Too fragile for the beast

Chapter 37

Zahra's panicked voice spilled out in a rush, giving Shafiyya no chance to respond.

"Zahra... hold on," Shafiyya interrupted gently. "There's nothing for you to be sorry about."

"But Bhabi, I won't force you to come with me again. I was so worried that because of me, you and Bhai ended up in a bad situation," Zahra's voice trembled with guilt.

Shafiyya sighed softly. "Zahra, nothing happened like you're imagining. He didn't even scold me. He was just... angry because we didn't listen to him. But after we came home, he was fine. So, no worries." Her voice was calm, knowing Zahra must be drowning in guilt.

"Alhamdulillah..." Zahra exhaled in relief, her tone finally softening. They spoke for a few more minutes before ending the call.

Shafiyya set her phone down, ready to lock the screen—when a notification lit up.

A message.
From Arsh.

Since morning, Arsh had been buried in work—moving from one meeting to another, finalizing new deals, and reviewing endless files. His phone had been buzzing all day, but none of it mattered to him as much as the quiet thought of her waiting back home.

Now, in the stillness of his cabin, he finally allowed himself a short break. He leaned back in his chair, the rich bitterness of black coffee coating his tongue as he took a slow sip. Setting the cup aside, he reached for his laptop and opened it—not for work this time, but for something far more important.

He pulled up the feed from the camera.

There she was.

Shafiyya, in a soft baby-pink dress, sitting on the bed with her dupatta sliding slightly off her shoulder, speaking into her phone. Her expression was gentle, her lips moving in animated conversation with someone on the other end.

A faint smirk curved on Arsh's face. Without a second thought, he picked up his phone and typed:

What are you doing?

On his screen, he saw her pause, check the notification, and glance around the room with a flicker of surprise in her eyes. A moment later, his phone pinged with her reply:

Was talking with Zahra.

Arsh's fingers moved over the keypad again.

Did you eat?

The pause this time was shorter. Her response came in almost instantly.

Hmm.

Arsh raised his brow at her short reply.

Hmm? That's it? he typed. You always answer me like you're in court giving one-word statements.

He leaned back in his chair, sipping his bitter coffee while watching the screen. Shafiyya's lips curved slightly as if she was holding back a smile.

Another message from him came right after:

Next time, give me a proper answer. I don't like guessing.

She picked up the phone, read it, and bit her lip—then typed quickly:

Yes, I ate.

Arsh smirked at the screen, murmuring under his breath, That's better.

Arsh's fingers were hovering over his phone screen, ready to type another message to his wife, when a voice echoed in his office.

"Ya Allah... what's happening in this universe?" Aryan clutched his chest, staggering forward with a dramatic gasp. "The big, bad mafia boss Arsh is smiling... at his phone? I can't take this. My head feels dizzy... I'm going to faint."