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Better comment like anything since I've had so many dms of ya'll telling me to update!!
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Aaina x Zaydaan.
The most important thing in life is probably your family. There are days that you love them, days that you hate them but life is hollow and empty without them.
Whether it is the family you're born with, or the family you make for your own self, they are the people you can come home to, the people you can be yourself around and the people who can love you effortlessly.
Aaina didn't know where she stood in life. For the world, she was in a luxurious position but from the inside, she felt like falling apart.
Her father had fled the country two days ago, without telling anyone, with her mother, sister and brother. Saira had texted Aaina that she was leaving rather urgently and she would contact Aaina soon, that she loved her and she wished they could stay together.
But that was it.
Aaina knew it was important for her father to be out of the public eye, to be away from the country since the money laundering debate had started and investigations were going on, but at the same time, she felt so alone.
Her entire family had left. Her mother hadn't even bothered to call. She didn't know how the mother who showered her with affection since childhood, could abandon her like that.
And then, there was Zaydaan. The man who was supposed to love her bur the man who couldn't. And Ahad, the friend she considered family.
She was hurt because of Zaydaan, and she felt angry at Ahad. Because how could he abandon his friend and laugh with a woman he knew she didn't like?
She stood at a side, Raima standing a few steps away from her as Ahad arrived in their direction.
"Aaina, why do you look so glum. Hmm?" He questioned as soon as he reached her vicinity.
That was enough for Aaina to look at him like she could kill him.
"Oh someone's back. Done with your laughing session?" She enquired, voice low but anger evident.
Ahad hadn't really seen her angry, it made him frown.
"What are you talking about?"
She sighed, looking at him as if his innocent act wasn't going to work on her. Ahad truly felt confused though, what had he done?
"Ahad, I saw you laughing with her. I saw the way you were talking like a bunch of school boys around a famous girl."
She replied. He rolled his eyes. Sometimes, Aaina acted truly immature, which was quite weird for him to think since he was immature himself.
But being a minister had made him realise that there was so much good he could do, so many people he could help, he had to start taking things seriously.
And pissing General Ashfaq's daughter like before, it wasn't on the table anymore.
"So you're talking about Minal. What's the big deal?" He asked casually.
Ofcourse, he understood Aaina's point of view. Why she felt what she felt.
"I literally told you all that Zaydaan had said. And yet you were laughing with her. I thought we were friends."
Ahad smiled warmly at his sister in law as a few people passed by them, greeting them both with smiles and salaams.
The Prime Minister was on the stage, and his wife, instead of sitting at the front seat like she was supposed to do, was in the middle of a conversation with his brother.
He wanted to remind her that they had to end this discussion, but Aaina looked so vulnerable yet angry that he chose to listen to her.
She couldn't dictate him while bearing whatever Zaydaan threw her way. It pissed him off slightly. Why did she get so tongue tied when it came to his brother?
"We're best friends, Aaina. But does that give you the right to tell me who I should or should not meet?" He said instead. She shook her head.
"No. But you should have the conscience to not talk to someone like that."
He groaned lightly, glancing at all the minister sitting at their designated places. He leaned in close to her.
"You can't dictate me, Aaina. If you have a problem with her talking to someone, you should have it with your husband. Not with me."
He whispered, cautious about the people around.
"That's the problem, he won't listen to me." She replied, her mind going back to the fact that it didn't matter if Ahad laughed with Minal or not, as a friend she could feel possessive but nothing more.
But Zaydaan laughing with her, it truly made her feel unworthy.
"What makes you think I will?" Ahad replied, ready to walk away.
He hadn't walked a few steps ahead that he turned around, looking at her.
"And I wasn't laughing with her, I was laughing at her. There is a difference."
He mumbled the truth, then walked ahead to sit in the front row. Aaina did the same, Ahad's words might have comforted her but her heart was still as heavy as before.
------
While her heart was somehere else, she forced herself to fake a smile as she met some of the renowned journalists of her generation.
Fake a smile. Be intellectual and graceful. Don't answer too much, don't answer too less.
She remembered her husband's instructions as she met with all the women. Some shook hands with her while one of them pulled her into an awkward air kissing embrace.
"It's a pleasure, hello, hello." She mumbled, paying her attention to all the five women that she was surrounded by after the PM had officially inaurgarated the shelter home project.
Raima, who was standing right by her side introduced her to the women.
"This is Sania from aaj TV, Ammara from Hum TV, Saadia from Express, Shazia from Geo and Maria from ARY."
Aaina nodded as she continued talking.
"All of these women do Prime time TV shows."
"Must feel very empowering to do that among all the men." She commented, the women smiled.
Aaina knew what they actually thought of her. They thought of her as a young trophy wife, as someone who was handed over a title without any effort, as someone too young for the Prime Minister.
She had read some of their tweets and even seen a few shows where they all had a very judgemental opinion of her.
Maria, who had her own Prime time television show spoke for all the women, agreeing with Aaina's comment about feeling empowered.
"It really does. Do you mind if we ask you a question or two?"
She looked at Raima. Was she supposed to answer their questions? Raima blinked her eyes and Aaina gave them an encouraging nod.
"Your husband, the Prime Minister has formed the very first gender balanced cabinet, what are your views on that?"
I don't care about it. I care about the fact that he doesn't love me. That he loved another women. My whole life, they've taught me that my gender was only meant for one thing, personal or political gain. That I, as a woman was only good for looking fine by my husband's side. And that hasn't changed after my marriage.
I don't know if Zaydaan thinks my gender is equal to his or not. He thought Minal was equal to him, but he has hardly shown me that I'm equal to him.
Aaina mashed down all her thoughts and smiled at Shazia, who had asked her the question.
"It's incredible, actually. I think that if such changes take place on the bigger scale, only then the equal opportunities for women can be found in other sectors too."
"Right, what are your views on the sudden shift, the younger cabinet, younger PM, do you think it's a good change?" This time, it was Maria who asked the question.
"Ofcourse. Majority of our country is the youth and it's good to see leadership in the youth's hands too."
"There has been slight controversy on you not covering your head, compared to all the previous first ladies."
Aaina hardly let the woman complete her sentence, she knew that there were conservative people in the country who wanted her to cover her head, and there were Liberal people who wanted her to do what she wanted to do.
At times, she wanted to look as graceful as her mother in law, she wanted to wear those pretty chiffon dupattas but she was still so confused about it.
"I think it's a personal choice. I'm modest in my clothing but comparing me to women in their late fifties who were first ladies before me isn't quite right. They were beautiful in their own way and they chose to wear what they wore. I'm doing the same."
Satisfied with her answer, another female journalist stepped in with a new question.
"Right, about your father-" She interrupted her right there and then.
"I can't comment on that, I'm sorry. It's not my place to answer." She politely responded.
Finally, she awaited the last question.
Why was this so tiring?
"Other than shelter homes and NGO's and all the humanitarian stuff, what else are you striving to do?"
Right now, I just want to save my relationship. I want a marriage where there is love and I want a husband who cares for me more than anything. That is all on my mind right now.
"There are alot of things in my mind but I have to discuss them with the Prime Minister first. I can only say when some thing is confirmed, right?" She said instead.
"Okay, thank you so much."
The women were almost ready to leave, giving her their warmest smiles and the sweetest glances but she knew that she couldn't trust them.
In her heart, she felt scared too. If they wrote anything mildly bad about her, Zaydaan would bite her head off.
"Don't twist my words, please. From one woman to another, I don't want to be potrayed negatively. Okay?" She called out to one of them, who reassured her with a chuckle that they would only write what she spoke.
She turned to Raima, who looked at her all amused.
"Was I okay?" She questioned nervously.
"Yes. Great actually."
"Zaydaan told me not to answer ant political questions." She murmured in slight confusion.
"They were not political, they were general, it's fine."
"Okay."
Would life always be spent like this? Scared, unhappy and confused?
---
She was feeling slightly better, her mind being occupied with several things had actually dulled the ache in her heart. It had only got dulled for a minute or so, that she found herself face to face with the woman she did not want to see at all.
Zaydaan had specifically told her not to meet Minal, and yet Minal Ashfaq with her beautiful smile and a gorgeous dress and incredibly styled hair had arrived right in front of her.
Ironically, she was wearing the same color dress as her. Aaina felt insecure, as always. She always felt inferior compared to Minal who was older, curvy and more poised.
"Aaina, hello." She greeted her first. Aaina faked another smile, something she had been doing the whole night.
"Minal, hi."
"How are you? Congratulations."
For what? For being told that you were loved by my husband? That it's because of you that he won't love me? That you're in his mind and heart even if he says you're not?
"I'm fine, thanks." Aaina replied curtly.
I loved Minal and I was forced to marry you.
"The Prime Minister was telling me that you've got a few ideas and I was wondering if you need help? I've a few diplomas in PR and humanitarian crisis, I'd love to help." Ofcourse she did.
Here I am, with an unfinished degree and here she is, with extra diplomas.
She thought bitterly,.
"Thank you for the offer but I'm actually going with my mother in law's previous team so I'll be okay." She declined her offer softly, knowing that people were watching them.
"Alright, but if you need any help, please call me."
She was being too sweet, and it felt fake. While Aaina was sweet in person because she had been that way since childhood, Minal's sweetness smelled of jealousy and plotting.
While Aaina was innocent, she was not stupid.
"How do you do it?" She asked her, out of the blue, Minal frowned at the question.
"What?"
"How do you do pretend like this? I know you love him, it's clear and being close to him will only hurt you. Because I'll always be his wife."
Faking confidence while you're shattering from the inside is a hard job.
Minal raised her eyes, looking at Aaina head to toe.
"But he won't love you." She stated.
Aaina smiled, maybe it was a sad smile or an ironic one, or the one that said nothing at all.
"Maybe not, but I'd still be the first lady."
There was no point in faking the fact that Zaydaan loved Aaina, especially not in front of the woman who he had actually loved.
"What if after five years he decides to leave you?"
There's a fear in my heart that he would do it. That he would leave me the moment he stepped down as the Prime Minister. But Zaydaan was always so confident that he would get elected again, would he leave me then?
Maybe he will, or maybe he won't.
He said that I was bound to him for life, whether him or I liked it or not at the start of our relationship. Did he mean that?
More thoughts creeped in her head.
"What if in five years, he decides to love me?" She shot back at Minal, whose confidence seemed as fake as Aaina's.
Both women loved one man and yet they were so unsure about him and his decisions.
Men were like that. Unpredictable, liars and heart breakers.
"Move on, Minal. I know how much it must hurt, I don't think you're a bad person, you're beautiful and smart and you can get any man you like, just not him." She spoke with such soft words that it was hard for Minal to even understand her properly.
But she did. And she didn't like Aaina's advise of moving on.
"I'm not fighting with a little girl." She meant it as an insult, Aaina took it like a compliment.
"That little girl is your first lady." She argued back, but with a smile.
Because people were watching.
"And I'm not fighting with you. I'm just saying that it's better to heal yourself than hurt yourself." She continued.
Minal shrugged her off.
"He was supposed to be mine, Aaina. You came in between."
The first lady shook her head at her completely wrong words.
"No. I didn't. He had a choice, you or power and he chose power." She continued talking.
"You seem like a strong independent woman, I don't think that this is is the path you would want to take."
Aaina advised yet again. Minal was about to come up with a response when she spotted Sami walking up to Aaina.
"I'll go, and I really was serious about helping you, personal issues aside." She whispered in her ear, air kissing both her cheeks.
"Thank you, but I can't take help from you. Have a good night."
Aaina replied, then looked at Sami who told her it was time to leave.
--
There are people who love each too much but can never be together, there are people who can hate each other too much and yet be together, there are people who would do anything to fall in love with each other but they can't.
Life is unpredictable and hurtful, but it's also beautiful. Life starts out as incredible at times and turns out disastrous. Life starts out as disastrous and can turn out incredible.
But what was written in Aaina's fate. She didn't know.
Aaina. A mirror. But a mirror to what? Reality? Facade? Beauty? Disaster?
She walked by her husband who had his hand on the small of her back, a few photographers taking their pictures as they ready to drive away.
"Let's drop her home first and then we'll go back to the office." He told his head of security.
Sami, who was standing beside Aaina's car, all ready to take the first lady back to the Prime Minister House heard the PM and spoke up.
"Sir, we have a car prepared already." He stated. Zaydaan gave him a nod.
"That's fine, Sami. But I need to talk to my wife."
The way he said my wife, Aaina knew she had managed to screw something up.
She sat quietly in the car as they drove away in protocol.
"What did I do now?" She questioned softly. Zaydaan chuckled, as if he was mocking her.
"So you know you did something?" He asked.
Aaina shook her head.
"No, but I see that disappointing look on your face which shouldn't be there." She replied.
She felt almost bold, as if she could say things to him, as if she could question him.
"And why not?" Zaydaan asked back.
He couldn't care less right now. His new project might be highly appreciated but him, listening to Aaina and sending her father away, it was creating a stir, he was sensing a scandal coming up.
"Because I did my best." Zaydaan didn't say anything, just remained quiet for a while.
She looked at him from the other side.
All she wanted to do was move towards his side and sit close to him. All she wanted to do was tell him that she wanted to kiss him and hold him, instead all she saw on his face was arrogance. And maybe a little stress.
"What were you talking to Minal about?" Zaydaan asked next, still not looking at her.
Upon hearing her name, Aaina snapped.
"So it's about her." She mentioned. "Why don't we switch this around, what were you talking to her about?"
She mustered up all the courage she had as she asked him that question, to which all she got was an eye raise and a turn of his head.
"Excuse me?"
He said it as if he couldn't believe that Aaina had asked him something. As if it was a sin.
"Tell Me, Zaydaan. You said you would honor me as your wife but you did not even look at me once the entire night, but you stood with her and laughed for such a long time."
Zaydaan's face was concealed with such a blank look, that Aaina looked down as she spoke next.
"Was that honoring me or insulting me?"
For a minute, there was utter silence.
"Are you done? I am not bound to give you any answers." He snapped.
Aaina gulped as she sensed that typical anger coming out.
"Then why should I give them to you?" She still shot back at him.
If she expected him to answer her questions, he had to give some of them to her as well.
"I'm your husband, it's my right."
Why was it that men considered asking questions and telling women what to do as their right but when it came to women asking them questions, they were acting crazy.
"And I'm your wife." Her tone was almost vulnerable, maybe a little weak even.
There were no tears left to cry, but her heart hurt like anything.
"Don't piss me off, Aaina." He warned.
She glanced at him through her lashes.
"Why? You'll hurt me if I do? You can't hurt me more than you possibly have, Zaydaan." She commented.
Zaydaan inhaled a deep breath for a second, as if he was holding things inside, containing in her own self.
"Alright, look at me!" He exclaimed, holding her arm in a firm grasp. Not too tight, but a little firm.
"I own you. Understand that? I own you entirely. I can choose whatever I want to do to you. And you can't do anything."
He hissed near her ear, she shivered.
"I own you since the day your father gave you to me, since the day he fled the country and didn't even think of you."
If his intentions were to hurt or break her, he was doing a damn good job at it.
"So Saira, or your mother, you were wondering where they are, right? You'll never know, not unless you start behaving."
He threatened. Was he really going to do that? Was he that cruel?
The car stopped and so did her heart.
"Don't ever question me again. Now get out."
She got out, legs trembling and body shaking.
How cruel was it? To be treated like a Queen in front of the world but like a slave in reality?
I am nothing and he's everything.
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Okay here you go!!
Weird block where I couldn't write but heyy, it's something.
Make sure to vote and comment, tell me what ya'll think