Hired Bride

CHAPTER - 11

"So, this is how you derive the formula for magnifying power of a compound microscope." Hammad said handing her notebook.

"Umm...what did you say?" Zara held her notebook confusingly.

"What we were studying Zara?" He asked, scrutinizing his gaze on her.

"Umm... Physics?" She stated which sounded almost like a question.

"I'm not asking about the subject? What topic was it?" He was again losing his patience.

Initially he was angry because he had to stand in front of her door for hours and after thousands of knock she still didn't open her door. But the next morning he caught hold of her and started teaching her but the girl was very talented in wasting time. He would teach her and she would yawn thousands of time, would go to drink water hundreds of time and would get up to eat tenths of time.

And the remaining time she would waste, whining about how hard science was for her and it was all fault of her dadi who forced her to take science.

Hammad was tolerating her because he knew he needed patience to teach a student like her. She was one intelligent girl but uninterested in her studies.

"Can I answer your question after having lunch? See it's past lunch time." She said and got up before Hammad could say anything.

"This is not gonna work." He mumbled shaking his head hopelessly.

After lunch, when he came to her to teach her again, he found her laughing loudly, clutching her stomach whilst watching Tom and Jerry show.

"Can we start now?" He asked politely, sitting beside her.

"Please, I promise I'll study after watching this episode." She requested him, showing him her puppy dog eyes.

"Hammad, your medicines." Zara extended her hands towards him.

"I'm not taking it until and unless you promise me to take your studies seriously, it should be a real promise." Hammad knew she was way too serious about his health and to tame the untamed girl this was the only solution he came up with.

He wanted her to get highly educated.

"You can't be kidding me?" She was shocked, hearing his blackmail.

"Of course not. I'm serious." He said and busied himself in his file.

"Hammad...." She whined helplessly.

He ignored her whining and kept looking at his file.

"Okay fine, I promise I'll seriously study for my board but don't expect me to do good in my upcoming test because I don't have lots of time for it but for board I've and almost two months and I will try my best for it." She promised, not finding any way to deal with the black mailer daemon.

"Good." He said and took the medicines from Zara's hand, smiling victoriously at her.

"Oh my God!!! I can't believe I got 68% marks in my board. I swear this is the highest percentage I've ever got in my entire life." She was jumping up and down and squealing in happiness.

Even though Hammad was not happy with her result but he didn't show it.

"Where are you taking me for a celebration?" She stood in front of him with twinkling eyes.

"Celebration? For what? " He didn't get her.

"For my success." She said proudly.

Only if she knew that her husband never celebrated even after getting 98 percent in his board.

"Okay, let's go out today for a fancy dinner." He said controlling his laugh.

'Success party!!!' He mentally repeated her and broke out in his room, and laughed till he got tears in his eyes.

"Hammad, can we go to the beach?" She asked when they were returning from the restaurant.

"Anees, take us to the beach." Hammad ordered his driver and again leaned back, closing his eyes.

"Anees bhai, take us to home." Zara ordered and Hammad opened his eyes, looking at her confusingly.

"But you wanted to go." He didn't know why she suddenly changed her plan.

"But now I don't." She replied him with an assuring smile and turned her head towards the window.

"May I ask why suddenly you changed your plan?" He asked her as soon as they entered their apartment.

"I just didn't feel like going anymore." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Don't lie." He warned her, watching her with his famous calculative gaze.

"You weren't seeming well." She answered him meekly.

"You are right. I am feeling pain in my knee because of walking little extra today." He confessed sitting beside her.

"And this is why I wanted you to leave me, because I can't even walk with you properly." He sounded frustrated, annoyed and helpless.

Zara looked at him and suddenly she felt like owning all his pain.

He was looking down.

Zara's hand held his left cheek and forced him to look at her.

Hammad looked at her, and found nothing but love in her honey brown eyes.

"I love you." She whispered near his lips and pecked his lips lovingly.

She was backing away but He held her and kissed her as if his life depends on it.

"I love you too." He whispered, breathing heavily and connected their lips again.

The ringing bell announced about some visitors, making them snapped out in reality.

Hammad left her and stood up.

"Um let me see who's there?" He said and moved towards the door.

She nodded shyly and ran to her room.

After calming her wildly beating heart, and splashing water to fade the crimson colour from her cheeks, she came out of her room only to get choked by her sister in law, Hammad's only sister, Anam Ali.

"Assalam o Alaiykum Zara" She greeted her warmly.

She greeted her back and looked towards the living room where her inlaws were seated along with Hammad.

She went towards them and greeted them respectfully.

"Zara, water will do for now. We just came to visit you guys. You don't have to trouble yourself." Mr Ali said, when he saw her going towards the kitchen.

"But...." She was cut off by her father in law again.

"No ifs and buts. We are full.

We just had our dinner."

She nodded and brought water for them.

"So that's final then, you guys are coming." Mrs Ali said looking expectantly at her son.

"Where?" Zara questioned, not knowing what they were talking about when she was in the kitchen.

"We are going on family tour. Bade papa(father's elder brother) and his family, phuppo(father's sister) and her family along with us." Anam explained it to her.

"Wow!! Where are we going?" Zara sat beside her, with her childish and enthusiastic quality surfacing.

"I haven't yet agreed on it." Hammad said bursting her bubbles of happiness and she looked at him to glare but as soon as her eyes connected with his,

she instantly felt her cheeks being heated up and her gaze lowered down on its own.

"Aww, are you blushing bhabhi!!" Anam exclaimed making her go more crimson.

"Noooo, why would I? It just too hot in here." She blabbered out of nervousness.

"Is that because of my brother." Anam whispered in her ear.

Zara looked at her with wide eyes.

Hammad looked at her red face interestingly, his eyes twinkling with love.

Mrs Ali noticed the colour of love in Hammad's and Zara's face. She was happy for them.

Like every mother, she always wanted a beautiful life for her son.

"Okay Baba, we will join you guys." Hammad said and started asking about the trip.

Soon they left promising to visit soon again.

Hammad closed the door and turned to move towards Zara who was standing behind him.

"Umm.....I'm sleepy. I... I think I should got to bed now." She stuttered and turned towards her room only to get caught in Hammad's strong arm.

"If you are not that tired, we can watch some movie." Hammad asked her, his thumb caressing her cheek.

"Ohhhokay.” She said pushing him back.

"So select your favorite movie. I'm coming after ordering pizza." He said and moved towards his room to take

She exhaled inhaled deeply to calm herself down and moved towards the living room not before promising herself to act bravely in front of Hammad and not stutter anymore.

"Hammad, why is she looking at me like that?" Zara asked whilst plopping down beside him on the grass.

They were in Lucknow on family tour. It was very good opportunity for Zara to know about Hammad's family.

Everyone was nice and warm towards her except Hammad's bade papa's youngest daughter, Rumi.

"whom are you talking about?" He asked not exactly knowing, what she was talking about.

"Your favourite cousin, with whom you have been chatting and laughing through the whole ride." She dropped her sarcastic bomb at him.

"Astagfirullah(may Allah forgive me) Zara, I was just answering her questions." Hammad look horrified at her sudden attack of accusations.

"So you knew I was talking about Rumi but acted oblivious. How can you?" Zara was acting more childish from yesterday.

"I have some work, we will talk later." Hammad never liked to argue with her so he excused himself.

"If it was Rumi, you would have kept aside your work for her but since you don't like to talk to me it's fine with me, even I don't like to talk to you anymore." Zara stood up as well giving him her famous angry glare.

"What's wrong with you and why is this animosity with Rumi?" Hammad couldn't help but ask her.

"Oh, so now you feel like I've some animosity with your Rumi and you can't see her being hated by someone." Zara was hell angry today.

"For God sake Zara, I just wanted to the cause behind this ridiculous behavior of yours."Hammad was frustrated with her childish behavior.

"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.

She somehow overheard Asmara's (Hammad's phuppu's only daughter) and Najis's (Hammad's bada papa's eldest daughter in law) conversation.

"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.

"Aaaaaa......" She sat there and scratched the grasses whilst trying to hold back her scream of frustration.

"Hammad Ali, I'll will kill this Rumi and you as well." She hissed under her breath and moved towards the gathering after calming her rage, where all the young generation were seated, busy talking with each other.