Husband For Hire

35. Arsalan Virk

35. Arsalan Virk
People who hold grudge turn into crows in their next birth.

* * *

The following morning I woke up before Ashar. For the first ten minutes, I was tempted to kick the blanket off me. The blanket that had refused to warm up without Ashar turned into a sauna by morning. My feet were sweating. I didn't care. Ashar never released my hands during the night.

I wanted to enjoy a few more waking moments until someone became the evil villain of my life, banging on the door.

Ashar jerked awake releasing my hands immediately. I pretended to blink and yawn as if I had woken up at the same time.

As someone attempted to break down the door, I shuffled to the door with groan. Jhanvi stood with her hands on her hips. Her makeup was spot on and she was dressed in the same dress she had wore at the airport. This time, she wore a cream colored leather blazer on top. She must've been awake for a long time.

"What's up?" I yawned.

She stepped past me into the room with a death glare shot at Ashar.

"Good morning," Ashar said to her looking between me and my cousin in confusion. His bed hair and sleepy eyes sent my nerves in spirals.

"Why didn't you tell us?" she shot back viciously. Her glassy eyes were fighting back tears.

"Tell you what?" Ashar asked looking at me for help. I had absolutely no idea what was going on.

"Arsalan Virk," she said. "Why didn't you tell us?!"

"Jhanvi, what happened?" I asked, seeing Ashar freeze at his brother's name.

"I'll show you," she said to me, but she was staring down at Ashar. "Your brother is waiting downstairs. Come, Annie. You should meet your brother-in-law."

Her jaw clenched as she took my hand and dragged me downstairs with her. Ashar followed behind us in a panic.

We entered the living room where once again, Ashar's baba was gleefully arm in arm with his elder son. When I realized the familiar handsome face staring back at me with a wide smile, I turned to Jhanvi. Ashar stood by my side with his jaw set similar to Jhanvi's.

"Sunny is Arsalan?" I asked dumbfounded.

"Ashar," Sunny said beaming.

He stepped forward and gave his younger brother a hug who didn't return it.

"Hello hello," Sunny said to me. "Why didn't you tell me that you and Jhanvi were coming to meet your in-laws with Ashar? I had to find out from my Aara."

The audacity of this man! I should've never answered his call at the airport that day. He must've dug around.

"Why didn't you tell us Jhanvi is our elder daughter-in-law?" Ashar's baba asked us three. "I understand you're upset with us. Does that mean you won't tell your wives about us and vice versa?"

My marriage was paper-based, so it made sense I didn't know about Ashar's baba and stepmom. Jhanvi had been married to Sunny for four years. For her to only find out right now was too much to handle. No wonder she was livid when she knocked on my door.

I couldn't believe two things. First, Sunny and Arsalan were the same people. All along, Sunny and Ashar had led us to believe they were "old friends." Second, Sunny told his baba Jhanvi was his wife even though they were in process for getting divorced.

"Let them get ready for breakfast," said Ashar's stepmom to her husband. "We'll chat leisurely then. Jhanvi dear, why don't you show Arsalan to your room?"