#36 – THE BIG SURPRISE
2025 Words
All Shahmeer could do was stare at her when she kept yelling at him. Everyone stood there dumbfounded until Nani said, "stop it girl. What are you doing? You were the one who didn't care enough to show up at her wedding. Why is he the one to blame?"
"You are right Mrs Khan? If he doesn't care why should I? He was so sure that I wouldn't show up that he already had a Stephany." She said looking at Fiza and turned around to walk away when Shahmeer held her hand.
All Fiza could do was to throw away the Ghunghat and walk away in anger. She knew what was going to happen now.
Quazi Sahab saw her going away and asked, "is the wedding not going to happen? Should I leave?"
"Yes, please leave." Myra said Angrily looking at Shahmeer.
"Please wait for 10 more minutes Quazi Sahab. Everyone, just a minute." He held Myra's hand and took her to a corner while everyone was shocked, Rajat stood there amused watching everything.
"My Love-"
"The audacity of you to call me that! It's your wedding today with that Fiza!"
"I cannot explain anything to you but all I can say is I am sorry I didn't trust you."
"Sorry for what? Only for-"
"Love, are you jealous?"
"What?"
"Are you jealous because you love me?"
"I don't love Shahmeer, but yes I wanted your companionship for the rest of my life. I still do. I can't let you go." She said as her anger came down by now. She took a deep breath and said, "I forgive you but don't you dare do something like that ever again."
"Then don't give me a chance. Don't leave me alone." He requested.
She looked into his eyes and said, "We are getting married... now. I'm not giving you or your family another chance to create a fuss like this."
It was shockingly unbelieveable for him but he nodded. "Love, you have made me the happiest man in the world."
"But you do remember what we talked about in the hospital. My career, my friends will always be above you. If you ever try to change me, that would be the last day of our relationship."
"I will not. I have loved you as you are and I will continue loving you the same way." He replied
"Ahem! Save something for the wedding night." Nani said seeing the tension between them disappear.
Shahmeer smiled and entwined their fingers and walked towards everyone. She didn't know what she was doing right or not. All she knew was that she wanted to do this. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
'The first time I married for love, second time for a mission and now because I can't see you with someone else.'
She said in her heart and looked around. She so strongly wished her friends were here. But she wasn't planning to get married today . So be it.
Nani took the Ghunghat that Fiza threw away and tried to put it over Myra's head when Myra stopped her. "I am not wearing that girl's cast off."
Nani looked at her with anger and said, "It's an auspicious ceremony. Your head should be covered."
"Ayeza?" Shahmeer gestured to his sister.
She nodded with a smile. "Just a minute." She said and ran upstairs. Everyone just looked on while Shahmeer smiled. Ayeza came back with a beautiful, netted royal blue Ghunghat with thick, heavy Golden border and put it over Myra's head. Its border was the exact same color of Shahmeer's Sherwani, Golden. And He had a royal blue shawl on his shoulder matching her dupatta.
She looked oddly beautiful wearing a tight fitting, white buttoned up shirt, jeans and a traditional Dupatta over that.
Shahmeer whispered in her ear, "I got it for our wedding." he said.
It was all so new for Myra. She couldn't help but get sentimental as all the memories of her marriage with Amaan resurfaced. The Qazi Sahab asked both of them if they accepted this marriage.
After it was completed, Rajat and everybody else congratulated Shahmeer for his marriage.
As they all were talking among themselves, Myra walked to Rajat and said, "Thankyou Rajat." And he just smiled.
***
Myra walked inside Shahmeer's room and the whole room was decorated with tiny lights, candles and fragrant with flowers. Anger bubbled inside her thinking if she had not reached there on time he would be bringing Fiza here by now. She angrily threw the Ghunghat on the bed and sat on the couch to remove her shoes.
"You are still angry. Aren't you?"
"Should I not be?" She snapped back.
"Myra, can I ask something? I know it doesn't matter anymore but how did you change your decision all of a sudden?"
"For that you can thank Rajat." She said.
Flashback
—A few hours ago—
Rajat couldn't see Shahmeer like this. He did something that no one expected from him.
He called Myra. "Hello, where are you?"
"We are not sooo good friends that I would tell you that." She taunted.
"Myra… Boss is…"
"What?"
"See this is the last thing I would say but… please come here before... Boss gets married to someone else."
"So you are saying that… Shahmeer IS ready to marry someone else? Then let him do it. Why should I disturb him? I don't know what you're trying to say. He is not a kid who can be forced into a marriage. It would only happen if he is willing to do it. And in that case I would willingly step back."
"Myra you don't know Nani. She is so stubborn. If you don't come, she will somehow get him married to someone else. Boss loves you unconditionally but there are other relationships in his life too that he has to care about. If there was a valid reason for your denial, I wouldn't say a thing, but this is just… silly. You don't believe me, I'll prove it to you. Don't hang up."
With that, he went silent for a minute and then Myra heard him say. "What happened Boss?" He asked Shahmeer.
"Everything is ruined Rajat. I was this close to getting Myra. But now I lost her."
"Why? What happened?"
"The worst has happened Rajat. I lost Myra. Forever. Nani thinks I don't love her and the only way to prove my love to her is to betray Myra. I cannot live without Nani Maa. I cannot live without Myra either. Why don't these two just tear me into two pieces and keep one each!"
"Boss, why are you so hopeless? What if she really shows up?"
"Rajat, she had to leave for some important work. She cannot."
With that Rajat walked away and Myra could only feel bad for him.
"Hello Myra? You heard that?"
"I did."
"Please for once, put aside your ego and think about Boss. Rest is in your hands." He said and hung up.
***
"Wow. I never knew that it could do something like that. Why don't you go and change?" Shahmeer asked.
"I did not bring any clothes."
He extended his hand. "Come with me." He said and opened the Wardrobe.
Myra was shocked to see so many clothes hanging in there. They were totally her type. "W… What is this?"
"Let's just say I had a lot of faith in you and our love. Cosmetics, Clothes, Shoes and everything else that you need is here. I have cleared half of the Wardrobe for your stuff. Love, I never expected Fiza to come here. Every inch of this room and my soul is filled with you, your memories."
It was a shock for Myra. Everytime she thinks he has done enough, he makes her feel special all over again.
She picked up a silver colored, satin nightie and walked to the washroom.
She took a long shower and when the thought about her friends surfaced, she showed it away. For some time, she didn't want to think about it.
'A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers.' Nani's words to her reverberated in her mind.
'Will I ever be the person that she wants for her son? We are different people and Shameer knows that. I don't care about what others think about me. All I care about is having him by my side. By now, Bryan must have told everyone about my marriage and must have taken Matteo. Tomorrow morning I'll call them.'
She walked out of the shower and saw herself in the mirror. She looked at herself. Her pale skin was beautiful except for The contrasting scars, bullet marks and a few other healing scratches from her previous mission. She did not bring anything. Not even the cosmetic anoint that she carried everywhere all the time to cover them.
She wore the long nighty and walked outside feeling conscious. She walked to see sitting on the bed leaning his head back, lost in thoughts wearing a plain white cotton kurta pyjama. His hair was really short because of the recent surgery but he looked handsome. Moreover she admired him for his character rather than his looks.
He looked like… Amaan. He loved those traditional clothes. She closed her eyes and shook her head. Shahmeer's attention turned to her. He smiled the widest smile and said, "Masha'Allah. You look… heavenly. Like a fallen Angel."
'A scarred Angel.' She thought and walked to the mirror and started blow drying her hair, her hands subconsciously pulling the neckline of the outer gown again and again.
After a few minutes, he walked to her and said, "Love... I've seen it all. You don't need to hide them."
"W-What are you talking about?" She asked.
"Okay I'll show you exactly what I'm talking about." He said and slightly moved the gown towards her shoulders despite her protests. She closed her eyes in disgust. She didn't want Shahmeer to see her like this. In his eyes, she was perfect and she was proud of it.
He brought his face closer to her neck and whispered in her ear, "Open your eyes, Love. These scars remind us that it all was real. Your pain, struggle and victory was real. In my eyes, they are not hideous. They are the medals of your bravery. And you are prettier with them. You don't need to hide them. You should carry them with pride.
"No Shahmeer. Only you can like it because your heart, your perspective is different. But actually, I am… damaged." She said with a sad smile.
"There's beauty in damaged petals. They are more beautiful than other perfect flowers. They have a story to tell."
He scooped her up and carried her to bed. "Okay so we'll spend the rest of the night talking about them."
"Really?" She asked unbelievably. How was it all so normal for him?
“Ahuh. A person's body is like a diary, and these scars tell the most amazing stories. I know I won't be bored hearing them.” He said resting his weight on his elbow.
"I don't believe you. You are so… sensible."
"Love, when we fall in love with someone we treasure their quirks as much as anything else. Flaws become unique marks of character, things you'd miss if they weren't there."
"What about the protocol?" She asked. There was an unsaid rule of all the powerful people, that they didn't marry someone sharp, powerful or politically active unless there were serious reasons. That would cause a tension or distribution of power which wasn't acceptable.
"Screw the protocol. We made these rules. Rules didn't make us!" He said angrily and Myra couldn't help smiling. She had never heard him cursing.
Her senior's words reverberated in her mind.
'I'm not against love or relationships okay. All I want is… that you Do not tame the wolf inside you just because you’ve met someone who doesn’t have the courage to handle you.'
- Writer
