38
"Maalik? But Shahwar, isn't Salman uncle the owner of this house?" Meher spoke not understanding anything about the two people who were staring at each other right now like she wasn't even there.
"Meher that's not what-" Shahwar turned her eyes towards her friend and tried to step forwards, Rehaan had not moved his eyes away from his wife ever since he'd stepped inside the house. "Meher this is Rehaan."
"You know this guy?" Meher gave her friend a suspicious glance, "Why didn't you tell me you know someone so handsome?" She sounded like she was upset with her.
Rehaan started to hold his smile looking at his wife's face, "Has my Shahwar not told her friend about me?"
"Aap chup rahein." Shahwar snapped with irritation, she wasn't liking how her friend was reacting and raising her husband's already self maintained ego. "Meher." She pressed her friend's name with force. "This is him."
(You be quiet.)
Meher looked at Shahwar for a whole minute till she figured out what her friend meant, "Ohh, him him?"
"Yes. Him." Shahwar gritted her teeth at Meher, while Rehaan stood observing the exchange of eye conversations between the girls.
"Shahwar are you sure you want to divorce him?" Meher whispered in her friend's ear tiptoeing over to her.
"Shut up." Shahwar enlarged her eyes at her to keep quiet.
"And you, aap kyun itni raat ko iss tarah yahan akar ghanti baja ke logo ko dara rahay hain?" Shahwar folded her arms on her chest passing him an angry pout.
(And you, why are you scaring people by ringing their doorbells at this time of the night?)
"Did I scare you jaan?" Meher pressed her palm on her mouth to stop her giggle from escaping at Rehaan's endearment for Shahwar eyeing her. "I'm sorry, I just got here as soon as I landed." He gave her an apologetic head tilt.
She moved to her husband who was gaping at her and then held his arm walking towards her room, Rehaan followed like an obedient child. Meher squealed in the background as if something very exciting was happening in front of her.
"Why have you come?" She asked as soon as they were inside the room.
"I missed you so much." He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in a hug tightly without the unspoken restraint of hesitation between them.
At first Shahwar closed her eyes as a reflex and then opened them immediately again and held her hands on his chest to put a distance between them, "What are you doing?" Rehaan didn't budge even an inch, his hands still on her waist.
He smiled at her and then dropped a small kiss on her nose as she widened her eyes at his horrifying behavior, "Pyaar kar raha hoon apni biwi ko."
(I'm loving my wife.)
Shahwar stood looking at his outrageous shamelessness with her mouth open, "Have you gone mad?"
"I missed you." He repeated and nuzzled his face into the side of her neck.
"Rehaan. Apko kya hogaya hai. This not right." She said with worry and he lifted his head back up.
(Rehaan. What's wrong with you.)
"What isn't right?" He was now concerned too to find out.
"We are getting divorced. You shouldn't do this." She pushed his hands off of her with force and Rehaan pulled them away himself.
"What divorce?" He said casually shrugging his shoulders.
"Rehaan." She stared at him in shock.
"Did I not tell you before we got married that there won't be any such thing like divorce happening?" He raised his brows and gave her an unbothered look.
"It's not happening?" She pushed her lips into a rounded dot with a sniff.
"Was never an option jaan." Rehaan assured her.
"So there's no divorce huh?" Shahwar started to nod slowly stopping a cry that was about to reach her throat.
"Never." He blinked at her slowly and she stepped away from him.
"Right. Fine." She sniffed back her snot and composed her voice from breaking. She started to gather her scattered clothes in her hands from the bed and he looked at her husband standing at the same spot.
Shahwar's hands were full of the pile of clothes as she stuffed a few things into her drawer holding just the one she'd wear, "So?" She gave him a side eye.
"So?" He asked back.
"Aren't you going to go out? I need to change." She sounded irritated.
"I have to go out because you're changing?" He said out of complete shock.
"Personal boundaries." Shahwar shot back at him.
"What? I've already seen everything, what boundary are we talking about?" He was so calm and was shaking his head.
Shahwar's eyes sized up, "Stop being so shameless. Bahar jayein!"
(Go out!)
"I haven't done anything indecent. Not yet at least." Rehaan said thoughtfully.
"Rehaan!" As soon as she raised her voice started to move towards the door.
"Okay, okay jaan, I'm going out although I don't understand the logic behind it but—" He suddenly was feeling scared of her and closed the door stepping out.
Rehaan stood outside the door till she opened it giving him her narrowed eyes, "Aap kya yahin rahengay?"
(Will you be staying here?)
"Nahi mien toh andar hi araha hoon." He happily started to get inside the room and Shahwar shook her head.
(No I'm just coming inside.)
"I meant are you going to stay at my place?" Shahwar couldn't believe her eyes as he rolled over her bed lying down.
"Oh. Well." He sat up at her words suddenly getting tensed, "Are you kicking me out? I don't have anywhere else to go right now, so—"
"Rehaan Kazmi does not have anywhere to go to? Aap mujhe pagal bana rahay hain na?" She huffed in exasperation.
(You're making a fool out of me right?)
"Nahi jaan, mien kidhar jaonga? I don't own any places in this city. And I didn't book any hotel room either before coming." He lied making an innocent face.
(No my love, where can I go to?)
Shahwar started to feel guilty for being very rude to him as he had travelled all the way and was probably tired after it, "Acha aap, sou jayen." She softly said and took her pillow in her hands to go to another room.
(Okay you, go sleep.)
"Shahwar." He called her and then moved a little sliding his arms around her waist pulling her on his lap to sit. "I love you."
"Sou jayen." She held her pillow tightly against her chest with both hands and Rehaan moved her on the bed.
(Go sleep.)
"Ab sounga." He kicked his shoes off and laid next to her pulling her close to him. Shahwar understood his intentions.
(Now I'll sleep.)
"I want to sleep on my side. Let me go." She resisted his touch.
"Alright, but you won't leave the room." He traced her nose with his hands with a smile on his face.
"Fine." She moved away and set her pillow on the bed lying with her back towards him.
"Good night sweetheart." He switched off the lamp in the room and lied down in the same sweater shirt and jeans that he had changed into before his flight. He felt so much peace after a very long time, his Shahwar was sleeping beside him.
Don't be hasty, Shahwar hasn't forgiven him. She's just not the kind of person who'll be harsh towards anyone. Rehaan is no exception too.