●عذر●

she is a queen.

her soul is royality.

~°~

Fariah was in the lounge serving tea to her Mamu and Mami. She had already given tea to her Nani Jaan in her room as she wasn't feeling well. She was crouching down near the centre table and her Mamu Mami were sitting on the double seater couch behind her. Her cousins, Ayaan and Afeefah, were bickering about something showing on the television sitting on the floor infront of the table and their sister Rahima was sitting on the other two seater couch lost in her cell phone.

She was handing the teacup to her Mami when a loud salam gained everyone's attention. Her hand trembled a little as nervousness seeped into her bones due to his presence.

Haider Ali Khan.

A little tea spilled on the saucer and her Mami gave her a look which screamed how displeased she was of the carelessness. Fariah hurriedly took the cup back and wiped the saucer before handing it back to her Mami knowing how much she hates sleazy work. His parents replied to his greeting and asked about his day at the office. Haider settled on the single seater couch after putting his suit jacket beside Rahima.

"Rahima, yaar, please make me a cup of coffee. This headache is killing me." He said after replying to his parents putting his head on the backrest of the couch. Rahima didn't pay any heed to his request still lost in her cell phone making him a little angry.

He was about to scold Rahima but before he could open his mouth her mother ordered Fariah.

"Fariah, go and bring coffee for Haider."

Fariah, who was about to go from the living room, turned back on being called and replied her with a 'jee'. As she was about to go to the kitchen to make coffee for her dushman-e-jaan, her eyes betrayed her brain's command and lifted up to meet a pair of dark orbs which were surprisingly looking in her direction. She got flustered on being caught and hurriedly escaped to the kitchen.

She was beating the coffee in a cup and her thoughts wandered back to the events that happened in the past four months and how her life had drastically changed. Four months ago, she lived with her parents happily after her elder sister's marriage but a rough night changed it all. Her parents were coming back after visiting her sister and their car met with an accident. She wished she hadn't gone to take her last exam and was with them in the car so she wouldn't have to live without them and face the cruel world all alone.

A few tears escaped her eyes and she quickly wiped them making her way out of the kitchen to give Mr. Haider Ali Khan his bitter strong coffee.

Maybe people actually are what they eat-or drink in this case-for he was as bitter as this coffee.

She shook the thoughts out of her head and placed the coffee mug on the glass table beside him. He was observing her every move and the frown always marring his eyebrows deepened when he noticed that she avoided any type of interaction with him. She didn't even bother to hand him the cup. Her brown eyes bowed down and she clutched the purple duppata that was covering her head with only a few strands of her black hair peeking through and carressing her gandami coloured skin.

"Mumani jaan, dinner mai kya banana hai?" She asked in a meek voice .

(What should I prepare for dinner, Aunty?)

"Beta, make some simple mutton curry and fried rice with salad. And yes, Ami wasn't feeling good. Make some soup for her as well."

She nodded her head and went to the kitchen to start making dinner but stopped in her tracks when she heard a stern voice.

"Rahima, Affi! Go help her in the kitchen."

She smiled a little thinking he cares about her but then scolded herself for thinking such things which are not possible. He must not trust her with his food that's why he asked his sisters to help her.

She was making the dinner after blocking all kinds of thoughts but was stopped by her Mumani who came in with the tray of cups.

"Farri beta, if you had any problem with doing the chores you should've told me instead of complaining to Haider. I never asked you to do any work, you yourself insisted on doing the chores." She said with a taunting tone as she took the knife from her hand to cut the vegetables Fariah was cutting before.

"N..no, Mumani. I didn't say anything to anyone. I don't like sitting idle all day thats why I insisted on doing the chores. Ap please yeh mujhe karne dain. Mai khana bana rahi hun na, ap rest kr lain please."(...please leave this. I am doing it, you should go and rest for a while.) Fariah said taking the vegetables back from her. She had noticed Haider eyeing her from a few days. She thought he has started to get irritated by her presence as it must remind him of their relation but she didn't know he was noticing her doing the chores around the house. And now, he complained to his mother. Maybe he didn't like the food she made or the clothes ironed by her. It wasn't easy to please Haider Ali Khan, that she already knew.

Salma, her Mumani, put the knife back on the counter and said with a fake concerned voice.

"I also feel bad that you have to do all the work alone but this old age hasn't left me of much use and Affi and Rahima get so tired after their classes. Haider scolded them today for their lazziness and I thought...."

"Esi koi baat nahi hai, Mumani. I can easily handle everything alone. I don't have anything else to do and the chores keep me occupied."(There is no such thing, Aunty.) She said in an assuring tone. Salma just gave her blessings with a fake thankful tone and patted her cheek before leaving the kitchen.

Even though she could see through her act of fake compassion, she played along because she was thankful to her as Salma let her have a shelter after her Phuphi denied to take care of her. She knew Salma didn't consider her as her daughter-in-law even though she was married to her son three months back just like her son who didn't accept this nikkah and made it clear on the first day.

After her parents died, her Mamu didn't want to leave Fariah with her paternal relatives as they were just greedy people who were thinking of marrying her off to a man double her age just for the sake of handsome gifts. He decided to take her with him and his wife also agreed because she pitied the poor girl. Salma was not bad at heart, she was just a cunning woman who wanted to have everything according to her will and manipulated everything to her benefit. She genuinely felt bad for Fariah and she had no problem accomodating her in their house as they were financially well-off. After a couple of weeks, Fariah's paternal relatives arived at their house creating a havoc that they have no right of keeping Fariah in their house and she has to marry the guy they have chosen for her. Ali Razzaq Khan, her Mamu, could easily understand they had no good intentions. Her Nani annonced her decision of Haider marrying Fariah and the Qazi was called.

Haider came home from his office as his father asked him to and was shocked to know he has to marry his orphan cousin just to save her from her greedy relatives. Haider had never been close to his paternal cousins as he had quite a no non-sense nature and they were all quite younger than him including Fariah. Also, she was not the most beautiful looking girl with plain brown eyes and black hair which she always kept covered and a curvy figure. She wasn't obese but she wasn't a very slim girl either. This fact only added to his displeasure. He had to oblige to his Dadi's and Abbu's request but he also made it clear to Fariah that he wants nothing to do with her and she should not expect anything from him. Fariah, who was already quite shaken up by all the events, stayed numb throughtout. She was already not expecting anything from anyone as she was mentally very mature and  knew the world is not a bed of roses. She was aware of the foul intentions of her relatives and was thankful to her Mamu and his family as they saved her from them.

Salma wanted to bring a chand ka tukra for her son and she was also angry at the fact that no one asked for her consent which is why she never accepted Fariah as her son's wife. Fariah didn't want to be endebted to anyone so she started doing all the house-hold chores as a way to balance all their favours. Salma was happy that she could now finally rest as Fariah did all the work very neatly. Her daughter Rahima was the biggest slacker and never helped her out with anything. The twins, Ayyan and Afeefah, were in second year and literally of no use other than creating a ruckus in the house.

Lost in her thoughts, she prepared all the food and took the soup for her Nani as well as a small portion of food for herself after setting the dinning table and asking Ayan to call everybody. She had lost her appetite because she was badly missing her parents today but decided to eat a little something as she would not be able to sleep on empty stomach. No one minded her absence at the dinner table as it was quite a daily occurence after the nikkah. Fariah always tried to avoid Haider at any cost and usually Haider didn't pay heed to it as well.

But today, he didn't like her absence on the table.

Author's Note

I am back!!!!!!😂

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I love you guys.

~Author. ❤