A Garden Of Hydrangeas

پتھر دل | Stone hearted

Chapter 23.

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"Araam sai!"
[Carefully!]

Arham had never imagined these words would ever leave his lips. Especially, when he was seated in the seat of his beloved car — moreover on the passenger's side at that. His hands gripped the door tightly, till his nails turned a pale white. Inside his chest his heart galloped like a horse, thrumming the sound floorboards of his rims as they resonated the loud sounds. In the dimly lit streets of Mushkpur, the sun barely out, his wife drove like a mad woman. Perhaps it was retribution for all the times he had worried his mother from his own driving skills.

He yelped, surprised that he was capable of making that noise, as she overtook a trolley. Her bridal dress was spread over her seats, tucked under her and the stiletto heels thrown in the back seat. When she had convinced him to let her drive them to her favorite place after the reception, he had agreed giddily, now though, Arham could not help but reprimand himself for the decision. Either they would die, the car falling into a ditch, or they would end up in prison thanks to his wife who was dead-set on breaking all the traffic regulations.

"Dekhein agar ap ko kisi baat ka ghusa hai tou waisay maar lein magar dono ki jaan le kar kia kar lein gi?" Arham sighed, hoping his words would cause a decrease in the car's speed.
[Listen if you are angry about something you can hit me anyways what will you do after killing the both of us?]

"Arham! Just sir quietly for a second. I'm trying to rush us so that we don't miss the magic!" Filza sighed, her eyes flickering towards his frowning face for a second.

"Eyes on the road." He said.

Some of his senses returned back to him as he ordered her. Unscrewing the cap of the bottled water — she had generously stopped to let him buy, he sighed. His brows scrunched up as the cool water softened the aching muscles inside his throat. Filza looked at him, sneakily as she could. The way his palms held the small bottle, the water running down his throat a bit as he drunk greedily — all combined to remind her of his actions on their wedding night. He had gone, from being cold hearted into a man who functioned with high emotions. His touch was still as strong as ever on her skin. In fact, Filza could still feel the tight grip of his hands on her body, holding her in place. She had woken up to sore muscles and a plethora of love bites, not that she was complaining.

The drive was filled with silence. The two deep in thoughts of each other, by the side of one another. Filza kept her hands steady over the steering wheel, the SUV successfully off roading. In the dark, as the last of the stars remained on the sky she drove them deeper into the orchards her family owned. Either side of them was surrounded by neat rows of apple trees — their largest form of income came from exporting those each year. The headlights shone at the tree barks, the windows pulled down to let in the sounds of nature. Rustling amongst the trees alarmed Arham, his ears perked up and his hands inched towards his sleek mobile phone.

"No! You can't use your phone. Remember you promised me!" Filza slapped his hand away, sliding the phone into the seat behind her.

"I just thought I heard the trees move, I need to call security Filza. You and I, we can't roam around the streets without protection. There are threats that always linger." He replied, his thumb and index finger pinching the skin between his brows.