Our photographer had done a wonderful job. She had captured the aesthetic of the wedding perfectly. The fall-themed wedding was a beautiful combination of rust and golds, encapsulating the romantic atmosphere. I sat on the chaise, looking at my wedding band, still trying to process the change. I flipped through the wedding album, smiling at the memories.

Behind me, Zaroon finished his call and came to sit beside me. It had barely been a month and I was still getting used to the butterflies when he called me his wife.

"How is your Aunt?" I asked, running a finger over the glossy page.
"Missing me"
"I don't doubt that," I replied turning around to smile at him.

During the ten-month hiatus, Zaroon had tracked down the other members of his family. All throughout his upbringing, Uncle Azhar had made sure that Zaroon had no contact with any of his maternal family members. Being an only child himself, he had raised Zaroon in isolation. Apparently meeting his wife's kin was a very painful experience for him. 

"She wants us to visit her in the states," he said sitting beside me, kissing the top of my head.
"That's not a bad idea. Let's see when we can make time"
"Will Feroze let you go?"
"Feroze is not the boss of me," I said putting my head on his shoulders. He chuckled and took the album from my hands.
"You looked beautiful"
Butterflies erupted in my stomach. "I know," he laughed running his fingers over my shoulder. 
"Humble much? Oh, look at Aunt Nazia here, she's so happy," he said gesturing to his aunt, the one who currently resided in Germany.
"What is Anwar doing?" I asked, pointing towards her son. 

Zaroon just shook his head and flipped the page to land on a family photo. The two of us sat in the middle, our gaze on each other. Ammi Jaan and Uncle EJ sat on either side while Izzy, Hania, Rania and Hussein stood at the back.

God, I missed having them around.

"I should get this framed" I whispered. 
"When are Izzy and Hania planning to come back?"
"After the baby arrives. Ammi Jaan will visit them closer to the due date. Hania's mother leaves in a week"

"Her father is still in jail?"

"Yeah... for another year at least," I said with a slight frown, trying to remember.

His bail had not been accepted by the courts. Sameer was working on making sure that the case extended towards the people truly responsible and not just the transporters. There was a whole mafia involved in this.

"You'll be an aunt" he muttered, his eyes wide.

"I know, I still can't believe it. I used to tease Izzy about it and now it's actually happening. We've grown up. Rania is already designing the nursery"

"Hahaha"

"That baby will be so spoilt. Poor Izzy. He'll have to be the strict father"
"Not if it's a girl"
"Oh no, Izzy will be putty in her hands"

A cautious knock interrupted our discussion. I sighed and put my head in my hands. One of the benefits of having Zaroon back was that people were hesitant to approach me. His constant presence meant that I was saved from the hours of meetings and discussions and I could get some rest. That didn't mean that anyone would ever leave us alone. That seemed like a dream.

"Begum Sahiba, Ghulam Sahab is here to see you," Yahya stepped into the room.

"Is his son here with him?" Zaroon groaned. This was Hamza's fortieth visit in three months. Being an in-law and a political ally, he was squeezing every bit of advantage he could from this relationship.

"Yes, they're waiting in the library" I waved dismissively and Yahya exited the room. "I wish Uncle EJ was here"

"Want me to deal with it?"

"You're sweet, but I can't let you deal with my problems" I sighed and kissed his cheek. He leaned in closer but I giggled and got up.

"I'll come and say hello, then I'll have to go to the city. Jamshed mentioned some issue about the traders union" I nodded and grabbed his hand. "After this week, we have to find some way to escape all of this" he muttered, kissing the back of my hand.

"If you can find a way, I'll love you forever," I said, watching our guards follow us to the mirror room.

"As opposed to now?" he said, his eyes crinkling up.

I shrugged and waited for the doors to open. We walked in to see Ammi Jaan, Ghulam Uncle, and Hamza all looking me at me.  Why was the vibe so tense?

"Hello..." I said stepping forward.
"What's going on?" Zaroon asked.
"Feroze has scheduled a press conference" Hamza answered.
"It's Feroze," I said as an explanation, moving towards the couch. "Please, have a seat" 

"Do you know what it's about?" Ghulam Uncle asked taking a seat.

"He mentioned choosing a Vice President. So maybe it's about that. We haven't had the time to talk about politics. It's been a development project after development project" The three of them shared a quizzical glance.

The television screen started to flash wildly and both Zaroon and I looked at each other uneasily. What was Feroze doing?

The female newscaster looked beside herself. "The stock market has been going crazy. The whole country is waiting with bated breath and here you have it, the Prime Minister," Honestly, the media. They were making this out to be an apocalyptic situation.

"Mr. Prime Minister, there are rumors about a possible Vice President, can you tell us who that person is?" four heads swiveled to look at me. I glared at the television screen. Why was he making this a 'Price is Right' situation? Why did he make everything so dramatic?

"As you know, the previous Vice President has been charged with corruption and is therefore no longer fit to serve this country," dead silence followed his words. "The rumors, in this case, are correct. I am here to announce a possible name for our new Vice President. The party and I have come to the conclusion that we will be choosing the Vice President from the south," Hamza sat up straighter. 

"Who is it?" 

"Tell us" people muttered. It seemed like the whole country was waiting for the name.

"Elena Gulzar Khan. We have nominated her as the new Vice President," my heart dropped to my stomach.

"What the f..."

**********************************************************************************************

The End

Thank you for reading this book! I hope you enjoyed the journey as much as I did.

And now, for some wedding pictures and Elena and Zaroon smut.