One Way or Another (Al-Ameen Family #2)

Cruel

Dedicated to MuznaHashmani. You're the sweetest x

The next morning was hellish. Sufyan had fallen as he walked into a table and was rushed to the emergency room by his parents. On top of that, Aamir and his wife's flight had arrived two hours early and so Yusuf and Ali rushed to the airport to get them. I helped speed up lunch and during that, Kismat bhabhi had come down with a fever and swollen feet. So in between cooking, looking after my pregnant sister-in-law, and answering phone calls from all types of family members, Zinat and I were swamped by noon.

Everyone came home at the same town and the chaos got louder. I helped set the table while everyone was scattered around the house, settling in. After Zinat bhabhi and I put everything down in the dining room, we went off to get everyone for lunch. I called Zayed bhai first since Kismat bhabhi had gone back to sleep. I went to call Yusuf next who was in the shower. I sat on the bed, playing with his shirt as I waited for him to come out.

"Bhabhi's okay?" he pulled be out of my nonexistent lint picking.

"Yeah, she took some medicine and dozed off," I looked up as he walked towards the dresser. "Lunch is ready," I informed him.

He just nodded and proceeded to brush his hair out. I watched him wistfully, not knowing what to say.

He walked over and took his t-shirt from me, slipping it on. He took my hands and stood me up. "We good babe?"

I tilted my head, giving him a look. "Are we?"

"Yeah," he pecked my cheek before wrapping his arms around me. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. But don't be mad either," spoke into his shoulder.

"I'm not. I was wrong babe. You have the right to your own decisions and I need to understand that," he pulled back and rested his forehead against mine. "As much as I don't like it, I still have to share you with the world," he sighed, my favourite smile came back.

"Selfish," I muttered.

"I prefer the word devoted," he grinned.

"Astagfirullah, go pray to God," I slapped his cheek lightly before pushing him away. "Come down or starve till dinner."

He gasped dramatically, calling after me,"cruel."

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"Okay bhabhi, bhabhi, bhabhi," Armaan called out loud to the room and he and Ali came back into the living room and surrounded Aamir's wife.

"Yes?" she looked up and smiled at him. I noticed Ali's smile falter when she looked at him.

"The Al-Ameen family has a long running tradition of five years in which we welcome all the daughter-in-laws of the house with one very important thing," he pulled out a dvd from behind him and showed it to the room. Hum Saath Saath Hain.

"Inayah never got this induction into the family," Zinat bhabhi pointed out.

"My sweet sweet bhabhi was a bit of a rushed entry. But I'm sure she enjoyed our exceptional welcome regardless," Ali grinned in my direction.

"Exceptionally," I laughed back. The boys told everyone to find a seat as Armaan slid the dvd in. Halfway through the movie, the debate on where to go to for dinner began and so the movie ended up taking till 5 to finish.

After the movie, we all read namaaz and then got ready to go out for dinner. Dinner ended up being pizza and bowling since the two eldest brothers didn't come. Mizan and Aisha stayed home with Sufyan and Zayed and Kismat stayed back to avoid getting her any more sick. Mannat Ayaan and Safiyana joined us though, so we had even teams of six each.