Her cheeks flushed and she too met his gaze. "You must be angry at me."
Huzaifa lifted a brow. "Why though?"
"Because you need to hear the scolding of my share too," she let out, naively.
Huzaifa laughed out loudly. "It's okay. I love adventures and things like that intensify my urge to do more adventures. They care for you, maybe more than me. But don't worry; I will act as a perfect husband for you so that they will be rest assured for forever. Someone who will take care of you and become a man who will act as a doting husband for you."
Something in his tone made her smile drop and she stared at him silently. What did he mean by this?
"Oh, but I am still sorry. I should have talked back then and shouldn't drop the whole weight of blame on you," she said, fidgeting with her fingers.
Huzaifa caught the scenery of her slender fingers and then his given ring. Something at this sight made him feel possessive for her. As though only he had a right to touch this soft hand.
He jerked his hand upside down. "Never mind it. I wouldn't have liked it if anyone would have scolded you for a petty thing like that."
His gaze moved from her hands to her face. Again in lenses, she looked different than usual. But once again, he found a peculiar charm around her. Innocence, naiveness, and integrity. Something in him didn't want to hurt her even though that was what would lead him to win his game.
Soon one of their male cousin Haroon arrived. "Come on, Mr. Groom. Let's welcome the dancing floor with your amazing presence."
Huzaifa smiled and nodded. He was about to get up when Haroon asked Unaiza too.
"The couple dance will be perfect," he murmured. "Iza, you should come too."
He saw as Unaiza gasped and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. Within a split second, two of their female cousins Sidra and Mahin too came, urging Unaiza to dance.
"No...I...I don't think..." Unaiza stuttered while trying to keep a smile as she struggled to choose whether to decline or agree. She harshly grabbed the fabric of her lehenga with her fingers.
Huzaifa noticed her reluctance. He turned towards their cousins. "No, we will not do that. She is not comfortable. I don't like my to-be wife dancing like that."
Haroon raised a brow in amusement. "Wow. You belong to showbiz and want to put restrictions on your wife."
Huzaifa gave him a hard look. "That's my personal matter, Haroon."
He chuckled in return. "Do you see it Iza? Are you really okay with the idea of your husband prohibiting you from doing the things that are his profession?"
The girls laughed too. Haroon did a hifi with Taha; his brother as giggles surrounded everywhere. Huzaifa would have loved this banter and would love to play along if Unaiza hadn't have been so uneasy like this.
"I am being damn serious right now. You guys go and enjoy yourself," Huzaifa mumbled as he gave them a knowing smile.
All of them noted the profoundness in his attitude hence they left when things didn't become bad.
"I heard you got my name in your mehendi," Huzaifa began, diverting the topic.
Unaiza almost flinched but quickly nodded understanding his statement.
"Where is that? Let me see," he whispered.
Unaiza blushed. "You aren't allowed to have a look at it now. You are supposed to find it by yourself after the marriage."
Huzaifa chuckled. "That's weird. Do you want me to find that for you, by the way?"
Unaiza bit her lower lip in shyness. "That's a ritual. You are assumed to find it."
Huzaifa scoffed. "Well, let us make a deal. If I find my name on your hand, I won that game and in return, you have to do whatever I say."
Unaiza's eyes widened. "What?"
"Agree?" He urged her.
Unaiza shrugged her shoulders. This game was meant for this anyway. "Okay."
"Done then," Huzaifa grinned and she felt its effect all the way to her heart.
The way he stood up for her in front of their cousins wasn't enough to make her fall for him all over again, and he had to do these things as well.
"You promise to do anything I say, Iza. Like anything," he mumbled with a smirk.
Even if his words from a while ago weren't sitting well with her, but she forgot them by thinking of them as her overthinking. But the way he said this last line, made her still. It felt like he wanted her to a take a different implication. His tone was meaningful, like a red alert.
Did she become a victim of Huzaifa who wanted to break her to achieve what he needed?
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After talking to Huzaifa in the gym, Haider realized that he was doing all this only to annoy their father and nothing else. But Unaiza was blocking him from implementing his plan. He wanted to use her but he couldn't because he cared for her. If it was the opposite, Huzaifa wouldn't have been protecting Unaiza's name from everything he did to piss off their Dad. It would have been much easier for him to disgrace Unaiza along with him and call off this marriage. However, he was making it seem like he was the demon here while she was the innocent princess who needed to be protected by him.
"Do you really think Huzaifa won't hurt Unaiza? Seriously Haider I am so worried for her," Ishmal asserted, removing her jewelry as she sat on the dressing table.
Haider shook his head. "I am sure he wouldn't do that."
Ishmal looked at his reflection through the mirror as he was lying on the bed while patting Jannat's small belly as she was resting in her crib so that she could sleep.
"How can you be sure?" She again asked
"He is my brother, Ishmal. I know him very well. He doesn't show but he cares for every one of us. And Unaiza. Well, she is the first girl he ever felt the need to protect. He can't hurt her and the way he had been protecting her name from tarnishing is a proof of it," he explained.
Ishmal nodded in understanding. "That's a thing too. But I can see Unaiza is happy with this idea of marriage."
"She can be. I am not surprised because she is relieved by the idea of an arranged marriage in the form of Huzaifa and this house. This kind of marriage was inevitable for her anyway hence she is relaxed by that it's someone she knows. To be honest, when I thought about this union, I had Unaiza in my mind as much as Huzaifa and this family. And this marriage is all the way save for her," Haider declared.
"Hmm. I want everything to be fine for both of them," she murmured, truthfully.
"It must be happening, Ishmal. The way Dad and Huzaifa's dynamic has become worse, this marriage is the only way for things to become better once again," he thoughtfully announced.
Yes, Huzaifa had a girlfriend too but this situation was what he made for himself. Now he had to focus on the one who would be his wife, leaving everyone else.
Ishmal glowed and approached the bed to join him. "I hope she and Huzaifa can be happy together."
Haider smirked. "Just like us." He snaked one arm around her waist and pulled her towards his chest. Ishmal's heart once again beat erratically in anticipation of the craziness that was to follow.
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Finally, the day had arrived. She looked at herself in the mirror. In a red bridal gown with the maroon dupatta covering her head with her hair curled loosely and made to fall on her chest, she again found herself very different than usual. The matching green necklace was complimenting her look. She couldn't believe in her own luck. She got Huzaifa. In a few minutes, she would become his as they would say those blessed words. However, somehow this day made her remember her first time. She got ready exactly the same way in her first marriage and then what happened?
"Allah, Unaiza you are looking so beautiful," Nisha complimented her with a bright smile.
"Thanks, Nisha Api," she whispered.
Today was the day of Barat and Nisha as per Unaiza wanted to come to her in the morning. Sarim's memories were hovering in her mind and she needed Nisha to combat it. Combat the weird fear germinating in her mind.
What if Huzaifa would also leave her as Sarim did? His tone was odd when he said that he would become the best husband for her. It felt like he was taunting her and was looking out for a show to please his family. This thought made her throat dry.
What if her fate would repeat the same thing?
Nisha corrected the dupatta over her head before placing a finger on her chin. "Calm down, Unaiza. Everything will turn out to be fine. Don't let the past shackle you. Huzaifa can be anything but he won't hurt you. We all, including you know this. Let your heart warm up to him and pray for a happy life ahead with him."
Many tears came in her eyes. Her heart didn't need to be warm up to him anymore. It had already fallen in love with him. She would have gone by Nisha's logic if Huzaifa wouldn't have used that tone with her. That intense and knowing tone. As though he wanted to taunt her because his family cared for her more than him.
When she first decided to go with this marriage, it was for Aqia. But then her own love and crush won over and deafness ruled over her every sense. She thought of it as a chance, a luck, an opportunity to live her dreams. She had innocent and naive dreams and didn't think about them at all unless the fate favored the things in her desired way.
She overlooked everything in her little crush for him. The way Huzaifa treated her made her more envious of him and craved for his companionship. He did say he would bring a second wife but she didn't feel bad because she thought she wasn't worth it for what she was getting. And then that date and ring exchange. She thought she was living in those dreams which she once had.
But that dholki day changed everything. She was a pawn, a chess piece, and a bait used by the man she loved because he wanted to show himself as unbreakable. He broke her to remain unbreakable.
Why did this happen to her?
________________
She never thought these written dreams would come true one day. Until she was made to hear those words.
"Unaiza Farooq, do you take Huzaifa Tashfeen Malik as your husband?"
She remained silent for a moment. She lived to hear those words. One part of her heart jolted with ecstasy. Huzaifa would be hers for forever. She would get the perks of having her as her husband. How many prayers she did do for this? How many pages does she fill from her diary about him? That was a dream come true. She wanted to rejoice in it.
"Qubool Hai."
"I do."
She quickly said. That first I came from that Unaiza who was crazy for Huzaifa. The silly girl didn't want any delay.
The question again repeated and another thing was recalled in her mind this time.
"You promise to do anything I say, Iza. Like anything."
She swallowed thickly at this. She wanted to have his companionship but not like this when he would use her as a bait.
"Say yes, Unaiza," Aqia exhorted her, softly and lovingly.
"Qubool Ha."
"I do."
"Qubool Ha."
"I do."
She closed her eyes at this. The lovestruck girl regaled at this revelation that she was Huzaifa's ultimately while the girl who heard his words didn't know what to feel.
___________________
As she was walked down the aisle once again with Tashfeen and Haider on her both sides as her father and brother, she was trembling. She feared her fate. She feared about the life ahead. She loved him but she didn't want to see the monster which he was keen on showing her.
As she looked up, she saw Huzaifa standing up for her. In a cream-colored dress with the same colored coat, he looked alluring, to say the least. Once again she felt worthless and unattractive standing opposite to this handsome man. A smile crossed his lips when their eyes locked. When Unaiza stood by the stairs of the stage, Huzaifa bent forward and opened his palm for her.
Her lips quivered as she put her hand in his big one. Unaiza felt a fire run in her veins at this contact. His hand was strong, smooth, and warm against her sweaty and shivering one. Huzaifa closed his fingers on the back of her hand.
Huzaifa's lips spread more and when their eyes met, she felt those beautiful brown eyes saying the words loudly.
"I will act as a perfect husband for you so that they will be rest assured for forever."
The contrast between the message and expression was jarring though.
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AssaloAlaikum/ Hi guys!
How are you?
Here's the new update.
Needed to cover this all before we will really move towards the actual wedding life of our couple.
What do you think will happen next?
Feedback?
What Huzaifa is going to make Unaiza do after winning the game?
Will he act badly with her?
Plz, vote and comment. ❤❤