His Little Neighbour

the happy ever after

"I told you not to marry him." Malaika was in tears as Arsalaan held her in his arms, trying to calm her down. She was furious like every other parent, seeing such news about her son in law.

"Mama, please stop it."

"Where is he now? See, I told you not to get them married." Malaika muttered exasperatedly looking at her husband, who was lost in his thoughts.

"He never deserved her. My daughter deserved better. You shouldn't have let them married, Arsalaan. They were never meant to be." Malaika was suddenly very vulnerable as tears streamed down her cheeks. Arsalaan was quick to wipe them away.

"Murat loves me, mama. The news is not true. You know how the media works." Mashal replied annoyedly. It was just six in the morning and her parents came here immediately after receiving the news it seemed. It was Meher who told them apparently.

She couldn't see her mother in tears but boy was she over-emotional.

"But the photos of them both having coffee and him holding her at the bangle store is true. You can't deny that. Why would he do that?" Malaika snapped at her daughter, wiping away her tears furiously.

Mashal had no reply to that for she was angry over the very same thing. The news did bother her but not as much as those pictures. It was very much real. Both of them were taken just yesterday and Murat has nothing to say about it.

"Malaika calm down. Don't give too much stress to her. She already looks worn out." Arsalaan advised his wife who huffed with a shake of her head.

"There will be no second marriage happening. What does she even think of herself?" Malaika was more annoyed reading Eliza's interview, she'd said that Murat has promised to marry her soon.

Mashal could understand where her mother was coming from. She felt like throwing something at Eliza as well. But her anger was directed at a different person now. The one person who could make them all understand this was nothing but a pretty freaking scheme. It surely was. Every sane person could see through it. She hoped her mother would too

And to top of it all were her last day of periods. It got her all moody and annoyed during these times.

"Jaani? Where is he?" Arsalaan finally asked her something. But his voice was filled with anger and disappointment.

"I don't know papa, all that I know is that it's not true, nothing is true. Murat loves me. That's the only truth. The photos. I don't know about those damn photos. But nothing is true." Mashal felt her throat getting dry as she controlled her sobs. Every fibre in her body wanted to defend Murat today. She trusted him, trusted him blindly. He didn't give her any reason not to.

"The photos aren't real too. It was taken in such a convenient way to create this illusion of whatever they wanted."

All three of their heads turned towards that new voice. Murat looked tired as heck as he stood in front of them all. There was no fear evident in his eyes which made Mashal heave a sigh of relief. Because she could read him so well. And she knew he's speaking nothing but the truth.

But a pair of cushions were thrown at him nevertheless. Mashal couldn't control herself that day. And her husband wasn't all that surprised. Good for him. She huffed whilst walking towards him angrily and took everyone by surprise as she threw her arms across him and hugged him tightly.

He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back, even in shock and surprise. He expected many things to happen while driving back home but not this exact scenario.

"I was so scared, Murat. Where the heck were you? Imagine waking up to an empty home and not finding you anywhere." She broke the hug abruptly and glared at him. He ran his hands through his hair and looked at his in-laws first.