Sadqay Humare.

Ten

Aaina x Zaydaan.

"You know when you tell someone you want another child and you want to do something about that tonight, you also have to show up for that." The first lady greeted her husband, her very tired, red eyed husband.

She was sat in the living room of the Prime Minister House and her man had just entered the area, it was eight in the morning.

He had left at four in the evening yesterday and came back home at this time.

Aaina was freshly showered and ready, reviewing a few applications when Zaydaan arrived home.

He stopped at the sound of her voice, giving her a lazy smile as she came towards him.

"Good morning." He greeted back, ignoring all the teasing taunts that she had thrown his way.

"Where were you? I called you twice." She said with a small frown, not understanding his habit of not picking up the phone at such times.

"I texted." He replied, she almost wanted to roll her eyes but stopped herself.

Instead, she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Yeah. 'Don't wait up. Busy. PM duties.' You explained it so well." She stated, Zaydaan only shrugged.

"I was at the Chief minister's House. An urgent work had come up." He told her.

She nodded in understanding, seeing his serious expression she knew that it was something of grave importance.

"Okay. Is it sorted now?" He started to walk towards the stairs, she walked by his side.

"Yes. Chai bhijwa do upar (send me some tea), I'm hell tired. Where's Zayla?"

He hadn't seen her since yesterday and usually, he found her awake at this time. Today, however..she was not with her mother.

"With Noora." Aaina replied, Zaydaan let out an exasperated sigh.

"Keep her with you in the mornings atleast, Aaina. You've been giving her to Noora alot these days." He told her, disappointment evident on his face.

Aaina let out a frown.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you're her mother and you need to stop giving her responsibility to others."

She wanted to call him out for not spending enough time with Zayla either, for coming home at such crazy times but she understood his position. Usually, Zaydaan understood her too. She didn't understand where those words had come from.

Still, she responded.

"I was with her the entire night, she wasn't sleeping at all so I was up too. She slept at six and I got ready to wait for you. I know my responsibility as a mother." Her voice was straight up clear, yet there was a tinge of anger in it.

Zaydaan felt guilty for even uttering those words.

"I'm tired and I misunderstood." He told her, hoping that she'd let this one go.

Aaina scoffed.

"Not the first time." She mumbled.

He simply shook his head.

"My chai, please." Aaina glanced at the house keeper who was busy cleaning the area.

"Sana? Send chai to the Prime Minister's room, please. He's hell tired." Sana scrambled towards the kitchen, leaving the couple alone in the living room.

"Aaina." He murmured her name and she felt sorry for him. He sounded so tired, so done, so sleepy.

"Don't, Zaydaan. I can't believe you questioned my responsibility as a mother. You've never done that before." She argued.

He was in no mood.

"I really am tired, Aaina. Don't argue abhi. You know I didn't mean it."

"So you were just being mean for no reason? Yeah, not the first time that has happened, Zaydaan."

He sighed yet again.

"Okay. Be yourself." He murmured and walked upstairs.

She couldn't help but follow him.

As she checked up on Zayla one more time after going upstairs, she spotted Sana with a tray of tea and some biscuits in her hands.

She took it from the girl, smiling and thanking her.

Sana walked back downstairs with a nod and Aaina entered her bedroom, Spotting Zaydaan in a shalwar kameez.

His head was leaned against the headboard, eyes half closed and half glancing at his wife who had entered the room with his tea.

She put the tea tray on the table and poured some down in two cups. One for him and one for her.

She put his tea on the side table, sitting on the edge of the bed, right beside him.

He leaned up just a little bit and looked at his wife.

"My lawyer called me today." He mentioned, not knowing what else to say.

He didn't want to start an argument about the way he had acted before but he wanted to tell her what had went down today.

"What did he say?" Aaina asked him.

"The hearing is on Monday." He informed.

"Saaniya's?"

Zaydaan nodded.

"Yes. He's prepared and has told me that he will handle it on his own. I don't have to go."

He replied, Aaina didn't understand why the lawyer had told him not to go but at the same time, he was the best person hired for the job. Clearly, he knew better.

"Which is good, right? The Russian President's delegation arrives on Monday if I remember correct."

"Yes." He replied, glancing at his wife.

He noticed her makeup, her clothes, the way she had her handbag right beside the table and her heels on the floor.

"Why are you dressed?" He wondered.

"I have a meeting at the foundation." She answered, looking at the time.

She was already a few minutes late.

Zaydaan chuckled, pulling at her wrist.

"Cancel it. Sleep with me. I can give you the night I promised you." He offered, smiling at her.

Aaina let out a smile too, his eyes were so droopy, body position showing his exhaustion and yet, he was here offering her that.

She shook her head.

"I have delayed it for too long. It's important." She replied.

She leaned towards him, mouth near his ear as she whispered her next words.

"And I think that nights are so much more fun than mornings so maybe tonight." She whispered, Zaydaan smirked.

"Oh really? Are you sure you can have fun with an old man?" He questioned, referring to her earlier words.

She had called him an old man, he remembered.

Aaina laughed.

"I've heard Viagra does wonders." She suggested, teasing him.

Earlier, Zaydaan would have taken offense to something like that but now, not anymore.

"I don't need Viagra to make you scream, darling." He teased back.

Amidst all the tensions, all the allegations on him, all the stress that came with the new security risks, this flirting was the only relief they had felt in days.

Aaina moved back, taking a deep breath.

"Maybe I should leave before something happens." She said to him, he just shrugged.

"I'm too tired to try anything." He affirmed, she nodded sitting back.

"My tea?"

"Here." She handed him over his cup. He looked at her.

"Your tea?" He questioned.

She picked up her cup, showing it to him.

"Here." She mumbled.

They drank their tea in silence, only gaining comfort from each other's presence.

Finally, Aaina stood up opening the side drawer and putting a panadol at Zaydaan's side.

"Take a painkiller and go to sleep. You were up the entire night, I don't understand how you're even functioning." She mumbled to him, pouring down a glass of water too.

"Here, take this." She put the water and the panadol in his hand, taking away the cup of tea.

As Zaydaan took the painkiller, she switched the lights off too, only switching on the side lamp.

"Don't you dare wake up now. I'm already pissed at you for not being home." She warned him, strapping up her heels in the dim light as Zaydaan leaned down on the bed, closing his eyes.

"Be pissed at me later." He mumbled.

She chuckled, picking up her bag.

"So now Mr Prime Minister will control that too?" She questioned, opening the door.

"Probably."

He laughed and she laughed too, him falling asleep as she exited the room.

--

The first lady was almost never angry, there was always a smile on her face, she was always kind, always humble with her words and actions.

Aaina was the kind of person who understood how much pressure each and every single person had on them, the pressure to do well, the pressure to do the very best.

She was known for her kindness, most of all.

But today wasn't one of those days. Today, she was angry.

"What I don't understand is how a woman can come into my foundation, lie through her teeth and my team could not even notice it?! She fabricated an entire story." She said, her voice low but so firm and filled with anger that the people around her hesitated to speak for a moment.

The foundation's chief researcher came forward.

"Aaina, we did do our research. Most of her story was true." She addressed the first lady.

Most of the people that had been working for the foundation for years, they were friends with the first lady. They could call her by her name, there were no formalities.

Aaina scowled.

"Yes, only the part where her husband abused her and her children died was fake." She replied, scanning through the file once again.

"If this gets out, I'll be held responsible. I'm running a foundation here, Sheema. If such women come and lie and we accept them, it won't be running much longer." She told her.

As the first lady had entered her office for the meeting, she had been informed that a frail woman that the foundation had accepted a few days ago was actually a liar. They didn't know what her purpose was and why she was pretending to be someone she wasn't, but after conducting a detailed research on her, they had concluded that she was fake.

This made Aaina furious.

"Don't worry, Aaina. I've got it covered. We're giving her to the authorities in an hour." Sheema replied, she frowned.

"Okay. What about the meal plan? When are the changes going to take place?" She questioned the head of food department.

The man nodded, showing her the new meal plan. She scanned through it, signing the paper and giving it back.

"Did the gynaecologist arrive?" She asked next. Sheema and Zakira both nodded.

"Is she settled?" They nodded yet again, telling her that the gynaecologist had arrived two days ago and she was settled.

Since one part of the foundation catered to children, Aaina had managed to bring two hundred kids from Thar, an affected desert area in Sindh. The kids there were suffering from malnutrition and she knew she had to help.

"Okay. I'll meet up with her tomorrow. Have the new children arrived yet?" She questioned next.

Zakira showed her the whole plan on the paper.

"They'll come tomorrow morning." She mumbled.

"We will all be there to welcome them. We need three doctors atleast. They'll stay with the kids at all times. They are coming from Thar, it's our responsibility to provide them with all the basic things that they have been deprived of." She instructed the people around, turning towards Sheema next.

"Sheema, you'll supervise." She told her, the woman happily nodded.

"Ofcourse, Aaina."

"That will be all then? I'll leave for home now. Call me if there's anything."

"One more thing, Aaina." Sheema stopped her, Aaina looked at her.

"Hmm?" She hummed, waiting for her to speak up.

"You said that you'll declare a new head of the foundation? For the karachi branch. We need a name."

Aaina had already thought about it for a week now. She had weighed the pros and cons, knowing that she had to pick out the best candidate regardless of more or less experience.

"It's going to be Zaryab. The work that she has done for the foundation so far, it's amazing. And she actually cares for the women there so I don't think there will be a better person for the job." She announced, everyone agreed with her.

Zaryab was absolutely fantastic at the foundation, plus she had handled the press really well for the past entire year. She deserved it more than anyone.

"Raima will send an official notice. I need the guest list for the fundraiser."

The first lady stated, Sheema nodded.

"It's almost complete, I will email it you." As all the work that needed to be done for the day had been completed, Aaina picked up her bag.

"Thank you, Sheema. Take care." She bid them goodbye, ready to go back home.

She was on her way towards the car when her cell phone vibrated and she swiped across the screen to see who it was.

The message instantly put a smile on her face.

Zaydaan ❤️

You're a wonderful mother and an amazing wife. Hope you're having a good day.

Aaina typed a reply, grinning to herself. The small message of a few words had managed to make her more happy than anything in the entire day.

She sent him a text, telling him that she loved him and she'll be home soon.

Zaydaan Ziagil, out of habit..didn't reply.

---

As she arrived back home, she spotted her daughter playing with her mother. Even though she had genuine concerns about her own mother, the sight was so pleasant that Aaina couldn't help but smile at them.

She sat down, laughing and chuckling at her mother's several attempts of making her granddaughter happy.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Zaydaan Ziagil who was supposed to be asleep..was wide awake and freshly showered.

He was on his phone, talking to his people.

"Are you certain?" He questioned over the phone.

"Yes, sir. I'm very certain." He heard the response, he didn't understand how all of a sudden such a thing was starting to form up but he knew that he had to take swift and strict action.

"Chief of the army staff wants to have a meeting with you as soon as possible. A military plan needs to be formed." He got told next.

The Prime Minister wore his shoes.

"Arrange a meeting right away, tell him I'll be there in an hour and make sure that things are under control. I don't want any one to air this on television right now. Let us know the threat first." He instructed.

He got told several details about everything, Zaydaan only absorbed the basic information questioning his team further.

"Is it foreign funded?" He questioned next.

"ISI says some of it is foreign funded. Some is internal. The tribal areas have a few hidden places where these activities are taking place. The target is Quetta."

He hated that Balochistan and KPK were always the provinces suffering. Peace in those provinces for the past  few years had actually gave them a chance to do productive things. The provinces were finally catching upto Punjab's level and now, new threats were looming.

"Tell the Army chief I'm coming to visit him right now. We can not delay this matter." He instructed once again, ending the phone call.

As he was about to leave, his wife entered the bedroom.

Her mood was so light, happy to an amazing level. She greeted him with a kiss on the cheek, teasing him.

"I thought you would be asleep but then I remembered that you just like to ignore my texts." She teased.

She didn't get a sarcastic response, instead..all she got was a slight frown and worry etched on her husband's face.

"Seriously though, why aren't you sleeping?" She questioned him, he simply shrugged.

"How can I sleep when there's a major threat looming inside the country?" Aaina frowned upon hearing his words.

"Is everything okay?" She asked, Zaydaan shook his head.

"National security issue. I am going for a meeting with the chief."

Knowing that it was a national security issue, Aaina didn't press him for details. She knew that he would inform her of the entire thing once he was sure.

"What about the meeting with the lawyer?" Weren't they supposed to meet him today?

Zaydaan pondered for a moment before speaking up again.

"In the evening, call him and postpone for a few hours."

"Okay. Be home soon."

Zaydaan leaned forward, his hand touching her waist just a little bit as he placed a kiss on her cheek, bidding her goodbye.

It was just like a habit, nothing extra ordinary but nevertheless..it always felt sweet.

He left the room in a hurry and the first lady sat on the bed, ready to call the lawyer.

Somehow, instead of calling the lawyer..her fingers dialled another number.

"Minal. It's Aaina. Can we meet?"