Turning his side he picked up the pillow that contained her fragrance, yesterday he was beside her but couldn't get only a few moments of togetherness and tonight she wasn't with him. This distance was killing him. He texted his wife to ask her, Meri yaad nhi aa rhi, Madam ji? But he didn't get a reply to the thought that she was sleeping, he walked out of the room to make himself a cup of coffee or tea but as soon as he opened the door the peace of his heart was gone.

(don't you miss me?)

Rosie was sitting on the balcony attached to the living room. Ayan was sleeping in her lap, she was adoring him and caressing his head with her right hand while other her other hand was holding her Mobile phone. She was occasionally glancing at the mobile screen with this hope that the said half-an-hour would end soon.

"Kya hua?"

(What happened?)

"Kuch nhi, neend nhi aa rhi," said Rosie in a hushed tone and Athar sat down beside her. "Sooja, wo call nhi karega."

(nothing, can't sleep.)

(get some sleep, he won't call.)

"Karenge bhai. Unhone kaha tha abhi busy hain Adhe ghante baad karenge." Rosie said with a small ray of hope in her voice and Athar felt sad for her.

(He will bhai. He was busy, he said that he'd call me in half an hour.)

"kitni deyr pehle kaha tha?" he asked, Rosie was silent for a few moments then gulped down the tears coming to her eyes.

(How long ago did you say?)

"3 ghante pehle." She again glanced at the mobile phone, and two more minutes passed to make this night more difficult for her. "Keh rhe the Ayan se baat krenge... Lekin dekhiye, ye to soo gya." Rosie added while caressing the head of her son and Athar caressed her head.

(3 hours ago.)

(he was saying to talk to Ayan but see... He slept.)

"Tu bhi soo jaa, wo call nhi krega, pagal bana rha hai tujhe," said Athar but at the same time her mobile started vibrating. Rosie smiled brightly, the tears present in her eyes rolled down but like the tears of joy, not sorrow.

(You too sleep now, he won't call... He's just fooling you.)

"Dekha bhai, wo mujhe pagal nhi bana rhe, sach me busy the wo." saying that Rosie received the call and Athar walked to the kitchen to give the required amount of privacy to his sister.

(Look bhai, he wasn't making me mad, he was really busy.)

He smiled with a little satisfaction because he knew that now his sister would sleep peacefully after many nights. Making himself tea he walked back towards his room to catch a glance of Rosie showing her Son to her husband on Video Call.

Shutting the door he sighed. Here he was longing for his wife and a few steps away his sister was crying for a man who treated her like a secondary thing of his life.

Both the siblings have been dying inside for the last four years. Rosie got married only a few days before Madiha got married to Danish. Her husband worked in Qatar, and he was here to get married, he stayed with Rosie for some five months then went back to Qatar leaving his pregnant wife with his family and assuring her to take him along after the childbirth. Rosie's pregnancy was complicated and her in-laws weren't looking after her so her mother took her along. That was the turning point of Rosie's life. From that time her husband and inlaws were unhappy with her. She was requesting her husband to take her wherever he lived but he always had excuses. Many times Athar told Rosie about his doubt that her husband had already done a second marriage that's why he was avoiding her but Rosie trusted her husband like no one else could.

And here Athar was feeling incomplete without Madiha. Picking his mobile he was about to text Madiha again but found many unread messages and ten missed calls from her.

Nhi, Bilkul nhi aa rhi aapki yaad. 😉

(no I'm not missing you at all.😉)

After five minutes, there was another message "Soo gye kya?"

(Slept?)

Athar? Are you there?

Aap naraz ho gye kya?

Please don't take that seriously I was just kidding. Yes, I was missing, and I'm still missing you. Please Athar please talk to me. Don't be angry.

And after that, there was no text but many missed calls. Taking a sip of tea he immediately returned the call and she picked it up after the very first ring... "Hello, Athar..." Before that hot beverage could make its way down his throat he heard her tensed voice.

"Athar I'm sorry if you feel bad but that was just a joke... I was not serious. I'm missing you that's why I'm still up... Talk to me Athar... Please don't be angry with me. I don't feel good anywhere when you're not with me. You're the best man to come in my life please don't be angry with me." this time he said nothing because he wanted to hear all those things for many years but this gentlewoman had taken so long to open up. "Athar, are you listening to me or not?"

"Kehti raho aaj pehli baar tum keh rhi ho aur main sun rha hu." his whisper was enough to make her heart skip a beat. 

(Keep saying it, today is the first time you are saying it and I am listening.)

"Aap naraz to nhi hain na?"

(You're not angry, right?)

"Meri duao ka nateeja ho tum, tum se kese naraz ho sakta hu?" Madiha has nothing to say in reply, she was trying to believe that it wasn't a dream but reality. She was living in a fairy tale in which her prince was there to save her from every problem. 

(You are the result of my prayers, how can I be angry with you?)

"Good night, see you tomorrow in the office, and don't bring lunch tomorrow, I'll bring your lunch," Madiha whispered and Athar felt that she was smiling. "Mere bina neend aa jayegi?"

(Will you be able to sleep without me?)

"Ewww... Athar this was so cheesy... I mean... We are grown-ups, not teenagers, of course, we will be able to sleep without each other. We were doing the same till one day ago. Bye." she cut the call and Athar sighed. He was trying to be romantic but his wife failed his attempt. He sighed with a mixture of pain and satisfaction. 

Satisfaction for getting his love in a halal way and pain because even after getting married he was away from her.

He started scrolling through the pics of his wedding. With each passing second his yearning for his wife and anger for his brother was increasing. Athar knew his brother very well. If Arif was doing all those things then he must have an intention behind it and being a good husband Athar was determined to fail Arif's intentions by sending Madiha away from this house, however poor man didn't know that his brother wanted this only.

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Clock hands were hitting five past five in the morning. It wasn't night but not a proper day either. The darkness of the sky was a contrast to the dimly lit room. And in the silence and tranquillity, a figure was sitting on the prayer rug. Her hands were lifted in the air, her eyes were closed and her heart was beating at a peaceful pace. She did not figure out when the last time she was so calm and stress-free. Today she was not asking for a happy life with Athar but she was only thanking the Almighty for taking her out of hell and giving her a chance to make a new paradise. She didn't want to conclude this prayer but she had to.

Folding the prayer mat she stood up and walked towards the kitchen. She was still smiling while remembering Athar bringing back her to her brother's home. The way he asked Mohsin, 'Jab tak main alag ghar ka intezaam na kar lu tab tak meri biwi ko is ghar mein rakh sakte ho?'

('Can you keep my wife in this house until I arrange for a separate house for us?)

And after having lunch when Athar was leaving he asked her to talk in tranquillity. The way he embraced her and whispered 'Agar roone se masle hal ho jate hain to chalo sath bath ke roote hain... Aur agar roone se masle hal nhi ho sakte to kyu rooti ho Madam Ji?" he was the first man to wipe her tears.

(If issues can be resolved by crying then let's cry together... and if issues cannot be resolved by crying then why do you cry madam ji?)

Letting out a sight she came back to the real world and decided to focus on the work instead of memories.

.........

After a few days.

Kissing the chubby cheeks of her little nephew she embraced him lovingly and did not leave him for the next few minutes. "Phuppo ki chhoti si jaan... Aapke bina rehna namumkin ho gya hai." letting Aamna take her son back she whispered and looked at Mohsin who was already smiling to see his sister happy.

(phuppo's little darling... it has become impossible to live without you.)

"I'm going," Mohsin said while picking up his office bag and gave a quick hug to his wife and looked at Madiha who was wearing her niqab (veil). It became Mohsin's routine to drop Madiha halfway and then Athar picked her up from a particular point.

"Aapi, are you happy?" focusing on the road he asked and accelerated the car. Madiha thought for a few minutes to answer this simple question but then nodded with a smile. "Yes, I'm."

(Aapi are you happy now?)

"Mohsin, don't you think today we're going earlier than usual?" Asked Madiha while glancing at her wristwatch, they were almost half an hour earlier than every day but instead of replying Mohsin kept driving. Madiha was concerned that she would have to wait for Athar on the road but surprisingly he was already waiting for her.

"Kal raat aapne call bhi nhi kri mujhe." Madiha showed a moderate amount of disappointment while side-straddling on the scooty. "Busy tha." Madiha respected his responsibilities as she knew Rosie was moving in with her in-laws and Athar was alone to help his sister in packing and shifting her stuff. Placing her hand on his shoulder she felt like she had a shield who was there to protect her.

(You didn't even call me last night.)

(I was busy.)

She was becoming confident with every passing month still she was looking towards a figure to protect her... Danish never played the role of a protector, he was a destroyer. Later on, She expected some protection from her brother but he also left her in the race of the commercial world however it was only for her goodness but this man was something different. He never left her alone in any situation. The amount of love was growing in her heart after the day they got married... Her eyes were fixed on her hand. Yesterday Aamna decorated her hands with mehndi and hid a little 'A' in the petals of roses. Madiha wanted to show Athar her mehndi and ask him to find the initials of his name however it was impossible in the office and they both were so modest and shy that they didn't find it in themselves to spend some time together in a locked room when Mohsin and Aamna were outside. They had been married for the last fifteen days but had not even hugged each other properly yet.

Madiha looked up when realised that the scooter was stopped but she was surprised. "Athar, ye kaha le aaye aap mujhe?" Madiha asked while looking here and there.

(Athar, where did you bring me?)

It was an under-construction site, the premises were looking fresh even after construction material spread everywhere. Two under-construction buildings were standing opposite to each other, one was almost done but the other was showing only a structure. The portion in between the buildings was filled with concrete and bricks. Madiha looked at Athar who held her hand and walked towards the building whose work was almost finished. Soon a man who joined them on the stairs and he left his wife's hand Athar walked to him. Madiha didn't know what her husband was talking to that man but she was feeling awkward. Athar turned behind and gestured for Madiha to come. She nodded and walked to him. 

"Sir, which one would you like to buy?" the man who was the broker asked Athar. "ye feysla to hamari home minister lengi, pehle aap dono apartments dikha dijiye." Madiha looked at Athar who was smiling like a winner.

(Our Home Minister will take this decision, first show us both the apartments.)

"Athar?" she whispered while following the man who was telling them what would the building look like after the finishing work. "This will be our home, Madiha." Athar held her hand and she smiled like anything. Athar left the responsibility on her to choose one apartment from the two suggested and she felt that both were the same but finalised the one which has a window in the kitchen. She was over the moon, till yesterday she was thinking that Athar would find out a rental apartment but she was not expecting anything like this.

"How long will it take to finish this work?" Athar asked the man standing a few steps away from him. "Umm... This apartment will be ready to be moved in within a week but it will take around twenty days to start the water and electricity supplies."

"One more month." Athar sighed but nodded, he looked at his wife "Say goodbye to our future home right now our present office needs us." he whispered to the lost woman who turned to him and smiled with a nod. They both walked down rhe stairs together and looked at the building with curiosity as if seeing a palace in that small 2 BHK.

"Athar, you are the best." she was so happy that wanted to jump like a small girl and her husband held her hand, his smile lost somewhere in the dust of this construction site.

"it will not be that easy Madiha, I'll not be able to give you anything because of EMIs..." he muttered and Madiha smiled. "I don't want anything other than your support." she smiled and Athar looked at her with longing. He wanted to hug her right and kiss her cheeks but it was not possible at that place and time.

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