The women were filling the pandala continuously as time slipped through the fingers of day and started turning into a dark evening, the boys were trying to keep up with the guests as they walked around, offering water to the guests to wash their hands, before the tramies full of rice and wazwan were set in front of them to finally start eating.
The boys had a face full of sweat, exhaustion showing itself graciously on their faces as they still had to have their food and they had been serving the men before the women, making them look like they had not slept for ten days, after tramies were set in front of the guests and everyone had been arranged in the group of four, it was now time to offer rice, salads, pulaw and other things, keeping them completely busy.
Fannah who was busy giving the trays of salad to each tramie with Arsalan when they reached the next one, Fannah took a tray from Arsalan, when a delicate hand came into his view offering to take it from him, he looked up slightly only to be greeted with a furiously red face of a beautiful girl, staring at him with her wide bunny eyes,her eyelashes trembling as she tried her best to maintain her composure, Fannah looked down again and was about to move to the other tramie, when another girl called after him.
"Thank you brother-in-law".the young girl said followed by a loud teasing laughter making Arsalan laugh too and forcing Fannah to look at her and smile back softly.
"Faiza?" He asked taking a good look at her face.
"Yes" the girl replied.
"It's my pleasure sister-in-law" Fannah said and was about to leave but then turned back and remarked, "by the way, you don't look anything like your brother".
"What was that?", Faiza whispered in a low voice as she looked at Fannah who was already far away from them.
"Oh, he just recognised you as his sister-in-law as Areeb's close friend, don't worry about that and eat" Saniya answered, not thinking much about the weird remark.
After the women were done eating, it was finally time for the boys who had served them, to eat and after they finished eating, it was already time for the groom's welcome, when they came out, the groom had already arrived and at this time he was already drinking the milk glass given by the Bride's mother, after he took a few sips, it was time for the groom to give money to his mother-in-law and finally he was allowed in for the nikah ceremony.
And now it was finally time for the bride and groom to leave, Sumaira was adorned in a pastel lehenga that clung to her body like a dream, the pashmina shawl draped over her head like a veil firmly securing her face as it could only be seen at her in-laws house now, Fannah, her closest cousin holding the Qur'an over her head as they made their way out of the house, where the bride hugged her beloved parents for the last time before departing to her new abode.
Fannah and others who had to go with her to make sure they safely made it to their new home, went to check if his car was ready to take off in the dark night.
"Fannah, straighten out your clothes bro", Raid remarked from the side as he looked him up and down.
"Damn, weddings are too emotional" he said trying to dust off his clothes.
"It's your turn next, what are you complaining for you, you little shit".
"Please, I am too young for all this".
"Tell that to her". Raid said as he signed him towards the figure who was slowly making her way to them.
Areeb came towards them with slow steps unsure whether to continue or go back, looking behind every two steps while Faiza whispered something to her with a cheeky smile, patting her back continuously.
"What are the two young ladies doing here?"Raid asked looking at the girls.
"You forgot your brooch, so auntie asked us to bring it, here" Areeb said in a low voice, opening her hand to show the gold accessory.
Fannah patted his chest and found that he had indeed forgotten it, so he put his hand forward wanting to take it and thank her but at this moment Faiza chirped in.
"What are you doing, put it on for my brother-in-law".
No, I can", Fannah wanted to say no but Faiza immediately added in.
"You can't put it on yourself, it will be crooked, Areeb, you do it", She said helping her friend get close to her crush.
"Okay". Areeb nodded as she stepped closer to Fannah, leaving a little space between them, making the man standing in front of her visibly uncomfortable as he closed his eyes shut to ignore the overwhelming yet sharply uneasy feeling, he was waiting for the next unwelcome touch when he heard a sharp cry in front of him, his eyes snapped open, there_he saw..... saw that Areeb was lying on the ground in shock with her body crumpled in surprise and sufiyan was holding his arms tightly, while crying.
"Fannah, Fannah, listen to me! Please stop her from leaving—don't go with her, don't let her go!" Sufiyan cried, his voice high-pitched and desperate.
"Sufiyan, what's wrong?", Fannah asked trying to come out of the sudden arrival and the whole mess of this situation.
"Fannah, I beg you please, don't let her leave, don't go, you are going to die, Fannah listen to me", Sufiyan continued to cry as Fannah tried to embrace him in his arms.
"It's okay Sufiyan, she is going to her home, it's okay, there is no need to cry, I will take you to visit her tomorrow". Fannah tried to calm him down but to no avail.
"There will be no next time Fannah, listen to me, please, stop her before it's too late". Sufiyan yelled in response.
"Okay calm down, I will stop them, let go of Fannah", Raid said, trying to tear Sufiyan away from the man who held him tightly.
"No, No".
"Sufiyan, let him go".
"Sufi, please let him go, we will stop them, please" Faiza begged her brother as she tried to get her brother to go home.
"It's okay, it's okay, don't force him", Fannah said as he brushed Faiza's hand off her brother's back.
"Let's go", Raid said as he finally yanked sufiyan off of Fannah and started dragging him back to his home.
"Raid, stop it, you are scaring him", Fannah tried to stop them but was immediately stopped by Faiza.
"Let brother Raid get Sufi home, he has to take his medicine, please stay here", Faiza explained before going after Raid and her brother.
.....
After fifteen minutes or so, Raid came back, his face full of worry and frustration as he made his way to Fannah and sat In the car.
"Let's go, everyone is ready to leave". He said resting his head on the back of the seat.
"What's was wrong with sufiyan, why did he behave that way". Fannah asked worried, as he started the engine of the car.
"Sufi, he ,don't worry about him, he is okay, he just didn't have his medicine on time, that's why he acted that way", Raid replied with a deep sigh.
"Okay", Fannah replied, even though he wanted to know more, looking at Raid's face which was too exhausted he decided to end the conversation, as the procession started towards the Groom's house, the atmosphere in the care became light and fun once again, songs were going on in the cars in full volume and everyone sang along happily, marking the beginning of a new relationship between the two families.
"Are they going to stop them on the bridge?" Fannah asked trying to maintain the speed.
"I think so. The groom's friends' car is already ahead of us, so slow down a bit. They sometimes take sharp turns __" Raid was still in between his sentence when the sound of tyres screeching on the road made a deafening sound, Fannah tried to put the break on but it didn't work and with a loud crash the car hit a lamp post and everything came to a sudden halt and a darkness engulfed them completely, their souls hanging on by a thread.