He arrived before her, restless, his thoughts tangled.
When Muskaan finally sat in front of him, she smiled lightly.
"You look serious... what's going on?"
Saif took a deep breath.
"I need to talk to you."
"Okay... you're scaring me now," she said nervously.
He hesitated for a moment... then said,
"Muskaan... will you marry me?"
She blinked in surprise, then laughed softly.
"Oh my God, Saif... is that what this was about?"
But his face didn't change.
He looked at her and said quietly,
"It's not that simple."
Her smile faded.
"What do you mean?"
"My family has fixed my marriage," he said. "They want it soon... and they're not ready to listen."
He reached for her hand.
"I love you. I don't want to lose you. Please... understand me."
Muskaan slowly pulled her hand back.
"Saif... you're putting me in a very difficult situation," she said.
"I can't marry you like this. I'm sorry."
Before he could say anything else...
she stood up and walked away.
Saif sat there, frozen.
For a moment, it felt like everything inside him had collapsed.
Pain turned into anger...
and silence turned into acceptance.
When he returned home, he didn't argue anymore.
He just said one thing-
"I'm ready for the marriage."
Sometimes, love doesn't end because it fades...
it ends because life doesn't give it a choice.
Saif’s family invited the bride’s family to their home. After a formal meeting, the alliance was confirmed from both sides. Soon, the wedding date was fixed for the following month. Everyone celebrated the happy occasion by offering sweets to each other.
Preparations for the wedding began immediately at Saif’s house. Every family member wanted to fulfill their dreams through this grand celebration. This was not an ordinary wedding—Saif’s father was a well-known political leader in the city, which made the event even more special. Many influential personalities were invited.
However, Saif was deeply unhappy.
On one hand, he was grieving the loss of his love, and on the other hand, he could not ignore his family’s happiness. He felt completely helpless. In the end, he silently accepted this bitter reality. As the saying goes, a desperate person does whatever he must—and that was exactly Saif’s condition.
At the most crucial moment of his life, Saif had been betrayed. His family never truly understood him, and now even love had abandoned him.
Meanwhile, preparations at Rizvi’s house were going on with great enthusiasm. Being the eldest daughter, her family made sure that nothing was lacking in the wedding arrangements.
On the other side, Saif’s family was extremely happy. Zareen was especially excited, as she got the perfect chance to enjoy her brother’s wedding. Guests kept arriving continuously, and many political figures came to congratulate Saif.
At Rizvi’s house, preparations for the haldi and mehndi ceremonies were in full swing. In the evening, the haldi ceremony took place, where turmeric was applied to Rizvi. Women were invited to sing traditional songs, filling the atmosphere with joy.
All the neighborhood aunties were invited for a feast at Rizvi’s house. Rizvi shared a strong bond with them, and they all blessed her with heartfelt prayers.
While everyone was happy for her, there was also sadness—she would soon leave her home for her new life.
The next day was her mehndi ceremony. All her cousins were busy preparing dance performances. Sofia, the daughter of her paternal aunt, was also present along with her brother.
