Aliyah's pov:

"What?" I stare at him in confusion.

"You heard me already. They'll tell you the rest when you visit today." The angry bird replied firmly. This guy!

"Nikkah before engagement? How the hell does that work?" I still ask, hoping to get some kind of answer as I was utterly confused.

"I don't know. That's all they told me." he says in an annoyed voice. I seriously want to suffocate this dude!

"And you didn't question?"

"No. I told you. I'm only marrying you cause I'm desperate. No idea why you agreed."

"I agreed because I'm desperate myself. Why else would I want to marry an Angry bird like you?" I argue back.

"Blah blah yeah right. You probably agreed cause you secretly like me." he smirks.

"Eww!" I make a vomiting impression. "Like you? Yeah yeah. The day I start liking you will be the day when dinosaurs come back to life." 

--

"I know this is weird. But for family reasons, Ahaan's Nikkah does need to be done by the end of this year. But it would be weird if we revealed it to the public so soon you know? Aariz just got married. That is why we planned to have a private, family-only, Nikkah and then the engagement and reception maybe one or two months later. No one would question about the Nikkah as Aariz's Nikkah was also a private one you know?" Their mum explains.

All clear, but what would this 'family-only' reason be? Does Noor know? Does Ahaan know?

"I hope you are not uncomfortable by this decision beta." she speaks again as I didn't reply before.

"No I'm fine auntie. And sure, we can go through with it." I say. 

As long as my surname is changed.

Who knew it would change to 'Raihan'? That too with that Angry Bird!

"Okay. Then how about we hold it next week? Are you okay with it?" Their dadi asks.

"Yes, that's completely fine." I agree. The sooner the better.

"Great! We are so excited to have you as our family." Their dad speaks this time.  

I only nod in response.

"Ahaan, go drop her to her place." dadi orders.

"Why dadi? She is perfectly capable of going herself." that angry bird replies!

"Go!" she says again.

He grumbles as he goes outside and I follow him.

"Family-only reason huh? May I know what this 'family-only' reason is?" I question as soon as the door closes behind us.

"They won't even tell me. Maybe ask Aryan, he would know," he replied coldly as we got into his car.

"Aryan? If you don't know why would he know? And if he knows, wouldn't he tell you?" I ask confused. 

"No. If Mum tells him not to share. He would keep his mouth sealed. He is the favourite after all. Along with Aariz. They probably know everything about the Raihan family Azaan or I don't. Even Azaan probably knows more than me." he says while driving.

I suddenly start feeling bad for him. I could definitely relate. All my mother ever cared about was Zarif ever since he was born. 

And after that day, I was just an unwanted child who rebelled against her family.

"Don't you get curious about it? Why would they hide the reason they want you to get married?" I ask.

"I do get curious. But I don't bother asking anymore. It's probably something I wouldn't want to hear anyway." he says his eyes still on the road.

"Oh..." I say while trailing off. I didn't know what else to say.

"You really don't have any family?" Ahaan asks out of the blue.

"I umm." What do I say? He didn't notice Aryan's expressions right? He couldn't have!

"You can just say no to the Nikkah if you want to. It's a stupid idea to have Nikkah before engagement. I don't really care but if you're uncomfortable, just say no." he changes the topic.

Huh?

"No it's fine." I say.

He suddenly took a U-turn.

"What are you doing?" I say panicking.

No. Please don't.

"Stop being a nightmare and just sit quietly."

"No, what? Take me to my place! Where are you going?" I ask again while panicking.

He stops the car and gets out. But my mind was already somewhere.

'I have a surprise for you.'

'There's a saying. The darker a room is, the better the surprise inside it would be.'

"Aliyah? Aliyah! Rahsin! Aliyah Rahsin!" Ahaan snapped his fingers right in front of my face.

My eyes got teary. 

No no no. 

He has already seen me weak before. No no no. Stop crying you idiot!

Ahaan was beside me but then he closed the door to my side and went around to sit on his side.

"Aliyah?" his voice softened. "Aliyah? Are you okay? What happened?"

"Uh I-" my voice was shaking for no reason. 

"I'm here. Don't worry. What happened?" he says in an even quieter voice.

I didn't know what to say. He didn't say anything as well. Like he was thinking about something.

The car was filled with silence for some time. 

"Aliyah. I hate you. So much. But I would never do anything to harm you intentionally." he said finally.

"Here." he held out a drink towards me.

After debating for a few seconds, I take it and take a small sip. 

Caramel milk tea.

I noticed he got something as well.

"I took a turn because of this. Nothing else," he says after starting the car.

--

We reach my place after some time and I get out of the car. 

"Thank you." I say even when I didn't want to. Yeah, I thanked him!

"Did the nightmare just thank me?" he starts boasting. This annoying bird! 

Even duolingo is better!

"No stupid. I thanked the car! Why would I thank an angry bird like you? This poor car has the fate of staying with an Angry bird forever. I bet you don't even thank it." I say annoyed.

"This very rich car has the luck to stay with me forever. Just like you do my dear Nightmare." he smirks.

"Luck? You mean bad luck? Who knows what I did to deserve an Angry bird like you." I say while rolling my eyes.

"You surprisingly must've done something great to get someone like me." This. Annoying. Bird!

"Yeah yeah. You wish." I go inside the building and take the stairs to my floor and crash into my apartment.

All the events start running through my mind.

I'm getting married next week. That too, with that Angry bird!

Ahaan's pov:

Something happened to Aliyah in the past. Something that made her traumatised that she is still suffering from it.

PTSD

But what could've happened?

Could it be related to what Aryan knows? Could it be related to her family?

Her family. She doesn't want to talk about her family.

I take out my phone and search the Rahsin Family history.

Zarin Rahsin.

The name above Aliyah's name sounded utterly familiar.

I searched up the name on a separate page.

Married to Mahir Rahman. Mother of Zarif Rahman.

That's why it sounded so familiar.

But why isn't Aliyah's name anywhere except of the Rahsin Family History?

Is Mahir Rahman her father or not?

I mean, what could even be the reason she was desperate to marry me?

'I agreed because I'm desperate myself. Why else would I want to marry an Angry bird like you?'

Wait, her surname. If she marries, then she could change it. Could that be it?

Is that why her name is nowhere except the Rahsin Family? Which will also not be there just a week later if she does change her surname.

But she could also really have no direct family and just wanted to change her name quickly?

But then, that would not explain Aryan's expressions.

Oh gosh. Ahaan, why do you even care? Just stop thinking about it.

She is seriously a nightmare!

I get a call from Aryan right when I start driving again.

"Bhai! Mumma wants you to go to the mall now. She is there with Dadi. They are shopping for the Nikkah." he says as soon as I pick up.

"Kya? It's a family-only function anyway. Why bother?" I ask annoyed. (What?)

"So what? Nikkah is still Nikkah na? It's your big day after all and what not. So go. Noor bhabi has already planned to shop with Aliyah bhabi."

"What now? Aliyah bhabi?" I ask confused.

"Aapka hone-wali-biwi hai na? To mera bhabi hi to hein." he says excitedly, knowing that I got annoyed. (She is your fiancee so she is obviously my sister-in-law)

"Shut up if you don't want to die." I say annoyed.

"Areh. Aaj kal sab log mujhe hi marna chahta hai. Pata nhi kyu." he mutters in a very not muttering way. (Everyone wants to kill me these days. Don't know why.) "Anyways. Get to the mall okay?" he hangs up.

--

I get to the mall to see Mum in the furthest corner in a small shop. 

How did I see her?

She was wearing a neon green Saree. You could notice from miles away.

As soon as I entered. She handed me a million Kurtas and Sherwanis. 

"Go to the changing room and try these," she ordered.

"It's a small function anyway. Why are you planning so much?" I ask annoyed.

"The Rashids will be there so we have to prepare well," Dadi says.

"What? The Rashids? Since when are they family?" I ask even more annoyed now.

"They are not. But they'll still be present." Mum says.

"Why?"

"To witness the Nikkah." 

"Why would they witness it when the public doesn't? What if they share the information? Would you want that?" 

"They'll be there cause they have to be there. Stop asking so many questions and go try these." Dadi ordered.

Just like that, they ignored my question like they always did. Starting from a simple question like  'How do aeroplanes fly?' in the past to serious questions like this.

I don't bother arguing anymore and take the clothes to change into them.

The Rashids will be coming to the Nikkah?

What does she mean by they have to come? Is it something related to whatever that 'family' reason is?

That can't be right?

What could the family reason even be?

Nafisa's pov:

"Since I wasn't lucky enough to witness the incident, fill me up with all the tea your highness." I say sarcastically as Karya enters my room.

"Yes yes let me sit down first!" Karu sits on my bed and then slowly tells me everything. 

So basically, her ~dear mother~ pressured her into marrying someone as she did not want her to have the Rahsin surname anymore. And apparently, Ahaan Raihan was also desperate because of whatever 'family' reasons and he proposed to marry her. 

So they decided to have a contract marriage where they won't expect anything from each other or depend on each other.

But the elders would not know about it. As then, obviously they wouldn't let it happen.

"And also, their Nikkah is next week." 

"What?" I asked surprised

"Yes. Well umm. I don't know much about it. Noor texted me about it. They'll have a private family-only Nikkah before any official engagement. As apparently, the Nikkah has to be done by the end of the year but they didn't want so much public attention as Aariz Raihan just got married anyway. So they want to have the engagement and reception a few months later." she explains.

"Oh." 

"And-"

"Wait there's more?" I ask surprised.

"Yeah. He texted her." she said with an angry voice.

"He? As in HE?" I ask even more surprised,

"Yes. He as in Fahad." 

"What? Why? When? What did he say?" I ask panicked. 

"Something about going back. Aliyah thinks her mother told him to do it. She said not to worry much about it." Karya sighs.

That's Aliyah for you. She would tell you not to panic in her situations no matter how bad it is. She wants to go through it alone even after helping us with everything.

"I am worried though. Fahad is not good news. Especially when it comes to Aliyah." I say.

"Yes, it's good in one way that she is marrying into the Raihans. She wouldn't have to face him anymore." Karu says.

"Yes! I have started shipping her with Ahaan. What could their ship name be? Aliyah plus Ahaan? Alihaan? That sounds good!" I say trying to cheer her up. "Maybe you can take inspiration from them when you write an enemies to lovers you know?" 

She starts laughing. "Oh yes, definitely!"

"Well, I'll get going. Aliyah said she'd come to you herself to give out the invitation. You can murder her then. Bye!" Karya leaves the room. 

I follow her and walk her out and then come back to my room and crash into my bed.

Fahad is texting her again!

Aliyah went through so much because of him. And that shameless guy is still texting her! What is his problem?

-------------------------------

Thank you for reading<3