"Come in, please" Roomi ushered in some
people through the front door. "They're here to see Bakht Sahab, Begum Sahiba" she answered just as I turned the corner to see who it was.

Maddy and who I assumed to be her mother were standing in my foyer. I stilled, not knowing how to react until Waleed came forward and stood by their sides.

"Asalaam o alaikum" I greeted, walking towards them.
"Hey! How are you?" Waleed said just as Maddy enveloped me in another hug.

"Sorry to drop by but Ammi wanted to see Mehr Uncle. Haider wouldn't let us visit so we decided to pester Waleed about it"

"No, that's good. Please, have a seat" I said leading them to the drawing room. I turned to Roomi. "Tea, snacks, Uncle Bakht, Ammi" I hissed from the corner of my mouth. She rushed out of the door.

"It was nice running into you the other day" Maddy began and I cringed internally. I knew she was making conversation, but I'd rather not go there.

"How did it feel watching Haider handle multiple shopping bags?" Waleed joked and I stared at Maddy and Durdana Auntie.

Did they know about the crime thing...?

"We know honey. We know. Haider can't hide anything from us unfortunately" Durdana Auntie said with a smile.

"Well, it was surreal to see him with a shopping bag on his arm" I conceded. They chuckled and I leaned back, not quite understanding the joke.

Thankfully, Roomi chose that moment to wheel the trolley into the room and I started to serve our guests.
"Durdana! I told you I was fine" Uncle Bakht announced, ruffling my hair on his way to his sister.
"I was worried bhai", she said getting up and giving him a brief hug.

Masooma Auntie walked in with my mother and a new round of greetings and pleasantries took place.

I excused myself to cancel my session with Razi and Maddy followed me out, asking me for water and I led her to the kitchen.
"I hope we didn't interrupt anything" she nibbled in her lips as I grabbed her a glass.
I gave her a reassuring smile "Not at all"
"You seemed in a hurry"
"Oh I just had to cancel my session"
"Salon?"
"No, Martial arts"

"Nice... that explains how you're so fit. And how you threw a knife at Haider's head" I choked on my water and she patted my back, her eyes filled with laughter.
"He told you about that?"
"He told Waleed. I heard it"
"He needed a cut" I mumbeled.
"Oh I don't doubt that at all" she said swinging her legs into a more comfortable position. "So, about this party tomorrow..." I raised my eyebrow.

"Waleed" we said at the same time.

"We went shopping for Haider. Boys, they never have anything decent to wear. Always the same t-shirt and jeans. So, do you have a dress ready?"
"Yes, Zaira, my sister, designed it for me"
"Wow. Must be nice to have a designer in the house. Can I see it?"

"Of course" after a brief hesitation I led her to my room. "This..."her eyes popped open.

"Wow. Thank God I didn't listen to Haider," I ignored that statement and watched as she felt the material.

We went down the stairs chattering just as Sam came up. They hit it off immediately. We watched them leave with my arm around Sam's waist.
"I like her"
"Me too" we concluded and headed back in. Their visit had brightened up Uncle Bakht's mood. He seemed to be in good spirits joking and fooling around. Suddenly, the future didn't seem so daunting.

Saturday had started out as a mess. I had slept in and hence I was already running behind schedule. Ammi had scolded me multiple times and I was not in the mood to go out. We were still trying to manage my hair and it was 6:30. The last rays of sunshine illuminated my room in a dusky glow.

"Hurry up, he's here" Zaira snapped. I shoved my feet into the heels just as Sam finished doing my hair.
"Lipstick" she said, patting the brush on my lips. Zaira worked on my eyes, swiping the mascara several more times. "There" they said together.

We looked at my reflection. They had done a fantastic job. I looked... stunning.

"Elena" Abu called from downstairs and we sprung into motion. Making sure to grab my purse, I made my way down the stairs.

Silence greeted my entrance and I looked up. Abu, Ammi, Masooma Auntie, Uncle Bakht and Ali, all stood there with their eyes wide open and I smiled widely, my eyes on Haider.

He was clad in a fitted black suit, his hair tousled like he'd just gotten out of the shower. But his eyes. Those eyes. Haider's gaze roamed my face, his stare so potent that it felt like a caress. A shiver danced across my shoulders as his eyes came back to mine. Our gazes locked. Held.

I felt flushed, as if I'd been sitting out in the sun for too long. The air seemed to be sucked from the room and I looked around, trying to find someway to breathe.

"Ready?" His voice was gruff. Oh yes, this infatuation was going to be problem. I walked the remaining steps, not knowing what to expect.

"The files would probably be in his office, on the first floor. He wouldn't have a hard copy since he hasn't found anyone to decode it" Uncle Bakht reminded us. I nodded, trying to control my heat rate.

I was going to be in a car, alone with Haider, for an extended period of time. I couldn't threaten him. He couldn't glare at me. We couldn't get into a physical fight. What would we even talk about?

They walked us out to the car and I had an eerie feeling. Why did this feel like a send off at a wedding reception? Haider opened my door and I thanked him as I got inside.

He drove the car a small distance but stopped at the end of the street. I looked at him, confused.

"Before I forget" his hand shuffled around in his suit's pocket "I got you this. Since we're engaged" his voice sounded nervous. I looked at the object he was holding.

It was a black velvet box.

"Good thinking" I breathed out taking it from him. It opened with a click and I gasped. A simple diamond ring was nestled in the centre of the box. I ghosted a finger tip over it and pulled back. "This is real. I can't accept this!"

"It's a loan. From Mama. She said that they'd know if we used a fake" she was right but still. "Don't worry. It'll fit" heart racing, I put it on. He was right. It did fit. Right on my ring finger.

I had not even considered having a ring. And for Durdana Auntie to loan this to me... I shuddered. I twiddled my thumbs together trying not to stare at his profile as we drove away.

1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi...

"I'm sorry for the impromptu visit yesterday"
"You came to the house yesterday?"
"No, I meant... my mother and sister"
"Oh no. Really, they're welcome anytime. Like Maddy said, we're family"
"Family" he echoed. I stared ahead feeling awkward.

He'd done his part, maybe it was my turn to move the conversation forward? Or was I supposed to stay silent? How would this work?

"I don't know really" he replied. My ears burned and I bit my lip. Had I said that out loud?

"What will we tell them? Something that doesn't get them suspicious about you"
"They won't get suspicious about me. They've never seen me"
"But your name..."
"Ali Tauqeer. It's common enough. It'll help you from slipping up"
"Is that your middle name? Ali?" He nodded, fingers clenched on the steering wheel. "I've never done this before" I whispered.

"Me neither" he said after a pause. Something in my chest loosened and I relaxed. It was nice to be on the same page as him.

"Okay so, you and I met in Amsterdam, hit it off and you decided to seal the deal before Uncle Bakht's kidnapping" he frowned.

"I've never been to Amsterdam. What will I do when they ask me where we stayed or..."
"Got it. Is there any place you have been?"
"I've never travelled outside the country"
"Never?" I gasped. He shook his head. "Was that a conscious choice?"
"No and yes. We didn't have much money right until my father passed away"
"I'm sorry"
"For us being poor?"
"For you father passing away you idiot" calm down Elena. "When was that?" I said in a much gentler tone.

"Five years ago. That's when Mehr Mamoon (uncle) got to know about us. He got your dad involved and solved the case related to Mama's lands"
"Oh"
"Mama didn't want to jolt the family dynamics and Mehr Mamoon respected her decision. He  visited us occasionally, once every three months but we knew he was a call away"

"So when you told me that he'd stood up for you..."
"After I'd cleared my CSS exams" he had been an officer? "I had chosen to join the FBR"
"That explains the tax files Abu was talking about"
"They had me prosecuted and kicked out for misconduct since they couldn't prove that I'd stolen a single penny"
"Why?"
"Because I'd found out that they had"
"That's why you want the files, why you're after them. You want revenge" I said softly.

His gaze shifted to me. One could imagine all sorts of things while staring into those eyes. As the eye contact stretched out I felt the pieces click together.

"You've got people who still believe in a fair system, that's how you managed to solve all those cases"

"You're way too smart for your own good. I know why you came to me. I understand it, I respect it but I wish you hadn't"

With those golden words, he broke eye contact, smoothing the car into long elaborate driveway. We were there.

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