(2)

As she came out in the parking lot after her last class end, she saw him, leaning against his car with crossed arms. Rolling her eyes, she went near him.

"Don't give me this look, I came on time."

Flicking her forehead with his finger, he uttered, "still not on exact time, you were ten minutes late, but I'll let it pass this time because last time it was an hour, you're improving!"

Smirking, he opened the passenger door to let her in.

Settling behind the steering wheel, he turned on the ignition, making the car roar with life.

"When are we leaving for Islamabad?"

With one hand he pushed his messy strands away from his forehead and with the other, he handled the steering wheel with perfection.

"Tomorrow, after class, we'll go straight from the University."

She replied while looking out of the car's window.

"Wow, I didn't know I was your chauffeur!"

"Now you know." She grinned and blinked innocently at him.

"I want payment, ma'am, I won't take you Islamabad for free." Raising his brows, he peeked at her.

Snorting, she rolled her eyes, "And what is your payment, my dear driver?"

He stopped the car in front of the traffic signals,

Clearing his throat he voiced his thoughts hesitantly, "help me in getting rid of Laiba, I swear she's the most annoying girl I have ever witnessed."

Zara chuckled lightly, "I warned you, you didn't listen, now it's your punishment, so suck it up."

Groaning loudly he banged his head against the steering wheel,

"Zaru man, do something, the girl hangs out with me all the time in university, she doesn't even know anything about the word 'privacy'."

Seeing the green signal, he pushed the accelerator and the car again started to run smoothly in its previous rhythm.

As she opened her mouth, the blaring of his phone ring tone stopped her.

"It's Laiba!" Throwing the phone in her lap, he gestured to answer the call.

"I won't answer, she will ask me dozens of questions about you."

Shaking her head, she placed his phone in the dashboard.

Even after ten minutes, the ringing didn't stop, the girl was very stubborn, she was calling him again and again.

"She won't stop, please Zara please do something, I promise I will buy you that bag that you wanted."

The poor boy was pleading.

"And those red shoes also!"

"Done!"

"And the silver jhumkas!"

"Done!"

"And also the-"

"Bag, shoes, and jhumkas only, not anything more and anything less."

Cutting her demands, he spoke with finality.

Shrugging with satisfaction, Zara answered the call.

After greeting, when Laiba rudely asked her to hand over the phone to Affan, that's when Zara started her game.

"Affan is talking with his wife right now apparently."

He choked after listening to her.

She put the call on the sparker, so he could also hear her.

"But Affan doesn't have a wife."

Disbelief laced in Laiba's voice.

"Oh sure he does, she is a foreigner, he also has three kids with her." Placing her hand over her mouth, she tried to stop her chuckle.

Affan was speechless, his eyes were wide as he stopped the car in front of their house.

They both stayed in the car, both were listening to Laiba who shrieked loudly after hearing about Affan's children.

"But isn't he just twenty-one?"

Zara was sure that Laiba was going to cry, she felt guilty for lying to her.

"Hey, don't get sad Laiba, I tell you he's not worth it, he went to Australia when he was twenty for an educational trip, he met Linda who was their tour guide, you know what, she's even ten years older than him, Affan liked her and they got married shortly, after a year she gave birth to their triplets, I'm the only who knows about Linda in our family, the poor guy is losing his mind right now."

The story was ridiculous but nothing other than that came up in her mind.

As she moved her gaze towards her cousin, she gulped down her saliva because Affan was looking murderous while glaring at her.

"What will he do know now?" The poor girl believed her lie and asked her innocently.

"I have no idea, you just stay away from him, I mean, you don't look like a girl who hangs around a guy who has three children." Chuckling nervously, Zara licked her lips.

"Of course, you are right, there are plenty of hot single guys, I don't want to waste my time on an old hag like him." Zara harshly pressed her mouth with her hand to stop from laughing like a maniac.

"Ah, thank you Zara for telling me about him,"

"My pleasure, just don't tell anyone about him, he would kill me if he knew I leaked his secret." Affan's glaring was not subsiding, he gritted his teeth and fisted his hands.

"Of course honey, your secret is kept with me till I die."

He harshly snatched his phone from her hold and declined the call.

Shutting the car with a bang, he left her who was laughing wildly.

She ran to follow him, holding his arm she stopped him.

Catching her breath and wiping her eyes, she looked at him innocently.

"Three kids!?" He hissed while crossing his arms.

"You are so ungrateful Affan, instead of thanking me, you are getting furious for helping you."

Her eyes were glinting with mischievousness.

"I told you to get her rid of me not to tell her that I'm married with three kids."

"It was funny wasn't it?" She wriggled her eyebrows at him.

Gazing at her smiling face he also loses his sanity and joined her in a laughing fit.

That's how an innocent relationship they have, one minute they would be fighting like crazy and the other minute laughing like there's no tomorrow.

If one gets upset the other would try hard to cheer up the situation.

One minute they would be best of enemies and the other moment they would best of friends.

From sharing little secrets to pranking each other, they both were always together.

They were each other's best friends.

But fate was soon going to change their relationship without their knowing!

********

Sitting in the car for four hours made her bones ache, she stretched her foot and placed them on the dashboard.

"Hey, put your legs down, I cleaned my car yesterday." He swatted her legs from the dashboard.

She mimicked him and muttered 'old hag' under her breath.

"Don't you dare call me that, I swear I will leave you here in an abandoned road."

"Oh, that would be fine since my Nano's home is at walking distance from here."

She sticks out her tongue to mock him.

Scowling, he halted the car in front of her grandmother's house.

Her nano was standing on the threshold of the house, waiting for her.

Getting out of the car, she ran and hugged her old and fragile grandmother. She smelt exactly like her mother. Sniffling, Zarar kissed her Nano's cheeks one by one.

Affan came after collecting their bags, the old lady gleamed at him and caressed his head as he greeted her with a smiling face.

Her grandmother took both of them inside, it was a moderate two-story house, with plain white walls and hard oak wood floor.

The aroma of food had taken over the house, her mouth mouthed as she crouched on the kitchen stools. Affan went away to inform his Dad that they reached safely.

"I missed you so much Nano." Placing her elbows on the table and cupping her mouth in her hands, she gazed lovingly at the old woman.

"I missed you more my love, I wish I could come there but my health is not cooperating with me," setting her round glasses over her nose, she placed the plate of fresh samosas in front of her.

Her lips tiled down hearing about her nano's ill health. Zara felt guilty for not coming to her more often.

"Well well well, isn't my rich niece just bestowed her presence to her poor relatives."

The bulky man with a heavy mustache entered the kitchen, plopping a gape in his mouth he sneered at her dangerously.

"Mamu!" She gulped and greeted the thick man in fear.

Her grandmother sternly looked at the sturdy man and took a step forward to stand near her granddaughter.

Just then Affan entered the room,

seeing her uncle peering at her made him stand in front of her.

"Uncle Muneeb, how are you!?"

Nodding, he asked the man.

"He sent a bodyguard with you, I see." Tittering, he left the kitchen without answering Affan's question.

Turning around they both saw the old woman who looked ashamed as she had her head lowered.

"He won't stop Zara, I'm his mother, I know him, he won't stop until he gets whats he wants, it was not good to invite you here."

Shaking her head, her grandmother spoke faintly and softly.

"Nano, I came here to meet you, please don't be upset and Mamu and Hamid won't do anything as long as Affan is with me."

"I hope so!"

Kissing the girl's head she hugged her tightly.

*****

She was talking with her grandmother while leaning against the headboard.

They both were reminiscing the memories of her mother.

Both of them felt emotional while conversing about the late women.

From time to time, Zara wiped her Nano's tears.

Affan was sleeping soundly in the guest room, not knowing that a storm was coming on their head.

The room was harshly opened, Zara's eyes bulged out seeing her Mamu's son in front of her.

"Hamid?!"

Hamid grinned evilly, Zara's heart thumped loudly, cold sweat formed on her forehead and her hands felt clammy.

"Y-you went to Multan, when did you come back?" Her grandmother stuttered with fear.

She invited Zara because she knew that the beast won't be home for two days, much to her dismay, he was standing in front of them grinning like lucifer.

"You came after a long time my darling."

Ignoring his grandmother, he

took hurried steps to reach her,

leaning close, he pushed a strand away from her face.

Zara felt like puking her guts out when he touched her.

"Hamid, get out, this instant."

Looking at his grandmother with a bored expression. He pushed her, losing her balance the old woman fell on the ground with a loud thud.

A gasp left Zara's mouth. As she tried to go near her, he halted her by pulling her wrist harshly,

Hamid loudly howled, "Today, you would become my bride. I have enough of you, you bitch."

He dragged her out of the room.

Before she could yell Affan's name he placed his hand over her mouth.

Dramatic I told you,

Do you like short or long chapters?

Share your theories with me.

What do you think will happen next?

Until next time.

Take care.

Allah Hafiz.