"Why did you both stay at a farmhouse?"
Dadi's curious eyes followed Zaniyah and Arzel as they returned from their overnight stay at the farmhouse.
"Dadi," Zaniyah began hesitantly, struggling to find the right words to explain their absence.
Arzel couldn't contain his amusement at her flustered state, his grin widening as he watched her squirm.
"Bolo," Dadi urged, her patience wearing thin.
Arzel jumped in before Zaniyah could respond, coming up with a quick excuse.
"Zaniyah forgot some of her belongings at the farmhouse, so we went back to retrieve them," he explained smoothly, hoping to divert Dadi's attention.
But Dadi wasn't easily swayed. "Where are these belongings now?" she pressed, sensing something amiss.
Zaniyah inwardly groaned, realizing that Arzel's improvised story was only digging them into a deeper hole.
"They're in the car," Arzel replied calmly, shooting a meaningful glance at Zaniyah. "Go freshen up," he added, motioning for her to leave the room.
Relieved to escape the interrogation, Zaniyah nodded gratefully and quickly made her exit, eager to put some distance between herself and Dadi's probing questions.
______________________
Zaniyah busied herself with cleaning her wardrobe, but her mind wandered back to the farmhouse, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks as she recalled the memories.
"I got this for you a while ago, but because of Kabir's wedding, I forgot to give it to you," Arzel's voice broke through her thoughts as he hugged her from behind. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the jhumka stand filled with earrings.
"Arzel, this is too much," Zaniyah started to say, but he cut her off with a soft whisper,
"This is nothing" assuring her it was just a small gesture.
As she turned to face him, Zaniyah placed her hands on his chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath her touch.
"Thank you," she whispered, unsure of what more to say.
Arzel, ever the charmer, smirked. "Not enough," he teased, causing Zaniyah to gulp, well aware of his playful nature as a businessman.
But he quickly reassured her with a kiss on her nose pin. "I'm just kidding. I don't make deals with my wife," he said, running his fingers through her hair.
"I hate you," Zaniyah whispered, pushing him away playfully, but he held her tightly. "Love you more," Arzel replied with a chuckle, earning a laugh from Zaniyah.
Suddenly, a touch from behind startled her, bringing her back to reality. It was Arzel,
"What are you thinking?" He asked
She shook her head while looking down folding the last clothes and putting it in the closet,
"I have a meeting" his words stopped Zaniyah moment
"What do you mean?" she demanded, her anger simmering beneath the surface. Why hadn't he mentioned this earlier?
Arzel was taken aback by her sudden change in mood. "Zaniyah, it's just a meeting," he tried to placate her, but she wasn't having it.
"Why can't you take a break when Kabir and Arhaan are both on holiday?" she snapped, her frustration evident.
Arzel struggled to comprehend her outburst. "Zaniyah, I'm the boss," he reasoned, but she wasn't listening.
"No, you know there's a family dinner tonight, and you still want to go," Zaniyah's words cut through his defenses.
"But Zaniyah, it's only for a few hours," Arzel attempted to explain, but she wasn't having any of it.
"It's already 7, and I know you'll be late like always," she retorted, storming out of the closet with her clothes in hand.
Arzel's patience wore thin as he grabbed her, slamming her against the closet door in frustration. Zaniyah pushed him away, tears welling up in her eyes.
"you want me to cancel the meeting?" he asked, his anger subsiding as he realized he might have pushed her too far.
"No, go now," she replied, trying to leave the room, but he held her back, his voice tinged with desperation.
"Where are you going, Zaniyah?" he shouted, his frustration boiling over.
"Mar ne," she whispered, her words cutting through the tension. Arzel's heart sank at her despair.
"Ye lafz me dobara na sunu" he warned, his anger fading into concern as he left her hands
"Go wherever you want," Arzel's words hung heavily in the air, causing Zaniyah to pause and look at him. He could see the pain in her eyes, knowing that those words had hurt her deeply.
Even in his anger, Arzel had never spoken to her like this before. She struggled to process his actions and the harshness of his tone.
As he slowly opened the door for her,
"Leave" Zaniyah felt herself loosing completely hearing him
He was so angry that he even loses his calm, but when he heard her sobs he looked at her and found her crying badly..
He sigh, and tried to touch her but she backed off completely, "no" she whispered slightly walking behind
"Zaniyah lis-" before he could say something, she left the room turning around her emotions swirling inside her like a tempest. But before she could leave, the sound of something shattering echoed behind her.
Ignoring it, she continued on, her heart heavy with the weight of their argument
___________________
Knocking softly on the door, Zaniyah found Dadi sitting on the bed. "Dadi," she said, her voice trembling with tears.
Dadi looked up, concern etched on her face, and hurried over to Zaniyah. "Zaniyah, dear, what happened?" she asked gently, her heart aching at the sight of Zaniyah's distress.
Unable to form words, Zaniyah simply shook her head in response to Dadi's question.
Dadi sighed, knowing all too well the temper that Arzel could possess. "Did you two have an argument?" she ventured, and Zaniyah nodded, her tears flowing freely.
"Come here," Dadi beckoned, patting the space beside her on the bed. Zaniyah complied, sinking onto the soft mattress.
"Sleep here," Dadi urged gently, guiding Zaniyah's head onto her lap. With a tender touch, she began to stroke Zaniyah's hair, comforting her.
"Let him come, I'll scold him," Dadi offered, but Zaniyah shook her head, not wanting Arzel to face her grandmother's wrath.
After a while of soothing caresses, Zaniyah drifted off to sleep, her breathing steady against Dadi's lap. Dadi smiled down at her,
_______________________
Standing on the balcony, Arzel reflected on how harshly he had treated Zaniyah earlier. But he couldn't shake the feeling that she had been testing him too.
"Zaniyah," he muttered to himself, trying to calm his racing thoughts as he gripped the balcony railing tightly.
He made a decision. He cancelled his meeting; she had been driving him crazy since day one. Always leaving him questioning everything.
Taking a deep breath, he left the balcony in search of her. He asked Arsalan and Huraira, but they hadn't seen her. Panic started to set in.
"Where are you?" he muttered under his breath, racking his brain for any possible place she could be. Not outside, the guards were there.
He climbed the stairs, his heart pounding, and approached Dadi's room. Knocking softly, he heard Dadi's voice invite him in.
Entering the room, he saw Zaniyah's tear-streaked face, and his heart clenched with guilt.
"Bohot ro rahi thi" Dadi spoke up,
"Jaanta hu," Arzel admitted, realizing how badly he had treated her.
Gently, he pulled Zaniyah into his arms, feeling her snuggle into him without hesitation, holding her close as he left the room with her.
But before he could leave completely, he turned back. "Call us when it's time for dinner," he instructed Dadi, who nodded in understanding.
With that, he left, determined to make things right with Zaniyah and mend their fractured relationship.
_____________________
Laying Zaniyah gently on the bed, Arzel brushed away her tears with his hands, tenderly kissing her eyes in an apology.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, pressing a slow kiss to her lips as they both drifted into sleep, seeking solace in each other's presence.
Hours later, Zaniyah stirred, feeling a weight on her chest. Irritated by the tight embrace, she opened her eyes to find herself in her own room. Beside him, Arzel slept peacefully, oblivious to her distress.
Frustration boiled within her as she observed him sleeping so peacefully after their argument. Gently moving his hands away, she slipped out of bed, her mood soured by the sight of him.
Checking the time, she realized it was already ten o'clock. Cursing under her breath, she hastily grabbed her dupatta and left for downstairs, leaving Arzel behind, alone in the room.
______________________
"Bhabhi, take this," Huraira said, handing Zaniyah a bowl of gravy.
Zaniyah smiled and placed it on the dining table. "Arsalan, go call your bhai," dadi instructed, but before Arsalan could move, a voice echoed from the stairs. "Bhai is already here," he announced, chuckling as he settled back into his seat.
Zaniyah's breath caught in her throat as she caught the familiar scent of Arzel's cologne. He was behind her.
Though she avoided turning around, Huraira's call prompted her to face him. With a resigned sigh, she turned, finding him towering over her. Gritting her teeth, she ignored him and walked away.
Arzel clenched his jaw, frustrated by the silent tension between them. How long would this game of avoidance last?
As they all gathered around the dining table, Zaniyah sat beside Huraira, deliberately avoiding Arzel's gaze. While everyone ate in peace, Zaniyah's mind raced with thoughts.
Suddenly, she felt his eyes on her. Meeting his gaze briefly, she quickly looked away, refusing to engage with him.
Observing the silent exchange, Dadi intervened with a smile.
"Zaniyah, give Arzel some rice, his plate looks empty," she suggested.
Zaniyah glanced at Arzel's plate, surprised her, the plate is empty. She reluctantly added a small portion of rice, aware of his dietary preferences.
"More," he requested, She nodded and added a bit more rice to Arzel's plate. However, when he signaled with his hands for her to stop, she complied, placing the rice plate down and returning to her own meal.
After they finished eating, Zaniyah left for the room directly, not feeling well. Arzel followed her, closing the door behind him as he entered the room. He found her standing on the balcony, lost in her thoughts.
Approaching her, he tried to embrace her, but she turned away, attempting to leave. However, he gently held her hands, refusing to let her go.
"Mujhe jo saza dena hai dedo biwi, but don't ignore me please, I'm sorry," he pleaded, his eyes reflecting genuine remorse.
Zaniyah looked at him with surprise but remained silent. Arzel continued, "I'm sorry," his voice filled with sincerity as he begged for her forgiveness.
Zaniyah sighed and attempted to free her hands from his grasp, but he held on firmly. Frustrated, she cried out, "Arzel, leave me, you're hurting me. Why are you doing this?"
"I'm sorry for hurting you," he apologized slowly, releasing her hands as she stepped back, feeling overwhelmed.
Zaniyah looked up at him, meeting his gaze. Drawing closer, she matched his height on tiptoes and holds his cheeks
"Why can't you control your anger?" She questioned
"Why, it always overpowered my love" she asked as tears escaped from her eyes
"I'm sorry, it's just I was frustrated by your sudden outburst" Arzel tried to answer her questions
"So everytime you'll do this?" She asked, the way he told her to leave the room still hurt her
He shook his head "I promise, I'll not from next time" he replied as She nodded at his words and pecked his lips just the way he does everytime,
Making him smile
_______________________
Kabir glanced over at Arhaan, holding up a pair of shoes. "Ye kaisa hai?" he asked, seeking his friend's opinion.
Arhaan, with a nonchalant grin, quipped, "Teri shakal jaisa ganda."
tomorrow is his baraat, the groom's procession.
"Bkl, sasta leta hu," Kabir declared, already strategizing for the shoe-stealing tradition. "Ye log agar churayenge to Farq nahi padega, phir mehanga wala pehen lunga baad me."
Arhaan playfully jabbed Kabir from behind, teasing, "Saale gareeb, itna paisa hokar bhi kanjoos."
Kabir laughed, but his mind was already on his bride and her family. "Kanjoosi nahi," he reasoned, "meri biwi itna khatarnak hai, uske khandaan wale kaise honge."
As the reality of the upcoming wedding sank in, Kabir couldn't help but gulp nervously.
"Let's see what will happen tomorrow in your wedding," Arhaan remarked,