REMARKABLE

57

It's a very lousy chap.

Sorry.

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"Should I bring something for you?" Armineh asked her husband when he returned from the mosque. Men ate more after offering their prayers than before and broke their fast with little food. Adam had always done it that way because the time window between Isha and Maghrib had been short and then, he was used to it. Yahya Firas was all too happy to follow in his father's footsteps.

Yahya Firas absolutely loved it when his wife waited for his return after his Maghrib prayers because he had rushed to the mosque soon after breaking his fast and Yahya Firas would go searching for her, first thing when he'd return like his father and Amaan who would look for Sabeeha and Alizeh for Anaam. He hadn't always been able to offer Maghrib at the mosque near their house because of work commitments but in Ramadan, he had cashed the opportunity in full. He had walked home every day with a smile on his lips after Asr, Maghrib, Isha that was a lot of Sadqa e Jaria, Yahya Firas chuckled.

"Come to the garden, I will wait for you, "Yahya Firas said without paying attention to the women, sitting around Armineh and his brothers and father behind himself as he hung his topi on the stand.

Armineh shook her head, heat rising in her cheeks.

"Go on, "Sabeeha patted her hand, urging her to do as Yahya Firas had said. Armineh scowled, rising from her seat as Alizeh wiggled her eyebrows at her exchanging a meaningful glance with their sister in law. Amal smiled turning her attention back to Sabeeha as she conversed with her.

It was a bit awkward when she halted, she hadn't seen Ardashir coming her way, busy with her own thoughts. He smiled at her just as his wife had. It was peculiar sometimes when she thought of his wife, she had been in her place even though there had been no hint of animosity or envy from any side, it still didn't make her thought any less appropriate especially when she had been getting to know Ardashir and his wife, Amal in a new light, as friends. Nobody, had told Yahya Firas anything and Armineh suspected Amal didn't know, either, she was only happy to keep it a not so secret- secret. Maybe, if she hadn't made any progress with Yahya Firas, she would have been jealous and tried to tell Amal but she was pleased where she had landed in her life so she gladly dismissed the degrading line of her thoughts. She seldom if ever thought of Ahsan, too. Yahya Firas didn't allow her anything but himself to own her thoughts and Armineh was only happy to allow him.

Ardashir and Amal had been coming to the house since the past few weeks to familiarise themselves with the house. Ardashir's happiness had been tangible every time Armineh found him in the company of Sabeeha and Adam but more so, with his wife, their chemistry was electrifying. He was a man in love with his wife and their daughter. His little family had been spending their days at least thrice a week much to Sabeeha's delight and Yahya Firas's dismay, Armineh was proud that she understood his reasons. It had irked Yahya Firas, there were two unfamiliar people in his safe space but the house was big enough for all of them, two thousand square yards wasn't a small piece of land by any means and Ardashir didn't reside in the main house, he had himself chosen the loft deeming it to be big enough for two people and a baby and he wanted to keep his privacy as well as his cousins, keeping in mind Yahya Firas's predicament so Adam had dismissed Yahya Firas's unnecessary objections to the unplanned welcome. Although Ardashir wasn't aware of Yahya Firas's past, Armineh was thankful to him for giving Yahya Firas sometime to get used to him. Ardashir had grown accustomed to Yahya's cold self. It must have been difficult for Yahya Firas to accept them so he wanted to make their transition into the house less imposing and more friendly, he didn't want to be an intruder. He wanted a family and first rule, compromise, he knew Yahya Firas would come around, his siblings had. He could not blame Yahya Firas if he was wary of him, he understood him afterall, even though he had accepted to live in the house, he still didn't trust anyone. Two brothers can't be much different, only time will tell.