14th Aug, 2021

Writer.

Yazan took a deep breathe and exhaled it out before knocking at the door.

"I'm coming after few minutes."

A manly voice spoke, disallowing him to enter the room.

"It's...Yazan."

"Ohh, come in."

He sighed and clicked the door open.

Till now what he thought was that he alone is the only protector, guardian and Mahram of his beloved wife, Sayba, even though it's been just 2 days of that.

Then comes her father's brother!

Now the boy is more scared of her uncle than the lightening bolts and storms.

"Assalamu Alaikum."

Yazan greeted, his gaze fell on the couch placed in the right side of the room as Sayba and her uncle sat on it.

Her head resting in her uncle's shoulder, she's asleep holding a serene smile in her lips.

Even though she has slept enough peacefully in her husband's embrace, her uncle's arms feel thousand drops more tranquil.

"Walaikumussalam Yazan! Come on."

Yazan walked to them and kneeled down beside the couch, in front them.

"Sit up in here."

He shook his head to the offer.

"She's smiling."

Yazan mumbled, admiring her smile's ethereality.

"You didn't make her smile like this? That means she's not happy with you?"

To his heated voice, Yazan's smile ceased as he abruptly shook his head at him.

"No Sir I didn't mea..."

"SIR!"

"Ohh...mmm Chachu...."

He swallowed a lump in his throat helplessly staring at him, very nervous and worried for what only he knows.

"Yazan you're not giving any viva exam here! Calm down."

Iffaz's father has confirmed their Nikah to everyone and the happiest person to learn this beautiful truth is Sayba's uncle.

For Yazan is Iffaz's best friend and he doubtlessly knows that both his daughters are blessed with two of the best young boys!

And even though Yazan's mom is still not happy, she has decided to not create any mess for the sake of her son, thus she has accompanied Yazan to come to meet Sayba's newly discovered family.

"Did Sayba hide that she was alive or....you never tried to know where she was?"

Yazan questioned as he looked at him with demanding eyes.

Seeing her uncle helplessly smiling at him, he found his answer.

"Why'd she do that...."

He mumbled looking at her, his heart wrenched imagining those 2 years that she has suffered because of her foolishness and arrogance.

"That doesn't deny that I'm still responsible for everything that has happened to her.

I should have confirmed everything, if only I'd......"

He spoke guiltily.

They both maintained a whole minute of silence with their gazes busy in admiring Sayba.

"Your shoulder must be paining, shall I take her to the bed?"

"No let her be, she has just slept."

Sayba's uncle noticed how Yazan's looking at her, with respect, care and infinite amount of love for her.

How could he build such purified love for his wife this soon!

"Yazan you know she wills to study medical from alw........."

"She will, The admission starts from after 2 months."

Yazan cheekily smiled as he said cutting him off.

Amazed, Sayba's uncle nodded his head at him and leaned down to kiss Sayba's forehead.

"Her growth....her health...Is everything fine in her?"

Yazan didn't answer as he remembered something which Iffaz suggested him to let Sayba's uncle know.

"Mmm..."

He shifted closer to Sayba and kept his hands in her lap.

"She is..."

Gulping down, Yazan closed his eyes feeling his chest lightly aching.

"Infertile."

"Hmm?"

He raised his eyebrows not hearing what Yazan has just said.

"Ohh actually...Sayba is infertile."

He informed as if this information is the least to be cared for, while Sayba's uncle is utterly shocked learning this.

"Infer..tile? WHAT?"

"Sshh...."

Yazan shook his head at him warning that Sayba's sleep might get disturbed.

"Do..does she know? When...did you get to know?"

"No....mmm she doesn't? Only Iffaz and Sawda do. And for now....I don't plan to let her know."

He slightly rested his head in Sayba's lap as he spoke, his voice full of confidence but heart in tears.

"She...can..cannot have bb..."

"WE can...we will, In Sha Allah. Once we get settled to this new life I'll let her know and...will go for treatment."

Yazan warmly smiled.

He has nothing to say to him in return, beyond words to praise his kind heart.

"She has suffered a lot..."

"I won't let her suffer anymore."

Even though he said so courageously, his eyes turned moist as he looked away.

After few more minutes of their talk, Sayba's uncle had to leave as he received a call from his office.

Yazan picked up his wife in his arms and shifted her to the bed.

He sat near her after taking her shoes off.

"You're so beautiful!"

Yazan mumbled leaning down to kiss both her fluffy cheeks.

"I'm also handsome. We'll make beautiful and handsome babies together."

He chuckled at his own words, softly caressing her cheeks and nose.

"And if we don't, no worries. I can be your baby hubby and you can be my baby wifey."

Saying in a whisper, He rubbed his nose against hers.

"But......"

He moved near her stomach and leaned down to place few kisses around.

"I still pray this tummy of yours to be our babies kingdom."

His heart begged to Allah for this.

"Rest Allah knows."

"What have you done to me in just 6 days Sayba? I wonder my condition after 6 years!"

"Umm hmm Yaa...zz..aan.."

Her lips wobbled up getting disturbed by his touch as she murmured feeling annoyed.

"Are you not sleeping?"

His eyebrows furrowed at her.

"Mmmm..Yazan..."

She smiled, asleep but still aware of his nearness.

"Yazan's Sayba."

"Yoouu...are."

"I am?"

"Mm...hot."

Yazan's eyes widened as he let out a chuckle.

Sayba indicated the weather which he understood when she tried to pull off her Hijab.

"Ohh girl!"

He removed her Hijab as friendly as he could to not disturb her nap.

"Yazan...my hus..husband!"

"Yeah?"

"Dis..gusting.."

"Woman what are you even blabbering?"

He waited for a minute for her to again speak her nonsense but she stayed silent,

her expression changed in every second as he guessed that she's dreaming something very thrilling.

"Huummm he's...cute."

"Ohh me? Thanks."

Caressing her cheek, he touched her lips causing her to take his finger in between her teeth, amusing him.

She began nibbling on it like hungry babies do while sleeping as he watched her dumbstruck.

"Baby wifey huh!"

He then spent few more minutes with his sleeping beauty and then exited the room to go to the terrace as Iffaz called him there.

"Faazi."

"I'm your elder brother in law now, respect me."

Came his voice to which Yazan looked at his right and found Iffaz sitting on a chair with his legs crossed as a smirk sat on his handsome yet evil face.

"Don't watch such nightmares."

Yazan grabbed out a chair at the place he stood and sat on it, in a far distance from Iffaz.

"Know what, Aani is really really forcing herself to be happy, my intelligence has a solution for this."

"What?"

"At first promise me you'll not feel much thankful to me for this idea, you know then I'll start flying in pride."

By now Yazan has already understood that it's just his best friend's nonsense, definitely nothing else.

"You hear me Zaani?"

"Yeah!"

"Sayba is already yours.....so...."

Iffaz mischievously grinned as Yazan turned his head to him, waiting for him to say further.

"Get married to Aafia too! Momma happy, son happy! Ohh Mii Allah, I should just tell it to Aani instead of............"

No sooner had he said that, Yazan took off his shoe the same time and threw it to his direction as it hardly slapped Iffaz's chest cutting his sentence off.

"Look son behave yourself!"

Slapping Iffaz's back very hard, he went to take his shoe back and wore it while Iffaz burst into guffaws before groaning in pain.

"What..what if Aani is also thinking the same as meeeee!"

He fell on the ground unable to control his laughter.

"Allah!"

Yazan gritted his teeth very annoyingly and grabbed Iffaz's hand to walk downwards.

••••

Sayba.

Two arms held me as I felt his body hugging my back, immediately then he pecked my cheek causing me shiver.

His touch is so soothing!

"Hmmm Sayba, you could have taken out only a minute to call me in the whole 10 hours.

Have you forgotten me?"

He turned me around to him, I struggled moving back to maintain distance but he grew his grip tighter on me.

"I'm sorry....it's nothing like that."

I couldn't control grinning at his complaining expression.

"How's it like then? Would you have called me if I'd not come here?"

"Maybe....."

His eyebrows arched up hearing my unsure answer.

"No problem, I'll teach you how to answer your husband's questions correctly."

Saying, he picked me up in his arms and walked to the bed.

Making me sit there, he kneeled down and kept his head in my lap.

"Did your mom get to know about us?"

I ran my fingers through his hair.

"Hmm."

"She has no problem so, right?"

"Nah! Now....."

He looked up, happily smiling.

"Let's go back to home."

I controlled nodding my head as an evil idea hit my mind.

"I don't want to go...I want to stay here."

Displaying honesty and firmness in my expression, I said in a low voice.

As expected, his eyes widened in shock.

Oh Allah I'm so sorry, it's the first and last time, please don't count it as a sin!

"Why love, I'll bring you here in the morning in my way to the hospital. For now let's go home."

"No...Yazan...mmm we need to talk about this."

I sighed, trying my best to act serious and not get caught.

But the way he's looking at me...like a cat pleading for a piece of fish, ohh Yazan! I'm sorry.

"About what...Sayba?"

He took my hands and made me hold his face.

"Yazan....I... I've hid from them that I was..alive...but now."

Allah will never forgive me for what I'm doing.

"But now?"

He looked at me desperately, his voice so low and fearful.

"I want to stay with my family..I don't want to go with yo..."

"The hell Sayba! What do you say? I promise I'll bring you here whenever you ask for BUT, not this AT ALL."

He roared.

It's so hard to let this go on but feels so good seeing such reaction from him.

He leaned up to kiss my forehead.

"Reply that will do. Please."

"That...won't."

Astagfirullah!

Astagfirullah!

Astagfirullah!

"Why?"

"Bec.. because I'm not sure of us, I need time and...I want to spend few months with chachu...and..."

I stopped seeing him stepping away, he stood up and forced a smile at me.

Ohh no! It's going way too messy!

"You need time, you're not sure of us?"

"Yazan...please don't misunderstand me."

"Okay! What do you mean by few months. Tell in numbers."

"5-6...."

He remained silent for a minute while I began whispering Astaghfar.

"Okay Sayba! You're right in your place. Stay...as long as you want."

He said, sternly and emotionless.

But I expected something else from him.

"Don't mind me Yazan..."

"I want to tell you something too."

He walked back to me, kneeled down in the floor and grabbed my hands to his chest.

"Hmm?"

"Mom has always loved Aafia like her own daughter....."

I hated hearing him taking her name.

"Then let her stay like a daughter to her huh?

Why does she want to make that girl her daughter in law?"

"Because she wants Aafia to stay near her all the time..."

"Don't Take Her Name With This Mouth Of Yours."

I feel like punching his face so hard that he forgets her name forever, even if it takes forgetting mine too.

"Mom wants me to mm..marry Aafia even after knowing about us being married, I...I asked for some time."

"SOME TIME?"

"Yeah."

"You only belong to me."

He claimed me to be ONLY his when he gave me that bracelet.

But is he also not only mine?

How dare he now prank me like this?

Writer.

"You knew that I was lying all the while right?"

Sayba heatedly questioned grabbing him closer to her by his collar as he widely grinned.

"Yeah Mi Amore, I knew. Look we both know each other so well that you also caught me lying back to you."

Yazan confessed in his husky voice, softly rubbing his beard in her cheek.

"But you involved a third person between us, I can't tolerate that."

"And you involved distance between us, I can't tolerate that."

Complained his soft whisper in return.

Yazan put her down the bed to his lap as she straddled him.

"We won't repeat this dirty game again, okay love?"

•••••

"Dadajaan."

Sayba called seeking his attention as he abruptly turned his head to her hearing her beautiful voice which he found very familiar.

Others stood behind while she walked towards the bed where he laid and sat near him.

They both stared at each other for about 2 minutes, Sayba complaining that why she abandoned his own son and her grandfather trying to recognize this girl.

"I'm Sayba."

He blinked his eyes for a bunch of times and extended his hand to her.

"I was just dreaming of you and your son."

He tightly held Sayba's hand and brought it near his mouth to kiss her knuckles.

"My...son?"

"Didn't he come?"

He looked behind her to find others but not the one whom he expected.

"Who?"

"Amir?"

(Sayba's father)

"Why? Why'll he come? Didn't you deny him to not come to you?"

She seethed in anger and pulled her hand back from him.

"Okay my soul, don't be angry."

She chuckled at his choice of words and the endearment.

"Yazan, go."

Sayba's uncle patted his back asking him to go forward.

Yazan hummed and sat near Sayba.

As he side hugged her, Sayba's grandfather's eyes widened in shock and he immediately grabbed Sayba away from Yazan.

"Gentleman, you don't touch her."

He warned forcing a smile to Yazan.

He has met Yazan once and assumed him to be one of his old friends. That's how life is treating him now, whomever he meets, he builds an old relation with that person.

"Why so?"

Yazan raised his eyebrows at him.

"He's my husband."

She informed.

"Sayba!"

Her grandfather glared at her as if she has said something sinful.

"You, get up, move back."

He ordered Yazan confusing everyone.

"Please leave me and my wife alone for sometime."

He spoke holding her hand tightly as if he's scared to let her go.

"Sayba looks like Ammi."

Sayba's uncle said as everyone turned to him with widened eyes.

She exactly is the young version of her grandmother and is named after her.

"Gentleman how come she's your wife? You're 80 and my girl is 19."

Yazan sheepishly smiled at him to which he looked away in annoyance and extended his hand to Sayba.

"I'm your Amir's daughter, the son you've forsaken."

As much loved she felt meeting her grandfather, a lot more is she offended with him.

"That's why I'm happy that you left me, why do you always need to taunt me for that?"

"Allah! Dadajaan I'm not your wife."

••••

"At least let her stay here for a month."

Yazan clenched his fists so tight that the veins of his hands almost exploded as his whole face reddened in anger.

Instead of discussing this matter with him, her uncle is talking to his Mom and thus he didn't choose to interfere.

What possibly he could do is shooting Sayba with his murderous glares, asking her to speak up.

But when he didn't, why should she?

"Aaee..Abbu, I was saying that...

Yazan will drop her here every morning and take her back while returning home from hospital.

That's better right?"

Iffaz spoke.

Despite getting relaxed with that, Yazan still didn't stop glaring at his wife.

"Hmm, I guess that's fine."

"And fair enough for me."

Yazan didn't even realize that he just said this causing everyone look at him in surprise.

"Ohh Yazan! Go wash your eyes, they've turned so red."

"Man I'm not stealing her from you."

Sayba's uncle teased him but he's way too busy with his fury at his wife to feel embarassed.

"We should get going now."

But unfortunately it began raining so heavily that they had to stay back here for tonight.

His impatience finally came to an end when after which felt like eternity, everyone bid each other bye and left to their respective rooms.

Yazan shut the door very hard causing Sayba jump in fear even though she's excited to get scolded by him.

"You've embarrassed me so much! Everyone understood that...."

"That I didn't want what they wanted and there my wife, you stood numb."

He chuckled, ruffling his hair in frustration.

"Oh yeah! Why didn't you speak then?"

She sat on the bed with crossed legs while he went to close the windows.

"What would they think of me if I'd done so?"

"Why didn't you think of so when you were glaring at me and showed them how angry you were?"

To her words he passed her a defeated smile.

"Will we sleep now?"

She questioned as he took off his shoes and sat up in the bed.

"If you have no other plans, yeah."

"Mmm no...actually...can you give me that t-shirt of yours?"

She bit her lip pointing at the t-shirt he wore.

"Woman! What's up with you?"

"I can't sleep in this Abaya and..."

"You are not supposed to either, huh?"

"I didn't wear anything inside."

Sayba forced an innocent smile.

Yazan took few seconds to understand what she just meant as he gawked at her from up to down.

"Lame joke!"

"I'm serious! That's why I say lend your t-shirt to me."

"You ser...seriously didn't wear anything...I can't believe this Sayba! You stayed like this the whole day, how could you even....."

"Yazan! Allah! It's thick enough and it was too hot tod..."

"No love...."

He hauled her over him.

"Don't do this again."

He gently pleaded.

"You're so cute."

Instead of answering him, she pinched both of his cheeks.

"I won't do that again. Now this please."

She tugged at his t-shirt which he immediately took off and passed it to her.

She got down the bed and ran to the washroom to get changed.

Back to his sight, in a rosewood colored pair of dividers and his gray t-shirt, she walked out of the washroom.

"Oh My Allah! Yazan just look at that! Two giant big side pillows!"

Her happiness knew no bound as she jumped up on the bed and hugged both the pillows.

"Yeah cuddle with them."

He taunted in a bored voice.

"I'll take them with me."

"I'll buy you 100 better of them. Now come here."

He pulled her on top of him as her giggles sang beautifully to his ears making him giggle in return.

"You're beautiful."

He ran his hands down her shoulders.

"I'm full of scars."

"You're not, I've seen you."

As her head fell on his bare chest, she was invited with his heart loudly signing the music of lub and dub.

"Good night love."