Around eight in the evening, I’m driving a very excited Granny to dinner at Mansha’s aunts house.
I usually prefer not to get involved in Granny’s matcmaking business, but-
“But she’s different!” Granny repeats. “I can feel it. You’ll like her very much.”
“I will?” I say conversationally.
It’s one of Granny’s favourite hobbies, finding me the perfect bride. And even though she gets upset each time I reject a perfectly eligible women, she keeps searching for a better one.
It keeps her jolly and active, despite her old age, and so I let her carry on with it.
“Yes! She caught my eye the moment I met her, and I’ve asked around about her since. Shes a very bright girl you know. Kind and cheerful.”
“Ahhh.”
She shoots me a look, then pats my arm. “An active member of society too. After you get married she’ll take you everywhere with her, and you won’t be able to say no like you say to me, since you’ll be so in love.”
“Oh we’ll see about that.” I say dismissively.
She grins. “You’ll see. Tonight is especial, I can feel it. Your life will change tonight.”
“What magical words.” I tease.
She chuckles. “You’ll see for yourself. You focus so much on work and don’t pay attention to anything else. You deserve to have someone waiting to love you when you come home.”
“You love me enough Granny.”
“You know what I mean. You really need a partner Khizer. I dont like seeing you so alone, and so busy. I don’t want you falling asleep in your study, or coming home late, or not remembering whether you ate or not.”
“You’re making it sound like I’m a workaholic.”
Truth be told, I was, or had become one since Ahmed came back. But I wasn’t about to tell Granny that.
At least someone should live peacefully.
“I don’t care what you say anymore. I want you to have a wife, and soon.”
I nod. “As you wish.”
×———×
Mansha’s POV:
I get out of the car, already half asleep.
Today had been exhausting.
I went to court for a hearing after my meeting with Khizer, if you could even call it that, and after having meetings with potential clients, I took on two more cases, since I’m a stupid loser who acts then thinks.
Which means I now have four new cases on my hands.
Why would I do something so stupid?
Because my mother told me not to.
Yes. A stupid lawyer indeed.
I’ll be dead by next month at this rate.
Then mother can marry me off to goddamn anyone she wants and I’d happily share my grave with him.
I snort at the thought, tumbling along the front steps of the building and bumping into something hard.
Something burns my cheek, and I jerk back, hissing.
“What the fu-” I open my mouth to curse, but my tongue swallows it back in once I register who I bumped into.
Standing in front of me is my very irritated uncle, glaring at the fallen cigarette, then at me.
So that’s what burned my cheek.
“Can’t you look where you’re going?”
I touch my burning cheek. “How was I supposed to know you’d be standing right in front of the building door and pointing a cigarette into the air? People usually do stuff like this while standing in a corner.” I retort.
He growls at me as I rub my cheek pointedly. “Why are you out so late anyway?” He snaps.
I look him up and down, his body framed by the doorway behind him. “I could ask you the same thing.”
I regret it the moment I say it.
I’m usually not this hostile with him, he’s a good man. As good as a man can be anyway.
But I’m sleepy as hell, and when I’m sleepy, I’m practically a drunk.
So before he can say something that will make me act even more stupid, I move past him and enter the building.
At least I’m about to, because then he says something and I react like a dumbass.
“Woman these days have forgotten their place.”
These words make me march right back to where I came from, eyes glaring.
Uncle glares right back, his eyes demeaning as he clenches his jaw, nods at someone besides him and leaves.
I stand there, watching him leave, knowing full well my entire family was going to hear about this, and regret was already setting in at the thought, when something else registered.
Uncle nodded at someone.
My head snaps to the side he was nodding at.
A man is standing there, face hidden by shadow and darkness. But I’d recognize his broad outline anywhere.
And somehow, I can feel him smirking, his amused gaze on me.
I’m too tired to show surprise, and so I say something stupid instead.
“If you’re spying on me, you’re doing a horrible job.”