Razia Pupho walked through the dimly lit hallway, her footsteps quiet against the floor. As she passed by Saleem sahab and his wife's room, she heard hushed voices-serious, deep in conversation. Something in their tone made her pause.

"We should have asked for Aakifah's hand earlier," her brother said, his voice heavy with regret. "If only we had been fast enough, she would have been Ghazan's fiancée by now."