"Assalam o alikum everyone. Sorry for being late." Zain and Zoya entered the dining room and greeted their family members.
"Waalikum assalam. It's fine, we understand." They greeted back with teasing smiles plastered on their faces.
"Allah ki shaan dekhein zara, kahan yeh dono ek dosre ki gardan pakre hotay thy har roz or aj ek sath miya biwi ke tarha ayein hain." Zamin teased them and everyone giggled.
[look at God's glory, how they used to be at each other's necks every day and today came together as husband and wife]
Zain rolled his eyes at him and settled down on his seat. Zoya kissed her parents' cheeks and was about to sit on her usual seat as well when Sania stopped her.
"Bete! Now you should sit with your husband." She pointed at the empty seat next to Zain with a smile. Zoya with a tight lipped smile, nodded and took the seat beside him having no other choice. She peek at the man who was having a slight smirk lingering on his lips while he ate his paratha.
"Jaana! You're looking so beautiful MashaAllah. May God bless you both." Fariya complimented her daughter in law who just smiled and filled her plate with pizza omelet, salad and a paratha. There were so many cuisines today unlike other days. Since they all lives in a joint family, the nashta rasam from the bride side was not put into action but Meera had still prepared alot of dishes for the newly wedded couple.
"Look how my daughter is glowing! The glow of a newly wedded wife. I'm sure Zain had pampered her a lot unlike other days." Meera teased and all the women giggled. Zoya stopped in her tracks and stared at her mother in disbelief, how can she say that in front of everyone, her cheeks heated up at her words and what surprised her more was when she heard Zain.
"Isn't that what y'all want me to do chachi??" She saw him winking at Meera who giggled even more.
"Psst! Did you seduce my brother last night? He looked so damn changed!! What was his reaction seeing you in lingerie?" Hania who was sitting to Zoya's left whispered only for her to hear, her voice full of mischievousness causing Zoya to blush profusely as all those imitate events she had shared with him flooded her mind.
Ya Allah why are they teasing her!!!!
"Tell me what was his reaction??" Hania nudged her again.
"Appi please nothing sort of that happened!!!" Zoya was all flushed, she ignored her teasing and focused on eating, lowering her head inorder to hide her blushing face but that didn't go unnoticed by Zain who smiled in his heart.
Cute!!!
Her closeness, her strawberry fragrance, her constant tickling of bangles, her movement of tucking her hair behind ear every now and then as they disturbed her while she munched on her meal was distracting him. He was having the irresistible urge to run his fingers in her hair and do the work for her; however he put a grip on his desire in order to not look too desperate.
"And you! Why are you wearing a suit?? Don't tell me you're going to work." With Fariya's voice Zain looked at her who was frowning at him upon noticing him in suit. He shrugged his shoulders in response while others looked at him, surprised.
This workaholic!!! Zoya rolled her eyes. What else can she expect from this man?
"Oh god! What should I do with this guy? Zain you just got married, the reception is in the evening and all you think about is work!!! You ain't going anywhere, did you hear that??" Fariya warned him with a glare.
"Your mother is right. What's the rush? Spend some time with your wife. Work can wait." Farhan added sternly.
"Yes! I'll handle everything at work, you just worry about pleasing your dear wife." Zamin winked at Zain for which he received a kick on his leg from him under the table.
"Baba! I have already delayed my work for the whole week because of this marriage. I did what y'all wanted not anymore. Don't worry I'll be back before evening." Zain stated firmly.
"Hah! What can you expect from this moron? Ah my poor flower!!!" Haider looked at Zoya with sympathy who narrowed her eyes at him like he wasn't involved in getting her married.
"Ap logo ne hi iss musibaat mein dala ha mujhe."
[Y'all are the one to put me in this trouble]
"Zain! Zoya! Look what I have for you two." Hania waved an envelope in front of them with a smile and hand over to Zain.
"What is this??" He observed the envelope with narrow eyes.
"Your wedding gift from all of us.Tickets for your honeymoon."
At the mention of honeymoon, Zoya, who was sipping her pineapple juice, choked hard and began coughing violently. Everyone chuckled at her reaction.
"Princess, be careful, drink slowly." Rehman said worriedly while Hania patted her back.
"What honeymoon!!! I'm not going anywhere." Wiping the juice from her mouth with a napkin, Zoya denied immediately. The thought of going alone with Zain and that too on the honeymoon, scared her to her wits especially after spending last night with him.
"Why dear? It's your newly wedding days and you guys should enjoy them to the fullest. In your old days these small moments will be the most memorable for you two" said Saniya.
"Dadi I have a lot of work and projects to handle, I can't go anywhere right now." Zain retorted and for the first time Zoya agreed with him.
"Again this damn work Zain!!! For God's sake leave it for some time and spend some quality time with your wife." Fariya scolded.
"But maa..."
"Zamin will handle the work here and you two will be leaving after the reception will be done. Tickets are already confirmed. End of this discussion." She cut him off and declared with enough authority leaving no space for further arguments.
"Like husband like wife!!!!" Zain huffed in annoyance.
After that silence fell in the room, no one uttered anything as they ate their meal when Zamin thought to break the tension in the air.
"By the way, Zoi! Why were you screaming last night??" He questioned and looked at his sister and bestfriend mischievously along with Hania when she heard him.
Zoya got shocked that she almost choked on the omelet and paratha again whereas Zain didn't react. He saw that coming already.
"Baba! Tell them to stop and let me have my breakfast peacefully yaar!!!" Zoya whined to Rehman, her face was turning crimson red at their constant teasings.
"Zamin, stop teasing your sister." Meera smacked his arm for teasing them.
"You're asking as if you and Hania were not the one to put that fake lizard in our room to scare her." Zain stared at them with narrow eyes together with their parents.
"You guys did what??"
Hania and Zamin exchanged looks with each other like they were caught red-handed while doing smuggling.
"What are you talking about, what..lizard???"
"This lizard! Don't dare to pretend now." Zain took out that fake lizard from his pants pocket and showed it to everyone. Zoya almost jumped on her seat out of fear looking at that creepy thing again.
So it was them??? She gasps at that.
"I swear we didn't do anything. It was Dadu's idea to bring Zain and Zoya close for the night." Inorder to save herself and Zamin from their parents wrath, Hania put all the blame on Haider who choked upon listening to her causing everyone to snap their heads toward him.
"Oh Begairton!!! When did I told you to do that huh? I swear to God jaan it wasn't my idea, they are lying to save their asses. I'm innocent." Haider defended himself when he saw how his wife was glaring at him.
"Appi! Don't blame my innocent Dadu. He can never pull such a cheap stunt to scare me when he knows how much am scared of lizards. I'm sure the idea was of this duffer brother of mine." Zoya spoke in Haider's favor while glaring at Zamin.
"Exactly! I'd never do something which had the slightest chance to hurt my flower, rather I'd love to attack this moron gladly." Haider scrunched his nose pointing at Zain for which he earned a smack on his arm from Saniya.
"Saniya begum! Why do you love to smack me so much yaar!!!" He whined like a kid while caressing his arm.
"Stop acting childish then." Saniya glared at him. Farhan and Rehman shook their heads at their parents while Fariya and Meera giggled at their father and mother in law's cuteness.
"Care to explain why you two would do something like that??" Farhan looked at his nephew and daughter with a stern expression making them nervous.
"Bare abbu! You have heard, hani appi. We did that to bring them closer as you know well how these two stupids behave with each other. We are sorry, I promise it won't repeat again." Zamin finally confessed his crime and apologized at the same time.
"Yes baba we won't do it again." Hania added too.
"I'm leaving you both for the last time. This shall not repeat next time." They both nodded with a smile, feeling relieved. Farhan is the only person who can make everyone scared in the house with his strictness and discipline.
"But am not done with them yet, I'll deal with you two later, for now am getting late. Allah hafiz everyone. See you all in the evening." With that, Zain rose from his seat and walked out but not before throwing a glance at his wife, his last statement directed towards her.
"I am leaving as well. Oye wait for me!!!" Zamin shouted from behind and ran after him after bidding his goodbye.
"Zoi! Why are you still sitting here? go see off your husband."
"Comon mom, he is not a child that can't go on his own." Zoya can't help but scoff.
"Zoya." Meera called her in a warning tone at which she huffed and strode out with a grumpy face.
"Ya Allah! What should I do with this girl!!!" Meera shook her head helplessly.
"Comon Meera! She just got married, she will learn everything slowly." Spoke Fariya.
"Yes, don't pressurize my princess too much." Rehman seconded with her.
"Because of this too much pampering and favoring, y'all have spoiled her."
"Why won't we? After all she is our little princess, our coolness of eyes and ghar ki ronaq. Isn't it??" Haider stated looking at his sons who nodded their heads in agreement.
"Dadu am I not included??" Hania pouted her lips as if she was offended.
"Ofcourse you're also included meri jaan. Both you and Zoya are our princesses no matter how old you two or we grow." Haider engulf her in his embrace and kissed her temple lovingly.
Everyone smiled and prayed for their love and bonding to last till eternity.
Meanwhile, Zain stopped on the porch and turned to look at Zoya who was trailing behind him.
"What??" She furrowed her eyebrows with a questioning look upon seeing his signature smirk on his face as usual.
"Are you going to bid your husband without a goodbye kiss? You didn't even gave me a morning kiss instead my butt was kissed by the floor." Zain leaned his face close to her, his eyes gaze at her luscious rosy lips before boring back into her brown orbs with a smirk.
Zoya's eyes widened in shock. He again started his shameless acts.
Her heart picked up its beat at his closeness, at the way his hot breath was fanning her cheeks, at the way he was penetrating right into her soul with his intense gaze.
"Oh Allah! What are my sinful eyes witnessing? Is this really Zain and Zoya or they got replaced in a single night? When will I be blessed to have romance with my wife." Before Zoya could react or say anything, they heard Zamin exclaiming dramatically which had them retreating away.
"Kuch kuch horaha ha han" Zoya blushed hard when Zamin was flashing them a teasing smile.
[Something- something han!!!!]
"If you're so desperate bro then bring our bhabhi and your wife soon." Zain winked at him.
"Ofcourse I'll or I will be feeling so damn single plus jealous seeing your romance everyday." Zamim laughed and with that he hopped inside the car.
"So my kiss??" Zain turned his attention back to Zoya.
"Go away you shameless pervert." She pushed him towards the car and ran back inside with the speed of light while blushing leaving him chuckling to himself.
"Only for you my little witch." He mumbled and hopped inside the car as the driver opened the backseat door for him.
"I can't believe it's really you Zain!!! The man who couldn't tolerate her existence near him for a single second was now romancing with her." Zamin remarked with amusement once Zain settled in the car, the driver drove away but he was still grinning like a fool.
"Even I don't know what's happening to me, it's like my heart is compelling me to her without my knowing, proving every single thing I have said before the marriage wrong but whatever it is, I am feeling good."
Zamin smiled and the happiness he felt within him after listening to Zain was just indescribable. He was more than contented that finally he was opening his heart again and giving way to his sister which he had sealed long ago.
"Tell me, you guys did it that you're feeling this way for my sister out of the blue??"
"Did what???"
"Oh comon don't act innocent. It was your wedding night, are you still virgin or you lost it to Zoya hmm?" Zamin whispered the last part, nudging his arm with a smirk and saw his ears turning pink.
"Shutup!!!! Don't get too personal." Zain shoved him off and looked outside the window. Zamin can't help but laughed at that.
"It's a feeling of love my dear friend, the love you've always felt for her since childhood but denied it. Hope you realize it soon." He mumbled to himself while smiling looking at him.