𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫-𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

39| Hurting Her

"Why did you both stay at a farmhouse?"
Dadi's curious eyes followed Zaniyah and Arzel as they returned from their overnight stay at the farmhouse.

"Dadi," Zaniyah began hesitantly, struggling to find the right words to explain their absence.

Arzel couldn't contain his amusement at her flustered state, his grin widening as he watched her squirm.

"Bolo," Dadi urged, her patience wearing thin.

Arzel jumped in before Zaniyah could respond, coming up with a quick excuse.

"Zaniyah forgot some of her belongings at the farmhouse, so we went back to retrieve them," he explained smoothly, hoping to divert Dadi's attention.

But Dadi wasn't easily swayed. "Where are these belongings now?" she pressed, sensing something amiss.

Zaniyah inwardly groaned, realizing that Arzel's improvised story was only digging them into a deeper hole.

"They're in the car," Arzel replied calmly, shooting a meaningful glance at Zaniyah. "Go freshen up," he added, motioning for her to leave the room.

Relieved to escape the interrogation, Zaniyah nodded gratefully and quickly made her exit, eager to put some distance between herself and Dadi's probing questions.
______________________

Zaniyah busied herself with cleaning her wardrobe, but her mind wandered back to the farmhouse, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks as she recalled the memories.

"I got this for you a while ago, but because of Kabir's wedding, I forgot to give it to you," Arzel's voice broke through her thoughts as he hugged her from behind. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the jhumka stand filled with earrings.

"Arzel, this is too much," Zaniyah started to say, but he cut her off with a soft whisper,

"This is nothing" assuring her it was just a small gesture.

As she turned to face him, Zaniyah placed her hands on his chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath her touch.

"Thank you," she whispered, unsure of what more to say.

Arzel, ever the charmer, smirked. "Not enough," he teased, causing Zaniyah to gulp, well aware of his playful nature as a businessman.

But he quickly reassured her with a kiss on her nose pin. "I'm just kidding. I don't make deals with my wife," he said, running his fingers through her hair.

"I hate you," Zaniyah whispered, pushing him away playfully, but he held her tightly. "Love you more," Arzel replied with a chuckle, earning a laugh from Zaniyah.

Suddenly, a touch from behind startled her, bringing her back to reality. It was Arzel,

"What are you thinking?" He asked
She shook her head while looking down folding the last clothes and putting it in the closet,

"I have a meeting" his words stopped Zaniyah moment

"What do you mean?" she demanded, her anger simmering beneath the surface. Why hadn't he mentioned this earlier?

Arzel was taken aback by her sudden change in mood. "Zaniyah, it's just a meeting," he tried to placate her, but she wasn't having it.

"Why can't you take a break when Kabir and Arhaan are both on holiday?" she snapped, her frustration evident.

Arzel struggled to comprehend her outburst. "Zaniyah, I'm the boss," he reasoned, but she wasn't listening.

"No, you know there's a family dinner tonight, and you still want to go," Zaniyah's words cut through his defenses.