The sky brightened at the same time Azeen completed her Salah, she looked right then left ending her namaz, brushing her joined palms on her face she prayed one last time for things to go well, the pending talk was clouding her senses with worries, and apprehension.
She quickly took a glance at Shehryaar who stirred in his nap at the bright lights entering the room. She smiled at his face which looked nothing less than a kid who was disturbed during his nap.
"Ye curtains band karde, please." He requested blinking heavily.
(Close the curtains, please)
She closed the curtain and heard his sleepy "Thank you."
Unpinning her dupatta and depositing the prayer Matt back in its place, she grabbed her books and silently walked towards the balcony, the first thing she loved in this room.
The open space was more of a small terrace than a balcony with a cozy corner decorated with plants, a woolen rug, and a mattress big enough for four people to sit on. The cream throw pillows were scattered all around. Azeen settled on the mattress and spread her books to give it a more of feel to study. She scrunched her lips as the need to have tea made her sigh.
She walked back to the room, eyes taking it in again as she admired the space. It was his own century with a sitting area, the bedroom, his connected study, closet, and washroom. The room covered one side of the floor and another half belonged to Ayaan. As per Shehryaar, Ayaan had the same setup for himself leaving some space for spare rooms.
Ayesha was on the first floor, her room not this extravagant as she preferred it to be cozy and then spacious. She shared the floor with Nafisa aunty, Zeeshan uncle, and guest bedrooms. His grandfather had his room on the ground floor connected to a huge library which she wished to see sometime, definitely after her exams.
She walked in the direction that she presumed to be the kitchen on the ground floor. Peaking in all directions to make out any presence who could help her with directions. She mumbled "Shukar" as the sounds guided her she found the kitchen in this enormous house.
"Salam" She unsurely greeted the woman who worked behind the counter.
The met the eyes of the in her mid-thirties, her head covered and an apron on her. She replied in confusion but did not say much, smiling warmly.
"Do you need something, Bibi?"
"Yes, can I make a cup of tea for myself?" Azeen asked.
"No" The voice made her turn immediately, Nafisa stood behind her in her stoic face. "Nagma will make it for you. We don't let our guests work."
Azeen gulped the need to say another word and nodded.
"Give me two minutes, Bibi. I'll make one for you quickly. Till then please sit here." Nagma gently said sensing the tension.
"Thank you." She said lowly and settled on the dining table. Glancing at Nafisa who took the seat opposite her and started on the tray placed in front of her.
"Will you take something for breakfast, Bibi?" Nagma asked and Azeen shook her head.
"Tea is fine for now."
"If you don't mind, May I know your name?" she looked at her with curious eyes.
"Nagma, this egg is half-boiled," Nafisa stated, eyes giving her a cold glare. "Make sure others are not."
"Ji Bahu begum." Nagma retracted herself back into the kitchen.
Azeen nibbled on her lower lips, sitting in a different surroundings had her nothing to do. Her eyes settled on the newspaper and she read the headlines wanting to pass her time.
"Ye lijiye, Bibi. I hope you will like it." Nagma placed the mug infront of her.
(Here it is, Bibi.)
"Shukriya Appa," Azeen said looking up and smiling in gratitude. "I'm Azeen."
"Mashallah, aap jannat ki hoor se kam nahi lagti." Nagma gushed at her making Azeen blush at the comment.
(Mashallah, you look no less than an angel.)
"Esa nahi hai, appa." She mumbled. (It is not true.)
"Oh hush, you are being modest." Nagma chuckled.
"Nagma, is the pantry list ready?" Nafisa asked cutting their interaction.
"Yes, it is Bahu begum. I'll bring it to you in a minute." Nagma smiled tightly and left towards the kitchen.
Azeen picked up the cup and thought of saying anything before leaving but let the words die and walked back.
Around 9 in the morning, she stretched a little as the sun blared on her head and she packed everything to go back inside. Her steps halted seeing a freshly showered Shehryaar sitting on the bed drying his hair.
"Salam" She muttered.
"Wallaikum Assalam, I was wondering where you were." He said dropping the hand towel on the bed.
"On the balcony, I thought of completing some of the lessons after fajr."
He nodded taking in her walking in and placing her books down. She fidgeted with her dupatta taking a look in the mirror.
"Nervous?"
Azeen looked up surprised "Why should I be nervous? You are the one talking." She bit her lip to stop smiling, seeing him pout "Are you nervous?"
"Saath nahi dogi?" he asked hopefully.
(You won't stand by me?)
"Wada to humesha ka kiya hai, kese nahi dungi?" She cocked a brow playfully.
(I made the promise to be by your side for a lifetime, how can I not?)
He grinned "If I have you then I'm not nervous."
Her heart skipped a beat and she gulped looking away and nodding at him.
"Chalein? Breakfast is at 9 sharp." Shehryaar forwarded his palm. (Let's go?)
She breathed in determination and took his hand. "How are you feeling now? Any pain?"
"I think I'm healing quickly." He said walking with not much support required from her.
"You sure? If there is no pain, you can drop painkillers. They are usually not good." Azeen asked worriedly.
"Positive, There is none, not when you are around." He winked.
Her steps froze, she shuffled on her steps as he looked at her questioningly.
"Ye sab na bola karien." Azeen requested.
(Don't say things like these.)
"Bhala kyu?" he frowned asking.
(Why not?)
"Kuch nahi." She mumbled and started walking when he pulled her back.
(Nothing)
"What is it?" He demanded.
She sighed "Let it be, you won't understand."
"Zee..."
She looked up at him, surprised at the nickname he used.
"Speak to me, share whatever you have in mind with me." He probed.
"Why don't you hate me?" She questioned blinking the moisture back "What if...your family is against this marriage? After knowing everything, what if they don't accept it? Then I will have to go but you keep saying things like these and the thought itself becomes difficult, Shehryaar. You will make leaving difficult for me."
"Do you accept this nikah, Zee?" He asked, his face contorted in seriousness.
Azeen gulped the lump and nodded.
"Words." He demanded.
"I do." She whispered as a tear rolled down her eyes. She quickly wiped it and he brought her closer to him.
"You and I are the only people whose acceptance matters, Azeen. Not my family or yours, none matter." He stated caressing her hair and placing a soft kiss on her crown. "Aapne to suna hoga, Jab Miya-Biwi raazi to kya karega kaazi?"
She chuckled at his attempt to lighten the atmosphere "You have epic comic timing, Shehryaar Shah."
"You can always take tuitions, Begum." He winked playfully. His eyes narrowed at his watch "We are really late, Zee. Ab to khuda hi khair kare."
(Only God can save us.)
Eyes widening in amusement at his comical expressions, she burst out laughing.
"Agar ese hi hasti rahien aap mohtarma to.." he trailed.
(If you keep laughing like this, then...)
"To.." she probed.
(then...)
Shehryaar shook his head, answering he pulled her towards the stairs.
~~~
"To Aapse Mohabbat ho jayegi."
Shehryaar whispered to himself as he glanced at Azeen who still had a grin on her lips as they entered the dining area, he wondered how easy it was to distract her. Just a little effort and she would forget all her worries and be happy again.
She served him the food carefully, eyes doing the talking as she asked him his preferences. It felt good to be cared for like this.
He took a bite and looked up at Ayaan who was smiling coyly at him, must have witnessed the silent exchange between the two. He rolled his eyes before glancing at other occupants.
His Dado sat at the head chair, old observing eyes and forehead wrinkles stated he was in deep thinking.
Zeeshan and Nafisa, his Chote abbu, and Ammi kept themselves to their food, silently munching. Ayaan kept shooting knowing smiles his way.
Azeen, his wife had her eyes and concentration hooked on her plate, taking small leisurely bites as she ate.
The only person missing was Ayesha.
"Ayesha?" He mouthed to Ayaan who rolled his eyes at the mention.
"Don't ask." He replied.
Shehryaar nodded as he remembered her outburst yesterday. Ayesha was always close to him, her being the youngest child had something to do with it. The most pampered child and only daughter in the last three generations.
"Shehryaar"
"Yes Dado" He straightened hearing Jamal address him.
"I want you in my study once you are done," Jamal ordered and left.
"Should I come?" Azeen asked in a whisper.
He shook his head with a smile "I will handle it. You go back to your books, Dr. Shah."
Shehryaar entered the study, unlike others, this was a Library cum study that solely belonged to Jamal Shah.
"Dado" He made his presence known.
"Come sit." Jamal gestured for him to take the seat opposite him.
Shehryaar took the seat opposite him, resting the cane near him. "Thank you for this, it is quite good of a walking stick."
Jamal smiled "I had never used this cane, I'm glad you are putting it to good use but remember you are not to use it for long, I want my fit and ever-handsome Sherry back."
"I'm flattered, Dado." He chuckled.
Jamal's smile dropped and he knew what the next words would be. "Tell me everything, Shehryaar."
He sighed and narrated the entire episode, from when he got consciousness to that of them leaving with Masood Bhai. Everything with detail.
"When you called asking me if I will be happy with your marriage, you were asking my permission." Jamal concluded.
"Yes," he answered "I have never done anything without your approval Dado and this was as big of a decision as it comes. I wanted to know your thoughts, I needed your permission and Azeen's father needed that assurance. He may be helpless yesterday night but he was still reluctant to agree when I asked for her hand in marriage. I had to do this, Dado. It felt the most right thing then."
"Felt? Do you regret it now?" He asked sharply.
"Of course not" Shehryaar answered immediately, "I do not regret it nor do I think I will ever. She is a selfless soul, even when she was receiving so much hate for being seen with me, all she cared about was me straining my injuries, she was ready to do anything to save her father the humiliation, she was giving up her dreams to reduce her parents stress. She speaks her mind but at the same time she values silence, she knows when to speak and when to give up. I don't think I will find someone like her again or ever if tried."
Admitting the truth infront of Jamal wasn't difficult. It was like looking into the mirror. The same which absorbed all of your reelection and reflected it back. Jamal was his human diary, his secret bearer, and his confidant. He could never hide anything from him.
"Are you sure? You may be my blood Shehryaar but you do not hurt an innocent soul. Understood?"
"I understand." Shehryaar nodded fervently.
Jamal smirked "Do I have to worry about Azeen being not cared for?"
"No, I will do everything it takes to make sure she is not uncomfortable," Shehryaar promised.
"Will you go back on your words?" He asked with a straight face, intimidating him.
"Never" He gulped "Allah, dado you look scary."
Jamal burst out laughing, "Look at your face, Sherry"
"Not fair, Dado. I'm your grandson." He grumbled and Jamal laughed harder only sobering up once he was done having his fair share of the quota.
"I'm proud of what you did Sherry but..." he sighed.
"But..."
"But I couldn't attend your nikah and I'll forever regret it and you didn't have a proper wedding. First wedding of this generation and look at this, a simple nikah? No. I want a grand one. I want every resident of this city to know that it's your wedding, my grandson's wedding, and I will do it, whether you want it or not." Jamal vowed.
"Okay, your highness." he sighed "You can do whatever you want but only after Azeen's graduation. She has less than two months and I want her to do nothing but study. She has worked hard all her life for achieving this goal and I won't let anything hamper her studies."
"You are caring about her already, I like this new Shehryaar." Jamal grinned.
"I am the same Shehryaar, Dado. Not much is changed." He stared.
"Try seeing it from here, Sherry. I see a change in you. A better man."
~~~
He held on to the box Jamal had handed him on his way back, the square box had something of his mother securely preserved by his grandfather for years for him, specifically his bride. He knew he didn't gift anything to Azeen on their nikah. This could make up for it, her pending gift.
"No, No!"
The screech had her halted.
"I will never accept it, Mumma. How can he? I thought....you said you will talk....how can you let this happen to me?"
It was Ayesha, screaming at the top of her voice. His feet carried him towards the room when he could hear the second voice.
"Stop, please Ayesha. Calm down" Nafisa was begging her daughter, she was her weakness.
"How can I live without him? Does Mumma do something? I want her out of this place, out of his life. I have been waiting for him and he got married to someone who is not me, no!" The menace in her voice had him frozen, the blood seemed cold.
"Ayesha, it is not possible. You need to understand and forget him. You are not the age to think these thoughts. You should rather focus on..."
"No! I'm 21. I'm old enough. You cannot treat me like this. He cannot discard me like this. He cannot."
Shehryaar pushed the door open. Two faces snapped in his direction.
"Sherry, you are here for me, right? I knew you will come and see me." Ayesha was walking towards him when he stepped back and her steps faltered, the hurt crossing her face.
"Did I ever give you any sign that I...liked you in that way?" he felt disgust coursing through him as he uttered the words, she was his baby sister, though cousin still sister.
"You eavesdropped." Ayesha gulped, opening her mouth but closing it again.
"No, not when your voice was this loud." He cleared.
"Shehryaar, I'll talk to her. It's okay. Please don't get into this." Nafisa had the mask of indifference back but the fear in her voice had him shaking his head.
"No, Choti Ammi. Let me clear it out." He looked back to Ayesha. "Did I ever make you feel that I had any romantic feelings for you, Ayesha?"
She shook her head, declining as the tears sprung in her eyes. "But I...I liked you. From very long I did, Shehryaar."
"You are my sister." He stated.
"I am not" she snapped "I am your cousin. I'm not your real sister."
He rubbed his temple feeling the headache bubbling again. "I have treated you always as my little sister, Ayesha. Tell me, did I not?"
"It..it wasn't like..." She stammered.
He walked infront and touched her head "You are my little sister, Ayesha. I have never thought of thinking anything of that...sort for you. I'm your elder brother. That is all I'm. Please understand."
"You can't do this" She shook her head making his hand drop. "You cannot...you married her, that girl...she not even deserve to be here, she trapped..."
"Don't" the coldness in his voice had her flinching. " Azeen is my wife, your sister-in-law and I want you to accept that fact."
"Shehryaar.." Nafisa tried.
"Please Choti Ammi." He shook his head requesting her to say nothing, not right now. Turning towards the pinned Ayesha with his eyes. "Take your time, as much you want to warm up to Azeen, I'll not accept any disrespect towards her or my marriage to her. I am your elder brother, just like Ayaan so I expect you to acknowledge this fact. Did I make myself clear, Ayesha?"
Her nod with tears rolling down her eyes had his heart clench but he didn't want to give any false hope to her, her thoughts and feelings had to go away.
Turning back he was at the door when he glanced back at her.
"I don't know how it feels, but I'm sorry that you are hurt because of me. I really am." He admitted and walked out.
~~~
Azeen paced the lengths of the room, eyes glancing at the door every second and ear perking at even littlest of the voice. She brushed a hand on her hair, feeling the anxiety kicking in as she waited and waited. It has been already an hour for Shehryaar to leave to meet his grandfather. She tried studying, she really did but after a few minutes she couldn't help the dread crawling in her veins. She feared the outcome of this talk, the what-ifs had her head aching.
Settling on the couch she pushed her knees closer, chin resting on it as she looked at the window and back at the door.
"Kya yaar Azeen, stop being so agitated. Kuch nhi hoga." She motivated herself but groaned and buried her head in her knees, wanting to cry out loud in frustration.
The door closed and she jumped up in frustration.
"Aap aa gye, What happened? Did he say something? What did you tell him? What did he decide? Are you listening to me?" she shot questions one after another but Shehryaar had this look that said he was mentally absent in this conversation. Walking towards him, she tugged on his shirt sleeve calling him out loud "Sherry?"
He jumped at the loud voice, panting at the sudden fright "Yaar, you scared me."
"You were lost in your own world." She rolled her eyes. "Tell me, what happened?"
"Nothing." He shrugged and settled on the couch she vacated. Patting the space near him he asked her to come. "He said many things but I can tell you only one."
"What? What it is?" Her face fell.
"He asked me to.." He trailed hiding his smirk.
"To? To what?" she questioned impatiently.
"To...leave" he stopped and her face paled more, if that was possible "the office work and take rest for the whole week." He completed quickly, biting his cheeks as she blinked and blinked again as the words made sense to her.
"What?" she muttered in disbelief before her eyes widened in anger "You were playing around."
Flocking the pillow at his face, she stood and hit him again to which he laughed.
"Do you even know how worried I was and you were playing around? How can you Shehryaar? You will pay for this, I won't leave you." She screamed and his laughter sobered.
He held the pillow with one hand and tugged her forward. Her palm shot to the couch as she balanced her weight from falling on him.
"What are you doing?" she yelped at the sudden moment when he threw the pillow down and held her arm, pinning her to not move.
"That is what I want, Zee. Never leave me." He stated caressing her cheeks as she stood frozen at their proximity.
"Chode mujhe" She complained and he let her go.
"Just for this once, Zee." He winked and she grumbled.
She squealed again as he yanked her down to fall on the seat near him. "Kuch to khuda ka khauf karien Shehryaar, chot lagi hai. Aaram karne ki jagah pareshan kar rahe hai aap."
"Abhi to ek hi din hua hai, begum. Wada puri zindagi ka kiya hai aapne. Kaise jhelogi mujhe?" He cocked a brow teasingly.
"I keep thinking the same too." She admitted almost defeated.
"Why do you act so cute, Zee? Na kiya karo." He said with a soft smile.
She rolled her eyes leaning back on the couch. "Will you tell me now?"
"Okay."
His agreement made her sit straight.
"So curious" he commented earning a glare in return. He sighed and started "Dado, said he wants me to make sure you don't feel uncomfortable. If I failed in that, he will make sure I receive a good lesson from him."
"Good, I will tell him next time you tease me." She stated.
He rolled his eyes playfully and forwarded the blue metal box to her. It had engravings on it which made it look exquisite "Here, this belonged to my Ammi. He had it preserved with him for my wife. Now it's yours."
"Oh" Azeen hesitantly took the box. "I...thank you."
"Take a peek first." He insisted and she nodded opening the box.
It was medium size box with a small lock, she flipped it and opened it. She stared at it in amazement. The contents had her looking up shocked.
"Shehryaar...this...how can I take this?" She asked stammering.
"Why? What is in there that you cannot take?" He frowned and pulled the box from her placing it on the coffee table.
He brought out the contents, laying them on the table for checking out and Azeen gasped seeing so much of the jewelry, all of them so unique, so beautiful, and definitely precious.
"They belong to your Ammi?" She asked again and he nodded in confirmation as he touched the bangles.
The Kundan bangles reflected light he took in and examined them.
"I think I have seen Ammi wear them. It was a long time back that I don't remember exactly but they are familiar."
She nodded not interrupting his reminiscing of past memories of his parents, his happy memories.
"This ring too." He forwarded the gold ring to her, it was a rose beautiful carved on it. A full-bloomed rose symbolizes love. "Wear it."
"Huh?" She gaped in surprise.
"Wear it, Zee. It's yours now." He took the reign from her and tapped her finger to straighten it and slide the ring.
It fit perfectly as if made for her. She admired the delicate rose settling on her ring finger.
"I never gave you any ring, not even a present at our wedding..."
She cupped his shoulder to make him look at her. "I don't need any jewelry pieces not when you gave me something I will forever be grateful, Shehryaar." She smiled "Stop beating yourself up on how we got married or how things happened. Let's just let it go and look forward, no?"
He nodded "How about we start with you keeping all these safely with you?"
"It's your Ammi's. They are more precious to me than you could ever estimate." She said and placed the jewelry pieces back, it wasn't a big box, medium size but the amount it held had her wondering if she will be able to keep them safe or not.
"I know what you are thinking." He chuckled "There is a safe I use for keeping my files, you can use it. The code is..."
Azeen grinned, shaking her head as his eyes followed her fading figure toward the closet. The heat rushed to her face as she glanced at the ring and back to the door where she could hear him moving.
She was feeling it now, the marital daze.