Author's POV
The soft hum of the ceiling fan filled the stillness of the room. Morning light streamed through the lace curtains, scattering delicate patterns on the pale blue walls. Her untouched cup of coffee sat on the table beside her, now gone cold. She had been sitting there for what felt like hours, fingers twisting the edge of her dupatta, eyes fixed on nothing in particular.
Her thoughts were a tangled mess — threads of uncertainty, surprise, and something she couldn't quite name. Ever since Dadu had spoken to her last night about the proposal, her mind hadn't found a moment's rest.
Azlaan .
The name alone was enough to send a wave of quiet confusion through her. She remembered his grandfather's laughter, his family's warmth from the old days, the faded photographs in which a little boy and girl grinned side by side. But Azlaan himself — the man he had become — was more of a shadow in her memory than a person.
And yet, somehow, his name had lingered all night, stubborn and steady.
With a sigh, Aleena picked up her phone and scrolled through her contacts until she found the name she needed. She pressed call.
"Hello?" came the bright, familiar voice from the other end.
"Jannat," Aleena said, her tone soft but urgent. "Can you come over?"
There was a brief pause. "Right now? What happened?"
"I'll tell you when you get here," aleena said quickly. "Just...please come home."
"Aleena—"
"Please," i said again, quieter this time.
Jannat didn't ask further. "Okay, I'm coming."
Aleena hung up and set the phone down, exhaling slowly. She glanced toward the window, watching the neem branches sway gently outside. For a while, she just sat there, still and silent, the seconds stretching thin. Her mind kept circling back to Dadu's voice from last night — warm, reassuring, and yet carrying a weight that hadn't escaped her.
"He's a good boy, Aleena," he had said softly, sitting in his old armchair. "Thoughtful. Grounded. The kind of man who values people, not just appearances."
She hadn't known what to say then. She still didn't. All she had managed was a quiet nod and a whispered, "I just... need time, Dadu."
Now, as she waited for Jannat, that same restless uncertainty pressed at her chest.
The doorbell rang.
Aleena rose, smoothing her dress, but before she could reach the door, she heard Dadu's familiar shuffle in the hallway. He always insisted on opening the door himself, no matter how many times she told him to rest.
When she reached the living room, she was greeted by the unmistakable sound of Jannat — already mid-sentence.
"How are you, Dadu? Aleena didn't tell me you weren't well! She didn't pick my calls, I was so worried — I almost came last night, but she said nothing, and then I thought maybe she's mad at me, but no, she wouldn't be, right? You know how she gets when she's stressed—"
Dadu chuckled, the sound warm and full of amusement. "Aray, aray, my rail express has arrived! Slow down, beta, or you'll run out of breath."
"But Dadu!" Jannat said, hands on her hips, half scolding, half laughing. "You can't just be sick and not tell me! You know how scared Aleena gets, and then she scares me!"
"I'm perfectly fine now," Dadu said, patting her hand affectionately. "See? Fit and healthy — young body, old soul." He winked. "You and Aleena worry too much."
Aleena stood near the doorway, a smile tugging at her lips as she watched them. There was something deeply comforting about the sight — Jannat's animated gestures, Dadu's patient teasing, the familiar warmth that filled the room.
Finally, she stepped forward, her voice gentle but clear. "I called her, Dadu."
Both of them turned toward her. Jannat blinked, realization dawning. "You did?"
Aleena nodded, offering a small, uncertain look. "Yes. I wanted to speak with you."
Something in her tone made Jannat's expression soften. She walked over, slipping an arm around Aleena's shoulders. "Okay," she said quietly. "Then let's talk."
Dadu, still smiling, leaned back in his chair. "Go on, you two. I'll be right here if you need chai or... life advice."
Aleena chuckled softly. "Thank you, Dadu."
As the two girls turned and walked toward her room, Jannat glanced at her sideways. "So," she said, her voice lowering with curiosity "what's going on?"
Aleena hesitated for a moment, her fingers brushing the edge of her dress again.
Then, with a quiet exhale, she finally said it — about the proposal that had filled her thoughts since last night.
"one proposal came."
Jannat's eyes widened, but she said nothing, waiting for her friend to continue.
And as they sat down together, sunlight spilling gently through the curtains, Aleena began to tell her everything — about the call, and the one name that had quietly changed the rhythm of her thoughts.
Aleena sat cross-legged on the bed, her fingers tracing invisible patterns on the bedsheet as Jannat settled beside her. The air between them was quiet for a moment — the kind of quiet that only existed between two people who knew each other's silences as well as their words.
"Okay," Jannat said softly, tilting her head. "Start from the beginning. What's going on?"
Aleena drew a slow breath. "Dadu talked to rayyan dadu yesterday."
"Mm-hmm," Jannat murmured, listening.
"And... he mentioned a proposal."
Jannat's brows rose, but she didn't interrupt.
"For me," she added, her voice dropping slightly. "From the Khan family."
It took Jannat half a second to put the pieces together. "Wait— Khan's family that you were taking about when we were in office?"
Aleena nodded faintly. "Yes."
"what is his name" jannat asked.
"Azlaan" she said in a low tone.
Jannat blinked, then let out a small, stunned laugh. "The Azlaan Khan? As in the Azlaan Khan you've told me about — the one your Dadu always praises, the 'ideal grandson' prototype?"
Aleena gave a helpless little smile. "The same one."
"Oh wow." Jannat leaned back, processing. "That's... big."
Aleena didn't answer right away. Her gaze was fixed on the cup of coffee Jannat had brought in, steam curling faintly from its surface. "I didn't know what to say when Dadu told me," she admitted. "He sounded so happy — like it was something meant to be. But I just... didn't know how to react. It's so sudden."
Jannat studied her carefully. "Do you want it?"
Aleena hesitated, biting her lip. "I don't know. I don't know what I want."
There was a pause — the kind filled with unsaid thoughts.
Finally, Aleena spoke again, her tone softer now. "It's strange. I think I might've seen him recently."
Jannat's head snapped toward her. "What do you mean think?"
Aleena frowned slightly, searching for the right words. "It was about a month ago. I was coming back from the office. It was raining — really heavily. I was trying to hold onto my files and shawl, and I bumped into someone. I didn't even look properly, just apologized and ran for the car. But for some reason... I keep thinking it might've been him."
She gave a small, self-conscious laugh. "It sounds silly, I know. I barely saw his face — just a tall man in a dark coat. But there was something familiar about his look, or maybe his presence. I can't explain it."
Jannat's expression softened. "It doesn't sound silly."
"I keep wondering if it really was him," Aleena murmured. "Or if I'm just imagining it because of what Dadu said. It's like my mind is trying to make a story out of something random."
Jannat smiled knowingly. "Maybe it's not about the story, Aleena. Maybe it's about what that moment felt like."
Aleena looked up, puzzled. "What do you mean?"
Jannat leaned forward, her voice gentle but firm — that warm, grounded tone she always used when Aleena spiraled into overthinking. "Look, life doesn't always send us clear signs. Sometimes it's just a rainstorm and a stranger. Sometimes it's something more. You can't control what's meant for you, but you can choose how open you are to it."
Aleena's gaze softened.
Jannat continued, "You don't have to decide right now whether this proposal is right or wrong. You don't even have to be sure if it was him in the rain. What matters is what you feel — not what everyone else expects you to feel. If it's confusion, that's okay. If it's curiosity, that's okay too."
Aleena was quiet for a long moment, her eyes distant. "He's... different now. I barely remember him, Jannat. We were kids. I can't just say yes to something because it sounds perfect on paper."
"I know," Jannat said softly. "But maybe give yourself permission to see who he's become — and let him see who you are now. You've both grown. You owe that to yourself, at least."
Aleena's shoulders relaxed slightly. "Dadu said almost the same thing — that it should be my choice."
"Then make it your choice," Jannat said simply. "Not your Dadu's, not rayyan Dadu's, not anyone's. Just yours. And if your heart's not ready, say so. But if some part of you is curious, even a little... maybe let that curiosity breathe."
Aleena let out a quiet laugh — a soft, tired sound. "You always make it sound so simple."
"That's because it is," Jannat said, smiling. "We complicate things when we start thinking about what could go wrong. Maybe, for once, think about what could go right."
Aleena smiled faintly, leaning her head against her friend's shoulder. "You sound like my therapist."
"I take that as a compliment," Jannat teased. "But seriously, Aleena — you've spent years taking care of everyone else's feelings. Maybe it's time to care about your own."
The words settled between them, soft and steady — the kind that didn't need to be repeated to be remembered.
Aleena watched outside for a moment, her thoughts strangely calm.
Maybe it didn't matter whether it had been him that day in the rain. Maybe what mattered was the way that memory — real or imagined — had lingered.
And as she sat there beside Jannat, listening to the quiet rhythm of the rain, she realized that for the first time since last night, she wasn't afraid of the uncertainty anymore.
She was just... curious.
Aleena lifted her head slightly. "Dadu invited them for lunch," she said after a moment.
Jannat blinked. "Them? You mean—"
Aleena nodded. "Yes. his family. He said it would be nice for everyone to meet again... casually."
Jannat's eyes widened for a heartbeat, then she grinned. "Oh, this is getting interesting."
Aleena gave a nervous laugh. "I told him I wasn't sure yet, but he just smiled and said, it is nothing take your time.
"Well," Jannat said, stretching her legs and looking thoughtful, "then I guess I should be there too. Moral support, emotional backup, someone to stop you from overthinking mid-biryani."
Aleena chuckled softly. "You'll come?"
"Of course," Jannat replied warmly. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."
She leaned closer, her tone gentle but firm. "But Aleena — promise me one thing. Whatever you feel after meeting them, just be honest. With Dadu, with your parents... and with yourself. No pressure, no pretending."
Aleena nodded slowly, her expression soft. "I will."
"Good," Jannat said, smiling. "Then maybe this lunch will give you the clarity you need."
Aleena exhaled, a strange calm settling over her. "Maybe it will."
They both just sat quietly for a while.
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@authorlia._8
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