Chapter 3: Change
Zara smiled as Imran drove up and parked outside her home, she climbed out smiling widely noting her family coming to the door to greet herself and Kabeer.
Ayesha wrapped her arms around her daughter in law and pulled her son into her arms at the same time telling them how much she'd missed them.
"We missed you too" Zara responded pressing a kiss to Ayesha's cheek.
"Bhabhi" Alina stepped in and threw her arms around her, "don't leave again like that. I didn't like it" she pouted her lips.
"Jaan, does that mean you don't mind if I leave?" Kabeer teased.
"Nahi bhai" she pulled out and threw her arms around his middle. "You can't go either, I missed you both" she stated.
Kabeer laughed and hugged his sister tightly.
Zara noticed Rukhsar stood besides Zeenath and staring with a look of distaste.
"So, how was your honeymoon?" Alina teased.
"Bohut accha" Zara slipped her arm around Kabeer's arm stepping closer to him, she smirked inwardly seeing Rukhsar fume silently, on the other hand Kabeer looked at their linked arms in surprise.
Ayesha grinned widely thanking the Almighty silently for bringing both her children close.
"Okay, come inside. Why don't you rest for a while? I'll send something to your room to eat" Ayesha suggested ushering them into the house.
That's your husband, Zara Siddiqui she thought silently as she watched him lift the barbell and do deadlifts. Kabeer had not bothered resting, instead he'd changed into his joggers and a black vest moving into the next room where he had his gym equipment set.
"Do you want something?" Kabeer asked without needing to turn his head to her. He sensed her presence and her eyes on him wondering as to what she was doing since she had not yet said a word.
"Um..." Zara struggled to find something to say, how was she going to answer his question.
"Um... woh... woh..." she stammered.
Kabeer now confused placed down the barbell and turned to face her, "what?" he arched his brows resting his hands on his hips.
"Nothing" Zara quickly answered turning her back and looked everywhere else.
Kabeer looked at her back sceptically but didn't ponder for long, he grabbed his towel and moved past her heading into the bathroom. "I'm going to shower" he informed then locked the door.
Zara Siddiqui, are you mad? You don't like him, remember that!
Kabeer paused, he opened the bathroom door and looked at Zara.
"Zara" he called as she had her back to him. When she turned to face him, he asked "Outside... you... you put your arm around me, what..." he tried to find words.
"Only to show ammi, I wasn't going to tell her that her son was still the same kadoos saru so I only put my arm around yours to appease her" she mumbled.
"Kadoos saru?" Kabeer narrowed his eyes stepping out of the bathroom.
"Aur nahi toh kya?" she stuck her tongue out grabbing her dupatta and ran out of the room.
Kabeer frowned shaking his head and re-entered the bathroom.
"Rukhsar, what are you doing?" Zeenath questioned turning the gas knob and switching it off. Rukhsar looked down and noticed the tea boiled over and spilled out.
"Dyaan kahan hai?" Zeenath moved her aside and started cleaning up.
"Bhajjo... woh Zara..." Rukhsar murmured.
Zeenath gripped her sister's arm halting her words, "Rukhsar, don't even think about them. Kabeer ke shadi tumne karwadi hai" she reminded. "Bhool jao" she hissed.
"I'm not going to forget Kabeer" Rukhsar stated, she gripped her sister's hand and looked pleadingly, "Bhajjo, maine bachpan se hi Kabeer ko apna mana hai. Woh sirf mera hai".
"Aur tum khud uss Kabeer ko kisi aur se shadi karwaya" Zeenath reiterated.
"Woh toh main abbu ke kehne pe..." Rukhsar mumbled.
Zeenath shook her head, "I warned you before, don't trust abbu for everything. He only has one thing on his mind and that is to make Kabeer Shehar Qazi, nothing else. He doesn't have anything else on his mind. He doesn't care about anything but that".
"No" Rukhsar stepped back shaking her head, "He promised me".
Zeenath sighed seeing her sister refusing to believe her, she moved forward pulling Rukhsar into her arms and held onto her.
"He promised me Kabeer" Rukhsar murmured. "He promised" she repeated.
"Zara" Reema exclaimed entering the house.
Zara chuckled handing Ayesha her cup of tea then walked around hugging her friend.
"Yaar, I missed you too much" Reema informed.
"Come, sit" she pulled her around making her friend sit. "Do you want tea?"
"I'll have one" Imran informed taking a seat on the arm of the sofa. "Aapke khushi dekh kar Reema ji, hume ek sher yaad agaya" he smiled.
"Aur hume aapke sher main koi interest nahi hai" Reema replied, Imran's smile instantly fell making everyone laugh.
"Has lijiye" Imran rolled his eyes, "Waise Kabeer Miyan kahan hai?"
"He's here" Alina informed tugging her brother alongside her. "As always, he was sat reading his book" she frowned. "Bhai, I would have thought you'd change a little".
"Why would I change just because I got married?" he arched his brows.
Zara glanced to her side staring at her husband, she poured him a cup of tea and held the cup out for him to take.
"Shukriya" Kabeer murmured eyeing her curiously.
"Shadi ke baad sab ko badalna padhta hai" Zara nonchalantly informed, she grabbed herself a cup and moved to sit besides Reema opposite Kabeer. "Sometimes its small changes or sometimes big, but there's always a change".
"Haan sahi kahan, Zara" Ayesha agreed.
"Main nahi manta" Kabeer disagreed shaking his head.
"Janab, che mahine ke baad dekhlenge" Imran teased.
Kabeer stared at his wife, their eyes locked to one another's. Silent vows echoing in their gaze.
If someone is going to change, it's going to be you Zara. I'm not changing for you.
Kabeer Ahmad, you're going to change.
Shahbaz excused himself placing his cup down and walked away answering his phone, Ayesha stood heading towards the kitchen. Zara looked over when Zeenath and Rukhsar joined them in the hall.
"Bhabhi, Amaan kahan hai?" Kabeer asked realising he'd not seen his nephew around. Usually he's hanging around playing with his football.
"Kashaan has taken him out for his hair cut, they should return soon" Zeenath replied.
"Accha listen" Reema gripped Zara's arms, "Did you take any pictures?"
"Yeah bhabhi, even I want to see" Alina excitedly answered focusing on Zara.
"Yeah, I'll show you" Zara nodded in agreement unlocking her phone with her thumb print.
"Here, let us see" Reema grabbed her phone excitedly and shifted comfortably, Alina walked around and settled on the arm of the sofa.
"I'll show you na" Zara attempted to grab her phone back.
"No, I can find my way around your phone" Reema pushed her hands away.
"Arre wah Kabeer saab" Imran smiled. "Looks like Zara convinced you to take a picture".
"Kya?" Kabeer narrowed his eyes and turned to his wife.
Zara smiled sheepishly chewing on her lower lip.
"Zara" Kabeer stood.
Zara grabbed her phone and ran.
"Oye I wanted to see" Reema complained.
"It hasn't even been two weeks and you've changed maulvi saab" Rukhsar slyly commented.
Kabeer clenched his fists by his sides, he gritted his teeth and stalked off in the direction of the bedroom.
"Zara" he knocked on the bathroom door loudly. "Open the door"
"No" she responded stubbornly.
"Open it, or I'm breaking it" he warned slapping his palm down on the door.
"This isn't some rubbish wooden door, this is Shahbaz Ahmad's house. He didn't exactly have doors fitted in to be broken" she answered smartly.
Kabeer growled and stalked out, Zara pressed her ear to the door trying to hear if he has actually gone or is he waiting silently.
"Saru kahin ka" she murmured.
"Delete the photo"
Zara turned around surprised to see him enter from the second door. "Tum..." she twisted away trying to unlock the door however he was quicker.
Kabeer grabbed ahold of her turning her to face him, she pushed back shoving him back and moved away, she ended up underneath the shower instead and with the wall to her back she had nowhere to go. Kabeer stepped forward holding his hand out in warning.
Zara shook her head determinedly.
"Zara" he growled and inched closer, she moved her hands behind her gripping her phone tightly.
"It's one photo"
"I don't care" Kabeer replied angrily, he slipped his arms around her attempting to grab it away from her tightened grasp. She wiggled and shoved at him with her shoulder, he gripped her wrists pressing them to the small of her back which led to their chests colliding and the distance between them closed.
"Phone chodho" Kabeer murmured.
"Nahi chodhungi" she whispered aware of the close proximity.
"Zara..." Kabeer had pushed her back, the back of his hand pushed against the shower button switching it on. Zara yelped dropping her phone to the side not wanting it to get ruined and pressed her palm against the shower button stopping it though they were both now wet.
She tilted her head scowling however that soon disappeared, she shifted uncomfortably with the intense dark eyes of Kabeer Ahmad focused on her.
Kabeer's eyes drew to her hair that plastered against her cheek, he released her wrist lifting it up and pushed the wet strand behind her ear.
Zara dipped her eyes down breathing heavily feeling the pads of his fingers brushing her skin, her cheeks heated feeling his palm cupping her jaw and tilting her chin up. She blinked and noted his face was inches away from hers.
Her lips trembled, she could feel the warmth of his breath so close to her skin.
She inhaled feeling the press of his lips, electric currents coursed through them as their lips met for the first time. She shuddered in his arms, her fingers clutched onto his shoulders, his hands rested on her hips. Kabeer slowly brought his hand up cupping her nape, he brought her closer, her skin was warm beneath his touch and she reciprocated...
Kabeer snapped back to reality hearing the faint knocking on the door, he pulled back swiftly and brushed a hand over his face. What had he just done? He turned to see Zara blushing and shying away, he closed his eyes grating his teeth together.
"Bhai, are you in there?" Alina called out knocking again.
He rubbed a palm over his jaw clearing his throat, "what is it Alina?" he responded crouching down and picked up Zara's discarded phone. He swiped through the album deleting the few pictures he'd found of himself and placed her phone down on the bathroom counter.
"Where's Zara bhabhi? Unke amma aur abbu aaye hai" Alina informed.
Kabeer sighed, "I'll tell her, you go".
"But where is she? I can tell her" Alina responded.
"Alina, jao" Kabeer replied firmly.
Alina pouted and stropped out of their bedroom.
Kabeer grabbed one of the towels and walked out of the bedroom rubbing his hair dry, he walked into the next room. He couldn't leave like that because his clothes were wet.
He heard the bathroom door open and could hear Zara moving around then the bathroom door closed again and the lock clicked in place. He then went to grab his clothes and returned to the next room and changed out of his wet clothes, all the while recalling what had just happened in the bathroom.
Precap - Turmoil
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