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Eira placed a tight hold on Hani as he started to move in her arms.
She peeked around for Faris but he was nowhere to be seen, While Faris had been making money and expanding his business, Eira had spent her money in shopping with the wives of Faris' business mates here.
She had roamed around the malls, lauging and chuckling. She actually had a good time, and the fear that she carried in her heart about people recognizing her had long gone.
It had been four years. Not alot of people could remember what Virat Kohli's almost wife looked like.
Eira was dressed in traditional Pakistani clothes, she looked too gorgeous.
She looked so beautiful that Faris had been reluctant on even going to the wedding.
The business world was very different from the world that Eira was from.
There were pretentious smiles and fake compliments in this world, wives of the businessmen were socialites, they didn't really care about what work their men did, as long as they had their credit cards.
Eira had already gotten bored of their gossip session. They kept discussing the bride, who was in love with a middle class guy but was forced to marry among the elites. It was horrible for Eira to hear.
Didn't people have anything better to do than discuss other's lives?
Eira shrugged away the thoughts that swirled her mind. She stood there with a woman who she actually liked among the group. She was a gynaecologist and had too many interesting stories to tell.
"And one time, I'm delivering the baby and the mother slaps my face because she was in pain." Eira's mouth fell wide open and she gasped.
"Oh No, she didn't." Eira said, not believing. Who slaps a doctor?
"Yeah, she did. Don't you deal with craziness too though?" Sam questioned her.
Hani yet again, shuffled in Eira's arms. At first he didn't want to be carried around in a stroller so he had literally clung to Eira to carry her. Then later on, when Faris held him..he had yelled and cried, wanting to go back to his mother.
And now that he was being held in her arms, he wanted to walk.
"Most of my patients are sad. depressed. I did have an encounter with this girl though, she smashed my favourite lamp." Eira responded and they both gave a hearty laugh.
"Hani." Eira scolded or well, she tried to scold him. He pouted at her instead giving the perfect puppy eyes.
"Asfal." He said with a pout.
Eira didn't know how Hani had been getting so good in speaking arabic words when both of his parents talked in english half of the time, atleast with each other.
"No!" Eira replied but he kept kicking.
Terrible twos in a child was the worst phase. One minute the baby was clingy and the other, fiercely independent.
Even though Hani was a shy child and didn't really mingle well with people, he was still filled with curiosty.
He moved again in Eira's arms shuffling and holding on her arms to be let down. Eira looked around for Faris but saw that he was busy, talking to one of his guys.
"Hani. Stop." Eira tried again.
Hani looked at her with those puppy eyes again.
"Peasee." He said again. Please, he meant.
Eira sighed and finally put him down. She kneeled down to his level.
"No walking far from mama. Got it?" Eira tried. Hani nodded.
"His features are so much in common with your husband." Sam told Eira.
Eira smiled.
"Yeah, I guess."
"Is it hard, living with someone of a different ethnicity?" She questioned with curiosity and concern.
Hani had started walking at that time. He slowly walked as Eira kept looking at him. He would go a few steps away, then come running back and crash on Eira's legs. He had started playing his own game.
"Be careful." Eira said and Hani giggled poking out his tongue.
"It's not I think. I mean as long as you both are supportive and loving towards each other." Eira replied tucking a layer of hair behind hear ear.
"I had always heard Arabic men are very conservative, they don't even let their wives out." Sam informed Eira.
"It is the general perception, I guess. I had that too before Faris. It's understandable, I'm the only working woman in his family. His mother and sisters cover themselves from head to toe." She said.
"Has he ever asked you to?"
"I mean he wants me to. But he's never forced me or anything. He knows I'll do it only when my heart tells me." Eira answered.
They had been talking for a while nkw but Eira hadn't felt someone crash near her legs.
She hadn't heard a giggle, hadn't heard his voice.
Her heart sped up and she looked around in panic. She couldn't see him.
"Shit. Hani!" Eira said and started walking left and right in panic.
Sam also started to search for him with her.
"Hani? Where are you?" Eira's voice came out shaky.
Where the hell had he gone? He was just here. And how coupd she be so reckless to not pay attention to him?
Why would she even put him down?
So many thoughts went around Eira's head.
"I'll go inform your husband Hani got lost." Sam murmured. Eira's eyes widened.
"What? No! Don't. I'll find him." Eira promised and started to move around the venue. She started looking for her son from the back, from the area that had more space.
Then she walked in the crowd and searched for him. But he was no where to be found.
Eira had tears in her eyes now, even though she was a strong hearted woman, it still scared her. Hani was lost.
Eira was about to inform Faris when she saw Hani on the back of a man's shoulder.
A happy sigh escaped her mouth. The guy from the back seemed like he was searching for Hani's parents too. So Eira rushed towards them.
"Hani." She yelled, the guy instantly stopped.
He stood frozen on his back for a few seconds and till then Eira had reached him. Hani got off from the man's shoulder and instantly launched himself in his mother's arms.
"Oh baby, you got me so scared." Eira whispered, kissing his forehead.
While Eira kissed his forehead repeatedly, the man was still stood on his back.
"Excuse me,?" Eira said to the man, trying to thank him.
The man turned around and in that moment, Eira's world stopped for a minute too.
