm down Bhai Sahab, there is nothing wrong if they are together…even, even Sofi is there.”Understanding her mistake Seema said hurriedly.
Seema had only one kid “Nouman” but she always craved for a girl child though Allah had other plans so in Abeeha she has found that daughter.
She could not let her Abeeha get scolded by her father, anyway, this man named Jameel Ahmad looked very strict with his girls.
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“Ammi is so excited about the wedding, she has already done a lot of shopping for you,” Nouman told the excitement he was witnessing nowadays.
“but you know about Kaka’s death, Nouman… Abu can not do anything at this moment,” she said defensively.
“i have a feeling you don’t miss me Abeeha!” Nouman complained suddenly.
“no, why did you feel like that.” She asked shockingly.
“You never call me, or text me …even when we meet you are scared or hesitant like you are not here at all.” he expressed the thing bugging him from so many days.
“it is not like that… it is just Abbu doesn’t like our lone meetings so…” she reminded him about her strict dad.
“oh, and here I thought you were not happy with the wedding.” he teased her.
“Nouman, please… don’t say such things.” she blushed hard.
___________*_____________
“but We never call each other, how did you call me.” smirking on his desperation Sofi asked him.
“well, seeing that picture itself was a boost.’ he teased her.
“and aren’t your sister’s in-laws coming today… go prepare for that.” he irritated her.
“Haan haan, don’t be smart…besides, they have already come and Baaji is with Nouman Bhai…now I didn’t want to be the kabab me haddi so I was in the balcony.” she told him furiously.
“huh, someone came to irritate me, looks like they are already irritated Sofi.” he smiled on the phone and she could imagine the soft eyes beaming with pure joy.
“okay leave that… what I was saying that after Baaji’s Rukhsati (Vidaai/Departure) why don’t you come to my house for our proposal!!!”
“Sofiiii, where are you?” her mother called her downstairs.
“listen I am going, we will meet tomorrow if you are FREE.” she ended the call with the taunt for not meeting her today.
And these childish Girl with a bold Diva was what he loved the most about his Sofia.
Though it was early, she was still in college but he also wanted to marry her soon and the idea wasn’t bad.
“to take the proposal to her house after her elder sister goes to her in-law’s house.”
Everyone was busy dreaming a beautiful future, unaware of the havoc coming in their lives, after which everyone’s life was about to change.
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Hey everyone so here is the first part of this story buzzing my nerve cells for a while.
It was hard to keep myself away from typing this so here without any more delay I am posting it.
If you read, tell me how you liked and if you find any mistake then without thinking twice inform me( it is a humble request of mine)
With love Morusya.
NOTE – In some parts of Northern India,Hindu Girls don’t go to their in laws house immediately after wedding, there is a ritual called GAUNA OR GAWNA where groom’s family come with gifts and sweets and take the bride to their house).
A somewhat similar ritual is observed in Muslim community where after Nikkah, they perform this RUKHSATI and then groom’s family come to take the bride to their house.
Both the communities perform the ritual after 1 1/2 months to 2 or 3 or in some cases even 10 years of marriage.
Earlier marriages were performed in a very small age of kids so till the time girls were old enough to manage their married life they used to live with their parents and once they were 15 or 16 or so GAWNA/RUKHSATI was performed.