35. Epilogue

*****

Ziah didn't know if she had slept or not. The absence of his embrace had tired her immensely, leaving her restless even in a subconscious state. Prying her eyes open, she glanced at the side of the bed that was his. It had been empty for the past 3 weeks. The cold never felt more chilling until he had left.

With a deep sigh, she got up to begin her day. She had fallen into a routine. Help Madiha in the preparation of the meals, then sit in the living room and have a conversation with her or simply give her company while watching an old film.

Waheed and Ziah didn't have the best of bonds and she wasn't sure if she could ever look at the man without the slight trickle of fear down her spine. He had been welcoming and polite through and through- if not for the starting days and the incident that had occured between Marwan and him would never be forgotten by her.

After a shower, she looked at the dressing table and the invitation that sat on it.

An invitation to Laiha and Hafeez's wedding.

Ziah had blinked more than a few times, pinched herself twice and still had a hard time believing what she saw. Laiha had given Hafeez a chance after the man not so graciously stumbled on his feet and with his words in front of her- asking her hand in marriage.

A chuckle was what the silent room heard when Ziah remembered how Laiha had stood frozen for minutes before hitting Hafeez with her hands. It was hilarious nevertheless and the most unique of proposals if you were to ask her.

"Ziah, beta uth gayi itni jaldi?"

A knock was heard and Madiha politely entered the room. She was just as enthusiastic as ever but the longing in her gaze to see her son was clear as the sun taking its thrown out in the sky.

"Ji, aap bataye? Kab nikalna hai?"

The wedding was today and Laiha had pleaded for Ziah to be there a day before but she didn't have the heart to leave Madiha alone in such a huge mansion. Waheed had flown out of the country regarding a deal and the house was left to the women.

"Jaldi kare toh behtar hoga. The lady is freaking out as of now."

Madiha had been in touch with her sister continuously the past few days, asking about Laiha and her health. The nikah was set to take place out of Bandra and in Aurangabad. It was chaos and a long drive so it was better to leave as early as possible.

The traffic wasn't reliable nor was the changing climate.

"Dress in something comfortable. We'll get ready at Laiha's since it'll be much better that way. Aur waise bhi, uska bas chalta toh she'd have kidnapped you to stay by her side."

Madiha shook her head in fondness of her niece.

Ziah shared a smile with her and then packed 2 sets of clothes, a few jewelleries in a bag and kept it aside.

They were yet to have breakfast and she was feeling hungry.

Making a plate of omelette and paratha real quick, she served herself and Madiha who gave her a stern look in return.

"Ziah, main kar deti yeh. You should rest bacha."

"Mama, theek hu main. Don't worry."

Madiha shook her head at her daughter-in-law and kissed her forehead. Ziah was in a sensitive state and the older woman didn't want anything to go wrong.

The doorbell of the house rang more than a few times and the two frowned at the constant shrill sound. Ziah bit back a wince at the shrill sounds and was quickly ushered to her room by Madiha who now looked furious. Muttering curses under her breath, Madiha kept the plate aside and furiously walked to open the door for the unsophisticated human.

"Kya musibat aa gayi hai? Don't you know this is-"

Her glare turned into an expression of disbelief when a grinning Marwan came into view. They had a call yesterday and the man had clearly said that it'd take him at least another week or so to pack things up.

"Y-you, b-but.."

"Nice to see you too, mama."

Madiha hit his forehead with a stern look before engulfing him in a hug. Marwan smiled at the warmth and relished the feeling of finally being at home.

How he had spent the past weeks without her was a mystery to him. The days didn't do much but at nights, the absence of her beside him was like a torture- eating up his peace and sleep.

He cleared his throat and subtly peeked over Madiha's shoulder, hoping to find her standing not far away but was met with an empty corridor.

Madiha caught onto his action and hiding a smile, she gave him a gentle push inside the home and motioned towards their room upstairs.

"Laiha ka nikah hai aaj. Get ready in 10 mins or we'll leave without you."

Marwan stopped himself from hitting his forehead since he had clearly forgotten about that part. With a sheepish smile towards his mother, he raced up to his room, skipping one stair at a time.

Ziah had just kept the bags down when the door was barged open. A shriek of surprise left her lips when her husband stood ahead of her with wide eyes.

"Tell me I'm not late. Please tell me I'm not late."

"You're late."

Marwan narrowed his eyes at the sarcastic reply. He had hoped for a melodrama- maybe a few welcome kisses too, but here things seemed to be entirely different when Ziah disregarded his presence and made herself busy with combing her hair.

His eyes found the small baby bump and automatically a grin took over his lips. Ziah was 5 months pregnant and it was no wonder how her face glowed even though she was clearly naraaz with him.

Keeping the duffle bag aside, he took cautious steps towards her. They had only a few talks over the phone since every time they got in touch on the phone, something or the other would call them apart. It had been annoying nonetheless.

"Kuch chahiye?"

Her neutral tone made him frown in dismay. Clearing his throat, Marwan took slow steps towards her, as though interacting with a wounded kitten and now his own wife.

"Miss nahi kiya mujhe?"

The child-like whine in his tone would've made her smile but she wasn't giving in so easily. He had broken a promise while he was away and he'd pay for it through her ignorance.

"Hmm, woh baatein baad mein karenge. Nikah mein nahi jana?"

On que, Madiha knocked on the door, informing that the driver was ready and they should be on their way now.

Marwan tried not to pout when Ziah walked past him with the bag rolling behind her. With a sullen look, he quickly removed his clean and ironed kurta from the cupboard and stuffed it into the duffle bag that clearly had been through a lot.

The few hours journey was mostly spent in silence apart from Madiha's jokes every now and then and Marwan's grumbles. All he wanted to do was hug his wife and cuddle with her in bed. Maybe, invite his kid in for a conversation too but here he was, getting a silent treatment and an hour of journey over a jet lag.

*****

"Aa gayi? Badi jaldi nahi aayi? No, it would have been better if you came tomorrow."

Laiha puffed a breath of annoyance upon seeing Ziah and the two others entering the house. She had been high on jitters and Parizad too was away in Lucknow- most probably trying not to weep over the 2 months old bundle of joy that had graced the world at the unexpected of times.

How an year had passed like it was wind, was a mystery. Though, the days had seen many memories, some that were synonymous to love and others that were troublesome and frustrating.

"Sorry na, I really didn't mean to leave you alone."

Ziah embraced her in a tight hug, clearly apologetic for arriving at the last moment. After a few seconds of narazgi, Laiha gave in and hugged her tight. Laiha held back a squeal of excitement on the fact that she'd soon be a phuphi. Looking at Ziah for permission who playfully rolled her eyes, she kissed the baby bump gently and made puppy eyes at her nephew/ niece who couldn't even see her as of now.

"Yeh kab aaya?"

She pointed at Marwan who tried not to get offended at the tone and the scrunch of his cousin's nose upon seeing him along with the others.

"Aaj subah hi.."

Madiha filled her in on that part and was not long after whisked away by her sister to gossip about the latest things she had found out.

"Extra khana mangwana padega phir toh."

"The hell?"

Laiha disregarded him completely and pulled Ziah to her room. Aliya was on her way too since she had sat down this mission due to health issues.

The noon turned to early evening and Laiha was all set to be married. Dressed in a maroon sharara, she exhibited a bold and confident aura but if only one took a closer look at her eyes.

They were shimmering with nervousness.

Ziah had put on an off-white sharara with golden dabka zari nagh naqshe and tila and pearls work. She had secured her hair in a low bun, a few of the brown locks fell away from the clutches of the pins and framed her face to make her look simply beautiful.

"Laiha, calm down."

"I'm calm."

"No you're not."

"Yes, I'm not."

Aliya, who had arrived a few hours back chuckled at the interaction. She was thoroughly enjoying Laiha's predicament and Ziah's efforts to console the anxious bride.

"Masha'Allah, Masha'Allah."

Madiha entered the room alongside Laiha's mother, Naureen. The latter kissed her daughter's head, clearly in awe at how beautiful she looked.

"Chalo abhi, everyone is waiting."

Ziah quickly adjusted Laiha's sharara, making sure that it didn't get stuck under her foot when she walked. The heels did help but only a little. Taking a deep breath, Laiha let the women guide her to the venue where the baraat was already anticipating the arrival of the dulhan.

"Aye, Parizad is video calling!"

Aliya quickly picked the call up and adjusted the phone so that Laiha and Ziah too were in view of the camera.

"Ahh, mujhe bhi aana hai."

Parizad was on the verge of bawling her eyes out in dismay. The little thing that was gurgling in her arms tried to reach out for the phone but Parizad hushed her and moved the phone a little away.

"Nahi rona, please. I wouldn't be able to control my tears then. Saara make up kharab ho jayega."

Laiha pleaded with the lady on the phone while fanning her eyes, hoping to dry the waters that had surrounded her irises.

Ziah shook her head at the two drama queens. A smile was constant on her lips as she led her to the stage. The parda that divided the two was made of flower veils and looked magnificent. Marwan had decided on calming down Hafeez on the other side. The man was sweating bullets while still unsure whether he was dreaming or not.

It felt as though everything was a blur and soon, words were exchanged and ties were formed. The parda was removed and Hafeez took in a breath of relief when he found Laiha smiling straight at him.

Ziah moved a little away from the bride since she didn't want to be a part of any silent interaction that might happen between the just married couple. The time when Marwan had left her speechless right after their nikah made her crack another smile- one that held the slightest bit of shyness. Her cheeks that had been left bare of any colour for so many days finally bloomed like a rose at the oncoming of spring and she quickly walked away from the scene.

Trying to calm her heart and thoughts, Ziah gulped down a glass of water and took in a deep breath. She had just registered her surroundings when a heavy gaze was felt by her mind upon her. She would've freaked out if not for the familiar sensations. The goosebumps, the erratic heartbeats and the jumbled thoughts.

"Maaf kar do na, jaana. Please."

She heard him whisper not far from her. Slowly turning around, she found her husband not 2 feet away from her. His eyes held a pleading look, clearly upset with the way he hadn't been able to pull her into a his arms yet.

"Hmm."

She found herself murmuring incoherently. She had missed him deeply but the man had told her that the mission would be of just 2 weeks and not more. The increase in days unsettled her and more so did his lack of calls and the abrupt goodbyes whenever they had the chance to talk.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise."

He inched closer to her and her skin didn't shy away from being coated in shades of love once again. The commotion around was a blur since people were still surrounding the just married couple, giving the two the privacy they needed.

Marwan held Ziah's elbow and pulled her into a hug. His eyes gazed lovingly at her and then at the bump. His heart felt full of emotions he couldn't describe. The two melted as soon as the distance between them was eliminated and blissful sighs were heard from the two. Marwan breathed in her familiar scent, one that he had craved for more than anything else.

Her in his arms and nothing else.

"Hmm, finally home."

He mumbled into her hair, placing kisses down her temple and the junction of her neck. Ziah smiled shyly with her face buried in his chest. Her fingers grasped the material of the kurta he wore, loving how he was finally with her and not far away.

"You missed me, didn't you?"

The hope in his tone made her want to kiss every inch of his face and show him just how much she had missed him. How much his absence had unsettled her being.

Pulling away, Ziah kissed his forehead and his closed eyes. Her palms caressed his stubble covered cheeks, liking the rough texture that tickled her skin.

"I'd appreciate it if it was a little blow, jaana."

Marwan pried opened his eyes and glanced around. Seeing that there was no one to disturb their sweet time, he spooned her lips in for a kiss. A sigh of appreciation was heard- from whom, they weren't sure. One of his hands angled her head for better access while the other held her waist firmly in place.

Ziah was leaning completely on him. Her whole body had lost the reign of her thoughts and they now lay immobile at his mercy.

"I love you, Ziah. So much so that it hurts when you're away."

He whispered not long after their lips were separated. With each word, they brushed again, sending their hearts into an oblivion within where nothing mattered apart from them together, safe and in each other's hold.

"Kisne kaha tu juda rehta hai,

Jab tu nahi rehta toh dil tujhme hi toh rehta hai."

Marwan blinked in daze at the shayari she had just spoken. Her lips were coated in the most beautiful of smiles as she brushed his hair from his forehead, placing another kiss on his warm skin.

"Aise kaise, no metaphors, love. Ab toh bol do."

The plea in them was hidden from none.

Marwan's eyes stared expectantly in hers, searching for words he had craved to hear for so long. Impatience made its presence known and just as he thought his words would be gone to waste like the many other times, she finally spoke.

"I love you too, Marwan. Shabdo ki mohtaj nahi hai meri mohabbat, lekin aapke dil ko jo bhi sukoon de meri taraf se."

It took him seconds to realize that she had finally spelled her love for him- so clearly that he craved to hear more of it, for eternity. His eyes glowed with anticipation as he pecked her lips once, twice and again and again.

"Phir se bol do, please."

Ziah giggled at his words and kissed the tip of his nose at the way he was behaving as though he had been given the world.

But if only she knew that those mere words were his world.

"I love you, Marwan. Bahot bahot zyada!"

He rained her face with kisses. Happiness flowed through every pore of his being and even hers. The two stood in each other's embrace, sharing everything precious that a soul could crave for.

Smiles.

Comfort.

And love.

The wedding had passed by and so did the time. Seasons came and were dissolved into nothingness and a new day saw the start of a new chapter. A new life. A soul had finally found its chance to enter the realm of earth, to know what it felt like to be in the arms of a mother and a father.

The early spring morning, welcomed Mahzar Marwan Qureshi into the world.

A healthy baby boy with the features of his mother but the mischief that coated his honey brown eyes were clearly the gifts of his father.

"I- huh?"

Marwan stood frozen, like a statue who couldn't move nor say something. His wide eyes stared at his son who had his eyes closed, probably sleeping after giving his father a heart attack with all the sweet time he took to enter the world.

Ziah giggled at the way Marwan gawked at Mahzar like he was an extraterrestrial being.

"Marwan, yeh sikhaya hai maine tumhe?"

A weeping Madiha hit Marwan on the back of his head, bringing him back from whatever world he was in. Waheed stood by his wife, clearly not interested in letting the world know that the tough and prim and proper man had tears in his eyes.

Marwan bit the insides of his cheek in nervousness as he held his son for the first time. The little thing snuggled closer to the warmth and Marwan doubted whether he was allowed to breathe with him in his arms or not.

"Bacha hai tumhara, gudiya nahi. Stop staring creepily at him."

Waheed reprimanded his son with a stern glare.

Marwan held back a whine at the way his parents were bullying him on such a day and focused back on his son who was sleeping like there was no tomorrow. Raising an hesitant finger, he poked the chubby cheeks, ensuring that he was there.

The tiny fingers of Mahzar grasped Marwan's index finger. The small set of 5 fingers around his one made Marwan chuckle in joy with tears clouding his vision.

He wasn't dreaming.

He was a father now.

A proud one.

Madiha took hold of her grandson and got busy with gushing over him. She took Waheed along with her outside the room, leaving the couple behind to register the drastic change in their life.

"H-he's so.."

Marwan shook his head when no words would form. He leaned in to kiss Ziah's forehead, murmuring many 'thank you's and words of appreciation.

"Zindagi ho toh tum meri, Ziah. Itne ehsan kaise chukaunga?"

Ziah glared playfully at his words. Her hands were tired with all the pushing but she still brushed his hair lightly and kissed the tip of his nose in gratitude.

"Ehsan nahi hai, Marwan. We're in it together, remember?"

She chuckled when he gave her an enthusiastic nod. Marwan showered her with kisses, stayed by her side as she rested. Her face looked worn out and tired but the glow in her eyes, oh the glow was absolutely ethereal.

He sat by the bedside with her in his arms. Ziah had fallen asleep with all the exhaustion and he held her tight in his embrace, afraid to let go now or ever.

Closing his eyes, he too let himself succumb to the anxiousness that hadn't left his form since last night. Placing another kiss on the crown of her head, Marwan smiled through his closed eyes, utterly and hopelessly fallen.

.

.

~The End~

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Fricking hell, these many months into our journey of MarZiah and it's finally over?! Who would have thought that I'll be more emotional than anything else? My babies have a baby now, kya karu main?!

This is the first proper novel of mine and not a short story. It had been a hell of a journey with me trying to make it interesting and a little unique.

Oh oh and I really have a question to ask. I may or may not have added more than a few songs into the book.

'Bol do na zara

'Aayi aisi raat

'Zaalima

'Saawan aaya hai

Which one of these according to you fit the book the best?!

*Clears my throat*

Can you all please take a few minutes to leave a review? Anything you wanna know or wanna ask. Pretty please do share the book with people you think would be interested in reading (voting & commenting)!

~ B L O O P E R S ~

■ Marwan was supposed to be shot while the interaction at Eren's den. The situation should've been more dramatic and not so calm and collected but I seriously didn't want to add more problems than the book already had.

■ Hafeez was an unexpected character. He wasn't planned and was introduced out of nowhere.

■ The book wasn't supposed to be so intense. Ziah's parents weren't set to be murdered until the last moment when I felt that it might make the plot interesting or whatever.

With that, here's me bidding you all a goodbye from 'Posheeda'. I seriously hope it was worth your time and patience! Now, let me go and bawl my eyes out while emptying another box of tissues.

- Dilara💕

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