After getting the cue, she entered the enormous space with a thudding heart. It was not a cabin, that word would do it no justice. The clean interior and shiny surfaces, the expensive artwork on the walls, nothing she wouldn't expect from the space designated for the owner of Jahan. Her eyes roamed around and settled on a nervous but equally excited Ajwa. Nawar and Sahira stood next to her. Both of them gave her a genial smile which Sila returned. Faran and Adan Jahangir were also there and some other people she had never seen or met before. And in the middle of the room, on the main office chair, Faseeh Jahangir was seated. He nodded in her way without any hostility but his expression changed drastically when he saw behind her. Sila craned her neck. Aahil sighed as he stood leaning against the wall. Well, that explained a lot.

"Sila Nouraiz," Faseeh pointed to the chair in front of him. "Have a seat."

She did as she was told. The initial shock had subsided. She was the picture of professionalism; alert and focused.

"My apologies for the short notice but we had to be quick." Faseeh began. Sila intertwined her fingers on the table. Her demeanor wouldn't give anything away but beneath it, her bouncing leg was the only indication of her nervousness. Professionalism aside, she was in a direct conversation with one of the biggest tycoons of not just this city but the whole country.

"Jahan is the official host of ACHC this year." He announced with a triumphant smile on his face. ACHC; the Asian Culture and Heritage conference was one of the most prominent annual international events in the city. It included people at both regional and global scales. It was a golden opportunity to promote cultural diversity. Delegates and artists from different Asian countries would visit and perform. Seeing the scope, the event demanded heavy sponsorship and for the last decade, it had been a rope-pulling between Jahangir and Jatoi groups to get the hosting rights for it. Sometimes, the ball will land in Jatoi's court and other times, Jahangirs would grab the deal. For the last three years, Jatois had the upper hand, though. By Faseeh's declaration, it seemed like the streak had finally broken.

"As soon as we had the deal signed, I called Ajwa to discuss things with her. I wanted the best in the city to manage this event for Jahan. Seeing your record, you guys are apt for the job."

Faseeh's praise felt like a confidence boost. Both Sila and Ajwa shared a look. They were going to manage ACHC this year? They really hadn't thought of it, not in their wildest dreams.

"Ajwa is here since the morning. She specifically mentioned you. Jahan's event coordinators and AJ's team will work together to put on an event never seen before for ACHC."

His enthusiasm was contagious. Everyone looked pumped by the idea. Sila nodded his way. "We will give our all to it, sir."

"I expected nothing less." He smiled and looked around. His eyes landed on his youngest son and they hardened, not with annoyance or indignation, but with determination. "You." He pointed at Aahil who grumbled under his breath. Everyone along with Sila was now attentive toward him.

"You will make yourself of use. I want you involved in everything. No excuses and no performances. Consider this a warning, Aahil. You've caused—"

Before he could say further, Faran placed a hand on his shoulder. "He will, Baba. You don't have to worry."

Faseeh's reply was a grumble identical to Aahil's. Sila sensed tension between the father-son duo. You wouldn't expect a businessman of Faseeh Jahangir's caliber to lose his calm that too on his own son in front of literal strangers.

"Back to work, everyone. Keep in mind: We go all out and give our best to this event."

As soon as he words left his mouth, everyone scrambled to get out of the office. Sila slung her bag on her shoulder and gestured to Ajwa. They needed to discuss it. An event of this scale couldn't be managed without proper planning on every front. Her eyes darted toward Aahil. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. There was more to this but she was here for her work and that's what she intended to get done.

"Sila!" Ajwa was by her side the moment they were out of Faseeh's office. "Eeks! I can't believe this is happening."

Sila chuckled at her excitement. Truth be told, it was a little overwhelming for her as well. So she could understand Ajwa. "You should've given me s heads-up."

"Trust me when I say, Mr. Jahangir's call came as a shocker to me as well. I had never seen this coming. But here we are."

Yes, here they were which also meant they better get on with it. There was so much to do. Sila could see packed working days ahead but she wasn't complaining. She was ready for it and excited as well.

"I'll need the agenda file asap," Sila told Ajwa who nodded seriously. They were soon joined by Nawar and Sahira. It was a good thing that AJ events had experience working with and at Jahan. Jahan's event coordinator and management team knew them well. That meant there wouldn't be many issues to tackle. Sila hoped she was right.

She was about to follow them to Nawar's cabin, where they'd be discussing various aspects of the upcoming event when her eyes fell on him. He stood against the opposite wall, looking outside through the glass, his hands in his pockets and face thoughtful. Sila raised an eyebrow. Richie Rich was in thinking mode, it seemed.

"My life is in disarray because of your mindfulness about my car, just so you know."

Aahil's head whipped in her direction. She stood in front of him, a scowl set on her face. He shrugged. "You still made it on time."

"There's something called professionalism. Don't fret. I don't expect you to know it."

He nodded. "I actually don't. If you haven't noticed, I'm not here by my own choice."

Sila feigned ignorance. "Really? No one could suspect the tension between you and your father a while back. Totally fooled us."

Aahil ran a hand through his hair and gave her a sheepish smile. "That evident?"

"Glaringly."

"Well, damn."

He cursed softly but didn't comment on it any further. Sila had noticed his usual 'I will cause chaos because I want to' energy wasn't there. He looked oddly subdued as if he was in some kind of internal distress. She shook her head. What? She was trying to read this rich brat? She must've lost it.

"Aahil!"

They turned to where the voice had come from. Adan smiled at Sila and gestured to her brother to come to her. He sighed but nodded, nonetheless. Leaving his place, he had taken just a few steps when he turned around. "I called the workshop. They said your car will be ready by the evening."

Relief filled Sila and then her eyes narrowed. "You should've mentioned that earlier."

"If I did, I would've missed out on your passive aggressiveness. You being sassy is oddly funny."

"And here I was thinking you weren't in your element today. My bad."

He laughed lightly as he made his way to Faran's cabin. Sila shook her head and went in the opposite direction.

𝄞

"Baba is making me worried." Adan stopped her pacing and said to her brothers. Faran had a thoughtful look on his face while Aahil looked done with this whole thing and it was just the beginning.

Pervaiz Jatoi's interview spurred Faseeh Jahangir and his whole team to action. Staying quiet when Pervaiz insulted Jahan, his professionalism, and his family for the whole country to see wasn't something Faseeh was in the favor of letting slide. His team came up with the idea of going out of their way with grabbing ACHC's rights this year, organizing an event that would make all those arranged by Jatois look like a joke, and making a statement that Jahan was still the best in the business. Having Aahil's face plastered all around was the PR move to send a message that he was as involved with Jahan as the rest of his siblings and wasn't into anything else, contrary to what Pervaiz had hinted in his interview.

"Good 'ol days when we used to think Jahangir and Jatoi rivalry was a thing of the past." Aahil drawled. He was tired of the huge clusterfuck his life was turning out to be since his breakup with Vaneeza. Not a moment of peace.

"Baba always gets like this whenever it is about the Jatois. Pervaiz shouldn't have said all that in the interview. He started this whole mess." Faran massaged his temples. Adan stopped and came to him. "But the bright side is, ACHC is Jahan's bag. That is going to give Baba the upper hand. Hopefully, now, things will get better."

"Wishful thinking," Aahil muttered, earning a glare from Adan. "Listen, You—"

"Guys," Faran put a halt to the ensuing bickering by raising his hand. The other was holding his phone and as he scrolled, the worry lines deepened on his forehead. Both Adan and Aahil exchanged a look. "What?" They said together.

Faran cursed under his breath and pushed his phone toward them. Aahil and Adan bent over it. Nadir, Faseeh's PA had sent the link to Faseeh's media briefing outside Jahan. By the looks of it, it was from a while back when he left for an important meeting.

"Sir, now that ACHC hosting rights are yours for this year, what message do you want to convey to Mr. Pervaiz Jatoi? Seeing his latest interview, this should serve as a fitting reply."

Faseeh smiled lightly. "There's no reply. ACHC this year will do all the talking. I won't get into self-praise and delusional rambling. I'm not a politician so this isn't my forte, anyway. Just a little advice for my dear friend, Mr. Pervaiz Jatoi. His legal team seemed to be struggling with his son's trial in court. So much so that he and his family had to go MIA from the media. I'd say next time, hire better lawyers. Shouldn't be difficult as you are way ahead in your imaginary race of power and influence."

"Damn son, he is petty. You guys should be very careful in criticizing me the next time. I know where I got it from."

Aahil's commentary got disapproving looks from his siblings. Adan turned to Faran. "Why were you not with him? You could've avoided this!"

"I had things to take care of here. I didn't even know he'd talk to the media. Fuck!" Faran's cursing was indication enough this mess had gotten messier.

"Now wait for the Jatois to strike back. I hate it here." Adan looked pissed. Normally, Aahil would've enjoyed it but this wasn't the time and occasion. The gravity of the situation demanded him to be somber and he was. His father had taken revenge for Pervaiz's words about him. But instead of making him gleeful, this was just making him wary of this situation.

Faran stood up, picking up his things. "I think I need to talk to Baba. This wasn't his wisest move. Meanwhile, you two should keep an eye around here in my absence. Aahil, go and help Nawar and Sahira. You chose to be on their team, didn't you? Adan, manage everything else."

He was in his damage control mode. Aahil wanted to be glad that it wasn't for him, for once but he couldn't bring himself to feel good about it. He was part of the reason for this mess.

"Oye,"

He looked up at his brother who gave him a reassuring smile. "You did nothing wrong, this time around. Don't let anything fool you into believing it. You've been on your best behavior for the most part. This isn't your fault."

"But he did—" Adan started but Faran gave her a stern look. She groaned but chose to stay silent after that. Aahil knew why Faran was his favorite person in the whole world. He saw him walking out of his cabin and turned to Adan. She gingerly patted his arm.

"I don't agree with it fully but he did have a point. It's not your fault."

Wow. Small mercies in life. Aahil was grateful.

𝄞

Grading assignments was one of the few tasks assigned by her supervisor Amal didn't mind so much. It was better than teaching rowdy first years. The last semester was absolute hell for her. She loved her field of study, she loved spreading historical knowledge even more but not when the class of some 50 students was there to just make a mockery out of something people lived through once upon a time.

Her scheme of the study said mandatory teacher assistantship for one semester but here in Pakistan, everything was out of the scope of any scheme or manual. Since the day she had been assigned under the supervision of Dr. Inan Uddin, her life turned upside down. After the completion of her coursework, it was her and the man's unending tasks. She was overworked and underpaid. It was a miracle that she was halfway through her Ph.D. research with managing all her resident duties.

She was thoroughly amused reading a student's take on Pakistan in the 1970s when her phone vibrated on the table. She looked at the screen and with a smile, picked it up.

"As usual, it's me who's called you. I've never seen a daughter as careless as you, Amal." Hina started with a complaint. Nothing new. Amal suppressed her grin and looked at the screen. "Asslam Alaikum, Mama. How are you and how is everyone else? "

Hina made a face. "Wa Alaikum Asslam. Everyone is good. What about you? Why do I feel you've gotten weak? Are you eating enough?"

Amal laughed lightly, got up from her seat, and stood at some distance from the table where she had her phone placed against her mug of coffee."See, I'm the same. You just love to fret over me."

Hina looked satisfied by her what she had seen. "Yeah yeah! I see that. Were you busy?"

Amal shook her head. "It's normal workload. Dr. Inam Uddin hasn't bombarded me with work this week. Maybe, there's some good in life. Are you out grocery shopping?"

"Yes, once in a while your Baba suddenly starts reminiscing the flavor of his homeland. He wants Koftay for dinner. Outrageous behavior but since I also crave desi cuisine, I said why not?"

A snarky comment was on the tip of Amal's tongue but she kept it to herself. That's about living a thousand miles apart from each other, you'd often gulp your not-so-nice words because you don't want to sabotage the already limited time you take out from your busy schedule for each other.

"What about Zahra? How's her job? She was busy the last time I called." Amal inquired about her older sister. Hina's face brightened. Zahra was the gifted child in the family; the beautiful one by society's standards, blessed with an academic sharp brain, and a happening social life. On top of that, she joined the professional arena as a lawyer after graduating from her dream law school.

"Zahra is doing great. Yeah, she was busy the last month but now her workload has considerably lessened. You should definitely call her again."

Amal nodded, not once pointing out that Zahra could call her as well. She knew her mother wouldn't like it. Her parents loved to ignore it but Amal had established this fact since they were just children, Zahra was the most emotionally unavailable person Amal had ever met. She never let it get to her, though. But it was a reality, her elder sister was as aware of her life here in Pakistan as her batchmates from undergrad.

"Kashan was asking about you. He came for dinner last week." Amal's face broke into a smile. Kashan, her older brother; the middle child, a medical resident, and the most hilarious person Amal knew. The guy had jokes on his all the time. Even a stoic person like Zahra wasn't immune to his cheery personality and would laugh without any care in his company. His and Amal's bonding was Amal's favorite memory of her childhood but then the distance between different countries became their reality. His career line was demanding. The daily calls turned to weekly and now they were a monthly happening. Add in occasional emails and that was it.

Amal hadn't raked her brains over it, when and how the distance between her and her siblings stretched so far that they were slightly more than strangers now. Kashan was still somewhat present in her life but the same couldn't be said about Zahra. Amal blamed herself for it as well. She couldn't put the onus entirely on Zahra and Khashan. If they hadn't been there for her, she was also in her own bubble, busy with her own life. There was so much they could've done differently but they chose not to. The choice Amal made years back was the starting point of this wedge between them and over the years, the distance never diminished; both literally and figuratively.

"Amal?"

Her mother's voice broke her reverie of thoughts. She looked through the screen. Hina gave her a strained smile. "I miss you, my baby."

Amal's lips broke into a smile of her own. "I miss you too, Mama."

"Zahra and Kashan are busy in their professional lives but your father and I wanted to visit Pakistan over the holidays last year. Then we realized, even if we flew here, we wouldn't have any place to stay at. Touche."

Amal pursed her lips. She could see where this was going. "This is why he wants to—"

"Mama, I think both of us know why Baba wants to sell Ghar."

"He's not wrong in thinking about it, Amal. You can't have everything your way. You wanted to stay back in Pakistan. We agreed. You wanted to use your grandmother's place for the homeless ladies. We let you. You've literally ruined your career but we stayed quiet. You can't expect us to always listen to you."

"I didn't stay back in Pakistan because of my unbridled sense of patriotism. You know that. I had to take care of things you and Baba were too heartless to even give a thought."

"Amal!"

She shook her head. "Always the same argument with you and Baba. I'm tired of it. But one thing you have to accept, Mama. Ghar isn't going anywhere. The ladies there are a part of my family. If I have to fight you, I will."

"Oh, that's nothing new for you. You've been fighting your own kin all your life."

"We can do this when I'm home. I'm not giving any passersby a free show. Bye, Mama. Love you, no matter what."

"Bye, Amal."

No 'love you more'? Okay then. Amal cut the call and breathed deeply. She covered her face with her palms. Her rings glinted in the sunlight coming from the window. The grade sheet on her laptop was long forgotten. She was as worked up as she'd be after every call from Massachusetts.

"You again gave me drama free of cost." The lazy drawl worsened her mood. She turned in her seat and came face-to-face with a smug Sami, her fellow Ph.D. scholar, her biggest naysayer, and someone she would always be at loggerheads with. The only thing that united them was their mutual dislike for their supervisor.

"How much did you listen?"

"Princess didn't get an I love you back."

"That should be the name of either your autobiography or sex tape," Amal said as she collected her things, ready to leave. It was the lunch break and she would eat glass instead of spending that time with Sami.

"Inam Uddin is planning something."

She was close to the door when he said aloud. Amal gave him a confused look. Sami shrugged. "Living up to his name, a gift that keeps on giving. He's up to something and I think you will be his preferred choice for whatever he has in mind."

Amal's eyes narrowed. "Just say that you've already convinced him to assign me the task."

Sami grinned. "That I did. Wasn't difficult in the slightest."

God, why she couldn't punch people at her workplace? She suppressed her fury and turned to the door. "Forget autobiography and sex tape. Consider inscribing it on your tombstone. I will pay for it."

"Always a ray of sunshine."

She ignored him and went to the cafeteria. Only Agha's biryani could set this mood.

𝄞

"I can't believe it."

Shifa exclaimed as she munched on her pringles. Beside her, Sila stood with her arms folded on her front, eyes narrowed and lips in a thin line. Taha and Mujahid weren't around or else they'd be supporting the same expressions, more or less.

Today was important for every person working at AJ events. Keeping this in mind, everyone reported to Jahan to get things going. But as usual, Mr. Shakeel was again late. They hoped that this time around, Ajwa would deal with him strictly but to their utter surprise and annoyance, she didn't say much to him and there he was, talking to her in a corner, both seemed to be discussing the ACHC.

"That's plain favoritism at this point." Shifa again opened her mouth. Sila was still quiet but her frown hadn't eased even a bit.

"Who's favoring whom over you ladies?" The voice came from behind them and the next moment, he stood close to Sila. His hands reached for Shifa's pringles. She made a face but didn't swat it away.

"Ajwa." Shifa raised her chin in the direction Sila was glaring at. Aahil followed it and found Ajwa standing there with Mr. Shakeel. He had seen the man around during the SoundTest event.

"For a while now, he's been skipping every important meeting and during the event, he graces us with his presence when all the work is done. He brought his nephew to the team without any prior experience and Ajwa allowed it. Isn't that favoritism?"

"Seems it is." He agreed, taking some more pringles. Shifa swatted his hand this time around. Sila snorted. "Says who? A nepo-baby?"

Aahil raised an eyebrow. "If a nepo-baby has figured out what's going on there, you all should really run for your money." He pointed in Ajwa and Mr. Shakeel's direction.

"And what exactly is going on there, enlighten us."

"Simple. They are either hooking up or seeing each other. I'll go with the latter because both of them don't look like the hook-up kind to me."

"WHAT?" Both Sila and Shifa exclaimed together. Aahil shrugged. "Wanna bet?"

"No. and No. There's nothing going on between them." Sila dismissed him.

"They are independent and stable adults. Why can't they be romantically involved?" Aahil challenged. Sila looked at him and then at Ajwa and Shakeel. She then shook her head. "He's way older than her. She's his boss and he's, maybe, already married."

"He's not that old, Sila," Shifa interjected. Sila glared at her but she was unfazed. "And Ajwa always maintained that he was there when AJ was nothing. She doesn't seem to think of him as a mere employee, even if we overlook their potential romantic relationship. Ajwa never treated him like a boss would."

"See," Aahil grinned. "She's onto something. And as far as him being already married is concerned, Shifa just said his nephew is on the team. Where is Nofil?" Saying that his eyes shone with mischief. Sila sent a nasty look his way. He wouldn't ever let her live it down.

"Nofil!" Shifa called the boy and in no time, he stood before them as if a deer caught in headlights.

"Nofil, your uncle, is he married?" Straight to the point. If Nofil was taken aback by this unexpected question, he recovered immediately. "No. He's single."

"See!" Aahil was triumphant. Shifa was convinced. And Sila didn't know what to say. Ajwa and Shakeel? She didn't see it coming.

"I still am not 100 percent convinced."

She announced and made her way away from them. Aahil's eyes narrowed. But then he shook his head and tried, once again, to get his hands on Shifa's pringles. She didn't stop him this time around. "Now that I see it, it makes so much sense." She told him and Aahil smirked. Well, not everyone was in denial other than a certain short-haired lil miss perfectionist aka fireball.

𝄞

"Please, tell me you and Baba didn't have another argument."

There was a chuckle from the other side. "For that to happen, your father needs to stay home. That's his strategy, I think. The less he will spend time at home, the fewer chances of fighting with me."

Mahad shook his head. "That's not true, you know that, Mama."

"Whatever. I didn't call you to discuss your father's extended work hours."

"Then?"

She took a deep breath. "Bhabhi's friends came over the other day. Abgina went to greet them and..."

Mahad pursed his lips. He had an idea where this was going. Bakhtawar continued. "They asked her questions about Armaghan. Why doesn't he visit? If he can't, shouldn't she go to him? If everything is okay in their marriage? Blah, blah, blah."

"Mama, why did you let her go in front of them?"

"That's the problem. I was at the market for some shopping. All this happened when I wasn't home."

"I can't understand Tayi Ma sometimes. Why she's friends with such ladies? Did she at least stop them or call them out on their breach of Abgina's privacy and meddling in her personal matters."

"You know her, don't you? She was obviously not happy with their comments but she also didn't say much to the ladies. It's not her I'm worried about, Mahad. Abgina locked herself in her room all evening and when she came outside for the dinner, her eyes were swollen, as if she'd been crying for hours. That really made us all upset. Your grandfather was livid. He hasn't explicitly said it but I don't think so Bhabhi will invite those friends over again seeing how frustrated he was."

"As he should be. Tayi Maa can't call her friends out? Okay. But can't she let her son know about it? Armaghan isn't a kid, Mama."

Bakhtawar sighed. "We can't really make this decision for him and Abgina. All we can do is try to make things easier for her. Your Baba and Dada think Abgina needs a change of scenery for a few days. I also think the same. So, next week, she and I will come to Karachi and stay with you for a few days."

Mahad was more than happy to hear that. "That's a great idea. Let me know your flight timing and I'll be there to pick you two up from the airport."

"I will surely do. Can't wait to see my boy again."

"And people say I'm Mama's boy. They should see how you spoil me."

"As I always will." She said with conviction and Mahad didn't doubt it. He knew she'd always will. Just like he'd always keep her as his first priority.

𝄞

"You are literally beaming," Alina told Rimsha as she placed her bag on the table. "I'm sorry for being late. I got stuck in traffic."

"That's no problem. In fact, I'd be more concerned if you hadn't gotten stuck in traffic. That would be so not like Karachi. Anyway, let's order and then I have something exciting to tell you! Gosh, I'm so happy."

"That I can see. As I said, beaming." Alina commented, looking at Rimsha's face. Her happiness was contagious. As if she had gotten a treasure.

"Guess what?" She asked as soon as they finished their food. Alina tried to get it out of her the whole time they waited for their order but Rimsha dodged her questions with a secretive smile.

"I was sure I'd topple something over or choke on my food. That excited I'm."

Alina raised an eyebrow. "What has gotten you all giddy? I really can't wait to hear it anymore."

Rimsha folded her hands in front of her and raised her head. "Miss. Alina Asfandyar, you are sitting in front of the heroine of Shani and Neha's next."

"What?!" Alina exclaimed. Rimsha nodded, a broad grin stretching on her beautiful face. Everyone who knew about the Pakistani film industry also knew Shani and Neha were one of the big guns. For a rather new actress, Rimsha had grabbed a project that could change the whole trajectory of her career.

"This is really something, Rimsha. Congratulations. I'm sure you're going to be amazing in it."

"I hope so I will be. Gosh, Alina, you have no idea how agitated I was the whole time they were considering my audition reel along with my portfolio. I needed this break to make it big and now that it is in my bag, I'm really going to carve my path ahead."

"I'm rooting for you!"

"Nah. That alone will not work." Rimsha took a bite of the dessert the waiter had just placed in front of her. She gave Alina a mischievous smile. Alina raised an eyebrow. "What's going on here?"

"You know I'm not supposed to tell it to anyone but the role I've gotten is of a landlady in the 1950s. The styling for it needs to be perfect to make it as convincing as we can."

Alina opened her mouth and then shook her head. "Rimsha..."

"I just happened to remember that Hadi Sheikh campaign you were a part of. You gave the whole shoot such a realistic touch that it was the talk of the town for weeks to come. I just told this to Neha and now she's digging in to see more of your work."

"You didn't have to put in a word for me."

Rimsha shook her head exasperatedly. "Girl, have you seen your work? It's self-explanatory. You don't need anyone's word to get work. Gosh! Neha asked me if I have a stylist for my character in mind and I suggested your name. As I said, they are looking into your work. It's up to them to give you a call and up to you to accept it. I just think you are the best option for it. That's it, Alina."

Alina was flattered but she was also a realist. Shani and Neha were famous for having the best of every field on their projects. The idea was appealing, surely, but she didn't have her hopes up. She was almost sure she wouldn't get a call, contrary to what Rimsha said.

Osama stared at the opposite wall and then at his phone screen. Shani and Neha weren't kidding when they wanted him involved in every step. Nehad had just emailed him the stylists she wanted on board for the shoot. He wasn't surprised when a very familiar name was on top of that list. She was the best in what she did for a living. Even a fastidious woman like Neha was impressed. That was a win for her and her wins will always make his heart soar.

But it also meant the very hypocritical situation he presented to his mother a few days back was now a possibility, just a few steps away from becoming a reality.

So much for being professional. It was either going to make him stronger or everything would blow up in his face. He prayed that the latter would never come true. He could just do that.

𝄞

The relief of a packed day coming to an end was new to him. The whole day, Jahan and AJ's team members spent planning and discussing. Apart from that little lull where they dissected Ajwa and Shakeel's relationship, the rest of the day was spent in contained chaos. He took a deep breath of relief when he came close to his car.

His phone rang in his pocket, the very instant. He took it out. The name of 'road wife' was flashing on the screen. With a smile on his face, he picked it up.

"Can you send me the number of the workshop? They told you my car will be up and ready by the evening and it is evening." Straight to the business. He leaned against the hood of his own vehicle. "You are really missing your Dabba, aren't you?"

"Yes, but my routine is really all over the place because of its absence. So, stop asking questions and send me their contact."

"Where are you right now?" Aahil asked. He could hear voices behind her. She was most probably still inside the hotel. "I'm in the lobby."

"Perfect. I'm in the parking lot. Meet me here."

Sila paused. "Why?"

"Because we have a car to pick from the workshop."

Saying that he ended the call lest she should start arguing and eventually, refuse.

𝄞

Of all the possible scenarios about the ending of this day, sitting shotgun with Aahil Jahangir in the driver's seat of his car was not even at the bottom of her list. But here she was. The comfortable expensive seat she was perched on, the peculiar leathery smell intermingled with his cologne, nothing too intense and not dull as well. The combination was unfamiliar but oddly calming. She shook her head. Calming? Wow, Sila.

"I was hoping your gratitude would've reached me by now."

There. She was grateful that he chose to open his mouth. That and what came out of it wouldn't let her mind wander anywhere else. Calm? More like Kameena.

"What should I be grateful for?"

"You need the whole list? Well, you can begin with the fact that I'm sitting next to you. That's the way to start."

"You're sure we are talking about things I'm grateful for, not the things that make me want to hurl myself out of this car and faceplant on the sidewalk?"

"Make 'I talk rubbish but Aahil is still driving us to the workshop' second on the list."

"Third should be Aahil still hasn't gotten us into an accident or worse into the police station. Damn, I'm very grateful."

"See, not that hard."

She shook her head and looked out of the window. If it were up to them, they'd be going back and forth with their bickering into midnight. They had special tendencies to rile each other up. Sila had gathered that by now.

The rest of the way both of them stayed quiet. Aahil stopped the car outside of a workshop. A boy not younger than eighteen saw them, his face lost its color and before they knew it, he had run inside. Aahil and Sila exchange a look shrugged and followed him.

"Welcome, Mr. Jahangir."

A man, probably the owner greeted Aahil and then nodded in Sila's way. Maybe, it was her overworked mind but the man's body language was absurd. She was about to ask if everything was fine when her eyes fell behind him.

"Sir, I'm really sorry. I'm still not sure how it happened but there has been a mishap with your wife's car."

Aahil narrowed his eyes. "She is not my wife."

"THIS IS NOT MY CAR!" Sila's voice boomed into the shop the next instant. Aahil's eyes widened, and so did the owner's. He gulped and turned around.

Aahil had heard about people being the literal ray of sunshine but he was seeing the sun's fury and heat in the human form, for the first time.

"What the hell happened to my car?! All its parts are gone! You said they'd correct whatever is wrong with it. This is what you meant by it? If this is some kind of practical joke, I will personally obliterate you!"

Aahil looked behind her and sure enough, her car was in a worse condition than it was in when he left it there. He gave the owner a questioning look.

"Don't look at him! Look at me! What the hell happened!"

"I'm as clueless as you're!"

"No, you are not clueless! You're useless!"

"That's crossing a line."

"I will fucking blur all your lines and punch you so hard the world will also blur for you."

"You are acting demonic."

"It's about my car! I will act as I fucking want to!"

"Sir, Ma'am!" The owner interjected. Both of them glared at him. "It's really not something that happens often. I'm really sorry for the inconvenience. I can assure you, we will compensate for the loss."

"But why my car? It was mostly a piece of junk! Where the hell is this country going?" then she immediately turned to Aahil. "Don't say to the dogs! Don't you dare quote Mrs. Junaid here!"

"I won't. Promise." He raised his hands in surrender. Sila sighed. She looked between him and her car. She looked almost on the verge of tears. Aahil had had enough. "We're going." He held her arm but she came out of his hold. "But my car."

"I will take care of it."

"You are shit at that. The proof is right in front of my eyes. God, why me!" She covered her face with her palms. Aahil wasted no time in taking her toward his car. She let him. Opening the passenger side door, he made her sit on the seat and went back to the owner to talk to him. Sila sat there going through her crisis. She didn't want to know what the owner had to say. Her car was totally gone to the dogs. And she was quoting Mrs. Junaid. Why her?!

On the way back, Aahil hadn't asked her but she knew he was driving toward Wadia House. She didn't comment on it. She was in the mourning for her car.

"Are you in the mood of listening to the Weeknd?"

Silence.

"There's nothing Chinese take-out can't make right."

A glare.

"I can give you pick and drop till your car gets back in shape."

Another glare.

Aahil gave up. She also chose to keep her silence intact. The car stopped outside Wadia House. She got out of it. No words were exchanged, only a loud bang of the car door being shut. That was it.

"Just because you went through an unfortunate situation, doesn't mean you should harm other's property. The car door is sturdy. It sustained your attack otherwise it would've been hanging by its hinges."

He shouted behind her. She was almost at the entrance of Wadia House. She turned around and narrowed her eyes at him. "You should be happy it was the car's door, not your head." Her tone matched his.

"My head isn't in any better condition, all thanks to you!"

"It's an empty vessel. I'm sure it's alright."

"I'm trying to be respectful here, Sila. I can also say mean things about your Dabba."

"As if up until now you were spitting flowers for it! You always hated my baby!"

"Honestly, there's nothing to love about it even if I examine it with a magnifying glass, But—"

"One more word and I will castrate you!"

"Sila!" She looked behind her. Everyone from Wadia House stood on the patio, looking between them. Sila looked heavenward. Just what she needed. "I'm out of here."

She turned on her heels and walked past her family. The ladies stared at her and then their gazes settled on Aahil.

"She's crazy!" He told them.

"I WILL SHOW YOU CRAZY!'

Her voice boomed from inside the house. She came back. Ready to charge. Rameen held her hand. "Sila, you need to behave."

"Nah! She needs an exorcism!" Aahil put in.

"Don't worry you rascal! I will make sure my demons haunt to in your sleep and throw you in the middle of the Arabian Sea!"

"Sila!" The reprimand was from Dinbanu this time. She then pointed at Aahil. "You, also. Enough."

"As you say, Ma'am." He saluted in her way and in no time, drove out of there. The intensity of Sila's glare didn't lessen even when his car vanished from the side.

"Let's go inside and you missy," Dinbanu's stance was stern as she looked at Sila. "I need to have a word with you."

"Yes, Banu Auntie." Her whisper was meek. They made their way inside. As Sila entered the confines of Wadia House, she had only two thoughts on her mind.

Her car was gone for good.

Aahil fucking Jahangir better steer clear of her or his peace will also be that, gone for good.

𝄞

Amal shut her laptop, ready to call it a night when her eyes fell on a wide-awake Haleh. "You said you had a hectic day then why aren't you asleep yet."

Her voice seemed to take Haleh out of her musings. She shook her head and then made a face. "I hate you."

"What? What did I do, now?"

"Everyone's right. You put all the wrong ideas in my head. No! I don't wanna think about it." To make it clear, she slapped her head. Amal couldn't help her laugh. "What is it about? Maybe, after sharing it with me, you will feel better."

"Hardly," Haleh grumbled but shifted so they were in the whispering distance. "Sila and that guy, Aahil. Their argument."

"What about it?"

"Amal! I can't be the only one seeing it! The spark! Like...like!"

"Like just now they will start making out as it happens in all those romance books."

"Yes! That. Their intensity was palpable. Danish would've combusted in the flames if he'd witnessed it. Sila hasn't officially ended things with him. This is so wrong of us to think of her and Aahil that way. We are really bad friends."

"Or we are seeing things as they are. Who knows."

Haleh thought for a while and then nodded. "Yeah, who knows? But they have chemistry."

"Chemistry. Intensity, lunacy. All off the charts."

As always, Amal was right to the point.

𝄞

Last night was one of those very rare moments of her life where she wanted to forget everything as if it never happened. Losing her cool no matter how devastated she was seeing her car's condition, was a foolish move on her part. She again got into an argument with Aahil Jahangir and not just an argument but an I N T E N S E argument. Creating a scene? That wasn't her. Gosh, she wanted to bury her head in her comforter and never get out of her bed but work was work. With a silence that spoke of how done she was with this day already, she got ready for work. Amal offered to drop her to Jahan as Haleh had an off and Rameen had already booked an Uber and left. Sila accepted her offer readily.

As soon as Jahan's building came into her view, she straightened her spine. She was here to work. She would do that. No talking with Richie Rich. That would land her in more mess. She couldn't afford to create a scene in front of her and Jahan's team. With that determination, she started her day and to her surprise, Aahil Jahangir wasn't around today. The small mercies in life.

It was lunch break, she had just finished her sandwich when she got a text from the one who shall not be named.

The Rich Problem: Come to the parking lot.

She sighed.

Me: I don't think that's a good idea.

The Rich Problem: You won't be disappointed, trust me.

The Rich Problem: Actually, sorry to break it to you, but you might be a little disappointed. It's not my abs I'm going to show you, that's why.

Me: I have no interest in your abs.

The Rich Problem: What about my pecs then?

The Rich Problem: I really have nice abs, though. #Gym #StayFit #ChicksDigThat

Me: Ew. I'm not going to grace it with a comment. But just to remind you, we had such an intense fight last night and I'm trying to ignore you.

The Rich Problem: Don't be dramatic. We were bonding.

Me: If we were in WWE, then sure.

The Rich Problem: Are you coming or not?

Me: Wait for a minute.

As soon as she arrived at the parking lot, she found him standing in the far corner. She reached his side. "What?"

He didn't say a word, held her hand, and turned her around. Sila's mouth fell open seeing her beloved car right in front of her, all pieces put together, shinier and cleaner, but her car, nonetheless.

"How did it? How! I mean..."

"Last night after your demonic show, I went back to the workshop. They had arranged for half the parts, the rest I organized and asked them to put into shape as soon as they can. So they did."

She was amazed. Her sparkling eyes gave her away even though, she hadn't said a word. She peeked inside the car and her smile widened seeing the shopping bag from a famous Chinese takeout place.

"This is..." She was at the loss for words. Then she stood up, facing him. "You really didn't have to."

"No, I had to. It's also kind of a ceasefire from my side. As much as I love arguing with you. It's fun, can't deny but this can't go on like this. We have a very important project to work on and for that, being civil to each other is important. Not for the sake of it, but by actually meaning it."

She agreed with every word he said. The same was on her mind as well but where her plan was ignoring him for the foreseeable future, he had gone a step ahead and come up with a better idea. A first.

"So, truce?"

He extended his hand. Sila looked at it and then at her car. Well, he had made an effort and she wasn't a bitch to deny them this chance at civility. She held his hand. "Truce."

War Zone to the civil zone. They were contended with the transition not even realizing that the next zone would take them by surprise. But one step at a time.

𝄞

Author's Note

Pray for earthquake affected people of Turkey and Syria and if you can, please donate to them in this time of unprecedented crisis.