"Good morning Sir" Maira saw one of her seniors and greeted him

"Morning Morning..how are you now..I got to know you were running a high fever"

"I am fine Sir" Maira fakesmiled cursing Aarav in her mind. The lad had informed the whole office about her not so good health. That's when she saw her HOD entering with a few sheets
"Sankalp what is the status of that US project"

"It is on ... it has already been alloted to the new team"

Shahbaaz passed a nod when his eyes met with Maira's and she immediately opened her mouth to greet him "Good morning Sir"

"Morning" He reciprocated while segregating some papers on Sankalp's desk

"Shahbaaz don't be tough on the new interns yaar...see the girl had fever and because of your terror she didn't even rest and turned up" Sankalp complained keeping a poker face

"No no sir I am perfectly fine"

"Is it Ms Sheikh..are you not fine" Shahbaaz glanced at Maira who turned all the more nervous under his gaze.

"Didn't you rest properly or you need one more day of "

"No no sir I am perfectly fine" Maira didn't let him finish and assured her of good health without meeting his eyes.

"Ok then take these papers and try to run the program..Sankalp is there to help you if needed"
Maira took the papers and went to her section as fast as she could. Why does she always have to bring herself in situations like this.

"Kya yaar...itni sundar ladki ko dara diya...sheh"

"Kaam par dhyaan de...same batch k hone ka tu bahut fayda uthata hai" Shahbaaz glared at his colleague cum friend who was purely disappointed with his friend's nature.

"She looks like a doll"

"Sankalp" Shahbaaz was perplexed now

"Don't tell me you are interested in her" Sankalp stressed on You with narrowed eyes

"Are you out of your mind"

"Toh itna gussa kyun kar raha hai....waise on second thoughts she will look good with you" Sankalp shrugged

"You are sick" Shahbaaz shook his head at the matchmaking skills of his friend

"Haan toh harz hi kya hai...tum dono muslim bhi ho..koi problem nahin hogi"

"Sabkalp can you please shut up"

"Ok..but phir se socho you are not growing any younger..better try to settle down this year"

"Same applies for you"

"I am ready ok...Shaadi.com par profile bhi daal rakhi hai" Sankalp snorted "Bologe toh tumhare liye bhi ek bana dunga"

"Haan aur yahaan ka kaam toh humara boss karega nahin...ek toh aise hi subah mujhe phone kar ke mood kharab kar diya...kuch bhi handle nahin ho raha toh bas mera number khadka dena hai" Shahbaaz looked highly pissed talking about their boss while Sankalp chuckled
"Bhai aap HOD hain..sunna toh padega apne aur humaare behalf pe"

"Wo mujhe sunayega..mai tumlogon ko sunaunga" Shahbaaz retaliated and met with a narrowed gaze.

"Get the hell out of here and get married..don't eat my head..bahut kaam hai" Sankalp shooed him away trying to focus on his screen

===

"Sir may I come in"

"Yes please"

"Sir the program has an error..also it doesn't satisfy the client's last demand" Maira spoke in a soft tone entering Shahbaz's cabin

"Hmmm..who is the incharge"

"Rohail Sir but he is not present today and Sankalp sir sent me here"

"That ass" Shahbaaz cursed under his breath perfectly knowing about that idiot's agenda. The lazy ass was behaving like a match making aunty now.

"Ok...so I shall ask you first..what can we do to correct this"

"Sir, I think if we make changes here, it would run fine"

"Before you coming here, did you try that?"

"No sir..I thought I should inform first"

"Hmmm...try it here" shifting his laptop to her side, Shahbaaz asked to do the honours and started going through the mails on his phone

After a few minutes, Maira bit her lips getting the same error

"Done?" He asked

"Sir..it didn't get fixed"

"Look here.." And the next few minutes, Maira's sole concentration was on him who very finely pointed out where she went wrong.

"Maira"

"Ji Sir"

"From next time be honest...I am not going to cancel your leave even if you take it for sleeping. Just be honest"

"I...I am sorry Sir"

"It's ok...just take care of it in future"
Shahbaaz said in a normal tone and turned his attention to his screen but frowned sensing the girl still standing

"Kuch kehna hai aapko"

"Uh..actually Sir...it was not my birthday yesterday .. we lied..I am sorry for that too"

"Hmmm..quite a handful of liars we have here" Shahbaaz commented but then suprisingly smiled shaking his head "It's okay...we had done far worse things"

Maira was shocked at the comment and lifted her head when he said "Anyways I knew"

He knew !! And then too he wished me ... how embarrassing!! That idiot Aarav will get a punch from her for fixing her on this spot.

"I am sorry Sir"

"It's ok...just be a little sincere,you will learn a lot and most probably be sitting in my place after a few years. Enjoy but be in limits"

"Ye..yes Sir" Maira somehow uttered and left the cabin. Her target was now Aarav Singhal.

====

"Cheel ke cabin me itni der se kya kar rahi thi" Gaurav asked seeing Maira return after a good fifteen minutes

"Birthday mana raha tha mera" Maira made a face

"Hain...gift wift toh nahin de diya" Aarav chuckled and got a hit on his head "Oww...ab mai kya karun mere muh me jo aaya maine bol diya"

"Aur upar se ek aur syapa ho gaya... he is my mother's friend's son whom my mother has invited home on my birthday" Maira supplied making her friends widen their eyes "Huhh humara aana cancel kar phir"

"Arre wo log most probably raat me dinner ke liye aayenge...din bhar toh mai tumlogon ke sath hi rahungi" she waved them off relaxing them not wanting to compromise on any plan of hers.

========

"Ammi bas ab..aap thakti nahin ek hi baat ko dohraate hue" Shahbaaz passed an incredulous look to his mother who snorted "Nahin..Jis tarah tum Na kehte hue nahin thakte"

"I give up...aapka jo mann aayein karein"

"Kya sach" Razia squealed like a two year old. Her 440 watt smile even managed to bring a smile on her son's frustrated face. He didn't know his one Yes had garnered such a superlative response from his Ammi.

"Haan toh mere sath aa ja dekh le..kuch photographs"

"Maaf karein mujhe..aap jise pasand karenge wo meri pasand bhi hogi"

"Hainn .. ye kya baat hui"

"Jo aapko jhel le wo mujhe jhel hi legi...hun toh aapka hi beta na"

"Kya kaha....niche aa niche aa" Razia scowled seeing her not so mischievous Baaz climbing the stairs giggling"

"Waise sahi toh kaha..dono maa bete ki surat se le kar seerat tak milti hai bas umar aur"

"Khan sahab aap kuch zyada nahin bol rahein" Passing a glare her husband's way, Razia sauntered towards the living room while her husband followed her sulking.

"Ye dekhein" next picking her phone from the table, she shifted it towards Haider whose eyes were filled with confusion "Kaun hai ye"

"Aapki hone wali bahu"

"Kya"

"Saira yaad hai na aapko.."

When Haider passed a nod, Razia continued "Uski beti hai ye pyaari si gudiya...Allah maine toh dekhte hi pasand kar liya tha apne Baaz ke liye"

"Aapki toh lottery lag gayi Begum..bete ne puri kamaan aapke haath me de di hai...waise sach me bahut pyaari hai" Haider smiled passing the phone back.

"Bas dua karein ki unhe bhi rishta pasand ho aur humein thodi jaldbazi karni padegi..Saira ne rishte dekhne shuru kar diye hain"

"25 taareeq ko Maira ke saalgirah par humein bulaaya hai..kya kehte hain usi din baat chhed du" Razia voiced out her thoughts and her husband gave the green signal.

======

"Chachu" A five year old Ryan came squealing inside Shahbaaz's room making him raise his brows "Kya hua chhote Ustaad"

"Ye lein Five Star" The kind boy offered one of his chocolates

"Aur aapke paas itni saari aayin kahaan se..hmm" Shahbaaz picked him up and pulled his cheek

"Fridge me rakhe the..maine stool par chadh kar le liye" Ryan giggled and bit into his chocolate

Shahbaaz shook his head mentally imagining his Bhabhi's panic mode once she gets to know of her little boy's antic.

"Itne sare ek sath khaoge toh kal injection lena padega....jaise kal Mama ko padi thi"

Ryan's mouth stopped enjoying the sweet thing and looked at his Chachu waiting for him to say  "Yeh sab jhooth hai". Not getting any of that, he simply put all the chocolates on his Chachu's bed "Chachu aap wapas rakh dena"

Shahbaaz peppered kisses on his face bringing out giggles of the small body.

"Ryan...tum andar ho?"

"Haan bhabhi.." Shahbaaz answered the knock on the door

"Ryan beta....chalo homework kar lo"

"Main aaj Chachu ke sath karunga...Chachu mai apni book le kar aata hun"
Saying that Ryan rushed out of the room

"Aur Baaz bhai..finally aap shadi ke liye taiyyar ho hi gaye" Rumi teased her only brother in law who shrugged in response "Didn't have any other option"

"Nahin aap zindagi bhar bhi kunware reh sakte hain...kisne roka hai aapko" Rumi said dramatically

"Bhabhi...Ammi kaafi hain " Shahbaaz made a face

"Arre..aap to aise react kar rahe hain jaise aapko pinjare me band kiya jaa raha hai...jahan tak mujhe pata hai aap naa hi party animal hain..na koi buri lat hai aapko aur ladkiyon se flirt toh bahut door ki baat hai..phir Biwi se kya problem hai aapko...aapko kis cheez ke liye compromise karna pad raha hai"

"Bas mujhe kisi ke sath ek kamre me rehna pasand nahin...koi personal space me aaye..I am not comfortable" Shahbaaz looked away voicing out his concerns

"Isliye shaadi jaldi kar leni chahiye...adapt karne me thodi aasaani hoti hai" Rumi smiled sitting on a chair

"Adapt toh ab karna hi hai chahe aise chahe waise" Shahbaaz smiled too

"Ammi itni khush hain jaise unhe koi lottery lag gayi hai....waise Ammi ki pasand aapko pasand aayegi"

"Kyun nahin...bas seerat achi honi chahiye baaki sab will fall in place"

"Ahaan...aapki koi demands nahin hai"

"Nahin"

"Hayye..so lucky that girl is going to be...Allah ek apne bhai ko dekh lein demands hi khatam nahin hote" Rumi snorted

"Rumi"
And Shahbaaz chuckled hearing his brother's voice.

"Dekha..mai room se dus minute baahar..inko chain aana band ho jayega"

"He loves you"

"And problem is I love him too...but still he will get it from me" Shahbaaz smiled at his Bhabhi's departing figure.....Bless her husband!