Chapter 53

Salaar was at the airport, desperately waiting for the flight announcement, but time was merciless, crawling at the speed of a tortoise. Exasperated, he gazed at Taimur, who was completely engrossed in his Candy Crush game. The constant crushing sounds of the game felt like a hammer pounding against his nerves.

"Taimur, at least mute this crushing sound-it's so annoying! Is it necessary for everyone to know you're playing this childish game on your mobile?" Salaar exclaimed, his face filled with irritation. His eyes flickered back and forth between the large wall clock as he tapped his right foot impatiently.

"Okay, I'll put my phone aside, but will that erase the frustration written all over your face?" Taimur slid his mobile into his pocket and turned his attention to him.

"Why is this flight late today?" Salaar asked, his restlessness evident in his bored expression.

"Salaar, the flight is not late; it's right on time. It's you who's actually in a hurry." Taimur placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, clearing up his misconception.

"You can't understand my situation. Just put yourself in my shoes! It's been almost a month and a half that I've been with you, and in all that time, I've only spoken to her twice-just a formal 'Hello, how are you?'-'Fine, thank you.' And I've only seen her once on a video call, and even then, it was from afar when Mom mistakenly shifted the camera to the lawn, where she was completely drowned in her book. Now, time refuses to pass, as if the whole universe is against me!" Salaar let out all his complaints at once, like a sulking child.

Taimur, amused by his detailed objections, burst into laughter.

"Don't worry, brother. You've already waited a month and a half-just wait a few more hours. Separation only increases love." Taimur, as always, tried to pacify his little brother.

"Huh... that love will only be from my side," Salaar pouted like a small kid.

Soon, they heard the much-awaited flight departure announcement. Salaar and Taimur stood up and moved ahead with their luggage.
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The morning breeze was fresh, and the sun was playing hide and seek with the clouds. Warda was returning from her routine morning walk. As she was entering the entrance, she heard a tapping sound from Salaar's portion. Unintentionally, her feet ascended the steps leading to his place.

She slowly entered, and what she saw was beyond her imagination. Zarmeena, with a cloth in hand, was perched on the window, tapping dust away from the curtains while humming a romantic song. Pleasure was evident in her every gesture. Warda grinned, feeling deep satisfaction surge over her. She realized this was something Nazli lacked-she had never seen her take an interest in household chores.

"Zarmeena, what are you doing up there?" Warda struggled to seal her lips, almost bursting into laughter.

"Oh, Aunty..." Zarmeena let out a sheepish smile, caught in this awkward position. She carefully started descending with the help of a chair and finally stood beside her mother-in-law.

"My finals are finished, so I thought of doing some cleaning before..." She caught her slippery tongue in the middle, stopping herself before accidentally mentioning Salaar's arrival.

"Oh, so sweet of you! But you should have taken Aslam's help," Warda responded, still smiling.

"Actually, I wanted to do it myself. We used to help Amma with her weekly house cleaning on Sundays." Her tone was tinged with grief, reminding her of her mother.

Warda sensed her sorrow. Bringing her closer, she embraced her in a motherly gesture. Zarmeena anticipated it and put her arms around her.

"Aslam, help Zarmeena with her tasks, and after that, assist Majid in cleaning Dadi's portion. She is coming tomorrow," Warda instructed Aslam and let out a polite smile towards Zarmeena.

"Don't tire yourself-let Aslam help you," Warda added with a gentle nag before leaving.

Zarmeena, however, felt something break inside her upon learning about Dadi's arrival.

*"Zarmeena, have you gone nuts? You're acting like his plane is about to land directly in this room! And how exactly do you plan to welcome him-by falling at his feet? 'My lord, I decorated your path with flowers all along!' Have you lost it? He is Salaar Malik-the most arrogant, full-of-attitude Salaar Malik! He will laugh in your face, plant his flag of victory over you, wave his hand for a grand goodbye, and walk away holding hands with that DQ, Leena. Giving you a pathetic glance on his way out!

Stop acting crazy! She was probably with him all this time abroad... Otherwise, would he have only called twice? And that too, just for a very formal conversation-fulfilling his so-called duty as my husband? Stop this nonsense! Take a deep breath. You're just feeling overwhelmed by this bond of marriage; it's nothing else.

Don't forget who you are. You are Zarmeena Khan! You don't believe in such stupid feelings."*

Consoling herself, she grabbed her towel and entered the bathroom for a bath, deciding to visit Dad for a Ludo match to refresh her mind.
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Ahmed and Salaar embraced. each other in a greeting gesture.

"Brother Salaar, I really missed you. You told me it would be a month-long trip, but I ended up spending half a month more waiting for you," Ahmed complained about his late arrival.

"Oh, my boy, I wish your sister missed me even half as much as you did," Salaar let out a sigh of remorse.

"Hahaha... Brother, Zaro is a hard nut to crack," Ahmed chuckled at his brother-in-law, who was lovesick for his sister.

"Ahmed, I am very happy about your return. Zubair will arrange a tutor for you. You have to study really hard to get through all this. But don't worry-your mother, Zubair, and I are all here to support you," Salaar said warmly. He was genuinely happy about Ahmed's return. This little boy, who had found a soft corner in his heart from their very first meeting, had now become truly close to him.

"Brother Salaar, don't worry. I won't let you be ashamed in front of Amma and Zaro. I will work really, really hard to meet your expectations," Ahmed promised, erasing any remaining doubts in Salaar's mind.

"I know, and I trust you, my boy... Now, I have to go. My brother Taimur must already be home. If I reach any later, I might end up sleeping in a wet bed," Salaar teased, making Ahmed chuckle as he recalled the story of Zarmeena wetting his bed.

"Only our Zaro can pull off such stunts on innocent people," Ahmed exclaimed amusingly.

"Yes, I agree," Salaar added, bringing laughter and lightening the atmosphere.

"Zubair, you stay here. I will leave with the taxi driver who brought me and is still waiting outside," Salaar instructed.

Despite his heart yearning to see Zarmeena first, he chose responsibility over love and came to meet Ahmed instead, unaware that this would only deepen Zarmeena's suspicions about him.

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Zarmeena arrived to play Ludo with Faizan, only to find him buried under a mountain of files. His face was clouded with frustration.

"Dad, is everything alright? You look distressed." Zarmeena couldn't help but ask, noticing his troubled expression.

Faizan sighed, rubbing his temples. "I don't know... I've been struggling with this accounting equation since morning, but I just can't figure it out."

Zarmeena's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Can I try? People say I'm a miracle at Mathematics."

Faizan looked at her skeptically but then shrugged. "Alright, if you want to... But this isn't just normal calcu-"

Before he could finish, she pulled the file toward herself. He watched as she effortlessly worked through the complex sums without even reaching for a calculator. Within minutes, she slid the file back to him.

Faizan picked it up, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Zarmeena... They were absolutely right about you. You are a miracle!" He chuckled, shaking his head. "I can't believe this. I've been at it for hours, and you solved it in minutes!"

"Promise me you'll help me with the accounts from now on. I need someone like you," he pleaded, knowing how hard-headed Zarmeena could be.

Zarmeena sighed dramatically. "Okay, Dad, but only at home-and only until my results come out."

"Deal!" Faizan grinned, calling for the servant to fetch the Ludo dice.

Just as they were settling in, Taimur entered the lobby.

"Oh, Dad, I missed you!" Taimur rushed forward, embracing Faizan warmly.

Zarmeena's heart skipped a beat. Her eyes instinctively searched for someone else.

"As-salamu Alaikum," she greeted, bowing her head slightly.

"Walaikum As-salam." Taimur patted her head lightly in response.

Faizan, unaware of the storm in Zarmeena's heart, asked the question she was secretly dying to know the answer to. "Where's Salaar?"

Taimur casually replied, "He went to meet someone urgently. He'll be back soon. Where's Mom and Nazli?"

Zarmeena didn't hear anything after that.

He went to meet someone urgently.

Great, Zarmeena. Here you were anxiously waiting for him, and he had something more important to do. How stupid of you-acting like some silly, love-struck girl, obsessing over a random guy just because he has good looks...

Her fingers curled into fists as she tapped her foot impatiently, then turned on her heels and retreated to her portion.

Unbeknownst to her, both men smirked knowingly at her reaction.
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When Salaar arrived, everyone was waiting for him desperately, eager to know whom he had met before coming home. He was well aware of his spy-like family, so he had already prepared himself.

"As-salamu Alaikum! Look who I brought to meet you all!" Salaar announced excitedly as he entered, spilling the news of the new arrivals.

Everyone fixed their gaze on the entrance and screamed in amusement-it was Fahad and his mother.

Warda and Nazli stood up and hugged her one by one. Fahad also tilted his head towards Warda, who patted his head and hugged him warmly.

Hearing voices from downstairs, Zarmeena became conscious. It was evident that there were guests besides the house members. Now, she had the perfect excuse to go downstairs and pacify her restless eyes.

"As-salamu Alaikum," she greeted as she entered.

Salaar's gaze immediately shifted, and for a moment, his heart stopped. She looked frailer, dark circles shadowing her eyes. Sajid's words echoed in his mind:

"As far as pushing herself goes, she is a master at it."

She had definitely ignored her health, exhausting herself while studying for her finals. "I told Aslam to take care of her and give her meals on time, but..." Salaar clenched his jaw, already thinking of how to punish Aslam for his negligence.

His thoughts were interrupted when Nasreen Aunty (Fahad's mother) started speaking.

"Come here, sit beside me," she said warmly.

She had always liked Zarmeena. With a modern sister and an ultra-modern daughter-in-law like Nazli, the presence of a girl with no makeup, simple clothing, and an air of natural sincerity touched her heart.

Zarmeena took a seat beside her.

"Warda, I really like your daughter-in-law. Fahad, you were in that university before Salaar-didn't you ever notice her?" Nasreen said in her usual carefree way.

"Oh, brother, spare me and my innocent mother! I know you're even jealous of the oxygen passing through Zarmeena's lungs," Fahad exclaimed, knowing his friend's and cousin's extra possessiveness over Zarmeena.

"Zarmeena, do you have a sister for my stupid son?" Nasreen asked hopefully.

Zarmeena grinned and shook her head in denial.

On the other hand, Nazli burned with jealousy at the extra attention Nasreen Aunty was giving Zarmeena.

"I don't know why everyone is impressed with this girl who doesn't even have a sense of dressing," Nazli fumed internally.

At that moment, Salaar's phone beeped, bringing Zarmeena into high alert. He took his phone out of his pocket and glanced at the screen, a smile instantly forming on his face.

It was Ahmed, texting from Zubair's phone:

"Brother, I hope you are still in one piece and spared by our Zaro."

Salaar let out a brief chuckle.

Zarmeena's nostrils flared.

"That Big B definitely went to meet that DQ. Just look at him, just look at him! I swear, I wish I could break that beautiful face!" she fumed internally, abruptly standing up with a jerk.

"Are you alright?" Nasreen asked, surprised by her sudden reaction.

"Yes, Aunty. I need to go to the washroom," Zarmeena excused herself and left, shooting deadly glares at Salaar.

Fahad, who was seated beside Salaar, leaned in and whispered sympathetically,

"My dearest friend, I think you should apply for a hospital bed in advance. Judging by her angry face, it's clear she won't spare you tonight."

And Salaar? He was left wondering whether he would sleep in his dry bed beside her or in the guest room-again.