Thanks, @xxumii for the gorgeous edit and the book cover.❤
*********************
KHAN VILLA:
"I'll go directly to my room, the shopping was really tiring. Mahum and Zain you both can come to my room as well to take some rest after dropping Faryal's things at her room", Meesha stated.
"Okay", Mahum agreed.
"I'll spend the afternoon with Agha jan and Amma jan, I can take some rest in their room they would be happy", Zain replied.
"As you wish Zain", Meesha said.
Zahra giggled looking above at the mickey mouse helium balloon, the thread loosely tied to Faryal's wrist.
"My baby liked it so much, Haina? (Right?)", Faryal smiled at Zahra's ardour. she strode towards her room with Zahra in her hands followed by Zain and Mahum, who were holding lots of shopping bags in their hands.
Faryal opened the door and went deeper inside the room. Zohaib was lying on the bed, using his cell phone. He quickly sat up when his eyes fell on them.
"Assalam u Alikum", Faryal announced.
"Walikum Assalam", Zohaib replied. Mahum and Zain greeted him as well. They placed the shopping bags on the table. Zohaib looked at the shopping bags, there were so many.
"When did you both come?", Zohaib asked.
"Bhai, Faryal called us to join her for the shopping, she would tell you the rest of the details", Mahum yawned. "I'm hungry and tired, I'll go and take some rest".
"See you in the evening bhai", Zain said and left the room with Mahum.
Faryal settled down on the bed beside Zohaib. Zahra was busy starring at her ballon.
"Look daddy what have Zahra bought for herself", Faryal said in a baby voice."Come on Zahra show your ballon to daddy".
Zahra looked at Zohaib, pointed towards her ballon, and chuckled. Zohaib smiled, he stretched his hands forward and took Zahra in his hands. Faryal undid the knot around her hand and tied the thread of the ballon to the headrest of the bed.
"Umm I see, Zahra is getting all girly", He wriggled his eyebrows and pursed his lips in delight. "Did she really bought it for herself?", he turned his head towards Faryal.
Faryal nodded her head. "There were so many cartoon characters but she kept looking at the mickey mouse. I assumed she wanted to buy that one", She leaned on the headrest. Zohaib smiled and kissed Zahra's tiny button nose.
"I called Zain and Mahum to join us for the eid shopping. I thought Mahum might get hurt if I'll go for shopping without her and Zain is a kid he should not feel left out", she explained. "And they helped me a lot while deciding what to buy for everyone".
"Everyone?", he gave a quizzical look.
"Yeah, I'm almost younger than most of the family members that's why I won't be able to give Eidi to them so decided why not buy gifts for everyone like I used to give to my family. Do you think it would look good? I'm still confused", she stated while playing with her fingers.
He was surprised by her words.
He cleared his throat and said, "It's very thoughtful of you".
"Should I show you the things I've bought?", she asked hopefully.
He nodded his head. Her eyes lit up with happiness. She grabbed the shopping bags from the table, placed them on the bed, and sat beside them.
She showed him the gifts she has bought for the entire family.
"Do you think they will like the gifts?",
"Of course, they will love it",
"Where is my gift?", he asked. He laid propped against the pillows.
"Uhuuu...itni bewaqoof thori hun k apka gift apko pehle say dikha dun (I'm not that stupid to show you your gift now)", she shook her head.
"Yani maan gyi ho k thori bewaqoof tou ho (It means you accepted you are a bit stupid)", he smirked.
"I'm not", she stuck out her tongue, he laughed.
"Look Zahra bought a bag for herself", Faryal unpacked a black fur mickey mouse backpack. "And these are her storybooks, color pencils, and notebooks".
"Damn she is obsessed with a mickey mouse", he scrunched his nose.
"Maybe she can spot the resemblance of her daddy with a mickey mouse", she thought and a soft giggle escaped from her mouth. She moved her eyes towards him he was glaring at her.
"What?", she asked.
"You said it aloud", he said with a stoic expression. Her eyes flew open. Her face was flushed with embarrassment.
"I didn't say anything wrong", she pouted and shrugged innocently. She mentally facepalmed herself for thinking out aloud.
"Chashmay lagwatha hun tumhe (I'll get you glasses)",
She laughed in reply which irritated him even more.
He straightened up, grabbed her hand, and pulled her gently towards himself. She stopped laughing, her breath hitched at his unexpected action.
"Look closely, from which angle do I look like a mickey mouse", he asked with narrowed eyes in a husky voice. She kept mum.
"Ab kuch bolo b na (Now say something)", he said. They both were looking into each other's eyes.
She moved her gaze across his face. The beautiful curled long lashes, well-defined bones, prominent jawline covered by the beard. She looked back into his deep black orbs. He was a handsome man indeed.
"No", her lips parted. Her voice was so quiet, she was practically whispering.
"How do I look like then?", he asked.
"Cute", she gulped. "You look cute".
"WHAT?", he said loudly. He scrunched his nose at her choice of words. "I'm not a kid".
"Huh?", she looked at him in bewilderment. He was so close that her mind was not processing anything.
"Handsome...You can call me handsome", he suggested in a low voice. She nodded.
"Say it", he added.
"You are handsome", she said. He gave her a victorious smile.
"That's what I am", he said proudly. He backed away breaking the contact. She moved back to her place as well and sat there, silently looking at Zohaib and Zahra.
Zohaib glanced at her she seemed lost in her thoughts. "Did you buy anything for yourself", He asked.
"Yup", she smiled. She showed him a navy blue colored dress.
"Zahra and I are wearing the matching outfits, and I thought of buying that for you", she showed him a navy blue kurta and white shalwar.
"It's for me?", he asked and took it from her hand. He was looking at the kurta with a blank expression. "So this is my gift?".
"No, it's not your gift. It's your eid outfit", She cleared her throat "Do you like it?", she questioned, hoping he liked it. He nodded his head.
"Sure thing?", she inquired.
"Sure thing", he smiled.
A smile crept across her face. "I knew that Navy blue is your favorite color".
"Zain told you?",
"Nooo...I sensed it", she shrugged happily.
"Baba is taking us out for dinner tonight after having a light Aftaar at home. You are okay with it?", she looked at him.
"Hmm", he hummed.
He picked up his cell phone and checked again her debit card details, the one he has given to her. She hasn't used a penny from his account yet.
"Why are you not using your debit card", he questioned.
"I'm using", she replied nonchalantly.
"I am talking about the one I've given to you",
"I can not use your money",
"Why?",
"Because I've mine, using your money seems....wrong.",
"But you can not buy all these things for my family by using your baba's money. That's not right.", he groaned. She didn't say anything in reply. She kept placing the things back in the shopping bags. Using his money was a big no for her.
He heaved a sigh. He has realized she was not going to listen to him. He was picking up Zahra when his eyes fell on her wallet. He picked it in his hands and took out her own card in his hands.
"Sorry, but I'm giving it back to your baba", he shoved the card into his pocket.
"You won't do such a thing without my consent",
"I will, you have provoked me to do it", he replied cooly. He took Zahra in a tight embrace and laid down.
"I won't talk to you", she huffed. "I can take it back from baba jan".
"We are sleeping", he said with his eyes closed, tapping Zahra's back to make her asleep.
She looked at him, he was trying to sleep and totally unaffected by her words.
"Zohaib I'm not talking to you ever.", she said aloud. His calmness was annoying her even more. She picked up the shopping bags and placed them back on the table.
*********************
"Everybody is ready?", baba jan asked.
"Uncle Mahum and Meesha baji are coming", Zain said. Baba jan nodded.
"Our Zahra is the most punctual one", Baba jan smiled at Zahra in his hands.
"Yeah like her Ammi", Faryal said proudly. Zohaib looked at her she diverted her gaze. Zahra was pushing herself down.
"Zahra betay we will do our practice walk after coming back home", Baba jan said lovingly.
"Zahra loves your company Ismail", Amma jan said.
"Clearly", Baba jan dropped a kiss on Zahra's cheek.
"Zahra is a cutie", Fahad bhai smiled.
Zohaib cleared his throat "Hmm uncle", he forwarded Faryal's debit card towards her baba jan. "It's your's, we can't keep it anymore".
"What is this Zohaib beta", baba jan was confused.
"This is Faryal's debit card. She is my responsibility now, I'm sorry we can not keep it."
"No I can not take it back, it's her right. Fary beta what's wrong?", baba jan said looking at her. She opened her mouth to say something but Zohaib dived in.
"She wanted to give it back to you but she was hesitant. So that's why I'm giving it back to you." Zohaib lied keeping a straight face.
Faryal glared at him. "Jhoota (liar)", she mumbled.
"Fary I want to hear it from you", Baba jan insisted.
She wanted to deny whatever Zohaib told her baba jan. That's was her last chance to take back her card. Zohaib turned around, keeping his face toward her and his back to others. Faryal looked at her baba jan and then Zohaib. Zohaib winked at her with a mischievous smile pestered on his face.
"Baba Zohaib is right", she said disheartedly. He was smart, he not only gave back her card without her permission but made it look like she also wanted to give it back to her baba jan, making it impossible for her to ask her baba jan to give it back.
"If one day she realized that I'm unable to fulfill her wishes she can take it back from you, I would never object then", Zohaib said sincerely.
Baba jan heaved a sigh and took the card from Zohaib.
"Everything we have belongs to Faryal, I'm keeping it for now but it's your's Fary", baba said to which Faryal smiled.
"We are ready, let's gooo", Meesha called out excitedly as she entered the living room followed by Mahum.
"Thank God", Fahad bhai stated.
Zain, Amma jan and Agha jan sat down in Baba jan's car while Mahum, Meesha, Fahad bhai, Faryal and Zahra were in Zohaib's car.
Mahum and Meesha kept talking all the way, whereas Faryal was quiet since they have left the house. Zohaib kept stealing glances at her but she didn't look at him even once. After a few minutes of drive, they reached their destination.
Baba jan had reserved a rooftop table for the family. They all went upstairs.
"Let's order the food first", Fahad Bhai stated.
Faryal took the menu card in her hands. Meesha looked at her and then Zohaib. Meesha snatched the menu card from Faryal's hand.
"Zohaib", she called him. He looked at her. They both were sitting in front of each other while Faryal was sitting beside Zohaib.
"I was saying that you should order food for your wife.", she suggested.
"I can do that for myself", Faryal said.
"Tum tou chup betho, bech mein na bolo (you keep quiet, do not interfere)", Meesha mumbled.
"Order please", Meesha signaled him with her eyes towards the menu card and gave him a tight-lipped smile. "If Fahad can do that for me Zohaib can do that for Fary as well".
Zohaib fetched a deep breath and took the menu card in his hand. He flipped the pages, there were so many dishes and he had no idea about what she likes. Most of the eyes were fixed on him.
"Biryani and Kebab", Zain said looking at Zohaib. Meesha threw daggers at him.
"Umm I mean Zohaib bhai please order Biryani and Kebab for me", Zain said quickly.
A slow smile apeared on Zohaib's face he got the signal Zain gave him. He ordered the food for Faryal, Zain and himself while the others ordered for themselves. After sometime the food arrived.
"Faryal can you pass the yogurt", Zohaib said innocently. Faryal eyed him. She placed the spoon back on her plate and took a deep breath before handing him the yogurt.
"Can you pass the water please?", he stated before she could pick up the spoon again in her hand. She poured down water in a glass and handed it to him. For the last 20 minutes, he was doing that to her. Baba Jan looked at them and his lips twitched up in amusement.
"Do whatever you want I won't speak to you", she thought.
"These last few days were the best days with all of you kids after a long time", Amma jan said. "As you all are going back tomorrow, we are really going to miss all of you", she said sadly.
Everyone stopped eating and looked at her. Meesha took Amma jan into a side hug and said "Don't worry Amma jan we will come back soon, whenever you want. Just don't get sad please. We can't see you like this".
"Ji Amma jan, Meeshu is right. We can't see you sad", Faryal stated. The atmosphere got a bit serious.
"By the way, this time you all have to come to Durrani house. Nobody has ever paid a visit to us", Zohaib said.
"We will, In'Sha'Allah", Agha jan smiled.
"Okay done, you are spending eid with us", Zohaib looked at them.
Baba jan looked at Amma jan. she nodded her head.
"Done", Baba jan agreed.
"This is great", Faryal smiled ear to ear.
*********************
Faryal was sitting on the bed. She was using her cell phone. The door clicked open, Zohaib came inside and closed the door behind him. Faryal looked at him, their gaze met. She quickly moved her gaze away from him, placed her cell phone on the nightstand, and laid down on the bed with her arm covering her eyes.
"I won't talk to him", she reminded herself, again.
Zohaib starred at her. He laid down beside her and looked at the ceiling for a while. After some time he turned his head towards her, her silence was making him uncomfortable. He rolled over the bed closer to her, lying on his stomach, he propped up on an elbow and gazed down at her. He poked her arm with his index finger but she didn't move.
"Faryal", he poked her arm, again.
"Faryal I know you are awake", he said in a low voice.
"Baat nahi karni muje apse (I don't want to talk to you)", she said lying in the same position.
"Let bygones be bygones", he removed her arm from her eyes.
"I've warned you already that I won't talk to you ever", she said looking into his eyes. "Naraz hun mein apse (I'm angry at you).", she pouted.
"We can negotiate?",
She shook her head innocently.
"Just listen to me please, I have a proposition for you. If you don't like it I won't say anything further. ", he stated.
"What kind of proposition?",
"You don't want to use my money, be it. Am I your friend?",
She nodded her head.
"As a friend you will use my money now, but it will be a kind of borrowing money from me. When you will be earning on your own, you can give it back to me, simple", he proposed.
She thought for a few seconds. "But it was mine too which you gave back to baba".
"Please try to understand Faryal, I will always respect you and value your opinions but this one was embarrassing for me". he sighed.
"I didn't want to hurt you. That was the only option left. What will your baba think of me that I can't even fulfill your wishes? We are friends you can return the money in the future", he stated.
"You will take it back from me?", she asked.
"Obviously", he replied. She kept looking at him but stayed silent.
"Deal", he raised an eyebrow.
"Deal", she agreed.
"Ab tou kush ho jao yaar (Be happy now). You are making me feel guilty", he leaned down a little bit and tucked a lock of her chin-length hair behind her ear. Before another breath could pass between them, the door opened as someone intruded inside.
"Oh God", Meesha screamed and turned around with Zahra in her hands. Zohaib quickly moved away from Faryal and both of them sat down.
"We didn't see anything", Meesha called out.
"Tum ghalat samjh rahi ho (You have misunderstood)", Faryal replied. She could feel the warmth of the blush as it crawled up her neck.
"There is a thing called knocking", Zohaib clearly looked annoyed.
Meesha turned around, her eyes shone with a mischievous glint. "There is a thing called locking the door". She replied.
"If we have disturbed you we can go back. I can make Zahra sleep with me and you can continue, you know...", Meesha chuckled.
"Meesha stop it", Faryal glared at her. She stood up from the bed and went towards Meesha.
"You must be tired as well, give Zahra to me". She said and took Zahra in her hands.
Zohaib took his night suit and went inside the washroom. Meesha turned her face towards Faryal and elbowed her.
"Good night Fary", Meesha winked and left the room.
Faryal placed Zahra on the bed. She massaged her with oil to relax her muscles, changed her diaper and dress.
She was playing with Zahra, Zohaib entered the room again. Their eyes met and both of them quickly diverted their eyes. The air was thick with awkwardness. She mentally cursed Meesha for making the situation uncomfortable for them. He laid down on his side of the bed, facing the other side. The surprising thing was that he didn't even take Zahra, which meant Faryal was supposed to put Zahra to sleep tonight. She stared at his back and then shifted her eyes back to Zahra.
"Zahra let's get some sleep beta, it was a long tiring day", Faryal smiled and laid down with Zahra in her tight embrace.
*********************
Assalam u Alikum/Namaste, ❤
I hope you're having a great week.
How was today's update?
Thanks for the votes and comments I really appreciate it.❤❤❤
P.S: I've been getting messages almost every day that how many chapters are left. Honestly speaking I have no idea yet as I've not written the complete story. Whatever I write, I post it. The only thing I can tell you is the story is not ending soon. There is so much left to the story and if you look at the story until now you might have understood that I'm a slow-paced writer. I just hope you guys are not bored by the story. lol.