CHAPTER 70

CHAPTER 70 : Grab your fairytale

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"You-You are alive!" Her khala's eyes turned wide. Murad's face turned pale , "I-I told y'all Safia does witchcraft! She-she brought her husband back to life !! She's a witch ! She's a witch!"

Her phuphi quickly started to chant all sorts of prayers after hearing her son's words , but it was of no use .

"Haye Allah ! Why is this demon not going?" Her phuphi asked with wide eyes.

"You...You were never dead?" Her khala's face turned sour as she stared at Fawad right in his eyes .

Safia's mother held the side of her temple not being able to bear any more drama . First the divorce, then the death and now he's back to life?! Was it her daughter's life or some Indian daily soup directed by Ekta Kapoor.

Her father silently stared at the scene trying to understand what was happening. Safia couldn't help but smile widely at the revelation she had been wanting since the past year.

"Bingo! You aren't as dumb as I thought" Fawad smiled.

"I am obviously not dumb" her khala said bitterly.

"If you weren't dumb, then you wouldn't have messed with my wife" Fawad's words were enough to indicate that they were in trouble . Murad who was still in shock was calmed down by his mother . Phuphi had finally come to terms with the fact that Fawad was indeed alive and their plan had failed once again .

"Messed? Wanting your widowed niece to remarry is messed up now ? Fine ! Then I am a bad woman because I wanted good for my niece" Her khala threw her hand in the air . She wanted to try anything which could let her off but these tactics weren't something new for Fawad .

"Forcing is messed up . Wanting to get her property is messed up and..trying to manipulate her parents is messed up" Fawad said . The gasps of the few nearby relatives surrounded the area .

Safia was looking at Fawad with a smile , still not being able to come to terms with the pretty reality that her husband was finally here beside her— taking her stand. She was done fighting all her wars alone, having a prince charming sometimes wasn't a bad idea.

She kept staring at Fawad as if he's the most charming person ever as he kept announcing about all the things they made her wife go through . The denial of her aunts soon turned into acceptance but they didn't gave up.

"So, what if we wanted property? What will you do? You are nothing but a stupid man who have lost all his connections and powers . You can do nothing to us...so screw off!" Her khala angrily huffed.

"One call to police and your work is done" Murad smirked , but his voice was still wavering with fear of what could be the outcome.

"You are wrong if you think I lost all my connections" Fawad told them and turned his head towards Safia, and his earlier stern voice was replaced with a soft tone " Let's go to eat , and let me meet your parents "

"What about them?" Safia asked.

"They will be done for till the time we finish" Fawad smiled and then went towards the table with Safia and her parents along with Ismail .

Few others joined the table filled with food along with Fawad's friends .

"So...can anyone explain in detail what happened?" Safia's father requested and Fawad gave a light nod explaining the events of the past year . The faces turned sour , sad , then confused.

"Everything will be okay now right?" Safia's father asked with worry , not wanting to see his duaghted suffer more than she already did.

"In Sha Allah it won't uncle . Don't worry please" Fawad consoled Safia's father and he gave a little nod at his son in law's words .

The serious mood was soon replaced with a content one as they all stared at Mahfuzah as she sat in Zeheb's arms and nibbled on the side corner of naan.

The dinner was over and Mahfuzah kept shyly nibbling and occasionally hiding her face in Zeheb's neck . The little girl got startled by Murad's sudden voice .

"Mr Siddiqui...Mr Siddiqui!! My job ! My job is gone !! My promotion is cancelled!! Please...please do something!!" The rudeness in his earlier tone was replaced with a plead.

"My landlord called me , he's throwing us away from our homes!! We will be homeless ! Please have some pity!" Safia's phuphi cried out while coming near the dining table. The phone was clenched in her hand.

"Please...Please do something!!! My news channel is removing me too!! I gave 25 years to that channel!! I can't let it happen !" Safia's khala came and stood beside Fawad who just wiped his fingers in his handkerchief.

"Guards...throw them away" he simply ordered as if their words fell deaf over his ears . Safia stared at fawad . She didn't expected such a brutal punishment for them . She silently started to request to lower the punishment because it would be brutal .

"Look...trust me . It's going to be a lesson for them" Fawad told Safia who shook her head "I don't want such a severe lesson" she requested.

Fawad's face turned bitter , as he didn't wanted to comply to Safia's wishes . For him, this punishment was what they deserved. "Fine...atleast let them serve this for a year. They kept you one year in distress, let them be in distress for one year too. Tit for Tat" Fawad told Safia after thinking for a while.

"Make it one month" Safia requested.

"Can't . I am sorry" Fawad said and walked towards his friend's group so that he don't have to face Safia . Safia frowned and quickly glanced at her aunts and cousin who kept requesting someone to help them , but they were getting dragged away .

Safia sighed . She thought she really wanted to see them crying or broken , but now that they were getting what they deserved it hurted her . But she turned her face, knowing it's better to let them suffer for atleast a while . She would later convince Fawad to lower the punishment anyways.

She saw Fawad who was smiling and talking with Rudhra , Seth and Augustus. She decided to not disturb them and walked towards the side , where the teas were being distributed.

She took one cup in her hand and walked towards an empty table where Zeheb soon joined with a smile . Mahfuzah was now in Augustus's hand .

"You are looking pretty" Zeheb complimented.

"You are looking prettier !" Safia smiled making Zeheb smile brighter at Safia's sweetness .

While talking Safia turned her head on the side , only to see her father talking with a man on wheelchair.

"Who's he ? Any idea?" Safia asked clearly remembering that the old man isn't any of her relatives.

"Oh he's my father" Zeheb informed.

"Wait—let me quickly go and meet him" Safia informed but loud laughter voices started to come and their fathers were laughing way too loudly . It made Safia pass an awkward smile.

"Or I will meet him later" she knew it was better to not disturb them as they were enjoying among themselves.

"Yeah," Zeheb agreed with a smile.

"Well, have you started to do your hijab?" Safia asked while looking at Zeheb who gave a little nod . The brown hijab was a perfect match for her brown and golden suit.

"I used to do it earlier too" Zeheb said.

"Oh.."

"But then I stopped" Zeheb said with a lingering sadness and guilt.

"Why?"

"Because we humans are like Safia...when Allah grants us something good we pray happily , thanking Allah for our blessings but once Allah takes away something , he gave us , we complain . We rebel , we forget and we become ungrateful" Zeheb said with a guilt. She remembered the time she stopped believing in God...and when she started to do so too .

She remembered her crying when she was kidnapped by Rudhra . Her heart was without any hope, she thought she will die, until she started to call out desperately for Allah.  Her lord whome she had abandoned . Yet when she called out , Allah filled her heart with hope...and her life with happiness.

"It's fine..you know , Allah swt knows how we humans are..but we should know something too , Allah swt is the most forgiving. No matter how many times we sin, we can always go back to him...like you did" Safia tried to cheer Zeheb up , who passed a thankful smile at it .

She was truly grateful for Safia for not judging her condition and showing her a better perspective. Although Augustus had told her this a number of times , but she always shrugged it thinking it's because Augustus loves her but it wasn't the case with Safia . They barely ever talked and her advice felt very genuine .

"Khair...please do keep meeting us Safia" Zeheb told them and Safia gave a nod.

"I will try...but chances are that me and Mr Siddiqui shift to France. Just hoping someone in our group marries , so that we can meet again...but who" Safia wondered .

"Guessing , it's Seth and Sabrie " Zeheb smiled.

"Wait...really?!" Safia asked with a shocked look on her face.

"Hmm...Sabrie likes Seth.  Tonight she will propose him—and chances are Seth will accept her . He wants to start a new life too and Rudhra believes he surely do have a soft spot for Sabrie. Just not romantically yet" Zeheb informed.

"My gosh ! It's such a wonderful news !! I can wear my pretty purple lehenga then !!" Safia chirped and Zeheb started to tell how she and Mahfuzah will wear matching black lehenghas .

The talks went on , and they took breaks to offer salahs but on those breaks too , they went together.  Safia was liking Mahfuzah a lot . The small baby was shy yet a very sweet girl . The way she passed those demure glances melted Safia's heart .

It was the time of the night , and the initial plan of just celebrating eid at the hotel was replaced with staying at the hotel for the entire week by everyone. They all had find their perfect pairs in the faces of friends , lovers or crime partners .

The night had appeared and everyone had changed in their night gowns already. Sabrie was sitting on the rooftop restaurant. It was empty by this time and the circular latterns hung down the plastic trees which had been planted to give the rooftop a natural look.

She sat on the chair and her feet hung down . She was holding the small ring her night shirt's pocket.  She had made it specially with a mini QR code on the back . It held a special I love you message. If only she had as much courage as her talent . She thought to herself .

Seth joined her on the rooftop where he was sent by Kalayni, Zeheb and Safia.  They told him no reason in particular. He was just shoved upstairs as soon as they caught him walking in the middle of night in the hallways.

"Oh , you are here too" He smiled . Sabrie's heartbeat grew faster at his smile . The opportunity she had missed earlier at 9 pm was back at 0' clock .

"SETH!" She shouted trying to muster up the courage.

"Yeah?" Seth asked with a chuckle at her loud voice.

"MARRY ME !!" She put a hand in her pocket but instead of the ring a chocolate wrapped came . She loved collecting them , but right now wasn't the time . She threw it on the ground on frustration but a ting sound came .

The ring had accidentally wrapped in the chocolate wrapper.  Sabrie's eyes widened and her cheek turned red in embarrassment. The proposal was ruined.  She closed her eyes shut .

"Okay" Seth said taking his moment.

"Okay?" Sabrie opened her left eye a bit , peeking a glance.

"Yes, okay" Seth repeated.

"Okay for?" Sabrie's loud voice was replaced with her tiny voice again .

"Let's marry Sabrie" Seth replied . He had thought over it a lot . All the moments had rolled into his mind with Sabrie . She was there for him when no one else was . She saw through his worries which he had hid from the entire world . Since the past year , he had been wanting to move on from Safia , but he didn't knew where to go or what to do and right now was his chance to grab his own fairytale .

Sabrie's eyes widened and she stared at him with parted lips "Really? You will marry me ?" She asked and Seth picked up the ring from the ground and put it in his hand . "I hope , like this ring fits my hand , we both will fit too" He said taking a deep breath . Sabrie blankly gave a nod at it .

Their was a silence.  A comforting one for Sabrie . The years of worries and hidden feelings had finally been replaced with an exciting feeling.  She pinched her own hand to make herself beleive it.

"It's time for celebration!!" Safia danced as she came upstairs along with the rest.

"Since when were you guys here?" Seth asked in shock .

"SINCE FOREVER!!" They all shouted .

The silent night was now filled with voices of chatters. Late , but still at the right time , Zayan , Inara , Firdaus Labib along with Omari and Zaida joined the party too.

To be continued...

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I kinda love all of them!! And finally Seth and Sabrie are together . I wanted to make Seth love Sabrie too, but it's too early for that...some love stories start after marriage !! Like Zayan and Inara's (shameless self promo 😭) but yess double update!!!!