Hired Bride

CHAPTER - 12

She witnessed Hammad sitting beside Rumi and laughing at something she said.

'How dare he?' She thought furiously and clenched her fists.

She so much wanted to shoot both of them but calming her rage she went towards them and stood in front of Rumi.

"Um.... Rumi aapi, I need to speak

with Hammad about something very important. Can you please move a little?" She asked innocently blinking her eyes and Rumi nodded not having any option and move away from Hammad giving her space to sit.

Hammad bit his tongue to stop the threatening smile seeing his little wife all jealous and worked up.

Zara sat beside him, not forgetting to pinch his arm mercilessly.

Hammad held back his scream but didn't forget to bestow her a deathly glare.

"Hello dear husband. How do you feel now?" Zara whispered in his ear.

He was amazed to see Zara. She was sometimes shy enough to not meet his eyes and sometimes bold enough to come so close to him without hesitating.

"Very much happy and loved." He answered her, gesturing her towards his arm where she pinched a while before.

She smiled at him innocently and said. "Don't worry, you will feel more loved soon."

"Guys, I guess we should go shopping tonight?" Asmara suggested enthusiastically catching everyone's attention.

"Yes you are right? We should go and the boys will accompany us as our bodyguard." Najis bhabhi agreed with another suggestion.

"Bhabhi, we are not accompanying you guys." Adil Asmara's brother said grimacing at the thought only.

"Oh you will, just let us inform Baba about our shopping. He will order you guys to follow us and you will have no choice to say no." Najis bhabhi stated the truth.

"So everyone is up for it." Asmara asked everyone.

"Um.... Asmara aapi. I guess I'll stay back. I'm not feeling well." Zara made excuses and rubbed her forhead trying to sound genuine.

She can't even think to roam around the market, crowded with people, with all the girls walking from this shop to that.

"But we will have fun." Najis thought to convince her.

"Bhabhi, I'm sorry but I think with my current situation, I will spoil your shopping. What if my condition worsen."Zara said making faces of a sick person and continued to rub her forehead.

Everyone there was confuse that what happened to her suddenly.

Anyways they nodded understandingly not before instructing her to take medicines.

"You are such a good actress, your acting skills are commendable." Hammad complemented her when they were in their hotel room.

"Thank you."She said, busy in her phone.

"What are you looking at, so intently?" Hammad leaned behind her to peek in her phone.

She was looking at her phone's screen for almost an hour now.

"Na.... Nothing." She said and hide her phone behind her back.

"Something is fishy." Hammad said and swiftly snatched her phone.

He looked at the screen and his eyes wide opened and jaw hanged down.

"Ten ways to make your husband fall for you." He read it aloud.

"You were busy reading this s**t!" He exclaimed loudly, not believing his eyes.

"This is not a s**t. Okay...." She angrily reasoned and snatched her phone.

"And don't ever try interfere in my personal matters." She growled.

She was embarrassed, and her anger was way to hide it.

She was storming out of the room when Hammad held her hand, halting her motion.

He dragged her towards their bed and made her sit.

"Why were you reading that useless article?" Hammad asked her, holding her hand in his.

"It shouldn't bother you. "She snatched her hand away.

"It only should bother me because as far as I remember, I'm your husband." He angrily snapped at her, fed up of her angry mood.

"Who likes his cousin." She retorted back, her eyes being moist at thought.

"You were reading that useless s**t because you thought I like her?" He asked her, this time his tone a little softer.

"What do you mean by I thought? You yourself confessed that you like her." She snarled, throwing daggers at him.

"I never confessed that I like her. I agreed on liking her before our marriage." He said and she replayed their conversation in her mind.

"Okay, you wanted to know, so listen,

I hate her because you liked her. "She came near him and looked into his eyes and said the truth.

"What? Who told you?" Hammad was shocked to hear this from her.

"Isn't it the truth?" She glared him.

"Yes it is....." He said and walked away.

"She was my past and I liked her because Ammi and baba wanted us to get married. After the accident Badi ammi rejected me because of my limp and Ammi asked for your hand because she thought you were the cause of me being rejected." He held her shoulders and made her sit again.

He sat beside her and took her hands again in his.

"You are my present Zara and I don't only like you but I love you." He pulled the thorn of jealousy and insecurities she was having, with his words which were coated with truth and honesty.

"You don't have to read those useless articles about making me fall for you because I've already fallen for you, head over heels my dear wife." He was smiling, looking at his beautiful wife.

"And second thing, you can't make someone fall for you. It happens on its own." He continued.

"I love you too and I'm sorry for doubting you." She apologized and hugged his torso ashamed of her previous behavior.

One thing was very good with Zara that she would apologize as soon as she would realize her mistake.

"I'm glad to know that my darling wife." He said kissing her head lovingly.

A peaceful silence spread around them.

"So, you really liked her." Zara asked while later, still hugging him.

"Are you still jealous?" Hammad asked her smiling at her question.

"No, I was just wandering. Why would you like her. She is such a....." Zara was again on her jealousy mode.

'Something will never change, no matter how much you try and Zara's jealousy was one of them.' Hammad thought and stopped his wife from saying anything else with the only way he knew would work on her.

He took her lips in his, kissing her until he was sure that she forgot about Rumi.

"Why are you staring at me?" Hammad feeling her continuous gaze on him, asked her.

"What do you mean be by why? Should I go and look at somebody else's husband?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Astagfirullah, forget that I asked you." He said before fixing his gaze on the book he was reading with a scowl on his face.

A mischievous smile spread on Zara's lips.

Few minutes passed by when Zara interrupted him.

"Hammad." Her voice held love and interrupted him.

"Hammad." Her voice held love and adoration.

"Hmm."He looked at her giving her his all attention.

"I spent my almost 17 years of life with my grandparents,my cousins, my uncle and aunt." She started now looking in the space, lost somewhere.

Hammad closed his book and completely turned towards her.

"They knew all along about my insecurities, about my nightmares and about my longing for my parents...............I'm not ungrateful. They all tried their best to get me out of it, they took me to the best doctor. But the thing is they never understood me as you did." At that she looked at him and scooted closer.

Keeping her head on his shoulder she continued.

"My father occasionally used to call to speak to my grandparents.

I used to wait for his call and pray that this time he will ask for me. He will talk to me but it never happened. My mother used to come and meet me in a year or two for few hours."

Hammad held her hand, when he felt her voice moisten.

"Hammad, you know after some point of time I made myself understand that I shouldn't wait for them or their love because I've many people around me who loves me and that really helped me to stay strong in front of my family. I thought everything was under my control but when I saw your parents showering love to you and Anam, I was again at square one. I again Started craving for them, their love, their attention which is my right but they forgot to give me." She started sobbing.

"Zara its alright sweetheart. Look they love you, didn't you see how they treated you like a princess that you are in your birthday."

She humorously laughed at that.

"Hammad, they were not here on their own, you called them personally so that I come out of the panick attack I started having." She scrutinized her gaze at him.

"No.... I didn't..." Hammad started but was cut off

"Come on Hammad, I'm not a baby and beside I heard you and Dadu talking." She said and Hammad eyes widen at that.

" okay, I admit that I called them and invited them for your birthday. But the love they showered on you was real." He tried to coax her out of the sad zone.

"I won't say anything on that." She said

snuggling in him.

"You know, so many times I complained to Allah for not bestowing me with my parents love but I didn't know that He is the best planner. He has given you to me, and you are everything my heart ever wanted." She beautifully confessed her feelings towards him.

Hammad felt a wave of love, protectiveness, adoration and what not fo the girl in his arm.

He promised himself that he would do anything in his capability to keep her happy, protected and loved.

"I love you." He heard her whisper.

"I love you too." He said kissing her head and tightened his arms around her.

"Oh my God Zara what did you do to my hair." She heard His loud voice from bedroom whilst sipping her tea in the balcony.

She took few deep breaths and continued sipping her tea not giving any heed to his calling.