CHAPTER 67

CHAPTER 67 : Comfort

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The journey had almost come to an end . The beautiful house in the middle of the forest and appeared in front of their eyes .

"Stay here , I want to meet Mr Siddiqui first" Safia got out of the car with a smile.

"You can't be serious right?" Rudhra asked her . She shrugged and hopped her way inside , excited to meet her husband.

She swung the door open , and was met with the scent of spices . She knew exactly where her husband was . With her heart slowly racing with each step she took , she made her way towards the kitchen.

There he was . Standing behind the counter , dressed up in his white shirt and a green aprin on his body . He was too much focused on his food to sense anyone's presence . He wanted it to be perfect , for the lady of his dreams . His Safia .

With the thought of bringing back their past memories with every bite they eat , he decided to cook pau bhaji. It was the very first meal he had cooked for her .

"Is ready ? Because I am starvinggg!!" Safia cheerfully said while peeking in the pan where the sabzi was. Fawad turned his face around staring at her . A smile automatically appeared on his lips .

"Yes Mrs Yousuf. I won't dare to starve you after all" He said with a little fake frown as if he was really bothered by the thought of keeping his wife hungry .

"Ofcourse! As you should because my anger isn't something you will be pleased with" Safia warned playfully.

"Jokes apart, since when have you been waiting?" Fawad asked her while taking his focus off the food and turning his head towards her.

"Just now " Safia smiled.

"I have missed you" Fawad told her , while coming closer to her . His arm circled around her waist pulling her closer to him . Their hearts raced while their eyes met . It was a dream moment for them.

Fawad engulfed her in a warm embrace , taking in the scent of her mild perfume . He had missed her terribly . Even this simple hug was something he craved for in the past year.

They have been through ups and downs , but this hug made it all feel like it was worth it if this was the result he could get.

"Safia, I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out" Fawad mumbled in the hug.

"Huh?"

Her confusion made Fawad chuckle.

"What is it? A poem ? A quote ? A-my literary knowledge sucks , so tell me what is it?" Safia asked in confusion.

"A quote I read once , and something I have been dying to tell you" Fawad smiled in the hug , still holding onto her tightly.

"I couldn't hear that...tell me again" Safia frowned.

"Things don't make the same sense of they are spoken twice. Let it be a lesson for you to listen carefully when I talk" Fawad teased her.

"C'mon!" Safia pressed her palm against his shoulder to push him back but he just resisted the pressure . He hugged her even more tightly .

"Ahhh!!! Why do you have to do this!!!" She whined .

Fawad finally backed off from the hug staring at her . Her face had a scowl , it made him smile.

"Why are you smiling?" Safia asked him crossing her hands over her chest.

"Nothing..." Fawad smiled . Every moment felt special , specially after realising that living this life was a gift for him . Enjoying this gift with Safia made it even more special.

Safia couldn't hold her fake anger seeing Fawad's smile and she melted down .

"Won't you serve me the food?" She asked and he gave a smile "Ofcourse I will"

He carefully placed it in the plate and carried it to the table because it was still hot .

Safia blew over it to cool it down and ate the first bite . Her eyes widened at the flavour and she moaned at the taste.

"It's so delicious! Why don't you eat too?" She asked.

"I will eat after sometime. I had my dinner pretty late" Fawad told her. It was the time of almost of sehri.

"Ohh~I can understand living alone must have messed up your schedule but don't worry. You don't have to cook now . Atleast not while we are here" Safia winked at him.

"And why is that?"

Safia just took another bite , building Fawad's curiousity .

"Because...I have gotten a personal chef for us !! We can enjoy our moments while he takes care of our food !!" Safia chirped excitedly.

"And who is that chef ? Like do you know him from any recommendations or you found him a few days ago yourself?" Fawad was very skeptical about any new person he met . He had to maintain a low profile until Safia finish her B.A.

"Well, he's pretty useless but heard he's a good chef from other people" Safia told Fawad.

"Then there is no need to keep him. We both can cook together, this way we can spend more time too" Fawad playfully bumped his nose into her nose .

"We can spend our time in other places too or we can cuddle in bed. Let that dumb man handle the cooking, otherwise he will shoot me for dragging him till here" Safia whispered the last part.

"Who dares to even glare at my wife ?" Fawad asked.

"What will you do ? Shoot him?" Safia asked.

"I might as well do that if someone is overstepping boundaries" Fawad told her .

It made Safia burst into laughter . The seriousness was killing her. She started to finish of her food , smiling secretly that she was making Rudhra wait outside.

"Safia...I will kill you" Rudhra stormed inside with anger . Safia smiled widely looking at him .

"Come inside, we were talking about you only" Safia joked.

Rudhra's eyes then fell on Fawad , who was staring at him .

"You brought Rudhra with yourself" He asked her , although the answer was quite clear .

"Why ? Is it a problem? Or have you intended to hide from us your entire life ?" Rudhra asked Fawad . He was already hurt by the fact that Fawad was hiding from them , and this was the last nail on the coffin . He had been mourning his death from the past year , only for Fawad to sound disappointed.

"Don't take it in the wrong way Rudhra, I just expected.."

Rudhra frowned and cut the words " Expected that we never met?"

Safia by this time was already regretting her decision of telling Rudhra about the truth.

"No , I just expected to meet you under better circumstances" Fawad told him.

"Quit lying . You never actually intended to meet us . You were happy with your new life" Rudhra was hurt . He remembered Safia's words that Fawad would meet them after a week himself , yet the disappointed look on Fawad's face when he saw him was throwing him off.

Fawad came towards Rudhra and hugged him. "I wasn't lying to you . I was just caught off-guard" Rudhra sighed hearing these words , the warmth was enough to melt his heart.

"I wasn't aware that you guys will make me go through a surgery , and after surgery I dealt with brain issues . I didn't want you all to face it with me, so I was waiting until I got completely healthy. I have been declared that by doctor this month only" Fawad explained while still hugging him friend.

Rudhra just hugged Fawad back after hearing all that and rolled his eyes "Not like I would be worried about you if you told me sooner"

"Sure , I believe you" Fawad smiled .

Safia took a deep breath in relief , that it all turned out well.

Fawad and Rudhra backed off, and then Rudhra looked behind , controlling the happy tears which were about to stream down his face.

"You can cry in the kitchen" Safia pointed towards the kitchen to Rudhra , who scoffed playfully "I can kill in the kitchen you too"

Safia didn't answered and hopped towards Fawad , after Rudhra walked away in the balcony to attend a call from his wife.

"I can explain" Safia gave a slight smile to Fawad , wanting to elaborate how the incidents happened , and how she accidentally gave off the hint that he was alive .

Fawad came closer to her , she stared at his face , as her own cheeks became flushed red .

"You don't need to explain , sweetheart" Fawad smiled planting a peck on her forehead.

He was sure that she had tried her best to hide it, and he was aware of his friend's intelligence too. Thus he guessed the situation easily.

"Leave it,  and tell me how's the drive been?" He asked her and she shrugged .

"Kinda fun.  I kept teasing your friend, geez I feel like I am making him payback for all the things he did to me " Safia laughed . She still remembered the time she was scared of Rudhra . It amused her that how the old Rudhra would have killed her if she did all this to him at that time.

But the experiences made them all grow up.

"I am glad he kept you entertained" Fawad smiled while pecking the temple of his wife .

"Wait!!!"Safia's eyes widened as she suddenly remembered something and ran towards the car.

Fawad watched her running out and quickly ran in the room . He had planned a lot for her but her sudden appearance without a prior notice made it all fail. He thought that the ride would almost take 7 hours , but she came in 5 hours only.

Fawad opened the door of his room and saw his bunny on the bed with a bouquet of roses without the petals. He clasped his palm across his face as his eyes witnessed the bunny chewing the gift he got for his wife.

"I left you for just an hour—" He stated disappointed. It was a new bunny which Safia got him while he was recovering , because she had to keep the two old ones together—given the fact that they were pair.

Unlike the two little angels , this one was a mess . A tiny demon covered with white and orange furs who would eat anything and everything.

"I should have kept a crow instead of this menace" Fawad mumbled .

The room was a menace and the cake box was squished . He opened the box with a sorrowful heart with a little hope that the cake was fine , but the blue cake with bows was irrecognisable.

"Why did you even left the cake ? Have it" Fawad said with irritation while tossing the cake's blueberry to the bunny who happily munched on his new treat .

"I-I am going. That's it" Fawad mumbled walking downstairs .

"Mr Siddiqui!!! Look who I got!!" Safia smiled coming towards him with a cage full of bunnies .

Fawad held on the railing of the stairs , trying to grasp the situation.

"Not any more bunnies" He mumbled.

"Let me put them in the room" Safia added , but Fawad quickly grabbed the cage.

"I will do it for you . Wait for me downstairs . We can cuddle until it's time for Fajr's azan and have some water to stay hydrated for tomorrow" He told her.

"Will you be keep fast?" She asked him and he shook his head. He still had a few medicines whose time he couldn't change .

"Okay , then I will have the water" She told him and hopped down .

"Don't forget to grab some more food from the fridge if needed" He added but she just hummed and ran towards the fridge to grab a bottle of water.

Fawad smiled , and then stared at the cage . He took the bunnies and released them in the room .

"Go ruin what's all is left!" He cheered to them as he saw them jumping on the cake box .

"Yes , you all are such perfect bunnies" Fawad rolled his eyes shutting the door close .

He walked downstairs . His eyes looked around to find Safia. She was standing near the garden under neem tree which Fawad himself took care of.

Safia was talking with someone on phone . She cut the phone in a low voice and rested her back against the trunk of the tree. Fawad walked towards her and put a hand on her shoulder . She turned her head towards him and quickly wiped her eyes with the sleeves.

Her eyes remained glistening with tears.

"What happened?" He asked her and she just shook her head , "Nothing , I must have gotten something in my eyes" she smiled weakily .

Fawad stared at her.  He was always amazed at how wonderfully strong she was. But he wanted her to share her worries with him .

"You can trust me with anything" He told her and she gave a light nod and hugged him. She desperately needed that hug.  The familiar scent hit her nostrils , as she let it fill her lungs .

The comfort Fawad gave her was beyond something which words could describe.

"Please tell me sweetheart.." He whispered.

Safia remained silent unsure if she really want to burden Fawad with her worries.

"Look , if you remain silent then it just means more work for me . I have to find about it myself" He told her and she sighed , "It's my aunties. They—They declared in the whole house that I am mentally unfit after what has happened to me and they are manipulating everyone to pressure my parents to make me marry Murad" She was worried .

She didn't wanted Fawad to take pressure of the situation, but it included him . She needed to introduce him sooner to her family , otherwise the drama will just remain the way it already is.

"I think you might have to delay your fast for tomorrow" Fawad told her and Safia stared at his face .

To be continued.....

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To all those who don't know , when we are travelling we can delay our fast . It's not necessary in that condition. Sooo yeahh Mr Siddiqui on his way to personally deal with the aunties + expect fluffy romantic scenes for the next chapters !!! Imma make up for all the drama I put y'all through ♥️