Twisted hearts

✧˖° 𝐙𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕 °˖✧

It was the last day of my course, and I woke up early, feeling a mix of excitement and relief. The past few weeks had been packed with assigents, projects, and presentations. Today, though, I was finally ready to breathe. I performed my early morning namaz, letting the peaceful rhythm of prayer calm my mind. The words of gratitude and hope felt even more meaningful as I thought back on everything I'd experienced.

After praying, I stayed on the prayer mat for a while, quietly soaking in the calm. Then I got up and got ready-choosing a simple but elegant dress. I wasn't planning to go anywhere, but still... it felt right to mark the day.
Downstairs, the familiar comfort of home greeted me. The smell of breakfast and the sound of casual chatter drifted from the kitchen. When I stepped in, I spotted Aaliyan Bhai and Sofia Bhabhi already there. He was leaned casually against the counter, blatantly watching her as she stirred something in the pan.

"Why do I feel like you're here just to stare at Sofia Bhabhi and not help at all?" I said, arms folded.

Aaliyan Bhai gave a lazy smirk. "What else should I do when my wife looks this gorgeous in the morning?"

"Ignore him," Sofia Bhabhi said, without even turning around. "He's been standing there pretending to help for ten minutes."

"Helping with moral support," he added quickly, inching closer. "Speaking of which, breakfast date? Just the two of us?"

"Morning romance?" Sofia Bhabhi raised a brow.

"Romance doesn't follow a clock," he said with a wink.

Before anyone could respond, Ammi walked in, catching the tail end of the conversation. "Mashallah! Romance early morning? Should I call your mother-in-law and tell her how spoiled her daughter is?"

Sofia Bhabhi laughed while Aaliyan Bhai immediately defended himself. "Ammi, let a husband appreciate his wife in peace!"

I grinned, sipping water. "Ammi, admit it-you're just missing your dear husband, aren't you?"

Ammi narrowed her eyes at me, mock-scolding. "Zimal!"

"What? I'm just saying! You do miss him," I added dramatically, making everyone laugh.

But in that laughter, my eyes briefly caught the softness on Ammi's face. The kind that hides something underneath. Maybe it was the way she looked at the empty chair at the table. Maybe it was how quickly she changed the topic. She was smiling-but I knew her smile too well. It was her quiet way of holding things together.

Before I could say anything else, a half-asleep Rayan stumbled into the kitchen, hair a complete mess, face freshly splashed with water.

"Look who's finally woken up," I said with a teasing smile. "The sleepyhead lives."

"Zimal, you're still here? Not off to university, Miss I'm-So-Busy-With-My-Course?" he yawned, then ruffled my hair as he passed by.

"Rayan!" I shrieked, trying to fix the disaster he'd made of my neatly styled hair. "This took me twenty minutes!"