Accidental Nikkah

CHAPTER 44

Sahma walks out of her room, and sees Farheen. A smile grazes her lips as she walks over to her nad hugs her as a welcome. 'Farheen, what a pleasant surprise. What brings you here?' Sahma asks her. Farheen smiles at her and replies in her soft voice, 'I haven't visited you for a while now, and since today is a government holiday, I thought, why not today.' 'How lovely. Come on, take a seat.' Sahma says, and walks her into the living room.

Aayan decides to let them be and was about to walk up the stairs when, 'Aayan, where are you going?' Sahma asks. He turns to look at his mother and says, 'Upstairs, Ammi. I wasn't able to go to work yesterday, so I need to get it done.' 'Nonsense, come and sit with us.' Sahma says. Aayan opens his mouth to refuse but one glare from his mother, and he shuts it and takes his seat in the living room.

Farheen and Sahma were talking while Aayan was just sitting there, when they heard footsteps walking down the stairs. They all look at the stairs to see a freshened up Ruhee, walk down while frowning at her mobile. She doesn't even notice that three pairs of eyes were staring at her, as she was too engrossed on her mobile. She walks into the living room and takes a seat beside Aayan. Ruhee finally puts her mobile away and looks up. She does a double take on the new female sitting there. When she registers who she is, Ruhee smiles at her and says, 'Hey, you're Farheen, right?' pointing at her.

Sahma shakes her head at Ruhee's behaviour while Farheen looks at her, dumbfounded. A snicker causes Farheen to look at Aayan, who had suckled his lips in. Farheen frowns at him and looks at Ruhee and says, 'Yeah. Hi, Ruhee. Nice to see you again.' in her soft voice. Ruhee smiles back at her, 'Hi. I knew I had seen you before but couldn't quite recollect. How have you been?' she says, in her cheerful voice and they start up a conversation.

Farheen didn't like how Ruhee was seated next to Aayan and more importantly, how Aayan and Sahma, both didn't mind it. There conversation was interrupted when Ruhee's mobile rang. She picked it up and a smile formed on her lips. She answered the call and said, 'Hey, Huzayl.' On hearing that name, Aayan's head swiped to Ruhee. Ruhee excused herself and walked into the kitchen. Aayan kept looking at Ruhee as she excitedly talked to Huzayl.

Doesn't he have any other things to do? And why did she have to walk away? If she sat here and spoke, it would have been convenient for both us. She could talk and I could hear. I can't hear a thing from here.

Aayan kept looking at Ruhee as she kept talking on the mobile and that, didn't go unnoticed by Farheen. She didn't like that Aayan was staring at her, when she was sitting in front of him. 'So, Aayan, why didn't you go to work yesterday?' she tries to start a conversation with him, that might catch his attention and it did. He looked at her, 'I went out with Ruhee.' he replied in a monotonous voice and went back to looking at Ruhee. 'Oh' was all Farheen could reply.

Ruhee finally ends her call and comes back to sit next to Aayan, 'Sorry about that.' she said. 'So, what did Huzayl say?' Aayan finally spoke by himself since Farheen had come over. Ruhee looks at Aayan and says, 'Oh, nothing. Just casual stuff. Oh, he conveyed his greetings to you,' and she looks at Sahma and says, 'And you too, Ammi.' Aayan scoffs and gets up and walks up to his room.

Ruhee looks at Sahma and asks, 'What's with him?' Sahma just shrugs. 'I must get going.' they hear Farheen says, 'Oh, No No, please stay for lunch.' Sahma requests. Farheen was gonna deny, when Ruhee says,'Yeah, it's almost lunch time. I'll make something quick.' Ruhee gets up and walks into the kitchen. She prepares the lunch while Sahma and Farheen talk. Sahma tries to excuse herself and go help Ruhee, but Farheen wouldn't let her. Sahma and Farheen finally go to help Ruhee, when she was arranging the table.

Farheen was setting the plates and Ruhee was placing the jug when Farheen asked her, 'I couldn't help but notice, that you walked out of Aayan's room. Why?' Ruhee was shocked, as she didn't expect that question. She looks at Farheen, thinking of a way that would not give away their secret, 'Her clothes are still in my room.' they hear Aayan's voice and the both of them see him entering the dining room. 'Oh.' Farheen says. Aayan takes his seat and soon, everyone settles down for lunch. Farheen loved Ruhee's food, but she wouldn't show it out.

Soon, lunch was over and they all were once again, seated in the living room. Aayan was typing away in his laptop, Ruhee was frowning and typing furiously on her mobile. Sahma had gone to her room for a bit and Farheen was sitting awkwardly, 'So Aayan, where did you go yesterday?' she asks him, trying to start a conversation. 'Out.' he replies, not looking at her and doing his work. Ruhee looks at Aayan with a frown, 'Aayan, you do not speak to someone like that.' she scolds him and looks at Farheen with a smile, 'We went to an amusement park. It was so fun.' Ruhee says to her, excitement clear on her face. 'Oh.' Farheen says, and looks back to Aayan, 'I didn't know you liked going to amusement parks?' she says to him. 'Oh, he loves them. You know, I had to trick him to take him there.' Ruhee replies for him.

Farheen looks at her, getting annoyed, 'You missed work to go to the amusement park? That's so not like you, Aayan.' she says to Aayan again, 'If you are just gonna annoy me by asking questions while I work, it is better if you just get out.' Aayan finally looks at her, and gives her a sharp reply. Just then, Sahma walks out her room and comes into the living room. Farheen was clearly hurt by his remark. Ruhee was dumbstruck aswell, so she got up from her seat went to stand behind Aayan and..... Smack!

Aayan gets up holding the back of his head in one hand and his laptop in another, to stare at Ruhee, who just smacked his head. Sahma let out a small laugh while Farheen stared at her dumbstruck, 'What is wrong with you, woman? Why did you hit me?' Aayan asks her, loud. Ruhee rests her hands on her hips, 'You do not speak to someone like that, you idiot. Especially, to a guest.' she scolds him. Aayan stares at her and says, 'You called me an idiot? No one has ever called me an idiot before.' 'Many things happen for the first time in life, buddy.' Ruhee says to him, with a smirk. 'And I guess, I am no one.' she adds. 'You are not No one to me.' Aayan says to her, 'Really, then who am I to you?' Ruhee asks, in a challenging posture, 'You are my...' Aayan begins.

My wife.

But Aayan doesn't say that aloud. He looks at Farheen, who was staring at him. She had never seen Aayan lose his cool. He looks at Sahma for help, but she turns her head away, snickering. He looks back at Ruhee who was waiting for an answer. He just grunts and walks away. Ruhee looks at Aayan's retreating form walking upstairs, with a victory smirk.

'I must get going.' Ruhee hears Farheen say and she turns to her, 'Oh, No No. Don't mind Aayan's words. He doesn't think before he speaks.' Ruhee says to Farheen. Farheen just smiles at her and says, 'No, it's actually time for me to go home.' she says, and walks to Sahma and hugs her goodbye. She walks back to Ruhee and hugs her goodbye 'Sorry.' she says to Ruhee, in a very very low voice, but Ruhee heard it. Farheen smiles at Ruhee and leaves. She got in her car and the car sped away.

Farheen apologised to Ruhee because she kept ignoring her and spoke to Aayan.

I guess Aayan noticed that. That's why he snapped at me. But it's not my fault, Aayan. You just behave so freely around her than around me. Why Aayan, Why?