But just as the moment seemed perfect, a knock on the door shattered the intimacy.
“Bhai, bhabhi, mein aa raha hoon aap logon ke paas,” came the voice from outside.
“aajao,” she called out, her tone firm as she got up from my lap, causing me to lose the comforting closeness we had just experienced.
“Bhabi, Ammi bula rahi hain niche aap dono ko,” Dewan said, peeking through the door.
She nodded in acknowledgment.
“Chal,” I said, trying to regain some semblance of normalcy.
“Aap jao pehle, mujhe bhabhi se baat karni hai,” Dewan insisted.
“Abh...” I started to say, but was interrupted by Izel.
“Haan ji, boliye? Kya baat karni hai?” she asked, her voice dripping with sweetness.
“Main Dewan Ahmed, aapka chhota devar,” Dewan introduced himself.
“Hello, I am Izel Khan. Aapki...” she started, but Dewan finished the sentence.
“Bhabhi,” Dewan said. “I know.”
“Filhal niche chalte hain, wahan jakar baat karte hain,” Dewan suggested. “But... aapko mujhe ‘Devar Ji’ keh ke bulana padega, bhabhi,” he added with a playful grin, making Izel look surprised.
“Oi, Devar Ji, chal niche,” I said, but Dewan ignored me.
“Bhabhi, deal?” Dewan asked, his tone light and teasing.
“Sure, Devar Ji,” she agreed, surprising me with her quick acceptance.
“Haaye, ek dum serial wali vibe aa gayi,” Dewan said, laughing.
“Ayeein?” she replied, her tone incredulous.
“Baingan,” Dewan answered playfully, causing both of them to burst into laughter.
“Chalo niche dono,” I said, trying to move things along.
“Uff, bhai, thodi der ke liye bhabhi ko akele chhod do mere saath,” Dewan said, not missing a beat.
I shook my head, smiling at Dewan’s antics, and we all headed downstairs together.
“Chalo, let’s go downstairs,” I said, gesturing towards the door.
Dewan nodded, still chuckling to himself.
“Haan, haan, main toh aapke saath he aata hoon,” he said, following us out of the room.
As we walked downstairs, I couldn’t help but notice the way Dewan was flirting with her. I knew it was all in good fun, but a small part of me felt a pang of jealousy.
I pushed the feeling aside, reminding myself that she was mine, and that Dewan was just being his usual charming self.
We entered the living room, where Mom was waiting for us. As we re settle down and sipping our beverages.
“Irfaz, why did you replace the groom?” Mom asked, looking concerned.
Before I could answer, Izel jumped in, “Mujhe bhi jaan na hai iska jawab.”
I met her gaze, feeling the intensity between us grow.
“Kal raat tak jawab tha iska, aaj nahi hai. Sorry,” I replied, trying to keep things light, but I knew she could see the deeper meaning behind my words.
Then Dad brought up the topic of the walima.
“Kya plan hai walima ka? Kab karna hai?” he asked, his voice breaking the tension.
Still looking at Izel, I said, “Hmm... I was thinking of re-doing the nikkah, but this time, without any fake promises. I want us to tie the knot willingly, with both families present. I want it to be real, with no pretense.”
As I spoke, I could see the surprise in her eyes. My words were serious, but the way her eyes softened told me that she understood.
Mom, always quick to take action, started talking about calling our relatives.
“Let me call our relatives then,” Mom said.
My attention was still on Izel.
“Bua bhi ane wali hein?” dewan asked.
“Of course woh ayegi” Mom said.
“Kya? but kiuuuuuu?” Dewan asked and get ignored.
Dewan leaned in and whispered something to Izel, probably another one of his jokes. I watched as she laughed quietly, but when Dewan whispered something else, Izel’s expression shifted slightly.
“Naagin hai woh, bach ke rehna baki sab se. Aur yeh baat secret rakhna hum dono ke beech,” Dewan whispered to her, clearly talking about Bua.
Izel glanced at me, and our eyes met for a brief second. I gave her a small, reassuring smile, hoping she knew that no matter what, I was on her side.
I reached for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Her eyes met mine, and in that moment, we didn’t need to say anything. The connection between us was clear; we were in this together, no matter what challenges lay ahead.
She was already in full action mode, listing out everything that needed to be done for the walima and the nikkah redo. Dad nodded along, throwing in his suggestions.
Izel and I exchanged a look, both of us ready to dive into the preparations.
Dewan called after us, “Aur Bua ko guest list mein last mein likhna, okay?”
As the evening wore on, Dewan’s jokes and teasing became more frequent, but Izel and I remained quiet, our minds preoccupied with the secrets and lies that had been revealed.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Mom announced that it was time for dinner. We all got up, and Izel walked beside me, her hand brushing against mine. I felt a spark of electricity, and my heart skipped a beat.
As we sat down to eat, Izel and I exchanged a few whispered words, our conversation hushed and secretive. We were both thinking the same thing - what other secrets lay hidden, waiting to be uncovered?
After dinner, we all retired to our respective rooms, exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster of the day. Izel and I didn’t say much, but I knew she was thinking about Bua’s warning, and I was thinking about the fake groom and the secrets that still lingered.
As I lay in bed, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that we were just scratching the surface of a much deeper conspiracy.
As I lay in bed, I noticed Izel making up the sofa for herself.
“Oi, waha kyun so rahi ho? Aajao bed pe. Bed kaafi bada hai do janon ke liye,” I said, inviting her to join me.
“Why? You told me last night not to touch your stuff and to sleep on the sofa. Now you’re saying something else,” she reminded me, her words piercing my heart.
“Come on, quietly. Otherwise, I’ll pick you up and bring you here,” I said.
“I dare you to try,” she challenged me, settling into the sofa.
I got up from the bed, walked over to her, and wrapped her in a blanket. I picked her up in a bridal style, and she protested.
“Chhodo mujhe, 6 foot ka bandar!” she protested.
“Chhodne ke liye thodi uthaya hai, jaan,” I teased, loving the way her face and ears turned red at my words. Damn, I loved the effect I had on her.
I placed her gently on the bed and lay down beside her, but my stubborn jaan got up again. Without a word, I pulled her back and hovered over her.
“Chup chap bed pe so jao, warna...” I warned, my voice low.
“Warna? Warna kya?” she challenged back, refusing to back down.
I started tickling her, and she burst into uncontrollable laughter.
“Irfaz, leave me, yaar! Mat karo, yaar, kekekeke,” she pleaded between giggles.
“Bed pe so jao, then I’ll stop,” I said, grinning.
“Kekekeke, okay, okay! I give up! Main so rahi hoon,” she finally conceded.
I lay back down on the bed, satisfied.
“Sleep, my love. I’m tired too.”
“Hmm, good night,” she said.
“Good night, Jaan” I said, kissing her forehead.
She turned to the side table, leaving a gap between us to let the air pass. I grabbed her waist and pulled her closer.
------------TO BE COUNTINUE------------
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