AHAD POV:
During the entire ride to Hyderabad, Ashar teased Hayat a lot; they bricked a lot, others were enjoying their little bartender a lot, her demand to capture the moment, her reactions to all the teasing.
She was silent when asked a question from both of us, her shiny eyes to receiving the flower, her sending me the first ever picture of herself with the flower stuck in her hair.
I loved and enjoyed every memory I made with her and others on this trip, and I loved how she was getting comfortable with everything, after reaching the hotel, I went to shower first as Hayat was a little tired, coming out of the washroom while drying my hair with a towel, I saw Hayat laying in the middle of the bed with eyes closed.
I went to her, gently taking her right shoe off when she suddenly sat up, trying to take her feet away from my hand, but I didn't let her, taking her left shoe off, too, I put them aside and set the pillows for her to move up and lay there, as she denies by saying she needs to fresh up, I just shushed her and get her up to sleep, while getting myself in the covers too...
Waking up to pray fajr, I took my hand out of her hold, slowly moving towards the washroom to do ablution, as I spread the praying mat for myself, I heard a soft voice saying...
"Bubba"
And I froze just there and then...
My wife...
Gave me a nickname...
Bubba...
Me...
I looked at her surprised, asking if she had called me, and she sat there with her famous "duh" face and said, "Yes, you, Bubba, wait for me, I'll join you too."
And ran away...
Did she know what her nickname meant to me, it meant her taking a step towards me, our marriage, our relationship...
My cheeks were hurting from smiling a lot, after praying the salah, she gestured for me to lay my head on her lap ... that moment, I felt my heart opening up, and I closed my eyes, finding peace.
I'm yet to tell her about my visits to a psychologist to get over my trauma and nightmares... It felt amazing to be able to share my joy, pain, happiness, sadness, and everything with her. It feels like I'm complete now, seeing her just being there for me, and it feels amazing to have her call mine forever.
Having our breakfast at a dhaba, we ordered halwa puri, tea, biscuits, and other breakfast items, I was sitting on my wife's right side, and on her left sat Ashar, all of my friends were teasing her with Ashar when Seema came and asked for a seat from me to which I didn't look up but looked at my wife's reaction.
She looked... irritated. Nah, Jealous, I wanted to pinch her cheeks, but not now... after a while, I found Hayat gesturing me to come closer as she looked at Seema. She whispered nothing in my ear, and I played along with my wife, looking at Seema in surprise, then at Hayat, her eyes shined as I played along... and there I knew I could be childish for her anytime she wanted...
I have noticed how much my wife loves gajray, and I have been watching tutorials to crochet some for her, following her here and there in the market, my eyes met an old man's cart that had a lot of beautiful gajray.
I turned to see my wife busy buying stuff for everyone, so I went to get them for her, coming to her side, I held her from the waist when she suddenly flinched.
At that moment, I felt my heart being pricked, is she not comfortable with me? A lot of questions were running through my mind as I asked her a question, too, and she put those negative thoughts of mine in the dustbin with her words, "I am not uncomfortable, and I will never be, Bubba."
As the group leader, I was at the front while others were following my lead from the back. I traveled around Pakistan on my bike some years ago, so I somehow know the roads much better than others.
While I was riding the bike, I got a message from Hammad's sister, Asfia; it was a video attached to a caption, "Bhai, look at the video right now, it's urgent."
I saw the traffic and slowed down my bike as others did the same, which helped me to watch the video while riding the bike. The video was of Asfia recording herself, but something caught my attention.
In the background, Hayat was standing in the shop alone, where I left her to get gajray, I saw Zain and Seema coming to the next shop close to Hayat.
The next thing I saw made my blood boil, and my jaw clenched... Zain touched my wife inappropriately and then moved back like nothing happened.
If one could die just from the heartache, I would have died just now, as I saw my wife being scared, looking around to find who did it.
I couldn't control it anymore and spoke in a hard voice, "Everyone, park your vehicle at the side and get down."
Getting down from my bike, I went to my wife, immediately taking her in my arms. I felt peace, but I was disgusted by myself, I couldn't protect my wife.
After beating Zain for what he did to my wife, I felt myself being pulled away by her, as much I love and want to kill him, I can't do it. She tried to calm me down, but I was not in the mood to leave her alone, so I made up my mind to drive her to the next place myself while my guys placed my bike on Ahmad's GMC Raptor boot space.
I was driving her car with my focus on the road when I felt her looking at me, getting nervous by her continuous stares, I asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
She kept looking at me before smiling and holding my hand, "Just admiring my handsome husband, Bubba," and there I was, dead shy, I shook my head and tightened my hold on her hand while driving to our destination.
Soon we reached Sukkur and got in the hotel, since it was winter season and knowing my wife catches cold easily, I decided we would stay tonight at the hotel.
I noticed her voice getting a little hoarse, and I knew she was going to catch a cold soon, so I got some qehwa for her, getting inside the room, I saw her sneezing a lot, putting the qehwa on the side table I went to her to check her body temperature.
I touched her forehead and found her having a fever, as she looked up at me, I saw her eyes moist, "What happened to my baby?" sitting beside her, taking her in my arms, "I hate cold Ahad!" she whined a little, I tried to control myself from pinching her cheeks just because she is sick.
After having the medicine, my wife fell asleep, and I got out of the room, "Hayat has caught a cold, and I think you guys should go ahead. I'll join you guys once she's alright," I said to Ashar as soon as he opened the door of his room.
"Oh, how?" He asked, walking inside the room, wearing his shirt again.
"Well, she's prone to cold," I said, looking at him as he got out of the room, following me to my room.
Opening the door, I saw Hayat sitting on the bed... crying... running towards her. I hugged her, asking what was bothering her, "I thought you got tired of me and left me alone," she said whisperingly while hiccupping a little.
"And why would I leave you?" I asked, all confused.
"Father used to tell me that I'm pathetic and right now I'm not well, so I thought..."
She looked up at me with her teary eyes, whipping her tears gently, I replied softly, "I'm sorry that I made you feel that, but Jaan, I'm your husband, your partner even if you beat me, insult me, kick me out of our house, I won't leave you, never, my love." I hugged her, patting her back a little.
"Ahm, Ahm, guys, I'm here too," Ashar said, coming towards us, kneeling in front of Hayat, he said, "Oh, common, you stupid, you aren't this weak get some rest, and well soon so we can leave this place early to reach our destination together."
I glared at Ashar while Hayat slapped his shoulder and said, "Can't you be gentle to a patient, you stupid."
Early morning the next day, Hayat got upset with me because I told her to rest and that we would be staying in Sukkur for a day, Ashar was the gas lighter, he was taking her side like he wasn't worried for her.
I couldn't win against her, and here we are on Multan Motorway/M-5 to reach Lahore. The drive to Lahore from Sukkur takes 9 hours maximum, and since we are going early in the morning, we will be speeding up to get there before the evening.
"Jaan-e-jigar (my beloved), are you upset with me?" I asked, trying to take her hand in mine, her being my cute wifey... trying to look stubborn... she folded her hands to herself, "Nah, I'm not, but... nothing," she said simply, confused.
Knowing her mood was a little upset, I spoke, "Can you please help me unlock my phone?"
She looked at me, then took my phone from the front and asked for the password, I replied, "w.i.l.d.c.a.t."
She looked at me, giving me her fav eye roll, unlocked my phone, "Go to the voice recorder, and check the list; you can find Aab-e-Hayat's other chapters recording there. Listen to it and cheer up Meri Jaan"
The moment I completed my sentence, I found her looking at me with her hazel brown eyes wide open, she wanted to say something but chose not to as she started the audiobook, "When did you record them?"
I smiled before replying, "I recorded these in the office last week when I got some time to rest in between my meetings, I thought you might like these much to listen in your alone time."
She looked at me the entire time, taking my hand in hers, she caressed the back of it and said, "If you're going to treat me like this, I won't be able to leave you ever!" to which I tightened my hold on her hand and said, "who's telling you to leave me! Don't leave me! Even if you feel like leaving me, still don't leave me."
Reaching Lahore, we all moved to our hotel rooms after having our dinner together, we all decided that we would be staying in Lahore for three days before moving to our next destination.
Lahore is a beautiful place itself, and Hayat wants to explore everything, I'm no one to stop her from anything she wants to do... I was so tired from the journey that after freshening up, I went to sleep directly.
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