Another turn on the slop and she clutched the seat tightly to not let the friction make her jerk forward or more to drop her book on the floor, the car drove at a normal pace but every time she crossed these slops the dread settled inside of her.
Relaxing a little, she slumped back as there was no other turn for at least the next half an hour.
She glanced at him, her husband.
The word was still foreign to her. He was leaned back, eyes closed as he breathed normally, the fatigue taking over him with the companionship of his medicines she had made sure he gulped before leaving.
His forehead was wrapped in a bandage, his left hand in a cast, and the slight twitch on his lips said he was in discomfort.
"Bhai," She cautiously called to the driver, a middle-aged man who had looked at her apprehensively when she first settled inside, his doubtful eyes had made Shehryaar grin for reasons unknown to her but after he had introduced her as his wife, he seemed to take an inquisitive glance at her face but nodded nonetheless.
"Ji, bibi?" he acknowledged, looking at her through the rear-view mirror for mili seconds.
"Ghadi me pillow hoga?" She asked and he took seconds to nod. (Do you have a pillow in the car?)
"Ji, piche ki seat pe hai. Let me stop at the side and I'll give it to you." He offered. (Yes, there is one on the backseat.)
"Shukriya."
(Thank you.)
Parking the SUV at the side, the quickly handed her a small, fluff pillow and got back to his seat to start the drive again. Azeen nibbled her lower lip thinking about how to place the pillow under his head without disrupting his sleep. She shifted closer to him and gently cupped his nape. Lightly she raised him a little and placed the comfortable pillow behind his head earning an instant sigh of relief from him.
She smiled shaking her head seeing his innocent sleeping face.
Feeling eyes on her glanced at the front to find the driver clearing his throat, almost trying to conceal his smile. She ducked shyly and looked out.
She shouldn't be shy, right? He was her husband, she can care for him, and she should care for him.
She leaned back, the need to nap a little had her close the book she had kept herself engrossed in from the start of this drive, she had less than a month before her final exams, the five years of MBBS coming to an end.
She had to utilize every second she got to study. Sighing she threw the thought of sleeping out of the window and tried reading, more like sinking into the medical terms.
The car took another turn taking her off guard and jerked forward only for an arm to stretch and stop her fall.
"Ya Allah" She squealed at the sudden force.
"Sambhal ke, Masood Bhai."
(Careful, Maqsood Bhai.)
Voice made her look at a wide-awake Shehryaar.
"Lagi to nahi?" He asked her.
(Are you hurt?)
She shook her head slowly, her heart still in a frenzy as the adrenaline rushed through her veins. "Bacha liya aapne."
(You saved me.)
"Aapke khidmat me qasar nahi rakh sakte hai, Begum." He smiled cheekily and her heart seemed to skip a beat.
(I won't leave any stone unturned in your service, wife.)
"Cheesy" she commented rolling her eyes playfully.
"Qadar hi nahi hai iss na cheez ki." He pouted with a hurt face. "Koi nahi Sherry, I'm proud of you."
(No one appreciates me and my efforts.) (No worries, Sherry.)
She laughed at his dramatics, so hard that the voice echoed in the car which she letter realized, muffling a palm on her lips to stop herself, she looked at him with shaking shoulders, trying to muffle her laughter as he shook his head with narrowed eyes but an unconcealed smile.
"You and Zain should start a drama company together, I'm sure you both can make millions out of it." She teased.
"I am already making millions, begum." He winked smugly and she glanced at the driver who tried to not eavesdrop but his twitching lips sold him out.
"Ofcourse." She blushed and looked out.
"How much more, Bhai? We are driving for two hours already." Shehryaar said shifting and stretching his legs with a scrunched face.
"A little less than an hour, baba. We will get evening traffic in the city." Masood, the driver informed them.
Shehryaar nodded and looked at her, seeing her fidget her fingers feeling nervous.
His palm touched her hands, making them freeze as he intertwine their fingers. "Don't think too much, I'll take care of everything."
"I want to believe you but it's just..." her words trailed.
"Azeen, don't worry. I'm here and my family is no vampires to suck your blood. They are human beings, though I can't term them normal." He joked.
"You are not funny." She whined.
He said haughtily "People say otherwise, Begum Sahiba. Aapko qadar hi nahi mere sense of humor ki."
(You don't value my sense of humor.)
"I know what you are trying to do." She sighed, squeezing his palm a little.
"Is it working?" he smiled hopefully.
"Yes, it is." She gave in, leaning back and looking at him. "Thank you."
"Anytime, Azeen."
It was after a long and slow-moving hour as the car entered the empty road of the gated community, the coveted area had a vibe of richness in it as house after house, one more than another passed. Azeen stared at the structures, swanky, extravagant homes designed by architects who had charged more money than she could imagine.
The screech of tires made her look infront, the honk from the driver brought two gatekeepers immediately on their toes as they knocked at the driver's side window.
"Salaam, open the door." Masood Bhai instructed the man who quickly nodded.
"Kese ho Ramiz? Sab thik?" Shehryaar asked rolling down his mirror and the man's eyes widened in concern.
(How are you, Ramiz? Everything alright?)
"Shehryaar baba, aapko ye chot kaise lagi?" he questioned.
(Shehryaar baba, How did you got hurt?)
"Lambi kahani hai, Ramiz bhai. Kisi aur din?" Shehryaar smiled politely.
(It's a long story, Ramiz Bhai. Another day?)
"Ji zarur. Rest karien aur jaldi thik ho jaye aap, yahi dua hai." The man said as the tires rolled and they entered inside.
(Yes, yes sure. Please take rest and I pray for your healthy recovery.)
Azeen smiled at the interaction. She always wondered how snobby rich people would be, but seeing him interact with his employees politely had moved her heart. She was happy she married him, a man so down to earth and caring. She wondered if she was dreaming, if yes, she might be a little greedy to wish this dream to never end.
"Ready to face hungry lions?" He asked her and she snapped out of her daze frowning. "Ya Khuda, I'm joking. Come on get down."
She nodded sheepishly and opened the door of her side. She watched as Masood assisted Shehryaar in getting down. She walked to his side and he smiled.
"I'm sorry, this is the only time you had to open your door. Next time it won't happen."
Her heart swooned at his words, and the fuzzy warm feeling had her bit her lip as the feeling of gratitude grazed her.
She nodded at him and took his free hand. "May I help you?"
He blinked in agreement and turned to Masood "Thank you, Bhaijaan."
She held his bicep and Masood supported him at the waist as they climbed the stairs of the home, it was a Modern gothic mansion with grey walls competing with a modern-day glass exterior, big floor-to-ceiling windows gave it a contemporary look, and glimpses of the refined interior.
The main entrance was black wooden doors that were wide open, leading to a classy leaving space that screamed professional, no personal touch present nor a presence in there except a woman who quickly left her dusting work and walked towards them with a gaping jaw and wide eyes.
"Shehryaar baba, Aapko kya hua?" She asked horrified.
(What happened to you?)
"Nothing, Shama. I'm okay." He shook his head, "Where is everyone?"
"In the family lounge I guess, they must be done with their evening tea till now. Bade Sahab has been pacing the length to the front main door and back every 15 minutes. He may come anytime now." She fed him with the information glancing at the mirror wall which seemed to lead to the family lounge, hidden behind heavy curtains. "Now I understand, he has been waiting for you!" She exclaimed at her newfound discovery.
He laughed, "Thank you. Come, Azeen"
Shama the house help finally took her notice, eyebrows touching hairline as she stared at the new face who held Shehryaar closely, her eyes darted to their palms and her jaw dropped in surprise.
"Salam Bibi," She greeted her, eyes screaming questions she did dare speak.
"Walaikum Assalam." Azeen smiled at her feeling the scrutiny in her gaze.
"Baba, ye..." She trailed but quickly covered her words. " Come, come. Bade sahab has been waiting."
He firmed his grip on her fingers as the doors parted and they entered the family lounge. This room was a 360-degree flip from that the living room. It was a blend of vibrant and calm shades, complementing and contrasting with each other. Family pictures cover the walls with miniature wall art covering most of the space.
"Shehryaar"
The man sighed in relief as he spotted him entering, his face wrinkles relaxing as if a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders.
"Salam, Dado" Shehryaar smiled seeing the man who had been the most important person in his life.
"Mere bache, kya halat banayi hai apni, kitni chot lagi hai tumhe. Kya kar rahe the, Sherry? Dhyaan kha tha tumhara? Khuda na karien kuch ho jata tumhe to socha hai mera kya hota. I would have died." He scolded him, taking him in a bone-crushing hug yet considerate of his injuries.
(My child, what have you done to yourself, so many injuries. What were you doing, Sherry? What were you thinking? God forbid, if something had happened to you, did you think what would happen to me? I would have died.)
Azeen sidestepped and retracted her hand from him.
"Aao betho yha, let me have a look at you. Jaan nikal gayi thi meri when I heard about your accident."
(Sit, let me have a look at you. I had almost died when I heard about your accident.)
"I'm sorry, Dado. Very sorry." He apologized, blinking his eyes and feeling the moisture clouding his vision.
"You are here now, nothing matters more to me." His grandfather cupped his face and patted his head hugging him again. "Come sit, don't exert yourself."
Sherry nodded and glanced at Azeen who looked at him nervously, fidgeting with her shawl ends.
"Dado, before that I have to tell you something." Shehryaar stopped Jamal Shah who was pulling him to the couch.
"Nothing is more important than you, Sherry come to take some rest," Jamal stated.
"Dado" Sherry stopped him and glanced at Azeen. This time Jamal noticed another habitant in the room.
"S-salam." Azeen gulped feeling the same set of grey eyes on her, unlike Shehryaar they were unknown and questioning.
"Walaikum assalam, bete." Jamal returned the greeting as he assessed her, she was not more than 23 or 22. The young girl stood infront of him looking apprehensive. "First sit, Sherry. You too, bete."
Shehryaar took the three-sitter couch and gestured for her to follow, nervously glancing at his grandfather who was observing the silent exchange between them, she settled near him keeping a safe distance.
Shehryaar sighed seeing her so anxious. He stretched his legs and sat comfortably to relax his muscles.
"What's your name, bete?" Jamal broke the awkward silence.
"Azeen." She replied in a small voice, feeling out of place.
"She saved my life, Dado. I'm alive because of her." Shehryaar stated, glancing at her who looked at him "She treated me, patched my wounds when there was no other doctor available."
"If that is the case, I'll forever be grateful to you, Azeen," Jamal said and she shook her head.
"It was nothing, really uncle, it was Abbu who found Shehryaar, he saved him not me." She declined the claims, passing a look to Shehryaar.
"You are Habib's daughter? I owe you and your family a lot, Azeen. I'm indebted to your father for helping my Sherry in an unknown place. He helped a stranger. He is a good man." Jamal praised Habib.
"Please don't say that, uncle." She assured him, glancing at Shehryaar whispering "Shehryaar did more than what we did."
"You said something?" Jamal couldn't catch her words and frowned, he still couldn't understand the purpose of her accompanying Shehryaar here, not that he was against her presence but he was curious.
"Shehryaar?" Came another voice and they turned to look at the source. It was a woman with sharp features and stern eyes.
"Choti Ammi" Shehryaar greeted her.
"What happened?" Her brown eyes darted to his face, the blankness of her face was difficult to comprehend as she nodded at his greeting and then his explanation of his injuries and the accident. Her eyes shifted to Azeen who sat near him. "Who is she?"
Shehryaar inhaled determined, eyes darting between his grandfather and Nafisa "She is Azeen. My wife."
~~~
He didn't know what to expect from his family at the sudden announcement, he had imagined a lot of them but the silence wasn't what he had thought about.
The silence in the air was suffocating, he almost wished to tear it apart but couldn't will himself to say something, anything. He watched his grandfather who sat with calm eyes, his form rigid as if he was contemplating his next move sitting in the board room.
Nafisa, his Choti Ammi on the other hand looked baffled, blinking a few times to make sure he wasn't joking or it wasn't a dream. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Her ever-blank face had a crack and she seemed unsettled at the news.
He glanced at Azeen who sat frozen, torturing her lower lip and she waited for his family to say something, anything with a waited breath.
Resolving, he decided to break the silence. "Dado, Choti Ammi..."
" Shehryaar!"
"Bhai, you are back."
The familiar voices of his cousins interrupted him, he turned to look at Ayaan and Ayesha who looked at him as if he was an alien.
"Ye kya hua aapko? You went on a business trip or boxing match?" Ayaan asked in his usual way, word serious was not in his dictionary. (What happened to you?)
"Ya Allah, what happened?" Ayesha clamped her palm on her face in worry, almost scared.
"A small accident, Ayaan. Nothing major, don't worry Ayesha, and it was an incomplete business trip." Shehryaar chuckled feeding his cousins about his happenings.
"Accident?" Ayesha whispered and Shehryaar nodded passing her an assuring smile.
"Oh! But are you okay?" Ayaan asked concerned.
"Yes, Chote. I'm fine."
"Shukar" Ayesha mumbled, her eyes almost tearing up as she walked up to her mother in search of some warmth.
Ayaan nodded, his eyebrows shooting up seeing another face. "And who might this be?"
Shehryaar glanced at Azeen who looked uncomfortable with all the attention. "She is Azeen." He said looking up at his cousins "My wife."
"Your what?" Ayesha snapped in disbelief. "What did you say? She's your what?"
"She is my wife." He stated again calmly taking in her horrified face.
"Y-You are joking, right? She ca-can't be your w-wife" Ayesha frantically shook her head, shaking Nafisa she demanded "Mom, w-what is saying?"
"Ayesha, calm down," Nafisa said, holding her shoulders.
"But mom, she is his wife?" Ayesha asked frantically and Shehryaar frowned worriedly at her reaction.
"Yes, she is. I know this is sudden and unexpected but I and Azeen, we got married today morning." Shehryaar announced.
"What?" She screamed.
Azeen flinched at the loud voice.
"Ayesha, tone it down," Shehryaar warned her, holding Azeen's palm which made Ayesha see red.
"You! It is because of you, isn't it? You trapped him into marriage, didn't you?" Ayesha accused, shouting at Azeen who looked at her.
"I did no such thing," Azeen stated.
"Oh shut up!" Ayesha exclaimed to which Nafisa yelled at her.
"Ayesha, behave."
"Mom, she...she.." Ayesha stuttered crying.
"I said enough" Nafisa stated, her eyes daring her to say another word. "We will talk but you need to calm down."
Shehryaar frowned confused at Ayesha's outburst. She was the youngest, the most pampered child in the family who got whatever she wished for. She was always the sweet princess but today she was acting unlike herself.
"Nafisa, take Ayesha to her room," Jamal stated finally having enough of the drama for the time being. "Ayaan, help Shehryaar and Azeen to their room. They have traveled back here and they must be tired."
"Dado.." Shehryaar tried but stopped seeing his raised palm.
"I trust your judgment and I believe you are old enough to make important decisions for yourself. Take some rest and we will talk tomorrow morning. You two can have your dinner down here or upstairs, wherever you wish to."
The finality in his voice had everyone surrender. Jamal looked at his grandson one last time and left the family lounge.
Nafisa dragged a frantic Ayesha inside leaving Ayaan, Azeen, and Shehryaar in the room.
Ayaan rubbed a hand in his hair and sighed taking a seat on the coffee table infront of the two. "Are you two really nikah-fied?
Shehryaar rolled his eyes "What do you think?"
"You say you are married, you brought home such a pretty girl with Henna in her hands. I think I believe you." Ayaan grinned shrugging.
"Ayaan..."
"Welcome home, bhabhi. I'm Ayaan Shah." He introduced himself to Azeen with a cheeky smile which turned into a somber pout "The middle child of this family, the one and only victim."
"Hi" Azeen smiled a little at his dramatics, she added, "I wouldn't say a victim but I'm the middle child too."
"Is it?" Ayaan's eyes sparkled.
Azeen nodded.
"Great! We will bond just fine then."