Muntaha | ✔

Chapter 23

After driving for twenty minutes, they reached a salon. It was one of the city's best salon and Muntaha was completely confused as to why they are here at this ungodly hour. She turned to ask Faris that same question and he was already looking at her.

"Why are we here?" She asked him.

"You didn't get your mehndi done so I brought you here for it." He said grabbing her bare hands in his and showing them to her to prove his point.

Muntaha had totally forgotten about it. She was really busy with everything and when she got some free time, the mehndi artist had already left.

"I called at the salon Aiman usually goes to. Luckily, they were open because of the new year and I asked them to hold on a little longer."

"You shouldn't have. It was okay." She was feeling all emotional right now. No one has paid this much attention to her likes and dislikes other than her parents and she was glad she got him as her husband. Undoubtedly, Allah has always planned the better for us.

"Humaray nikah wale din bhi meri dulhan k hath khali the. Aj bhi meri dulhan k hath khali rehte, esa kese honay deta mai." (Even on the day of our marriage, my bride had unadorned hands. How could I let my bride have unadorned hands today as well?) Faris was rubbing circles on the back of her hands with his thumb and she realised he was still holding her hands. She pulled her hands back shyly and Faris came out of the daze her eyes put him in.

'When did he become so romantic?' She thought with small shy smile. Being called his dulhan did things to her poor heart.

"You go and have your mehndi done. I'll wait outside." He said unlocking the car doors. Muntaha tugged the shawl around her a little tighter and opened the car door. She was about to exit but then turned back a little.

"Faris?"

"Jee." He looked at her back which was facing him since she was looking at him over her shoulder.

"Thankyou."

His lips lifted up in dazzling smile and she hurried off to the salon.

~●~

Faris had been waiting now for almost an hour when he saw a figure coming out of the salon. Muntaha came out after bidding the sweet ladies good-bye. She was feeling a bit weird because when she was about to pay for the service they told her that her husband had already paid them double the charges for staying open overtime. She didn't like him spending so much money on her and decided to have this conversation with him later. She went to sit inside the car but couldn't open the door because her hands were filled with wet mehndi. Her husband understood her struggle and being the gentleman he is, got out to open the door for her. Muntaha settled inside and he went around the car sitting in the driver's seat.

Muntaha was blowing on her hands lightly, trying to completely dry the half-dried mehndi as soon as possible. She expected Faris to drive off but instead felt his heated gaze on her. She still didn't look up thinking he might be doing something and was engrossed in the mehndi when she heard someone clearing their throat. And ofcourse, that someone was her dear husband. She turned to look at him who was staring at her expectantly. Muntaha didn't understand why he was looking at her like that and asked,

"Jee...?"

"Aren't supposed to show your mehndi to me, your shohar, and I am supposed to find my name in it?" He asked with raised eyebrows.