Chapter 4
Aayat’s POV:
Aayat lay awake, the bracelet glinting softly in the dim lamplight beside her bed.
Her fingers traced over its delicate design again and again, as if the touch could replay every moment from earlier that evening.
The smile Rayyan had worn when he clasped it onto her wrist, the warmth in his voice when he’d said it belonged to her—it all lingered like an unshakable echo.
She pulled the blanket closer around herself, her heart restless.
She wasn’t na?ve; she knew gifts carried meaning.
Yet this bracelet felt heavier than diamond—it felt like a promise.
Aayat bit her lip, whispering into the quiet of her room: “Why does it feel like you’ve always been a part of my life, Rayyan? ”
Her father’s face flickered in her memory. The way he had spoken of Rayyan with respect, how easily he had entrusted her future into his hands. That decision had come as a surprise to her, but perhaps not to Rayyan. Maybe, just maybe, he had been waiting for this moment all along.
After that, I got up and went downstairs to the living room and sat on the sofa. Saad bhai , huzaif bhai , hayaat and Aleena (rayyan sister) were all there.
“Ohooo, Aayat api… ab toh aap Rayyan bhai ki dulhan banne wali ho,” Hayaat sang from behind me, her tone full of mischief.
(Ohooo, Aayat api… now you’re going to become Rayyan bhai’s bride.)
“Hayaat! Chup hoja,” I hissed, my cheeks burning.
(Hayaat! Be quite.)
But before I could run, Huzaif bhai blocked my way with a smirk.
“Madam, ab samajh aaya? Itni der kyun lagayi humein bataane mein ke Rayyan bhai pehle se tumhe pasand karte hain?”
(Madam, now i understand? Why did it take you so long to tell us that Rayyan bhai already liked you?)
I gaped. “Kyaaa? Nahi! Aisa kuch nahi tha,” I blurted out, panic flaring.
(Whattt? No! There was nothing like that.)
“Haan haan… sab jhoot hai,” Saad bhai folded his newspaper dramatically. “ toh bata rayyan ne itni jaldi haan kaise kar di aur tune be?”
Yes, yes… it’s all a lie.) ( Then tell us, how did Rayyan agree so quickly… and you too?)
I threw my hands up. “Main ne haan family ki wajah se ki… unhone kaha Rayyan best hai mere liye.”
(I said yes because of the family… they said Rayyan is the best for me.)
Hayaat giggled. “Aur tumhe bhi secretly woh best hi lagte hain, right?”
(And secretly, you think he’s the best too, right?)
I wanted the earth to swallow me whole. “Tum log na… hadd kartay ho!”
(You people seriously cross the limits!)
They laughed as if they had found their new favorite toy—me.
Even my cousin , Aleena ( rayyan sister), who had come over for dinner, joined in the teasing.
“Socho toh sahi, Aayat… Rayyan bhai kitne serious hain, aur tum kitni chirpy. Perfect balance!”
(Just think about it, Aayat…
Rayyan bhai is so serious, and you’re so chirpy. Perfect balance!)
I groaned, burying my face in my hands. “Ya Allah, save me from these people.”
(Oh Allah, save me from these people.)
---
Later that night, when everyone had gone to their rooms, I stepped out quietly into the garden. The night was cool, the stars scattered across the sky like pearls. My dupatta slipped from my shoulders as I tilted my head back, taking a deep breath.
“ ye sab kuch itna jaldi kaise ho gaya?” I whispered to myself. My heart was still trembling from the weight of it all. Shaadi. My nikah. With Rayyan.
(How did all of this happen so quickly?)
I walked further into the garden, running my fingers across the rose bushes when suddenly, a shadow stretched across the lawn.
“Tum yahan akeli kya kar rahi ho?”
(What are you doing here alone?)
My heart leapt into my throat. I turned quickly—and froze.
Rayyan was standing there.
His tall frame was partly hidden in the darkness, but his eyes… his eyes shone with an intensity that made me forget how to breathe.
“Aap?” My voice trembled. “Yahan kya kar rahe hain?”
(You? What are you doing here?)
He stepped closer, his tone calm yet carrying that quiet authority. “Balcony pe tha… apne ghar ki. Phir tumhe garden mein dekha… so I came.”
(I was on the balcony… of my house. Then I saw you in the garden… so I came.)
I clutched my dupatta nervously. “Aur aapko kya zaroorat thi yahan aane ki?”
(And what was the need for you to come here?)
"Tumhe dekhne ki zaroorat hamesha hoti hai.”
(There is always a need to see you.)
My cheeks burned instantly. I looked away, trying to mask the chaos inside me. “Aap… aap hamesha itni ajeeb baat karte hain.”
(You… you always say such strange things.)
Rayyan took another step closer, his voice lower this time. “Itni ajeeb bhi nahi… agar samajhne ki koshish karo.”
(Not that strange… if you try to understand.)
I swallowed hard, gripping the end of my dupatta like a lifeline. “Main bas… thoda hawa khane aayi thi. Mujhe neend nahi aa rahi thi.”
(I just came out for some fresh air. I couldn’t sleep.)
“Same here.” His gaze didn’t leave mine. “Too many thoughts tonight.”
I forced a nervous laugh. “Toh… kya soch rahe hain aap?”
(So… what are you thinking about?)
He looked straight at me, and for a moment, it felt like the whole garden fell silent. “Soch raha hoon… jo dua saalon se ki thi, aaj woh meri zindagi ban gayi hai.”
(I’m thinking… the prayer I made for years has now become my life.)
My breath caught. I stared at him, unable to reply. His words echoed in my chest like a secret I wasn’t ready to hear.
Before I could say anything, he stepped back, his tone turning gentle again. “It’s late. Go inside. Kal subah tumhari class hai.”
(It’s late. Go inside. You have class tomorrow morning.)
I nodded quickly, heart hammering. “J… ji.”
(Y..yes)
As I walked back towards the house, I could still feel his eyes on me, heavy and unspoken. Inside, I pressed my hand against my chest, whispering to myself:
“Ya Allah… ab main kya karoon?”
(Oh Allah… what do I do now?)
~
Meanwhile, in another corner of the city, Ayaan Khan leaned back in his leather chair, eyes fixed on nothing. The amber glow of his desk lamp painted sharp shadows across his face, but his mind was elsewhere—caught on the memory of a girl.
He had seen hundreds of faces in his world. Polished, perfect, practiced. But this one—this girl—had been different. He hadn’t even asked her name. And yet, she refused to leave his thoughts.
It was not attraction alone—it was curiosity, a pull he could not explain.
He exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair. “Kaash nam puch liya hota… kaash ruk gaya hota ek pal aur.”
(I wish I had asked her name… I wish I had stayed for one more moment.)
His fingers drummed restlessly on the desk. “She wasn’t like the rest. She felt… real.”
For a man who was always in control, the sensation was unsettling. Ayaan was used to women chasing him, bending toward his world. But tonight, it was he who felt undone, chasing after a memory with no anchor.
Still, a strange hope lingered, uninvited yet persistent. “Maybe fate isn’t done with us yet. Maybe she’ll come back into my life.”
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