The truth

Ishra Rehman

I was sitting in my bed thinking about the last few days and how di has been acting strange and ever since I woke up I had a feeling something bad is about to happen and that something’s wrong

"ISHU!!!" suddenly someone yelled my name and I came out of my thoughts I looked up from my mehendi to the person who called me, and there I saw Trisha, my best friend but what’s she doing here? She had exams and said she couldn’t attend the wedding

"Trisha?!, what are you doing here aren't you supposed to be in London for your exams" I questioned her dumbfounded and she sat in the bed next to me

"Yeah but the last two exams got postponed to next month so I came, I was missing you and wanted to attend your sister's wedding” she answered and I nodded in understanding

“Trisha, ishra come down to eat” mumma called us and we went down to eat dinner, the guests had already ate. We went downstairs to the dinning room

“You? What are you doing here?!” He questioned looking at Trisha with a annoyed expression, him and Trisha hate each other

Trisha rolled her eyes and responded “to attend the wedding what else” while she walked towards the dinning table and sat in a chair and I followed sitting next to her

“Mere behen ki shaadi hai toh tum yaha kyu ho” aarav bhai said

“Meri best friend ki behen ki shaadi hai aur mujhe invite kiya hai toh main a gayi” she responded

“Tum Dono ekdam pati patni ki tarah karte ho” manika bhabi said suddenly coming downstairs while zahir bhai followed behind

"You guys can never stop bickering can you" zahir bhai said as he came towards us

"I wouldn’t marry her even if her the last women on earth" Aarav bhai said with a dramatic and annoyed tone

“Like I want to marry you” she responded right away

“Areyy bas karo dono” mumma said and both shut up while mumma and papa also sat down, everyone asked Trisha how she’s been and how her exams went.

After eating we went back to my room and we talked until 3am and seeing how tomorrow is the wedding and it’s really late we went to sleep

"Ishra! Ishra! wake up!" I heard Trisha calling me and I sat up in bed rubbing my eyes "Finally you woke up!" Tara said glaring at me to which I gave her a confused look

"What did I do?" I asked

"Nothing, just you weren't waking up! and this is my 15th try to wake you up, and I accomplished to wake you up" she said sarcastically and i gave her a sweet smile to which she glared at me even more, and then I noticed she's already dressed

"Why are you already dressed we don't leave for the venue until 4pm?" I asked her to which she smacks my head

“Why’d you smack my head I did nothing wrong” I said rubbing my head

"it's 4:19pm!" Trisha said to which my eyes widened and I jolt up from the bed

"WHAT!!!, why didn't you wake me up earlier!" I yell, running to my wardrobe to get my outfit

"Like I said I tried to wake you up 15 times and this time I accomplished to wake you up, i tried waking you up but you weren't waking up, it's not my fault, but seriously get ready fast, you can wear your dress here and do make up and wear your jewelry once we get there, we don't have time" she said and I nod

"I'll go shower real fast and until then can you get my jewelry box and make up bag and put it in a bag so that I can take it with me" I tell her to which she nods and I go inside the bathroom, I finish showering and wear my dress, I get out of the bathroom and saw trisha waiting for me

I wore my heels while she went out to the car and put the bag in in backseat while taking a seat in the drivers seat while I sat in the passenger seat

"You can get ready in the room zaina di is getting ready in since the nikkah doesn’t start until 6-7" Trisha said and we both got went inside the car and we arrived "where is everyone" I ask when we enter the venue

"I don't know, I came with you, remember. and right now I think you should go to the room zanias getting ready in and get ready there, look a waiter is there let's ask him where zanias room is" Trisha said and I agreed, we went to the waiter and asked him, he told us where the room is and we went there I knocked on the door but no one opened it

"Why is no one opening it" I say getting irritated after no one opened it after me knocking again, I knock again and this time say "di it's me ishu" finally the door opens after I knocked again but it wasn’t zaina di who opened it, it was Zahir bhai "bhai?"

Bhai moved aside letting us both in, upon entering I see mumma and papa along with Aarav bhai while bhabi was sitting on the couch in the room, 2 other elders I don't know and a man who's back was facing us and of course my ‘lovely’ dadi everyone too busy in talking about something to notice me, but I didn't see Zania di

“What is going on” I whispered to Trisha feeling the tense atmosphere

“How would I know” she whispered back

"Bhai what's going on?" I ask and everyone looks at me except the man who's back is still facing us

"Ishra, bache....zaina she...she-" mumma instead started to speak but couldn't and started sobbing while papa rubbed mumma’s back comforting her but for what?!

"What? What happened? Why are you crying mumma?" I say getting worried, mumma was sobbing hard and papa's face had tension written all over it, i had a feeling what it was but that couldn’t possibly be! Mumma was in no condition to talk and papa was comforting mumma and also looked pale so he won't be able to talk so I turned to Zahir bhai again  "bhai Kya hua?" I asked him

[ translation: bhai what happened ]

"Ishra" he begun but instead handed me a note, I took the note and me and Trisha both started to read

Zaina’ as note:

“Mumma, papa. I’m sorry but I can’t do this. I love someone else, I know you both would’ve supported me but I couldn’t say no to you guys when you told me about the marriage, you guys gave me time to think about it but later I over heard that the marriage is important for the business so I agreed but now that I think about it I can’t do it when I love someone else. And I can’t marry Arnaaz. I’m sorry”

"She ran away from the marriage with someone else" a deep cold male voice said suddenly which sent shivers down my spine, and I could feel Trisha tense beside me

the man whose back was facing us. turned around, and the air shifted to a more serious and tense atmosphere.

His face was sharp, jaw clenched, eyes dark and cold. He just turned around, he didn’t walk towards anyone just stood still.

He just stared with a look that cut right through the room.

His posture was stiff, controlled, like he was holding back something dangerous. I felt my breath catch—not out of fear, but out of instinct. Everything about him screamed warning.

I look at Trisha asking her through my eyes if what we just read and heated from that man was true and that I wasn’t dreaming and she nodded rubbing my back trying to calm me down before I get a panic attack and faint