Those eyes, those breathtakingly beautiful light brown eyes, were on her and she could feel them. She could feel the skin of her neck, where his eyes landed, prickling and she rubbed her left hand over it. Her right hand was enclosed within her aunt's hand, who was talking to her. Throughout the conversation she had a smile on her lips and this was not because of what her aunt was saying but because she was somewhat enjoying his discomfort.

From somewhere distant she heard her cousin calling her name. "Irsia aapi, wake up. Wake up," Zahra said while shaking her arm.

"Huh?" she answered sleepily, still half conscious and unaware of her surroundings.

"Get up and get ready. We are getting late."

Irsia rubbed her eyes and looked around, blinking her eyes repeatedly. "What?"

"I said, get up quickly. We are leaving in half an hour."

"What time is it?"

"11:30 AM. You told me that you were going to take five minutes power nap and you slept through an hour."

"Oh!"

"Oh? Seriously?" Zahra raised her eyebrows.

"I was having a good dream," Irsia said with a dreamy smile.

"His dream?" Zahra asked excitedly. Irsia nodded her head, confirming what Zahra asked. Zahra clapped her hands excitedly and demanded the details, completely forgetting why she woke her up in the first place.

"Okay. So I entered the room and he was there all clad in black; black leather jacket, black jeans and black boots. He looked at me and without saying a word followed me out through the other door that was at the back of the room. Suddenly I was sitting in our drawing room and there were people there, many people. It was some sort of function and all of us were having lunch, or dinner? I don't remember. He was among those serving water. We had never met before but somehow he knew who I was and I too recognized him. As he was nearing me he was getting nervous and when he finally reached me I couldn't manage to lift my eyes and look at him. He gave me the glass of water which I took from him without lifting my eyes and yet somehow I knew he was looking at me."

"Wow."

"Shut up. There is more and FYI with the change in the scene his clothes had also changed and now, instead of wearing leather jacket, he was in white khandress. So continuing further, the scene changed again--"  she stopped looking at Zahra's expression. "No, this time he was still wearing the white khandress."

"Okay. Carry on."

"So now the scene shifted to our hall. He was sitting on a chair with table full of glasses in front of him."

"Still serving water? What is he--" Irsia gave her the look  and she placed a finger on her lips and motioned her to carry on.

"So he was sitting there and I think I was standing there with him when a woman called me. She was our relative, one of our aunts I guess, though which one,  I don't remember. I went to her and was talking with her when I turned around to look at him. He was surrounded by some people, my relatives. He looked at me and pleaded with his eyes to save him, to take him away from there. The lady asked for my attention by grabbing my right hand. I gave him an innocent smile and turned around. Seeing his uncomfortable state, a smile formed on my lips and refused to leave me. While talking to her I could feel his pleading eyes on me and my skin prickled. Suddenly the smile changed from that of amusement to that of nervousness and I rubbed my neck with my left hand to somehow lessen the prickling sensation. Before I could take him out of his sorrow, you called me," Irsia finished narrating the dream with a far away look in her eyes.

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't know. How I wish he arrives quickly. I so want to meet him." she said dreamily and the last part excitedly.

"Imagine how desperately am I waiting to see him, to know who he is."

"But you are cruel! How could you enjoy his uncomfortable state?" Zahra stated.

Irsia gave her a wink as a response. She looked at the clock and suddenly exclaimed, "Oh no! We are late, so very late."

Irsia was coming out of the kitchen, holding the tray full of dishes when she came face-to-face with a smiling Sibtain, who looked dapper in black shirt and metallic grey jeans and waistcoat.

"Why are you smiling to yourself?" Irsia asked and he just shrugged in response.

"I came for a glass of water."

"Feel at home," Irsia said motioning towards kitchen with her head.

"That I will."

"You look good, by the way," Irsia complimented.

"I know," he said with a wink.

Irsia smiled and walked past him to reach the dinning hall where Manahil was waiting for her to bring the dishes for the guest, who happened to be Noor-din Khan's friend. As she walked three steps ahead her scarf slipped from her head and she groaned.

"What happened?" Sibtain, who was standing on the kitchen doorway, asked.

She gestured with her eyes towards her head. "My scarf."

"So?" Sibtain looked confused.

"In case you haven't noticed but my hands are full."

"Oh. Shall I?" he asked for permission and when she nodded her head, he walked towards her and placed the scarf back on her head and a smile graced his lips.

"Why are you smiling, again?" she asked.

"Nothing." Oh! If only she knew why he was smiling. "Did I tell you that you look gorgeous?"

Irsia blushed and left with a smile.

"I'm so sorry, I took so much of your time. Had I known he won't be here I would've come some other day," Noor-din Khan's friend said.

"Uncle please don't say like that. So what if he isn't here, we got the chance to meet you," answered Manahil.

"Allah bless you all. Tell him I'll come visit again after few days in shaa Allah."

"Surely will. Abu Bakar will drop you."

"Oh no no. You're already late for the wedding."

"Please I insist. It'll only take him ten minutes. Please."

When Abu Bakar returned after twenty minutes, they left for the wedding.

"Asalamualaikum dadajaan." Irsia and Zahra walked to where their grandfather was, in a chair on a porch with his brother. They greeted him as well.

"Aha! Here are my fairies. Let me look at you both." They twirled a little, Irsia in her white and grey embroidered gown and Zahra in her blue gown.

"How do we look?" Zahra asked.

"Like fairies. Beautiful fairies."

"Now that is an over exaggeration," Abu Bakar said from behind them. "Asalamualaikum dadajaan, nanajaan." His grandfathers laughed at his teasing and replied to his salutation.

"They are my fairies and I don't care what anyone says. Don't listen to him," Noor-din Khan said looking at the girls.

After some more talk and delivering the message of his friend to him, Irsia took a leave of her grandfather with her cousin and went towards the ladies' tent. As they entered they spotted Arooba and her mom sitting with their mothers and Safa.

"Look, Arooba is here. Yay!" Zahra told Irsia, faking excitement.

"What is your problem with her?" Irsia enquired.

"I don't know. Never liked her."

"C'mon when you last saw her you were little. Some ten years ago. Even Sibtain likes her now."

Zahra nodded her head. "But I must say, she looks beautiful. Yellow color suits her."

"Yeah. She is beautiful."

They greeted everyone there, including Arooba.

"Look at them! You both have grown up since I last saw you," Arooba's mother said looking at the cousins. They smiled in response and sat beside Arooba.

For a little while the girls were quiet and then Irsia decided to break the awkward silence. "So Arooba, what are you doing these days?" Zahra looked at her cousin and gave her a scowl while Arooba smiled at her.

"I'm doing my PhD."

"Wow."

They talked a bit with each other and then Arooba asked, "Has Sibtain arrived? I mean I saw Shahzain but not him and then Safa aunty told me he was coming with you."

"Oh Arooba, no need to give explanation. After all he is your brother as well and yes he is outside," Zahra said with extra sweetness in her voice. Irsia gave her what-is-up-with-you look.

"Will you come with me? I want to meet him."

"We would love to but not right now. Since almost every male at the wedding is out there, dadajaan won't approve our going out. So I guess later?" Zahra replied.

"Yes, you are right. I'll meet him later on. Sibtain has changed a lot since he last came here. Don't you think so?" she asked.

"I agree," replied Irsia.

"He has been comparatively more talkative, friendly and not to forget more good looking." Hearing this Zahra raised her eyebrows and looked at Irsia, giving her there-is-something-going-on-here look. Irsia looked at her and just smiled at Arooba. Arooba kept talking and the mostly the subject was Sibtain.

After a while Zoya came down, in her red lehanga with light peach dupatta, looking absolutely stunning. After she was seated the women gathered around her and started singing and doing Kashmiri folk dance, rauff. Sibtain was standing near the door watching all this and occasionally his eyes roamed across the room and landed on a particular face, who was oblivious of his eyes on her.

"There is Sibtain," Arooba said excitedly looking at him, who was looking at his phone. As if on cue, Sibtain looked in their direction and the fusion of dark and light brown eyes happened. Irsia gave him a small smile and looked in Arooba's direction. She waved at him and after waving back to Arooba he left from there.

When the lunch was being served and Aazir, along with Sibtain and few other guys were serving food and water, Irsia remembered her dream and gave a dreamy sigh. She missed him and was still lost in his thoughts when Sibtain and Aazir reached them.

"Earth to Irsia," Sibtain said waving his hand in front of her face. When she regained her senses, Sibtain handed her the basket containing water bottle, glasses, mint, soap, tissues and towel.

"Hi Sibtain," Arooba said smiling.

"Hey. How are you?"

"Good. You?"

"Good."

"Sorry to interrupt but there are other guests as well and they are waiting," Aazir told Sibtain.

"Yeah sorry. Bye Arooba."

"Bye," she answered with a smile.

It was almost 11pm and everyone was waiting for the groom to arrive. Suddenly someone said, 'he is here' and the women started welcoming him by singing the traditional song for this particular moment. The men all gathered in two rows on either side of the red carpet. When the groom stepped out of the car, Zoya's father hugged him and welcomed him inside where everyone standing there greeted him. When he neared the house, Zoya's mother was already waiting for him on the porch with the basket full of almonds. She welcomed him and showered him with almonds and a lot of blessings. Sibtain and Shahzain were looking at this with awe. Sibtain looked towards the window and his lips automatically lifted into a smile on seeing Irsia's smiling face, who was looking at the groom and whispering something in Zahra's ear.

After having dinner, which is a special meal prepared for the groom and his companions, they got up to leave. Amid lot of tears and emotions, Zoya left her father's home with her husband towards her new beginning.