Humsafar .

thirteen

"Hey, good morning."

Anaaya's hair brushed the side of his cheeks, leaving wet trails of water all over his face. Hassan woke up from the drops of water, dripping on his face.

His eyes opened slowly as he saw his wife, sitting next to him. His hands reached behind her waist, holding her still. He pulled her more close to him, his head now pressing against the side of her stomach.

"Morning, you're wet." He mumbled, earing a laugh from her side at the double meaning sentence.

"I just showered and you need to get dressed for breakfast." She whispered, caressing his hair.

"How about a morning quickie first?" He suggesting, quirking an eyebrow at her. Anaaya pouted. 

"I'm still sore." He nodded in understanding, still laying down.

"Last night was memorable, right?" He questioned. Anaaya smiled.

"I'll never forget it."

She whispered, leaning down to peck him. Something had changed between them. Last night's intimacy had brought them closer, as if their souls had been joined.

She had always read that consummation of a marriage is an experience that touches your soul, races your heartbeat and evokes something inside of you that you weren't even sure was there.

She felt that today and she was sure he felt it too. Their kisses weren't hesitant anymore, they were comforting.

Hassan grabbed her waist, twisting her around in such a way that he was now on top of her. She kissed the side of his lips, dragging her tongue towards him before he engulfed his lips on hers.

His hands reached the inside of her shirt, touching her skin while kissing her side by side.

"So soft," He whispered, Anaaya sighed as he moved his lips to her neck now, nibbling and kissing.

They were deep into their makeout session when they heard a sudden knock on the door.

"Bhai, bhabhi, breakfast." Hassan replied to his sister's voice with a hmm and groaned at the loss of contact from Anaaya. She stood up, patting his back and dragging him by his hand to get up.

"See? Get up, come on." 

"Good Morning, Uncle." Anaaya greeted her father in law chirply, her mood was jolly and excited, something that Uncle Shafqat had not seen in a while. This was the Anaaya that he loved.

The daughter who would lift anyone's mood up just by her laughter. He greeted her back as he took a sip of his chai.

"Good morning, how's my daughter?" He said back.

"I'm fine, how are you doing?"

"Kinda okay, lo lo paratha lo. (Have some paratha)"

Anaaya sat on the seat adjacent to him, and glanced around the table for breakfast. She settled for a glass of water first.

She tore half a paratha and poured herself some chai. In the meantime Azlaan and Hiba had arrived.

She was in the middle of eating when she heard Hassan's voice, who sat beside his father.

"Salam, baba."

Hassan got served hot breakfast by his mother. Even though there were two helpers, just for the kitchen work in the house, Mrs Shafqat still made sure to atleast serve Hassan his breakfast.

She sat down after pouring him some chai. Azlaan looked at his sister in law who was busy eating. 

"So bhabhi, how was dinner last night? Did bhai take you to his favourite steak house?" He enquired nosily. Anaaya nodded at his query and looked at him after finishing her bite.

"Yeah, it was lovely." She replied.

"Lahore is lovely." Azlaan remarked smugly. What was it with lahories and their appreciation of their city all the time?

"But a little crowded too," Anaaya told him.

It was true though. For someone who had spent her whole life in a city like Islamabad, where there was no noise, no pollution, Lahore seemed too crowded.

Azlaan scoffed at her.

"Aap Islamabad ke burgers ko toh har jaga crowded aur unclassy lagti hai. (You Islamabadis just think every other place is crowded and unclassy."

Anaaya wanted to smack that smug response off his face, his rude tone didn't go unnoticed by her or anyone else for that matter.

She wanted to say something equally as rude but she wasn't ill mannered like him.

"It's not like that, Azlaan. It's just that Islamabad is much more peaceful than this city." She replied politely.

Hassan noticed her maturity and appreciated it too. But at the same time, he didn't understand his brother's attitude.

"Yeah well, you're in Lahore now so better get used to this 'unpeaceful' city." His taunting tone made Hassan glare at him.

"Azlaan." One word.

Only one word and Azlaan knew he had to shut up now. Hassan's deep voice even intimidated her for a second, it felt like the calm before a storm.

"Kya bhai? Mazaaq kar raha hoon. (I'm joking, brother)" He defended but his father spoke up, he put his cup of tea back on the table and glanced at his younger son.

"No Azlaan, she's your sister in law, older than you. Don't talk to her that way." He warned, Azlaan shrank back in his seat.

The awkward tension in the dining hall broke when Rania entered in her college uniform, all chirpy and nervous.

"Good morning pretty people!" She exclaimed, looking at everyone on the table.

"Bhabhi, you look so gorgeous." She complimented Anaaya, then moved forward to hug her side, bending down in her direction.

Anaaya smiled. Rania was her favourite so far.

"Thankyou, where are you off to?"She questioned her.

"Stupid practicals! I hate them." Rania replied, groaning. Anaaya chuckled.

"You'll get through it honey," She replied, Rania blew out a sigh.

"Alright, I'm off. Bye, bhai, bhabhi."

"Good luck Rania!" She air kissed her cheeks as good luck and then ran away, already late.

"Seems like she's gotten attached to you hmm?" Hassan stated, looking at his wife.

"I guess so," She murmured back.

"Anaaya beta meetha kab banaogi aap? (When will you make the dessert?)

Her mother in law questioned, looking at Anaaya for an answer. She felt like s**t, what? Sweet dish? She hardly knew how to boil water, how the f**k was she going to make something sweet?

"What, aunty?"

"You know, sweet dish? I mean the new bride makes it." The woman cleared it up, Anaaya gulped. She looked at Hassan, her eyes pleading help.

"Aunty, I don't know how to cook, I-" She tried to explain, knowing that she would be stuck in disaster if she even entered the kitchen.

One time at home, she had set her microwave on fire. Kitchen and her didn't go well together.

"Mom, these are stupid traditions, come on." Hassan remarked, the others agreed to that.

Before she could even say something in response, he changed the topic.

"Anyway, I had to tell you guys that I'll be flying back to London tonight." He continued.

"Anaaya will stay, she has work here."

"Haan haan zaroor, ye bhi isi ka ghar hai. (Ofcourse, this is her house too)" Hassan's father replied, looking at Anaaya affectionately.

Anaaya smiled at him.

"But Hassan bhai, it's not fair to leave bhabhi all alone, you guys should be going on your honeymoon right now," Hiba interrupted, she didn't understand how her sister in law was so relaxed about this.

Anaaya glanced at Hiba.

"It's Alright, Hiba. We'll go in the next month or so." She informed, making her shrug her shoulders. It was their business, anyway.

Their mother sighed.

"Feriha was saying she might come next week, so maybe we all can go out for a family gathering or something." She suggested.

"Let's plan it after Hassan bhai comes back, mom. You know he always says he's gonna be back in a week and then we don't see him for a month." Anaaya's heart sank at hearing those words from Azlaan.

He wouldn't do that now, would he?

"Oh yeah, he always does that. Last time he said that he'll be back in three days and two weeks later, he still wasn't home." Hiba put forth, making Anaaya gulp down a glass of water since she felt like her food might get stuck.

"Pehle to hamein lagta tha bhai ki koi gori girlfriend hai wahan pay. (At first, we thought he had a british girlfriend there)"

He remembered fondly, Anaaya felt even more annoyed.

"Haan Samantha pay kitna shakk kiya tha na hum ne, phir wo bhai ki secretary nikli. (We thought Samantha was his girlfriend but turns out she was his secretary)" Hassan laughed at their stupid remarks, but Anaaya's mood had gotten spoiled.

She knew the girlfriend part wasn't true but she was worried about the other piece of news she had heard.

Did he really do that? Would he do that now? Leave for months? She hoped not.

"Anaaya, when do you have to join office?" Uncle Shafqat questioned a distracted Anaaya who was playing with her food. She didn't answer him, which resulted in everyone looking at her.

"Office? But she said that her work is from home?" Her mother in law interfered, questioning about the matter.

She could hear them but she was too distracted to answer them.

"Anaaya?" Hassan called her out rather loudly, she looked at him with a hmm?

"What happened? Why you got so quiet?" He asked, noticing the shift in her mood. She shook her head, looking at him first.

"Hmm? Nothing," She murmured, she glanced at her mother in law first. "Aunty, I have to go for a few days, just so they can get familiar with me. After a few weeks, I'll only have to go once or twice." She informed.

Satisfied at the piece of information, her mother in law went back to eating her breakfast. She then peered at Uncle Shafqat.

"I'll start going from tomorrow, Uncle."

"Chalo Allah kher kare. Hassan when is your flight?" He directed his question towards his son.

"My flight's from Karachi, I have a meeting there. I'll probably leave in two hours." Hassan answered, drinking one last sip of his tea before getting up.

"I have to go pack my bags." He announced as an explanation and marched upstairs, back to his room.

She was still sat deep in her thoughts when he left.

"Anaaya, go help him, hm?" Her mother in law suggested, making her stand up from her seat.

She walked back upstairs, her mind going back to the conversation on breakfast table.

She walked in quietly inside of her room, Hassan was in the dressing room, packing away his belongings. He noticed her presence and walked into the bedroom, she was sat on the edge of the bed.

"Hey, what's gotten you so quiet?" He asked her, sitting down beside her.

She wasn't just quiet because of what they had said about his disappearance, she was also taken aback by Azlaan's weird attitude towards her.

"Is it because of Azlaan?" He asked again, she gulped and nodded.

"He doesn't like me much." She replied.

"He's cautious because he doesn't know you. And sometimes he can't differentiate between joking and rudeness." Hassan explained.

He made her look at him.

"Do you really say you'll go for a week and then you come back in a month?" Anaaya interrogated suddenly, and Hassan realised that.

She was still overwhelmed from last night and he knew she needed comfort, they didn't love each other yet and they had s*x for the first time, ofcourse she was over thinking.

"I used to do it," He admitted.

"Anaaya, I'm not gonna leave you alone for a month," He stated, she shook her head.

"It's not about leaving me alone, It's just that if you say you're going for week, you have to go for a week." She explained.

She didn't want to be one of those wives who wait for their husbands and put their own lives on hold. She wanted clarity in this relationship. He understood that.

"I'll be back in one week, I promise. Okay?" He promised and she relaxed.

He realised that she had developed trust in him. He liked that. Trust was uncompromisable. Trust was important for him. Did he trust her though? He thought so.

Hassan's eyes landed on the small purple bruising near Anaaya's neck. He smirked.

"Good, now..on a scale of one to ten, how sore are you?" He enquired softly, his thumb touching her lips.

"Five, the shower helped." She told him, leaning into his hand.

"Alright, then. Come here-" With one swift motion, he had her laying under him

He peppered her neck with gentle kisses before moving to her lips, he kissed her while slowly yanking off her tights.

Taking her by surprise, he didn't play around like before, instead he shifted his finger inside of her, circling and moving.

It still felt uncomfortable to have something inside like that but she didn't mind it. Infact she embraced it.

She moaned into his kiss, his lips and fingers making her feel like she might explode already.

His finger moved upwards, adding pressure. He slid in a second finger, and she breathed rapidly at the feeling. "Oh," She breathed out , her mouth wavering from the kiss as she moved here and there due to the intense feeling.

Anaaya realised the rhythym with which his fingers moved. Up and down, in circles, touching the deepest parts of her.

"Sore, baby?" He whispered, Anaaya shook her head.

"No, keep going," The desire pooled inside of her, the sensation overpowering her senses. Before she could reach her peak, her pulled out his fingers, leaving her breathing and looking at him in confusion.

He chuckled at her restlessness, his hands moving around his trouser, he slid them down,

She felt him at her entrance and closed her eyes to feel that initial sting of something foreign entering her, her inner side was still sore but the feeling of having him so near to her over powered everything.

He circled his length inside of her, moving in a repetitive rhythm, her body tightening around his as he sped up gradually, his thrust making her moan out loud.

The process went on and on, before she felt that feeling of explosion inside of her and so did he, he thrusted one more time before he finally filled her insides.

His chest rose up and down as he gave her a cocky smile. He collapsed beside her, his hand thrown loosely around her waist.

Anaaya wanted to stand up and clean herself off but he stopped her.

"Stay." He murmured. Anaaya frowned. He didn't use a condom and now he wants me to stay? Oh God, I don't wanna be pregnant.

She reminded herself that she wouldn't get pregnant, she has taken the pill. It was fine.

"So I took a morning after pill, you know..just in case." She told him.

He didn't say anything for a few seconds and it made her feel uncomfortable. Did he want kids? So soon?

"That's good. Just stay quiet about it, don't tell anyone you're taking it." He said back, making her frown in confusion.

"Why?"

"Because my parents want grandkids more than anything." Anaaya raised her eyes at that, touching his face.

"And you?"

"I don't think I'm ready for that kind of responsibility." She relaxed. Okay good. That's good.

"Me too, I can't even imagine it." She said with a chuckle, too lazy to say anything after that.

Hassan tried to get up after a while, Anaaya was already drowsy.

"Come on, I have to pack." He tried to move, she protested.

"Five minutes." She murmured and both of them drifted off to sleep.

Life was beautiful.