Sofia was sitting on the decorated plush couch organized specially for her and Aaban. She was sitting with Aaliya as Aaban has not come yet.
The ceremony was a close affair with few family members and close friends. Aaliya was giving company to Sofia as Sofia was getting nervous with each passing second.
She was giving her motivational speech to Sofia when everything suddenly fell noiseless, making her look at the entrance of the garden. There stood all Siddiques with their glory.
The first one was Aaban, behind him Arslan and Rehaan, and lastly Ayaan with his spouse. But Aaliya's gaze stopped on one particular person in Black.
Arslan Siddique was surely a handsome man but he looks even better in ethnic clothes. Aaliya literally could hear her heart beating loudly in her rib cage.
He was looking simple but still the aura of dominance was spreading from his strong personality. Aaliya has to force herself to remove her stare from him.
Aaban came and sat beside her on the couch, her already sweaty palms became all more sweaty with shivers adding on it feeling his intense gaze on her.
Aaban slowly grasped her hand and enclosed it within his, hiding their joined hands between them. He slowly rubbed his thumb in a circular motion on the back of her palm to reassure her.
After a while, the ring ceremony started. Aaban and Sofia had selected similar silver bands with a small diamond embedded in them with the initiation of the alphabet of each other's name but small which only can be felt with a finger and can't be seen with bare eyes.
The whole of the ceremony Arslan's gaze was on his Liya, he didn't ignore the kind of stare she was giving him. Her stare was unusual. His phone rang in his pocket making him break his trance and go back to the real world. He attended the call and emigrated from there to get some silence but with a frown on his face.
Rehaan's eyes were fixed on the girl in black whose eyes were wandering overall the place as if searching for someone.
Aaliya went out from the lounge in search of Arslan as she saw him leaving from there with a frown on his face. She got worried seeing him like that and went in search of him.
She was roaming in a mansion in search of him, he was nowhere to be found. Her steps came to a halt watching him pacing in his room while talking on the phone.
His eyebrows scrunched, his eyes narrowed with worry lines formed on his forehead. She felt the unexpected urge to smoothen down his lines with her fingers.
She felt foolish on even thinking like that, but she turned around from there seeing him busy with his call.
Aaliya came back to her previous position as if she never went from there, After some period even Arslan came back his face was not revealing his distress but that was his eyes again which were betraying him.
She noticed it and thought to ask about it afterward. After dinner, all youngsters were still sitting in the garden sharing some of their funny incidents making others laugh at that.
When all of a sudden Ayaan asked Arslan to sing a song as it was almost a tradition they were carrying. In every happy incident, Arslan used to sing a song while playing his guitar.
He started this on his sister's engagement, then it was continued till Ayaan's wedding and now he was asked again for the same.
Arslan was not at all in the mood to sing or play guitar but seeing the excited faces of his cousins and best friend he got up and went to his room for retrieving his Guitar which was sitting idly for the past two years.
When he holds the guitar in his hands, many memories hit him and all of them were his happy memories.
He came back to his place holding a guitar in his hands-on which everyone hooted for him to cheer him up.
He sat down on his chair, everyone made a circle. Raziya beside Arslan on one side while on the other side was Rehaan.
Ayaan and Sadiya sat beside Rehaan, Aaban, and Sofia beside Raziya leaving only one place which was directly in front of Arslan.
Arslan stared at Aaliya for a moment and cleared his throat. He fiddled with the strings of his guitar making a beautiful sound out of it.
His expert long fingers started tinkering with the strings of the guitar and along with it, he started humming making the environment heavenly with his blissful voice.
Tujhse shuru hua jo tujhse shuru
Woh kissa tujhpe hi le hua khatam
Hoga nahi yeh humse hoga nahi
Kisi ko denge nahi teri jagah hum
He sang with closed eyes but many emotions in his voice.
Tere bina jiyein to kyun
Yeh sawal baar baar aata hai
Tere agar na ho sake
Kisi aur ke na honge waada hai
Kisi aur ke na honge waada hai
He opened his eyes and peered directly into Aaliya's eyes making her still in her position while her heart beating wildly in her chest.
Wohi roz teri kami
Wohi ankh mein hai nami
Wohi dooriyan satayein
Bata kya karun
Jise tu na apna kahe
Jahan tu na aake rahe
Woh dil main khud tod doon
Hai aashiqi tu aakhiri
Hai zid meri tu aakhiri.
He said as if displaying his every emotion, his vulnerability, his every weakness in front of her. He pinned her down on her place with heavy emotions swirling in his greyish blue eyes.
Aansu mera meri hansi tu aakhiri
Tere bina main kuchh nahi
Yeh khayal baar baar aata hai
Tere agar na ho sake
Kisi aur ke na honge waada hai
Kisi aur ke na honge waada hai
His eyes still locked with hers, she felt like he was not playing with strings of the guitar but her heart's.
Aaye na aaye marzi teri
Yaara khuli hai baahein meri
Teri gali se taa zindagi
Hongi juda na raahein meri
Kissa yeh kyun aadha raha
Yeh malaal baar baar aata hai
Tere agar na ho sake
Kisi aur ke na honge waada hai
Kisi aur ke na honge waada hai
The last words he said was like he was promising her with everything in him, he was promising her that he won't give her place to anyone.
(Started with you, which started from you
The story that took over you
Will not, it will not be from me
I will not give anyone your place
"Why do you live without you?"
This question comes again and again
If you can't
No one else is there
No one else is there
Same day your lack
Moisture is in the same eye
Persecute the same distances
Tell me what to do
Whom you don't say "your"
Where you are not coming
Let me break that heart
Hey lover, you are the last
Hai zid meri tu aakhri
Tears mine, my laughter, you last
"Without you i am nothing"
This idea comes again and again
If you can't
No one else is there
No one else is there
Come, do not come, your wish
Dude, my arms are open
Teri gali se ta-zindagi
There will be no separation
"Why is it halfway?"
This malaise comes again and again
If you can't
No one else is there
No one else is there)
He finished singing but the environment was remarkable as everyone was still in a trance made by him. Arslan and Aaliya's gaze was locked with each other which was now noticed by Rehaan. He felt something pinched in his heart seeing both of them lost in each other but he just observed them.
Ayaan was staring at Sadiya lovingly. Aaban felt bad for his behavior towards Arslan hearing the pain in his voice but he hardened his heart remembering the agony his sister went through because of Arslan unknown of the fact that if someone has gone through the most was none other than the person sitting in front of him with a guitar in his hands.
Their eye lock got broken down with a sound of clapping surrounding them. Everyone was clapping for him, she too clapped for him after coming out of her thoughts.
And soon after left from there, leaving Rehaan confused because what he saw was something he wouldn't be wrong about. He heard the longing and agony in Arslan's voice the was indistinguishable to the state which he witnessed in the USA during his stay.
If he was not wrong that only meant one thing and that was! Arslan loves Aaliya and he was suffering all this while because of her!!!
His mind went numb for a second so as his body as he didn't get to know when everyone left and he was the only one now sitting there.
There were two options in front of him now!
1.To Go, Confront Arslan and help him.
2.To ignore his findings and try to pursue Aaliya.
Both options were different making him torn into two parts between his love and his best friend! What will he choose?
~*~
Hey guys!
Tell me do you like the chapter!?
Who do you think was the mysterious caller? And what will Rehaan choose?
Have you checked my new book "His Unexpressed Love?" if not you can check that out too and you can follow me on Instagram: Fazu_Mansuri
Till then the next update, Allah Hafiz!