Tamiz-e-khavaab-o-haqeeqat hai shart-e-bedari,
Khayal-e-azmat-e-mazi ko chod, Haal ko dekh
-Sikandar Ali Wajd

Everything around her was a blur, Arisha could see that she was surrounded by all sides, but she could not see the faces of the people surrounding her. She could hear voices but could not actually hear what they were saying to her. 

All she could feel was numbness,  felt this hollowness in her stomach and kept a hand on it to try and ease this feeling. But as her hand came in contact with her torso the feeling of shallowness seemed to be more prominent, as if it had been transferred onto her hand. 

Taking her eyes away from the faceless blurs surrounding she directed towards her hand, which now was coated in Red. 

For a few seconds Arisha just kept looking at the hand as if trying to figure out the mysteries of the world, which would be solved by the red on her hand, but then the hollowness in the pit of her stomach came back. Diverting her eyes to her stomach she saw that the red was actually coming from her. 

It was her blood. 

She looked around, not horrified and even scared just looked around and slowly she could hear her sisters voices shouting her name. She could hear others calling out for her. 

Then she saw him. 

Zoraiz.

One face in all the faces, the only face which was visible. 

He had tears in his eyes and a horrified expression of anguish on his face. 

Arisha was not sure but it seemed like she was the reason for it. She was going to die. She knew that for sure. 

Then suddenly a hand with a gun came in the line of her sight, right where she could spot Zoraiz, and before she took one last look at Zoraiz, a loud Bang sounded around her making her deaf again, but this time she did not feel the hollowness in her stomach or chest. 

In fact, she did not feel even anything 

Arisha woke up with a start. Her heart was racing and sweat had gathered on her forehead. Her sheats had crumped around her fist which had gripped on to the sheets for dear life. 

As Arisha took deep breaths Fighting with her lungs to take in enough oxygen while simultaneous trying not to cry out loud in fright. 

Regulating her Breaths Arisha kept on repeating in her mind, "it was just a Dream,". A dream which felt so real that she thought she had actually died but still a dream. 

She looked around to try and gauge the time, it was already well into the morning with the sunset high in the sky. The rays crashing in her room, telling her that it was a new day. The digital clock on her nightstand showed it was already 9 in the morning. 

She was even more surprised at the fact no one had come in to wake her up yet. She went to the bathroom, on her shaky feet, and splashed her face some water, trying to wash away the fear of the nightmare. 

Freshening up, she felt stable enough to go down and face everyone. The Whole house up and running. Everywhere Arisha looked someone was doing some sort of preparation for a few moments Arisha just stood and tried to remember which political party they were hosting today. Her mind came up blank. 

But the house was being decorated in a much more elegant manner than the usual political dinners. Suddenly when a Group of worker went towards the Main hall with her favourite flowers. Orchids tough not the colour she specifically preferred. 

But the flowers were enough to make her remember with a jolt that it was her engagement today. In the evening she was going to engaged to Zoraiz Razdan. 

Zoraiz who had Tried to get her more time. Zoraiz who had been utterly rude to her yesterday. Zoraiz who had looked in complete anguish over her death in her dream. 

While Arisha did not understand in a single thing going on in her life she did understand one thing completely and that was Zoraiz Razdan was a mystery to everyone, and even though she was going to be married to him, he would also be a mystery to her. 

Arisha looked around her one last time before going proceeding to towards the Dining room for some breakfast. When she rounded the corner and looked towards the dining hall, her steps faltered. 

Her father was sitting with a newspaper in his hand eating his regular breakfast. She had half a mind to turn around and run, but somehow her father knew that she was there, because the moment she moved to turn he looked towards with eyebrows raised as if asking her 'really?'

She had no choice but to join her father at breakfast. Farhan Sahab went on with his newspaper while Chand bi came out with Arisha's breakfast. 

"Apne uthya nahi Chand bi, Utha deti to hum, college ke liye late to an hote," Arisha asked Chand bi as quietly possible while pouring herself some tea. 

"Humne mana kiya tha. It is your engaged meant today, you won't, and you shouldn't go to college today, so I let you sleep in," Farhan replied making Arisha stop eating and causing her eyes to widen at his voice. 

"Eat your breakfast, then after lunch, someone will be home to help you get ready," Farhan Sheikh said after a minute of waiting for his daughter to reply. Arisha nodded her yes and continued eating. Both the father-daughter eat incomplete until another worker paced by the with orchids in hand. 

"Who told you to use orchids?" Farhan sheikh had stopped the worker to question him about the choice of the flowers and, the poor worker was terrified as he should have been. 

Chaand Bi came to the workers rescue quickly, " You said to have Arisha Bibi's favourite flowers Sahab," 

Farhan Sheikh was in shock and asked surprised at the information, "You like Orchids?" 

 Arisha was in her mind, thinking about the dream again. Not really paying attention to what she was saying she replied honestly, "Black Orchids." 

Chaand Bi who was vexed at her choice of colour was quick to reply, " I won't let your engagement have Black flowers,  it's not good for such an auspicious occasion," 

"But Black orchids are so pretty Chaand Bi, So different, sab se alehda hote hai wo phool," Arisha replied to what Chaand bi said, but her mind was still far away back to the moment of anguish on Zoraiz's face. 

Farhan had watched the whole and was seeing his daughter properly after a long time. He had stopped to question the choice of flowers because they had been his wife's favourite flowers, but to know that Arisha also liked the same flowers was a reminder for Farhan that Arisha was much like her mother. 

But when she said Black Orchids he had wanted to laugh. His wife used to say to him, that while Arisha might like things she liked, she was still her father's daughter. But now watching Arisha talk about them Farhan could see that something was bothering her. 

"Keep a few black orchids Chaand bi, they can complement the white ones, " Farhaan sheikh said with his usual authority and left the breakfast table not waiting to see Arisha look at him in awe. 

Later on, Farhan called Zoraiz to have a talk about his daughter. While he might not talk to them, he would never let anyone treat his daughters anyway they liked. They were his daughters and he would be damned if they did not get the respect they deserved. Especially Arisha.

Later on, after breakfast Arisha was given free rein over the house she was allowed to do whatever she liked, and usually, Arisha would have been over the moon and ordered the decorators around but she was not herself. Everyone noticed that, so no one questioned her that day. 

As the time for the party drew nearer Arisha started coming back to her sense, became more herself, even though a part of her remainder far off. 

One thing that she did notice though was the presence of the extra security. Not only the usual security they had for their home and due to her father's career but additional security which had been called for today's purpose.

If Arisha had been more aware she would have noticed this asked what was going on but she did not so naturally something had to give. 

See Usually Arisha was soo much more Attentive than she was today. She would have noticed the extra protection, the extra people, the extra Boxes of Flowers coming in, along with that one box which no one was taking ownership of. 

But as fate would have it was the one-day Arisha was not alert of her surroundings. The effects of this day will be long lasting that was sure, be it good or bad.

What Arisha did realise by lunch hour was that she will need the rest of the time before the party to get ready. The thing was Arisha was never one for makeup or dressing up lavishly that was Maira's forte. 

But since it was her engagement her sisters had wished her off to Maira's room to get ready along with the professional stylist her father had called for her. 

As the girls got ready and were pampered, Arisha realised that she need not worry about what her life would turn out like. Because she had been granted the time needed to make the best life possibilities for her sisters. that for her would be enough. 

As Arisha had completed her makeup she looked around for her dress, when she did not find she asked her sister, who giggled like school girls. 

Inaya handed her a packet with a note stuck to it, which she assumed was to be her dress for the party. 

Opening the box which was tied together by a ribbon, caused Arisha to gasp in awe. Inside the box was a beautiful Light Olive green sharara, with delicate lucknawi zari work in pink done to it. The dupatta was the only piece which was missing from the set. But It was truly a gorgeous Sharara. 

She admired the dress for a few minutes and then picked up the note attached to it. 

To her shock, it was from Zoraiz. 

Arisha, 
I would like to apologise for my behaviour towards you yesterday. I will not try and excuse for it, it was not acceptable. I am Sorry. I was- as my brother would put in- a bit of an ass. In time you will find, that I tend to do that a lot, not always an intention to hurt others, but I forget that sometimes, some people are not out to get me. Today a new chapter of our lives will begin, which for the first time will be Ours. I hope you forgive me before this chapter begins. The dress is also an apology, it was my mothers dress, I really would be honoured if you will wear it and let her be a part of the ceremony. 

P.S. Sorry could not find the dupatta. 

Zoraiz. 

Arisha was left speechless. This man was a talking, breathing mystery. What did surprise her was the fact that he willingly shared his mother's dress. Not much was known about his late mother. 

Arisha decided at once that would wear this dress. She would never, no matter how angry she was at him, let her parents down, and as it was, she had the perfect baby pink embroidered dupatta for this dress, it was her mothers. A way to honour the women who even though were not physically present but would always remain with their children. 

So she changed into the dress and walked out of the bathroom, leaving the girls talking at the speed of a bullet train to be speechless. She walked across the hall to her room and into her closet and found the dupatta that was her mothers and dropped it on her shoulder, letting it run across her had, the material soft and with the fragrance of her mother's essence still entwined in it. 

She was expecting to find her sister waiting to question her about the change of dresses but she found her father waiting in the room, looking around it, probably judging her room. 

Her father turned around at her footsteps, and for the second time in her life, she saw the look of complete shock on her fathers face. The first was when her mother had worn this dupatta with a different dress.

She smiled at his expression, she must really be looking pretty. 

Hello, my lovelies, So my exams will be starting tomorrow and this was my way to relax after a long study spell, please pray they go good. Expect an update after 19 Feb now. 

Tell me your thoughts about this chapter and more specifically the dream and Zoraiz uff... This was challenging to write don't know if I did justice to Zoraiz's complexities or Arisha's dream

I also wanted to change the name of Arisha and Zoraiz any good unique Muslim names come to your mind. 

Lots of love Afaf xoxo