*Unedited*
We pulled into our driveway, a new car was parked in it. "Seems like we are having guests."
Zain groaned beside me. "I am not spoiling my mood on anything."
"Then don't." I winked at him before getting out of the car.
Indeed there were four new people in the house. Our beloved aunt and Danish are dressed at their best. I stopped Gayatri aunty who was rushing to the kitchen. "Who are they?"
"Rishta for Najma baby." She replied before hurrying to the kitchen. Ah! So Najma's getting married that's news. Though it would be good to avoid any drama, my feet made way to Najma's room.
The door was ajar, I invited myself in. "So I hear you are getting married."
"What do you want?" Najma asked with an irritated look. "Why the hell are you in my room?"
She was wearing a green salwar kameez with striking stonework. She had some beautiful jewellery on her. I must say she look stunning.
"I thought you still dreamt of marrying Zain."
"Will you just go?" She had her eyes fixed on her phone.
I took a deep breath and went towards her. I so wanted to torture her like she did to me, but I can't. She looked miserable.
"I don't like you. But for a girl who is having a bunch of people asking for her hand in marriage, I wish good for you. So, how do you feel?"
"I don't wanna talk to you." She spat out.
"Please don't tell me you are still infatuated with Zain." I sat on the couch. It's the first time I am in Najma's room. It's so pretty. Who am I kidding the whole house is so great.
"How did you feel?"
"I'm sorry?" I am bewildered. She asked out of nowhere.
"How did you feel when Zain's family came to see you for the first time?"
"Honestly? I was afraid. But I had a feeling like he is the one, you know." I smiled remembering the first time I met Zain.
I got a small nod from Najma in response. She is super nervous. Any girl would be. I was too. "There was a family who came to see me before Zain. They rejected me, only Allah knows their reason. I was so afraid then. So nervous. I cried for the whole night. But when I met them they seemed great. I kind of wished for the wedding to happen. It didn't. I was sad. As the days passed we know it's all for the best."
She remained silent."Najma, don't worry Allah has already written a guy for you and you will marry him no matter what."
"Did you see the family or the guy?" She asked.
"No. I didn't. I hope they are good. I hope he is handsome." I said trying to lighten up the mood.
"I don't think so." She tugged a stray hair behind her ears, making her bangles create noise. Tell a desi family to present their daughters before her possible in-laws, they will dress her up like a walking jewellery shop.
"I checked his Instagram profile, he looks so old. Momma is so persuasive. I don't want to meet them. I have a very bad feeling about this."
Normally, I would have enjoyed Najma in her misery. I have hated her. I hated the way she looked at Zain. It was annoying in the first few days of our marriage. Then her motive shifted to me. She would throw comments on me, not to forget that slap. But I never want her to have a bad husband or worse, a bad marriage. The way I was treated badly. I would never wish it even for my worst enemy.
"This is not final. It's always your choice."
"I hope so" She replied with a small smile.
"If aunt's persuasive. You have two brothers. I am sure they will listen to you."
"Yeah right," She scoffed. "My brothers are of no use. Just forget about Danish, you can never expect anything from him. As for Ibaad bhai, he is a lost case now."
I wanted to tell that brothers always hold good for their sisters, but I was stopped by her mother.
"Najma come baby, quick. They are waiting." Her eyes fell on me. "Kashaf!" Her tone dropped in disappointment. "You are back home. You seem tired. The guests will bore you. Just go to your room and take rest."
With that, she dragged Najma out. That woman knows the perfect way to sugarcoat hatred. Just tell you don't want me there.
********
"Where were you?" Zain asked me from the laptop.
The familiar ambience of my room greeted me. "Was talking into Najma."
Always on the laptop. Can't he just take a day off? "Since when you are her friend?"
I ignored his question and headed straight to the bathroom to obey my nature's call. I then changed myself into something comfortable and came to sit beside him.
"I am not her friend. Apparently, some family is here to take a good old look at her for their son. Thought I could ease her nerves."
"Someone's bonding." He said with a smirk.
I rolled my eyes at his remark. "Don't avoid my question this time. Were you both really on a relationship?" I closed his laptop to get his complete attention.
"Ya Allah! Woman, can't you see the truth? We don't have or had anything between us."
"Then why did she hug you? Why did she sworn to make my hell "for snatching you away from her" I quote her words. "Why was she always referring to you as hers?"
"I don't know. Maybe aunt created some kind fantasies of her and me when she failed in marrying Zara and Ibaad. There was nothing between us. I think she was trying to provoke you." He pulled me closer, closing the distance between us.
"How would I know?" I snuggled more into him.
"You should trust your husband." I could feel him smirking.
"Yeah, like you trusted me with Ibaad." I replied with a scowl.
"I'm sorry, Kashaf." He moved to look at me. His face held a genuine apology.
"Don't point finger at me, Zain Usman, because I've got lots to accuse you." I shifted back to hug him.
"Sorry for all those, madam." He kissed my hand making me let go of any possible anger I had for him.
"So Zara and Ibaad, why didn't it happen?"
"Because he loved Hassan's sister." Before I ask anything else Zain paced a finger in my lips. "Shush! Enough with the interrogation." With that, he snatched any more of my words with a kiss.
We finally pulled apart gasping for air, he ran his hands in my hair, leaving me to blush with every passing second. "How about Paris for a honeymoon? This month-end what say?"
I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I still couldn't process our kiss and now this. He must be kidding. He is kidding, right?
"That's amazing" Honestly, I didn't expect anything. The honeymoon was long forgotten. I was just pulling his legs yesterday. I never thought he would take it seriously and that too Paris? "Isn't that too expensive?"
"Kashaf, we can afford it Alhamdulillah."
We talked about our future trip. I never thought I would even go to Paris. When Zain asked me if I visited any other country, I told about my umrah to Mecca and Medina. He was surprised when he heard it, as I've never mentioned it earlier. He shared his visit to Dubai.
Speaking of Dubai, I got reminded of my mother in law to whom I haven't spoken in a past three days. "Call mom. It's been days since we have talked to her."
Planting a small kiss to my temple, he broke from our embrace and picked up his laptop, making me yearn for his warmness. Ya Allah! This man is making me crazy.
We talked for about half an hour on Skype. Mom is missing her home and wants Zara to have her delivery in India, as she can't handle any more of "Dubai weather". Zara's glowing more and more. When mom asked what's new, I shared the news of Najma's proposal. She wished the best. With other few talks, we ended the call.
"Zain, you should talk to Ibaad or Danish. Najma is not interested in the guy and aunt seems to be forcing her."
All I got from him was barely audible "Hmm"
"I'm serious here Zain" I hit his arm to draw attention.
"Oww!" He rubbed the spot like it would have pained him. Such a dramatic person. "Beast." I hear him say.
I glared at him for the reply. "I can't stand Danish." He answered. Wow! My glare works. Should have tried from the beginning of our marriage, things would have been much different.
"What about Ibaad? You said you both were friends."
"I'll think about it." His eyes were fixed in his laptop. I should ban all the gadgets in our room. Then I shouldn't be using my phone too. That's bad. Let's just stick to banning only his laptop.
"Don't think, act."
"Okay!" He threw his hand in surrender. "You are turning into a nagging wife." I heard him mumble.
"What?" I ask him.
"I'm starving would get me something to eat." He said with an innocent face.
I left the room to get the food. I wasn't nagging. Was I?
*******
Zain's POV
The welcoming sun of the morning greeted me as I left the mosque. The birds singing their best, the joggers trying to stay healthy and the chitchats from the nearby tea shop described the scene of a perfect morning. The peace of witnessing this after the Fajr prayer is beyond amazing. I am glad that I came to the mosque. It's getting harder for me to get to the mosque for Fajr. After the Ramadan, I have become so lazy. Kashaf wakes me early every time, it's my lazy soul who wakes up late ending up praying in the house. My mother would throw a fit if she was here.
"Assalamu alaikum!" I hear behind me.
I turned to find Ibaad. "Walaikum assalaam," I replied. He has become a total mess. He has forgotten to groom himself. I barely see him at the house or the office. It's like he is fading.
We walked awkwardly beside each other. There would be a time when we shared each other's secret. But now we act like we don't exist. There are times when I miss him. When I can't discuss something with Hassan I think of him. I don't know why we drifted apart. Hassan and Ibaad drifted that's reasonable as he divorced Hassan's sister, but why us? I don't know. Maybe the way he acted during and after his divorce filled hate in everyone's heart. Maybe the way he tried to snatch the company away from me ruined our friendship.
"Brought your bike?" I asked breaking the silence.
"No. Gonna walk. What about you?"
"Same." I nodded.
There was silence again.
"Let's have tea" He suggested, pointing to the tea stall. I wanted to reject it, but something inside made me say yes.
We ordered the tea with some biscuits. There came the awkwardness again. Augh! This is a bad plan. We drank in silence until he broke it. "Keep an eye on Mittals. Danish is spilling the beans."
Their name made me angry. I know I had to deal with them at the office. "Why did you let him? You know they are our rivals."
"I didn't know, man. It shocked me too. He is mostly on his own now."
Ibaad had always been Danish's advisor, ever since he started to lose interest, Danish been trying to make my life hell.
We both then drifted into our own worlds, Kashaf's word came to my mind. "Kashaf said Najma's getting married. So who's the guy? Who's the family? Do we know them?"
He rubbed his face with his hand. "Yeah, mom told me. She is friends with them. They are from Agra."
"What does he do?"
"I don't know. Mom mentioned something."
"Is Najma okay with this?" He shrugged his shoulders in reply.
I stared at him in disbelief. What happened to this man? He was always so protective of his sister. "Are you okay? It's Najma we are talking about."
He let out a sigh, then shifted in his seat. "I don't know. Nothing interests me these days. I just wanna leave everything and go far away. Far from this place. Far from my family."
He turned to look at me. "You know" he started. His face dimmed as he talked about it. "She gave birth to a boy. I once saw him at a mall, he was a cute toddler.He was so like me, Zain. It hurts that I can't be with him." He seemed so pathetic. A total broken man.
"Why did you divorce her?" I asked. The answer to which we never got. Neither us or Hassan or his sister. Trust me, he loved her. He loved Asmaa deeply. His love was something unique. He went far to get married to her. I still remember how he managed to handle the company when Hassan's father indicated that he had no money of his own. He took his part and brought the company to the new level. It took him tons of effort to convince aunt. I don't know how he managed, but they got married.
"Mom's responsible. She never liked her, tried to drive us apart. But I can't blame it entirely on her, I am the one who pulled the strings" He stood up. "Enough of me, let's go." He paid the cash. I persisted, he denied. I had tons of questions to ask him, but something else came to my mind.
"Kashaf spoke to Najma, she doesn't seem to feel so good about this wedding proposal. Talk to her. Don't let her get forced into the marriage." I said.
He gave a nod. "I will talk to her, Insha Allah."
We walked in silence until he let out a small chuckle, "She makes you so miserable in love."
"Sorry?"
"Kashaf!" He turned to me. "She is so perfect for you, man. You would have never talked to me about Najma unless she made you."
How did he know? "Just don't mess it up like me."
His final words sent a shiver down my spine, as we entered the house and to our respective rooms.
I opened the door to my room but found it locked. I was about to knock, but Kashaf opened it. "Ya Allah! What took you so long? I was so worried. Why did you even leave the phone here?"
"Assalamu alaikum" I greeted, as I locked the door behind me.
"Walaikum assalam ." She greeted back, then she started again. "What were you doing?"
Tell this woman to talk, she will talk for hours. "Was having tea," I replied.
"Yeah, so necessary." She rolled her eyes. "You could have told me before going."
Tossing her dupatta to the couch, she moved to the bed, revealing herself in a sleeveless nightgown. She looked damn hot. Before she could start speaking again, I pulled her to me, wrapping my arms around her, "Sorry for not informing you earlier." I planted a kiss at her forehead. "I spoke to Ibaad about Najma. He said he will talk to her."
A smile crept on her face, along with the red tinge on her cheeks. I felt proud as I was able to cause her blush.
"Thank you. Thank you for not leaving me, Kashaf." I was glad that I managed to win her after all the sufferings I gave her, moreover to her for remaining with me.
She snuggled into a hug and muttered "I love you", which gave ultimate happiness to my heart.
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Assalamu alaikum and hi!!!!
How's the lockdown treating you? It's a very unfortunate time for the world. Hope Allah sends Shifa (cure) soon. Till then stay safe.
Did you like the chapter? Share your thoughts through comments and don't forget to vote.
Also, I wanted to say something about one of my characters, Ibaad. The story of Ibaad is something I wanted to portray for a long time. He was planned even before Kashaf and Zain, but I didn't want him to be the main character. A man who gave up his love just because of his mother's cruelty and greed. Something which is prevailing in our society. I'll make a chapter on him, if possible. Let me know of what you think about him?
Like always, need your support. Bye....:)