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Hooriya (Special Content due to request)

"Mama." I was sobbing. "I want my baby!" 

"Hoor, the baby is in NICU. She's being looked after the medical team. She's born a little early, so she needs the extra care, but In Sha Allah, she'll be fine." Mama ran a hand over my head, reassuring me.

"I'm scared, Mama." 

"Trust Allah. He gave you this much-yearned blessing, and He will take care of her." She kissed the top of my head.

"My Hoorain..."

"She'll be okay, In Sha Allah. I can understand your fear, your anxiety completely. But you need to remain calm, Hoor."

A light knock on the door made me look up.

Farhaan was standing in the doorway, looking worried about me. "Hoor, Ali wants to see you."

Immediately, I wiped away my tears. I couldn't let my son see me like this. It would scare him. For his sake, I pushed back my inner turmoil, cloaking it with a façade of calmness for the sake of my Ali. "Bring him in." 

Mama smiled at me. "That's parenthood in a nutshell. Put your kids first." 

I squeezed her hand. "I'm terrified for Ain, but I have to think about Ali too." 

Farhaan returned with our son, and Mama excused herself and headed out.

Ali looked uncertain. "Where is she?" 

I held out my arms towards him, and as she got onto the bed, I hugged him tightly. "She's under special care of the doctors right now, because she arrived a little early."

"Is she going to be okay?" He sounded worried. "Is she there because I said that I didn't want a sibling?" 

I exchanged a look with Farhaan before turning back to Ali. "No, honey, of course not. Don't think like that." 

"I will make dua that she gets better soon." Ali whispered.

"You're already such a protective big brother, Ma Sha Allah." I kissed his cheek.

Farhaan stood beside the bed, ruffling our son's hair. "Do you not want to give Mama the present?" 

"I left it outside with Khalla! I'll go and get it." Ali said.

"I'll come with you." Farhaan told him, before giving me a small smile.

They left and I sat back on the bed. I yearned for Hoorain, even though I knew that she was exactly where she really needed to be right now. In Sha Allah, I was going to hold her eventually, but the priority was her health, her full recovery.

Farhaan and Ali returned, and Ali held up a piece of paper. I took it from him and saw he had made a drawing of our family, including Hoorain, and had written the words 'Conrajulations!'. 

"I noticed the 'j', but I let it be." Farhaan smiled at me. 

I was in tears. "Oh, Ali! This is so, so beautiful!" I carefully set the drawing aside and held out my arms for my son. "Thank you, honey! I'm going to have it framed." 

Farhaan sat down beside me, wrapping an arm around me. "Alhumdulillah, our family is complete. Ain will recover, In Sha Allah, and will be with us very soon." 

"In Sha Allah." 

*

I was wheeled to the NICU by Farhaan as soon as the doctors authorised it. 

"I can't wait to see her!" I beamed up at my husband. "I hope she has your eyes." His blue-green eyes that had mesmerised me for years.

I saw other worried parents in the waiting area, before we headed into the ward where Hoorain was. 

Finally, we stopped by an incubator. 

My heart pounding hard, I stood up with Farhaan's help.

There she was: my tiny little doll, with IV tubes attached to her. 

"Hello, Mrs Farhaan." A doctor approached me. "I'm Dr Victoria Stevenson, and I'm your daughter's neonatologist." She smiled warmly at me.

"Hi." I smiled back weakly at her. "How is she doing?" 

"She has jaundice, which is very common in newborn babies. We are using phototherapy as a treatment, that's why her eyes are covered." She glanced towards Hoorain. "Otherwise, there's no issue that you need to worry about. With the right care, you would eventually not even realise that she's a premature baby."

I glanced at my baby girl again. I'd seen lifelike dolls bigger than her. "She'll definitely be okay, right?" 

"We are going to give her the best care and treatment, Mrs Farhaan." The doctor nodded her head at me.

"Can I hold her?" I asked, cautiously.

"Of course. In fact, the little sweetie needs feeding and nappy changing." The doctor smiled at the girl, before nodding at a nurse nearby.

The nurse expertly opened the door of the incubator and eventually removed Hoorain from the incubator. As the baby started crying, the nurse spoke softly to her in reassurance. The nurse walked over and placed little Hoorain Farhaan into my arms. 

A teardrop of mine landed on her cheek as I stared down at her, feeling love on a powerful intensity that I'd last felt when holding Ali for the first time.

I looked up at Farhaan. "You finally got your Hoorain." 

He leaned down and pressed his lips against my forehead, before carefully running a hand over the top of our daughter's head. "Alhumdulillah."

*

Arsalan

"Congratulations!" Hira smiled at me, squeezing my hand discreetly. 

I smiled. "I'm so happy for Hoor Appi and Farhaan Bhai. They waited a long time for Hoorain."

"Hoor deserves all the happiness in the world. She has a beautiful heart, Ma Sha Allah." She whispered. "All four of you do, actually, in your own different ways." 

Farhaan Bhai came into the waiting room. "Who wants to see the baby?" 

"MEEEEEEEEEE!" Maham screamed, jumping up and down, raising her hand.

"Maham, indoor voice!" Haya Appi told her off immediately.

"I want to see her!" Maham pouted.

"Everyone will see her, but one at a time, okay?" Farhaan Bhai told her with a gentle smile.

Of course, the grandparents were going to meet her first: Anaya Aunty, Faiz Uncle, Mama and Papa. 

Unfortunately, the kids were not allowed to go into the NICU at this time, and that made Maham cry a lot.

I headed inside, sanitised, gloved and masked, and saw Hoor Appi sitting in a wheelchair. "Congratulations, Appi!" I leaned down and gave her a one-armed hug as she sat.

"Thank you, Arsal Mamu." She smiled emotionally at me.

I moved to stand by the incubator, where my younger niece was lying, her eyes covered. "Do babies need eye masks?" I felt a little confused.

"It's because of the special light used in phototherapy." Hoor Appi explained.

"Is she going to be okay?" I felt worried.

"Yes, In Sha Allah. Jaundice is very common in newborn babies." 

"Oh, the poor sweet soul. May Allah give her a long life and good health. Ameen." I stared adoringly at my baby niece. "She's beautiful, Ma Sha Allah." 

"She seems so fragile. I just want to protect her by holding her close in my arms."

I glanced at my sister. "May she forever be under Allah's protection. Ameen." 

"Ameen." She turned back to me, a teasing smile appearing on her face. "My next wish is to be a Phupho." She giggled.

I dropped my gaze, feeling my cheeks burn. 

"Aww, Arsu, you're as shy as ever. It's adorable." She laughed harder. 

"I'll go now." I turned back to Hoorain. "It's okay, sweet angel. You'll be okay, and with us soon, In Sha Allah." 

"Send Rohaan in, please." Hoor Appi said. 

"Hira's just outside. Is it okay if she comes in while I go and get Rohaan?" 

Hoor blinked, a brief look of surprise appearing on her face. "Of course! Send her in." 

I nodded and headed out, sending my wife in to see Hoorain.

*

Rohaan

"She will love me more than she'll love you." Behaya told me. "I'm her Khalla. The bond that Khallas have with their nieces is epic, like Hoor has with Maham." 

"Really? Have you seen Maham with me?" I asked her. "Watch. Hoorain is going to adore me too."

Haya narrowed her eyes at me. "Keep dreaming." 

"And you wake up and face the reality. I'm popular amongst the baccha party." 

"Rohaan Bhai?" Tahira came into the waiting room. "Hoor Appi is calling you." 

I headed out into the hallway, but not before smirking at Haya. 

Once I had washed and sanitised my hands, and had put on my gloves and mask, I stepped into the NICU ward.

"Hey, Hoor. You doing okay?" I nodded at my sister.

"Hey, Ro. Yes, I'm recovering." She smiled at me. She nodded towards the incubator. "But the infamous Ro Mamu kept Hoorain waiting too long." 

I stepped up to the incubator, and saw my first glimpse of my baby niece, barely the size of my hand. A smile automatically appeared on my face. "I'm sorry, Annie. Too many people were ahead of me in the queue. But I'm here now, and I'll always be here for you, In Sha Allah." 

"Annie?" Hoor raised her eyebrows at me.

"She needs a nickname, and Hoor is unavailable." I grinned at my sister, before turning back to my niece. "Listen, sweetheart, no matter what Haya Khalla says or does, I'm your favourite, okay? Ask your cousins and your brother how awesome I am." 

Hoor giggled.

I looked at my sister. She looked exhausted, but genuinely happy. Walking over to where she sat in the wheelchair, I ran a hand over her head. "May Allah always keep you and your family happy and healthy, and may He protect you from all pain, trouble and evil eyes. Ameen." One corner of my mouth lifted up in a small smile. "You're my only decent sibling." I chuckled.

She laughed. "Ro, you're too much." She then gave me a smile. "But thank you. And thank you for making Ali feel better." 

"Don't thank me. I don't do anything for free. You owe me." I grinned again.

She rolled her eyes. "Typical Ro." 

*

The tension of Hoorain's impending birth was replaced by prayers for her good health, mixed with the excitement of her arrival.

And then Ahmed arrived at the hospital, holding a gift hamper. "Yo, my mother sent this for Hooriya Appi. Congratulations, yaar!"

"Thanks, yaar." I hugged him, patting his back.

"Are Aunty and Uncle around? I want to congratulate them too."

"Mama is with Hoor at the moment, and Papa has gone home to check on Dado and Dada Jaan."

"Oh, well, congratulate them on my behalf." He said.

"Absolutely." I patted his back. "Thanks for coming, bro." 

"I better get back to work. I've taken an 'extended break' to be here." He grinned.

"Authorised or unauthorised?" I asked, knowingly.

"It's been authorised by me, that's enough." He laughed.

"Idiot." I also laughed, shaking my head.

*

Yamna

The baby was to remain in the NICU for a few days more, and even though Hoor Appi was discharged from the hospital herself two days after Hoorain was born, she spent most of her time at the hospital.

Meanwhile, my creative writing workshop started, and I headed for my first day.

It was a bright and sunny day, and I wore a peach long skirt and a full-sleeved white cotton blouse, along with wedge sandals. 

It was a fun experience for me, since I loved writing so much. 

I saw Basit Khan around, but he kept his distance, thankfully. 

But, to my surprise, I saw someone that I hadn't expected to see there. "Arsal Bhai?" I walked over to him. I'd seen him in the kitchen earlier that morning, but he hadn't mentioned anything. "Arsal Bhai, what are you doing here?" 

He turned and saw me. "Oh, hey, Yamna." He shrugged. "I'm here representing my publishing house." 

"I didn't know that you were going to be here!" I smiled at him. 

He nodded. "Yeah, it was a bit of a last minute thing. One of my colleagues couldn't make it, so I stepped in." 

"Ok. Cool." 

"You ever considered going into publishing, Yum-Yum?" He asked.

I shook my head. "No. My writing is enough for me." 

As other students gathered around, Arsal Bhai began the activity session. "Welcome to Genre Conversion! My name is Arsalan Rehan Tariq, and I will be leading this session. The point of this session is to write a genre that you're not comfortable with. Fiction is about exploring different worlds, and each world has different stories, of different genres. We all get comfortable with our own genres, and this session will explore the idea of dwelling into new genres, to step out of our comfort zones." He gestured towards the table closest to him, where boxes were set up, labelled with different genres. "Here are some prompts for each genre. Pick one that you're not used to writing, or even those that you don't particularly like. Challenge yourselves, guys! Because the point of creative writing is to make full use of your imagination." 

I picked the 'science fiction' genre because I detested it. The prompt was about a robot who lived amongst humans as a spy, preparing for a robot takeover.

"Excuse me?" A girl raised her hand.

"Yes?" Arsal Bhai looked at her.

"You...um...you said that your name is Arsalan Rehan Tariq. Are you the son of the author Rehan Tariq?" The girl asked.

I pursed my lips to hide a smile.

"Indeed, I am." Arsal Bhai didn't hide his smile.

The girl squealed. "My parents are huge fans of his work! And they got me totally obsessed with his books too!" 

I focused on my task, and I found it a little boring. But that was the whole point of the activity, right? To challenge ourselves! To use our imagination to explore new genres.

*

As the day passed by, and we moved onto other activities, I came across something truly amazing.

One girl was sitting by the refreshment area, reading a book...

... My book!

Yes, she was reading Sweet Affections as she ate a freshly made pretzel from one of the stalls nearby. And her expressions said, 'I'm enjoying this book!', rather than 'What boring crap!'.

Finding the boldness from deep within myself, I approached her. "Hi."

"Hello." She looked up at me, confused.

"The book you're reading... is it good? Would you recommend it?" I asked.

She smiled. "Definitely! It's such a sweet love story. It's definitely one of my favourites now." 

"Thanks!" I said, a little too enthusiastically. "For the recommendation, I mean." 

"No worries." She turned back to the book.

I had a skip in my step as I walked away.

*

Rohaan

I was in a terrible mood after work.

My temper had risen when I'd found out that a domestic abuser that we had arrested a while ago, had only received a ten month imprisonment! After that, he was free to come out and repeat his deeds.

The law of this country was seriously a joke.

At home, I angrily unbuttoned my shirt. "What the f**k is the point of us even arresting someone?" I muttered to myself. Yanking open the wardrobe, I reached for the first thing to throw, but to my surprise I felt something soft between my fingers before I saw it. I pulled it out and saw that it was a kitten soft toy. Sitting on the space underneath my shirt and jackets that hung from hangers. Attached to it was a post it note. 

A 'cat burglar' entered your wardrobe, detective. ;)

My tense muscles relaxed, and a smile broke out on my face at the pun. "Yamna." 

No matter how p**sed I was, she managed to make me smile.

"Rohaan!" 

I felt arms around me before I heard a squeal.

"Assalam Alaikum!" She said. 

"Walaikum Assalam!" I turned and saw her beaming up at me, pink-cheeked. 

"Guess what?" She grabbed me by the upper arms. "I saw someone reading my book and she liked it! She said it was a sweet love stories and one of her favourites now!" 

I smiled. "Tell me something that I shouldn't be surprised about." I wrapped my arms around her. "You are talented, Yamna. And even though I myself have no talent in the writing department, I can tell you that with certainty that you can go places." 

"Because I felt happy, I got something." She reached into her bag and pulled out a slim bar of Lindt Lindor. "To celebrate. My first non-family reader that I came across."

"May you have many more, In Sha Allah." I placed my hands on her cheeks, no sign of anger remaining behind inside me. 

She tore open the chocolate, and held it up for me. I took a bite, and then grabbed her wrist lightly, moving the chocolate towards her mouth. She took a bite as well, her gaze never leaving mine.

"Congratulations, Yamna! I'm proud of you." I kissed her forehead.

"Thank you!" She couldn't stop smiling. "Oh, and Arsal Bhai was there on behalf of a publishing house!" She began to talk about her day, as she put her bag away and grabbed a towel and a change of clothes. 

I focused on her completely, on her enthusiasm, on her voice, on her general cheerfulness. It was the complete opposite of how I'd felt when I'd returned home. 

"Are you listening?" She asked me.

"Hmm."

"What did I just say?" She narrowed her eyes at me.

I grinned sheepishly. "Okay, you caught me. But it's your fault. You distracted me."

"I distracted you from myself?" She looked at me, confused.

"Everything else about you distracted me from your words." 

Her cheeks turned red. "W-What do you mean?" 

"Do you really need me to explain the meaning?" I stepped towards her.

Eye wide, she ran towards the bathroom. "No!" The door slammed behind her.

I smirked. "How long will you stay in there? You eventually have to return to me." 

*

<Arsalan: Tahira and I will be staying at the Tariq family home tonight. Make sure all the doors and windows are locked. 😝>

I chuckled at my brother's message.

Yamna cleared her throat.

I was lying in bed and I looked up. My eyebrows rose automatically as I saw her.

She was wearing a black vest of mine, along with her pink and white flannel trousers. "It's hot tonight." She shrugged.

I turned my phone on silent mode and set it aside on the bedside table.

"We did Genre Conversion today." She said. "We were required to try genres that were out of our comfort zones." She got onto the bed on her knees. "I got inspired from it, I suppose. Romance is overrated after all..." She held up my wallet. "So, I'm going to try crime. I have taken your wallet, detective. What are you going to do about it?" With a giggle, she jumped off the bed before I could grab her arm.

"I'm going to get it back." I got off the bed and slowly strode towards her.

She backed away. "Catch me if you can." 

"Where are you going to run?" I asked. 

She lifted up the waistband slightly and tucked the wallet in the waistband of her trousers, at her hip. 

My eyes widened in surprise at her boldness.

"What happened, Detective? Hamster got your tongue?" She giggled.

I composed myself. "You really don't know what you're getting yourself into, Yamna. If I get started..."

"Then what?" She looked challengingly at me. She turned and rushed into the walk-in wardrobe.

I followed, as slowly as before, and closed the door behind me, locking it. This time I looked at her challengingly. "Now run." 

She barely glanced towards the bathroom, and I knew her intentions. I was quicker. Walking forward, I blocked her path. "By the way, stealing my wallet isn't the only thing you're in trouble for. I found your cat burglar." 

She burst out laughing. "Admit it, it was a good pun." 

I reached down and placed my hand on her waist, sliding it down towards her waist, where I could feel my wallet underneath the vest. "Be warned. I'm getting back what's mine." 

She tilted her head back, biting her lower lip. "You have a right over everything and everyone that's yours." She reached up and pulled her pony off, letting her hair fall loose around her shoulders. Placing one hand on my chest, she started to gently push me backwards. "Question, detective?" 

"Go ahead."

"Has any criminal ever outsmarted you?" She asked.

I chuckled. "Never."

"My smart, intelligent detective." She stood on her tiptoes and leaned up to kiss me. 

I froze, my guards slipping. She placed a hand on my shoulder as she continued kissing me.

And then I felt it... the metallic coolness at my wrist. I pulled back and glanced down. She had backed me against my wardrobe and had taken my work handcuffs out of the built-in drawer and had cuffed me to the handle of the wardrobe. 

"While placing the cat burglar in there, I found out exactly what you have in your wardrobe, Detective." She smirked, kissing the corner of my mouth. "And this is how Detective Rohaan Rehan Tariq was outsmarted by a sweet, innocent hamster." 

I laughed. "You got me." I turned my back to her. "Well played." 

"At least you admit it." 

I turned back to face her, both hands free. "Except that you forgot that one of my hands was free, and that I know where the key was."

She blinked, taken aback. Finally, realisation dawned on her, and she turned to run.

But I wrapped an arm across her stomach and pulled her back. "You still have something of mine." With my other hand, I reached under the vest that she was wearing, grabbing the wallet. My knuckles brushed the bare skin of her waist. I glanced down at her, still holding her against myself. Her cheeks, as expected were pink, and her eyes were closed. And as I ran my knuckles up and down the skin of her waist, her lips parted and she gasped softly.

My hand slid up over her stomach, still underneath the vest. Feeling the softness of her skin against my relatively rough hands was an almost intoxicating feeling. I felt addicted, like I wanted more. I tossed the wallet towards the wardrobe, before placing both hands on her shoulders now. Sliding my hands down her slim upper arms, and then moving down her forearms, I eventually clasped the backs of her hands.

Leaning down, I nuzzled my nose against her neck. Yes, this is definitely intoxication. I breathed in her scent. I moved back slightly, dropping my arms to my side.

She turned to face me, blinking at me almost innocently.

Reaching down, I took her hand, lacing our fingers together. Wordlessly, I walked us towards the door, and unlocked it, before walking back out into our bedroom.

MATURE SCENES

I sat her down on the bed, and she glanced up at me. Placing my hand at the back of her neck, I stared directly into her eyes. Her cheeks turned pink again, and with a soft gasp, she buried her face against my stomach.

I tangled my hand through her hair, as she kept her head rested against my abdomen. A few seconds later, I sat down beside her, glancing down at her. She slid her hand into mine once again, but kept her gaze lowered. I leaned closer to her and pressed my lips against hers. Initially, it was soft and sweet, but I deepened it with each passing moment. 

I got up once again, and scooped her into my arms, placing her down onto the bed so that she was lying down. I leaned over her. "For the record, you don't need to do genre conversion or whatever. You are perfect, as you are." I took her glasses off, and set them on the bedside table. Then I pressed my mouth over hers once again.

She slid her hand up my shoulder and onto the back of my neck, pulling me closer against herself as we deepened the kiss once again. I pulled back slightly and stared down at her. Blushing seemed to be her second nature, it seemed. It was basically a part of who she was. I pressed my lips against her forehead.

"Rohaan..." She whispered out my name.

I kissed her cheek, then the other, before moving down to her chin. Then, I trailed kisses down her jawline towards her neck. She clutched at the vest that I was wearing with both her fists, at my back. She began to tug at my vest.

"You want me to take it off?" I asked, between kissing her neck.

She nodded.

I pulled back, sitting up. "Do it. Take charge." 

She smiled, pulling at my hemline and lifting it up until I eventually had to help her by taking it off. But the moment I did, her inherent shyness peeked through, and she covered her face with her hands.

I reached forward and gently pulled her hands away, and used her wrist to gently pull her towards myself. "Sharam ki koi gunjaish hi nahin aaj raat."

*"There's no room for shyness tonight."

We lay back down and I leaned over her to kiss her again, as her hands slid up my back.

As the intensity of the night grew, I realised that even our first time hadn't felt this passionate.

Tonight was definitely different, spectacular. 

Things were changing. We were changing. Our dynamics were changing.

And in the best possible way.

*

I glanced over my shoulder after Fajr prayer.

Yamna was making dua, and the moment she finished, she met my gaze. "What? Is my hair showing?" She felt her hijab with her hands.

"No." I stood up and folded the prayer mat.

She also stood up and also folded her prayer mat. "What time do you need to be at work tomorrow?" 

"I'm starting at eleven in the morning, and will probably work till eleven at night. I have to compensate for all the time I'd have off recently." I replied, pulling my white kameez off. Like Papa, I had a habit of wearing shalwar kameez for prayer, when possible. 

"Oh." She sounded almost disappointed. 

"Wow, I'm flattered. You gonna miss me that much?" I grinned at her.

She rolled her eyes. "No. I just get bored." She shrugged. "I might visit Dado. It's been a while."

"You know, she still jokingly tells Mama and Chachi to complain to her about their husbands. I hope you don't do the same."

"Good idea!" She giggled. "I'll complain to Dado, Tayan and Anabia Mama." 

I pulled her into my arms. "Is that right?" 

"Hmm." She nodded, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

"Go ahead." I smirked. "I won't stop you." 

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at me. "What are you planning?" 

"I never give away my plans, meri jaan." I chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You don't have the workshop today?" 

"I do, but I'll be done by four in the afternoon." She shrugged.

"I'll try to come early." I kissed her forehead. "Depending on how many criminals are hell-bent on p**sing me off." 

She just smiled, shaking her head at me.

*

Yamna

When I got to the workshop the next day, I saw people looking at me and whispering.

What? What's going on?

"Wow. There she is." A guy said. "The girl with the unfair advantage."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, confused.

"We all saw you getting chatty with the guy from the publishing house, and the next thing we know, your short story is published on that publishing house's e-zine?" A girl glared at me.

"Enlighten us, Yamna. How did you manage to get an advantage with Mr Arsalan Tariq?" A third student asked me.

Astaghfirullah!

Do people not ever use their brains anymore when making disgusting accusations?

They were implying that I... 

Ya Allah! 

I felt myself cowering under the hateful glares of the people around me.

One moment, the world talks about women empowerment, and the next it questions her character at every turn. Hypocritical, disgusting people!

But for now, I felt frozen, like a deer caught in the headlights. 

"Look at how guilty she looks!"

"It's true, isn't it?" 

"Yamna, are you having an affair with Arsalan Tariq to get an unfair advantage?!" Someone blatantly asked me.

*

What kind of a disgusting situation has Yamna found herself in?

Unfortunately, it's true. Women and their success are still often targeted in such a manner. 

On the other hand, things are starting to progress between Yamna and Rohaan!

Favourite part?

Thoughts and comments?

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