Written in the Stars

۰۴

The days that Zyva Qureshi and Azlan Sikandar had spent together in the hill station were one of the most sweetest days of their ever rivalling relationship, although the both of them would rather swallow rotten eggs before even acknowledging the fact.

Zyva had fulfilled all her girlhood fantasies that her desi parents had infamously told her to do after marriage, while Azlan quite enjoyed letting down his armour and experiencing the feelings of having a companion of sorts.

They had taken late night drives, gone out for hot chocolate and icecream at odd hours, gossiping family politics (well mostly Zyva giving him what she called "the tea"), looping arms around each other's elbows rushing to the famous site seeing places, sometimes just sleeping till late, tangled in each other's arms.

They weren't at the hand holding stage but they also couldn't sleep without each other on the same bed during the nights. Azlan waited for Zyva most nights to come to bed before not-so-sneakily pulling her to his chest. Not that Zyva minded, her husband was a huge body heater and she herself was cold all times. She was growing quite comfortable in his presence and for some reason the spawn of satan was slowly melting whatever hatred she had built for him over the years. He wasn't so bad at all.

But it wasn't like they didn't fight like cats and dogs despite these developments. They somehow always managed to get under each other's skin and the whole house was usually the witness to this.

Especially when they had returned from their "honeymoon" both smiling and being cordial with each other, Ammar had shouted out teasingly, "Ohoo lagta hai love-shove ki khusbu aa rahi hai aaj!"

(Seems like love is in the air today)

"THAT'S POLLUTION, GHADEY!" the couple had screamed in sync, taking everyone in the room by shock before, Zyva started taunting Azlan for stealing her line and Azlan argued back like a toddler.

Ammar stood sheepishly in the corner under the thundering gaze of his parents as the couple stormed into their room, probably ready to rip each other's hair off.

But it was not all that bad. They were slowly but surely making progress.
___

"Sunein?" Zyva called out as she opened a bag of her favourite crisps sitting down on the sofa that was her husband's bed until a few weeks ago.

"Haan?" Azlan replied back as he closed the door to the attached balcony and drew the curtains.

"I am thinking of rejoining office from tomorrow."

"Accha?" The clueless man questioned as he dropped down on the sofa beside her, pushing her spread out legs to the side.

"What accha! I am going to office tomorrow!" Zyva asserted loudly, her lips forming a thin line as she lifted her legs and placed it on Azlan's lap.

"Batameez ladki!" He grumbled pulling the shawl that was wrapped around his neck and draping it over her legs on his lap. "Jao phir. Why are you telling me, when you have already decided?"

"Nahi na! Don't do this Ammi-types emotional blackmail with me! Tell me- Zyva go to office tomorrow." She moaned puffing her cheeks out in annoyance.

A throaty chuckle left his mouth at her reaction as he slowly patted her legs in his lap.
"Does that mean my permission matters to you?"

Shaking her head profusely, Zyva looked at him with her big round eyes. "N-nai, it's not like that."

"Then what's it like?" Azlan teased leaning in a little closer as his hands continued caressing the blanket over her legs.