3
" Yeh dekho, aa bhi gayi Safiya ki call. ", Riffat said with a small smile, quickly answering it.
( Look, Safiya's call has come. )
" Hello, beta... Haa walikum assalam "
( Hello, dear... Yes, peace be upon you too. )
Riffat was almost amused, watching the way Zaviyar looked at her as if she had taken away something precious from him. He sat upright at once.
" Yeh louh baat karo apne shohar se aur khood daantna. Kya haal karliya hain apna. ", Her tone was stern, yet the affection beneath it was unmistakable.
( Here, talk to your husband and scold him yourself. Look at the condition he has made of himself. )
She gestured to the staff to follow her, quietly leaving the room and giving them space.
" Accept the video call. ", Safiya's voice came firm and commanding. Zaviyar felt a slight shiver run down his spine. He knew he was about to be scolded but he had no idea how intense her anger would be.
" Yaar esa koun karta hain Avi... ", She snapped the moment the call connected, her frustration spilling out.
( Who even does something like this, Avi... )
" Ab tum chup chaap khana Khao. And take rest. Stop worrying about me.
I didn't answer your call because my phone was dead.
", She said before he was even able to open his mouth.
Her tone softened gradually as her eyes fell on his face.
The dark circles, the exhaustion, the way his eyes looked slightly hollow.
He had not slept. He had been worrying the entire night.
( Now be quiet and eat your food. )
" How am I not supposed to worry? You didn't take the guards with you. You were not answering the calls. You sent away the men I told you to keep an eye on you secretly. ", His voice was steady, but she could see the strain beneath it.
" Uff kya karu mein tumhara. ", She rubbed her face, exasperated yet helpless.
( What am I supposed to do with you.)
" I took their phones but allowed them to keep an eye on me from afar. So don't scold them tomorrow for following my orders."
" Chalo ab khana khao. I'm here. ", Her voice softened, wrapping around him like comfort.
( Now go eat. I am here.)
The rest of the night passed with them like that, talking and arguing softly. Falling into silences that felt full rather than empty. She stayed on the call, only stepping away briefly to change her clothes before returning again.
She gave him a 'get unready with me' session, then 'get ready with me for bed' session', her small routines turning into shared moments which he alwatched with amused eyes. A few extra kisses were exchanged through the screen, followed by quiet conversations that slowly faded into drowsy murmurs.
Safiya blinked her eyes open as the soft morning light filtered through the curtains and fell gently across her face. For a moment, she lay still, adjusting to the warmth of the sunlight.
Then her gaze shifted to her phone. And she froze.
Zaviyar's face filled the screen, calm and peaceful in sleep.
His features, usually sharp with authority, were softened completely.
There was a faint sound of his breathing, almost like a soft snore.
His lips were slightly parted, and a few strands of his messy hair fell carelessly over his forehead, making him look younger and cute.
He looked like sin covered in sheets, his face serene yet erupting sinful thoughts within her.
A quiet smile spread across her face. Carefully, she sat up and detached her phone from the charger.
The device felt unusually warm in her hand, almost too warm like a saucepan left on low heat.
They had been on call the entire night, both their phones plugged in continuously, refusing to disconnect even in sleep.
Her thumb hovered for a second before she gently took a few screenshots.
Little stolen moments.
Little pieces of him that she wanted to keep.
" Avi~ uth jaaye. ", she whispered softly, her voice still heavy with sleep, barely above a breath.
To her surprise, he stirred instantly. Almost as if her voice had reached him across the distance and pulled him out of sleep.
Zaviyar shot up, his eyes scanning the room in a daze. For a second, confusion clouded his face, like he expected to see her sitting right there beside him. But then reality settled in. The silence of the room. The emptiness of the space next to him. His hand immediately reached for his phone.
" Are you alright now? ", Safiya asked, rubbing her eyes lazily, her voice still carrying that soft, drowsy warmth.
" Hmmmm ", Zaviyar responded, his voice low and rough, thick with sleep. That morning rasp lingered in his tone, deeper than usual, more intimate in a way that made her breath hitch for a second.
And she hated how it affected her. A strange warmth curled low in her stomach, making her shift slightly as she forced herself to stay composed.
" Okay, freshen up. Mein ab rakhti hu. ", she mumbled quickly, almost rushing her words before cutting the call without waiting for his response.
(Okay, freshen up. I'll hang up now)
On the other end, Zaviyar stared at the screen for a second before a slow smirk curved on his lips.
He knew exactly what effect he had on her.
Zaviyar rubbed his forehead as he stepped into the living room at around 9 in the morning. The house felt different, too quiet. It was the first time he was spending an entire day here without Safiya.
And he didn't like it. Not even one bit. He dropped himself onto the couch, leaning back as he picked up the remote and switched on the TV. The screen flickered to life and he mindlessly scrolled through different sports channels, not really paying attention to anything.
His focus broke when his eyes landed on Kabir, who was sitting right beside him, completely engrossed in his phone.
Just then, something on Kabir's screen caught his attention.
Pictures of Safiya.
Zaviyar's eyes narrowed slightly as he unknowingly leaned towards Kabir.
" Bhabi ki story dekhi aapne? ", Kabir asked, turning his phone towards Zaviyar, excitement evident in his tone.
(Did you see bhabhi's story?)
" What story? ", Zaviyar shook his head, brows furrowing. Kabir blinked at him like he had just said something outrageous.
" You're married to her and you don't have instagram till now. While she uses instagram all day. ", There was genuine shock in his voice. Then again, this was Zaviyar they were talking about.
" Phone pakdaye bhai... Aapka bhi account kholte hain... ", Kabir said, extending his hand expectantly.
(Give me your phone brother... I'll make your account too)
Zaviyar stared at his hand for a moment, actually contemplating whether he should hand over his phone or not.
" Areh soch kya rahe hain... Pakdaye phone ", Kabir insisted.
(What are you thinking... give the phone)
After a brief pause, Zaviyar finally nodded and handed over his phone. Kabir immediately got to work, downloading the app with quick fingers. But then he froze.
" Aapke phone mein yeh games? ", he asked, completely baffled. Zaviyar barely reacted.
(Games on your phone?)
" Safiya khelti hain... " , he shrugged casually. Kabir's jaw almost dropped. Because he wasn't even allowed to touch Zaviyar's devices, let alone install games on them.
(Safiya plays them)
And yet Safiya...
" Wohi touh mein sochu aapke phone mein yeh games kese aagayi. ", he muttered with a smirk.
(That's what I was wondering, how did these games even get here),
Within minutes, the account was ready.
" Yeh ban gaya aapka account. Aur yeh kardiya mene bhabi ko follow. ", Kabir said proudly, showing him the screen. He then handed the phone back.
(Your account is ready. And I followed bhabhi from it),
" Yeh leh ab stalk karein ", Zaviyar ignored his tone and tapped on Safiya's profile. Her stories began to play. Her photosz selfies-ones which she was between Adira and Ahaan . Videos of them laughing together, enjoying each other's company.
And in every single one of them, she looked... radiant. Beautiful in a way that made it hard for him to look away. His gaze softened slightly as he continued watching.
" Bhabi ki life bhi kya mast thi. This is the first time I have seen her so happy. ",Zaviyar didn't respond but he agreed. He could see it. She looked so much younger and happier. Like someone who wasn't constantly overthinking or fighting battles within herself.
He laughed seeing the last photo, she looked too cute. She looked... free.
Then came a picture that made his expression darken.. Ahaan's arm casually wrapped around both their shoulders.
Zaviyar's jaw tightened. His fingers curled into a fist. A sharp breath left him as something ugly twisted inside his chest. He didn't care what Safiya thought of him.
Territorial, Possessive or a red flag. She could call him whatever she wanted. But he hated it. Absolutely hated it.
Because he knew damn well she wouldn't tolerate it either if another woman stood too close to him.
He said nothing.Just swiped to the next story. And that only made it worse. Safiya and Ahaan sitting side by side, playing the piano together in what looked like a big hallroom.
" That's Adira's story which bhabi has reshared. ", Kabir explained casually, completely unaware of the storm brewing beside him.
Zaviyar barely heard him. His eyes were fixed on the screen.
Then he read a few comments on the story, probably done by a friend -
His grip on the phone tightened. The next story appeared. It was a video, first Safiya's face appeared and then the camera flipped to Ahaan and Adira, sharing a shy, lingering gaze.
The caption read, ?third wheel of the golden trio, while Hermione and Ron eat each other's face.?
Kabir burst out laughing. Zaviyar, however, looked at him, completely confused.
" It's a reference from Harry Potter ", Kabir explained.
That only made Zaviyar frown deeper. And Kabir looked personally offended by that reaction.
Who didn't know Harry Potter?
What followed was an entire hour of Kabir enthusiastically explaining the storyline, characters and references, while Zaviyar listened with a blank yet slightly irritated expression. Somewhere in between, something clicked in his mind.
" Safiya once called me volde- something ", Kabir froze.
His face visibly paled. But then, suddenly, an idea struck him. Quickly, he pulled up a picture of Tom Marvolo Riddle in his teenage, handsome and charismatic.
" She must be comparing you to her childhood crush ", Kabir said with a forced laugh. Zaviyar's frown deepened.
". she had a crush? ", Kabir internally panicked.
" Bhai, mujhe na woh.... ", he started, but his eyes immediately caught sight of Riffat walking in.
(Brother, I actually...)
" Ammi, oh haa ammi neh bulaya tha ", he quickly escaped, practically running away.
Zaviyar didn't stop him.
(Mom, oh yes mom called me)
Instead, he immediately picked up his phone and searched it himself. And the moment he saw Voldemort's face. He almost recoiled.
" She already calls me a jinn. How can this be her crush? ",
For the next hour, he went down an entire rabbit hole, reading, watching, understanding.
And by the end of it...
He finally understood why she called him that. But that didn't mean he liked it. His wife compared her with a man without a nose.
He was frustrated because now he had competition with whoever this gora pakora ( white fritter ) was.
" Call kyu nhi utha Rahi ", he muttered, dialing her number again and again. Each time the phone rang and yet, no response.
(Why isn't she picking up)
Then suddenly... An idea struck him.
.......................