"Please, Ibrahim."

"I don't understand what's the big deal? Let them talk. Why'd you care?" Ibrahim tried his best to calm down and not snap at his wife, who was adamant about hiding their marriage from the office and now, she wants to get down a few blocks away just so that people won't notice they came in the same car.

"I know, I shouldn't. But I hate getting all the attention on me, and I don't want to be treated any different just because I'm your wife. Please stop the car here, I can walk. Its just a few blocks away." Mawra sighed, making him frown at her.

"Are you hearing yourself? Its so ridiculous, Mawra. We should let them know and if they have that much problem, its not our business. You're here to work, not to please those dimwits." Ibrahim finally snapped when he couldn't control the anger, she flinched a little bit.

"Please stop the car." Mawra hated the fact that after the beautiful breakfast they just had in a nearby hotel, they're having an argument. Their first argument after marriage.

"You're so stubborn." he sighed dejectedly while stopping the car in a corner, Mawra got down at the first chance she got and before she could even open her mouth, he started driving ahead making her very aware of how mad he was.

"Great." kicking the stone that was on her way, she walked ahead with a sour mood. Mawra had no one but herself to blame for this little fight. But she was still adamant about hiding their marriage from the public. Their marriage is none of anyone's business and she liked it that way.

"Hey!" She paused at that familiar voice, faking a smile on her face she mumbled, "hi, Adnan. What are you doing here?" He stopped his car just to talk with her, irking Mawra again. Why can't people mind their own damn business she wondered with a frown which she soon replaced with a smile, a fake one at that.

"Going to office, of course. What are you doing here?" Adnan raised his brows in confusion, "where is your car? I mean, the office provides you, right?"

"It does, I'm walking for a change. We are getting late, we should go." She replied trying her level best to not get irritated, he was just being friendly. But her mood was already spoiled and Adnan is only making it worse by not minding his own business.

"Hop in then, I'll drop you." Her eyes widened at his words, "no. Its alright. I can walk."

"What type of friend will I be if I let you walk like this? Just hop in, I'm going to the same place anyway." Adnan was as adamant as her. She knew her friend.

Ya Allah! What is this... Mawra groaned mentally.

"I'm not leaving without you. Don't bother arguing." Adnan stated with a grin, looking at her wristwatch almost gave her a panic attack. There were only five minutes left until the office hours begins and she is yet to reach the building. She hated being late. Talking with this guy is only going to waste her time further, with a sigh she opened the door of the passenger seat and sat in. He victoriously smiled at her.

"How were your holidays?" He asked curiously whilst driving fast. He doesn't like being late as well. Punctuality was a good trait.

"It was good, a much-needed one." a small smile formed on her lips at that.

"You deserved it, I mean you work so much for our boss. Just so you know, he looked quite miserable without your assistance." Adnan chuckled, she nodded with a knowing smile.

"We are here." he pulled the car into the office parking lot, Mawra tried to open her door but it got stuck in between, "don't worry. I should give it for service, I'll open it from outside for you. That's the only way it works."

"Weird." She stated in amusement.

"I know right." he chuckled funnily while opening the door and gave her his hands, she looked at him sceptically while mumbling, "It's okay." and got down from the car.

The hurt of rejection flashed for a second before Adnan replaced it with a smile.

Mawra frowned a little at the time and started to walk ahead, but froze when she saw a very annoyed Ibrahim glaring in her way. Her eyes widened in surprise as she watched him hang up his call and walk into the office entrance, just to avoid her.

She was a minute late today. Despite taking Adnan's lift, she was late but what bothered her more was Ibrahim's avoidance. It pricked her heart, "thanks for the lift, Adnan." faking a smile at him, she faced the guy who smiled back at her, "it was no problem." He replied and walked into the office along with her.

"Dang it!" letting out an inaudible yet frustrated sigh, she walked into the elevator and plastered a fake smile on her face all the way till she reached her cabin and threw her handbag with a huff.

Without wasting any more minutes, Mawra walked towards the coffee maker outside in the corridor and started making his usual coffee, only to realize how much she missed doing this. It used to be a big part of her daily routine.

When the coffee was made, she marched to his office nervously. After a minute of a pep talk, she knocked at the door and heard an annoyed, "come in." as a reply.

Ibrahim raised his brows at her, as he paused typing the email and watched her place his coffee mug on the table, "I don't want it. You can take it back." he muttered before going back to concentrate on his work.

Mawra's face fell instantly, had it been a month before she wouldn't have cared. It was his nature, to be mad at something and showing it to her or some other employee. But now that she knows the reason behind his anger, she felt guilty.

"Ibrahim- I mean... sir..." biting her lips nervously, she looked up at him. He snapped his head at that, "you want to say something, Ms Hussain?"

His way of pronouncing Ms Hussain told how mad he was and she realized this is how their professional life is going to be. Strictly business and nothing else, she asked for it anyway.

Mawra sighed inwardly and replied, "nothing, sir."

"Good. Take this mug back and plan my next two days' schedule with the help of your substitute and yeah, we have a meeting at eleven, I want you to jot the important points briefly as you'd always do." Ibrahim informed her whilst typing in his laptop and she nodded her head before walking out of his office.

That was not how she has imagined her first day back at the office after their marriage to be, but it is what it is. The day went on with Ibrahim behaving strictly as a boss and talking with her only when it was needed. No one would suspect a thing about their marriage, even in their dreams. His actions made sure of that.

For some weird reason, his lack of interaction bothered Mawra, a lot. It was her who has asked for it and yet it hurt. She had no idea why, but his ignorance, in general, is hurting her little heart.

Why is her heart so strange? She wondered with a frown.

Just like that, half a day passed in a blur with him ignoring her and being super busy with the hacking-related issue and meetings in between, and she being clueless of how to pacify him.

"Hey!" the familiar voice of Adnan came from her cabin's doorway and she scowled inwardly before faking a smile, "what?"

"Hey! Are you not happy to see me?" he faked hurt, whilst entering her cabin, she rolled her eyes at that.

"I was busy," Mawra replied in a monotone.

"I can see, but its lunch. I waited for you, fifteen minutes are gone. You were nowhere to be seen, so I came here to fetch you instead." Adnan grinned as he played with her pen stand.

"You didn't have to do that, anyway I'm not hungry." she replied plainly, before looking at her laptop which he shuts down and glared at her, "what? Adnan... Stop bothering me."

"I have a lot to catch up with you plus, you can't skip lunch. Its unhealthy. I won't let you skip." Mawra knows how stubborn her friend is, so she gave up with a huff and got up to have lunch.

"That's like my friend." Adnan threw a pen at her with a chuckle and followed her outside, when she walked too fast, he clasped her hands and made her stop. At the exact same moment, their boss Ibrahim came out of his office. His eyes fell on their clasped hands and a frown etched on his lips which only Mawra noticed.

She pulled back her hands immediately.

"Good afternoon, sir." a clueless Adnan greeted him, which Ibrahim ignored, "can I have a word with you, Ms Hussain?"

"But sir, we are going to have lunch." Ibrahim snapped his head at that, "its okay, Mr Sheikh. You can go and have your lunch. Ms Hussain has important work to do right now, she will eat later on." Adnan nodded with a frown and walked away from there and now, it was just him and her.

Every staff on that floor were at the canteen, making Mawra all the more nervous. She opened her mouth to speak but decided against it, "into my office. Right now." came his stern voice and she followed him behind nervously.

Mawra was confused when he was out of her sight the moment she entered his office, but he was just there, she wondered and got startled when he locked the door from behind her. She heaved an inward sigh while eyeing him nervously, who then walked towards his table without uttering anything.

Neither of them spoke. There was only this disturbing silence.

Her gorgeous brown eyes stared at his grey ones with guilt. She has made him so mad and felt responsible to calm him down. Taking slow steps, she stood in front of him. There was a feet gap in between, which Ibrahim broke by pulling her close to him out of the blue. That was an unexpected move, but he waited for her to take the first step anyway.

A gasp left her mouth as he sneaked his hands around her waist, holding her dangerously close to him, whilst making her sit on the office table. His hands were then placed on either side of her, eyes stared back at her intently. Their breaths now mixed. Hearts beating at an uneven pace.

"You have no idea how mad I get whenever that guy lays his eyes on you," he whispered huskily, angrily as he leaned in, his fingers traced her face adoringly. Mawra shivered at that.

"He's just a friend," she replied meekly with her eyes closed, as his hands made her feel things that she wouldn't dare describe.

"And I'm sorry that I took his lift, I couldn't decline his offer. He is very stubborn." Mawra sighed, while his hands still played with her face. It paused at her soft lips making her snap open her eyes, there was a moment of silence, as they stared right into each other's eyes.

The fact that she took a lift from some other man right after getting down from his car must have hurt his ego. She just couldn't say no to Adnan. It wasn't her intention to hurt Ibrahim, but she knows that she did hurt him and now felt super bad about it.

"Just like you..." Ibrahim replied bitterly, "I told you, it was a bad idea. It's a pain to see someone else eyeing what's mine inappropriately, Mawra. I got so mad when he held your hands. How dare he?" She flinched a little bit when his hands cupped her face tightly, "I pulled back immediately, Ibrahim. He was just being friendly."

"Don't let him near you after this. Or I will fire him." He pulled back angrily and walked around trying to control his anger.

Mawra let out a long breath and jumped from his table, "Ibrahim..." calling his name in a whisper, she pulled his hands in hers, he stopped walking and stared down at her. She was of normal height, but in front of his 6'1 figure, she looked pretty small.

"Adnan is just a friend, you don't have to fire him just because he comes close to me. I know my limits." she almost sounded hurt, how could he think like that? Ibrahim's face changed at her statement, "God, no. Its not about you, Mawra. Its him. That guy! I hate the way he stared at you."

"Oh."

"But why would he do that? I have known him for two years now. He has always been a good friend. Only a friend." Mawra muttered naively.

"Your obliviousness is amusing." he chuckled dryly, "but a girl like you should know not all boys look at you with good intentions."

"Girl like me?"

"A girl like you as in, you're confident yet shy, pretty, fearless, and beautiful; not only from outside but also from inside as well. You're everything a man would ever want, Mawra. How did you not notice his actions before? Adnan has always had an eye on you." Ibrahim stated lazily whilst drinking in her beauty but became bitter by the end.

Mawra on the other hand was a blushing mess. Did he actually say those aloud? Damn. No guy has ever complimented her like this in her whole life and the guy being her husband made it all the more beautiful and she couldn't stop herself from smiling like a creep.

"Stay away from him, Mawra. Or, I'm not responsible for what will happen after that," he stated huskily whilst gazing into her orbs, which she blinked in response, the shy smile still played on her lips making her look so alluring.

Ibrahim was taken aback in shock as well as surprise, when she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, "I'm sorry for making you mad, Ibrahim..." she whispered against his chest, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back tightly.

It was their first proper hug and he's going to cherish the memory for his whole life and so will she. Hugging her felt so warm and comfortable, and it is going to be his new favourite thing from now on.

"I'm sorry too, I should understand that you wanted privacy. We will keep our relationship as a secret just like you wanted." the smile on her face widened at that, and she hugged him tighter in a way to show how glad she was.

"Thank you so much!" Mawra exclaimed in happiness whilst breaking apart and grinned at him widely having no clue of what blunder she is making. Ibrahim smiled back at her and she was lost in his charms once again.

He has such a gorgeous smile. Mawra could just go on staring at him without getting bored. She furiously blushed at that thought and looked away making him smirk knowingly. It wasn't her fault that he was so achingly handsome, and he happens to be her husband. She can check him out for all she wants.

Both of them then stared at each other before laughing out aloud.

The first day at work wasn't so bad after all.