November evenings have this essence of calm to them which really puts a balm over an exhausting mind after a long lousy day at work. As Harram swiveled the steering, she figured that wasn't the case with her. Even the beautiful evening of starting winter wouldn't fill her with any good vibes, instead her mood was worsening with every passing second.

Stupid car, stupid road, stupid dumpsters to the sideline and yes, stupid weather. 

The thing is, you tend to find everything bland and well, stupid if what you are actually yearning for is nowhere to be found. The usually calming things become a nuisance and you're so tempted to just ram something into whatever you see. Example spotted: Mrs. Harram Zaviyar.  

Pushing her hair out of her sight to better concentrate on the road, Harram's scowled deepened. Being serious about your work was a trait she used to admire in people. She herself had always been mindful about her career but since the time a certain someone had entered her life properly, she was seeing a new angle to this devotion to work and honestly it was not nice.

It hadn't been long since they had worked on all the issues in their marriage. Issues which were mostly stupidity on his part, Harram snorted with a smirk on her face. Things were going smoothly since then. He was an accommodating husband since the beginning but now was the time for her to do the same and honestly she was on the verge of being done.

Never ending work commitments, this mission, that mission and the danger of it all, it wasn't easy. She had often found herself faltering but she wasn't Harram Obaid for nothing. She was trying her best to accommodate him and was succeeding as well but some things were just so uncalled for, like for the instant his duty here in Islamabad and Pindi and still not being able to come home! He was in the same city as them but hadn't visited for a week. Harram shook her head and looked outside of the window. She was passing by GHQ road. The thing about rage is, it comes uninvited. She narrowed her eyes at the entrance where nothing was out of order. It added to her ongoing frustration and before she knew it, the car went out of control and rammed straight to the sidewalk garnering quite a bit of attention. 

Harram didn't know how it happened; just that it was quite a mess up. It took her no time getting her bearings but it was too late. Two army personnel were already walking towards the spot her car was resting at emanating smoke, just like she was a while back.

"Chin up! Don't let the officers get you down!"

She chided herself and got out of the car. Thankfully, no physical damage to her self had done or else it would've been messier. The two guys were now close than ever and Harram could see their serious faces. Army men and their disdain for troublemakers. Too bad she wasn't intending to be one but yay life! 

"Are you okay, Miss?"

One of them asked as politely as he could. She nodded trying to play it cool which didn't go unnoticed by them.

"You car doesn't look so."

"I'll see to it. Just got lost control."

"This is public area. Maybe stop using it like your father's property the next time."

This hit her the wrong way. She folded her arms on her chest narrowing her eyes.

"Why the father? I'm capable myself as it is. If I'm going to pretend this is how it works then in my mind it's my property I'm tempering with. I can do that on my own, don't need a father for that."

She gave the officer a seething look which made him take a step back. She was trying to make a point that how it's mainly long line of families getting into this line of work. Everyone is someone's father. Everyone's someone's son. Sans a few who got in without any prior help or connection, her husband including.

"What's going on here?"

Speaking of the devil.

Harram's head whipped in the coming voice's direction and she didn't know whether to cry with relief seeing him after so long or start throwing her world famous tantrums because, damn son it had been so long. She resorted to just eyeing the man clad in his army uniform with a blank face. He was surely not expecting his wife to be the reason for the chaos but now that she was here, he was trying his best to be as professional as he could but damn son, it had been long he had seen her and she had acted on her spoilt brat tendencies.

The two men were conversing with him politely showing the out most respect, ha so he was their senior hun? Harram glared at the one who had just been outright rude to her but now see him being all professional in front of Major. She had half a heart to ask him to put him in his place but since she had already done it so the best of capability so there was no point doing so now.

Instead she focused her whole attention towards her husband. Was it possible to want someone so bad when you're so angry with them? She wasn't pleased with him. Not in the slightest but still she couldn't stop admiring how he was taking her breath away in his proper military decorum. She had seen him in his action glory before but every time it felt like it was the first.

"How are you getting back?"

His voice brought her to back to her surroundings. She looked at him questionably when he gestured towards her still smoke regurgitating car like he was showing her a grand work of art. Without being even a bit abashed she chinned up and looked him straight in the eye.

"I was planning on calling my husband but turned out that breed of humans is kind of useless. So it's either calling an Uber or calling a friend from work. I'm leaning towards the latter, what do you suggest, officer?"

He pursed his lips. Whether to stop an exasperated sigh or a chuckle, Harram didn't know. She looked away taking out her phone.

"I hope Azar isn't stuck up in work. But even if he is, he will be here to help me out."

She wasn't talking to herself. She made sure he knew and she was successful. Her phone was snatched out of her hand the next moment.

"Let's go."

He held her hand walking towards the isolated car park to the side.

"Excuse me, Officer but this isn't your duty you see. Not your fault that my husband is a useless tool. You should go and do your work. I can get back home. No biggie."

This earned her another glare which she enjoyed the most. His car was visible from the side and Harram felt a relief seeing the familiar vehicle.

Zaviyar's phone was continuously ringing. He opened the passenger side door for her and picked up the call.

"I'm outside. There was a mishap on the sidewalk. Was just dealing with that."

He was totally immersed in the call that's why Harram's snort was ignored.

"Nothing important. Some worked up wife of some poor guy. Seemed like she needed cooling off."

Harram nudged his side but he only held her hand in his gentle hold while still talking to the other person on the phone.

"My duty ends today. I'm heading back home so you should probably contact Waleed for the matter."

Harram swatted his hand away but even she knew how she had missed this strong yet soft hold of his hand around her fingers for so long. She wasn't exactly trying hard. Maybe his smirk was for that only.

"You're not invited to the bed tonight! Keep this fact straight!"

She seethed through gritted teeth. Zaviyar nodded as if she was saying she wouldn't be making what he asked for in the dinner. His nonchalance was increasing Harram's temper. How could he play it cool like this? No excuse, no apology. She so wanted to do anything to cause a racket here but it won't do any good. With a loud bang she sat inside the car closing the door. Zaviyar sighed but bobbing his head walked towards the Driver's seat.

The house was as she had left it in the morning but somehow it was feeling a lot warmer than before. No points for guessing why it was. Harram watched him stretching his arms sitting on the lounge couch. She looked around. The lights were all on but still there was a brightness the room was bathing in which had nothing to do with the number of bulbs on and off. She loved how this house gave the feeling of home when he was finally here. Having a respite from the constant worry of where he was and what he was up to, was soothing in its own way but that didn't mean she had forgotten about their earlier argument. It was evening bordering on the night and Harram knew the first thing Zaviyar would want to do will be taking a shower. His habits had so grown on her that it almost felt like they were etched onto her memory.

She was silently going on about the chores. He offered a helping hand a few times only to earn a well deserved glare in return. There were no efforts from him to make the situation alright but for how long?

She was sitting on the bed not even giving him any attention while he was get rid of his shoes and then jacket. The tight shirt he had worn beneath the military jacket was stretching on his well build form. Harram almost ogled but then reminded herself that right now wasn't the time. They'd get to it eventually but right now? No. Maybe.

"You can always join me."

His voice held a hint of mirth to it which Harram picked on immediately.

"No, thanks. Go get done with your bath you reek of .."

"Irresistible sexual appeal?"

"I was going to say incorrigible narcissism but that became self explanatory just now."

Oh how he missed this banter.

He has opened his mouth to give her another comeback when she raised her arm towards the bathroom door clearly telling him he wasn't succeeding in wining it through some clever word play. Zaviyar nodded and picking his towel went inside the bath making Harram sigh. She hadn't lost this yet. She wasn't going to.

"Harram!"

It hadn't been two minutes when his voice reached her ears. She placed her phone on the pillow and scowled at the closed door.

"What?!"

She waited for him to reply but he was silent. Muttering under her breath and asking from the Almighty to give her strength to not strangle her own husband tonight, she covered the distance between the bed and the bathroom and stood outside.

"What the hell is your problem?"

"I forgot my clothes outside."

"So? You can always come draped in the towel?"

"I know you like it but I'm not an exhibitionist if you haven't figured that out by now. So, clothes please."

Harram wanted to do that typical stomping the foot thingy kids do but stopped herself. Picking his clothes from the couch she stood outside and knocked at the door.

"Here!"

She shouted but the door opened in such a jiffy she couldn't even say anything and the next thing she knew she was standing in the shower cubicle with a still fully clothes Zaviyar who seemed determined to end this argument once and for all.

"We need to talk."

"Quite a spot you have found to do that."

"You weren't giving my chances any heed outside so had to come up with this."

He folded his arms on his chest. His biceps were prominent under due to the black shirt he was wearing. Harram gulped. Bad idea. She was here to lash at him not jump him.

"What is it about?"

"What is it about? You've got some nerve! It's been a week! No contact, no meet up no text and you were in the freaking same city!"

"I did mention due to the sensitivity of mission we were not keeping any contact with the family, Harram. It was for your safety."

"Safe! Here I was literally going insane."

"You were managing quite fine. You always do."

"Stop making it about that! It's not easy!"

"And you think for me it is?"

"No. But..."

"Harram!"

He knew she was about to break down. This was the way she worked. Beneath all the sass and rage, was a someone so sensitive and so giving. Zaviyar cupped her face in his palms trying to sooth out the agony she was feeling from within. Her eyes found his and she leaned into his touch like this was what she craved the most and she did.

"You love torturing me, don't you?"

He whispered close to her mouth. She closed her eyes feeling the same tingling of nerves and the thing called love infusing within her being. She always needed him close and she had no qualms admitting it. He was never the one to hold something back from her so that's what he did. His mouth came to hers and the same old burning ignited between them. The urgency with which the embrace had began started to morph into something slow yet capable of undoing everything, something so profound that it became the only reality.

"Now who's torturing?"

Harram managed to whisper between his frantic kisses. He opened his mouth to reply to her but then again any talking at this point was just waste of time. Shrugging his shoulders, he again took her lips with his. Harram was again falling into that world of nothing and everything when she felt it. Her foot was slipping on the floor and before she could hold on to him she was straight in the bath tub behind.

A loud splash, water everywhere and a gasp. Zaviyar looked on dazed at what had just happened and when it registered with him he had no option to just to laugh out loud.

"I hate you, Major!"

"I wasn't the one to pushed you."

"But you weren't the one to save me as well. Now look at this!"

She pointed towards her drenched self when Zaviyar raised an eyebrow.

"You know we can do something about it. We have never done this before anyway."

Harram looked around, at her clothes and then at him. The insinuation had her blushing but this was the golden opportunity to tell him who was the boss here.

"I like the idea."

She whispered with twinkling eyes. Zaviyar should've seen it coming but when you have been away from your breathtakingly beautiful wife who happened to be the love of your life all your life, rationality and thinking things through is kind of an absurd topic. The reality of it hit him right when she tricked him and now he was the one in the bath tub drenched to his feet while her laughter was echoing in the silent house in Pindi cantt. Zaviyar threw his head back.

"Damn, I love her."

And about her love? Well that's a story we all know by heart by now.

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