Chapter : 45 - Your Wedding Gift

"This is for you," I said, placing the plate on the nightstand and presenting a small box to Uns.

"What is this?" Uns asked, looking at the box.

"Your wedding gift," I said with a smile, sitting down in front of her.

"What's in it?" she asked curiously, her face adorned with a peculiar smile.

And here, just seeing her smile does something indescribable to my heart.

"Open it and see," I said.

"Okay," Uns, replied happily, and started to open the box.

"Nath?" she asked, looking at the box and then at me.

(A nose ring)

"Nath, accha laghta hai tumpe, isliye," I said hesitantly.

(It looks good on you, that's why)

"Do you like it?" I asked, noticing her silence.

"It's very beautiful," she said, taking the nose ring in her hand.

"Will you wear it?" I asked.

"Should I wear it now?" Uns asked, looking up at me.

"Yes, I want to see it," I said with a light smile.

Without saying anything, she began to remove her nose ring, and I just watched her hands move.

Is ek aurat ki mohabbat mein itna giraft hogaya hoon ki siwaye uske, kuch dekhna hein nahi chahata mai.

(The love for this woman has me so captivated that I don't want to look at anything else).

She put her nose ring down and picked up the one I gave her, ready to put it on.

"Mai, pehna du, nath?" I asked.

Only to see her face turn red like  tomatoes. Is she blushing?

(Should I put the nose ring on for you?)

"Pehna pau ge?" Uns asked.

(Can you?)

"I'll try," I said, taking the nose ring from her hand and bringing it to her nose.

"Nader! Be careful," Uns said, holding my hand.

"Oh, sorry Uns, I'll be careful," I apologized and carefully put the nose ring on her.

"Does it look good?" she asked.

"Now, it looks good," I said with a smile.

Yahan meri baat khatam hein hui ki, Uns, ke gaal phirse laal hone lage.

Yaah allah, mujhe toh iski sharam seh bhi mohabbat hai.

(As soon as I finished speaking, Uns's cheeks started to turn red.

Oh Allah, I even love her shyness).

The wedding gift was done, and still there was one more thing I had to give her. So I took out another small box from my pocket and handed it to her.

"What is this now, Aziz?" Uns asked as she took the box.

"Your another gift," I said.

"What?" Uns asked with a confused smile as she opened the box.

"Earrings? Why?" she asked, holding the small diamond earrings in her hand.

"With my first earnings, I bought something for Ammi, Abbu, and you. You weren't here at that time, so I kept it to give you," I explained.

Uns didn't say anything in response. She just looked at me, or maybe she was saying something to me with her eyes.

"kabhi nafrat nahi hue, mujhse?" Uns asked after a long silence, a question I hadn't expected to hear.

(Didn't you ever hate me).

"Mohabbat itni tih ki nafrat karne ke liye jagah hein nahi tih dil mein," I said, holding her hand in mine.

(There was so much love that there was no room for hate).

"I don't believe it," She said, shaking her head.

"There was just regret, never hate, Uns," I said, squeezing her hand.

"Don't love me so much, Aziz," She said, pulling her hand away, her face showing strange restlessness, but her eyes said something else.

"Mere bas mein nahi hai, Uns. Tum meri neymat ho, tumse mohabbat karna bhi sawab hai mere liye," I said, taking her hand in mine again.

(I can't help it, Uns. You are my blessing; loving you is a virtue for me).

"The earrings are beautiful," Uns said with a smile.

Begum's mood changes within every second. I thought, while watching her admire the earnings.

"Now it's my turn," I said, sitting up straight with great patience.

"For what?" Uns asked, confused.

"I need a gift too," I said in a teasing manner.

"What do you want?" Uns asked, putting the earring box on the side of the bed, folding her hands, and giving me an innocent smile.

"Why are you laughing?" I asked, seeing her trying to control her laughter.

"I'm not laughing, Nader. Tell me, what do you want from me?" Uns asked calmly.

"I want to see your hair," I finally said.

Those words that I had wanted to say for years. Hearing my wish, she smiled broadly.

Uns, mere saamne bhaite, muskura rahi tih aur mera bhegairat dil behaal ho raha tah.

(Uns, sitting in front of me, was smiling, and my shameless heart is overwhelmed here).

"Okay," she said after a few minutes and started to remove her hijab.

"Aziz, sambhal loge na?" Dimaag neh pucha.

(Aziz, will you handle it? My mind asked).

"Pata nahi," Dil neh jawaab diya.

(I don't know," my heart replied).

"If the heart and mind are this confused, what will happen to the breath?" I asked them both.

"It'll be fine," they both assured. And in a few seconds, Uns removed her hijab.

Aur saanson neh dhoka de diya.

(And my breath betrayed me).

Saanse puri tarah seh tham gayi tih meri, dil aur dimaag neh pehle hein kaam karna band kardiya tah.

Uske baal, jode ki surat mein teh, aur woh dhere dhere seh apne jodon ko khol rahi tih,

Meri aankhen jaise palak jhap kaana bhi bhul gayi tih, meri aankhe bas uski har harqat ko dekh rahe teh.

kya sach me aurat itni khubsurat lagti hai khule baalon mein? Maine use meri ab tak ki zindagi mein pehli baar bina hijab yaah scarf ke dekha tah.

Aur mujhe behad afsos hai ki maine kyun dekha, kyunki mai toh taiyar hein nahi tah iske liye, is aurat ki khubsurti ke liye. Agar aise hein, Uns ko baalon mein dekhna pada toh mai pura pagal ho jaunga iske ishq mein.

(My breath completely stopped, and my heart and mind had already stopped working.

Her hair was tied up, and she slowly began to untie it. My eyes seemed to forget to blink; they were just watching her every move. Does a woman really look this beautiful with her hair down?

For the first time in my life, I saw her without a hijab or scarf.

And I deeply regretted why I saw it because I wasn't ready for it, for this woman's beauty.

If I had to see her like this, I'd go completely mad in her love).

"I've always said it before, and I'll say it again. You are incredibly beautiful, Uns, both in a hijab and with your hair down," I said, touching her hair.

"Kya sach me itni acchi laghti hoon tumhe, mai?" Uns asked, looking at me.

(Do I really look that good to you).

"Haan," I said.

"Kyun acchi laghti hoon tumhe, mai?" Uns asked another question, the answer to which I still haven't found yet.

(Why do I look good to you).

"Waqt mila toh sochunga ki, sirf tum hein kyun acchi laghti ho mujhe," Maine jawaban kaha.

(If I have time, I'll think about why only you look good to me, I replied).

Aur mai usse aage kehta bhi kya? Kya kehta ki woh mujhe kyun acchi lagti hai? Bas itna jaanta hoon ki jab seh meri aankhon neh use dekha hai, bas usi waqt seh meri aankhen sirf use hein dekhne ki ijazat deti hai.

(And what else could I say to her? Why does she look good to me? I only know that since the moment my eyes saw her, they have only allowed themselves to see her).

"Are you done staring at me, Aziz? Can I sleep now?" Uns asked with a hint of taunt.

I laughed at her remark.

"Bhegairat, go to sleep now," she said, covering herself with a blanket and turning to sleep.

"Good night, Sweetheart," I said, turning towards her as I lay on the bed.

Uns pulled the blanket down and kept looking at me.

"What happened?" I asked in a soft voice.

"Nothing, just felt like looking at you," she replied in a soft voice as well.

"Okay, then freely look at your husband," I teased.

"My husband is very shameless too," she retorted.

But my heart fluttered when I heard her call me her husband.

"Sleep, Nader," Uns ordered.

"Yes, Begam," I said, obeying her command and closing my eyes.

We were facing each other, my eyes closed, but hers were still open, and I knew she was still looking at me.

"How much will you look at me, Sweetheart? Go to sleep," I said, holding her hand with my eyes still closed.

"Fine," Uns said.

And at this moment I knew that, I am going to have the most peaceful sleep of my life.

********

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Uns sleeping, facing me. Seven years ago, I had seen her sleeping from a distance, but now she was sleeping so close to me.

Mai nahi jaanta ki mera kya hone waala hai, bas itna jaanta hoon ki, Uns, ke har sapne ko pura karna hai, Uns, ko muskurate dekhna hai, Uns, ko zindagi bhar ke liye chedna hai, Uns, ko uski zindagi wapas deni hai joh usne apna pure kal ki wajah seh khoyi hai.

(I don't know what the future holds for me, but I do know that I want to fulfill all of Uns's dreams, see her smile, tease her for a lifetime, give her back the life she lost due to her past).

And also think about her career. She is a heart surgeon in America and came to India just like that, but fate had other plans. Now, I only want her happiness. But, the thing which surprise me is, whenever I used to start a conversation about her field, she used to just ignore it, as if she don't want to talk about her dreams.

After thinking all this, I took a long breath then looked at the watch. It was 4:30 in the morning.

I picked up some clothes from the wardrobe and went for a shower. After a fresh shower, I returned to find Uns still sleeping.

I went to her, her hair spread around her, she was looking like a beautiful mess. I kissed her forehead and left for prayers.

For Hindi / Urdu Readers.

For English Readers.

The call for Fajr prayer woke me up, it was the first time I had slept so long. Otherwise, even two hours of sleep would have been a luxury. I took a deep breath and got up, and when I turned, my breath caught in my throat. Aziz? He wasn't in bed. His phone was also on the nightstand.

Something happened in my heart, a sudden unease started. Is this a dream? I thought anxiously and looked out the window, and felt relieved seeing him going towards the gate with Samir and Tamir.

He must be going to pray, I reassured myself and went to pray. After the prayer, I decided to wait for Aziz, but he seemed in no hurry to return. It was almost 7. Why couldn't he take his phone with him? I wouldn't have been so worried.

Waiting for him, I didn't realize when I fell asleep again.

********

When I woke up, I heard a strange disturbance in the room. I opened my eyes only to see Shahjahan getting ready, standing in front of the mirror.

Use dekh ke ek halki sih muskurahat aayi tih chehre par, aur phir kya? Subah subah blush joh karna tah mujhe, isliye use dekhne mein masruf ho gayi.

(A slight smile crossed my face, and then I started blushing early in the morning, engrossed in watching him).

He picked up a comb and ran it through his thick black hair, then on his light beard. Who combs their beard when they are hardly visible?

Then sprayed perfume generously on himself, and took the black suit from the chair, holding it. When I looked at his hands, I saw his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows,

I don't understand, why he wants to shows his veins to the employees. Bhegairat!

But, after all this, I was astonished by his style.

A white formal shirt with sleeves rolled up, a black waistcoat making him look even more perfect, black trousers with black shoes.

Is waqt woh mujhe duniya ka sabse khubsurat mard lagh raha tah.

I couldn't figure out if Aziz preferred white or black. Whenever I see him, he was always in a black outfit. After a quick glance at himself in the mirror, he picked up his wallet from the first drawer, and then the black bag from the couch-probably his office bag. But my attention was caught by the scarf tied to his bag.

That's my scarf! Aziz has it?

"Morning, sweetheart," he greeted me as he approached towards my side.

"Morning," I replied and got out of bed.

"Hurry up and get ready, and come downstairs; breakfast is ready," Aziz said hurriedly.

"Are you going to the office?" I asked instead of responding.

"Yes, I have an important meeting. You get ready," he said, heading towards the door.

"Aziz, wait. Where's my suitcase?" I asked as I got up from the bed.

"It's in the room downstairs. I'll bring it up later, Uns," he said.

"I need to change, Aziz. I need my suitcase," I said, walking towards him calmly, without getting angry.

"Sweetheart, when you go for a shower, I've left something for you there. Just look at it," Aziz said and left.

Great. It's true that everything changes after Nikkah. He didn't even say goodbye to me. And who goes to the office in such a hurry? Annoyed, I looked at the watch.

It was 10 o'clock. Okay.

Okay? 10 o'clock already? Oh no! Uns, get ready quickly. I rushed to the washroom to freshen up. When I went inside, I saw a white box kept on one of the shelf.

When I opened it, there was a beautiful maroon outfit inside. Seeing the dress, a smile crossed my face, and all my annoyance vanished.

After changing, I came to the mirror and saw another small box. When I opened it, there were beautiful earrings and a simple necklace inside, along with something else-a folded paper.

I unfolded the paper to find a note from Shahjahan.

"Sweetheart, mujhe accha lagega agar aap yeh pehno gi toh".

- Aapka Shauhar.

(Sweetheart, I would love it if you wore this.

-Your husband).

"Aziz, you are absolutely crazy," I said, looking at his note.

And what astonishes me is that my cheeks have been turning red quite a lot these days, and on top of that, Shahjahan gave me a maroon dress.

He absolutely knows my weakness, and he never misses a chance to tease me.

When I went downstairs after getting ready, everyone was having breakfast. Uncle Khalid was sitting at the head chair, and the seats to his right and left were empty. Aunt Zaina was probably in the kitchen. Samir, Tamir, and Rasha were seated to Uncle's left, while a few other relatives were on his right. One of them was Nihar, as I knew. I had no idea about the others.

"Morning, Bhabhi," Rasha said upon seeing me and started coming towards me.

"Morning, Rasha, how are you?" I asked.

"I'm fine, but you look absolutely beautiful, Bhabhi," Rasha complimented me. I wasn't sure if it was a compliment or a tease, as there was a mischievous smile on her face.

"Are you teasing your Bhabhi, Rasha?" I whispered softly.

"Absolutely," she whispered back cheerfully.

"All siblings are the same." I thought to myself.

"Oh Uns, dear, you're up. Come and have breakfast," Aunt Zaina said, bringing a plate of bread and keeping it near Uncle Khalid.

"Yes, Aunty," I greeted everyone and sat to the left of Uncle Khalid, with Rasha on my right and the left seat still empty.

"Aziz, how long will it take you to bring the tea?" Aunt Zaina called out loudly, while serving Uncle.

He didn't go to the office? I paused while drinking water and looked towards the kitchen. Aziz was coming with a tray of tea. He was hurrying, but suddenly his steps slowed, and our eyes met.

The CEO was bringing tea.

He then came over, handed the tray to Aunt Zaina, picked up two more cups, and placed one next to me.

"Coffee for you," Aziz said with a smile. Then he sat down beside me with his cup.

"You haven't gone to the office yet? Wasn't there an IMPORTANT meeting, Aziz?" I emphasized "important," obviously intending to taunt him.

He just smiled at me and started drinking his tea.

"The coffee is hot, drink it," he said, taking sips of his tea.

To thank him, I gave him a tight smile and started drinking my coffee.

"Don't be so angry that I can't even go to the office," he whispered slowly, while laughing.

"Am I angry?" I asked in a stern tone.

"These cheeks of yours turning as red as tomatoes are telling me so," he teased again.

"Kitna chedo ge, Nader?" I whispered in the same stern manner while sipping my coffee.

(How much do you tease, Nader?)

"Mai chedta hoon tumhe, Uns? Astaqfirulla apne Shauhar par kaisa ilzaam lagaa rahi ho!" he whispered back, laughing, with that mischievous smile on his face.

(Tease you, Uns? Goodness, what an accusation against your husband!)

"Don't talk to me," I whispered, putting the cup down with a loud thud.

"As you wish, Begam," Aziz said, taking a sip of his tea and looking at me.

"So, you're really not going to talk to me?" I whispered, again picking up the empty cup.

"When I listen to you, it's a problem. When I don't listen to you, it's a problem. What should I do, Sweetheart?" Aziz whispered back, keeping his tea cup on the table too, but calmly.

"Don't do anything," I said, placing my coffee mug down.

"Accha, Suno toh," Aziz whispered, looking at me.

(Alright, listen)

"Ab kya hai?" I asked, annoyed.

(What is it?)

"Bahut khubsurat lagh rahi ho," he said with a smile.

(You look very beautiful)

And here, my cheeks showed no mercy on me. He makes me angry and then says something that makes all my anger disappear.

"Finish your breakfast. I'm going to the office," Aziz said, standing up.

"Sit down," I said.

He sat down silently.

I put some hot bread and chicken curry on his plate.

"Eat before you go," I said.

"Uns," Aziz stopped me from adding more curry.

"Just eat quietly, Aziz," I said and started adding pieces of kebab to his plate.

"Are you only going to serve me?" Shahjahan asked, and then he started putting bread and curry on my plate as well.

"Oh my God, Bhai never served me like this, with so much love," Rasha said in a dramatic voice. And that's when we both realized that everyone else was present.

"I didn't know my son could be so romantic," Zaina Aunty teased us with a smile.

"Oh Zaina, after all, whose son is he?" Uncle Khalid teased Aunty Zaina back.

"Enough, people. We can't tolerate to see this much love," Samir and Tamir said dramatically as they got up from the dining table.

I didn't know that Aziz's family was so different, so unique, where everyone was so cheerful and loving each other.

"Bhai, aren't you going to the office?" Samir asked Aziz with a mischievous smile, while Tamir had a shy smile on his face. When I looked at Aziz, he was giving them both death glares.

These three just proved me wrong; they seemed more like they were ready to kill each other rather than loving.

"Do you want more?" Aziz asked in the middle of eating.

"No, that's enough," I said, taking the last bite of bread.

After I finished eating, he got up, took his suit and bag in hand, went to Zaina Aunty to say goodbye, and then headed towards the door.

I know I shouldn't be thinking about this, but he could have said goodbye to me too, like "Uns, I'm going." Just saying that would have made me happy.

My happiness vanished again, and I was angry at myself for getting upset with him over every little thing. I was lost in thought when I noticed Aziz's wallet next to me, which he had left while eating.

"Are you going somewhere, Bhabhi?" Rasha asked as she saw me getting up from the table.

"Aziz forgot his wallet, I'll go give it to him," I said, heading quickly towards the door. What if he's already left? Thinking this, I walked even faster. When I got outside, Shahjahan was standing there leaning against the car, with an innocent smile on his face.

"Didn't you leave yet?" I asked sternly, folding my arms.

"How could I leave without saying goodbye to you?" Aziz said, coming closer.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"Nothing, he said and stood in front of me.

I'll be back soon, Uns. Take care," Aziz said, holding my hand gently. Then he kissed my forehead.

"Allah Hafiz," he said, then got into the car and drove towards the gate.

❤

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