Hired Bride

CHAPTER - 2

All thanks to Alina who said she wouldn't eat if she didn't come with her and eat with her, she had started to eat with them on dining table.

She was having her dinner quietly. She had seen only three people, dada jaan as she started to call him, Rafia aunty and Alina till now.

"Your uncle is in jail. "Dada jaan said stuffing his mouth with food.

She looked at him quizzically.

"After you told me everything, I filed a case against him. He didn't accept it first but after a little interrogation and threatening he spilled the bean and now he is in jail. "He explained her and Alina clapped in happiness. She was relieved too. She was scared that her uncle might come and take her with him in the hell she had run from.

She smiled for the first time and her beautiful smile got was short lived when two boy and a men entered the dining room.

One boy was around 15 and the second might be near 18 or 19.

The man was in his early forties.

"Asslam Alaiykum. "All three of them greeted unison.

They greeted them back.

"Baba!!!!. "Alina jumped from her chair and ran towards her father with open

arm.

"How's my daughter?"The man asked excitedly whilst picking her up from the ground.

"I'm good, did phuppo(father's sister) send something for me.

"Yes she did, but your mother will it to you tomorrow."He said setting her down.

Everyone sat on the table and the man patted Aisha' head. From the way they behaved around her she knew that they were informed about her beforehand.

"So how's my sons vacation has been? "Rafia asked the boys.

"It was awesome Ammi and yeah phuppo send you and dada jaan her regards, she will come soon."The smaller on answered enthusiastically.

"Aisha, meet my husband Sadaquat khan, my elder son Khizar khan, my younger son Sahir khan and you all meet my Aisha Ahmad, she is lovely." Rafia sensing the awkwardness introduced her to all three of them quite excitedly.

Everyone flashed her a smile except the Khizar who was looking at her with expressionless face.

"Nice to meet you Aisha. "She heard Sahir smiling at her widely and she unintentionally smiled back at him.

"Oh, Ammi I forgot to tell you, Sahil has also came with us. He wasn't hungry so he is resting in my room."Sahir informed her mother.

Aisha was feeling Khizar's gaze every now and then on her. Feeling uncomfortable she excused herself and went towards her assigned room.

She was going towards her room when

a voice stopped her.

"Hello, beautiful girl. "She looked back and a boy same as to Khizar was standing some feet away from her.

She didn't answer and disappear in her room.

Sahir stood there smiling.

"What are you doing here? "Khizar voice snapped him out.

"Hey, who is that girl in your house?" He asked Khizar without even answering his question.

Khizar grimaced and left from there.

Sahir looked at his back and moved towards the guest room.

All three boys were assembled in a hall talking about boyish stuff when

suddenly Alina started to talk about her new found friend.

"She such a lovely person and I love her." Alina said it for umpteenth

time and they all laughed at her over excited self.

"Who's that girl mumani jaan(mother's brother's wife) Sahil asked Rafia who came there to check on them.

Instead of going out, she sat there and narrated them the whole story.

"Me and Sadaquat have planned to adopt her legally. "She said smilingly.

They all smiled at her conveying that they support her in this matter.

After that they all were busy with their own stuff but a pair of steely grey eyes were roaming here and there to find her,to find Aisha Ahmad but she was hidden in one of the corner of her room in Khan villa unaware of the fact that she was soon going to be someone's center of the universe, unaware of the fact the after every hardship there comes an ease, unaware of the fact that she will receive what she had longed for so long 'love'.

It was overwhelming news for her that Rafia and her husband wanted to adopt her legally.

After her father's death, her uncle's behavior with her egraved the thought in her brain that she wasn't wanted.

But after several years of misery when Rafia and Sadaquat both came to her room and asked her consent for the adoption, she broke down and cried with hiccups. It was hard for Sadaquat and Rafia to calm her down.

"Ayesha, if you don't want this then it's ok, you can live here without the paper work as well but we wanted to secure your future. We do not want

your uncle to come and claim his guardianship on you at any point of your life."Sadaquat said whilst Rafia was busy rubbing her back in soothing manner.

"No, it's not like that. It's just that, I thought nobody wants me in their life." She said while sobbing. She wanted to let her guard down in front of these people with beautiful heart.

Rafia and Sadaquat smiled at each other.

"Don't ever say that, you are our daughter, not less than Alina for us."Rafia said hugging her.

"Thank you Aunty. "She thanked her softly.

"I'm very much offended Ayesha. "Rafia said with a pout whilst detaching herself from her.

She panicked.

'What did I do?' She thought worriedly.

"Call me Mumma, otherwise I will very offended."Rafia's next statement brought her out from her painful thought and smile spread across rosy lips.

"Mumma."She whispered to herself, testing the sweetness nad love beneath this beautiful word.

Rafia heard and smiled with tears in her eyes and hugged her again.

"You must call me Baba then. "She heard Sadaquat khan's voice.

She looked at him and next second she was hugging him tightly.

Sadaquat and Rafia was happy to have a beautiful yet innocent daughter like Ayehsa and Ayesha was happy to be part of that beautiful and loving family.

Its been six years since she was basking in the love of Khan villa's members.

She and Alina were now first year student of BBA.

She had learnt to trust, love and care.

She learnt about all of the khan villa's memeber except the man with steely grey eyes. She tried but she never understood his cold demeanor. He became colder and colder with her only as the time passed by.

"Ayesha, what are you doing here? Come lets get going, Sahir bhai is taking us ice cream parlour. "Alina said whilst coming into her balcony and dragging her inside.

"Hold on Alina, let me change first."She said smilingly whilst taking her wrist out from Alina's hold.

"You look beautiful always, you don't need to dress up to look beautiful."Alina said while observing her beautiful features.

"Alina come on, stop this rubbish."She said whilst entring her washroom with a beautiful yellow shirt.

Soon enough the gang of four, Sahir, Sahil, Alina and Ayesha were heading towards their favorite ice cream parlour whilst joking and laughing with each other.

After having their icecream they thought for a long drive and after informing their parents they headed to fulfill their little wish.

It was 8 in the night when they returned boisterously.

"Where you guys have been at this point of night. "They all halted on their way when a loud voice echoed in the

hall.

Everyone turned towards the source of voice and found his steely grey eyes glaring them with full intensity.

"Sahir, haven't I told you to not roam the city at night, specially with girls."Khizar angry voice boomed again.

"Come on khizar, it was my plan anyways."Sahil came towards him and thought to calm down his angry cousin.

He looked at everyone and stormed out from there.

Ayesha could still feel his angry gaze on her.

She had noticed that if they took Alina at night to calm her ice-cream cravings, he had no objections. It was only when she joined them.

'Doesn't he like her being with his

family' she had thought it several time but before her brain could answer she used to shut down the thought.

He never interacted with her and whenever he did, it was always cold and formal.

"Dada jaan, here is your tea along with your favorite breakfast."She said entring Amjad khan's room with a big smile spread across her lips. She liked the time she used to spend with the Amjad khan. He used to tell her stories about his college life, his wife and she loved to listen all those stories no matter how many time he had repeated it, she used to respond equally enthusiastic as she was at the first time she heard it.

"Come darling, I was waiting for you.' She heard him say and went towards him with the trolly filled.

"You have made me so lazy, I can't even go to dining for my breakfast."He said in complaining tone like a child. Nonetheless he sat up and closed his book he was reading and turned towards her.

"Your dadi jaan always made the best prathas."He said whilst chewing the freshly made pratha.

Ayesha fake glared him,sensing her glare he continued.

"Your pratha is bestest I've had."

11 of course after your dadi jaan."

He whispered the last statement but Ayesha heard it.

She was laughing whilst clutching her stomach when suddenly the door opened.

Seeing the intruder Ayesha's laugh ceased and she stood up awkwardly.

He greeted dada jaan and turned towards her.

"Where is Mumma and Alina?" Не asked her with expressionless face.

"Mumma is sleeping and Alina went for jogging with Sahil and Sahir." She answered meekly with lower gaze.

"Dada jaan, I'm going to office, make sure to take your medicines in time. "He addressed dada jaan with a warm smile.

After finishing his MBA he joined his family business and according to Sadaquat khan he was very good at it.

'The scowl and coldness is for me only.' Ayesha thought bitterly.

She heard the doors creaking sound indicating her that he was gone.

After instructing dada jaan that she will be back after giving him breakfast,

she scurried towards khizar's retreating figure.

"Ahmm, what do you want for breakfast?" She asked him hurriedly, before he step out of the house.

He stopped on his track and turned. He looked at her. Cold steely grey against warm chocolate brown.

The intesity of his look made her to drop her long brown eyelashes, she didn't know her simple act made someone's heart to run marathon.

"Parath...."He was about to say something when Sahil's loud voice cut him in the middle.

"Ayesha, please dear serve me your handmade tasty paratha before I die out of hunger."Sahil said in dramatic way and Alina and Sahir added to his drama with fake whine and cry whilst asking for the same.

She laughed at them.

"Ok, but freshen up first. "She said to them and turned towards Khizar.

"What were you saying?"She asked him softly.

"Nothing."He replied her rudely and stormed out of the house.

'He was fine a while before, now what happened to him. Such a bipolar.'She thought and moved towards dada jaan's room to collect the utensils before she engaged in feeding those big babies of the house.

Sahil had come to spend some days in khan villa. It wasn't new for her. He never missed a chance to be in khan villa.