Ariha bit her nails in nervousness as she watched a full blown discussion happening in the living room, Ayaan and Zara being the topic of the said discussion.

"Agle mahine ke end me rakhte hain fir?" She heard her Taya-abbu say.

(Let's fix the date at the end of next month?)

"Baba..Rukhsati?" Ayaan asked impatiently.

"Wo agle saal." His father replied, patting his head.

(Next year.)

"What?" Both the lovers asked at the same time, looking horrified at the idea of 1 year gap.

Zaviyar who was the only one among the elders along with Zara and Ayaan, finally opened his mouth, "I think we're rushing everything." Zara looked at her brother, feeling betrayed with his words.

"Haina, hum to keh rahe hain pehle Zavi Bhaijaan ki shadi kardein! Umar badhti jaa rahi hai! Thode khadoos bhi kam ho jayenge." Ariha spoke before she could stop herself, jumping out from behind the wall.

(Right, I'm saying this from the start, let's get Zaviyar bhaijaan married first, He's getting older! He'll get a little less rude too)

"Ek kaam kyun nahi karte hum Ariha, tumhe itni fikar ho rahi hain, Kyun na hum tumhare liye Zavi ka haath mang lein?" Her mother smiled at her sarcastically.

(Let's do one thing Ariha, since you're so worried about it, why don't we ask Zaviyar's hand for you?)

"Sachi? kitna kama lete hain aap bhaijaan?" Ariha asked him excitedly, taking a seat between the little space Zara and Zaviyar had between them. Her little body squishing between them both.

(Really? How much do you earn bro?)

Zaviyar cleared his throat, getting up from the sofa and leaving the room.

"Lagta hai nikah ki baat se sharma gaye bhaijaan." Ariha giggled watching him leave the house, "Humne konsa haan keh diya, bhai ko bolein fikr na karein, unke liye koi hoor dhoondenge hum!"

(I think he got shy with all the wedding talks) (like I said yes, tell him not to worry, we'll find a beautiful girl for him)

"Tum thoda kam bola karo!" Her mother twisted her ear while her father tried to free his daughter. (Keep your tongue in control)

"Aah, lag rahi hai Ammi." She cried, "hum adopted hain isliye aisa karti hain na aap?" She accused.

(Ahh, it hurts mom) (is it because I'm adopted?)

"Chup kar badmash!" That statement earned her a smack behind the ears, making her run away from their to her Aidah Api, who was waiting for the gossip. (Shut up, troublemaker)

Ariha was adopted but that fact wasn't hidden from her from the very start, instead of getting to know the truth from some outsider, the family decided to tell her on their own.

After losing three babies due to miscarriage, her parents decided to adopt the little girl, who caught their attention with her charming smile the moment they saw her, and now, here she was after twenty-one years, happy and healthy.

"Ayaan bhaijaan or Zara api ka nikah hai agle mahine! Humne to soch lia hume kya kya lena hai and you know what-"

(It's Ayaan bhaijaan and Zara api's wedding next month, I've already decided what to buy and you know what-)

"Break laga lo Ariha, humne sab suna." Aidah told her.

(Take a break, I heard everything too)

Ariha pouted, all her excitement to share the news went to vain, "Jaayein aap, hum kisi aur se baat kar lenge!" She left the room grumpily.

(I'll talk to someone else, huh)

"Bhaiiijaaannnn.." Ariha sang as she hopped out of the house, looking for Zaviyar but he wasn't anywhere in sight.

Abhi to yahin the..

(He was just here...)

"Zavi-" She started to shout when she felt a shadow fall upon her, "Ye rahe aap!" She exclaimed, pulling her phone out, "Idhar aayein." She said, walking over to the stairs as she sat down. (Here you are!) (Come here)

Without thinking twice, Zaviyar went and took a seat beside her, not caring about his pants getting dirty.

"Ye kaisi hai?" She showed him a picture of an actress. (How's she?)

"What?"

"Arey pasand hai ya nahi?" She asked, shoving the phone towards him in urgency. (Do you like her or not?)

"Why would I like her?" He frowned.

"Aap bhi na! Pehle aapka nikah hoga tabhi to Ayaan bhai ka hoga na! Ye jo actress hai na, humari wo english wali ma'am bilkul iske jaisi dikhti thi, aapki setting karwayein?" She asked excitedly while he just looked at her. "Aise to na dekhein, hume sharam aa jaati hain." She covered her face with her palm.

(Offo, you've to get married first then only Ayaan bhaijaan will get married! And this actress, my English teacher looked just like her, you want me to set you up?)

"Go to your room Ariha." He sighed, getting up from the stairs.

"Arey batayein to sahi, kitna cool hoga nahi? Wo bhi English professor aur aap bhi, khair aapne to chodh dia lekin samajh rahe hain na?" She asked, following him.

(Just tell me, it would be so cool, no? She's an English professor and you're too, well you were but you get me, right?)

"I'm not marrying anyone." He turned.

"Haww, Modi ji ki tarah banenge aap?" She gasped, "Tayi ammi ko to sadma lag jaana hai, ek kaam karte hain.." She suggested.

(Haww, you'll be like Modi ji?) (Your mom will get a shock, let's do one thing...)

He raised a brow, looking at her trying to stand on her toes to reach his shoulder. Ariha noticed him looking at her, smiling sheepishly she stood normally.

"Aap na humse nikah kar lein!" She said gleefully, "Aapko kisi aur se nikah nahi karna padega aur hume kisi aur ke ghar bhi nahi jaana padega! Batao?" She smiled brightly at her incredible idea.

(You should get married to me!) (You won't have to marry anyone else and I won't have to go to someone else's home! Tell me?)

"Ariha.."

"Soch kar dekhein, hum aapko tang bhi nahi karte aur hum itne pyaare, nazakat aur tehzeeb wale insaan hain." She boasted, stating the opposite qualities of herself.

(Just think about it, I don't even trouble you and I'm so sweet and a polite person)

"Will you stop talking and leave me alone? Everything's not a joke!" He yelled, walking away from there.

The more he tried to supress his feelings the more she tried to bring those feelings back, he for one knew no one will agree for what he wanted or so he thought.

It was hours later when Ariha entered the house after wandering around near the park near the house, with a kitten in her hands.

"Ariha! Isko chodh kar aa wapas!" Her mom yelled as soon as she saw her.

(Ariha! Drop him back!)

"Ammi, dekhein to kitna pyaara hai ye!" She ignored her words, scratching his neck.

(Mom? Just look how cute he is!)

"Ab tu bache bhi churane lag gayi?" Ayaan shook his head disapprovingly.

(You've started to steal babies now?)

"Humne churaya nahi hai, iski ammi ka inteqal ho gaya tha, to humne socha hum iski ammi ban jaate hain, humne toh iske abbu jaan ko bhi dhoond lia hai!" She told everyone, looking at her feet with red cheeks.

(I didn't steal him, his mother died and I thought I should become his mother, I've found his dad too!)

Zaviyar stopped chewing as he heard her words, a few hours ago she was proposing marriage to him and now she had someone else already?

Zara looked at her brother, who feeling her gaze on him continued eating but his ears were focused on Ariha.

"Acha, aur kaun hai wo?" Aiza asked, removing her chappal under the table, her daughter was getting on her nerves and she knew how to put her back on track. (Really? And who is he?)

"Aapko nahi pata? Arey wo uss din aap ke wo show me wo jo hero nahi tha? Haaye, kitna handsome tha." She said dreamily.

(You don't know? You remember that guy from your tv show? Damn, he was so handsome.)

"Bataun mai tujhe!" Aiza stood up, running after her with her slipper.

(Let me remind you!)

"Aapne hi to kaha tha ki aisa jamai chahiye aapko!" Ariha defended herself, running around the house.

(You were the one who said you wanted a son-in-law like him!)

"Chup kar!" (Shut up!)

"Arey abhi nikah thodi kia hai, baat hi to ki hai!" She frowned, standing beside her father.

(I didn't get married yet, just talked about it!)

"Pehle iss billi ko wapas chodh kar aa."

(First go and leave this cat from where you got him.)

"Billi nahi hai ammi, Billa hai! Iska naam bhi rakh dia humne, Zavi naam rakhenge hum iska." She told her proudly while Zaviyar choked on his biryani, "Kya hua bhaijaan?" She asked, giving him a glass of water.

(It's a he mom, he's a cat! I've named him too, I'll name him Zavi.) (What happened brother?)

She bent down to his ear level once he calmed down, "hum Ammi ko bata dein ki aap Zavi ke abbu banne ko taiyaar hain?" She whispered, not noticing that her cat was now eating biryani from Zaviyar's plate.

(Should I tell mom that you're ready to be Zavi's father?)

"Change his name." He grumbled.

"Bhatura rakh dein kya? Hume chole bhature boht pasand hain!" She asked, thinking hard as she took the empty seat beside him, "Ye bhature ki tarah gol gol bhi hai.."

(Should I name him bhatura? I like chole bhature alot!) (And he's round like a bhatura)

"Ariha.."

"Ya chole rakhein?"

(Or should I name him Chole?)

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