Jaan-e-maan

S&A - 7

Today was Aaleyah's last paper and she was very happy about it. Shahzain was the only person to thank for this if not for him, she knew she would have barely passed.

Sitting in the car going back home, after enjoying the last day of college with her friends her mind kept going back to all the nights she spent with her husband. Yes! She had accepted him as her husband wholeheartedly and would blush every time thinking about him.

Her heart had melted at all his small gestures that he did for her in these 2-3 weeks of her exam prep and exam. He would come home at 11 at night and after a quick dinner, he would help clear all her doubts no matter how tired he was. He would also personally drop her off for her exams every morning while wishing her the best for it.

She could not help but slap her head on thinking of all the midnight errands she had made him do. As the two of them would be awake till 2-3 in the morning, Aaleyah would always get hungry and in all this stress she needed her junk food, and he would always either order it for her or himself will go to buy it, just so she could study with a satisfied stomach and clear mind.

Aaleyah started to notice how haggard he had started to look with tired, sleep-deprived eyes and the dark circles surrounding them. Her heart ached after seeing him like that, that's why she decided to give him whatever he wanted today, and she was also comfortable with him now sharing their bed and she was going to tell him as well.

Reaching home she quickly went to her room after seeing no one in the hall and decided to rest a bit before starting on with dinner. Aaleyah had always loved cooking but due to her exams she was unable to cook anything so today she decided to make something.

After an hour of rest, it was already 6 in the evening, and knowing her chosen menu will take time Aaleyah went down to start with the preparations. She had decided to make mutton yakhni along with chicken karai with naan, accompanied by rasmalai in sweet.

Halfway through the preparations, her mother along with her Chachi and taayi Aami made their way to the kitchen.

"Are, tune to tayari bhi chalu kar di, bulaya to hota. Wese ban kya Raha hai?" Afsa begum, Aaleyah's mother said with a smile and eyebrows raised in curiosity.
(You started preparation as well, should have at least called us. Anyway what's cooking?)

"Kuch khas nahi aami bade dino se kuch banaya nahi n to socha Aaj kuch bana lu. Aap aram se baithe, mein sambhal lungi, aur Aaj ka menu hai, mutton yakhni, chicken karai, naan aur rasmalai." Aaleyah said turning her head to answer her mother as she tied the curled-up milk in a cloth to let it set.
(Nothing special, mom. I hadn't cooked anything in a long time so thought of making something today. You rest I'll make everything. And today's menu is mutton yakhni, chicken karai, naan aur rasmalai)

"Ye to... Shahzain ka pasandita khana hai n? Tu uske liye bana Rahi hai?" Asifa Baig could not help but ask her daughter-in-law after hearing her son's favorite dishes being prepared.
( These.. are Shahzain's favorite dishes, right? You are cooking for him?)

"Esa kuch nahi hai taayi ammi, mein to bas ese hi bana Rahi thi" Aaleyah tried to justify her actions but the red coating of her face did not go unnoticed by the eyes of the three ladies.
(Nothing like that aunty, I was just cooking them)

"Koi ni bhabhi, bachi bs Sharma rahi hai. Banao banao Aaleyah tumhara hi shohar hai wo" Amla Baig said while giggling after seeing her niece's bashful face. Laughing at that the three ladies made their way out of the kitchen still laughing.
(It's ok, sister-in-law, she is just shy. You can make it Aaleyah, he is your husband only)

Back in the kitchen, Aaleyah had ducked her face due to feeling shy due to the embarrassment of being caught by the three ladies. Yes, she was making the special dinner just for her husband for all the tired and sleepless nights he spent for her, she knew that he did not get any proper sleep while sleeping of the couch but he never tried to talk her into letting him sleep on the bed.