After his bath, he urged her to eat something, but she shyly refused, murmuring that she just wanted to sleep.
Respecting her wish, he left the room. As soon as he stepped out, she lay down and quickly drifted off to sleep. Returning quietly, he sat beside her on the bed, admiring her peaceful face.
Her hair, still slightly damp, scattered onto her face in loose strands. Smiling, he leaned closer, carefully brushing the strands away, and laid beside her, wrapping his arms around her. Even in her sleep, she instinctively nestled closer, embracing him back—a habit they had unknowingly fallen into.
Feeling her warmth pressed against him, the coolness of her hair grazing his skin, he too surrendered to sleep.
His eyes fluttered open at the faint sound of the prayer call. His gaze drifted to her back, and with a gentle smile, he buried his face into her hair, inhaling her scent. Drawing closer, he kissed her shoulder softly, then let his lips brush her ear. In her sleep, she shifted, tilting her head as if trying to push him away, murmuring lightly, “sone dein na".
(Let me Please please)
"Uth jao, Jaan," he whispered in a husky voice. She mumbled something incoherent and tried to push him away.
(Wake up, my love)
But he was relentless. Taking her hand, he swiftly shifted her onto her back and hovered over her, his lower body pressed fully against hers, his weight grounding her. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and in an instant, her drowsiness vanished, replaced by wide-eyed surprise.
She tried to wriggle free, but he pinned her hands to the bed, firmly holding her wrists. Glancing left and right, her gaze fell on their intertwined hands, and a surge of panic shot through her. "Aap ye kya kar rahe hai?" she asked, her voice trembling.
(What are you doing?)
“Tumhe jaga raha tha,” he replied with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Ab tum jaag gayi ho, chalo uth jao aur wazu karo” He leaned down, letting his lips trail softly along her neck, his breath warm against her skin. “Agli baar ek baar mein nahi uthi, toh bohot saare tareeke hain mere paas tumhe jagane ke liye,” he teased, nuzzling her neck and leaving tender kisses that made her pulse race.
(Waking you up —Now that you’re awake, get up and perform ablution—Next time, if you don’t wake up right away, I have many ways to wake you.)
She stared up at the ceiling with wide eyes and murmured, "Namaz ka waqt ho raha hai, mujhe phir se nahi nahana hai subah subah itni thandi mein."
(It’s time for prayer, but I don’t want to bathe again in this cold morning)
He lifted his face from her neck, gazing into her eyes with a gentle chuckle before lying back beside her.
“Aadat bana lo subah subah thandi mein bhi nahane ki, kyunki bohot jald tumhe roz subah hi nahana hai Fajr se pehle," he said, turning his head toward her, his hand finding its way to her waist.
(Get used to bathing in the early morning cold because soon enough, you’ll have to do it every morning before Fajr)
She immediately sat up, looking at him as if he were insane. "Aap mujhe maarna chahte hain lagta hai! Bas barfbaari hona baaki hai yaha, aapko nahi dikh raha kitni thandi hai?", she exclaimed, standing up in defiance.
(You must be trying to kill me! The only thing left is snowfall here; can’t you see how cold it is?)
He sat up, watching her with a serious expression. "Humbistar hone par Fajr se pehle shohar aur biwi ko naha lena chahiye,Tumhe ye nahi bataya hai kisi ne?"
(When a husband and wife share intimacy, they should bathe before Fajr,No one has told you?)
She looked at him in utter bewilderment. "Matlab? Mujhe tho ye sab nahi bataya hai...Mujhe toh laga ki kal sab ho gaya", she said, confusion coloring her features.
(What do you mean? No one has told me anything,I thought everything happened yesterday)
"Tumne toh kaha tha ke tumne sab padh liya hai aur tumhe pata hai, reproductive system kya hai," he reminded her, one eyebrow arched in suspicion.
(You said you had read everything and knew what the reproductive system was.)
She bit her lip, hesitating as she replied, "Woh... mujhe laga uske alawa koi doosra rasta hoga. Mujhe laga dard hoga zyada woh karne se, toh isliye aapne kuch doosra rasta nikala hai."
(I thought... maybe there would be another way. I thought it would hurt too much, so I assumed you’d find an alternative.)
Her innocence and hesitation hung heavily in the room, leaving him torn between amusement and a deeper, unspoken understanding of her fears.
He gave her a look as if she had just grown two horns, and she blinked in surprise,and then he thought it's not going to work like this and spoke softly, "Woh toh sirf pehla din tha. Main tumhe har raat mujhe seduce karne ke tareeke bataunga,Aur haa...Wo jo hai na reproductive system wala jo tumne padha hai uske alawa koi dusra raasta nahi hai..."he teased, “abhi toh yeh kuch bhi nahi tha...sabse zaruri wahi hai"
(That was just the first night. Every night, I’ll teach you new ways to seduce me,That reproductive system thing you studied...there's no other way besides that.—that was nothing compared to what’s ahead... that's most important part.)
With that, he turned and walked toward the washroom, leaving her rooted in horror. She had thought that what happened last night was an alternative, something less intense, and had convinced herself that her husband might be shy, explaining why he hadn’t undressed themselves completely.
As he returned, she was still standing in shock. He approached her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Jaao, jaldi wazu banao," he said, his voice gentle yet firm, guiding her to start her day.
(Go, quickly perform ablution)
She shot him a glared thinking –"he deceived me. If he had told me this last night, I wouldn't have had any false hopes for no reason." before heading into the bathroom. After finishing their prayers, they stepped out of the room together, as Raza prepared to go and check the farms.
As they entered the living room, they noticed his mother sitting on the couch, her tasbih in hand. When her gaze shifted to them, her eyes narrowed at Halima. Raza and Halima both greeted her, but she immediately directed a sharp remark at them.
"Aaj kuch meetha bana lo, Halima. Chulha chhoo lo aaj. Aaj tak poore gaav mein koi aisi patoh nahi hoti jo do mahine baad chulha chue", she declared, her eyes fixed pointedly on Raza, who merely looked at her with a hint of boredom.
(Make something sweet today, Halima. Touch the stove today. In our village, there isn’t a daughter-in-law who waits two months to touch the stove.)
"Jii… Badi Ammi," Halima replied hesitantly, and both she and Raza exchanged a silent glance before heading out.
(Yes… Aunty )
As they reached the gate, he looked back at her, and she blinked nervously. "Rafia ko keh dena, woh madad kar degi", he said, placing both hands gently on her cheeks.
(Tell Rafia, she’ll help you.)
She nodded, then hesitantly added, "Par mujhe aaj bada mann tha khet ke chakkar lagane ka."
(But I really wanted to visit the farms today)
He smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead,he knew once she comes here she won't be able to go with him freely like she used to,his eyes soft with affection. "Meri pyaari bacchi ho na. Kal chalenge, aaj rasam poori kar lo, nahi toh khamakha bakheda karengi Amma."
(You’re my sweet girl. We’ll go tomorrow. Just fulfill the ritual today, or Mother will create unnecessary trouble)
She nodded and stepped back, saying, "Theek hai. Fi Amanillah", Turning away, she walked toward the Haveli, and he watched her go with a knowing smile, sensing that once again, she was upset with him.
(Alright. May you be in God's protection)
Once in the kitchen, she found it empty. Stepping out, she approached the servants and asked one of them, "Aap log ko pata hai Rafia Appi kahan hain?"
(Do you know where Sister Rafia is?)
The head maid glanced at Halima with a worried expression and said, "Woh chhoti begum, Badi Begum ki tabiyat kharaab hai. Malkin Sahib ne kaha hai ki unko pareshan na kiya jaaye. Aur aaj khaana aap akele banayengi"
(The young mistress, Elder Mistress is unwell. Madam has instructed not to disturb her. Also, you’ll be making the food alone today.)
Halima stood frozen in shock. Without a word, she turned and walked toward Rafia’s room. The door was open, and as she entered, she saw Rafia lying down with Badi Amma gently massaging her head.
"Meri bacchi… Raat bhar jab teri tabiyat kharaab thi toh bataya kyun nahi? Aane de Ahmed ko, lagati hun chaar chappal tabhi sudhrega woh. Raat bhar nahi ayaa", Badi Amma said with concern, her tone heavy with care.
(My child… Why didn’t you tell me when you were unwell last night? I’ll call Ahmed, he’ll get a few slaps and he’ll finally learn. He didn’t come all night)
Rafia, her eyes closed, softly responded, "Nahi Amma, unko kaam tha, is liye woh raat ko hi, jab jana tha, tab bata kar chale gaye Lucknow"
(No, Mother. He had work, so when he needed to leave, he informed me and went to Lucknow)
"Aise kaise jaa sakta hai? Teri tabiyat kharaab thi toh mere paas aati, jhalli kahi ki"," Badi Amma scolded her, her glare sharp.
(How could he leave like that? You should have come to me when you were unwell, foolish girl)
Rafia smiled faintly, her voice apologetic, "Ab se nahi karungi, Amma."
(I won’t do it again, Mother.)
Halima stood there, lost in confusion, wondering why Rafia was calling her mother-in-law "Amma" instead of "Badi Amma" like she used to call her.
When Badi Amma’s gaze fell on Halima, her eyes narrowed for a moment before she nodded, signaling her to enter. Halima stepped closer, her presence quiet but steady.
"Rafi… Kaisi ho?",she asked softly. Rafia opened her eyes and smiled weakly.
(Rafia… How are you?)
"Thik hoon ab,shaam se chakkar aa rahe hain, bukhaar aur kamzori hai", Rafia replied, gesturing for Halima to come closer.
(I’m fine. But since this evening, I’ve been feeling dizzy, feverish, and weak.)
"Halima beta, tum jao kheer bana lo aur sabke liye nashta tayyar karwa do. Main yahan Rafia ke saath hoon tabtak", Badi Amma said lovingly, her eyes softening as she looked at them. But when her gaze returned to Halima, it hardened again.
(Halima, dear, go make some kheer and get breakfast ready for everyone. I’ll stay here with Rafia in the meantime.)
Halima nodded quietly and walked to the kitchen, understanding that Rafia needed rest.
In the kitchen, she approached Atika Baji and asked, "Atika Baji… Aap mujhe bata dein, main kheer bana loon aur nashta bhi banwa doon?"
(Atika Baji… Please tell me, should I make the kheer and arrange the breakfast?)
The servants were busy with their tasks when Atika instructed Halima to prepare the kheer. Within an hour, everything was ready, and the table was set.
Fifteen minutes later, Raza entered the dining area, his eyes immediately finding Halima, who was nervously eyeing the kheer.
"Aap sab jaa sakte hain," he ordered the servants, and they left, leaving Rafia and his parents to enter the room.
(You all can leave.)
"Bann gayi kheer?" his mother asked. Halima nodded weakly, offering a faint smile. Raza’s eyes flickered between Rafia and Halima, a look of surprise crossing his face.
(Is the kheer ready?)
As they both sat down, Raza asked, "Tumne akele banaya hai?"
(Did you make it all by yourself?)
Halima simply nodded, and Raza shot a glare at his mother, who was smiling and serving tea to Rafia.
"Rafia, tabiyat kaisi hai?" he asked, concern in his eyes.
"Abhi toh acchi nahi hai, abhi nashta khane ke baad dawakhana jaa rahi hoon, Amma aur Abba ke saath," Rafia replied, and Raza nodded in understanding.
(I’m not feeling well yet. After breakfast, I’m going to the doctor with mother and father.)
"Ahmed kahaan hai?" he asked, his gaze shifting between Rafia and Halima.
(Where is Ahmed?)
"Wo kal raat hi Lucknow gaye, urgent tha", Rafia answered. He nodded again, his expression unreadable.
(He left for Lucknow last night, it was urgent)
"Amma, aap kab nikal rahi hain?" he asked, turning to his mother. She looked at him, a soft smile on her lips.
(When are you leaving?)
"Main kaise abhi bacchi ko chhod kar jaaun?" she replied, her tone affectionate, before pausing and adding, "Halima aur tum jaao, do din ki hi baat hai".
(How could I leave the child now? Halima, you both should go, it’s just for two days)
He was about to protest, but then his eyes locked with Halima’s. Her eyes sparkled with excitement and joy.
"Chalna hai?" he whispered, his voice soft, and she nodded, a smile lighting up her face.
(You want to go?)
"Thik hai, Amma toh hum nau baje tak nikal jaayenge Ayodhya ke liye", he agreed, and she smiled in response.
(Alright, Amma, we’ll leave for Ayodhya by nine o'clock)
Just then, her eyes fell on his mother, who was now dipping a spoon into the kheer. She took a mouthful, and the moment the kheer touched her tongue, her face scrunched up in distaste.
Halima’s hand moved instinctively under the table, reaching for Raza’s, and he looked at her in confusion as he finished eating kheer in his Bowl. Following her gaze, he saw his mother’s displeased expression.
"Kya hua Amma?" he asked, his tone a mix of concern and frustration. His mother glared at him.
(What happened mother?)
"Aur baithao issko mayke mein. Ladki ne shakkar bhar rakhi hai kheer mein aur chaawal bhi nahi gale hain", she taunted, her voice dripping with disdain now.
(Send her back to her parents’ house. The girl has put too much sugar in the kheer, and the rice isn’t even cooked properly.)
Raza exhaled sharply, frustration evident on his face,Rafia looked at them in shock.
"Pehli baat toh yeh ki maine aapko nahi kaha tha ki 17 ki umar mein usko yahan laa kar baitha de. Aur shukar manaye isne ki aaj haveli nahi jali hai. Mai aapse baat karne hi wala tha, isko chulha jalana nahi aata hai sahi se. Chulha jala kar do, tab yeh chai banati hai. Shukar manaye ki kheer ke saath bahu sahi salamat mil gayi."
(First of all, I never told you to bring her here at the age of 17. She should be thankful the house didn’t burn down today. I was about to speak to you, but she doesn’t even know how to light a stove properly. If you light it for her, then she’ll cook something edible. She should be grateful that the daughter-in-law is safe with the kheer)
His mother shot him a furious glare, her patience thinning.
Halima looked at him in shock,how does he knows that she never lights the stove,but here he was wrong–she knew how to light the stove but she feared what if she Burns herself with it.
"Beta, tum kuch zyada hi nahi bolne lage ho?" his father intervened, trying to calm the situation.
(Son, aren’t you speaking too much?)
"Maine kaha tha, main apne mamle mein chup rah sakta hoon, par iske mamle mein nahi," Raza retorted, standing up abruptly.
(I said I’d stay silent about my matters, but I won’t stay silent in hers)
Halima, her heart racing, looked down at his empty bowl of kheer. She stood up slowly, following him with a mix of fear and confusion.
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