The function ended late. Really late. Everyone went straight to their room to sleep right after we arrived. Specially Fariha, the heavy sleeper.

But I of course, was wide awake. I turn to my bedside table to drink water when I notice my water bottle is empty.

Agh.

I go out of my room to refill my water bottle when I spot Kabir bhaia just walking from one side to another side of the hallway. He didn't even notice me. Lost in his own world.

With a dramatic sigh, I pull him to the balcony beside my room.

There was a balcony inside everyone's rooms separately. And we also had this extra balcony in the halway, that was right beside my room. So I had two balconies basically.

"What happened? Ekhono ghumash ni?" he says in a shock as he was surprised by the sudden disrupt. (You didn't sleep yet?)

"Tumi janoi to je ami temon ghumai na and anyways, ami tomake ghum niye kotha bolte ekhane anini." I say while crossing my arms. (You know already that I don't sleep much and anyways, I didn't bring you here to talk about sleeping.)

"Hmm bol." he replies while looking down. (say)

"Ezra Reza" taking the name was enough for him to look up.

"You! You, you!" I point at him.

"What?" he said trying to act nonchalant.

"Don't try to fool me bhai. I'm not Fariha." I say.

"I don't know what you're talking about." he says, but his expressions say something very different. He knows exactly what I'm talking about.

Busted!

"You like her don't you?" I say while smirking.

"Huh? What? NO!" he whispers a shout. He definitely likes her! I finally figured out who he likes!

"Ohhhoooo you do! You like E-" he suddenly covers my mouth. Annoyed, I wanted to bite his hand when I notice Fariha was staring at us.

"What does bhaia like?" Fariha asks in a sleepy voice.

"I uhh... Entangled hairstyles. I like entangled hairstyles" he blabbers. 

I lost it. I almost choked on my own saliva as I started laughing.

"Shh!" Kair bhaia slammed a magazine at my face. Rude. How did that magazing even get in his hand?

Fariha looked at us puzzled.

"Okay bye." she says while yawning and goes back to her room.

"Entangled hairstyles? What is that?" I say while still laughing.

"Shh! Do you want to wake up the whole house?" he asks annoyed. "Fariha the heaviest sleeper woke up! Which means anyone else might wake up!"

"So you do like her huh?" I say as my smirk comes back.

"Don't you dare say that to anyone. Or I'll break your mouth. Specially Fariha. She's going to live them!" he says.

"So? I tell her everything." I reply nonchalantly.

"Please! Tor bhaiyer jonno etotuku ta kor." he pleads. (Just do this little favour for your brother.)

"Fine I'll keep it with me for now. But you gotta tell me everything! How? When? Where? Why? What? Oh I know the answer to that, love. Who? Oh yeah it's Ezra. But yeah, tell me! Now!" I say excitedly.

"Not now. Go to sleep. And remember, don't you dare tell anyone!" he warns again.

"Okay okay got it." I say while going back to my room.

I was going to lie on my bed when I hear a faint scream coming from Fariha's room which was right beside mine.

I rush over to see her hugging a pillow tightly and looking and me with teary eyes.

"Fapu? What happened?" I say and I go over to her and sit beside her.

"He- he. He was there," she points at the window. I quickly rush to the window to see a figure running away.

"Go and stay in my room." I say and I rush down the stairs and run out of the house, starting to chase him.

I didn't need to look at his face to know it was Mahir.

He looks back to see that I was chasing him so he starts running faster. I almost reached him, when I suddenly tripped.

On what?

A freaking water bottle that he threw at me.

"Agh! Fuck you!" I shout as he disappears from my sight. 

I try to get up but my ankle was twisted so I fell back down again.

I didn't even bring my phone! Agh I shouldn't have ran like this. What were you even thinking Saria?

"What is the firecracker doing here at 2 am all alone?" I hear the most annoying voice in the world.

Ehaan Reza.

"Oh, I was just going to eat my lunch before you disturbed me." I say in an annoying sarcasm.

When I realise, it was just as weird for him to be out here so late as me. No one would casually be walking around the streets at 2am. Unless they're trying to commit a crime most probably.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

"I'll answer if you do." he says coldly.

"No." I say annoyed.

"Then I'm leaving." he turns around so I get no other choice but to say it.

"Fine! Mr Attitude! I was chasing a guy." I say

"Wow, I thought guys chase you? Since you said 'not interested' so confidently that day." he shrugs.

"Oh hello? They do! I was chasing Mahir!" I finally reveal.

That got his precious attention."What? Why?" 

"Because he climbed up Fariha's window! Just a few moments ago!" 

"And what? You were too slow?" he mocks.

"No genius! He threw his water bottle at me and I tripped!"

"So you were blind?" 

This guy! I swear he is going to die in my hands.

"What would you have done if you caught him anyway?" he asks.

"I would've punched the hell out of him and then taken him to the police!" I shout annoyed.

"Quieten down will you? People will wake up. It's 2 am!" he kneels down infront of me and looks at my injured leg.

And then without another word, he scoops me up in his arms!

In a freaking bridal style!

YIKES! NO! NUH UH!

"What are you doing you! Put me down!" I scream.

"Stop being so stubborn." he said coldly and started walking.

"Ehaan Reza! PUT ME DOWN! NOW!" I repeat.

He doesn't listen so I try to jump out of his arms myself but I fail.

"Excuse me?" I hear a girl's voice from the back.

Ehaan turns around with me and I look to see someone around my age.

"Mister? I think she told you to leave her?"  she said.

Ehaan sighed.

"I'm not kidnapping her. She's just being stubborn." he replied.

"But she told you to put her down. And I think you should do it before I break your nose." she threatened.

Yes! YOU GO GIRL! TELL HIM!

I wish I could applaud but I couldn't so I mentally cheered for her. Hoping she could somehow hear them.

There was some inaudible noises heard, when I realise, she was talking to someone on the phone.

"Ahaan, I'll call you back." More inaudible noise. "Stop worrying you bird!" she hung up and glared at Ehaan as I couldn't help but smirk.

Suddenly, Ehaan let me go, I almost fell because of my ankle, my back facing the ground when he caught me.

"See Miss? She is injured. That's why. She is just being stubborn." he repeats like he didn't just freaking use me as a basketball so casually!

"Oh gosh, are you okay? What happened?" she finally looks at me.

"I twisted my ankle." I inform.

"Mind if I take a look? I'm a doctor." she hands me her card.

Dr Aliyah Raihan.

Ehaan helps me sit on the side of the footpath as she starts looking at my ankle.

"Ouch!" I say as she pressed on it.

"Sorry, let me massage it, it will get better." she gently starts massaging my ankle.

-

I finally stood up properly, her massage worked like a charm.

"Thanks Aliyah. Sorry to bother you so late." I thank her.

"No problem-" she looks at me confused, when I realised, I didn't say my name.

"Saria."

"No problem Saria." she said with a smile. "And you," she looks at Ehaan. "Don't pick her up unless she gives you permission. Or else, I'll come back and punch your nose for real." she threatens.

"Don't worry, I can do it myself. I was just giving him a few warnings." I say while chuckling.

"I'll get going then, bye." she left.

"So, what are you doing here?" I ask as he didn't answer it yet.

"I had to go to my office for something. I was returning home when I saw you," he said 

"What's with this deal of your sister and Mahir Anwar?" he asks when i was silent.

"That is, none of your business Mr Attitude." I say.

"I'm leaving, I need to wake up early tomorrow." I start leaving when he speaks up.

"Guess the new mehendi artist also doesn't like you." he mocks.

"I'm sure she likes me better than she likes you!" I shout back at him and walk off.

*The next day

"Bhaiaaaaaaaaaaa! UP! NOW!" Esma screams in my ears.

"Areh kya hua yarr! Sone de mujhe." I say half-asleep. (Gosh what happened! Let me sleep.)

"It's your reception today! Get uppppppppp!" she kept on screaming.

"He's not awake yet?" Ezra's voice was heard. "Let me call Eliza api." I jolt up in an instant.

"Okay, okay, I'm up! No need to call Eliza api!" I say annoyed.

"Good. Now come on! Get ready! We need to get to the venue!"

-

We reached the venue to get stopped at the gate. Mainly by Saria and their second and third cousins.

"You cannot enter till we make sure you're suitable." Saria said.

"Api! You know my brother is suitable!" Esma said.

"We'll only know after checking. Soooo..." she takes out her notebook and notepad.

"Strength, you have to take this bag all the way to the second entrance, as that is where you will be entering from." Saria instructs. 

It was a small rucksack so I picked it up with confidence only to almost drop it on my own foot.

"35KG." Saria said while chuckling.

"35???" despite how heavy it was, I carried it to the second entrace, almost half fainting.

"Good job. Now let's test your tolerance. Wear this and stand outside the street for 5 minutes." Saria handed me a bear costume.

"Seriously? A bear?" I sighed and did what she said.

.

"I got a whole workout done because of all this." I say after removing the bear costume.

"Hmm now, let's see how good you are at bargaining. Right now your price is 10,000,000."

"10,000." I offered.

"Too less, 9,000,000."

"50,000"

"8,000,000."

"1,00,000."

"7,000,000."

"110,000."

"6,000,000. Not a single penny less." Saria said.

"5,000,000. Final offer." I reply.

"Fine, it's not too bad. But needs drastic improvements as well."

Can't believe I'm having to do so much work when this marriage wasn't even my plan!

-

"Get a little closer," the photographer orders. 

"Look at each other. Smile." he orders after we follow his first one.

"Look at each other properly. Don't be shy! Smile!" he says when we don't follow.

"Areh!" Esma shouts out and then rushes over to us. "Bhabi, like this." she positioned her infront of me. "And put your hand here." she took Fariha's right hand on my left shoulder. "And your other one here," she puts her left hand above my waist. "And now, you. put your hands here." she took both my hands and put them in Fariha's waist. "And now smile while looking at each other okay?" she left after.

Fariha listened to Esma and smiled while looking at my eyes.

She looked like an angel. The golden Saree draped gorgeously over her. Her smile reached her eyes, meaning it was real.

"Careful love, that smile can be very dangerous." I whisper while smirking at her, which made her eyes widen.

"Ohhooo, look how shy they were when the photographer told them to look at each other. And now they're still holding onto each other even after the photographer left." Eliza api commented.

Both of us immediately let go of each other. 

"Now they're shy again." Ezra commented.

It was time. Random people coming up to us for photos while us being obedient and letting everyone take photos with us.

The Syeds come over to take a picture with us. And right then, I feel something under my shoes.

Then I realise, Saria ran off with them.

"Someone get me my shoes!" I plead. Saria and Kabir were playing catch with my shoes.

Esma and Ezra ran after them. But both Saria and Kabir were hella athletic. They couldn't keep up.

Only one person can actually help me here.

"Bhai," I turn to Ehaan with my best doe eyes. "Please!"

"Seriously? There's no way I'm running after those two." he replied with the response I very much expected him to reply with.

"Come on bhai."

"Just pay up. Don't act like you're broke." he responded even colder than last time.

"Bhaia! Help us!" Ezra shouted from the other side of the hall.

"Come on. Put your daily practice from high school to work now." I urge.

He sigh but finally gave in and joined in with them.

-

Though that still didn't make much of a difference somehow. Even after Ehaan joining, they still lost. Meaning more money to the bride's side.

Okay listen it's not the money I'm sulking about. Even I know I'm hella rich. But the feeling of winning. I like to win okay?

-

"Finally! Gosh, I'm so hungry." Fariha says after we sat in the dining table.

"Tai na? Sharadin er or shathe kotha bolte bolte shei khida lagse!" Saria replied to her. 

(T/N: Right? I'm so hungry after talking to all these strangers all day!)

"Bhabiiii! We're so excited to have you." Esma speaks.

"Yes!" Ezra replies.

"It's your first night today hmm? Are you two excited?" Eliza api says which makes Fariha choke so I hand her a glass of water.

"So caring already." api speaks again.

-

After we finished eating, I had to go back to the stage with Fariha where more people came up for photos.

Ehaan suddenly came up to me.

"What happened?" I ask confused.

"The Moiins are outside. Trying to cause a scene." he whispers. I stand up but he makes me sit down.

"All the elders are already outside trying to control the situation so the guests that are inside don't get to know about it. Act normal and keep all the guests busy with pictures and whatever." he leaves.

I come outside again to see the Moiins shouting at the Syeds now. 

The main reason for the argument? 

Apparently it's Saisha Moiin's birthday today and they hosted big event. But most of the important guests were here because of the wedding.

So they're blaming us for ruining their 'lovely' daughter's birthday.

"Is this how low you're going? Taking our fame wasn't enough now you're taking our happiness?" Sohel Moiin (Saisha's father) spats at Asad uncle.

"Oh hello uncle? Have some respect while talking to my father." Kabir speaks up. Everyone from Syed and Reza family was now here except Ehsan and Fariha.

"Respect? None of you here deserve any respect. How could you all? I can't even enjoy on my day huh? And what's with that saree of yours?" Saisha Moiin looked over at Zaneera Aunty. I noticed they were wearing the same colour.

"Agh! This is so bad! I can't believe I'm twinning with this ugly hag! Dad! Get me a new ou-" a sudden sound suddenly cut her off.

It took me quite a few seconds to realise what happened. Saria Syed slapped her.

"Don't you dare raise another word against my mother or this family. You," then she pointed at the Moiins. "and all of you. You think we stole your guests? No, guess what? They chose to come here. You invited them all as well didn't you? You should take the hint and understand, even they don't want to be there. And that colour? Suits my mother hella more than a witch like you." she shouted.

I couldn't help but feel a little proud of her. A smile slowly forming on my lips.

Stop- what are you thinking?

The Moiins stared at her for a moment.

"I've had enough of your nonsense. Security. Take them out, if they don't comply, drag them out." Adeel uncle shouted.

-

The event came to an end, it was time for Fariha to come with us. Which, of course, is going to be a lot for the Syeds.

Slowly, everyone started hugging Fariha goodbye.

Fariha started tearing up.

Asad uncle shed a few tears. Alisha aunty was bawling as she hugged Fariha. The other elders gave a few well-wishes. Shazad and Rayan said to visit them. Kabir, he was completely silent as he hugged her.

Saria, who was silent all this time, broke down in tears as soon as she hugged her. Which surprised me a lot. I never took her as someone who would cry for anything really.

She always looked fine. Perfect even.

Except that she annoyingly keeps arguing with me.

"Bhule jabi na amake khobor dar. Nahole tor bashai jeye chul taina niye ashbo." Saria syed while crying as Fariha chuckled in tears. (Don't you dare forget me. Or I'll go to your house and bring you here while grabbing your hair.)

For some reason, the Syed sisters had this thing about grabbing each other's hair. 

And by what I could tell, none of the other Syeds knew why.

"Hmm, tor moto bhutni ke abar keo bhule naki?" Fariha replied. (Who can forget a ghost like you?)

"Shakchunni kothakar! Bolsilo kokhono chere jabe na, chere jaitese ekhon!" Saria said. She was still hugging onto Fariha. (You're a Shakchunni! You said you won't ever leave me. Look, now you are!)

"Areh reh Saria hoyeche. Ekhon jete de." Zaneera aunty speaks up. (It's okay, let her go.)

Saria lets her go with a sigh. "You better visit every day! Or else I'll come and find you." she threatens.

"Hmm hmm, okay!" Fariha gives her one last hug and sits inside the car. So I sit inside as well. Cause dad forced me to be their driver.

Annoyingly.

--

Thank you for reading<3