Khoj-e-ishq

Chapter III <Finding Something?>

Asalam o alikum!

You guys must have celebrated Eid, now let's enjoy their wedding. Prepare your dress, the next chapter is of wedding.

Your author,

Neel,

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After knocking twice, Aaraiz entered inside only to find his beloved wife sitting in the balcony with a sad face. The weight of her disappointment was palpable in the air, and Aaraiz's heart sank at the sight of her dejected expression.

"Aishii," he called out softly, taking a seat beside her. However, she didn't even glance in his direction, her gaze fixed on some distant point beyond the horizon.

"I know you are angry, and you should be, but please try to understand it's important," Aaraiz began, his voice gentle yet tinged with urgency.

"I have to go for an important meeting, but I'll try to come back as soon as possible."

His words hung in the air, but Aisha remained unmoved, her silence speaking volumes. Aaraiz could sense the depth of her emotions, the hurt and disappointment simmering beneath the surface.

"Aishii yar-" he started again, but she cut him off with a weary sigh.

"Okay, now go and leave me alone. Everyone always ignores me, thinking I'm a jolly person. I'll not take these things seriously, but I'm a human too. I have feelings. I feel bad when someone ignores me like this."

Aisha's words struck a chord within Aaraiz, stirring a pang of guilt in his chest. He reached out and gently cupped her face, his thumb brushing away a stray tear that had escaped her eye.

"Aishii, I can understand, but I'm not ignoring you," he murmured, his voice laced with sincerity.

"You are my wife, my love, my shareek-e-hayat (life partner)."

She turned to look at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Aaraiz felt his resolve waver in the face of her pain, his heart aching to ease her suffering.

"I know your work is important. Go and do what you need to do. It won't be fair to let it affect your office work," Aisha conceded, her voice barely above a whisper. Her acceptance only served to deepen Aaraiz's remorse.

"Look, Aisha, I'm the CEO of a company, and nowadays there's a lot of work to be done," Aaraiz explained, his tone pleading.

"Baba has entrusted me with this responsibility, and I can't afford to let him down. Plus, it's just a matter of a few days. After that, we'll go on our honeymoon."

Aisha nodded, her gaze fixed on the horizon once more. Aaraiz knew that she needed time to process her emotions, to come to terms with his absence. With a heavy heart, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before bidding her goodbye and leaving her to her thoughts.

_____°°°_____

As the Khan family enjoyed their dinner downstairs, Aisha tiptoed into Aaraiz's room, avoiding the dining room where she knew her mother would insist she eat.

Quietly pushing the door open, she was met with the serene silence of his private space. Taking cautious steps, she made her way towards his closet area.

It was the first time she had ventured into his closet, and she was struck by its grandeur.

Rows of clothes adorned the racks, with his traditional Shalwaar kameez on one side and his collection of Armani suits on the other.

A large dressing table stood against one wall, while a central table displayed an array of ties and watches. It was a sight of luxury that both mesmerized and distracted her.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Aisha focused on her mission. She approached a table beside the towering almirahs and began to search through the papers in the drawer, hoping to find what she had come for.

However, before she could make any progress, strong arms wrapped around her from behind, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Finding something?" Aaraiz's voice, low and intimate, whispered in her ear, causing her heart to skip a beat. She stiffened, biting her lip nervously as she turned to face him, his arms still encircling her.

"N-no," she stammered, trying to maintain her composure under his intense gaze. He gently turned her to face him fully, his closeness sending her senses reeling.

"Mind telling me then, what are you doing in my room instead of eating dinner?" His tone was calm, but there was a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

"Nothing, I was just not hungry and was missing you, so I came here to see if you were around," Aisha replied, her voice shaky despite her efforts to sound casual.

"In the closet?" Aaraiz raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk tugging at his lips as he tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear.

"N-No, I mean, I just wanted to make sure you were here," she stammered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

His hand delved into his pocket, retrieving his passport with a teasing grin. "Were you looking for this?" he asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.

Aisha gasped, her facade crumbling as she averted her gaze, unable to meet his knowing stare. "N-No, why? Who said?" she mumbled, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of red.

"Your face is telling," Aaraiz chuckled softly, earning a playful swat on his chest from Aisha.

"I wasn't, okay?" she huffed, relieved that the tension seemed to ease a bit.

She looked at him. "It's a business meeting?"

he nodded.

"And is important too?"

He again nodded.

"So than take me with you too. We will enjoy our honeymoon there." He quickly look away

"I-ill ask baba about this." She made him look at her." What's wrong?"

"Nothing and you tell me why were you helping Aliya knowing she was punished to not eat till 10 hmm?" He suddenly inquired while giving her waist a squeeze and pulling her more Close.

Aisha bit her lip and closed her eyes. "..I.. I'm sorry nah" She apologized while looking down.

"Apologize later but first tell me why were you helping her?" She wrapped her arms around his neck, looking into his eyes. "I was feeling sorry for her, we didn't even ate anything since yesterday's lunch."

"Nobody dared to defy the rules before?" He asked raising a brow.

"But now I did, okay, come" Holding his hand she took him towards his parents room, knowing that dinner had ended.

Entering inside their room, they saw them sitting, while talking, however they stopped as soon as they spotted them entering.

"What happened?" Sara asked looking at Aisha than at Aaraiz.

"Taya abu I wanted to talk about something." He looked confused and told Aisha to spoke further.

"I also want to Turkey." Faraz confused expressions changed into worried ones as he looked at Aaraiz.

Aisha quickly went towards her Tayi and whispered in her ears. "Tayii Jaan! You yourself told me that we should always be with our husband that's why I'm going plus I'll take care of him too. Please convince Taya abu with me."

She nodded her head, understanding her. "Faraz let her go. They will enjoy their honeymoon in Turkey."

Faraz looked at his wife shocked as he just told her the reason of Aaraiz trip and now she is sending Aisha too, Sara assured him with her eyes. "Okay beta but Aaraiz take care of my daughter." He confirmed with a smile, Aisha and Aaraiz smiled too.