The house slowly settled after the day's chaos.The elders had gone inside.The younger cousins had taken over the courtyard.

And somehow, despite everything that had happened earlier, Ayaan had decided that the evening was far too peaceful.

He stood in the middle of the courtyard with his hands on his hips.“Sab log yahan aao. Important meeting hai.”

Rayan looked up from his phone.“Tumhari meeting kabse important hone lagi?”

“Jab se main chairman bana hoon.”

“Chairman kis cheez ka?”

Ayaan thought for a moment.“Fun department.”

Hina laughed.“Tum khud appoint hue ho?”

“Obviously.”

Maryam was sitting on the swing with a cup of tea.“Main ja rahi hoon.”

Ayaan immediately pointed at her.“Dulhan ko jaane ki permission nahi hai.”

Maryam raised an eyebrow.“Dulhan?”

Ayaan grinned.“Arre, practice kar raha hoon.”

Maryam picked up a cushion.“Ayaan.”

He immediately ran behind Rayan.

“Dekha? Violence shuru ho gaya.”

Rayan sighed.“Tumne khud bulaya hai.”

From the other side of the courtyard, Kamyaar walked in.“What are you all doing?”

Ayaan's face lit up.“Perfect. Groom bhi aa gaya.”

Kamyaar immediately turned around.“No.”

Everyone laughed.

“Bhai, baitho!” Rayan called.

“I don't want to.”

Hina folded her arms.“Too late.”

Kamyaar looked at all of them.“You people are impossible.”

Maryam quietly muttered,“Finally, kisi baat par toh agree karte ho.”

Kamyaar heard her.“Don't get used to it.”

She looked at him.“Don't worry. I won't.”

The Game

Ayaan placed a bowl in the middle.“Sab apne questions likho.”

Kamyaar looked suspiciously at the bowl.“What kind of questions?”

“Normal.”

Rayan immediately corrected him.“Uske normal ka matlab dangerous hota hai.”

Ayaan smiled.“First question!”

He picked one.“Who was the most annoying person in your childhood?”

Everyone started laughing before he even finished.

Ayaan looked around dramatically.

“Kamyaar bhai?”

Kamyaar didn't hesitate.“Maryam.”

Maryam's head snapped toward him.“Excuse me?”

“You asked.”

“You could've lied.”

“Why would I?”

She stared at him.“Fine. Tum bhi.”

Ayaan was practically crying from laughter.“Bachpan ki dushmani abhi tak zinda hai!”

Hina took the bowl.“Next.”

She unfolded the paper.“Who was the biggest troublemaker as a child?”

Everyone pointed at Ayaan.

Ayaan looked offended.“Yeh conspiracy hai.”

Rayan nodded.“Evidence bhi hai.”

“What evidence?”

“Tumhari wajah se store room mein cricket kheli thi.”

Ayaan pointed at Kamyaar.“Usne bola tha!”

Kamyaar looked genuinely surprised.“Maine?”

“Haan!”

Maryam laughed.“You both blamed each other when you broke Dadi's vase too.”

Kamyaar looked at her.“You broke it.”

“You pushed me.”

“You were running.”

“You were chasing me!”

The cousins went silent.

Then Ayaan whispered,

“Honestly, mujhe lagta hai yeh dono bachpan mein bhi married couple jaise the.”

Maryam threw the cushion at him.

This time, everyone burst out laughing.

Even Kamyaar.

Sara had been sitting quietly until then.She wasn't laughing.She watched Kamyaar laugh.And she watched Maryam being the reason for it.Her expression tightened.

Afsana noticed.“Sara, tum chup kyun ho?”

“kuch nhi"

“Game khelo.”

Sara forced a smile.“Main dekh rahi hoon.”

Her eyes went back to Kamyaar.He was still smiling.She had known that smile for years.But tonight, she had seen something she had never wanted to see.He wasn't smiling because of her.

Teams

Ayaan suddenly stood up.“Ab teams banengi.”

“No,” Kamyaar said immediately.

“Yes.”

“I said no.”

“Democracy mein sabki chalti hai.”

Rayan looked at him.“Yahan democracy kab aayi?”

“Abhi.”

Ayaan began pointing.“Team one—Hina and Rayan.”

“Fine,” Hina said.

“Team two—Maryam and Kamyaar.”

Both spoke at once.“No.”

Ayaan smiled.“Exactly.”

Maryam glared at him.“Main tumhe kal se bhai nahi bulaungi.”

“Already worth it.”

Kamyaar looked at Rayan.“Change the teams.”

Rayan shook his head.“Can't. Ayaan has spoken.”

Kamyaar stared at him.“You're enjoying this.”

“Very much.”

The game was simple.

One person had to act out a movie or word.Their teammate had to guess.

Maryam stood beside Kamyaar.

“Tum acting karoge?” she asked.

“No.”

“Phir main karungi?”

“Tum bhi nahi.”

Ayaan shouted,“Team haar jayegi!”

Maryam sighed.“Fine.”

She picked the first card.

She read it.Then looked at Kamyaar.He raised an eyebrow.She began acting.

Kamyaar stared at her.“Tree?”

She shook her head.“Cat?”

She shook her head harder.“Someone falling?”

She nodded.“Dramatic person falling?”

She nodded again.“Maryam?”

She stopped.Everyone burst out laughing.

She turned toward him.“Seriously?”

Kamyaar smiled.“Sorry.”

“No, you're not.”

“No.”

She tried not to smile.

Failed.

For a moment, they forgot everyone was watching.

Then Sara's voice cut through.“Can we finish the game?”

The courtyard became slightly quieter.

Maryam looked at her.“Of course.”

Kamyaar's expression changed.

He looked toward Sara.“Relax.”

Sara stared at him.“I am relaxed.”

Rayan whispered to Ayaan,“Yeh woh wali relaxed hai jisme murder thoughts hote hain.”

Ayaan almost choked.

Later, Hina brought out an old photo album.

Ayaan immediately protested.“No.”

Hina smiled.“Yes.”

“Please.”

“No.”

Rayan leaned closer.“Open it.”

Hina flipped through the pages.Then stopped.“Oh.”

Maryam immediately knew.“No.”

Hina grinned.“Look at this.”

She held up a photograph.Everyone gathered around.

It was Maryam and Kamyaar as children.

Maryam was holding a broken toy.Kamyaar was standing beside her with the most irritated expression imaginable.

Ayaan screamed.

“WHY DO YOU BOTH LOOK ANGRY?”

Rayan laughed.“Because they were probably fighting.”

Hina looked at the back of the photograph.“It says: They refused to take a picture together.”

Everyone laughed.

Maryam covered her face.“I hate this family.”

Kamyaar took the photograph from Hina.

He stared at it for a moment.Then laughed quietly.

Maryam looked at him.“What?”

He shook his head.“Nothing.”

“You're laughing at me.”

“No.”

“You are.”

He looked at the picture again.“You really haven't changed.”

Maryam frowned.“Neither have you.”

A small pause.

Then Kamyaar smiled.“Maybe that's the problem.”

Maryam didn't know what to say. So she looked away.

Neither of them noticed that Hina had noticed.But Sara had too.

A Little Later.The cousins eventually moved inside.One by one, everyone disappeared.Maryam stayed in the courtyard to collect the empty cups.

She picked up one.Then another.A cup slipped from the edge of the tray.Before it could fall, another hand caught it.

Kamyaar.

“Careful.”

Maryam looked at him.“I had it.”

“I know.”

“Then why did you catch it?”

He placed the cup back on the tray.“Because it was falling.”

She stared at him.“That was almost helpful.”

He gave her a look.“Don't make it a habit.”

She smiled faintly.“Don't worry.”

He started walking away.

Then stopped.

“Maryam.”

“Hm?”

He hesitated.“About earlier…”

She waited.“The game.”

“What about it?”

He looked uncomfortable.“I didn't mean to embarrass you.”

Maryam blinked.

“You didn't.”

“Good.”

He walked away.

Maryam watched him for a second.

Then shook her head.“Strange.”

She didn't know why.

But for the first time in years, Kamyaar's silence hadn't felt like hatred.

It had felt like consideration.

And she wasn't sure which was more dangerous.

Upstairs, Sara stood near the window.She had seen Kamyaar walk away.She had seen Maryam watching him.Her hands tightened around the curtain.

Tomorrow, the elders were supposed to meet again.The engagement was over.The wedding date had not yet been finalized.

But everyone knew it was coming.

And Sara knew something else.If she wanted to stop what was happening...

She couldn't wait much longer.

Downstairs, Ayaan's voice suddenly echoed through the house.“WHO ATE MY LAST RASGULLA?”

Rayan shouted back,“Evidence do!”

“I KNOW WHO DID IT!”

Hina yelled,“Everyone sleep!”

Ayaan screamed,“THIS FAMILY HAS NO JUSTICE!”

Maryam laughed from the courtyard.

Kamyaar heard it from the staircase.

And without realizing it—

he smiled.

The wedding was still weeks away.But something had already begun changing.Neither of them was ready to name it.And perhaps that was exactly why it mattered.

Tomorrow, the elders would sit down to discuss the date.And this time—

there would be no engagement to hide behind.

Byee readerss💌~

i hope you like the chapters that I've posted till now and give feedback also it will realy means a lottt💗