Chapter 41: Chapter 41

Natasha smiled at her mother, who was gushing about how beautiful and lovely she and Farhan looked as they walked in together. Her aunt, Amina with whom she has stayed the past three years with was emotional, who hugged her as soon as she stepped into the room

"Amina Chachi, I'm fine." Natasha smiled at the old woman, she has been taking such good care of her for three years and suddenly leaving her all alone has made her sad. She missed her already. But it is what life is. Unexpected things happen.

"I missed you." Amina kissed her forehead, lovingly.

"Your abbu wants to meet you and Farhan together, he was worried whether you were happy with this marriage or not." Fathima Rehman smiled sadly at her daughter, she knew it was because of her forcing that Natasha has agreed to marry. But what else could she do? The people were already talking very bad about her daughter because she has eloped during her first marriage and a rishtha like Farhan was hard to get type, so she was adamant about getting Natasha married. All she wanted was her daughter to be settled in life and be happy.

Natasha had no answer to that. Was she happy? She had no idea. Farhan acted like a douche but he did apologize later on, but she couldn't even describe how much it has hurt her to see those pictures in his room, which he still wanted to keep despite being married to her. And how did she sleep after seeing such a sight was beyond her, it was maybe the tiredness.

She wanted to hate him so much but her stupid heart could never do that.

Hating him was never possible to her. Even after everything.

And then he pulls acts like buying her this gorgeous dress and looks at her the way she always wanted him to look, even if it was only for a mere few seconds. It did affect her, she couldn't even lie.

Why was Farhan Sheikh hell-bent on playing with her poor heart?

Her phone rang; flashing the image of Farhan, she picked it up in confusion. He was in the living room with her relatives. They were literally a floor away, "hello?"

"Your mother in law wants to meet you, come downstairs," he whispered in a low voice, she stared at the phone in disbelief as he hung up the call.

Her mother in law. That sounded oddly good.

"What happened?" Amina and Fathima asked a worried-looking Natasha. She looked nervous the moment Farhan mentioned his mother.

"Ameera auntie is here." Farhan's mother has intimidated her very much, she's a lovely woman but mothers-in-law are mothers-in-law. After seeing all the happenings in her families, Natasha couldn't help but be scared of how her mother-in-law is going to be. She didn't know her personally yet. But still, she was already scaring her.

Wrapping the shawl on her head, a very nervous Natasha walked downstairs; with a small smile playing on her lips. Ameera sat on the sofa along with her son in the living room and gushed about how cute and beautiful her daughter-in-law looked.

She bent her head down and Ameera placed her hand; blessing her happily. Her eyes fell on Natasha's neck and a small frown appears on her face.

"Where is your Mahr necklace, beta?" Natasha's eyes widened at that. It was a long gold pendant, with a little heart dollar, given to her by Farhan as her Mahr. It was so eye-catchy and beautiful. She hadn't removed it upon her mother's advice, but where the hell was it now?

Eyeing at Farhan nervously, she mumbled, "it must be in my room. I just changed my dress."

Farhan understood something was not right the moment her eyes changed from green to a bit of a darker one. He has noticed this much about her and realization hits upon him. It must be the mahr necklace. And he too was nervous, his mother was very particular about these things and judging by Natasha's looks it must have been misplaced somewhere and he really wasn't in for such type of drama now.

"Go and wear it now, beta. Everyone will be asking about the mahr first to any new bride and why did you remove it in the first place? We don't want people to gossip now, do we?" Ameera asked with worry and it made Natasha more nervous if anything.

"I'll be back now." Natasha ran upstairs followed by her mother and Farhan was scared of what will happen next. Excusing himself, he quickly left the hall and his mother sat there a little angrily.

***

Natasha was searching for her mahr necklace like a madwoman. She clearly remembered seeing it on her neck just in the morning and had no idea where did it go now, she wouldn't lie but she's very scared now.

"Where did you keep it?" Fathima asked her daughter nervously, she gave her mother an I-don't-know face and saw her sigh.

"I don't know what to do with you." Shaking her head in disbelief, Fathima walked out of her room to search it outside. She didn't remember seeing it on her neck when they came in.

Natasha felt like crying already. Mahr was a very important part of her marriage and how could she even lose that?

Just so, Farhan entered her room with a wide grin on his face. She stared at him in confusion, as he slipped his hands into his pocket and took out her pendant. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she ran and snatched it from him, to check if it was really hers. When she was sure that it hers, she threw her arms around him in glee whilst mumbling, "thank you soo much!"

Natasha was so happy that she didn't realize what she was doing, but when she realized it was too late already. She froze in her place as he slowly hugged her back, he looked sceptical but hugged her back anyway not having the slightest clue of what every action of his was doing to her stupid heart. They've hugged before, but group hugs don't count(the ones shared with Haya), and now it was their first freaking hug after being married and she couldn't describe it any further. He smelt so good but.

They remained in that position for a moment, before she quickly pulled back, biting her lips in embarrassment, she looked up at him, "I'm sorry, got a little excited." by saying so, she walked to her dressing table.

Farhan glared at her through the mirror, confusing her for a second, "for what exactly are you sorry?" he asked.

Natasha felt like such a fool for hugging him like that, she was glad that he didn't push her away. But hugging him felt good and she'd trade anything to get that moment back if only that was possible.

"For hugging you?" she replied whilst moving her loose hair to the left, exposing her right neck to his naked eyes. He gulped at that.

Why was he noticing every little detail of her? She had a beautiful collar bone by the way which his eyes couldn't help but gaze.

"You don't have to be sorry for hugging me, you know?" noticing her struggle with the pendant, he moved towards her to help. She froze when he stood behind her, and shivered when his bare hands took the hook of the pendant in his hands whilst mumbling, "let me."

She could not even blink.

It was such torture, having him stand just behind her, as he breathed on her neck whilst helping her wear the freaking pendant.

"Done." he moved away as quick as he could and she sighed inwardly.

"Where did you find it?" she asked nervously whilst biting her lips, how could she be so careless?

"It was in the car," he replied.

"Thank you so much, for searching for it and also for helping me with wearing it." she smiled at the pendant whilst admiring it through the mirror. It looked so beautiful on her neck.

And Farhan couldn't help but notice how beautiful she is for the nth time that day. What is wrong with him? Why was he eyeing her like that? He never did that before. Only then the realization hits upon him; he's attracted to his best friend, who also happens to be his wife. A wife which he never wanted.

How?

Can his life get any more complicated?

***

Mahr- In Islam, mahr is the obligation, in the form of money or possessions paid by the groom, to the bride at the time of Islamic marriage. While the mahr is often money, it can also be anything agreed upon by the bride such as jewellery, home goods, furniture, a dwelling or some land.

The mahr in any Islamic marriage contract is a fundamental religious right of the wife