FROM NEVER TO HAPPILY EVER!

Prologue.

Suman Malik.

" Mallika-e-Khilb, aapke tahat hamne saare intezaam kar diye hain aaj raat ke jashn ke liye. Maslan, aapki gair moujudhgi me is haveli ko sambhalna mushkil tha. Aur ab hame ilm hota hai ki aapka sara waqt kat kaise jata hai. Haveli ko sambhalna, aurto ke masle hal karna, aur sabse badi zimmedari, Khilb ki 500 crore aabadi ko fashion goals dena. Kaise kar leti hai aap", Zaima exclaims dramatically.

I chuckle, wrapping my arms around her. She sighs and I inhale her fragrance, knowing I missed her terribly at my parent's place. She is the only girl in the entire of Khilb that I trust with my life.
And I know she did a great job at handling everything in my absence.

" Arre Zaima, tum itni jaldi thak gayi? Khilb ki hone wali choti begum hai aap, ye sare kaam to aapke baaye hath ka khel hai. Verna mai apne devar ji se keh dungi, ladki is kabil nahi ke Gaddi Nasheen ke Military head ki biwi ban sake", I  nudge her side with a serious but playful expression and she freezes in her spot. The next second, she directs her world famous death glare at me, knowing I got her.

" Hawwww bhabhi jaan, aap to hamari le rhi hai. Aur hume koi shouk nahi aapke devar se Nikah karne ka, keh dena unhe ki ham nahi sambhalenge ye sab. Ham to chale Gaddi Nasheen ke paas, unko batana padega unki begum ke sir par Mallika-e-Khilb hone ka guroor chad rakha hai", she rambles without breathing and even goes so far as pretending to get up from the couch we had occupied in my suite.

I pull her back, rubbing my hand on her scalp, "Rehne do janeman, Gaddi Nasheen ko pehle se khabar hoti hai ki haveli ke kis Kone me kya chal rha hai. Kahi aisa na ho, ki unhe us baat ka bura lga ho Jo tumne abhi kahi. Tumne khul-e-aam unke jigar ke tukde ko reject kia. Kya pata tumhe Khilb se barkhast kardein?", I tap my head in deep thoughts pretending as though this is a serious problem.

She glares at me, but her tight lips quickly morph into a smirk and I know she has a comeback in mind, one I have no defense against.

" Arre nai bhabhijaan, Fayaz bhaijaan to abhi mashruf hain. Pata hai kiska call aya hai unhe, aapki behen ka. Pichle ek ghante se apni library se bahar nahi aye Gaddi Nasheen. Mana ki aap Khilb ki Jaan hai, magar aaj bhi Gaddi Nasheen ke Dil par raaj to Huda hi kar rhi hai", she speaks slyly and even though it was initially meant to be just for banter, her own expressions harden at the end of her sentence.

My heart skips a beat, and I become aware of the blood rushing through my head while I struggle to maintain a poker face.

Koi baat nahi Summi, Huda hi alsi haqdaar hai is takht ki. Tum bas yha wo wada pura kar rhi ho jo tumne khala se kia tha. Apne Dil ko kabu me rakho, Gaddi Nasheen hamesha se Huda ke the.

I shrug nonchalantly at her, pretending to not care about it.

"To isme galat kya hai, tumhare sath Huda hi to aage wale saalon me Khilb ko sambhalne wali hai, lazmi hai wo call karegi aur khabar rakhegi, to usse chidna band karo Zaima. Aur ha, Gaddi Nasheen un admiyo me se hai jo ek baar ek aurat ko pasand karle to kisi aur ki taraf mud kar bhi nahi dekhte. Yahi Ada to unki mujhe khaas lagti hai"

Zaima holds my hand, turning my face towards her," Tumhe hosh bhi hai tum kya keh rhi ho. Tum Mallika-e-Khilb ho, do saal pehle tumne Fayaz bhaijaan se Nikah kia tha, aur pura Khilb tumhe Mallika maanta hai. Aur tum do saal se jin logo ke liye kaam krti ho tumhe kya lagta hai wo tumhari jagah aise hi kisi ko bhi de denge? Galat fehmi hai tumhari. Pura Khilb bagawat karega.

Aur ha, meri ek baat kaan khol kar sunlo. Mai haveli me ayi thi, tumhare liye. Tumhari dost thi, jis din tum Fayaz Bhai se alag hui us din mera Riyaz se rishta khatam. Ammi ki kasam mai ye Nikah nahi karungi." The finality of her words scares me, she has always been in love with Riyaz and my eyes tear up at the fact that she would choose me over her love.

I hug her tight, trying to calm my rapid breathing. Shukriya aye khuda, mujhe aisi dost se nawazne ke liye.

Our moment is interrupted when someone knocks the door, I allow the person to enter and there are three maids with shopping bags in their hands.

Sakeena, the head maid rushes the others out of the room after they place the bags on the sofa, she closes the door, turning to us with a blank look. While Zaima mouths to me, 'She definitely has news!' Obviously,you should now Sakeena is the gossip queen of Khilb.

"Salaam Mallika-e-Khilb, aapko wapis dekh kar behad rahat ayi hai, najane aapki gair moujudgi me kitne galat kaam hogai yha pe. Wo sab to aapko baadme bautaungi, tazi khabar to ye hai ki Huda wapis aa rhi hai. Agle do mahino me unka convocation hai aur wo Berlin se jald lout rhi hai. Gaddi Nasheen ne is khush khabri par mithai batwai hai admiyo ke theke me. Abhi do mulazim se kheer banwa rhe hai", she rambles in one breath. Zaima throws me a quick pity glance but I reveal no change of expression.

" Ha to Sakeena, ye Khushi ki hi baat hai. Huda api do teen saal baad Khilb aa rhi hai. Jashn to Banta hai, ek kaam kro, un mulazimo se kehdo kheer aurto ke theke me bhi baatde. Aur suno, tum ye sab maslo me kaan kavana band kro, aur kaam kro. Jao!"

Just as Sakeena leaves, I hear another knock and this intruder not just left me with shock but also a few skipped beats.

" Assalamualaikum Suman! Aapko char hafte baad haveli me dekh kar acha lga. Safar to acha rha na, koi dikkat to nahi hui aapko?", his voice reaches my ears and something turns it intn a melody I never want to get tired of. His bulky physique and devilish light brown hair with itch black orbs once again snatch my breath away, but what makes him outstanding is his gait. The way his each step is sturdy, the way his left hand is tucked in the pocket and how his attention is fully focussed on me.

Perhaps he is having this effect on me because I have seen him after almost a month. Nevertheless, I try to compose myself, while recalling his question.

"Walaikum assalam Gaddi Nasheen! Ham khairiyat se hai, aap kaise the? Safar alhamdulillah acha tha." I smile at him, covering the rest of the distance between us. I am just two steps away from him when he looks down at me with a mesmerising smile and pats my head, like an elder. He occasionally does that, reminding me each time that I am five years younger than him.

Zaima clears her throat and leaves my room with an excuse. He walks towards the couch and settles down looking happier than his usual self and the reason is clear, Huda api.

He has never sat on my bed our two years of marriage, infact we have never even touched each other apart from his head pats.

" Tumhe kitni baar kha hai, jab ham akele ho to mujhe Fayaz bola karo. Lekin tum kabhi nhi sudhrogi, haina?", He pouts like a kid complaining to his mother and I can't help but chuckle.

" Lekin hame acha lagta hai aapko Gaddi Nasheen bolna. Waise bhi aap umr me mujse bade hai, to mai sirf aapka naam to le nahi sakti aur bhaijaan mai aapko pehle ki tara bol nahi sakti. Isliye Gaddi Nasheen best hai", I grin at him while he shakes his head at me gestures me to sit beside him.

I rather sit on the couch opposite him and smile, hoping it's as genuine as I feel right now.

" Aaj shaam ke jashn ke liye aapke kapde maine chune hai. Pichle do saal me aapka outfit headlines bana chuka hai, mai chahta hu is baar bhi koi kami na rahe. Aur ha, Huda do mahine baad Khilb laut rhi hai, abhi baat Hui unse meri", he says and I can see his ear turning pink while taking her name.

Awwwww, how cute. I wish I could pinch his nose. But etiquettes, he is Gaddi Nasheen Summi.

"Is khabar se to Milad-un-Nabi ke jashn me chaar chand lag gaye. Mubarak ho Gaddi Nasheen, aapka intezaar khatam hua", I chirp happily, hoping the happiness in my voice hits my chest as well.

He sighs with a dreamy look, "Abhi kaha Suman. Do mahine aur hai....."