Kismat aur Hum

6.

- Haniya -

Thinking all those things, something in me snapped, my hair being half wet, forgetting my dupatta, I went out looking for Malik, who did he think he was marrying me then forgetting me. I went downstairs where I last saw him, he wasn't there. I looked in the living room and kitchen but couldn't find him, I found a young girl cleaning in the kitchen, "have you seen Malik" I asked her, "I believe bhai is in his study". I remember Mehr showing me where the study is, but we didn't go in. I stomped my way over there.

Without knocking on the door, I pushed open the door to see Malik sitting in front of his desk talking to the guards who I saw often stand outside the house. When they all saw me, the guards stood up abruptly, looking between me and Malik while he continued sitting there, not before he growled lowly and made his way in front of me covering me from the guards view, "that will be all for now, you can leave" they both quickly left the study, leaving me and him alone. Once they left he closed the door of his study and turned to me.

 "what's your problem?" he asked looking straight at me as if he was ready to kill me right there, is- is he mad at me, I'm the one who's supposed to me mad at him. "What do you mean 'what's my problem'? You, you're the reason for all my problems, Tell me, what did I even do? You show up to my house for some debt, and then instead marry me, bring me to your house and forget about me. like what is wrong with you?" "are you done?" I looked at him in disbelief, "wha- what" "I'm asking if you're done, I need to be somewhere", before I answered he grabbed his jacket from the couch beside us and made his way out his study. He's so annoying, I speed up behind him, "now, now you're leaving again, why, why are you leaving me?" he didn't listen to me and instead kept walking until he was leaving the mansion, "fine, ignore me. Two can play this game" 

Who did he think he was, huh. If he thinks he can just ignore me and leave me here than he's wrong, I will make him regret marrying me.

After he left, I made my way to the room I was staying in and packed all my things, who was I to stay here, I stay here or not won't make any difference to him. I dragged my suitcase downstairs as all the maids and everyone working were looking at me but ignoring their questioning look I made my way downstairs carrying my suitcase. I made my way outside as the guards from earlier also give me a look, "if you guys don't mind, I'm just going to leave now" I said trying to move past them, "sorry ma'am, we can't let you out sir said" "well guess what I don't care what he says, so please let me out" instead they didn't listen to me and stood in their place. Huh, leaving ain't that easy. 

I stood in front the gates, the gates that would let me leave this place, one last look and I slowly made my way inside the house in defeat. When I entered the house, Esrat bijaan came up to me, "child, don't be haste, Come have some lunch, you must be hungry" I slowly nodded and made my way to the kitchen following her. She had given me some rice and salad, after I thanked her and asked her to join me, she said she had other work to do and would be back later. After finishing my food, I asked Dua, the little girl who works at the house to help me move to the guest room, at first hesitant, but not saying much she helped me. 

I found out Dua was 15 and had started working here a year ago, when I tired asked her anything else, she would go silent. I sensed she didn't want to share her past so I stayed quiet, Otherwise Dua was a sweet and bubble girl and enjoyed her presence. After cleaning and moving into the guest room, I got bored and asked what Dua was going to do, she had informed she would be helping Esrat bijaan with cooking dinner and I asked if I could help, she protested first but then I ended up helping them.

I had also decided to bake some brownies for Esrat bijaan, Dua and Mehr since I was bored and the others wouldn't let me do anything. After making my favorite dessert and cleaning up my mess, I made my way to my new room, since I felt tired.

- Malik -

As I sat in my warehouse office, I kept thinking of Haniya, I didn't want to purposely leave her alone, but my work wasn't letting me go, and even if it wasn't that, I thought it was best if I give her some space to adjust.

"He's smiling again Umar, I told you something isn't right with him these days" Zain, my best friend since childhood said to Umar as they walked into my office. I sat up straight, controlling my smile in front of them. "oh, you don't know the reason of his smile do you bhai" Umar asked Zain. 

Zain was in Islamabad when I married Haniya and brought her to my house so he wasn't aware of the events lately. Zain and Umar sat in front of my desk, as Zain looked at me and Umar, "no... what did I miss now?" "Remember Haniya bhabhi ?" "the girl Malik has been after for years and is never going to get" "um yea- well she, is, now,  Malik, bhai's, wife" Umar said slower and quieter with each word. As Zain heard the last word his head snapped to me, "MALIK! I LEFT FOR A WEEK AND THIS". Zain was against me liking Haniya, he said I should keep my distance from her since 1. she wouldn't understand our work, 2. I'd be putting her in danger and 3. her being from abroad made her more vulnerable since she wasn't sure how things worked her. 

"Malik, I thought we talked about it, and you said you wouldn't do anything to danger her" "well I did do it to protect her, and last I checked, you worked for me and listened to me" "Malik, don't play this card with me" I huffed out annoyed, "now tell me, how all this happened" since I went silence, he threatened Umar and made him spill everything eventually, to which Zain looked more and more disappointed at.

"please tell  me, she has accepted you and is more settled" "not at all Zain bhai, Malik bhai hasn't talked to her properly for almost a week or more" I glared at Umar who kept blabbing. "I think someone is calling me" Umar said looking at his phone and excusing himself. 

"Malik, you should at least stay with her after all you did with her, at least do something to make her comfortable" "Mehr is with her" "yea, well last I checked Mehr didn't bring her here, it was you. I get you were giving her space but at least help her settle a bit, I won't promise you it will be easy but you chose this option on yourself, so you'll resolve it" "but-" "no buts, now get out of here", standing up and getting my things I glared at him, "sometimes I wish I could cut her head from your body and put it on my desk as a display" "my dear friend, you have been wanting to do that since you were 10 years old, keep wishing " he smirked in victory and I made my way to my car.

When I arrived and parked my car, Ali, one of the guards came up to me, he was informing of how Haniya tried leaving but they didn't let her, I nodded and made my way inside. Everything was too quiet, suspicious quiet, I made my way to my room where Haniya was staying but she wasn't there, neither were her things. I checked all the possible places she could be but I couldn't find her. I ran to the kitchen where Dua was cleaning, "Dua, have you seen Haniya?" "yes bhai, api is staying in the guest room",  after hearing her answer I took a breath of relief. Dua had told me she had gone to rest, I told her to let Haniya rest and call her for dinner later.