Samar's P.O.V.

"Khalchu!" Dua whined pulling at my fingers so I got up, "Khalchu, let's go." Breathing out heavily I stood up letting her lead me to wherever she wanted until we landed at the front door.

"Where do you want to go Dua?" I asked confused,

"Khalchi!" She said stomping her foot, "Let's go to Khalchi." Not this again, it has been two days since Waliyah left, and surprisingly no one has mentioned her name around me. I think they finally realized that I needed a break from her name and her presence. "Khalchi, school."

"Dua, Khalchi is not at school." I tried to tell her, but she stubbornly stomped her foot again, alittle thing she does right before she...

"Amma!" Dua cried, running away from me and leaving me helpless at the front door. "Amma!" She continued to cry, Bhabhi ran down the stairs to see if she was okay, and she scooped her up into her embrace.

Bhabhi looked over at me concerned, "Kya hua?" (What happened?) She mouthed.

I mouth back, "Waliyah,"

Bhabhi immediately understood and began rubbing her back comfortingly, "Khalchi aa jaagi."(Wafa will be back soon) She said softly, "Rona band karo Dua,"(Stop crying Dua) Dua's cries calmed down to sniffles.

"School Amma, Khalchi's school."

Bhabhi sighed, "Not today, Amma has work to do." Dua sadly dropped her head against her shoulder, "Baba is at work, so I cannot even send you with him."

Fuck it, "Is she even working today?" I ask, surprising Bhabhi.  "Bhabhi?"

"Um... " She said furrowing her eyebrows, "It's okay Samar, Dua can wait." I knew why she didnt want to go to her school, it is not like I wanted to either, but if it made Dua feel better seeing her, then nothing else mattered.

"That wasn't my question," I say firmly, "Is she working?"

Bhabhi cleared her throat, "Yeah, she is."

"Then-" I begin to say but am rudely interrupted.

"I can take her," Karishma cut me off coming down the stairs, "Give her to me Bhabhi, I will take Dua to see Wafa Bhabhi."

"Karishma," I say firmly, "You really have started to test your boundaries with me." I am not liking her behavior with me the past couple of days.

"And I do not like how you have been treating Bhabhi for the past four years," Karishma argued, "Baba has never raised a hand on Amma, so where did you learn to Bhai?"

"What are you talking about?" I have never raised my hand on Waliyah. "When did I hit Waliyah?"

Karishma scoffed taking Dua out of Bhabhi's embrace, "Drink less, then maybe you'll remember." She went to move past me but I grabbed her hand. "Let go Bhai."

"When did I hit her?" Was I really that drunk that I raised my hand on her? "Karishma," I said shaking her alittle when she didn't answer.

"Why do you want to know?" She asked not backing down, "Feel bad?"

Bhabhi awkwardly cleared her throat, "Karishma, stop."

"Why?" Karishma said firmly, "Why is he treated like some fragile prince who will break by showing him the mirror."

Bhabhi sighed, "Not infront of Dua," She reached over took Dua out of her arms, and backed up to the back of the room, letting us finish our conversation. 

"The night of Bhabhi and Bhai's anniversary when you came home demanding food from Wafa Bhabhi, you dragged her into the middle of the room, and when she asked you to let go of her arm, you were squeezing the shit out of, you pushed her to the ground." Karishma's voice was filled with anger, "She still has bruises on her arm from how hard you were holding her Bhai, and probably some on her knees too but she won't tell anyone because even though you verbally and mentally torture the fuck out of her, that poor girl still loves you."

"I did not-"

"Bhabhi!" Karishma cut me off, "Did Bhai push Wafa Bhabhi on the ground or not?"

Bhabhi's eyes hardened as she looked over at me, "He did." She said firmly, "Infront of everyone."

Shit. . .shit. . .shit. My hands began shaking out of anxiousness again, how could I do that? I-I mean of course I beleive them, but. . .fuck, what did I do?

I never thought that I would be guilty of hurting women physically, ever. . .even though she is an unwanted one, she still is my wife. . .an unwanted, forced wife. . .who I never should have pushed.

Trying to process everything I walked over to Bhabhi and took Dua out of her arms, "I will take her to Waliyah's school." Without listening to anything else said, I took Dua out with me and buckled her in the car seat. "Khalchi!" Dua clapped her hands, excited as we began driving.

"Yeah, let's go to your Khalchi." I sighed.

. . .

"Alright kids, so tommorow I will not be here." I heard Waliyah announce as she walked around to the front of her desk, the kids sitting at their desks began to whine and ask why. Dua struggled in my arms, she hadn't noticed the both of us yet. "But Ms Fatima will be coming in place of me, and she will be coming back in two weeks. "

A little boy put his hand up, "Yes Farhad?"

"Where are you going, Ms Sultan?" Sultan? She didn't go by Qureshi here.

"I am not going anywhere." She said gently, "My sister is getting married, so I need to help my Amma with all the arrangements."

The little boy deflated, "Oh okay,"

Waliyah chuckled, "Ms. Fatima will be here to take my place for alittle while. I know you all will miss me and I will miss you too. But I expect you to be on your best behavior for her, so when I come back and read the report I can give you all a celebration party!"

The class started cheering at the mention of a party. Waliyah scanned the room almost lovingly until she looked over at the window. Her smile immediately fell as we made eye contact. Her face began to fill with confusion until Dua waved at her happily to which she half-heartedly responded too. The kids followed her gaze and looked out the window at us too. "Who's that Ms Sultan?"

"That's just-"

"Is that your husband?" A little girl exclaimed,

"And your daughter?" Another girl piped in

Waliyah's face filled with anxiousness. "Let's not jump too far ahead Iqra. That's my niece Dua and. . ." She looked back over at me, "My friend."

"You all begin packing your bags. Let me go to talk to them." The kids complied as Waliyah rushed out to us shutting the door behind her. Waliyah came around the corner, and Dua immediately shot out into her embrace which she gladly accepted.

She looked at me almost irritated, "What are you doing here?"  She asked me quickly.

I inhaled sharply, "Dua wanted to come."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah Khalchi!" Dua said smiling at her, "I missed you!"

Her gaze softened, "I miss you too but I told you Ayra Khala is getting married so I have to help her get ready as I help you."

"Why can't she come to our home?" She asked

"Because Dua, that isn't Khala's home," Waliyah explained. "Look I like the surprise but a little warning would have been nice Samar."

Waliyah looked over at her class and made a move to hand Dua over but she clung to her. Sighing she asked me to follow her and the three of us walked into the classroom. "Say hello to Dua everyone." She proudly showed her off.

"Hello, Dua." The class said cussing Dua to giggle and wave back at them.  Their gaze turned to meet mine.

"And this is Samar." She introduced me.

"Hello, Samar." They said.

Awkwardly waving to them I lean against the board silently watching Waliyah help them get ready to go home. One by one the kids left, leaving the three of us alone. Wafa put Dua down letting her run around as she packed her things. "Why do you go by Ms. Sultan?"

Waliyah continues to stuff her bag, "Because it is easier for them to pronounce and last I checked I did all the hard work to be a teacher not you so my teacher's name will be Sultan."

Whatever. "Or maybe you just don't want anyone to know you are married," I say firmly. She had called me her friend, instead of her husband not that it mattered to me but to just seemed like odd behavior coming from her.

"Maybe." She said carelessly. She lifted up her back and walked past me calling Dua behind her who gladly followed her. Waliyah turned to face me, "Do you plan to stay here overnight?" She asked.

"No." I wanted to apologize for my behavior the other night but she was not making it easy for me. Walking out I stand behind her grabbing Dua's hand. She quickly locked the doors and went ahead of us to the front entrance of the school.

"So I can take Dua to my home and Api was planning to come over tonight to finalize Ayra's clothes anyways so she can pick her up." Waliyah said quickly.

"How are you going to take her there?" I asked confused as to why she was literally pushing us away from her work environment. "Waliyah" I grab her arm, panicked she quickly backs off pulling Dua with her.

"Don't touch me." Have I really been so rough with her physically?

I put my hands up to surrender, "Okay. I won't."

Waliyah breathed out heavily trying to calm her nerves, " I have booked a taxi to take me back home so, just give me her seat and we'll be good to go."

Dua watched our interaction carefully but kept quiet. "I can just take you." I offered.

Waliyah shook her head no, "Currently everyone in my home has some kind of vendetta against you. I do not know what Baba might do to you if he sees you alone. So it is just better-"

"Sorry," I blurted out, completely stopping Waliyahin the middle of her sentence,  

"H-Huh?" Waliyahstuttered obviously shocked that I had actually apologized to her. 

"I am sorry," I repeated, "I should not have pushed you down to the ground, or manhandled you in any way. Ayaan Baba's and Saboor Ammi's anger is totally justified. I brought Dua here  to see you, but to also apologize to you, and to your family."

Stunned all Waliyah said was, "Okay. . ."She looked at me with a doubtful gaze, which I had earned. "Look, I do not know if I can forgive you because this is not the first time you manhandled me but it was the first time infront of my family."

Breathing out heavily I agree, "So if you want to come along to my house you can, but please do not create another scene."

"Got it," I say, "Shall we go?"

Waliyah nodded, "Let's go."

I am not someone who hits women, and if Ayaan Baba and Saboor Ammi had anger against me, then I would take it, after all, I pushed their daughter down to the ground infront of them. I can take it.