"No mum, it wasn't like that. Neither Kinza nor anyone else knew anything. He never called me after that, but I called him after about a month," I put my head down in embarrassment and mum glared at me. "If you didn't feel ashamed then, why you are feeling it now?" she scolded me. "Then what?" "I would call him now and then, but he never called me. We would talk about our favorite places, favorite movies, food, and everything but we never talked about ourselves. One day, I met him in a cafe where he was with his friends. He completely ignored me and I felt hurt. When I was in the cafe's parking, he called me. He said he ignored me because he didn't want to introduce me to his friends. When I asked the reason, he left me there answerless." "I didn't call him after that. But one night my phone started ringing and I received the call without looking at the caller. I was half-asleep, but after hearing a manly voice from the other side, my eyes snapped open. It was him." I stopped to take a breath, but mum was still glaring at me. "Stop glaring at me, otherwise, I'm not going to tell you anything," I spoke in an arrogant tone. "Oh yeah! You are feeling so proud, right? After all, you're telling me the story of how you conquered Mount Everest!" Mum exaggerated like a typical Indian mother- unable to digest that her daughter is in love. "H-he called, and asked me why I did not call him for the past 36 days- I was shocked- he even counted the days. When I asked why should I call him, he replied that he waited for my call. For the first time, I felt some different kind of bond between us." "I asked him nervously, why he waited for my call. After a silence of nearly two minutes, he said 'Rimsha, ask the same question to your heart, and if you got the answer then call me, I'm waiting for your call.' Then he disconnected the call. I didn't call him, but my heart got the answer-" Suddenly, my mobile started ringing. Mum glared at the phone, then at me. We both looked at the clock, which showed sharp midnight. "Don't you dare to receive this call in front of me!" mum said as she snatched the mobile from my hands. She looked at the mobile which displayed his caller ID. I did not save his contact by his name, rather, I named it 'handsome'. She looked at me with sharp eyes and I closed my eyes, biting my tongue. "Did you call him?" Mum asked in rage and I shook my head. Mum didn't return my mobile phone, but he called continuously, and with every call, mum gave me a deadly look. I started again when mum gestured me to continue. "It was exactly two years after our first meeting on Kinza's birthday. We were again at Kinza's birthday party, everyone was busy in themselves-" Dad suddenly summoned mum, and she went there, but took my mobile along with her. I couldn't tell everything- what happened at that party changed my entire life. Everyone was busy. He came to me and grabbed my wrist. I looked at him in shock and tried to free my hand, but he dragged me outside the party. My heart began beating differently. "Rimsha, did your heart say something?" he asked me, and I froze. Somehow I gathered some courage and nodded with a smile. He smiled and freed my hand. We both looked at each other, but I felt nervous since it was my first time talking to someone this way. When I asked him why he didn't want to introduce me to his friends, his reply shocked me. He said, 'I want to introduce you by my name.' We both smiled looking at each other, and it was the best moment of my life. "Rimish?"I heard mum's call, she stood at the doorstep of my room. "Yeah, mum?" I replied with a smile, still thinking about him. "Continue your story," Mum said and took a seat in front of me. She still held my mobile, which vibrated continuously. "Mum, please, give me my mobile? Just for a while?" I pleaded, but her behavior was heartless. "Continue," She ordered me and I nodded. "He proposed to me." I wanted to say something but words were not coming out of my mouth. Mum always treated me like a friend, but that didn't mean I could tell her everything about my boyfriend. "When did all this happen? When did he propose to you?" Mum asked me, and I lowered my head in embarrassment. "On your twenty-fourth wedding anniversary, at the party." My fingers twiddled the corner of my pillow, but my gaze was fixed on my mobile. He was still calling me. "But..but..." mum's mouth was open in amazement. Their anniversary was held in our house. "You invited him to our house! And you both met at the party in front of our eyes?" She was surprised, as well as angry. "I...we...actually...we..." I stammered when something crashed against the window of my room. Mum and I both were startled. I ran to the window to check but found nothing. I peered at the lawn, but I saw nothing there as well. I turned back to mum and shook my head in negative. She sighed in relief. But suddenly, my gaze went to a person who stood in the middle of the road and waved my hands to gain my attention. "Oh god!" I almost yelled and mum heard me. "What are you doing here?" I asked him in gestures but he didn't understand. He showed his hand near his ear, gesturing to my mobile, but before I could reply, I felt mum standing behind me. We both felt a bomb drop on us as mum glared at me, and then at him. "Summon him here," mum said with a strict voice and I looked at her in shock. "Mum...but dad?" I said nervously. "Go and bring him here with you. Your dad is sleeping after taking his sleeping pills," Mum ordered me and I nodded. I walked up to him and told him the entire situation, and he agreed to meet my mother. I felt super-nervous as I took him to my room. Suddenly, he held my hand, and I whispered in panic, "What are you doing? Mum is waiting for you in my room!" "Are you nervous?" He asked, and I nodded. "Don't worry, I'm with you." He said with a smile and my heart relaxed a bit. We both entered the room where mum was ready to play 'twenty-questions' with us. He greeted my mum and she gestured him to sit on the sofa. I took a seat beside him but, my mum behaved like a typical village mother. She glared at me and gestured with her eyes to sit on the bed and not beside him. I unwillingly sat on the bed. "Why did you come here at this time?" Mum asked him angrily. "I was calling Rimsha, but she was not attending the call. I was feeling worried about her, so I came to check if everything is fine, or not," he replied seriously with respect. "Are you coming to our house for the first time?" Mum asked him, and I looked at him, feeling nervous. What if he lies? What if he says he never came here? "I'm not going to lie in front of you, auntie," he said to mum very seriously and mum gave a nod. "It's my second visit here, but I never came this late," he said honestly. Mum looked at him, then at me- her face showed sheer shock. "How do you get the courage to tell all these things in front of your elders?" Mum asked me, then looked at him. We both simply shrugged. "Do you have something to say?" Mum asked him and he nodded. "Aunty we love each other and we want to marry. We were hiding our love for the last three years, but yesterday we decided to talk to our parents," he told mum, and she looked at me. "Will your parents agree? Will they accept my daughter?" Mum asked and he nodded. He behaved very seriously unlike always, where he was so playful. It was the first time I was seeing this side of him. "I talked to my parents about Rimsha and they don't have any problem. They are happy in my happiness. My parents want to meet your family," He told mum, but his eyes were on me. A calm smile played on our lips. "Dad also wants to meet you and your parents," I said happily. "Why do you want to marry her?" Mum asked, shocking me with her question. When I interrupted, he stopped me with his hand. I asked, "What kind of a question is this?" "She is your mother, she can ask me everything- it's a question of your life," He told me calmly, while mum looked at the two of us. She smiled at his answer. "We both feel happy with each other, so we want to be happy for our whole life," He replied and I blushed. Mum nodded. I felt a sudden pang in my heart when she asked, "What if we don't agree with this marriage?" "That will be your decision since she is your daughter. We would live our lives but we can't be happy without each other," He replied and mum smiled. She turned at me and nodded with agreement. Glowing with happiness, I pounced on mum and hugged her, while he stood watching me celebrate. "Go now, and come with your family this weekend," Mum said and he nodded with a smile. "Where are you going?" Mum asked me when walked out of the room following him. "I'm going to see him off," I said. Mum glared at me, but I didn't bother and followed him. Before he stepped out of the house, I held his hand. I asked, "Are you happy?" "Yeah," he whispered with a mischievous smile and walked two steps towards me. I stepped back as I said, "I'm very happy." "I know!" He said walking even close. As I stepped back in nervousness, I felt the wall touch my back. "Wh-what are you doing?" I whispered in a stammer and he took a step further, caging me with his hand. It was the first time we were so close. "I'm waiting. I'm waiting for you in my life," he said looking into my eyes. I lowered my gaze but felt something soft on my forehead- his lips. I looked up at him in surprise. He leaned near my ear and whispered, "Be ready to be mine," then disappeared. My heart was beating ten times faster. His first kiss! My lips turned upward in a grin, while his words rang in my ears. Be ready to be mine. "I'm already yours, only yours!" I whispered and a timid smile played on my face. "Why are you standing here?" Mum asked me, pulling me out of my daydream. I shook my head in negative, "No-nothing." "Have you like him?" I asked mum and she gave me a nod, an ear-to-ear grin plastered on his face. "Your daughter's choice is very good!" I said while a mischievous and confident smile as I shrugged. Mum glared at me as she said, "Shameless girl!" "Mum please don't glare at me anymore, you also liked him," I said with googly eyes. "Take this, but don't talk to him too much," Mum gave back my mobile phone and instructed me. I nodded my head but, I wasn't going to obey her. "Mum, thank you!" I said and hugged her. She caressed my head with a smile. "Mum, will dad agree?" I asked as I broke the hug. I was worried about his reaction. Mum grinned. "He has already agreed!" " What!" I yelled happily. "But how? And when did he tell you that he agreed?" I asked with great enthusiasm. "Your dad loves you so much that he'll accept the guy you have chosen for yourself," Mum said and I hugged her again and she kissed my cheek. "I love you both!" "I'm going to my room," I said and ran towards my room. When I was halfway, mum suddenly called out to me. "Rimish wait!" "What is his name? I haven't even asked!" Mum explained in a state of surprise. I looked at her shyly and ran to her room after whispering, "Maaz."