The midnight glory was shining upon us with the starry canvas. I passed a smile to Ayat Appi, an awkward one.

Her brows furrowed, and a little smile plays on her lips. I saw her walking towards me.

"Mysha what are you doing here?" She asked with her phone now on her palm.

I took two steps towards her and replied, "I was just walking, actually Kabeer has a video conference so I thought why not just a stroll around".

"I see the time difference being a thing for him," She said with that prominent infectious smile.

Sometimes I do wonder how serene her smile is, how pure it is and how rare too.

For this time she is smiling for real.

"He will manage it," I said coming out of my thoughts. She nodded and then moved towards the swing, I trailed behind.

"You are doing something?" I asked taking a seat next to her.

"I was just waiting for a call," She says and I didn't miss the longing in her eyes. She must be waiting for long.

"This late?" I asked again, it's past midnight.

"Well time difference again," She said and shakes her head, must be at some distant memory.

Her face glows under the moonbeams and for once I saw her eyes shine, a single pearl resting upon the curtains and she blinks it away.

Ayat Appi has always been a mystery for me.

So unknown yet so unknown, so close yet afar.

"I see," I said looking at the gleaming stars now.

Silence engulfs us and I let that be, I was too busy reading between the lines, thinking about Ayat.

"Mysha I was about to ask you, do you want to come with me to the local market for shopping?" Suddenly she asked and I smiled at her in answer.

"Yeah sure". A day with her was certainly a great idea.

"You'll love it there, I have a meeting tomorrow morning I'll keep you up in the afternoon?"

"Kabeer is free I guess, can he join us," I ask with a laugh and she shook her head.

"Of course he can, he should." She laughs and I swear I left time stopping there.

Amma's words run behind my head, "Ayat ki muskuharat mein koi baat hai Mysha. Jab woh hasti hai toh duniya ruk si jati jati, hawayein tham se jate hai aur sab khubsurat sa lagne lagta hai."

She told me this in the morning and now, it seems so true yet so rare. Her laughs are rare.

"Api can I ask you something," I asked her coming back to reality.

"You don't have to take permission Mysha" She smiles and nodded, and that was my clue.

"What about Kabeer's aunt? I haven't heard about her and it's been a week I'm here"

"You are excited to meet her? Because she is super excited."

"She is?" I asked, I mean no one really talks about her here.

As if she is some taboo topic, and I can feel it because I mention it once and Sanaya just shut me up and asked me to never mention it to any elder.

But you know what, curiosity sucks!

"Kabeer is Imran Chachu's split image, he was her closet brother, so you can say she is just counting days to meet you two," She said in a fond voice, she must have been really close to her,

"So why hasn't she?"

"She lives in Abbottabad, I visited her last week. I just didn't know you were coming that day, I would have brought her along too. But then I wouldn't be here"

"You don't live here?"

"Not always, I live here most of the time but sometimes I stay back in Pindi"

"Oh, I didn't know," I said and she just shook her head.

"That's fine" That's not because there are so many things you are hiding and no one actually talks about it and it will be the end of me.

"Anything else?" She asks and I swear I have a lot more but I somehow stopped myself.

For now, it's enough.

-----

THE BAZAAR is something so new to me. The rush and people, the clothes and the snacks. I always saw these in movies and now when I am walking through these lanes, these are even more beautiful. We visited the mall first there Ayat Api saw someone, I think so actually I am pretty sure she did because that's when she suddenly asked me if I want to visit the bazaar.

I said yes almost immediately, but I didn't miss the fear in her eyes.

As if she is hiding something, or she is hiding from someone.

And that's another mystery I need to find out.

"I think these two will look great on you" Ayat Api's voice brings me back, she chooses the beautiful dupattas for my dresses and I love those.

"Yes" I nodded and she just asked the shopkeeper to pack everything

"Yeh pack karwa dein,"

"Api but" I tried to stop and she glared at me and smack my hand.

"Chup gift hai humare taraf se, mana nahi karte" Kabeer was pretty much useful today. He carried most of our bags.

-----

On our way back to the haweli, I saw a car following ours, maybe. I am not sure but the inner journalist in me never leaves a chance to find clues. I didn't fret over it but I am keeping it as a note for now.

The whole haweli is adorned as a bride today. The hustle-bustle is pretty much evidence of the arrival of a wedding in the house.

As soon as we enter, my eyes fall on those gift baskets kept in the middle of the hall. Taya Jee standing not far from those and almost everyone is present there, except Amma Jee who must be resting in her room.

I can see smiles on the women's faces, and curiosity just like mine. And that's when I saw Ayat Api opening the first package and my eyes widened.

"Wow these are so pretty, Ayat Api this is exactly the dress you were looking at back in that shop," I said aloud and almost every head snapped towards me. I really need to learn how to keep this mouth shut otherwise I will be dead soon.

But wait, this is the same dress Ayat Api was looking at, I am pretty sure she loved it as well but when I asked her to get it she just denied saying her dress will be already there by the time we get back to the haweli.

"Yeh Ayat ke liye aye hai, aj shaam ki function ka aur baki sabhi ke v hai" Rumaisa's mother said and I just passed her a smile.

"Mysha yeh humare taraf sey" Ayat api came towards me and handed me a shopper.

"Thank you Api"

-----

THE EVENING SKY and the twinkling lights of the haweli greet the guests. The celebration has begun and I for the first time in years wasn't late. Kabeer was shocked seeing me all ready and mostly seeing me ready like this.

Oh, that boy is whipped and so am I.

He looked handsome and had that gorgeous smile on his face. I swear they have beauty genes. I saw Ayat Api descending from the stairs with an elderly woman.

As soon as she reaches me, Ayat Api introduces us, "Mysha yeh Kabeer ki Sana Phupi hai,"

And next I was engulfed in a warm hug.

She is warm.

"Mashaallah kitni khubsurat hai"

"Ap Ayat Api ke samne yeh ka kaha kare, gunah hota hai" I joked and Phupi laughed.

"Mysha" Ayat api started but phupi cut her off.

"Waise baat toh sahi kaha hai apne Mysha"

"Hoor hai humari Ayat" And there I saw it.

A motherly affection, something I had seen in Ammi's eyes for me. So pure and so warm. And all I know, Phuphi will be the one answering all my questions.

"Ibrahim Bhai?" Rumaisa's voice sounded brings me back and I looked back. She looked shocked and almost looked around at everyone.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Taye Jee's eyes turning into a hard glare. So Ibrahim is another sore topic.

Another mystery.

"Main barat ke saath aya hun." His voice was raspy and damn he looked handsome.

Don't judge me here but one should appreciate fine species.

And I saw it, and I gulped, his eyes were fixed towards us, upon Ayat Api.

And suddenly I felt everyone looking at them and they at each other.

Their eyes against each other, the intense eye contact.

"Imad aur Ibrahim dono college friends hai" Phupi breaks the silence, "Rasam shuru karo jaldi" but I still found myself looking at them what just happened here.

Soon the rings were exchanged and the celebration begins.

------

"Hayee aaj toh hoor v zameen pe utar aya, kya kehte toh Ibrahim" Imad, Sanaya's to be husband said with a teasing tone and I didn't miss the blush on Ayat api's neck.

Wait, he was talking about her?

"Sanaya sambhal lon apne shohar ko, agr mera haath chal gya toh galti meri nahi hogi" Ibrahim Bhai who was silent until now and well the whole time was just standing behind Api as some bodyguard spoke in a hard tone.

I saw her gulp and Phupi smile.

Something is missing out here.

"Imad chup ho jaaye" I heard the other guy, I think his name would be Asad, standing next to Ayat api who looks a year or two younger than her.

"Bhai main toh bss" Imad started but Ibrahim bhai's voice cut him off, and left me and others with hanging mouth

"Kabhi kabhi Khubsurti ki tareef karne se usse humari hi nazar lag jati hai. Amma zara apni ladli ke aaj sadqe utar lena, pata laga humari hi nazar lg gyi ho"

Okay so, Amma.

Phupi is his Amma.

Phupi is Ibrahim Bhai's mother.

He is actually Ibrahim Sheikh.

The Ibrahim Sheikh.

Damn another mystery.