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𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓒𝓪𝓶𝓮 𝓐𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓘𝓷 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓴

𝓛𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓗𝓸𝓹𝓮 𝓞𝓯 𝓑𝓮𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓐𝓵𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽

Asfandyaar doesn't even cares to check the envelope again as he tores it receiving an instant glare from Dr. Zubab.

She sighs annoyed, "I respect your decision, sir. But I do not want to work for Shah Hospitals."

"I respect that you wrote this letter for the nth time knowing that I am not approving it."

She shook her head, glaring at him but she has to stay sane because it's her duty hours.

"You better give up at it, Dr. Zubab. I guess It'd be much better if you check up on your duties instead of wasting your time here."

She sighs, "It is my 12th time of giving the letter. You might lose count, sir but I cannot."

She says standing up, straightening her kurti. She turns towards the door. She grew tired now. "Can we meet outside after your duty hours?"

Zubab didn't turned. She stood still, she understands where this was going so she knew what she had to do.

"No." She says and leaves the room.

He knew she would never agree. He understands that she doesn't wants to get involved knowing the fact that he was from the Royal Shah Family.

•

Time passed like hours these days. Asfandyaar didn't even remember the last be met Zubab. It was in one of his visit to the main Shah Hospital with Lily for her check up with the diabetes doctor.

He even went to her home a couple of times to meet Zarmain but Zubab wasn't there. He was glad to have found Zarmain found now. He feels as if her mother is near him.

He barely saw her before she came to the lobby to call the nurse for something. She waved at him with a smile but said nothing.

She had kind of engraved a place in his heart.

He glances back at the clock this time. It was 7 in the evening. It was a lazy Sunday night. He just walked around and ended up watching movies with Moosa.

Maham hated Moosa's closeness with Asfandyaar but Moosa barely cared about what his mother preferred.

"We should watch a different genre next time, Moosa. Like horror, thriller and suspense. I am tired of rom-coms."

They munch another pringle. Moosa merely listened to Asfandyaar. His entire attention was on the movie. He cried in the emotional scene. "Stop it Moosa. It's not like you are the lead or ever will be."

He cried more hitting his brother.

"Oh my god!" Asfandyaar rolls his eyes. "At this point, I should be wiping my girlfriend's tears and give her a shoulder to cry not you."

"Can you shut up? It's a love triangle. It so painfull."

Asfandyaar sighs spending the rest of the night with crying moosa besides. After the movie ended, they went to the masjid for Isha Salah together and came back home. They had dinner with Maham and Azeem.

Asfandyaar just munched down the food as fast as he could. He loathed sitting in the table in front of her mother's murderer, who mentally killed Aliza before she died.

"I have arranged a meeting with Alam Qazvi's daughter Humaira Qazvi. Go meet her in the cafe tomorrow. I'll text you the address."

"I am not getting married." He says, standing up as he wiped his lips and hands with the tissue, leaving the food half.

"Stop right there and have your dinner now, Asfand." He starts walking towards the stairs. "I have lost my appetite."

"You need to go there tomorrow, Asfand."

"I will not Dad." He was stubborn like Azeem. To be precise, more than Azeem. Maham doesn't likes to speak much in front of Asfandyaar because she knows the amount of power he holds on his father. No matter what, his father will never leave him, Asfandyaar was his strength and weakness at the same time.

"What do you think you are doing? Do you think it's a joke to stay unmarried? You are forgetting tha fact that you are a heir of Shah family."

"What do you think you are doing, Dad? Even though you are experienced in this, you want me to walk in the same path?"

"Not every marriage is the same, Asfand."

A lie. He knew. He experienced.

He turns around and smirks as he stood in front of the table. "You want history to repeat, Dad?"

Azeem sighs, closing his eyes. He knew what his son was referring to. "What do you want then? Do you have any liking towards a girl you think is suitable for you?"

"Suitable? You care about suitability, Dad."

"Stop there, right now. I don't give you any rights to speak that way."

"I can understand how miserable you were to Mom. I am glad that she is now in a better place. It would have been a pity if she was here," he gazes at Maham and continues staring at her eyes, "besides you."

He could feel his father's anger bubbling up. That's what he wanted. Not like he cared even he bursts with anger.

"I want you married within 2 months, Asfand. If not I'll remove you from the boards, I will not think twice that you are my son."

He heard it. It pinned him. He clearly heard it but he just didn't wanted to.

"I don't care, Dad." He says before turning towards the stairs and going up.

He cared. He cared a lot about Shah Industries. Only he knows the amount of sweat and blood he has given to develop it more. Of course it now internationally popular and recognised almost everywhere.

•

After few days he met Zubab a couple of times. They had grew closer unknowingly. Zubab still kept her conversation minimal but he being the most silent one was loud around her.

They mostly met after their work. Asfand would drop her off sometimes in the name of meeting Zarmain. Telling her that he was passing by and he thought he could pick her up.

Finally, teb day came when he decided to ask Zubab. That would she be interested in marrying him because dating is haram.

"Seems like I was late," she expresses and sits down in the chair in front of him. "Not new. I read that girls always make their boy friends wait." He smirks while talking to her in double meaning.

"Boy friends?"

"Aren't I?"

"Not at all," she laughs. "Never!" She giggled loudly making Asfand gaze at her in utter shock. It was a sheer rejection before he even tried to propose.

"I have everything. I don't even have a weakness, Zubab." He sips his americano and glares at her as she tries hard to control her laughter.

"You don't have a beard, Asfand."

He cracked up along with her. He seriously did not expect her to bring up the topic of beard. She likes beards? He pondered.

"Yes, she does, " she answers. "Was I loud?" He queries as soon as she completes. "Your eyes were."

His heart skipped a beat.

"Why did you called me?" She asks sipping her Mocha. Asfandyaar has grown to know her so much that he even knows what she prefers to drink and eat more. He was glad, he knew.

"Err..." He hesitated. She still sipped the mocha. "I want to get married."

"Tell your Dad about it Asfand and just to brace you before you ask. I have no girl in my vision for matchmaking he with you." She says randomly before he could continue. She stirs the straw in the plastic glass, sipping more.

"Let me finish, Doctor. How did you co-operate with old age people being a diabetologist when you are so spontaneous?"

He complaints. "Okay! Okay! Continue..."

"I want to keep it as simple as possible as you don't like the grand way."

"I am all ears. Bolo bhi..."

She sighs irritated and sips teh delight again. He had never felt nervous in his entire life as much as he felt at the moment.

"I want to get married to you," he finally says.

Zubab doesn't stops sipping the Mocha nor does he opens his eyes. He could hear that she was sipping the last of it because of the sound. She kept the glass in the table and stands up saying, "That's not happening, Asfandyaar."

For the first time, she called him just by Asfandyaar.

"You can take your time, Zub-"

"I don't want the time, Asfand."

She takes her bag and leaves the cafe.

He stunned by what just happened. He was rejected?

•

There were many times that he had asked her about the proposal that she'd ever consider it. It was always a no but that didn't changed the bond they had in between.

"I have even started growing beard." He says, joking but she was not in the mood.

Sour and sweet.

"I told you Asfand. I am not accepting it."

Frustration ran through his mind for the first time. He finally asks, "Why are you doing this to me, Zubab? I know you like me. Is there anything wrong?"

"I am a divorcee, Asfand. I am a victim of physical and mental abuse."

He is shaken with her confession.

"That's a flaw to your family. We both know what Shah heirs get married for. Do you want me to get myself humiliated for the rest of my life?"

•

Thoughts on the chapter?