"Ek din tum hamare pas zarur chale aaonge...
Dilse ho ya nigahose lekin mera pyar zarur samajh jaonge..."

(One day you will surely come to me...
If not with heart then from the eyes you'll surely understand my love...)

***

"What is this Sid? I can't understand what magic that boy has done on both of you. I already warned both of you, not to bring any stranger in this house but you disobeyed and that too a boy from some other country about who's the background you don't know anything." Sidhra's mom scolds her.

"Come on mom he isn't a stranger." Both the siblings said at once.

"It's not even fully two months since you are acquainted with him and you are visiting him and he is also coming here, I don't like it. If Adi needs his help he can visit him but Sidhra I want you to stay away from that boy, there's no need to bring him here." Minar warned her children.

Just then the doorbell rings. "I guess it's him," Minar says with a disappointed look.

"Yes mom and you are no one to tell us what to do and what not to, we are mature enough to take our own decisions, isn't it Sid?" Adi asks Sidhra who nods her head in agreement.

"Don't forget you are living in my house and so you are bound to obey my rules or else get lost from here and do whatever you want. Today itself tell your friend to stop visiting us here or else next time I'll push him outside, myself." Minar threatens her children before going towards the kitchen.

"Assalamalaikum." Shahid greets both the siblings while entering inside. "Walaikumassalam." They greet him back.

"Let's go to my room." Saying so, Adi moves towards his room and Shahid follows him. Sidhra too goes inside her room.

After nearly half an hour Shahid feels thirsty and he himself goes to bring water. In these two months, he has developed a strong bond of friendship with these two siblings.

When he enters the kitchen he finds Minar preparing dinner. "Assalamalaikum aunty." He greets her but she replies in a whisper which he's unable to understand. He gets angry as she always treats him like this. In his previous visit, she even taunted him regarding his upbringing, how he makes himself comfortable here. He decides to payback as both her children are out of hearing range.

"You old grumpy woman, don't you have any other job rather than poking your nose in others personal life. Who are you to boss around your children, they can do whatever they want and if you'll try to force your rules on them then you'll rot alone as they can leave you anytime and I'll be more than happy to help them. Especially your younger one." Shahid replies with a smirk as he knows she can't argue with him or else this is a foreign country and she can surely lose her children.

She already had doubt on this guy's character and the way he spoke to her increased her doubts. She can sense something in his eyes which she dislikes the most as she can see something off in his eyes but she is unable to point it out.

Shahid takes his glass of water and leaves the kitchen with a huge grin. His expressions and his words clearly explained to her that he has heard her threats but now she needs to put forth her plan systematically.

Shahid leaves after explaining Adi about a few important topics of Drug Chemistry. Adi insisted him to have dinner with them but he leaves promising to eat dinner next time.

"Tomorrow your aunt is coming here so don't make any plans for tomorrow." She tells her children in a stern voice.

"But mom it's weekend," Adi complains. "It's ok if you want you can go after meeting her but I hope Sid doesn't have any plan for tomorrow right?" Minar asks.

"Yeah, mom, I'll be here tomorrow," Sidhra replies in a bored tone. It's not like she dislikes her aunt, she does like her as she's a kind-hearted lady but the problem is her son 'Tahsin'. He leaves no opportunity to flirt with her and she clearly knows her mom and aunts wish to get her married to this jerk of a cousin. She hates him with all her heart for this reason.

***

"Bye mom, bye Sid," Adi calls before leaving the house.

"At least wait till Fara comes." Mina, complains and Sidhra too pouts looking at her brother who's leaving her alone to handle a jerk. Adi chuckles at her expressions and shrugs.

"It's not like Khals (his style of calling 'khala' which means mom's sister) is visiting for the first time. I'll meet her later on." Saying so he leaves.

Sidhra helps her mom in preparing the dinner and is thankful that all this time her mom didn't bring up Shahid's topic as nowadays he is her mom's favourite topic of criticism.

After preparing the dinner Minar and Sidhra change their clothes and when Sidhra is descending the stairs she hears the doorbell. She opens the door and greets her Khala who gets shocked as this is the first time Sidhra greeted them with salam.

"Mashaallah my daughter has finally grown up." Her Khala hugs her and then enters inside. "Minar, what changes took place here in these last few months? How come this much change?" Fara asks Minar seeing Sidhras's behaviour.

"I don't find any such appreciable change in her Fari." Minar opposes her sister's comment.

"Salam." Tahsin greets while coming inside.

"How are you, my dear?" Minar happily asks while hugging him, "I'm fine just like you."

He then sits beside Sidhra on the sofa. Usually, she disregards such things but she doesn't know why she's feeling uncomfortable with this today. She shifts a bit away from him but he too shifts along with her to minimize the distance between them. After putting his hand on her shoulder he asks, "how are your studies going on Sid? You know I'm offended with you, you didn't even visit us once in these few months."

"Don't worry about my studies I take it seriously and why are you feeling offended it's my life and I'm not committed to anyone, I will pay a visit if I wish if not I won't." She replies in a not so pleasant tone.

"Don't they look cute together?" Minar asks Fara who nods her head in agreement.

"Kala please teach her how to cook tasty food like you or else I'll have to visit you every now and then," Tahsin comments with a smirk and both the sister's chuckles.

"Why will I cook for you?" Sidhra asks irritatingly getting up from her place as everyone needs towards the dining table.

"Won't you cook for your husband after your marriage?" Fara asks Sidhra.

"Why will I marry him?" Sidhra asks casually.

"Don't you like my son Sid?" Fara asks seriously. Minar tries to express her opinion but Fara stops her by showing her palm, "wait, Minar, you told me she is ready for this relationship but I don't think so."

"Wait, mom when did you ask me about it, you can't control my life by taking all decisions. I respected your decision and took the Medical field instead of an MBA but that doesn't mean I'll allow you to take every other decision in my life." Sidhra then faces Fara, "I am sorry Khala, Tahsin is really a nice guy but not the one I want as my husband and on top of everything I don't want to get married now. I'll first complete my degree than I'll open my own clinic and then I'll think about my marriage."

"If it's only about time we would have waited for a few years but I guess it's about your heart right," Tahsin comments raising one of his eyebrows.

"So who's he, won't you tell us?" Fara asks curiously. This is the thing Sidhra appreciates about her aunt, she is an open-minded person, unlike her sister. Sidhra knows if she didn't reject Tahsin now, her mom will definitely find some way to make her agree later on so she reluctantly rejected him on his face. She felt guilty to do so on his face but she isn't left with any other option.

Since her childhood, her mom many times disregarded her wish and forced her to do what her mom wants but this decision is regarding her whole life and she can't let her mom decide this for her. Now she knows if she will confess the truth about not having any boyfriend in her life her mom will surely manipulate her but if she'll tell them about having a boyfriend then her Khala will definitely leave this marriage topic forever.

"There's this guy... Umm... in my college whom I like." She replies.

"Who's he? What is his name? I already told you..." Minar's scolding is stopped by her sister, "Come on Min our children are mature enough to decide about their future and this marriage thing is an important aspect of their life don't force our wish on her."

"But..." This time Tahsin stops her, "come on Khala now end this marriage topic." Minar gives a disappointed look to her daughter and continues with her dinner as her plan has failed. She knows how it's impossible to convince Fara or Tahsin. She prays in her heart that the one whom her daughter considers worthy for her isn't Shahid.

***

After dinner Minar makes coffee for everyone. Sidhra goes towards their lawn and sits on the swing. After some time Tahsin too comes there and sits beside her, "thinking about your loverboy princess?"

Giving him a small smile Sidhra asks, "aren't you offended with me?"

"Why would I?" Tahsin chuckles.

"I mean I know our moms wished for our marriage since forever but I never saw you that way. Today I straight away rejected you maybe you are feeling insulted. I'm sorry Tah. You were always comfortable around me maybe you too wanted this relationship and I'm feeling guilty for everything." Sidhra looks down.

Tahsin's laugh makes her look in his direction, "come on princess it's ok no need to apologise. Let me tell you a secret." He shifts near Sidhra and puts his hand on her shoulder a gesture which Sidhra always tool as flirting but she's confused now as she isn't feeling like that now, "you know how much I loved Barbies since childhood." Sidhra nods her head but looks at him with a confused look.

"You look just like a Barbie doll Sid and that's why I always liked you not like a fiance but as my little doll. I still love Barbies. If you don't want to marry me then I'll find some other Barbie face for me." Tahsin gives a dreamy look.

Sidhra starts laughing, "so you never flirt with me and here I was thinking bad about your character. But Tah seriously what will your children say?"

"Ah... Don't worry Sid they'll love their dad as he'll bring them lots of Barbies to play and also accompany them to play." Tahsin replies with a huge grin.

"I hope Allah grant you a Barbie type of wife, of course, other than me," Sidhra says and both of them starts laughing.

***

Next day in the college canteen...

"So you mean to say now you want a false boyfriend?" Abdul Hadi asks Sidhra after listening to her story.

"Yes but that's the real problem, where will I get one?" Sidhra pouts unaware how hard someone is controlling his self not to kiss her.

"Hey, I have an idea. Shahid can be your false boyfriend." Eli's comment makes everyone turn towards her. Sidhra chcoks on her drink.

"Why this idea didn't come to my mind soon? Shahid is perfect for this act. We know him, he knows us and the way we bonded in such a less time won't leave any doubt in mom's mind." Adi gives his approval.

"Yeah, you people visit each other every now and then for studies, lunch and dinner, so your mom will believe this act as real." Maximillian comments.

"But... But... I... I mean first, let's first..." Sidhra's uncomfortableness didn't go unnoticed by Shahid.

"I'm ready." Shahids reply makes Sidhra's eyes wide, how can he know what's there in her mind but a smile appears on her face.

"Thanks, Sha." She thanks him with a beautiful smile melting Shahid's heart who also smiles in return.

"Waise manna padega yaar takdir hamesha tera sath deti hai, " Abdul Hadi says after sometime when Sidhra, Adi and Eli leaves.
(I should accept it friend luck always favours you.)

"Ishq ek nasha hai, Jo dard ki gali me bikta hai...
Do pal ki zindagi hai aur zindagi bhara nasha hai...
Use takdir kya maat degi, Jo saza-e-Ishq me fana hai..." Shahid replies.

(Passionate love is an intoxication, which is found in the lane of pain...
This life is about two moments and the intoxication is for a lifetime...
How will fate beat him, who's already destroyed by the punishment for passionate love...)

"Ye to bus shuruaat hai, aage aage dekhte jao jo rah usne chuni hai us ke zariye mai use apni manzil tak kaise pohochata hu. Asal kahani to ab shuru hogi, Sidhra ke pyar ki aur Shahid ke intekam ki." Shahid replies.
(This is just the start, see what happens further, the path that she has chisen, I'll lead her to my destiny through it. The real story has started now, of Sidhra's love and Shahid's revenge).

"But make sure you won't break an innocent heart at the end or else you will also suffer as I can see love for her in your eyes." Abdul Hadi warns Shahid in a disappointed tone.

***

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Assalamalaikum/Hi! My lovely readers and friends...

I hope you all are healthy and fine...

I want to make this story short so from here on the events will frequently change, I hope you aren't getting bored because I am fed up with this lockdown and in such condition, I can't write an interesting chapter so, please isise kam chalalo dear...🙈🙈🙈

Allahhafiz...
See you soon in the next update, InshaAllah...