Everything was ready. The decorations were accurate and beautiful. The lounge area was decorated beautifully with flowers and lights. There was a white cloth on the floor and many floor cushions on it. All of the lounge area was decorated with flower arrangements on the walls and the banisters. There was a large, round plate decorated with flowers. There was lots of cone Mehndis in it for the mehndi function later. There was not much time left for the guests to arrive. It was an all-female function. Hana was in the kitchen. Her Dado have made her stay in the kitchen and make some refreshments for the boys that will be staying in the lawn for the whole function as they were not allowed to enter in the lounge as the bride will also be here to get her mehndi done. All of her family is also going to be here. The males will be out in the lawn while the girls are going to be in the lounge.
“Hana! Jaldi karo! Bahir larko ko kuch peenay k liye day kr ao! Hath jaldi chalaya karo! Sust kahi ki! (Hana! Hurry up! Go and give something to drink to the boys, outside! Use your hands a little faster! You lazy ass!)” Dado scolded hana after coming to the kitchen with an annoyed expression on her face.
“Gee Dado! (Yes Grandmother!)” Hana meekly replied and poured the fresh lemonade in the glasses and walked out. Her dado also followed her but she made her way to the lounge while hana went out to the lawn and served the boys with lemonade.
“Tum tyaar kyun nhi hui abhi tak! Mehmaan anay walay hain! (Why are you not ready yet?! The guests are going to be here anytime now!)” Zubair said to hana when she was serving him with a glass of lemonade.
“Busy thi! (I was busy!)” Hana simply replied after seeing the glare of Zayn and Zamid. She was not able to see Rayaan’s glare as he was behind her but Zayn and Zamid were sitting beside Zubair so she could see their glare and she replied in a curt way. Hana had gotten the first hand taste of Zayn’s anger about talking to Non-mehrams so she tries to avoid it at all cost now. It was not like she was a very frank person with males but she was quite friendly with her cousins even though they make fun of her.
“Tray yaha rakho or andar jao! Sab khud lay lain gay! (Put the tray here and go inside! Everyone will take on their on!) Go and get ready! Guests will be here anytime now!” Rayaan said with a serious face. Hana simply nodded and put the tray on the center table and went back in.
Hana was going through the lounge towards the stairs when her dado called her again from one of the sofa’s in the loung.
“Gee Dado? (Yes grandma?)” Hana asked politely.
“Kaha ja rahi ho? (Where are you going?)” Dado asked to hana while sitting on the sofa.
“Tyaar honay jaa rahi thi Dado! (I was going to get read, grandma!)” Hana answered.
“Abhi rehnay do! Pehlay hi saray tyaar hain tou main nhi chahti k wo log kaam karain! Ab tum nhi jo ho tyaar tou thorha or wait ker lo! Jab guests aa jain tou un ko refreshments laa dena or phir tyaar honay chali jana! (Leave it for now! As everyone else is already ready so I don’t want them to work! So, as you are not ready, why don’t you wait for a little more time! When the guests arrive, serve them with the refreshments and then you can go to get ready!)” Dado ordered hana to which she just nodded and went in the kitchen. Hana had a crestfallen face. All the females of the family came to the loung and they were taking photos. Hana was feeling sad that she had to be in the kitchen even on her brother’s marriage. Hana’s cousins called her to take their pictures from her Camera so she went to her room and brought her camera in the lounge.
“Abhi tak tyaar nhi hui? Sab anay walay hain, hana! (Still not ready? Everyone is going to be here, hana!)” hana’s second tayi said.
“Wo ap sab tyaar hain tou dado nay kaha k main guests ko serve krnay kay baad ready ho jaon! (Actually, grandma told me to get ready after serving the guests with refreshments as you all are ready!)” Hana replied. After this, no one asked her because they knew that if Dadi jaan had said something then they can’t question it. Hana took everyone’s pictures and the girls called the boys inside too so they can take some photos until the guests arrive. Hana became the photographer without any complaints and no one even called her as they were busy in making poses or teasing the groom.
After sometime, the guests arrive and males went to the lawn after greeting the guests and hana went in the kitchen to grab the refreshments and some food for everyone. Hana served the gents first and then the ladies. The mehndi designers were also here so the function started. Whenever hana made her way to the stairs, her dado calls her for one thing or another. It was almost the end of the function and hana was still not ready and there was no mehndi on her hands too. Even the maids of the house had gotten their hands decorated with mehndi. Only hana’s were bare. After many failed attempts of getting ready for the function, hana gave that thought up and just became the photographer or the food server for the night.
Hana’s cousins did some dancing on songs too that they had been preparing for some days now. Hana did not know about it and was surprised by it but still she enjoyed it. Hana wanted to dance too but she stopped herself as she did not want to make a fool of herself in front of the both families. After the dinner, all the guests went back and all of the Shah family went to the lawn. The girls showed their mehndis to the boys and then they settled on the grass while the elder people were on the chairs.
Hana made tea for everyone and served it to all of them. After serving, she retired to her room. No one saw hana’s escape, in fact, they did not even notice her in the first place as everyone was busy in their own gatherings. The elders were discussing some things about the marriage venue and the timings while their kids were enjoying each other’s company and joking around.
“Where is hana? I have not seen her since the function started!” Asfand randomly asked about hana from hiba. Hiba knew what happened and what was happening with hana so she just made an excuse.
“She went to her room! She was feeling a little tired. I’ll go and check on her!” Hiba said and got up from her seat. She went upstairs and to hana’s room. Without knocking, she went in her room. Hiba saw hana with her back towards the door and quilt on her. Hiba observed that hana was not sleeping and she was just pretending to be asleep. Hiba knew that because hana’s shoulders were shaking from time to time. Hiba made her way to hana’s side and saw that she was indeed crying with her eyes close and tears straining her face. Hiba sat on the bed and tried to console her.
“Hana! Baby, why are you crying?” Hiba softly asked even though she knew what the issue was.
“I know you are not sleeping! Come on baby! Talk to me na!” Hiba said after hana ignored her. At this, hana opened her eyes and rubbed her tears away with her fists. She slowly sat up and looked at hiba with small tears blurring her view.
“Why Dado hate me so much? What have I done mamma?” Hana asked with extreme sadness in her eyes and pain in her voice.
“Esay nhi kehtay jaan! Woh to ap say bohot pyaar krti hain! (Don’t say like this, dear! She loves you a lot!)” Hiba lied and patted hana on her back.
“Why don’t you get ready now and we will take lots of pictures here in your room and then I’ll decorate your hands with mehndi!” Zayn said this with excitement. Hiba was just looking at the sibling’s exchange with small tears in her eyes and was enjoying it a lot.
“Hath nhi kharab krwanay menay apnay ap say mehndi lagwa kr! (I don’t want to get my hands ruined by letting you apply mehndi on them!)” Hana said with a pout but her eyes were getting their light back. She was young so she usually gets impress and excited from every small thing.
“Esi bhi baat nhi hai! Tmhay tou grateful hona chahiye kay Zayn jesa genius tmhay mehndi laganay laga hai! You ungrateful brat! (Now that is not true! You should be grateful that a geniuse like Zayn is going to apply mehndi for you!)” Zayn said with annoyance on his face.
“Mamma dekhain bhai jaan nay gali di mjhay! (Mamma look, brother just abused me!)” Hana complained to her mother.
“Kon si gali! Menay kab di! (What abuse? When did I do that?!)” Zayn said with shock on his face. He did not know when he abused his sister. He always tried to not say curse words in front of his innocent sister.
“Abhi tou di! (Just now!) You called me a brat!” Hana said while pointing at Zayn in accusing manner.
“Brat gali nhi hoti pagal! (Brat is not a curse you idiot!)” Zayn said back with furrowed brow.
“Ab phir gali di apnay! You called me a pagal! (You again abused me!)” Hana again accused with shock on her face.
“Acha acha bas karo tm dono! Zayn, please hana k samnay esi wording mat use karo! Or hana jao or jaldi say tyaar ho jao phir hum pictures banatay hain! Okay! (Okay okay, leave it you two! Zayn, please don’t use these type of words in front of hana! And hana, go and her ready then we will take lots of pictures! Okay?!)” Hiba scolded both of them and told hana to get ready. Hana nodded and got up from the bed to get ready. Zayn had a soft smile on his face with hana’s behavior as hana had a large smile on her face when she stood up from the bed. He looked at his mother and there was a silent and secret exchange between both of them.
Hiba went out and called Asfand and Zamid in hana’s room while hana was changing in her bathroom. Hana got ready in her new dress and she styled her hair a little then applied small make-up but with Zayn in room, it was not possible. He instantly washed her face and rubbed all the make-up from her face. Hana scowled at this and when hiba entered again in hana’s room followed by Asfand and Zamid, hana again applied a little make-up. When Zayn tried to clean it, hiba scolded him and then they took a lot of images with hana’s hijab. Zamid was also very patient with this as he did not flat out refuse this and took some pictures for his parent’s sake. Hana was looking really pretty but Zamid refused to compliment her.
After all this photo session, only Zayn stayed in hana’s room and applied mehndi but it was an utter disaster so she instantly washed her hands. Both of the siblings stayed up whole night and watched animated movies. All the cousins were also up and enjoying their time together but Zayn ditched them to spend time with his sister. They even slept in a very uncomfortable position while watching their 4th movie. Hana had her head on Zayn’s shoulder and Zayn’s head was on hana’s head. Both were sitting on the bed with their backs on the backrest of the bed.
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