Love at first sight

The Haveli of the Khans was not just a mansion, it was a symbol of power, respect, legacy and fear. Built in a luxurious and royal style, it was decorated with immense beauty and love. For generations, this Haveli had stood tall in the city, and everyone who passed by it would stop for a moment to admire its grandeur. The beauty of this Haveli cannot be praised enough. As beautiful as it looked from the outside, its beauty was doubled from the inside. A vast and spacious lush green lawn was built in the center of the Haveli, in which all kinds of precious and rare flowers were planted, roses, lilies, jasmine, and tulips. In the morning, when the sunlight fell on those flowers and the dewdrops sparkled on them, the entire lawn would look like heaven on earth. There were large and airy rooms with high ceilings, beautiful walls adorned with the colors of the rainbow, black tiles shining like glass that reflected everything, and modern-style expensive furniture imported from abroad. In short, everything in this Haveli was precious, rare, and unique in itself. Every corner told a story of wealth and class. The owner of this Haveli was Abdul Rehman Khan, who was considered the most respected and influential person in his area. His name was enough to solve any problem. He was a man of strict principles but had a soft heart for his family. He had two sons and one daughter, and he loved all of them more than his life. His elder son was Shah Nawaz Khan, who looked exactly like his father in appearance. Tall, broad-shouldered, with sharp eyes. He was serious, less talkative, and a man of principles. He handled all the business of the Khans. He was married to his cousin, Mumtaz Begum. Mumtaz Begum was not only the elder daughter-in-law of this Haveli but also the grace and elegance of this house. She was beautiful, educated, and knew how to keep the family together. God had blessed them with only one son, whose name was Burhan Khan. Burhan was the lamp of this Haveli, the beloved of all, the future heir. From childhood, he was trained to be a leader. Abdul Rehman Khan's second son was *Jahanzeb Khan*. Unlike his elder brother, he was soft-hearted, cheerful, and emotional. He was married to Shamaila Khan. Shamaila was a woman with a very kind heart but she was also very clever. They had three daughters. The eldest daughter was Ammara, who was very sensible, mature, and responsible. She was 22 years old. The second daughter was Kiswa, who was 20 years old, a little playful, mischievous, and talkative. And the third and most beloved daughter of the whole house was Maryam Khan, who was 18 years old. Maryam's innocence and cute smile made the whole house fall in love with her. She was the princess of the Haveli. The youngest and most beloved child of Khan Sahib was his daughter, Gul Lala. Gul Lala was the soul of Abdul Rehman Khan. She received the most love and pampering. Her marriage was arranged with her maternal cousin with great pomp and show, with thousands of guests. But fate had something else in store. Just 5 years after the marriage, Gul Lala's husband passed away in a tragic car accident. The whole Haveli was in mourning. At that time, Gul Lala had only one flower in her lap, her daughter Zarnish Khan. Zarnish was the only sign of her father, the only memory. After her husband's death, Gul Lala dedicated her whole life to her daughter. She never thought of second marriage. She lived for Zarnish. But when Zarnish turned 12 years old, nature also took away her mother's shadow from her. After a long and painful illness, Gul Lala also left this world, leaving her little daughter alone. Now, the 12-year-old innocent Zarnish was left completely alone in this big cruel world. She had no one. She came at the mercy of her uncle *Jahanzeb Khan* in the same Haveli where her mother was once treated like a queen. But now the behavior was different. Zarnish Khan's uncle *Jahanzeb Khan* had two daughters and one son. The elder daughter was Neha and the younger daughter was Nisha. Both were older than their cousin Zarnish and both were jealous of her beauty. Zarnish was more beautiful than both of them, with long black hair and innocent grey eyes. And the son was Qasim Saif. Qasim had been very stubborn, arrogant, and self-willed since childhood. He was 25 years old, and he did not like to listen to anyone in the Haveli. He considered himself the king. In this Haveli, Zarnish was treated like an orphan. She was given a small room at the back of the Haveli, away from the main family. Her clothes were old, her food was separate. But despite all this cruelty, Zarnish never complained. She was a strong girl with a pure heart. She believed that one day her time would also change. What will be the future of Zarnish in this big Haveli now? Will she be able to live with dignity with her aunt Shamaila? Will Burhan Khan, who is coming back from London next week, become her protector or will he also hate her like others? And what will be the role of Burhan Khan in this story? *To be continued...*