Chapter : 1 - Her Red Scarf

7 years ago:

"In the realm of business, the name Reza commanded respect and awe. Uns Reza's grandfather had amassed immense wealth, carving out a legacy as one of the industry's wealthiest magnates. Meanwhile, her father, Hassan Reza, was renowned for his skill and compassion as a prominent heart surgeon.

Hassan Reza honored his daughter Uns Reza by naming a hospital after her on her first day on this earth.

Now, on a delightful summer morning, eighteen-year-old Uns Reza returned to India from America, eager to reunite with her parents and complete her final year of high school.

As the summer sun bathed the world in its golden glow, Uns Reza's arrival marked the beginning of a new chapter, a chapter filled with the promise of discovery, growth, and perhaps, unexpected love.

Upon my arrival in India, I wasted no time in securing admission to Luxor University, renowned as one of the most prestigious institutions in the country. The prospect of studying here was exhilarating, especially knowing that my sister Sahara was already a student. I hoped to cultivate meaningful friendships along the way.

After completing the necessary paperwork, I made my way home, my mind buzzing with excitement. It was then that I chanced upon an empty shop, its "To Let" sign catching my eye. In that moment, a sudden urge to make it mine seized me. The vision of transforming it into something extraordinary took hold of my imagination.

A mere week later, the once-empty space had been reborn into a bustling hub of activity. Inside, my dream of a cozy cafeteria and library had materialized, while outside, a charming flower shop adorned the storefront. It was a manifestation of my deepest aspirations, a place where people could come together to nourish both mind and soul.

As I stood amidst the newly opened establishment, a profound sense of peace washed over me. This venture was more than just a business; it was a labor of love, a testament to my determination and ambition.

But amidst the excitement, I couldn't forget my responsibilities. With the first day of college looming, I waited anxiously for Usman to arrive , he currently started working here He is one year younger than me. As he comes, I could attend without delay. After all, I can't be late on my first day.

As Usman arrived, I hastily gathered my belongings, shielding my face from the summer sun with a vibrant red scarf, leaving only my eyes exposed. Eager to leave, I rushed out without paying much attention to my surroundings.

In my haste, I collided with someone, sending both of us tumbling to the ground in a chaotic heap. Anger surged through me as I clenched my fists, ready to unleash my frustration on the hapless stranger.

"Why can't you watch where you're going, "Nihayati Bhegairat Insaan!" I spat out in a burst of irritation.

But to my surprise, the person I had collided with remained unruffled, standing before me with a calm demeanor.

His deep, husky voice resonated as he retorted, "And you're no better, "Nihayati Bhedhang Insaan," Why can't YOU walk properly?"

"I fell down pretty badly, and all my belongings scattered around. After gathering my things, I reached out to him for support, but he seemed disinterested, lost in his phone with something in his other hand.

I took hold of his hand and managed to stand up. As I dusted myself off and prepared to confront him, I found myself unable to do so. My gaze was drawn to his dark blue eyes, and I couldn't look away, despite his face being covered by a mask.

Even as I urged myself to move, my heart stubbornly refused to obey. 'You're an absolute idiot, Uns,' I scolded myself internally. 'Stop staring, please. Before he starts to think something.' But my stupid heart isn't giving me the permission to do anything else."

I couldn't tear my eyes away from him until a sudden bout of sneezing broke the spell. Thank God for that, but why am I sneezing uncontrollably? My gaze drifted to the daisy bouquet he held in his other hand. No way, this was the last thing I needed right now.

I glanced at him one last time, then turned to leave in a hurry. My scarf fell off, but I didn't bother to pick it up. I rushed to reach the college, not daring to look back at him."

I stumbled into the college, a complete mess. My hair had escaped its confines, flying wildly around my face from the rush of running. My nose was now a bright shade of red, thanks to that person and his daisies. Clutching my bag tightly, I couldn't help but groan in frustration.

Suddenly, two figures came running towards me. My vision blurred from exhaustion, making it difficult to see their faces clearly. As they approached, it seemed they were about to embrace me, but halted instantly upon seeing my disheveled state.

I cleared my eyes and looked up to see Sahara, my sister, giving me a concerned look. And beside her stood Ezzeh? What! Ezzeh, it's you! I called out loud, not expecting to see her here.

She rushed over and enveloped me in a tight hug. I squeezed her back just as tightly, overwhelmed with surprise and gratitude at her unexpected presence.

As my friend and I immersed ourselves in conversation, a third person interrupted with a playful tone, "Wow, Appi, great! Today I got to know that I'm really your adopted sister," she said, her expression a mix of disappointment and cuteness.

I released Ezzeh from the hug and embraced Sahara tightly, exclaiming, "Oh, my adopted sister! I've missed you way too much!" But, We just met yesterday, She smiled at my response and returned the hug warmly.

After our embrace, Ezzeh asked, "So, first things first, tell us about your condition. Why are you such a mess on your first day of college, huh?"

I replied, utterly frustrated, "Let's grab some coffee first to calm my nerves." We headed to the cafeteria and ordered our coffee. Ezzeh couldn't resist teasing, "Yes, madam, we're eagerly waiting to hear."

I sighed and said, "Don't even ask me about that incident, Ezzeh. I don't even want to talk about it. You know, in my rush to get here, I bumped into a stranger. I know it was my mistake."

I admit it, but why couldn't he just be a bit more considerate and offer his hand for support? That Bhegairat person didn't even seem to care. I had to grab his hand and pull myself up. And then there was his deep, husky voice-so difficult to ignore, making my heart race even more.

And you won't believe what happened next. Just as I was about to confront him, I found myself captivated by his ocean-like dark blue eyes.

They were so mesmerizing that I couldn't focus on anything else. We were locked in a beautiful staring contest when suddenly I started sneezing. That's when I glanced at his hand holding the daisies.

I couldn't control myself and ended up here. But Ezzeh, my favorite scarf, it fell there. I don't know if he took it or threw it away.

Not believing a word I said, both of them burst into laughter. Ezzeh, struggling to control her amusement, managed to say, "You actually called him a 'Bhegairat insaan'! I can't believe you said that to him, and to think, he said right about you, you're actually clumsy Uns!

But seriously, if you knew he wasn't interested in helping, why did you forcefully grab his hand? And then, apparently, fall in love with his eyes without even seeing his face!" Their laughter only grew louder at this absurd notion.

I gave them a "so done" look and told them to stop laughing. Just then, I heard Sahara calling out to someone, more like shouting. A tall figure approached with a smile, ruffling his hair before standing in front of Sahara.

She exclaimed, "Don't tell me you're bunking your first lecture, Samir?" He responded with a playful grin, "Oh, Sahara, how many times will you stop me? Besides, the lectures are too boring to attend."

Then, he looked at me and asked, "Can I know who this beautiful lady is?" Before I could reply, Sahara interjected, "She's my elder sister, Uns Reza." She continued, "And Appi, he's my best friend, Samir Farsi."

Samir then turned on the charm, saying to Sahara, "Please introduce me to your parents. I want to meet the creators of such beautiful creatures."

His flirtatiousness caught me off guard, and I struggled to contain my laughter. How can he say this type of things, meanwhile Ezzeh, was discreetly pinching my hand to stop me from laughing out loud.

As Samir was about to leave, Sahara reminded him, "Don't forget to join us for lunch." He nodded and left, leaving behind a trail of laughter and playful banter.

Ezzeh and I stood there, observing everything unfold. When Sahara turned towards us, we exchanged knowing looks, silently conveying that we were eager to hear all the details. Sahara gave us an awkward smile and clarified, "We're just friends."

In unison, Ezzeh and I exclaimed, "Just friends, huh?" This time, Sahara shot us a "so done with you" look and sat down.

But we couldn't contain our laughter at her words. Amidst giggles, I asked Sahara, "What did you see in him, Sahara? Just best friends?"

Ezzeh burst into even louder laughter at my question. Seeing us in fits of laughter, Sahara got up and started to leave, but our continuous laughter made it impossible for us to even stop her from leaving.

After a while, we managed to compose ourselves. Ezzeh couldn't help but say between chuckles, "Best friends, seriously?" We laughed until our stomachs ached, thoroughly enjoying the hilarity of the situation.

Then I spoke, "Ah, Ezzeh, my stomach hurts so much." She agreed, saying, "Uns, my stomach hurts too." Eventually, we regained our composure, and I asked her, "How are Uncle and Auntie?" Ezzeh replied,

"They are absolutely fine and are missing you. Mom is literally waiting to meet you, and Dad wants to see you too." I expressed my gratitude, saying, "That's so sweet of them. I missed them too. And what about Zaki? How is he?"

With excitement, Ezzeh responded, "Bhai is doing good. It's his last year, then he will be a professional chef!" I exclaimed, "Wow, Ezzeh, I'm so happy for him. You must be having so much fun, trying out new dishes every day!"

Ezzeh chuckled and said, "Fun? Not for me. He never makes anything for me. But if you come home, he will definitely cook. Please, Uns, come for dinner. I want to eat Bhai's food."

I hesitated, saying, "I would love to, Ezzeh, but I have to be at the cafeteria. I can't leave it unattended." Ezzeh reassured me, "Why worry? Usman is there, right? He will handle it. Today, you're coming home, that's final. I'll inform Bhai too."

I relented, saying, "As you say, madam." Finally, we decided to attend our lectures after the long conversation and headed to our class.

I woke up and headed to the gym for my daily workout. After sweating it out, I craved a cup of tea for some comfort. However, upon reaching the kitchen and not finding my mom there, I called her.

"Ammi, where are you?" I asked, missing her presence.

"Arrey Aziz, I'm out with your father for some work," she replied warmly. "I might be late. I've prepared your tea, just warm it up and enjoy."

With those words, she hung up, leaving me feeling a bit frustrated. Tea made by my mom was something I cherished, and the idea of having to settle for anything else was disappointing. Tea was an essential part of my day, setting the tone for everything else.

Adding to my unease was the impending start of college. It was my final year studying business, and soon I would have the chance to start my own company.But for now, all I wanted was that comforting cup of tea.

Sighing, I sat on the couch, waiting for my mom to return so I could enjoy my tea. But as time passed without her arrival, I was reluctantly gathering my bag and preparing to leave, I noticed a figure approaching me.

With a smile, she greeted me, "Hello Aziz, how are you? Is Chachi home?" I replied in my usual cold tone, "Hey Nihar, I'm good. What about you? And no, Mom isn't home."

She nodded and said, "Oh, is that so? Well, I came here to give you this." Nihar handed me a daisy bouquet and continued, "While coming here, I saw these. They're your favorite, right? So, start your day with this."

I did my best to keep my distance from her, but I couldn't understand why she didn't seem to get it. Nihar was genuinely a good person, but her attempts to get closer to me made me uncomfortable. I saw her only as my cousin, nothing more. But I didn't want to argue or talk with her anymore. I simply accepted the bouquet and headed out to leave for my college.

As I hurried along, I noticed another figure walking swiftly, seemingly ignoring her surroundings. Before I could react, we collided. Despite it clearly being her fault, she had the audacity to insult me and blame me for not walking properly.

I ignored her request for help, but this stubborn girl forcefully grabbed my hand and pulled herself up. No one had ever dared to touch me without my permission, and this girl just did it without a second thought.

Already irritated from not having my morning tea, her actions pushed me to the brink of anger.

I was on the verge of expressing my frustration when she looked up at me. Our eyes met, and in that moment, my heart began to race at lightning speed. It was just a brief exchange, but in that instant, I found myself captivated by her. Her entire face was covered by a red scarf.

Before we could break the eye contact and say anything, she started sneezing uncontrollably. Her sneezes grew louder as her gaze shifted to my hand holding the daisies. Without a word, she turned to leave, her scarf falling to the ground. She didn't look back, but she left behind her scarf, carrying her fragrance on it.

As I watched her disappearing figure, lost in thought, a sudden horn interrupted my reverie. I glanced around and found myself standing in front of a beautiful flower shop. The flowers were breathtakingly beautiful.

I stepped inside and was greeted by yet another surprise-a cafeteria with a library inside, creating a space that was both beautiful and calming. I wandered around, admiring the books on display, when my phone rang. It was my friend, shouting from the other end, demanding to know where I was.

"Aziz, where on earth are you? The most important lecture is about to start, and you're the class president! What will I say if the professor asks me about you?"

Maintaining my calm demeanor, yet serious in my tone, I replied, "I'm in a cafeteria Samir. I'll send you the address. You should come here too." With that, I hung up, ignoring whatever else he had to say.

I sat there, my gaze fixed on the scarf lying on top of the book in front of me. It was her scarf, and as I looked at it, memories of her daringness and boldness flooded my mind, washing away my earlier anger.

Her presence had a way of captivating me, making me forget everything else. I never knew that looking into someone's eyes could feel so peaceful. Her eyes were serene, yet fearless, radiating boldness in every glance. Lost in her thoughts, I was brought back to reality when Samir suddenly sat in front of me.

Excitedly, he exclaimed, "Bhai, you won't believe what I just saw! The most beautiful creature in our college today!" I couldn't help but respond with a hint of amusement, "What's new? You meet beautiful ladies every day, don't you?"

Samir corrected me, saying,

"No, Bhai, not just beautiful ladies, but the most beautiful CREATURE OF GOD! I'm telling you, you'll fall in love with her at first sight." I chuckled and replied, "No need for that, Samir. Someone has already taken my heart."

Samir's reaction was dramatic, to say the least. He started coughing at my response and exclaimed dramatically, "I must be dreaming right now. I can't handle two shocks at the same time! Bhai, tell me it's a dream or you're joking with me. There's no way that Aziz Nader would talk about these things, absolutely not this. Please, tell me you're kidding with me. I'm not able to digest this!"

I gave him a stern look and confirmed, "It's true."

Samir's reaction was immediate. He got up, went to the counter to drink some water, then returned, sitting straight, and bombarded me with questions, one after another.

"So, my brother is finally in love! Tell me everything, Bhai. How does bhabhi look? Where did you meet her? And what's her name?"

With a calm tone, I replied, "I don't know.

"I don't know how she looks. I met her only for a few minutes, and I don't even know her name," I continued.

Listening to my words, Samir was utterly confused, yet so done with my response. He took a moment to compose himself before calmly saying, "Mashallah. Mubarak hoon.."

Then he asked again, his curiosity getting the better of him, "But how did you fall in love with her, Bhai?" I calmly replied, still engrossed in my book, "Her eyes."

There was a brief moment of silence as Samir processed my answer. Eventually, he composed himself and responded, "Great, you fell for her eyes. Sounds interesting, Bhai.

But you must know something else about her so we can find bhabhi, right?"

I nodded, and with a hint of excitement in his voice, Samir urged me to share the information. "Yes, there is something I know about her," I replied. Samir's anticipation grew, and he eagerly asked, "Thank God! Please, tell me what it is?"

I finally responded, "She is allergic to daisies. She started sneezing continuously after seeing daisies."

Another silence followed. I didn't bother to look up, while Samir, visibly seething with anger, struggled to control himself. Despite his frustration with my seemingly trivial response, he managed to maintain his composure and said through gritted teeth, "Amazing, Aziz. You have such great information. With this, we'll find bhabhi in no time.

Brother, is there anything else you know about bhabhi?" Samir said with pressing his teeth while giving death glares to me.

I nodded again in response to his question and showed him the red scarf. He looked at the scarf, then back at me, and said, "I must really clap now. Seriously, a scarf, Aziz? Even in fairytales, at least the prince had her Cinderella shoe, which was small, and by God's grace, he found his Cinderella. But what are we supposed to do with this scarf, huh?"

Clearly frustrated, he left the cafeteria, leaving me to think about her once more.

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Daisy bouquet.