CHAPTER 01

It was a sweet November morning. Neha heard the alarm and got up quickly. She groaned loudly and sat up on the bed. It was 6 O'clock in the morning, she could hear Azan calls. She stretched her hands above her head and rubbed her eyes lightly. A yawn escaped her lips as she got up from bed and made her way to the bathroom. She looked into her wardrobe and selected a pink kurti and paired it up with skinny blue jeans. She hopped into the hot shower and washed her body. Once satisfied, she stepped out of the shower and wore her clothes. She wrapped her towel on her head, brushed her teeth real quick and stepped out of the bathroom. She dried her hair with the towel. She stood up to offer the first Salah of the day. Once she was done with her Salah and prayers she got up and went downstairs. 

"Good morning Chachu." Neha greeted her sweet uncle who also got free from his Salah. 

"Now my morning is going to be good as you have greeted me my kid. Good morning to you too. Now tell me your aunt and your lazy cousins are up or still in bed." Neha's uncle Arshad asked.

"Still in bed Chachu. You tell me what would you like to have for breakfast?" Neha asked her chocolatey uncle.

"Omelette with butter loafs with a huge cup of tea." Arshad replied to his daughter like niece.

"Okay you sit down on the dining table, I'll bring you your breakfast along with my own." She replied with a wide smile. Arshad patted her head and gave her blessings. She went to the kitchen and started preparing breakfast for her uncle first.

Neha Samad, is her full name and she lives in Karachi Pakistan. He mother Alina passed away during giving birth to her. Her father  Samad Ali raised her like a princess. She was his only daughter. Samad never married again because he was worried that his princess Neha would be a burden for another woman and she could treat Neha badly. Neha was 16 when her father passed away. His heart gave up and stopped beating. Arshad was her only family then, he took her in. Arshad was very sweet and kind towards his niece and so his wife Naveen. Arshad and Naveen had three children, Laila, Laiba and Mustafa. Laiba was an amazing cousin for Neha. She welcomed Neha open arms like her parents. Mustafa was the oldest one. He was older than all the girls. He was very kind and sweet, just like his father. But Laila, she was a witch. She never liked Neha. She always tried to get Neha in trouble, always tried to make her life hell. Neha was busy preparing breakfast for her uncle when her cousin Mustafa came into the kitchen. He quietly came behind her and screamed loudly.

"What are you doing Neha?" He screamed loudly in her ear and she jumped.

"Oh my God bhaiya, what the hell is wrong with you?" Neha tried to scream back but failed due to her wild heart in her ribcage and shallow breaths.

"It's always fun to scream in your ear." Mustafa said and he started laughing hysterically.

"Not so much funny bhaiya. One day my heart will stop beating because of your stupid pranks." She said while gritting her teeth.

"What are you cooking, hmm, it smells good. Make one for me as well." Mustafa said and his stomach growled loudly.

"You made a mistake bhaiya, now cook for yourself, I'm out of here." Neha replied with a mischievous grin on her beautiful face. She was about to exit the kitchen with a tray in her hands for both her uncle and herself, when Mustafa grabbed her by her arm and stopped her. 

"Please, make me breakfast, you make it so delicious. I promise I will take you shopping tonight." Mustafa said with pleading eyes and a cute puppy face.

"And I can buy anything, you won't stop me not even if I bought myself a new mobile?" Neha asked with a raised brow and the same mischievous grin on her face.

Mustafa raised both of his hands in surrender and bowed in front of her. "I will buy you two mobiles, okay. Happy?" Mustafa asked.

"Very, what do you want to eat?" Neha asked happily.

"Anything you're having." He replied casually.

"I'm having oatmeal. Or do you want eggs?" Neha asked.

"Nah. Oatmeal is good. I'm in the dining room." Mustafa replied and exited the kitchen. Neha quickly dished out the oatmeal for her cousin as well and went to the dining room. Mustafa and Arshad were sitting together and talking when Neha entered the dining room. She placed the tray in front of her uncle and took hers and Mustafa's dishes in her hands. She gave Mustafa his bowl of oatmeal, then sat on her chair and started eating.

"Arman's birthday is close. Have you thought of anything Neha? What do we have to give him as a gift? And what you are giving him." Arshad asked in a serious tone. Arman Khan was Neha's fiancee and son of samad's childhood friend Akbar. They both set up their children to make their friendship stronger. 

"Gift him poison Chachu, I don't care." Neha said and shrugged her shoulders carelessly.

"Neha, he's your fiance, you should care." Arshad scolded her.

"Chachu, I really don't want to waste my time over that piece of stupid trash head." Neha said as she made a disgusted face. She got up and took her bowl with her.

"Baba, if she doesn't like him, why is she obligated to marry him?" Mustafa asked his father.

"My brother set them both together. I can't separate them." Arshad replied with narrowed eyes.

"Baba, you know that's not a good thing. She doesn't like him and he's not well educated like her, in fact he is not even well mannered. Think about it baba, she is beautiful and well educated, she can get much better man for herself. He doesn't deserve her at all." Mustafa tried to reason his father knowing his cousin doesn't want to be married to Arman.

"Enough Mustafa, we are not having this argument ever again. Am I clear?" Arshad stood up and yelled at his son.

"Fine baba, do whatever you want. But he doesn't deserve her." He said as he stood up, picked up his bowl as well and left.

"You know it's impossible bahiya, to make him realize that Arman isn't a good man. You don't have to fight for me. I know my God has something special for me." Neha said with a grateful smile on her face. 

"I can't stop fighting, not until he realizes that Arman isn't good for you." Mustafa said as he patted her head. She forced a small smile on her face and nodded her head.

"I need to get ready for my University, or I'll be late." Neha said.

"Okay, you go and get ready. I'm in the living room waiting for you." Mustafa replied with a smile. She quickly ran upstairs, packed her bag, tied her hair in a ponytail and went downstairs. 

"I'm ready, Chachu I'll be late today. I have practicals and a few extra classes." She told her uncle.

"Okay, God bless you. Stay safe." Arshad patted her head and gave her his blessings. Mustafa went to his car and Neha also hopped into the car. 

"How much time will it take? I'll come and pick you up." Mustafa asked while buckling his seat belt.

"No need bhaiya, I will take auto and Zara will be with me. So don't worry." Neha replied.

"Do you have extra money with you?" He asked.

"Yes I do. Now please start driving or I'll be late." Neha replied. Mustafa chuckled and drove off. Mustafa was always like a brother to Neha, she respected him and he also loved her like a sister. He helped her a lot in her studies and also in her hard time when her father had passed away. He was always there for her whenever she needed him but he felt guilty to even think that his baby sister will be married to a person like Arman. He even tried to talk to his mother Naveen to make his father understand that Arman isn't good for Neha, but they both failed as Arshad never listened to anyone when it comes to Neha and Arman's relationship.