Peaceful
Part 2Aaliya sat up with a jolt, resulting in her head spinning. The same god damned dream again! She looked at Zain, who looked back at her, clearly frustrated. She had forgotten that his head was resting atop her's.
"MKB, main bilkul theek hoon! Khud to pareshaan ho hi rahi ho, mujhe bhi pareshaan kar rahi ho. Go back to sleep." He tugged at her elbow, gently pulling her back and settling his head in the crook of her neck. This feels good, he thought to himself.
"Zain?" She whispered.
"Hmmm?" He asked.
"Tumne mujhe phirse MKB bulana shuru kar diya?"
He groaned. Midnight fights meant his sleep getting disturbed, and he didn't like that. "Haan, kyunki Aaliya sounds too normal. And that doesn't go with me. Now go back to sleep."
His lips moved against her skin and she gulped. This was going to be end of her. She gulped again, not being able to utter a word to retort to his comment. She felt Zain's eyes on her as he balanced himself on his good hand and looked at her flushed face. And there it was again, that crooked smile. "Stop it Zain!"
"What?" He grinned outright. "I love how you get so affected by me." He winked at her and then settled back in. "Now seriously, do not disturb me. Or it just won't do you any good."
"Yeah, whatever." Aaliya replied before shutting her eyes. This was her heaven.
o0o
She woke up at around 8:30am and groaned. Late again! This was becoming a bad habit of hers, and she didn't like it. She tried to get out of Zain's grip, but all she heard in reply was a "Aaliya don't disturb me!" She sighed. This man was impossible.
"Zain!" She whispered yet again.
"Kya hai?" came his irritated voice.
"Mujhe uthna hai."
"To utho." She could feel the sly grin on his face.
"Theek hai." She pushed him aside and got up, but was scared out of her mind when she heard him wince in pain. "Oh my god! I am so sorry Zain. Mujhe dhyaan nahi raha. Ek minute." She was by his side in a fraction of second, putting his support belt on so as to get the weight of his hand and to reduce the pain.
And there she was, crying again. "The tap's broken MKB."
"Kaunsa tap?" Aaliya asked, confused.
"Tumhari aankhon ka! Arre, ro-ro ke thak nahi gayi tum? Tumse kaha na maine, thoda sa dard bardaasht kar lunga main. Bas ye rona band kardo." So cheesy dude, he thought. "Ye sab suit nahi karta tumhe... ghayal sherni."
"Zain!" Aaliya screeched, before taking a cushion and hitting him on the left side, where he wasn't injured.
"Achcha sorry! Sorry! Aah!" He faked the pain, but she didn't budge.
"Nice try Zain Abdullah, I know tumhe dard nahi ho raha. Jhoote!" She continued to smack him playfully. Zain took a hold of her hand and pulled her onto the bed, pinning her under him. "Aur ab nahi dukh raha?" She asked, her breathing laboured.
"Dukh raha hai na."
"Achcha? Kahan?" She asked sarcastically.
"Ab kya batae aapko mohotarma. Itni achchi raat guzaarne ke baad apni begum se maar khani padi hai subah subah. It's not a nice feeling." His voice carried a tone of deep sorrow, obviously as a joke, making Aaliya laugh. "Ew MKB, go brush your teeth. Your mouth stinks." Zain scrunched up his nose, making Aaliya furious.
"Not like you have a scented mouth. Let go of me!" And he did. Zain lay on the bed and watched his wife disappear into the bathroom. The smile just wouldn't leave his face would it?
o0o
"Aaliya mujhe soup peena hai." Zain commanded. He loved this; nobody could say anything to him for being demanding right now.
"Theek hai, main maami ko bol deti hoon. Wo bana dengi." She didn't mind anymore to be honest. Everything that had happened ever since last night, it was more than enough. She would live.
"Nahi, tumhare haat ka bana soup peena hai."
Aaliya was stunned. "But kal to tumne-"
"Arre wo to tumhe pareshaan karne ke liye." She pursed her lips into a thin line, frustrated. "Alright, I am sorry." Was he on some sort of drug (besides his medicines, obviously)? He had apologised way too much. "Achcha suno, I am coming to the kitchen with you. This room is getting boring for me."
Aaliya simply shrugged and walked downstairs and into the kitchen. Greeting Chand Bibi, she put some daal and water in a pressure cooker and left it on the stove. Zain watched as she swiftly moved around the kitchen preparing for the day's meals, and he wondered where she got the strength to do all this work.
"Aaliya, tumse kal bhi kaha tha na ki Zain ko Bhopali khana nahi pasand aata. To tum kyun-" Surraiya began her taunts, but Zain was there, and he for some reason didn't want Aaliya to feel hurt anymore.
"Mom, maine Aaliya se bola hai soup banane ke liye. Kal to maine aise hi ise irritate karne ke liye bol diya tha, otherwise she makes good food." He walked up to his mom and casually put his arm around her shoulder. "And mom, ab to mera nikah ho gaya hai. Biwi aa gayi hai meri. You need to stop worrying about me. Aaliya hai na mera khayal rakhne ke liye." He smiled down at his mom, missing the look of annoyance that flashed on her face. His gaze wavered off towards Aaliya who smiled at him and then raised an eyebrow in appreciation, her head titled sideways. The pressure cooker went off, diverting her attention.
Surraiya walked out, frustrated. She bumped into Usmaan who was a witness of what had happened in the kitchen. "Maine kaha tha na aapse Surraiya begum, aur dekhiye, dono ko ek doosre ki fikar hai. They have started appreciating each other. Behtar yahi hoga ki aap bhi iss baat ko accept kar le." Usmaan then walked away, hoping that Surraiya would understand.
oOo
After having the soup, Aaliya had asked Zain to go upstairs and rest for a while. He had asked her to come help him and so she had followed suit. He was settled in his bed and she was about to leave when his hand covered her thin wrist and pulled her back, making her sit next to him.
"Tum bhi rest kar lo. Thak gayi hogi itna kaam karke." He was concerned for her health. She had been overworking herself ever since this accident. He knew she didn't sleep much all night except for last night.
"Kyun kar rahe ho ye sab Zain? Why are you being so nice to me?" Aaliya asked.
"Mujhe nahi pata." Zain answered honestly; he really didn't know why. "Jo samajh mein aa raha hai wo kar raha hoon, bas ye samajh nahi aa raha ki ye samajh kahan se aa rahi hai."
Aaliya furrowed her eyebrows, confused. "Honestly, the only word I could catch was samajh. Mazaak band karo Zain."
"I am being serious Aaliya! Do you see me laughing? Or making that face I make every time I am being stupid? No? Good! Because I am being dead set serious. I have no clue why I am doing this. Maybe I am realising my duties towards you. Maybe I like your constant care and kit-kit. Maybe I have gotten used to you being around all the time. Maybe I like having you around. I just don't know okay? Just take it Aaliya! Didn't you want this anyway? Didn't you want a perfect husband who'd always care for you and all that stuff? Well maybe I am just attempting to be like that husband. So don't ask me all these questions okay? Just-"
Aaliya put her hand on top of his, hinting him to stop. A small smile played on her lips. "Why are you smiling?" He asked, frustrated with himself for losing his patience. What the hell was going on with him?
"Smile karne pe tax lagta hai? Nahi na? To bas, main smile kar rahi hoon. Ab tum rest kar lo Zain, thak gaye hoge itni bak-bak karke."
"So you make me loose my patience just to have some fun? Not funny MKB. Jao tum, mujhe sona hai." Aaliya chuckled. He was just like a baby who wouldn't stop wailing once they lost their cool. "Aur tum bhi so jao." came his voice as she was about to leave.
Aaliya slid under the covers, facing him and looking at his sleeping form. She had just gotten the answer to her question. So it was mutual, the feelings. The only difference was that she had realised them and he hadn't. He will one day, she told herself before shutting her eyes. A few seconds later, she felt his hand slide into hers and she couldn't help but grin. She moved closer to him, placing her head on his shoulder.
Zain smiled as her felt her move closer. He hoped that she didn't mind his outburst. He had no clue what was happening to him. What he didn't know was that he soon would know what happening to him. He would soon realise that he was falling in love, that he was attracted to Aaliya, that he cared for her; he would know soon.
oOo
So this is it! I hope you all like it and thanks a bunch for those lovely comments 😳 Meant a lot!
Edited by Jyo. - 11 years ago
Ishaani
