Besabriyan

28|TWENTY EIGHT

Maheen was yet to get used to being in her place in her laws which at times set her off, she wasn't sure of how she was expected to be behaving as the daughter in law of one of the most powerful families. To her, she was only a university student with dreams to chase and not anything else. Meanwhile, Zaviyar had been having a hard time while trying to bring her to understand the fact that she could be herself and nothing was expected of her but when he realized she wasn't going to listen to him, he gave up. Mostly because he didn't have much choice. She talked to him but she was always closed off- keeping a part of it to herself and then blaming him for not understanding it, ultimately pushing him away from home and from her.

Growing up, Zaviyar didn't know affection except for the times he let Ahlah take care of him or the times where Aahil backed him in his decisions- personal or not so naturally he had it growing inside to not have a marriage like their parents but the older he got, the more he realized that there was no absolute need for marriage and that he was fine by himself until one day his father decided to tie his niece to her son whilst he was still in university. Years passed but he didn't warm up to the idea of having someone so close that they might see the damages he bore from up close. He didn't want the image, he took years to pain to look unscathed, to be ruined.

But then there was a light of hope, a bright one at that when he found her in their property with a glum face- grimacing at something he had no idea of. He looked at the woman with a glass of cranberry juice and found her making faces at it. It was amusing to be flattered by something so ordinary as that yet his heart lulled with slow and peaceful beats when he realized she was putting him to ease. And no joy had surpassed the level of happiness in the few moments he laughed with her. He was happy, thrilled to hear his heart beat with a purpose; and also sad because Zaviyar Ali Dawar wasn't known to have weaknesses. The last time he had one, his father made sure that he learnt his lessons.

"Zavi boy," Aahil burst through the door. Zaviyar looked up, hoping to find him with the folders regarding Daniyal's business set up but the creases on his forehead deepened the moment he noticed the paper plate in his hand, not admitting to the fact that he was indeed starving. His house had been much of a mess to have the day's first meal in peace.

"What is this?" He eyed the plate.

"Oh, just the stuff people keep in their safe." He grinned, setting the plate on the tea table before retiring to sit on the couch on the other end of the office. Normally sarcastic and stupid remarks was Aahil's way of coping. Zaviyar glanced at his best friend before he glanced at the plate, his stomach softly growling.

It had been ten days to their nikah but it was only a couple of days ago, did Aahil find out about it. He was furious because he thought Zaviyar was rushing through and through. The nights he spent in the office working extra hours to avoid Ahlah and the meetings he was mentally absent in- Aahil was aware of all of it. He wasn't against the union, he just didn't like how it went, how they tried to force him and how Maheen had become estranged from everything other than her studies. And so he let Aahil have his way and scream his lungs out at how stupid he had been to accept a woman who claimed to love him but wasn't willing to act her role in his life.

"Which one should I put in the safe? The rice or the plate?" Zaviyar beamed at his friend, feigning equal enthusiasm before taking the plate in his hand and shoving a spoonful of rice into his mouth, silently thanking Allah for sending in the food.

"Do you think one can separate poison from food after it's mixed? If yes, it's the poison you should be protecting with your life-" He winced, pretending to think for a while, "You won't be there, right." Choking on the rice he just shoved in, Zaviyar looked at his friend aghast before shoving another spoonful of it, shaking his head and knowing it would take a little while before the bitterness washed out of Aahil's system entirely.