The event was over long ago. And when Mahnoor insisted that they should leave now.

Eda stopped her from calling Zarim. Even Laiba decided to spend the night with her friend.

Mahnoor was reluctant and keep glancing at her phone. The time was creeping closer to 10 now and she was beginning to feel nervous.

"Kisse chatting kr rhi ho?" Laiba asked as she leaned closer.

Eda's older sister, Mashal hid her phone as her cheeks redenned.

"Mohid bhai se baate ho rhi hongi" Eda teased her.

They were all seating inside the bride's room on the bed.

That's how rest of the time passed, mostly Eda and Laiba talked. They teased Mashal. Mahnoor was enjoying herself yet she was still fearing how her mother would scold her when she will go back. She asked her to come back early.

And what about Zarim?, Mahnoor thought.

After quiet soem time, Mashal was feeling tired so she retired for the night with Laiba.

Now Eda and Mahnoor were sitting alone in her room.

"Kb tk yu phone ko dekhti rhogi Mahnoor. Chli jana 11 bje tk" Eda said, she was lying on her bed with her laptop with tabs open of lehnga she was planning to buy for Mashal's nikkah.

"Abhi mujhe btao inn dono mai se konsa acha lg rha hai" she moved her laptop towards her and showed her a green and a pink lehnga.

When she saw Mahnoor was not listening to her and was still staring at her phone as if any second a ghost would pop out it.

She snatched it to grab her attention. And she was successful when Mahnoor finally leaned forward to take her phone back.

"Mera phone do Eda" she said
"Phele tum mujhe btao tum itni disturb kyu ho? Fatima khala ki daat se dr lg rha hai? Mai unhe smjha dungi"

"Or Zarim bhai ka kya?"

At her words Eda frozed. Mahnoor bit her lips as she looked at the teasing smile forming on her friend's face.

"Zarim bhai... tumhe Zarim bhai chordne aaye the!!!?" Eda said

Mahnoor nod in reply.

"Tum toh bhot chalak nikli, Mahnoor!! Apni bff yani mai mujhe he nhi btaya ki jija ji tumhe chorrdne aye the"

Mahnoor gripped her hand as her eyes flew open. She signaled her to be quiet.

"Koi jija ji nhi hai wo!" Mahnoor bit into her nails as she replied.

"Tumhare crush toh hai"
"Aisa toh kuch nhi hai. Bs woh mujhe ache.... insaan lgte hai" she tried to defend her self.

"Jinke saath tum apni puri zindagi guzaarna chahti ho" Eda completed her.

"Aisa kuch nhi hai" she said again.

Eda looked over at her best friend. As she finally sat down.

"Tum unhe bta kyu nhi deti?"
"Kya?"
"Ki tum unhe pasand krti ho"
"Tumhara dimaag khrab hogya hai!?"

"Mahnoor...jbse hum 11th standard mai the maine tbse tumhe sirf Zarim bhai ko chahte hue dekha hai. Even in school jb ladke tumhe propose krte the yha tumahre qarib aane ki koshish krte the toh tum saaf inkar kr deti thi" Eda tried to make her understand.

"Apni mohbaat ko ek chance toh do." Mahnoor feel into a deep thought at her last words.

Mohbaat.
The word was strange to her. She never completely understood it. But Eda was right, she had admired Zarim since she was 16. Since she knew nothing about love.
Kya mai sachme Zarim se mohbaat krti hu?, she asked herself.

But her thoughts were interrupted when her phone rang loudly in her lap. And it as if universe answered her question.
Both the girls stared at the name flashing on the screen.

"Dekha!" Eda smiled as if she knew what Mahnoor was thinking earlier.

Mahnoor picked up her phone and swiped the green button.

"Aaj ghar jane ka irada hai hai kya tum dono ka?" Zarim asked.

"Woh..woh mai bss nikl rhi hu. Or Laiba api aaj yhi rhengi" she said

She could feel him rubbing his forehead as a sigh left his mouth.

"Acha tum aao. Mai niche hu" he said
"Thik hai" she replied as the call hung up.

Eda looked at her expectedly, like Zarim would have called her to confess his undying love for her.

"Mai chlti hu,"Mahnoor said as she grabbed her bag and took her dupatta with her.

"Sirf tumhe aane ka he bola? Or kuch nhi" Eda asked in disappointment. 

She thinks that life goes like one of her romance novel. And one day out of nowhere the male lead will fell in love with female lead.

Mahnoor ignored her as she took her in hug and promised she would call her tomorrow.

⋆‧°𓏲ּ𝄢

When she finally stepped outside, Zarim was standing outside the car waiting for her.

He saw her as he turned towards the driver seat. And Mahnoor took hesitant steps towards the front seat.

She strapped the belt around her and folded her hand on her lap.

On the road she kept thinking about what Eda said to her earlier, "Apni mohbaat ko ek chance toh do."

Should she just say it out loud? And what would she even say?
"Zarim aap mujhe ek ache insaan lgte hai. Or mai aapko chahti hu"

Mahnoor groaned internally at the cliche of her confession.

They were halfway to home. If she want to confess now, she had to do it now.
She bit her lips, as she stared her hands.

She took in deep breath to calm herself as she turned towards Zarim who looked so unaware of her inner tornado.

"Zarim bhai..." she said
She pulled his attention as he looked at her in question.
"Woh......woh.." she gulped, suddenly her throat felt too dry.
"Kya hua?" Zarim asked.

Mahnoor wiped the sweat collecting on her forehead with her dupatta as she begin again.
"Woh....woh"
"Kya woh?" Zarim said who was starting to get irritated.

 He was a patient man but he lost his important clients today and he had a meeting to attend in few hours with foreign inverstors. So, when Mahnoor stuttered again, his voice rised a little bit as he said "Jo bolna hai bol bhi do ab"

She flinched slightly and Zarim instantly felt guilty. And he was just opening his mouth to apologize when Mahnoor began rambling.

"Aap mujhe bhot ache lgte hai. Mai aapko pasand krti hu."

The silence in the car was so loud that Mahnoor feared that he could hear her heart beating against her ribs.

Zarim focused on the road as he calmly parked the car in the corner of the road. It was getting late and there were only few cars on the road.

"Aap..kuch khenge nhi?" Mahnoor asked with her leftover strength.

He clenched his jaw as his hold on the wheel tightened.

"Kya kahu? Ki mujhe tumse iss badzat ki umeed nhi thi?"

Zarim's words felt like a slap across her face.

Mahnoor stared at him, her lips parting slightly as if the air had been knocked out of her lungs.

"W...what?" her voice came out barely above a whisper.

He finally turned towards her, his eyes cold in a way she had never seen before.

"Kya socha tumne?" he asked bitterly. "Ke mai tumhari inn bachkani harkato par khush honga?"

Mahnoor immediately shook her head, panic rising inside her chest.

"Nhi, mera matlab woh nhi tha.."

"Toh kya matlab tha?" he cut her off sharply. "Iss bhole chehre ke peeche tum ye sab chupati ho?"
"Tumhe andaaza bhi hai tum kya keh rhi ho?"

Mahnoor felt her eyes sting painfully.

The confidence that had pushed her into confessing only moments ago had vanished completely.

Now she only felt exposed.
Small.
Ashamed.

"Maine sirf apne dil ki baat kahi..." she said after a moment, barely audible.

Zarim let out a humorless laugh.
"Dil ki baat?" he repeated bitterly. "Tumhari umar kya hai, Mahnoor? Aur meri kya hai? Ek baar bhi socha tumne?"

She instantly looked up at him.

"Aap meri baat ko galat samajh rhe hai.."

"Toh sahi kya samjhu?" his voice hardened.

The tears sitting in her eyes finally spilled over.

She quickly wiped them with trembling fingers.

But he didn't softened, his expression only grew colder.

"Mai tumhe hamesha ek seedhi saadhi larki samjhta tha," he said as he shook his head. And Mahnoor felt something inside her crack painfully.

"Aur kya matlab hota hai iss sab ka?" he snapped suddenly. "Pasand karti ho? Chahti ho? Mohabbat karti ho?"

The way he said the last word made her stomach twist painfully.
As if her feelings disgusted him.

Mahnoor pressed her lips tightly together to stop them from trembling.

Outside, the road was nearly empty.
The dim yellow streetlights fell across the windshield while silence suffocated the inside of the car.

"Maine koi gunah nhi kiya..." she whispered brokenly.

Zarim rubbed his forehead harshly.
"Tumhe sharam aani chahiye thi, Mahnoor."

That sentence shattered whatever strength she had left.
Her watery eyes widened instantly.

For years she had loved him quietly.
Silently.
Without expectations.
Without crossing limits.

And now he was making it sound filthy.
"Bss kijiye..." she whispered weakly.

But Zarim wasn't done.

"Kal ko agar kisi ko pata chale toh log kya kahenge?" he said. "Ke ghar ki larkiyan ab..."

"Bss kre!" Mahnoor cried out suddenly.
Her voice cracked loudly inside the car.
Zarim stopped speaking immediately.
Mahnoor's breathing had turned shaky now.

Tears kept slipping down her cheeks no matter how many times she wiped them away.

"Meri mohabbat ko aur zaleel mat kre..." she said through broken breaths.

Silence filled the car again.
A painful silence.
Mahnoor pressed her trembling fingers against her lips before continuing.
"Meri mohabbat paak thi..." her voice was so soft it almost broke midway.

"Maine kabhi aapke bare mai koi ghalat baat nhi sochi."

Zarim looked away from her tear stained face.

But she continued anyway.

"Maine kabhi koi hadd paar nhi ki..." she whispered. "Kabhi aapse kuch maanga nhi. Kabhi aapko majboor nhi kiya."
Her shoulders shook slightly.
"Mai toh bas chup chaap aapko chahti rhi."
For a second something uncomfortable flickered inside Zarim's chest.
Guilt perhaps.
But then he remembered her confession again.

And his expression hardened once more.

"Tum bacchi ho," he said coldly. "Tumhe lagta hai ye sab mohabbat hai?"

Mahnoor didn't answer as she wiped her tears again.

They stayed like that for a moment when Zarim turned on the car and took a turn for home.

When they finally reached home, her tears had dried.
Then without looking at him she said, "Mai aapko kabhi maaf nhi krungi" her voice hoarse from all the tears she shed.

Zarim looked at her, his brows furrowed.

"Mai aapko apni mohbaat ko iss trah tauheen krne ke liye kbhi maaf nhi krungi" she added and got out of the car quietly.

And Zarim he stayed there long, even after when she disappeared behind the doors.

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