Love Obsession {Completed}

Where Is Fardan?

The gentle morning sunlight fell on Faiza's face, waking her up. As she looked around, she realized Fardan was nowhere to be seen.

"Maybe he was working all night and hasn’t returned yet," Faiza thought to herself. Just then, she heard a knock on the door and went to open it.

"My dear sister-in-law! I brought new clothes for you. Get ready quickly and come downstairs with me. Everyone is waiting for you," Ayesha said with a smile.

Blushing, Faiza replied, "Please don't call me sister-in-law; it feels strange."

"Why not? You are my sister-in-law, after all," Ayesha teased.

"Yes, but I'm used to hearing you call me Faiza. Please call me that," Faiza said with a smile.

"But my brother is older than me, so I will call you sister-in-law, no matter how strange it feels to you," Ayesha laughed.

"Alright, as you wish. But now you’re making me feel awkward by calling me 'aap' (a formal term of address)," Faiza conceded.

"That's because you also address me formally. I’m only two years older than you, not ten," Ayesha said, handing her the clothes.

"You’re about to become the vice principal and are two years older than me. It feels inappropriate to call you informally. I want to show you respect," Faiza said softly, lowering her head.

"My dear sister-in-law! At home, our relationship is different. You can call me informally here. Also, you’re technically older in our relationship, so I should respect you. If calling me Ayesha feels awkward, you can call me Di (older sister)," Ayesha continued to tease.

"Alright, Di. We are friends before we are sisters-in-law, so think of me as your friend, and I’ll do the same," Faiza said, smiling.

"Alright, sister-in-law, this friendship will last a lifetime. But now, hurry up and get ready," Ayesha said, prompting Faiza to take the clothes and head to the bathroom.

The whole family was gathered in the hall when Ayesha came downstairs with Faiza. Faiza wore a pink salwar kameez with white embroidery and a matching white dupatta, which suited her perfectly. She greeted everyone in the hall. Everyone was present here except for one person: Fardan, whom Faiza was looking for.

As per Phuppo's request, Faiza was to prepare breakfast today because it was her first day in her new home, and everyone wanted to taste her cooking. Faiza went to the kitchen with Ayesha to prepare the meal.

Feeling a bit nervous working in a new place among new people, Faiza found some courage with Ayesha by her side.

"What should I make, Di? What do you all like to eat for breakfast?" Faiza asked Ayesha.

"It’s already noon, so why don't you make dal chawal and a chicken curry or something similar?" Ayesha suggested with a smile.

Following Ayesha’s suggestion, Faiza started making dal chawal and preparing chicken 65. She also wanted to make something sweet, so she asked Ayesha for advice, who suggested making Fardan’s favorite, pumpkin kheer.

After Faiza finished cooking, she set everything on the dining table while Ayesha went to call everyone. Everyone came to sit at the table, but Fardan was still missing. At Phuppo's suggestion, Adil called Fardan, but he didn’t answer. Everyone began eating and praised the food, but Faiza, wanting to wait for Fardan, declined to eat. No one forced her.

Everyone praised the food extensively, making Faiza smile inwardly. Since her mother's passing, she had cooked for years at her uncle's house, but no one had ever praised her like this. Seeing her in-laws’ love brought tears to her eyes. After everyone finished eating, they went to their rooms. Faiza went to the kitchen to make tea, followed by Ayesha.

"Sister-in-law, you should have eaten. Who knows when my brother will come? Don’t wait for him. He’s always like this," Ayesha advised as Faiza added tea leaves to the milk.

"It’s okay, Di. I’ll wait for him," Faiza replied, lost in thought.

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"Ayesha, where are you? Come here quickly!" Fardan’s voice brought Faiza back to reality, and she followed Ayesha to the hall.

Fardan was still in the same clothes from the previous night, minus the sherwani. He seemed very busy. His hair was disheveled, and he looked tired from lack of sleep. Faiza watched him from the kitchen entrance.

"Where did you put my green file beta? I’ve been looking for it since last night and couldn’t find it," Fardan asked Ayesha.

"Brother, please don’t call me 'beta' (a term of endearment for a child). I’m not a two-year-old. It feels weird," Ayesha replied, irritated.

"Why not, beta? You’ll always be my little girl," Fardan teased. Faiza smiled, watching the sibling bond. She wished she had a similar bond with her brother Shafiq.

"Brother, you’re married now. Soon, you’ll have your own kids to call 'beta'. Please, not me," Ayesha said, pouting.

"Even when I have kids, you’ll still be my beta because you’re my dear little sister," Fardan said, pulling her cheek affectionately.

"No one has ever won against your stubbornness. By the way, I put your file in the photo room. Should I bring it?" Ayesha asked. Fardan nodded, and she went to get the file. Faiza remembered she was making tea and resumed her task, noticing that Fardan had disappeared again.

"Sister-in-law, brother is in his room upstairs. Please take the food to him since he’s busy with his laptop and won’t come down," Adil said, knowing Fardan's habits well.

Faiza nodded and took the food upstairs. When she entered the room, she saw Fardan engrossed in his work, now changed into fresh clothes with wet hair, indicating he had just taken a shower. He noticed someone entering but didn’t look up.

"You’ve been working since last night. Please eat now and then continue your work," Faiza said, placing the food in front of him.

"I’m not hungry. I’ll eat later. I’m busy now and need to finish this quickly," Fardan said sternly, not looking at her.

Faiza insisted a few more times, but he didn’t listen. She stopped trying and took the food back downstairs, feeling unsure of what to do since everyone was in their rooms. She went back to her room and sat on the bed, watching Fardan work.

"How can someone be so handsome? It seems like God has poured all the world's beauty into this one person. Such people are truly blessed, with everything in life. But what’s the use of such beauty? True beauty lies in the heart, like Ayesha Di. She is luckier than her brother. God has given her both beauty and a loving brother. It seems they are very dear to God. And here I am, who never received parental love, nor am I beautiful. I have nothing except hope. If suicide weren’t forbidden, I would have died long ago," Faiza thought, lost in her thoughts, recalling something her aunt had said.

"A girl as ugly as you will never get married. You’re neither good at heart nor beautiful. You don’t have wealth to offer a good dowry. Who knows when you’ll leave this house? First, your mother troubled me all her life, and now you. You mother-daughter duo has always deceived my innocent husband and son with your acts of helplessness," her aunt often scolded her, blaming Faiza and her mother for increased expenses in their household. Remembering this brought tears to Faiza’s eyes. She didn’t want anyone to see her crying, so she turned away from where Fardan was sitting, trying to control her tears.

Her head started throbbing with pain from crying. She got up to wash her face but everything started to blur. She closed her eyes, holding her head, trying to steady herself, but she couldn’t comprehend what was happening and fainted right there.

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