Love for Rent

x Step Family x

'Where were you?' I was waiting for Shahzaib when he finally showed up in our room in the middle of the night. After our conversation on the terrace, he left and didn't come home for dinner or call anyone to inform him about his whereabouts.

I watched him as he silently grabbed his clothes from the closet and went to the washroom. I finished packing my luggage and put it aside. When he got out of the washroom, he glanced at my luggage but said nothing. I opened my mouth to say something, but then decided not to. I didn't owe him any explanation.

'I am sorry I asked,' I said too quickly and laid down on the bed.

'You already packed,' I heard him say as he laid down next to me. My back was facing him, but I knew he had turned my way.

'When is your flight?' He asked again. I turned around to face him and looked at him.

'I am taking the train,' I informed him. I followed his eyes as he scanned my face.

'What time?' He asked me.

'Nine in the morning.' I answered.

'What?' I asked when he passed me a questioning glare. I was tired, but I didn't feel like going to sleep when he was here. I was becoming accustomed to talking to him before going to bed and telling me about his work and day. I liked when he asked me about my interests. I was going to miss all of it once this was over.

Instead of answering, he touched my face, and he caressed my face softly.

'I decided I won't talk to you' He laughed at himself when he said that.

'Me too,' I told him truthfully too.

'Then why are you doing this?' He brought up the same question from this morning.

'I never wanted to get married; it's not for me,' I shared with him. I never knew what marriage meant.

'But you are married. I am your husband,' He stated openly.

'This is not real,' I reminded him. When I said that, he removed his hand from me and the warmth of his hand suddenly left me feeling absent.

'We have to go to my father's house tomorrow. The lawyer will also be there, he didn't say much except he some news for us' He told me.

'I will be there, don't worry,' He added later.

'I am not worried, good night' I smiled at him and turned around. I knew he would take of it. Sometimes things were not in control, but some things were. This marriage was in our control, and I knew I had a real-life outside of it, a life where Ma needs me, my dreams are waiting for me, a life where I want to do something not to just get by but I want to find myself. How could I complete a relationship when I was not whole.

The following day, I woke up to loud noise and saw Shahzaib picking his tumbler cup from the floor.

'Sorry, sorry, go back to sleep' He rushed to me and covered my eyes like a child. I removed his hand from my eyes and got up. I checked the time, and it was a past quarter twelve in the afternoon.

'Are you okay?' I was about to head to the washroom when I saw him rubbing his neck.

'Yes, just a slight ache. I am getting old,' He replied.

'You want me to say, oh rubbish, you are so fit, you don't a day older than thirty. I eyed him, and he chuckled. I grabbed my bag and took out a pain relief patch, and went to him.

'Where does it hurt?' I asked him, and he bent his neck and showed me where it was hurting. I massaged the area for a few seconds and then placed the patch over it. When I pulled back to the way, he caught my hand and dragged me back to him.

'Will you go out on dinner with me tonight?' He asked me.

'Is there a special occasion?' I asked him.

'Can you please answer my question with a yes or no?' He raised his eyebrow. I nodded to accept his offer, and he smiled sideways, which showed his dimple.

After having lunch, we left to go to his father's house. His father's house was a mansion. Why would someone need eleven rooms in a house? I was in awe when I stepped inside with Shahzaib and welcomed a house help who asked us to follow him.

'This is crazy,' I told Shahzaib on our way to the seating area where everyone was waiting for us. We were about to go inside when Shahzaib held my hand and gave it a little squeeze before going inside.

All the chattering stopped when we entered, and for a moment, I felt like I was in a movie. I gave everyone a polite greeting with a gentle nod before meeting his stepmother while Shahzaib went to talk to his stepbrother and his wife.

'For a second, I thought you were not real. I mean, this marriage happened out of nowhere' His stepmother fired directly, but Shahzaib warned me about it already, so I didn't change my facial expression when she made this statement as we all gathered over tea.

'Good things happen suddenly, I am very much real, and so is our marriage' I sipped my tea and met her gawking gaze, which didn't leave me ever since I met her. I looked at her daughter-in-law, a shy girl with very few words but who seemed like a decent person. I smiled at her when she noticed me looking, and she smiled back. We decided this was not our fight.

'Nigar pass him some sandwiches' Kumail asked his wife to serve Shahzaib, but Shahzaib quickly got up and told Nigar to sit. I looked at Kumail and didn't like how he treated Nigar. Why did Nigar take such orders? Kumail was capable of doing things then why did he order Nigar to do these minor things.

'So Seher, what do you do?' The stepmother asked me again. Before I could say that, I worked at a restaurant, Shahzaib stepped in and said I was a performing artist. Did he feel ashamed to admit that I was a restaurant worker in front of them?

'Mr. Soliman, you said you have some news' I asked the lawyer to hear whatever he wanted to tell us and leave.

'Your father had a joint account with your mother Shahzaib, but your mother never took any money from it. It's worth over fifty lacks. Now we have to decide how it should be divided.' He shared the news.

'Why didn't you talk to me directly about it? Shahzaib asked Mr. Soliman with an upsetting tone.

'Your father added Saima as a beneficiary to that account,' He pointed out and glanced at Shahzaib's stepmother.

'She can have it. I don't want it' Shahzaib didn't even hesitate to respond to that. I saw everyone looking at Shahzaib with confusion, wondering how come he didn't even try to secure his name over his mother's account, but I knew by now that Shahzaib was never really after his money. He wanted whatever belonged to his mother, but his mother never accepted the money from his fathers for all those years. He didn't want that for himself either.

'Mr. Soliman, if you have to speak to me about such matters, I suggest you speak directly. I want all the property which belonged to my mother, the rest I don't care about it' He made a remark and got up from the seat, nodding at me to follow him.

'You are still as bitter as you used to be, Shahzaib. I thought marriage would change you,' I heard his stepmother calling him from behind as we were leaving. Shahzaib was about to say something, but I linked my arm with his.

'Miss Saima, I respect you, but please don't speak to my husband like this again. I won't hesitate next time to say something that might hurt you' I stopped and stared into her eyes while Shahzaib looked at me with a slight surprise.

'For starters, why don't you start treating Nigar with some respect,' I couldn't help but say before I left this house for good. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------