5th June, 2019

"Mr. Ibrahim, the food is absolutely delicious. Thank you for such a wonderful feast." Mr. Chang said, his face depicting the truthfulness of his words.

"I know it's very different from the taste of Japanese food but I'm so glad that you liked the food." Shumail said, smiling brightly at his guest seated across from him.

"Oh I loved it, especially this dish. What is this called?" He asked pointing towards the dish, now half empty. "It is a bundle of flavours that just blast in your mouth in just one bite. Very different from the food that I eat and might I say, very very tasty too." Mr. Chang seemed to be really fascinated with all the dishes as he spoke, a bright shine in his eyes.

"Oh! It is called Biryani. It's my favourite." Shumail answered with a light chuckle.

"Bir...What?" Mr. Chang tried to pronounce but he couldn't.

"Bir-ya-ni." Shumail pronounced again, this time a bit slowly, breaking the word in parts.

"Bir..Sorry I don't think I can pronounce it." Mr. Chang laughed and all the other present at the dining table joined him as Shumail too let out a chuckle.

Mr. Chang and the designing team of the new project was at Ibrahim mansion for dinner on Shumail's invitation, and as per his request Eram had taken special efforts in getting the whole dinner prepared, extra tasty. The head officials and his partner were seated around the table while Shumail sat at the head of the table, enjoying the delicious feast.

He was happy that everyone were enjoying the food and was glad that Eram got everything done so perfectly. Mr. Chang was an important partner for Ibrahim Estate, and Shumail was happy that he was able to show gratitude towards him by inviting him for a delicious and authentic Indian dinner, and that Mr. Chang enjoyed the meal.

Soon after the dinner was over, Shumail accompanied them as they sat in the living room, chatting casually.

"Mr. Ibrahim, I think I can extend the contract with Ibrahim estate for a few more years, condition, I get to eat such delicious food more often." Mr. Chang said and Shumail laughed heartily.

"You are always welcome to my humble abode Mr. Chang." Shumail smiled. "Besides, I don't want to lose such a prestigious partner. Can't afford that." He joked.

"Well, can you possibly gift me your chef who made that delicious rice dish. I'll love to have a change of flavours." Mr. Chang said in a playful tone, raising a brow at him.

"Not possible Mr. Chang." Shumail grinned. "She's my personal chef, exclusively mine."

"Her food seems to have a special place in your heart, Mr. Ibrahim. Hmm?" Mr. Chang teased.

"Not only her food Mr. Chang, she too holds a special place in my heart. The chef that made that Biryani was my wife." Shumail said, his ears turning pink and a bright smile etched at his lips.

Everyone present in the living room went in awe and some teased him, making his neck to turn a light shade of pink. He actually was blushing, the smile not leaving his lips for a single moment.

"Woah! I hope you're not offended that I asked you to gift me your chef, Mr. Ibrahim." Mr. Chang joked.

"Absolutely not, Mr. Chang."

As Shumail climbed the stairs after bidding bye to all the officials and his partner, he was smiling to himself, his flipflops were clicking against the tiled floor as he walked. He made his way to his room and opened the door and entered, his eyes searching for the one person he couldn't se th whole evening. Eram, not being comfortable, didn't came downstairs the whole evening and stayed in the room as she ate her dinner alone, and now as his gaze landed on her, he found her fast asleep on the couch with a book placed upside down on her stomach.

He shook his head at her and went to the bed to adjust it to tuck her in. He pulled the duvet aside and adjusted the pillows. He walked back to her and slowly got the book from her grip and walking to the shelf, he placed it back. He turned around to walk to her when he saw her wriggling in her sleep. Her eyebrows were knitted together as she kept shaking her head from side to side. Her breathing got heavy and her forehead had sweatbeads forming even after the weather being so chilly.

Shumail's eyebrows knitted in worry as he hurried to her and knelt beside her form on the carpeted floor, taking her hand in his. He tried to wake her up but she, in her sleep was trying to free herself from his grip as she began to wriggle.

"Eram, are you alright? Wake up." Shumail held her by her shoulders and tried to wake her up but she just kept wriggling.

"No!" She cried. "No please!" Her silent whisper came out as a plea.

"Eram!" Shumail called shaking her shoulders lightly as he tried to wake her up, but feeling as if being caged, she tried to trash in her sleep.

"Zai! No! Don't take him away from me! Zai!" She cried again, her words coming out in a mere whisper.

Shumail's movement halted for a moment as his forehead creased in confusion, trying to decipher her words and what name she was taking in her dream, but he quickly shook his head as he turned his focus back to her and tried to wake her up again.

"Eram! Wake up!" He removed her hairs covering her face and ran his hand soothingly on her head as he called her name. He wiped the lone tear that escaped her eye with the back of his hand, his mind in confusion and heart filled wth worry.

"Zai! Please don't!" She cried helplessly.

"Eram everything's fine! I'm here. Wake up." Shumail cooed and held her hands firmly in his one hand trying to stop her from trashing, as he caressed her face with the other hand.

"Don't take him away! Leave me." She shrieked in her sleep and tried to get the grip off her hands and not being able to calm her down, Shumail shook her shoulders calling out her name as she finally opened her eyes and sat up straight with a gasp, wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes.

"What happened Eram?" Shumail questioned with worry, taking a seat on the glass table placed in front of the couch as he took hold of her hand in his and made her look at him. She turned her face to him as she looked lost and confused and afraid. "Did you have a nightmare?" He asked with concern.

Eram finally noticed her surrounding and realised that she wasn't in her house and what she saw was just a dream that she was having since a few months now. She slowly nodded her head at him, while he brought his hand to caress her face and tucked a few strands of her hairs behind her ear.

"Who was being taken away from you? And who is Zai?" Shumail questioned making her eyes to widen a bit, realising what name she was calling in her dream and that Shumail heard it. She turned her gaze away from him, fidgetting with her fingers. "Tell me?" He urged.

"I saw some people separating me from Zai. I tried to free myself from their grip and not let them take away Zai but I wasn't strong enough." Eram put her face in her palms and heaved a deep breath.

"Who is Zai?" Shumail questioned again, his forehead wrinkled in confusion.

"Zain, my younger brother." She answered as Shumail's lips circled in O.

"But why the sudden nightmare?" Shumail had many questions to ask.

"I've been having the same nightmare since a few months now." She answered looking at her hands which he held firmly in his grip, his thumb caressing the back of her hands soothingly.

"Zain, where is he?" He asked again. Eram didn't know how to answer him.

"He's...dead." A lone tear escaped her eyes as she said and Shumail felt sorry for her that question. He quickly shifted and sat beside her on the couch and made her look at him.

"It's alright." Shumail said caressing her hand. "He's in a better place Alhamdulillah." Eram nodded her head but didn't dare look up at him and meet his gaze. "Want to talk about it?"

"Sorry if I disturbed you." Eram said in a small voice after sometime. "I feel horrible whenever the memories of my past come back. That's why I don't talk about it with anyone."

"It's no problem if you don't want to. No need to put yourself through that pain again. Let's not talk about it. Okay?" He spoke with a soft smile and she nodded again, her eyes focused on the outline of their intertwined hands.

"Did I worry you? I'm sorry again." Eram apologised a second time, feeling the soft caress of his thumb on her hand. She found it strange but she actually was liking it.

"I've married you. All your worries are mine and all my happiness is yours. Any single thing related to you is my concern. That's the basic duty of mine as your husband." Shumail said bringing his hand to her face as he held her by her nape softly and made her look at him. "You can tell me if anything at all is bothering you. Don't keep it to yourself. Hmm?"

Eram nodded her head and smiled at him and he too smiled back at her softly.

"Now come, let's sleep." Shumail stood up and offered his hand for her to hold. She placed her hand in his and stood up and let him guide her to the bed as he made her lie down and covered her form with the duvet. Removing the hairs curtaining her face, he placed a small kiss on her forehead and made his way to his side of the bed.

'Everytime I think it's fine, you make me want to rethink about it a thousand times.'

Eram's thoughts began disturbing her. She closed her eyes, her heart filled with pain, and turned to face him. Shumail was lying on his side of bed, leaving some distance between them with his back facing her and looking at his back, she wondered to herself, how can someone be this sensible. She felt she was dreaming about a man who was too good to be true.

She couldn't stop herself as she slowly forwarded her hand and pulled at his shirt slowly from behind. Shumail felt the pull and he turned to face her.

"Still awake? What happened?" He asked, putting his head on his arm.

All she had to say to him went flying right out of the window and she lied there totally blank. She looked in his honey brown orbs and the sincerity she saw in them, she felt her heart brusting with tears.

"Earth to wifey." Shumail said clicking his fingers in front of her, breaking her reverie bringing her out of her thoughts. They way he called her wifey, she felt her heart skip a beat and began to thump loudly against her chest. "What are you thinking?"

"Nothing." She quickly shook her head.

"Oh I got it." He smirked.

"What?" She asked with knitted brows.

"Mrs. Ibrahim wants to have a comfortable pillow hmm?" Shumail spoke looking at her with a teasing smile, while Eram looked at her pillow in confusion. Before she could ask him what he meant with that sentence, she was pulled by him in his embrace as he extended his arm and put it under her head as a pillow. Her eyes were wide as she finally realised what he meant and taking in their position, she was all the more shocked.
"Like this?" He asked raising his eyebrows teasingly. She tried to wiggle out but he just placed his other hand on her waist and pulled her more closer to him, making her gasp.

"Or like this?" He asked again.

"Shumail!" His name, which was not more than a mere whisper, rolled out of her lips in utter shock and he internally was enjoying teasing her. "What are you doing!" In response, Shumail put his hand around her and hugging her close to himself, he closed his eyes, resting his lips right before her forehead.

"Good night wifey." He muttered, in his sleepy voice. Eram was shocked with herself that she wasn't resisting being caged in his embrace and as her eyes felt heavy, not wanting to disturb him who was already half asleep, she placed her hand on his torso and closed her eyes, letting sleep take over her, feeling a sense of security after what felt like ages.

"Good night."

Assalamualaikum everyone!

Eid Mubarak🌹

As said I updated on Eid...consider this treat as my Eidi for you guys....now my Eidi?

Coming back to the chap...how was it?

What do you think is actually happening? Let me know in comments :D

Until next time...Viszontlátásra!

Itta bada goodbye...khuda!😪