"The food is not tasty in the hospital I know that...that's why I am going to cook, please wait for 20 minutes I'll be quick I promise" she speaks in a hurry while folding her sleeves up so it doesn't get dirty as she picks a bowl and pours flour into it. And peeks at me for my consent as if I was holding her back from cooking or doing something for her parents. Cooking is not my thing so I move and walk away with a nod which she did not see.
"Are you upset?! Are you getting late?! I will be quick I promise!!" She yells from the kitchen like a professional wife's does when they need something from their husband and they just yell without caring who is listening and who is not.
When my family turns to look at me after hearing kinza asking me if I am upset—god that literally made me red. This girl never leaves a chance to embarrass me.
I roll my eyes when my brother grins and was about to comment, I quickly turn my heels to go back to the kitchen were she is panicking and doing stuffs really fast.
"I heard cooking should be done with patience, if you rush and panic like this you will for sure forget some ingredients" she looks over her shoulder when my voice reaches her ears.
"Are you getting late for work?" She blinks her eyes, ignoring my sentence and starts questioning me "No I am not...take your time" a grin forms on her lips hearing what she wanted to hear "thankyou" she happily nods and again busies herself with work.
Not knowing what to do I pull my phone out and lean against the counter while checking out the emails which has filled my box. I only open the necessary emails and ignore the other's.
When I hear someone clearing his throat I lift my chin up to see Ryan walking in with a bright grin "Hey Bhabhi Whatsup?!" He like always starts being loud which I with all my heart hate something about him.
Kinza glances at him with a smile still not being all comfortable like she is with me—she stops herself from smiling and grinning alot infront of my family members which is the total opposite to what she is with me or her family members.
She blinks her not knowing what to say "Ryan?" She calls out for him and my ears are already giving her full attention "yes?" He smiles at her while playing with the vegetables.
"Why do you always say whatsapp? Do you want my whatsapp number? I just now had a new number I didn't learn the number but I'll say him to forward it to you" she motions her chin towards me not calling me by my name which is something really odd and irritating but her answer makes me chuckle and Ryaan is already rolling on his stomach while laughing loudly he is over dramatic I know.
"God bhabhi your hilarious" he holds his stomach and the counter to stay steady and not fall while laughing like a manic.
God can he be any less excited at a normal innocent answer.
Kinza looks at me confused asking me with her eyes to tell me what joke did she make so she can also join and laugh. And that confused innocent look on her face skipped a beat in my heart and I only chuckle in response.
"Bhabhi Whatsup means what are you doing? Its not Whats—haha" he again starts laughing and I am telling you, if you are someone who crack lame jokes and you want someone to laugh at them you can take Ryaan with you...he can be the best partner.
"Oh I thought you are asking my number so you can text me" she giggles and scratches her neck finally understanding what joke she made without knowing.
"By the way I am cooking something for ammi and abbu do you also want? I can make extra chicken rolls if you want for you and pack them as your breakfast?" She being all kind asks and he being the food lover quickly nods without missing a beat.
"Yes I won't say no to food" he grins at the girl who giggles while nodding and kneading the dough looking all beautiful when she is doing nothing but kneading it and pushing her hair back which is falling from her bun which is loosened by much movements. I so want to go and tie her hair up but not feeling like doing so when my brother is present in the same room, for sure he is going to fanboy over little things I do. Because he did not thought and neither I thought I will act so sweet towards the girl who was forced to me.
"Okay I will be leaving now, I thought of staying and helping you but my boss here is glaring at me so let me take a leave" he makes false excuses and lies about me only to earn a sweet chuckle from Kinza.
When I was about to go to the leaving room I hear her sighing in frustration so I glance at her to see her roughly pushing her hair behind with the back of her palm, when she was unsuccessful in doing so with lots of frustration in her voice and face she puts the bowl down to go wash her hand and tie her hair properly.
My inner self yelling at me to take a first step on touching like a husband would so I finally give up and voice out my thoughts "kinza?" With a pout which cause because of irritation she looks at me ready to open the tap. "Huh let me help you...I'll tie up your hair" her eyes widening up not believing on my cheesy sentence so I move to tell her its me who is speaking.
"You don't need to wash your hand let me help you" I stand behind her while speaking and a subtle nod with a shy smile tells me I can proceed on doing something which I have seen in many romantic movies Ammi see and forces me to watch just because I am sitting beside her.
I lick my lips before pulling the band from the bun to give her hair the freedom it need, her hair flies open and it falls on her face which is turning pink slowly. Why does she tie her hair? She looks so much more beautiful with her hair open...maybe because she know she is beautiful that's why she is tying to not become a widow soon cause her beauty can be the death of me one day.
Let's take a moment to slap myself for being so cringe.
I comb my fingers in her scalp gathering her smooth fluffy hair into my other hand to make a high ponytail. When I see no hair left behind I tie it up with the black band in my hand.
Feeling all proud I turn her so she could look at me, but see her looking down looking all shy at nothing. My fingers moving up to tug her hair behind and when I was satisfied with my work I give a gentle pat to her hot cheeks.
"Done...you can work with no problem" she grins discreetly and rushes to the other side to go work. Mentally giggling at her cuteness I walk away leaving the poor soul alone.
An hour later
"Yeah send me clearly don't blur the pic" She teaches her friend how to take a photo of the notes in the call but soon giggles when her friend snaps back at her teaching.
"Abbu is fine I am keeping now I am just infront of his door" with a little more a conversation and lots of 'bye's' she keeps the phone. "I asked my friend to send me notes" she tells me about something I figured out while she was talking.
"Hmm good...but from tomorrow I expect you to go to the college" she rolls her eyes at the sentence which she is avoiding to hear but I remind her.
"Yeah yeah" she shrugs must be already planning some excuse in her mind for tomorrow.
"I made lots of food I will feed abbu and make him fat" she giggles at her sentence and pushes the door open and that grin and smile falls in a matter of second when she sees her abbu Already eating—well someone is feeding him and that is her sister and I know she does not appreciate this scene even after hearing me out.
Her hand which is holding the bag filled with healthy food automatically slides behind her back when Everyone's attention falls on us.
She licks her lips but peeks at me her eyes showing alot of disappointment since she was all excited to cook for her father.
"Assalamu alaikum come in" Her mother greets us first and invites us in since she is not moving. Kinza clears her throat and moves away giving me some space too walk in, I raise my eyebrow confused as to why she is not entering "give me your car key" she mumbles so only I could here bur her parents and Zaina's full attention is on us.
She lets out and awkward laugh "I remember forgetting my bag in the car" she gives me a very useless excuse cause her bag is already hanging on the side on shoulder.
"Come on give me" she mutters but this is annoying me, just because he had his breakfast that doesn't me she will go and keep the whole food she made by spending hours in it in the car.
I move forward pulling her closer by her arm and then pressing my palm against her lower back asking her to walk forward.
"How is you health now uncle?" I speak as I push the girl in who is trying her best to not move. Not able to take her stubbornness I slide my hand on her waist and she whines under her breathe already understanding what I am going to do.
"I am fine son. Is everything good? Kinza what happened sweetheart come in" he calls for her lovely daughter who forces a smile on her face not before glaring at me.
"How are you abbu?" She gives everyone a tight smile as she speaks, the bag still not visible to anyone since she is holding it behind her.
"Alhamdulillah" he smiles at her daughter who is nibbling on her lower lip nervously acting as if she is a third person here when she was so excited few minutes ago.
"Kinza bought break—" a cough leaves lips when she elbows my stomach followed by her mothers and sister's gasp.
"Shutup please don't tell them" she ignores my glare but mumbles ever so quietly "what the hell kinza?" Her mother is now shooting real fire balls telling her with her eyes to apologise or she is dead.
"Kinza what are you doing? Are you okay Ayaan?" Zaina looks at me worried when there is nothing to get worried about, the sudden nudge made me cough not that she punched me it was just a normal nudge.
"Kinza where are your manner I said you how to behave with your husband what did you just do?" Her mother makes a matter of nothing and scolds the girl who is already upset about the fact she was not able to give her father something she made and spend time on.
"Aunty thats fine she didn't do anything" I speak instead of her Kinza's mom looks at me apologetically "this is what happens when 20 year old kids gets married" Zaina scoffs in a bitter tone and the girl beside me stays quiet all the while looking down not snapping at them as I thought she would.
A sigh leaves my lips when she apologises when there is no mistake of her's "I-I am sorry" she mumbles but her mother's glare is not dying at all.
"Did you sleep well abbu?" She clears her throat before speaking "yes I did what about you?" He asks about her and pats the empty space asking for her to sit but she doesn't move "I did too...." She trails of not knowing what to speak but I know if she was not feeling as uncomfortable as she is feeling she would have said the whole story of clumsily falling of the bed...well, maybe some cut short here and there. But now seeing her all quiet bothers me.
"Did you have your breakfast?" He asks with a smile to which she nods and questions her the same "yeah Zaina made a vegetable soup for me that's what I was eating" a hum leaves her lips as she nods.
A call interrupts this awkward atmosphere, I pick the call to see Ryaan calling "yes?" I press the phone near my ear "In the last room Ryaan how many time should I tell you where I keep the files..." when he yells that he can't find and he is searching for an hour and that I should not lecture him, I pull the phone away at his loud irritating voice "I'll be coming in few till then do the other work I said you" he huffs in the call and I end it up before he could whine and tell me he is tired and he needs rest.
"I will be leaving now call me if you need something" I turn to the upset girl and speak in a low voice so only she could hear but she looks at me with wide eyes and shakes her head, her eyes already glistening as if she was told by her mother to stay with her relatives until she is back.
"I have some work to-to do I will come with you too" she holds my arm tightly as if telling me not to abandon her. I raise my eyebrow as her lies and she scratches her nail on my arm secretly telling me to not utter truth.
"Then umm we will be leaving" she smiles at her parents who looks confused "you just now came darling" her father voice out his thoughts and her mother being angry from the before incident keeps her mouth shut.
"I yeah—I'll come later...now I have some work to do I need to go home" she stutters on her sentence and makes a very lame excuse.
A sigh leaves my lips at her childishness and cowardliness.
"We will be leaving now, take care do call if you need something" he nods and smiles at me so I give a gentle pat on Kinza's back asking her to speak or walk or do something and stand like a statue.
She quickly takes a u-turn to leave without a goodbye but her mother's voice stops her "what is in that heavy bag?" She eyes the bag and then the girl who must be making some readymade excuse in her mind.
"Office...things for his office" she glances at me telling them that I take 'things' to my office in a bag which is designed with flowery girly wallpaper.
"Oh okay" she nods at her and soon the girl leaves the room first so I follow her. I walk in silent not feeling like talking to her after the stupidity she did.
I open the car door to get in and soon she joins me. She sits in the corner pressing herself against the door looking all small and hesitant. I on the engine to drive away ignoring the girl who is looking nervous.
"I-I am sorry" she finally decides to break the uncomfortable silence but I do not reply. "I-" when she notices my pissed silence she again opens her mouth buy closes it and from the way her lips tremble I can tell she will cry any time soon.
She is fiddling her fingers looking all nervous and scared. "What was that in the room? What stupidity and cowardliness were you showing me?" I glance at her my voice very serious because I am not liking the fact that she acted like a coward and did not even give the food she make just because his father has already ate is she serious.
When she stays silent I peek at her to see her wiping her tears and crying ever so quietly. God not this now.
"Why are you crying now?" Instead of being sweet I act like mad man and speak with a pissed off tone. She roughly wipes her tears and turns her head to not face me.
A deep sigh leaves my lips not able to take this anymore I glance at my wrist watch to see that I have more one and half hour more for the meeting so I park the car in the corner to talk to the girl who confuses me to the core.
I bring my hand up to hold her hand which is being squeezed but she pushes me away acting like I am the culprit of everything that has happened.
A gasp leaves her lips when I hold her wrist forcefully and pull her closer so she could face me "stop that Kinza, why are crying now?" My hand automatically moves up to wipe her tears.
"Don't talk to me you are a rude jerk" she glares at me with those teary eyes and I control the urge of rolling my eyes at that did not want to get beaten up by her for rolling my eyes at her words.
"Stop fighting and tell me what's wrong. Yesterday you were sulking all alone for god knows what reason and now you are acting like a kid! For god's sake kinza you are not a kid anymore! Grow up! You are married you know that right? Just because your father already had his breakfast, it doesn't mean he won't be happy if you say you also made food for him but you being all jealous you made a very lame excuse of leaving and also did not give the food you made and when I ask you what is going on in your little head you act like a brat! How the hell would I know what is happening with you if you keep your mouth shut and then all of a sudden start crying!" I breathe out after spilling the anger I was feeling at her childishness and when her eyes grow wide as each words hits her eardrum I regret opening mouth, I regret my existence because I know I have hurted her with my words in a very silent and brutal way.
..........