"I need all of you to work on this case. I need whatever information you could get me by monday" a man sitting on the head chair said as he twirled the pen between his fingers.

The people around him wrote down the notes and agreed with him.
"You may all leave" he said before finishing the meeting.

On his words everybody filtered the room as they moved to work on their next task.
And he gathered his things and shut the door of his office behind him. The office was enormous, with one wall covered with ceiling to floor window. In the middle was his table and rolling chair and in the far corner a couch, where he would sometimes sleep.

He looked out of the window and he lit up a smoke. As he inhaled, the first puff hit his lungs like the familiar sting. He had his fare share of secrets. The world viewed him as this perfect man. But only he knew what he hide behind that facade.

Files lay neatly stacked on his table, each marked with the insignia of Haider & Co.
A firm he had built brick by brick. A name people trusted, feared, and sometimes resented.

His phone buzzed on the table as he reached for it, it said.

DADI

He pressed the phone to his ears as he swiped the green button.
"Assalamwalekum" he said
"Walekumasalam.  Kb tk ghar aa rhe ho?" She asked
"Der ho jayegi. Kyu?" He questioned as he took another puff.
"Koi der ver ka bahana aaj nhi chalega, Abdar. Jalal ke sasural walo ne daawat pr bulaya hai"  she explained
"Toh aap log chle jaye" he said, clearly uninterested to join in social interaction.
"Jb pichle mah hum Ramsha ko dekhne gye the tbhi wo tumhara pooch rhe the. Tum aa rhe ho or koi behas nhi" and with that she hung up the phone.

He rubbed his forehead and let out a tired sigh.
"Great," he muttered to himself.

Abdar exhaled, stubbed out the cigarette, and reached for his coat. The office lights clicked off one by one as he stepped out, locking the door behind him. The corridor echoed with his footsteps.

By the time he reached the parking lot, his expression had settled back into its usual calm.
The drive to there was quiet with the hum of the engine and the city slipping past him in streaks of light.
He parked in the driveway of the familiar house and paused for a moment before stepping out.
The house was decorated with lights and flowers. Like a truly desi wedding house.

He finally stepped out of the car and made his way towards the main door. He rang the bell as he waited.

The door swung open, revealing Hannen in her simple red kurta with dupatta placed on her head.
It didn't take much time for him to recognize Hannen. Last he saw her,  when she was 10 or 12.
He expected her to look at him with recognition, but all he got was confusion.

"Abdar aa gya" Umer sahab interjected as he approached the door. He opened the door wider and patted Abdar's back as he lead him inside.

He couldn't help but look at Hannen one more time as he moved ahead. She looked stunned and a little lost, as if she hadn't expected him at all.

Abdar walked in, the familiar warmth of the house wrapping around him.

Voices hummed from the living room, women laughing softly.

"Tum der se aaye ho," Safiya Bano said as she noticed him. "Sab tumhara hi intezar kar rahe the."
"Kaam tha," he replied simply.

He took a seat where he was directed, back straight, hands resting calmly on his knees. He listened as the elders talked. He spoke only when spoken to.

From the corner of the room, Hannen watched him.
He didn't look uncomfortable. He didn't look excited either. It was as if he belonged everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

"Jao Hannen, Abdar ke liye garam chai lao. Bechara daftar se direct aaya hai" Umer sahab said as he began asking him about his work.

"Ji baba" she said as she stood up slowly. 

"Aur btao beta kaam kaisa chal rha" Umer sahab asked, "Kafi kaam badh gya hoga" he added.

"Or nhi toh kya apna firm chlana koi asan baat hai. Humara Abdar lakho mai ek hai" Yasmeen interrupted.

And everybody agreed. That's when Hannen entered the room with hot cup of tea in her hand, filled to the brim. She balanced the cup placed on the saucer. But trouble followed Hannen like a shadow.

 
Just as she reached closer to Abdar, the cup slipped from her hand.  

And then everything happened in slow motion.

 The cup tilted, her breath hitched as she waited for the burn..
When a firm hand gripped hers tightly.
She looked up at Abdar.
He winced in pain as the hot tea spilled over his hand and clothes.

"Ya'Allah!!" Sara bibi rushed forward, her hand flying to her mouth. "Kya kar diya, Hannen!"

"Main...I am sorry!" She apologised, her hand still in his tight grip. Her heart thumped loudly against her chest, as guilt settled in.
"Koi baat nhi" Abdar said as he loosened his grip and slowly let go of her hand.

"Saare kapre bhi geele hogye" Sara bibi complained.
"Beta Abdar ko washroom le kar jao" Umer sahab said calmly.

He discarded his jacket as he rolled up his shirt.

She moved ahead as he followed her.
"Ye rha washroom, aap haath pr pani lgaye mai barf le kar aati hu" she said her voice shaken, as she handed him towel.

She opened the fridge as she took out tray of ice.
Her hands trembled as she struggled to loosen the cubes, one slipping onto the counter with a soft clink.

Idiot, she scolded herself silently.

She gathered the ice into a bowl and filled it halfway with water.

It was just an accident.
Still, her chest felt heavy.
Taking the bowl in her hands, she turned back, her steps hesitant as she walked towards the washroom.

Abdar stood by the sink, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The skin on his hand had reddened further, water dripping steadily from his fingers. He looked up as she entered.
"Ice" she said softly, placing the bowl beside him.
He nodded. "Shukriya."

He dipped his hand in the bowl. His jaw tightened briefly, but he didn't make a sound. The silence between them stretched, awkward, heavy.

"I really am sorry," she said again, her voice barely above a whisper. "Mere saath humesha aisa he hota hai" she continued as she took out a first aid kit from the cupboard above.

For the first time, the corner of his lips lifted.

"It's alright, don't worry." He said

She took out the antiseptic cream for burns. And handed it out to him.
He dabbed his hands dry before he took it from her and squeezed some on his fingertips before applying.

She still wasn't convinced.

⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹

It was late at night and Safiyan was brushing her mother in law's hair. She knew after today's incident they both had same thing on their mind.

"Safiyan mai soch rhi thi..humare Abdar ke liye Hannen kaise rehgi?" Zehra bano fianlly said.

"Mujhe toh wo bhot pasand hai. Hum parivaar bhi jante hai or bhot suljhi hui bhi hai. Pr umr ka masla hai" Safiyan presented her worry.

"Mai bhi whi soch rhi hu. Hannen toh kuch mah phele hi 22 ki hui hai. Or humara Abdar 32 ka hogya hai. Shyd uske family na mane" Zehra bano said.
"Tbhi mai ek dafa Umer se baat krungi" she added.

Unaware of storm planning on hitting her life. Hannen was sitting on one of the chairs in the backyard. Shawl tightly wrapped around her.
"Maine suna tumne Abdar bhai ke upar chai gira di" Ramsha snickered as she sipped her coffee mocking Hannen.

"Glti se hogya tha, haso toh maat" Hannen defended herself.

"Tum or tumhari galtiyan" Ramsha said as she enjoyed her coffee, while texting, probably Jalal.

Hannen huffed as she turned towards her room. She flopped herself on her bed, staring at the ceiling. The moment his hands touched her flashed before her eyes. 

How he protected her hand and suffer the burn himself. It was messing with her head. No one had ever done something like that for her.

Abdar wasn't in less dilemma. He was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His gaze moving towards the gauze lightly wrapped around his hands.
He was still trying to figure out why his first reflex was to protect her hand from burning.
It was like old habits die hard.
And Abdar Haider was in trouble.