Love Starts After Nikkah Chapter 23

"He was standing in the hall of that lavish house with a red face and a knot of tears forming in his throat. Struggling with gulping that knot of tears, he tried to keep his expressions nonchalant. Though he was from a lower social class, he couldn't let an elitist snob ruin his self-respect as it is the only precious thing he owns. His gaze went toward the peanuts of money in his palm for which he had to suffer a lot while elites were partying without any worry in the world."

His fingers started aching, and his mind got numb, so he put down the screen of his laptop. Resting his back against the back of the chair, he yawned and turned his head toward the couch where Saba was sleeping.

Gazing at the sleeping face of her, sparkling orbs flashed in his inner eyes.

The orbs that sparkled when he praised her cooking!

A big smile capped the happiness that was running in his veins like blood. The love of plants that was in his heart teased him, reminding him of its presence.

From the window, the moon was peeking into the room, watching Sahir's sparkling face with a knowing smile.

It knew the plant of love was soon going to bloom, spreading its fragrance in the lives of two innocent souls!

…………………..

The usual hustle and bustle were in the cafeteria where Saba was sitting all alone.

Irritation was etched on her face, while she kept gazing at the clock of the cafeteria now and then.

"Iqra, Fiza! This is so late!"

She murmured while reigning in her anger when the voice of two girls snapped her out of her furious state of mind. 

"Sir Sahir is such a decent and knowledgeable teacher that I have not seen such a great teacher in my life."

A girl said in an exciting tone at which Saba turned her face toward the table near her.

"Yes.. And he is also so handsome. In class, I just focus on his personality, voice, and facial features." 

 

The other girl commented at which all unrest concentrated in Saba's soul.

"Aww!! Meerab is having feelings?" 

The first girl commented with a mischievous tone at which both girls burst into a fit of giggles. But, worry swirls inside Saba's soul like unsettled flakes in a snow globe.

"Girl! I want to marry anyone like him, or yes if I can get him then I will be the luckiest girl in the world." 

Meerab said, and Saba's being was seized by irrational fear. She gazed at Meerab's face which was way prettier than hers.

"What nonsense! Why am I getting anxious?"

She said to herself while averting her gaze from Meerab's face.

"I am his wife and he is present in my life at this moment! And that is the reality!"

She thought but then flashes of his rude behavior came in front of her eyes. A pall of gloom hit her being, and a knot of tears developed in her throat.

"Dude, I can't understand how I will survive this mid-term?"

Fiza and Iqra came near to her table while discussing the exams.

"Mid-term? The half-semester has gone?"

"When are the midterms?" Saba asked with wide eyes and trembling lips which shocked both girls a bit.

"After a week, Saba! What happened? Are you not well prepared?" Iqra asked her with concern at which her shoulders slumped.

"Yeah, I am not prepared for the exams." She said in a low voice while gulping the tears.

"It's okay. We will help you with it." Iqra and Fiza sat in front of her, worry flitting their eyes.

"Yeah" she nodded her head while shooing away all the negative thoughts, and struggling to calm down her thundering heart.

Later on, in the evening, she was sitting near the window, while her gaze was on Sahir who was sitting on the bed, doing work on his laptop. Her mind was replaying girls' words and was accessing the situation of her married life.

"Is there any issue, Saba? Do you want to say something?" 

He asked after feeling her gaze on his face for a long time. 

"No, nothing" She stuttered when he asked her.

Averting her gaze toward the gloomy evening of Islamabad, she felt herself succumbing to the sadness she held at bay the whole day. 

"Mids are coming." 

She said while turning her orbs from the window to him.

His eyebrows got lowered and pulled closer together. 

"Hmm," he hummed without gazing at her.

"There are only 3 months left, and I will graduate." She said with hints of sadness in her tone.

"Hmm"

He again hummed and stood from his bed.

"I am going into my home office. Kindly don't disturb." 

He said with a small smile and went toward the office, leaving her alone with her scrambled mindset and gloomy being. 

Gazing at his retrieving form, she instantly knew that she had to struggle with her gloominess alone. No person can rescue her but her being only.

So, she stood from her place and went toward the washroom to do wudu.

.................

Birds were chirping, and warm rays of the Sun had camouflaged the whole city of Islamabad.

Voices of different students wafted in the hallways of the university where Saba and her group were sitting on the chairs in front of a classroom. 

Nimra was typing furiously on her mobile while three of her other friends were having a conversation about general things. Abruptly, Nimra stood from her seat and went toward another corner with a pissed-off expression.

"Seems that Nimra is having trouble with her fiance," Fiza said. 

"Hmm..I don't understand why she always argues with him."  Iqra added.

"Leave her topic! We shouldn't poke our nose in her affairs." Saba said with an annoyed expression.

"Ok, ok leave her. Discuss anything else! " Iqra raised her hands upon seeing the annoyed expressions. 

"Dude! She got engaged. Why not find someone for us?" 

There was mischief in Fiza's tone at which smiles etched on Iqra and Saba's faces. Saba knew it was for fun but her heart was getting anxious.

"Fiza saw that boy in the white shirt. I think he is suitable for you. His height and his complexion are just like yours." 

Iqra said in a teasing tone at which laughter tumbled out from Fiza's mouth.

"Yes, Iqra. He is not bad. I like him." 

Fiza said in between her giggles at which they both also laughed.

"Saba see that boy! " 

Fiza said with sparkling orbs at which anxiety gripped her being.

"He is so handsome, and he is continuously looking toward you. I think he likes you. So.. Should he be able to become our brother-in-law?" 

Saba gave a fake giggle to her to avoid commenting.

"Laughing....! I think Saba likes him! " 

Fiza again said in an amused and teasing tone. 

"Umm... " Saba was going to say something when they heard someone's cough behind them. Her heart jumped into her throat as she recognized the voice.

Three of them turned around and saw Sahir standing there with an expressionless face. But, Saba could see fury thundering in his orbs.

"I think you three had not seen the time. It is the time of class and you three are just sitting there and having a nonsense conversation. Don't you three want your attendance?"

His pitch was rising because of anger at which confusion laced Iqra and Fiza's faces, while fear gripped Saba's heart.

"We are sorry, Sir! The previous class was still going on, that's why we sat here." 

Iqra said with nervousness to which Sahir nodded his head and stepped toward the classroom.

During the whole lecture, his expressions remained serious at which pin drop silence remained prevalent in the classroom. When two to three times Saba and Sahir made eye contact, she felt fury in those orbs.

..............................

Anxiously roaming into the room, she was waiting for Sahir. It was the tenth time she had peeked into the garage to find that Sahir's car had still not arrived home.

Taking a deep sigh, she sat on the couch with a mobile in her hand. Scrolling through the Facebook feed, her thumb stopped at a clip from a Pakistani drama.

"I will make my husband jealous with Jawad, and then see what will happen! He will run toward me in no time."

Heroin was saying this to her friend while sitting in a cafe.

Saba rolled her eyes at the childishness and indecency of this scene and put away her mobile. 

"Was this what you were planning to do? She was startled by Sahir's voice and gazed at the door where he was standing.

"There is nothing like that." Irritation and anger started building in her being.

"Then, what was the purpose of that childish talk?" He asked while locking the door, and turning toward her with a serious expression.

"I think you should know the purpose of that childish talk. Don't pretend that you don't know about my thinking and character." 

Fury and pain were evident in her tone at which Sahir became quiet.

Flashes of Zahra and Haseeb came in front of his orbs. 

"Saba, I am sorry to get rude at that moment. But yes, I felt anger at that conversation. A man can't tolerate such conversation from his woman." 

 

The whole world stopped at that second when His Woman came out of Sahir's lips.

But, the next moment, something snapped in Saba's heart.

"If you accept me as your woman, then why do you want to divorce me? Why haven't I got any rights as a wife? Why is the sword of divorce is lurking over my head? Why this hypocrisy?"

The reason for that sudden anger was all those words that were said unleft in between them, it was all those nights and moments she had spent in fear and pain.

Sahir's eyes widened and shock encapsulated his being.

"I..I don't want to discuss anything." He stumbled and tried to avoid this conversation.

"But I want answers! Everything can't happen to your wishes! Give some respect to me too!" 

She shrieked at which a pall of guilt settled on him. 

"Stop shrieking, Saba! I have said that I don't want to discuss anything."

He said with fury, concealing his pain and guilt, and went outside the room, leaving her alone.

Hot tears came out of her orbs and slid into nothingness. Depression, pain, and fear were gripping her being.

..........................

"We are planning to go to Umrah after fifteen days." 

They all were sitting at the dining table when Mr. Sikandar announced.

"Who?" Sahir asked with a surprised expression.

"Me and your mother. House will be yours and Saba's responsibility." Mr. Sikandar said while smiling at Saba who gave a small smile to him.

"Sure, dad!" Sahir replied while his mind went into scrambles.

"Saba, I want some clothes and other accessories for Umrah. Can you and Sahir go shopping tomorrow? I know you will get busy with Mid afterward so try to take out time tomorrow."

Mrs. Amna asked her, at which she smiled and nodded her head. But, the gaze went toward Sahir who was watching them. It has been a few hours since they have a little tiff in the bedroom.

"Sure, Mom. We will go tomorrow." He replied with a smile.

………………….

The next day, they were walking into the hallways of the mall while silence prevailed between them. They didn't talk to each other after that tiff.

Sahir's mobile rang at which he halted his steps to attend to the call while Saba entered the shop. 

Having a conversation on the call, Sahir was looking at Saba through the glass doors of the shop.

"Sahir? You are Sahir, right?" A female voice came from behind which startled him, and he turned toward the girl.

The arm holding the mobile came down while his orbs rounded at seeing the smiling face of the girl behind him.

A lot of flashes of the university came in front of his orbs.

………………