Chapter 03

HEER

The dark night descends. Clouds surround the entire sky. Cold winds begin to blow, but this time at a faster rate, with even more chill. Our house has lit up in this utter darkness. It's beautiful even, isn't it? 

Both make each other beautiful. This light pricks the eyes of the people in front of the sun, but the darkness gives it a presence in the eyes of the people, making it a necessity for the people. And the light also gives beauty to the darkness. Nowadays, people like darkness more than light. 

I also came down prepared. Everything is decorated very beautifully like every year. The whole house is once again lit up with light. On my birthday, my father always lights up the house, because he always tells me that I came like a light in his life. As always my father's rich friends have come, with whom my father has a very good relationship. Emir's family is here and some of my friends. 

Seeing me on the stairs, everyone's eyes are fixed on me. It doesn't seem as strange as I always feel the eyes of that stranger on myself. It's better even. 

I do not look at anyone because my eyes fall only on my father, who is standing with Emir. Maybe he's talking to him. 

"Beautiful.."  I see my dad mouthing. I smile and raise my brow, mouthing, "I know." He chuckles and Emir looks at us confusingly. I also chuckle and walk to them. 

I come to them and kiss my dad's cheek. He smiles, "You're looking so beautiful," he tells me. "Thank you so much, gentleman," I flip my hair and chuckle. He joins me and then some of his friends wish me. I do according to my manners and then my dad leaves me with Emir. 

I turned to him. He takes a deep breath before telling me something I know. 

"You are looking so damn beautiful, Heer." 

He's so cute. 

He is so shy even while praising, while completely aware of the fact that I am his girlfriend. 

"And?" I say, looking into his emerald eyes. He blushes a little, "And… cute." I nod. "And… damn hot and sexy!" 

I blush and punch him on his chest. "Honestly!" He exclaims. My eyes widened. This is the first time Emir has said something like this so I am a bit surprised but it doesn't feel uncomfortable anywhere. It's kinda cute about him. 

"So… what's the surprise?" I quickly ask him, suddenly remembering his words this morning. 

He frowns, "Oh c'mon, wait. The fruit of waiting is sweet, isn't it?" I see me narrowing my eyes and glaring at him through my eyelashes. 

I don't like waiting so long, knowing that Emir is about to surprise me. 

He chuckles and holds my arms. He turns me around and puts his muscular arms on my shoulder like I'm his bro. He brushes my hair from my shoulder and leans in to whisper into my ear, "I promise that this fruit will be sweeter than the fruit of the Garden of Eden." 

My brows uplift together in excitement. I smirk inwardly and turn to him. I find him already looking at me. His eyes fixed on me and this time, there is something deep inside them. 

I'd like to look into those forest eyes forever! 

"Heer! Come and cut the cake now?" 

But the interruption doesn't let me. I turn around only to find a grinning Ruhani in front of me. 

"Yeah, just coming!" I tell her and go to dad, after giving a look to Emir. He chuckles from behind. 

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The cake was cut and now everyone is enjoying themselves. I am sitting on the couch in the hall itself. My drink is over and the glass is resting in my hand. Emir was with me a while back but went out to answer an urgent call and I am waiting for him here. 

Well, rich people celebrate in this way. Sometimes I wonder whether this is all that makes me happy? Because for me, celebration means dancing, singing and jumping. Well, I too have been celebrating like this since the very beginning, but many times my desire is to dance and sing while jumping. I have probably seen such a celebration in my childhood but I don't remember anything about it. That is the sad thing. But I know that the celebration is much better than the peace of these rich people. All this is as if it identifies the rich. 

I still remember that in my childhood my mother used to teach me good habits. My mother wanted me to learn how to sit, how to talk, how to laugh, even the smallest habit. My mother was never proud of money but she wanted me to behave like a high society girl. That's what every girl's mother wants! 

And by the age of five, she taught me everything. After her passing, my father then raised me like a delicate flower. Maybe that's why I'm such an easily-scared type of person today. 

Shame on me! 

I see everyone is talking with each other. My father is also talking to some of his friends about business. He probably never gets any time off from work. I don't complain but I respect his work and his earnings. After all, even if he earns, it is only for me. I never want to go away from my father. 

My father knows everything about Emir's and mine relationship with each other. There is nothing that has been hidden from my father or the family of Emir. I have known Emir since I came to America with my father. We both became friends very quickly. Finished school together, then left college also, but he didn't complete the final year and took over his father's business to expand it. Due to his ability, his business spread very well and within a few days Emir even proposed to me to be his girlfriend. My father liked Emir's intentions. Without hiding anything, he wanted to do everything with the consent of the elders. 

Now all this was going on in my mind that suddenly someone came and sat beside me. I turn and find one of my friends, Tom. 

"Tom," I say, half surprised, half smiling. He smiles at me. "Everyone is having fun and you are sitting here quietly?" 

I nod, "Emir has been out for a while so I am waiting for him." He murmurs, "I see. Till then can you spend some time with me?" He asks, scanning me from up to down. His eyes roam from my face to my chest and stop there. I gulp as he makes me feel uncomfortable, so I quickly change the topic, "It's not needed. Emir will be coming shortly. You go, Melissa must be waiting for you?" 

His eyes came back to my face. A smirk appears on his lips and his tongue comes out slightly to wet his bottom lip. 

"Melissa is with Max, you know," he tells me. I look around and find her chuckling with Max. I nod and look at him back. His eyes never leave me and now his wide palm lands on my thigh. 

My eyes widened and I swat away his hand, "Tom!" 

Panic starts building inside me. 

He raises his brow, "Oh what, Heer? You know I like you," he whispers and leans forward. He tries to remember the old points. I try to act calmly, not wanting to show how restless I became, "And you also know I like Emir!" I tell him, this time, a little loudly. 

He smirks and swiftly holds my hand, making me gasp. The pink light shining in the dark falls on his face for a moment, in that light, his eyes shine. A smirk plays on his lips and he pulls me closer to him. My other hand immediately landed on his chest and tried to push him away when he suddenly let go of me. 

I frown, confusion pools in my eyes. He smiles at me gently yet I can see it's fake. 

His head turns to the left side and he smiles again, "Emir." 

Surprised, I snap my head towards him and find Emir smiling at Tom genuinely. "How are you, Tom?" 

So he didn't see anything! I sigh. 

"I'm fine. Just came to have some talk with Heer." Tom lies. Emir nods, "Is it done now?" 

"Yeah," Tom nods. 

Emir then looks at me and holds my hand. He raises his brow, asking me to get up and I do it. His smile soothes the restlessness inside me. 

"You seem confused, why?" He asked me. I just shake my head, not wanting to tell him about Tom and spoil his gentle mood. 

"Mm," he nods. His hand raises up to my face and he gently tugs my locks behind my ear. I close my eyes as his skin touches mine. 

Everything that happened a while back was a scary thing for me. I know that I get scared of small things and don't even think of fighting back, but I can't help it. But now seeing such a beautiful style of Emir, I have forgotten all that.

"I can't get tired of saying, you are so beautiful, Heer," he whispers in his husky voice and slides his hand under my waist. He takes a hold of my waist and walks to the middle of the hall with me. 

I, contemplating all this, calmly come to the center with Emir. 

On seeing both of us, the sound of music stops and the light of the hall once again covers the entire hall. 

A lot of questions flow in my mind but my tongue doesn't want to move at all. I just look into his emerald eyes and that's the thing which keeps me still. 

Suddenly I start to see nervousness in his eyes. My brows corrugate and I look around myself. Everyone is watching us. My dad is also. A smile is on his lips and a wine glass is resting in his hand which is half filled. 

I look back to Emir and now he's on his knees. 

"Emir…What happened?" I ask him. He sighs and says, "Heer, I want to confess something." 

I'm listening to you. I say inwardly, as I feel what he's going to confess!

"Heer, I love you very much and I have felt this ever since I made you my friend. Since childhood, wanting you has become my comfort and habit, a habit that I can never change nor I want to change. Now I need only one support to live life and that is you, Heer. Without you, it is difficult for me to even think of living this life. You are as important as my breath, Heer. And now I want to give you the right even on every single breath, I want to live my whole life with you, Heer, do you also give me the right to be your life partner?" 

For a moment I forget that I should be happy that my wait is finally over or I should be surprised that what I thought happened. 

He brings out a little box from his pocket. He opens it and I see a ring inside it. 

Beautiful. 

It was made with very beautiful workmanship by joining three thin tubes and small diamond pieces surrounding it. 

He is also very nervous in front of me. All this can be seen. Who is the one who does not get nervous while making decisions? 

He gulps before speaking, "Will you marry me, Heer?" 

Now my answer was the same as what he expected. How can I tell him no? From the very beginning, the friendship of both of us was very deep and this friendship has also turned into love, it feels like a dream and also a reality. 

"Yes," the word escapes my lips and my eyes turn glossy. He smiles at me and I see a tear in the corner of his right eye. He put the ring in my finger and the atmosphere filled with a loud sound of claps. 

He gets up and cups my face, "Thank you," he mumbles. I nod, palming my face, not wanting to show him my tears that were dying to come out. 

"Aye, don't," he says and wipes my tears and gives me a hug. 

"Thank god, my soon-to-be son-in-law got the courage!" I hear my dad's voice and turn to him. He chuckles with Emir. 

"So you knew about the surprise?" I ask dad. He nods. 

"Of course honey! Even your dad encouraged Emir!" Emir's mom joined, palming my shoulder. "My friend is still young!" Emir's father says, chuckling with dad. 

"No doubt!" Emir and I say in unison.