2 Months later

"Don't leave me. Please?" I heard his plea with my cheek pressed against his chest. My hands clutched the back of his shirt while he rested his chin atop my head; holding me tightly in his embrace for the past 5 minutes. By now, I had stopped caring about the people passing by and giving us looks.

Sighing, for the nth time, I finally managed to pull away from him.

"Well, you should have thought about that before promising Haniya that you will let me go before you—" I rolled my eyes at him playfully and adjusted the bag on my shoulder.

"She tricked me into it! I didn't even realise it—Zai—! It's okay, I'll apologise to her later, when we go together—How will I survive 2 weeks apart from you?" He cried once again, taking my hands in his warm grasp. I opened my mouth to say something but he beat me to it.

"Right! I'll tell her you were scared to go alone—" He began excitedly but I cut him off with a cocked brow.

"I am not scared—" I remarked plainly and turned to grab my luggage which he took instead.

"Right—then I'll say I was scared to let you go on your own—" He suggested helpfully but my groan shut him up.

"Rayyan—My flight is here. Also, it's not that much of a big deal. You are going to come after 2 weeks afterall—" My voice trailed off when I caught the look of sadness in his eyes, but he shrunk from my gaze.

"I know you won't even miss me. Maybe you'll even be glad that I am out of your hair..." His voice was low when he slowly met my gaze with a pout. My mouth opened in protest but words failed me. He saved me the embarrassment and let go of my hands only to cup my face and brush a soft kiss to my lips.

"I'll miss you tons—and will count down the minutes until I see you again." His hazel green eyes bore into mine as he said this, as if capturing every detail of my face and imprinting it onto his mind.

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"So, I heard you've cleared your PLAB? Are you going to start working now?" Harris Bhai inquired while watching me through the rearview mirror. His eyes flickered back to the road as I began.

"Yeah. Got job at the NHS. Will start from next month—" I said with a small smile before Haniya cut us off.

"Who cares about that—-I am just so glad that I managed to convince RB to send you here—! I mean, I was about to have a mental breakdown Zaira—! There's so much work to do and so little time—! Bhai never helps me with anything—if only RB was here, I wouldn't—!" She cried out with a roll of eyes and earned a pulling of hair from Harris bhai. I chuckled at that and watched Haniya smack his arm in return while sticking her tongue out. RB was short for Rayyan Bhai, which Haniya called Rayyan.

"Anyways—Do you know how hard it was tricking him, Zaira?! I mean, until you had boarded, he kept sending me all these sad messages and I almost felt sorry for him—LOL! Whatever you've done to RB—I am so proud of you! Who knew my coldhearted brother could act so warm and loving!" She kept laughing in between which made it almost impossible for her to finish what she wanted to say. Before she could complete telling about one thing, some other chapter would open. I've always known how much Haniya cared for Rayyan and viceversa. Even when I never saw him for 12 years, I would still hear about something RB said or did through Haniya.

"But I am so glad Bhai ditched you and RB got you instead—I mean Bhai even divorced his girlfriend whom he had left house for—You really dodged a bullet—" She snickered, turning to him who glared at her in return. I shifted in the backseat uncomfortably while watching this exchange. As they continued their bickering, I couldn't help but lean back with a sigh.

'I guess Rayyan might still be at work, right now. Maybe that's why he hasn't called to check if I have reached yet.'

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The rest of the day was spent on greeting everyone who had gathered in the Haveli for Haniya's wedding; which would be held here in exactly 3 weeks.

I didn't forget to take my phone with me everywhere while helping Haniya out with all the preparations. From dresses to dance preparations, everything was in shambles. Even her own Bridal dress was nowhere near ready. The dress was in dire need of alterations and for that I had to go with her to Lahore tomorrow. So much to do and so little time.

Still, I somehow managed to lay out a plan and going by it we just might be able to get 3-4 days of rest in the end.

"Oh my God! You're my fairy Godmother Zaira! I love you so much! Thankyou! Thankyouu!!" I chuckled while Haniya enveloped me in a side hug. She was 3 years younger than me, but before Rayyan came, she was my most favourite person in this family.

'That's right, Rayyan—!' My thought wandered to the phone which hadn't rung even once the whole day. I eyed it suspiciously thinking maybe I missed his call or text—but nothing. It was dead silent.

Is this normal? Don't people check up on their partner if they're away? My sisters were always glued to their phones whenever they came over, though; talking to their hubby. And even back home, Rayyan did always text from work atleast, if he couldn't call. Maybe, I am just overthinking. I mean we don't need to hog each other all the time. Haniya must've told him about my arrival. So that's pretty much it, I guess. No need to ask me the same thing again.

Yet, the whole night I stayed awake checking for any notification from him, which never came.

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"Hello, Rayyan?" After spending a sleepless night, I decided to call him myself. Maybe he was still mad about the Airport incident. Although that would be weird since I knew Rayyan wasn't one to hold grudges, unlike me.

"Hi darling! Good afternoon. You reached safely? Haniya had kept me updated." His rushed voice came from the other side. I could hear shifting sounds through the phone.

"Yeah. Are you working? I thought it would be your break time, right now?" I inquired whilst chewing on my lower lip and gazing out the window. Haniya sat besides me, busy on her phone. We were on our way to Lahore, so I thought I should use this excuse to call him.

"Ah—yeah. Today's a little hectic—" Before he could finish, some other voice sounded on the phone and I could hear Rayyan in discussion with him. For a while, I sat there chewing on my lower lip and fidgeting with the hem of my dress, as I listened to him talk to someone else, that wasn't me.

"Hello? Honey, you still there?" His voice came distracted and I barely gave an answer when he cut me off again.

"Sorry. I'll have to call you back. Love you." And with that the line went blank. For a few moments, I just sat in a daze with the phone pressed against my ear.

"How's RB?" Haniya's voice pulled me back to the Earth. Pulling away the phone from my ear, I stared at our second reception's picture staring back at me, which I had kept as my lock wallpaper on flight.

"Yeah. Fine. Just...busy..." My voice trailed off and I looked away, trying to gulp down the lump forming in my throat.

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When he called a few hours later, I missed it since I was busy in a meeting with Haniya's designer. Afterwards, when I got back to him, he had got busy with some client's work. So, we barely talked for a few minutes.

That's how the rest of the week went by. I would call him but he would be busy. Later, he would return my calls and right that moment I would be indisposed.

That night, I drifted to sleep unintentionally while looking at our old pictures and for some unknown reason I felt myself tear up. Maybe, with everything so hectic and my poor sleep pattern or lack of it, I might've felt exhausted.

Even though it was way before sleep time and everyone was still outside rehearsing their dance performances, I felt so tired that I had retired early for the night. Usually, I would keep my phone on silent, but these past days I always left it on ringing, so I don't miss his call by accident. If they ever did come, that is.

To my surprise, I was woken up by his call just then.

"Hello? Assalamualaikum, Zaira?" I don't know why but hearing his voice broke something in me and tears escaped my eyes and fell down my cheeks. I almost let out a sob but stopped it by clamping a hand to my mouth.

"Ye—ah. Hello—" I barely managed to breath out those two words but still couldn't stop my voice from cracking.

"What's wrong? You don't sound—" His worry laced voice sounded from the other side and with a trembling hand, I pulled away the phone  from my ear and took in a few sharp breaths to calm myself.

"No—I— fell asleep—" I gulped down the lump of tears in my throat but still couldn't stop the tears streaming down my face. I had to bite down on my lips to let these four words out.

"This early? Are you feeling alright?" Once again, hearing the concern in his voice made me lose control and I barely caught myself from sobbing. I don't know why I was suddenly feeling this way but just as I opened my mouth to reply, a knock sounded on the door. Quickly wiping my tears, I straightened up.

"Come in?" I thought it might be Haniya, coming to check on me but instead, Harris bhai came in.

"Zaira, are you alright? I heard from Haniya that you haven't been feeling well—" Harris bhai inquired while coming to stand in front of me. I gaped at him at a loss of words.

"Do you have a fever, as well? Maybe you ate something that didn't suit you. Everyone else has ordered Pizza. Should I ask the Maid to make something easily digestable for you?" He continued for a while and after my continued refusal, he finally backed away when I reassured him that I'll let him know if I needed something. When he finally left the room, I returned to my phone, wondering if Rayyan might've cut the call but thankfully, he was still on line. Who knows when I could get in touch with him again.

"Hello—Sorry about that—" I continued unfazed, finally feeling a little calmer.

"You were sick? And you couldn't be bothered to tell me?" The smile from a few moments before faltered at the coldness of voice. I felt shocked and thrown off guard by the sudden change in his behaviour.

"Was that Harris, just now? He's back? How could you let him in your room at this time?" His cold voice cut like a knife through me. I couldn't believe the suspicion in his voice. I didn't want to.

Once again, I felt my lips quiver and tears break loose but gulping down my sobs, I licked my dry lips before mustering the strength to continue.

"He was only checking on me, Rayyan—" I began to explain, unaware of shaking my head without realising.

"Whatever. The. Reason. Zaira—!" I sensed him trying to control his anger but it still made me tremble in fear. I had never seen this side of Rayyan before. I had gotten so used to his endearing love that I never could've imagined him feeling anything else for me.

"Rayyan—I—" My voice cracked with tears undisguised now but even if he noticed, he didn't seem to care about it.

"I can't stand hearing you, right now—Just—take your medicine and rest—" He remarked harshly and without even hearing my reply he cut the call. Leaving me a scattered mess, all alone, all by myself.

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