Realisation

The rhythmic sound of Zahid's fists meeting the punching bag echoed through the home gym, his sharp exhales matching each perfect movement.

He always started his Sundays with an early workout, a routine that kept his mind clear, his focus sharp. The weight of responsibility never left his shoulders, but this small part of the morning belonged only to him.

He had always been a man of logic, of control. For him, feelings were nothing but distractions, useless, fleeting things that made men weak. He had spent his entire life ensuring nothing, and no one, had power over him.

But Maira was beginning to cloud his mind in ways he didn't like. He hated how she was getting under his skin so effortlessly.

It had started subtly. The way her presence lingered in his thoughts even when she wasn't around. The way his body reacted instinctively to hers. The way he found himself paying attention, to whether she had eaten, whether she was tired, whether she was comfortable. He told himself it was only because she was his wife. That was all.

It was inevitable. They were married, living under the same roof, sharing the same space. It made sense that he would feel… something. But he refused to lebel it as love.

Love was nothing but an illusion, a leash that made people fools, turning them into slaves to emotions they couldn't control. And Zahid refused to be controlled by anything or anyone.

He had never dated. Never entertained the idea of romance. Neither had no-string-attached kind of flings. He wasn't religious but he respected the norms.

He didn't run behind women, didn't waste time on emotions that served no purpose. He had seen what love did to men, how it made them desperate, how it broke them when it was taken away. He wasn't interested in such foolishness.

But then there was Maira.

He hated the way her name settled too easily in his mind. Hated how his gaze sought her out, how his actions strayed from his usual indifference. It was an irritation, an anomaly in his otherwise disciplined life.

So he refused to name it. Whatever this was, this pull, this inexplicable awareness, it was nothing more than attraction. She was his wife. It was natural. Nothing more, nothing less.

And that was where it would stay.

Once he was done, he grabbed a towel, wiping the sweat from his brow as he made his way downstairs. The house was silent other than the movements of the household staff beginning their morning tasks. He frowned slightly when he didn't see Maira in the kitchen, then exhaled in realization, of course, she was still sleeping.

"Should I wake ma'am, last time she was furious when we didn't wake her up", one of the young maid asked the housekeeper, Mrs. Singh. The elder lady sighed.
"I will go", she was about to walk out but stopped seeing Zahid standing in the threshold of the dining hall.

"Prepare thee breakfast, she won't be joining you for the cooking", he stated flatly, glancing at the maids.

The staff exchanged hesitant looks before Mrs. Singh asked,
"Is… madam alright, sir?", she asked cautiously, concern evident in her voice.

Zahid's brows knitted together as a rare wave of awkwardness settled over him. Explaining why she was resting wasn't a question he was ready to answer.
"She is fine. Just resting. Don't wake her up", he said gruffly.

The maids nodded, but their exchanged glances didn't go unnoticed by him. He ignored them, making his way to the fridge, only for another interruption to arrive.

The caretaker assigned to his grandmother approached Mrs. Singh.
"Aunty, elder madam Ahmed is asking for breakfast and Ma'am always checks on her in the morning-",