Zara's patience was running while waiting for Affan.
She discovered a new side of Affan in the past ten days. The man had become a workaholic, his once carefree life was now encircled in typing long emails, proofreading files, and taking observations.
And not wanting to stay away from his wife, he forced her to come with him on a business tour.
The man was attending a crucial conference abandoning his wife behind.
Zara stayed in their room for a while however, after getting bored she moved out in the lobby gazing and observing the elegant pieces of art that decorated mainly every wall of the hotel.
"Yes Manizeh, he's still in the conference." A feminine voice reached her ears.
Moving her head to the right, she peeked at the tall girl standing beside her. The girl's voice was laced with disappointment.
Sensing that somebody else was hearing her rants, Afaf quickly cut her best friend's call.
Looking at the younger girl, Afaf gleamed genuinely.
"You are also waiting for someone who's in the conference?!" Zara started the conversation. The girl standing next to her looked easy to talk to.
"My husband." Afaf sighed while rolling her eyes.
Zara's lips twitched and a sincere smile settled on her lips.
"Same with me! I have been also waiting for my husband for the past five hours."
Crossing her arms, Afaf shook her head while scowling, "you know my husband dragged me with him away from kids to spend some quality time together, honestly, I say it's rubbish, he deceived me just so that he won't travel alone."
Not having control over her sentiments, and seeing the younger girl in her same shoe, Afaf complained about her husband to a stranger.
"Same happened with me but minus the kids, we don't have them yet," Zara replied with a giggle.
"I'm Zara by the way!" Zara introduced herself first, sticking out her right hand for Afaf to shake.
Shaking the small dainty hand of the attractive girl, Afaf grinned.
"Afaf." She replied enthusiastically.
Both of the girls got indulged in the conversation - mainly complaining to each other about the habits of their workaholic husbands.
Their tirade about their husbands stopped when two masculine bodies encircled their certain partner.
"I'm sorry it took longer than I thought."
Affan apologized as soon as he went near his wife.
Both of the girls got startled seeing the sudden appearance of their husbands.
Noticing the hysterical expression on Afaf's face, Mustafa also mumbled a silent apology.
Waving goodbye to each other, both of the girls departed with their particular partners.
"Remind to never agree on coming with you." Unclasping the strap of her heel, Afaf strolled in their hotel room barefoot.
"Janum, more than you, I was getting impatient to get out from that tedious conference. Board members are a bunch of stupid people honestly." Clasping his hands around her, Mustafa hugged his wife from behind.
"I'm not convinced with your lame
statement, try again."
"Seven years in the marriage, yet I still fail to persuade you."
"Everybody learns from mistakes, you just defy them and attempt them again and again."
Chuckling in her neck, Mustafa shook her head at her fierce wife.
"Now that's not true."
Tilting her head, she gazed at him with a raised eyebrow.
"You know I realized that today I finally took my long-overdue revenge from you."
Pivoting fully on her toes, Afaf peered at him stunned.
"What revenge?!" She inquired.
"Remember before our Nikkah how I used to come by your house every day and every day you used to make some lame excuse to avoid me." He placed his lean forearms over her shoulder and gazed in her eyes unblinking.
Her recollection took her seven years back when she was too timid to talk to her fiance who was her friend first.
Recalling that particular memory, a giggle erupted from her and he continued. "You waited just for five hours for me and yet your patience ran thin now just try to put yourself in my shoes."
"Oh my God, such cruelty happened on you, Mustafa. You should've reported me to the police." Sarcasm laced in her voice.
Snorting, she pushed his forearms away from her shoulders.
"As a punishment, you have to do the packing." A loud sound of a groan was heard from behind and Afaf smiled in triumph.
Opening his cuff, he folded his sleeves till his elbow and ogled his wife who was munching the pizza.
Sitting right beside her, he forwards his hand but soon a sharp slap stings on the back of his hand.
"Get your own!" Securing the pizza box in her lap, she screeched at Affan.
Affan just peeped at her dumbfounded, he mumbled with uncertainty in his eyes.
"Why so possessive man?"
"You know very well I don't share my food!"
Chewing, she replied,
"And hence you eat everybody else's, right?"
"Don't over-smart with me! Go and bury your face in your laptop, do your work, and pretend that I'm invisible."
Slowing as realization hit him, a smile etched on his face.
"Are you angry with me?!"
"Do I have to? Because I'm not the one who was bought here just to get abandoned."
Biting his lip, he side-hugged her and placed his chin over her head.
"Don't say 'i love you to me because I can see which thing comes first for you!" She took the last bite and muttered while cleaning her hands on his white shirt. The gesture which Affan ignore.
"Now you are insulting my love for you."
Slapping his chest, she snorted.
"Since I made my wife upset, it solely my duty to uplift her mood, my original plan was to recite some romantic poetry to you but because I don't know any poem so, to make the situation romantic let me just confess something."
Kissing her head, he sighed heartily, "my love for you know no bounds, after you left, I realized that it has always been love, the confused feelings of me were just plain old intense love for you. It was right there I was just dumped to realize. Know that I love you very much I want to tell you that nobody owns my heart, it has only one ruler and that's you. You rules over my heart, Zara Salman."
His confession made some tears gathered in her eyes. Yet, she didn,'t let them fall.
"You are good with your words Mr. Affan, congratulations you have successfully impressed your wife."
Giggling, she buried her face in his warm chest.
"Just impressed? I expected a little more, maybe 'i love you too'?" He bends down and whispered in her ear, his hot breath fanned her ear making her face rosier.
"Dream on you will never hear this sentence from my mouth." composing herself, she stood upright.
"Really!?" Winking, Zara nodded.
"And what would you do if I make you say it right now."
"You wis-" her words got stuck in her mouth, Zara giggled loudly when he began to tickle her. He knew how much ticklish she is. He simply shot straight at her weakness.
It took her less than a minute to confess. "Okay, Okay, I love you too." Chuckling, she pulled his face closer and kissed the tip of his nose.
"I love you very much, I seriously do."
"I know about that wifey, I just wanted it to come out of your stubborn mouth."
Attaching, their foreheads together, he smiled with love-filled eyes.
If anybody doesn't know Afaf and Mustafa are characters from the first story, their scene was long overdue.
So, tell me your thoughts regarding this chapter.
Do tell me your favorite characters from all five stories.
Until next time.
Take care
Allah Hafiz.