Kissa

News Of The Proposal

_KISSA_

_Chapter 3: "The Talk About Marriage"_

KISSA

chapter 3 "News Of The Proposal"

Morning.

The alarm rang. 7:30 AM. I picked up my phone and hit snooze.

Five minutes later, Mom's voice came from the door. "Kissa, get up. Breakfast is getting cold."

I got up. Washed my face. Changed clothes.

I looked in the mirror. My face looked sleepy. But my heart? My heart had been awake since last night.

Only one question was spinning in my head. _What did Ali meet me like a stranger last night?_

That look, that tone... as if he didn't know me at all. As if twelve years of waiting had turned to dust in one second.

I went downstairs. Dad and Uncle were busy reading the newspaper at the dining table.

"Good morning," I said.

"Good morning, dear," Dad replied with a smile. "Come, sit."

I sat down. Started spreading butter on the bread.

But even the butter tasted bland.

Then a girl came out of the kitchen. A clip in her hair, toast in her hand. Around my age. Twenty, twenty-one.

She looked at me. Then smiled.

"Hi," she said. "I'm Noor. Ali's younger sister."

My cup froze in my hand. _Noor?_

I put the cup down. Stood up.

"Noor?" I asked.

"Yes," Noor said. And came forward to hug me. "You're Kissa, right?"

Her warm hug gave me a strange comfort. Like time had gone back twelve years.

I hugged her back lightly. "Yes, I'm Kissa."

Noor pulled back and looked me up and down. "Wow, you've changed so much.

When you left here, both of us were nine."

"Nine?" I laughed. "You remember?"

"Of course," Noor said. She sat next to me. "You always beat me in chess.

And I used to pull your hair in return."

"Still going to pull it?" I teased.

"I'll try," Noor winked. "But now you're grown up. I won't be able to fight you."

Mom pushed the bread and egg forward. Aunty said, "Noor, let Kissa eat breakfast."

"Mom, let us talk," Noor said. "We're meeting after twelve years."

And then Noor and I got lost in talking. Time flew. Noor had become so funny.

Talking to her was genuinely fun.

But even while eating, my eyes kept going to the door. When will Ali come. Will he be a stranger again?_

Dad called out to me. "Kissa, come to my room. I need to talk for two minutes."

I put the cup down and went to Dad's room.

"Yes, Dad."

Dad was sitting on the sofa. His face was serious. I sat on the chair in front of him.

"Kissa," Dad started directly. "khwajah Alam called last night."

My heart stopped for a second. _Here we go again._

I stayed quiet. Listening.

"He was talking about his son Danyal," Dad said. "The boy isn't bad. Educated. Runs a business."

"But why are you telling me this, Dad?" I asked.

My voice had a hint of firmness.

"Because he has asked for your hand for his son," Dad said.

Mom also spoke. "Kissa, you know Danyal too. And his father is also a minister.

They are people of our status. I don't see any problem with this proposal."

I took a deep breath. "Dad, I will complete my education first. Then I'll think about this."

"Alright, dear," Dad said. "We can just fix the engagement. We'll see the rest later."

"No, Dad. Not now," I said. I stood up. "I am sensible, Dad. And I will make the decision about my life myself.

And I will tell you first."

I left the room and went straight to the lawn. My heart was full of both anger and confusion.

I sat on the bench. The sun was strong but the shade was cool. I took out my phone and started scrolling.

But my eyes weren't on the screen.

_

Will I become dependent on someone else's decision again?_

"What are you doing?" A voice came from behind.

I turned. Ali was standing there. Black shirt, jeans. No file in his hand.

His hair still looked damp. The stranger's attitude from last night was gone.

"i********:," I said. I raised my phone. "Watching reels. To fix my mood."

Ali came and stood in front of me. "Did what happened last night bother you?"

I put the phone down. Looked straight into his eyes. "No, I actually enjoyed it a lot."

Then both of us burst out laughing.

Like twelve years of weight lifted in one laugh.

"I'm a good actor, right?" Ali said.

"That was acting? If that was acting, then it was a complete flop, Mr. Advocate," I said.

"But your color did drain, didn't it?" Ali said.

"Absolutely," I said.

"We were meeting after twelve years. And you were talking to me like I was some client."

Ali took a long breath. Sat on the other end of the bench. Keeping distance.

"I got scared, Kissa," Ali said. Honestly.

"Scared of what? Of me?" I asked.

"No," Ali said. "Scared that you might leave again.

So I was practicing building a wall beforehand. So that if you left again, it would hurt less."

His words caught in my throat. _That much fear?_

I laughed. "And you're a lawyer? And still so illogical?"

"You're my client," Ali smiled. "Case name: Kissa vs Time."

"Will you win the case?" I teased.

"One hundred percent," Ali said with full confidence. "Because my opponent is very strong."

"Who is the opponent?" I asked.

"Memories," Ali said. "From childhood. And fear."

I went quiet. Then said, "So the complaint is over?"

"The one from last night? Yes, over," Ali said. He held out his hand. "Shake hands? Deal?"

I shook his hand. His hand was warm. "Deal. But if you act like a stranger again..."

"Then what?" Ali asked.

"Then I'll become a stranger too," I winked. "And you'll lose the case. And I'll be the judge too."

Ali laughed from his heart. For the first time since last night.

Noor was watching from a distance. Then she came running. "So, made up?"

"Yes," I said.

"Then come on," Noor said. "Team back together? The same childhood Three Idiots team?"

I said, "Absolutely. But this time there's one rule for the team."

"What?" Noor and Ali said together.

"I will be the captain of the team," I said.

Ali stood up smiling. "I have to go to court. I have a hearing at eleven."

"Go," I said. "But come back early in the evening."

"Promise," Ali said. And left.

Noor sat beside me. "See? Your brother knows how to talk to you now."

"This is just the beginning," I said. "Let's see what happens next."

The sun was getting stronger. But there was no darkness in my heart.

There was a proposal. There was Danyal. There was a date. But there was no fear.

Because Ali was not a stranger anymore. And I was not a child anymore.

And some decisions... I will make myself.

Will Dad be able to convince Kissa for the proposal?

Read the next chapter to find out.

To be continued...

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