Ibraheem's POV:

I barely dodged the shoe that was coming at me while Fahad flinched. Kamran was on the bed with an I.V. attached to his arm. Abbu was seething infront of me while Chachu (Kamran's father) was holding his head on the sofa. Fahad's father was on the way to the house. What a sight.

"Tumhara dimagh tou nahi kharab hogaya?! (Have you finally lost your mind?!)" Abbu roared at me from a distance. A reaction I had expected quite a lot. "Chalo iski tou akal mari gaye thi, TUM DONO KIDHER THAY? Yeh bewakoof nikkah karke agaya aur tum logon ne isko roka nahi?! (Alright so his brain wasn't functioning properly at the time, WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU TWO? This idiot got married and you both didn't stop him?" Abbu pointed his accusing finger at Fahad and Kamran. Kamran pretended to act miserable in the bed while Fahad just smiled nervously while staring at me for help.

"Abbu, yeh mere sath milay howe thay. (Dad, they were with me in this plan.)" I piped in. Kamran and Fahad gave me a death glare while I just smirked. If we are going to hell, we are going together.

"Tum bakwas band karo! Tumhe kaha tha zaleel karo uske khandaan ko. Tumne unko humare barabar akar khara kar diya hai! (You just shut up with your nonsense! I told you to humiliate and insult her family. Instead you decided to put them on an equal footing with us!)" Abbu smacked me on the head and I rubbed my head as I watched his veins throbbing across his temple.

"Abbu, itna ghusa na khayen, sharyaan phat jayegi. (Dad, don't get so angry, your veins will burst from the stress.)" I said calmly and he turned to glare at me again as he proceeded to take off his other shoe. Oh shit. I wasn't able to dodge this shoe as it hit me square in the chest. His anger was justified. He will be fine once he calms down.

"MERI SHARYAAN PHATTI TOU SARA KASOOR TUMHARA HOGA! MAR DOU APNAY BAAP KO KHUD HI! (IF MY VEIN BURSTS IT'S ALL GOING TO BE YOUR FAULT! KILL YOUR FATHER YOURSELF!)" He shouted again as he went to the side table and took out a cigar. It wasn't even a minute since Abbu quietened down that Chachu got up. Oh boy, here we go.

"Isne nikkah karliya aur yeh nikama larki k pechay goli kha kar agaya hai? (He got married and this dumbass got shot because of a woman?)" Chachu got up from the sofa as he stared at Kamran who refused to make eye contact with his father. "Aj tak elections men kabhi goli nahi khaye lekin aik aurat k pechay kha kar agaye ho? (You have never been shot during elections but you got shot cause of a woman?)"

"Abbu woh meray bachpan ka pyar hai. (Dad, she is my childhood love.)" Kamran replied with a poker face and I could see Chachu visibly holding back his anger. He dragged a hand across his face in frustration.

"Yeh pyar hai ke azaab? Agar tumhe abhi goli na lagi hoti tou menay tumhe aik lagani thi. Goli kisne chalaye hai? Hisaab barabar hoga. (Is this love or a curse? If you weren't shot right now, I would have already hit you. Who shot you? I will have my revenge.)" Abbu handed chachu a cigar as he took a puff of it. It was amusing to see such powerful men holding their heads and pacing with frustration. "AUR TUM DONO KIDHER THAY JAB ISKO GOLI LAGHI? YEH KAISA BHAI CHARA HAI TUM LOGON KO?! AGAR KISI NE SAQIB KO GALAT GHOUR KARAYI HOTI TOU MENAY USKO UDHER HI GOLI MARDENI THI! (AND WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU TWO WHEN HE GOT SHOT? WHAT KIND OF BROTHERHOOD DO YOU GUYS HAVE? IF SOMEONE HAD EVEN LOOKED AT SAQIB THE WRONG WAY, I WOULD HAVE SHOT HIM ON SPOT!)"

"IBRAHEEM KA TOU PATA NAHI, MEN BATATA HUN YEH KHOTA KIDHER THA! (I DON'T KNOW ABOUT IBRAHEEM, BUT I WILL TELL YOU WHERE THIS JACKASS WAS!)" Fahad's father, Zubair Abroo, entered the room. Lou gee. Inki kasar baki thi. (Oh great. Just what we wanted.) He scanned the room as he detected Fahad standing in a corner looking shocked. Yeah, uncle definitely knows what Fahad did with Salman's family. Fahad took a few steps back but he wasn't able to escape his father's wrath. He received a sharp smack on his head. "IFTIKHAR KE BEETAY KO KYUN MARA? ITNE SAALON SE HUMARA UNKE SATH BUSINESS THA! AISI KOI HARKAT KARNE SE PEHLE BATANA TOU THA! SAR PHAR DIYA HAI USKA! ZARORAT KYA THI? (WHY DID YOU BEAT IFTIKHAR'S SON UP? WE HAVE HAD YEARS OF BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM! YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME BEFORE PULLING SUCH A STUNT! YOU CRACKED OPEN HIS SKULL! WHY DID YOU DO IT?)"

"Iftikhar Steel Mill walay? (Iftikhar Steel Mill Owner?)" Chachu looked at Uncle in shock. He then looked at Fahad who could already see what was coming.

"Tou aur kon? (Who else?)" All things apart, it was refreshing to see the three best friends in the same room. Abbu, Chachu and Uncle had been closely tied for the longest possible time. I think their friendship was easily forty five years strong. From business to pleasure, the good times and the sorrows, they had been together through it all. They were my goals. I wanted me, Fahad and Kamran to grow up like this. So amazi-I received another smack on my head.

"Tum sab konse nashay par ho aj kal?! (What are you guys high on nowadays?!)" Abbu roared as I rubbed the back of my head. "Aik nikkah karke agaya hai, aik goli kha kar agaya hai aur aik ne saalon ki dosti aur business barbaad kardi hai! (One is married, one is shot and the third one ruined years of friendship and business!)"

"NIKKAH?! (MARRIAGE?!)" Uncle looked at me with surprise. "Heem, tu shadi shuda hai ab? (Heem, you are married now?)"

"Yes uncle." I grinned.

"Chalo aik cheez tou kaam ki karli hai tunay in dono se pehlay. (Alright, that is one thing you accomplished before these two.)" Uncle patted my back proudly and Abbu looked at uncle horrified.

"OYE ZUBAIR USKO SHABASH DENAY SE PEHLE YEH TOU POUCH LE K KIS SE KI HAI! (HEY ZUBAIR BEFORE GIVING HIM A PAT ON THE BACK ATLEAST ASK HIM WHO HE GOT MARRIED TO!)" Abbu pointed an accusing finger at me while I just shrugged.

"Kya farak parta hai? KAAM AZ KAAM SHADI TOU KI HAI. MERE WALAY KO TOU MAUT PARTI HAI SHADI K NAAM PAR BHI. (What does it matter? ATLEAST HE GOT MARRIED. MY SON AVOIDS THE TOPIC OF MARRIAGE LIKE ITS PLAGUE.)" Uncle then glared at Fahad who flinched. "KUCH SEEKH APNE DOST SE! MEN MARJANA HAI LEKIN TUNE SHADI NAHI KARNI! TU BAS PHADAY KAR AUR KUCH NAHI. (LEARN SOMETHING FROM YOUR FRIEND! I WILL PROBABLY DIE BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO GET MARRIED! YOU JUST START FIGHTS NOTHING ELSE!"

"Abbu, jiske pechay phadda kiya hai us se shadi bhi karne ko tiyar hun. (Dad, I am ready to get married to the girl who I started a fight for.)" I whipped my head in Fahad's direction. Seriously? What was this idiot thinking?

"Kiske pechay phadda kiya hai? (Who did you start a fight for?)" Uncle narrowed his eyes at Fahad. He finally seemed interested genuinely.

"Zohaib's ex-fiancé." Silence fell on all of us.

"Pura Pakistan chor kar tujhe wohi mili thi? (You just had to choose her from the entire Pakistani population?)" Uncle smacked him on the head again but this time, it was lightly.

"Bandi hai meri woh. (She is my woman.)" Fahad replied shamelessly and I face palmed internally. This is like throwing oil on fire, no, scratch that. It's like jumping in fire.

"Teri tou har dosre din bandi badali hoti hai. Kuch naya bata. (You have a woman every other day. Tell me something new.)" Uncle rubbed his temples in exhaustion.

"Nahi is wali k sath serious hun. (No, I am serious with this one.)"

"Woh tou nazar araha hai. Iftikhar k baray beetay ko kut diya hai. Tujhe andaza bhi hai tunay kitne nuqsan kiya hai? (I can see that. You beat up Iftikhar's eldest because of her. Do you even realize how much loss you have done?" Uncle took the third remaining cigar from the box as he lit it up.

"She is worth it." Fahad said solemnly. Kamran and I looked at him in shock. When was he going to tell them she her pretend lover? Rubab is not going to be happy about this. If uncle doesn't strangle Fahad, she surely will.

"She better be. I want to meet her. What is her name?" Uncle questioned as he stroked his beard.

"Rubab." Fahad said proudly.

"Well, if this Rubab can tie you down, I guess it's alright. I will deal with Iftikhar myself. You cannot back down, alright?" Uncle seemed convinced which was surprising but he was always the chilliest among the three of them. Abbu had the worst temper. Speaking of Abbu, I turned to look at him and he was already staring in my direction. I gulped.

"Uske ghar walay kaise maan gaye nikkah ke liye? Mujhe tou bohat akar dekhaye thi. (How did you convince her parents to let you marry her? They showed me a hell lot of pride.)" Abbu asked suddenly. Yeah, this is what I was worried about next.

"Uh, about that...." I averted my eyes and Abbu stared at me menacingly as he sizzled the cigar on the ash tray. "...they don't know."

"Say that again." The air was thick with danger.

"They don't know." I said lowly but everyone heard me. The room fell deathly silent.

"YOU MARRIED HER WITHOUT HER PARENTS CONSENT?!"

"We are planning to tell them soon...."

"Where did I go wrong in raising you?" Abbu sat back down and grabbed his head.

"Dad, you also made mom break her prior engagement before you married her...." I reasoned and he looked up to glare daggers at my way.

"Mujhe meri example maat dou! (Don't give me my own example!)" Abbu roared and I rose my hands in surrender.

"Oh, uncle, I should take tips from you on how to win Rubab's heart then." The words slipped Fahad's mouth before he could stop them. Before abbu could retaliate, uncle spoke up.

"What do you mean win her heart? I thought she was your woman?" Uncle looked up from his phone.

"Uh, the feeling isn't completely mutual yet." Fahad muttered.

"You screwed our business for a woman who doesn't even want you?!" I could already see another smack coming.

"I am working on it, sheesh."

"How long are you planning to remain quiet about who shot you?" Chachu asked Kamran who had a poker face on.

"I finally found her dad. I am going to do whatever I can to make her mine now. I won't let her get away this time. Even if that means getting shot over and over again. Nothing can stand in my way now." Kamran said with such determination and intensity that it almost surprised me. Fuck, all of us were so whipped.

"Is she the one who saved you back then? From the truck?" Uncle questioned while seeming deep in thought.

"Yeah. It's her." Kamran was the one to reply with pride this time.

"Aurton ne hi agay lagaya hua hai humare beeton ko. (Our sons are completely in the grasp of women.)" Abbu said tiredly. "Are you going to leave Misha if I ask you to?"

"Over my dead body." I replied with cold, hard eyes. Nothing and no one will take Misha away from me. Not even my own blood. She is mine. Body and soul.

"Thought so. When do I go meet Misha's parents again? If you are already married, there isn't much I can do then. The least I can do is hold a proper wedding. When a Narejo gets married, the whole Sindh must know about it." Abbu was finally accepting the facts. Good.

"Not yet. We need to plan strategically on how we are going to go about it. I refuse to let her go Misha. I am not going to let anyone come in our way. Not her family, not mine. I am willing to go to any ends now."

"Speaking like a politician now, huh?"

"Love does that to you. I want the power. The power to never fear losing her again."

Author's Note:

I was literally just laughing while writing this chapter. Typical Pakistani family scenes. Hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing this chapter.

Peace out.