Chapter Twelve

"Dr. Yunus, there is a call for you." Aarush was patiently watching a few resident work with patients. He had a notepad in his hand which he marked different things on. He was leaning against the wall with knitted eyebrows when a person walked beside him with a cellphone.

He raised his eyebrows and asked with a questioning face. "Who could it be at such an hour?" Taking the phone from the man, he put it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Dr. Yunus? Wow, big man." Hearing the voice, Aarush couldn't help but smile.

"Dara? What's up?" Dara was his closest friend, even among his four friends, Dara was the closest to him. He knew Dara since the beginning and in a way grew up with him. They were neighbors for a long time and went to the same schools. Sure, Dara was always ahead of him as he was older, but they never stopped hanging out.

"I'm just calling you to say that me and Adi are going to Karachi together now. We're going today, so I'm just letting you know. We finally got a break from everything with our families and stuff, so I'm taking my wife and kid to my house in Karachi. Adi is doing the same." He explained over the phone.

"That's great. Since you're finally getting to Karachi, can you at times hang out with Aeleya? I'm not there so I can't do much, plus I'm going to be busy these next few days. Take your wives over and see if they and Aeleya have anything to talk about." He felt relieved hearing this. With Adi, Dara, and Haris being around Aeleya, he felt much more comfortable.

"No problem. Aliya called me and she said she will be reaching Karachi earlier than expected. She said that she and Noori, along with your Jeej, should be there by tomorrow." Dara informed Aarush of the latest information.

Aarush's smile widened. "That's even better. Aliya is the best option to hang out with Aeleya. Also, I sent Haris, along with you and Adi the information regarding Hazim and all. I want you to make sure that Aliya knows it and understands that Hazim is not an issue. I know she loves him just as much as me, but she is also very cautious, so just make sure she knows. Also let her know that while I'm not there, Hazim is still responsible for Aeleya. I trust him to handle everything in my absence. After all, he has been doing a great job of it already in the past few years."

"No problem. Honestly, I'm not surprised that Hazim is not a bad guy. Adi said the same thing when he got the news. Unlike you and Haris, me and Adi meet with Hazim often, so we always felt that Hazim was never such a guy. After all, he is very much like you." Dara laughed on the other side.

A bitter look came on Aarush's face. "I know, I was in the wrong. I never mistreated him, but I did think badly many times. But you know how I am when it comes to such things. I hate things related to **** and so one to the very bone. Even seeing someone flirt with my siblings pisses me off. I just didn't use my brain and just bashed the poor guy." Aarush was a little guilty with how he was with Hazim. Sure, he never treated him badly, and even looked after him, but he did have occasional feelings of disgust and mistrust towards him. He couldn't' help but feel ashamed about this.

"Well, it's not unexpected if it's you. You're an overthinker and really stupid. So, not surprised." A mocking tone came from the phone, which pissed Aarush off. "Before you start swearing, I'm going to cut the phone. Talk to you whenever shovel." With that, the phone was cut. Aarush grinned and shook his head.

"Still calling me such a name? So childish." He smirked and passed the phone to the man who was waiting patiently. "Alright, if it isn't anyone important, please do not bring me the phone. If it's a random person, just say I'm busy." The man nodded and walked away.

Aarush went back to work. He answered questions that the residents might have while occasionally looking after patients which were too much for the residents.

"Dr. Yunus. My patient seems to have an addiction to smoking and is having problems. Although he has yet to show signs of processing lung cancer and alike, it is very likely in the future if he continues with his habits. I'm not sure how I can convince him to…" Aarush listened and sighed.

"This type of situation is difficult to explain. Addictions aren't things that can be changed right away, and if you remember from your studies, cutting the source of their addiction suddenly can even cause problems to the body. All I can say is to try and convince the person to get on a kind of plan where the smoking is reduced gradually. Even with my experience, changing a patient's mind is not a simple matter. Telling them is one thing, but following the instructions is another." He sighed and couldn't give too much advice. The resident had to figure this out for herself. Addictions were difficult problems because the problem was something that only the patient could resolve. As doctors they could advise and treat them if things got bad, however if they never listened, then their hands were tied. They couldn't force the patient to do anything.

The resident nodded and left with a sigh. "Thank you." Aarush watched her leave and continued to jot more things down. He sighed and felt his head hurt slightly.

'I still have ten hours left.' He lifted his head and looked at the clock. He sighed heavily. 'I wonder what Aeleya is doing right. It's morning there right now, so she probably is busy with the family.' Thinking about Aeleya a small smile formed on his face. He couldn't help but flip a page on his notebook and begin to sketch. During his sketching, he would handle different things, from patients to residents, to even a few important calls. Four hours passed quickly, and he finished his sketch. It was a small picture, but it was of a girl, resembling Aeleya very much. He practiced drawing for around ten years, so his skills weren't low. 'If only it was truly her.' He gently stroked the little sketch and smiled.

He pulled out a clipboard and looked at the residents who were running around. "Alright, come here if you're done with your patients. I need to set up your schedules for the next few night shifts." Everyone gathered quickly and listened patiently. There were about five or six residents for the night shift while around eight or nine for the day. Aarush quickly assigned everyone their days for the next few weeks. "I will be here for this week, but a different doctor will supervise after I'm gone." He named the doctors responsible for the different days, so that the residents could memorize them, or atleast keep them in mind. "Since that is done, you guys are free to go. If you haven't finished with your patients, please complete all of the necessities before leaving. Make sure the nurses know what is needed to be done before you leave." After giving them the final instructions, he left the room. Most of the night shift residents were just completing the residency, so they had experience. He was assured to leave them to do what they needed, plus there were many nurses whose medical knowledge wasn't low either, so no harm could be done.

He headed back to his office and sat on his chair. Pulling out a bottle of medicine, he quickly took some and massaged his forehead. Pressing a buzzer on his desk, he called for a nurse. "Have James bring me the recent scans, and everything related to Kenrick." Although James wasn't the main person responsible for the kid anymore, Aarush still made sure he took some responsibility. He made sure that James was constantly looking after Kenrick and reporting anything new that was happening. After all, James was the original person responsible for Kenrick. It was only because of the huge mess up that Aarush had to step in.

After half an hour, James knocked on the door and walked in. He carried a few booklets and carefully placed them on the table. "Dr. Yunus, these are the most recent reports. Everything is in here." He took a few steps back.

"Grab a seat. As this was your patient, let me lead you through what the plan for Kenrick will be. I will take the lead, but you still need to pay attention and do what is needed, alright?" James nodded his head and grabbed a seat. "So, from what you know, Kenrick is in a coma. Although it is difficult to find out when he will wake up exactly, we know it will be soon based on the recovery of his brain." He pulled up a scan of Kenricks brain and explained patiently. He then took a new scan from the booklet and placed it beside the old one. "Based on the old and new, we can see the recovery is going quick, but while this is a good thing, there are also some problems. As recovery is fast, there are still parts of the brain which are unable to keep up with the recovery, so problems are occurring here and there. The brain lesion has already caused lots of harm, so when Kenrick awakens in the next few days or so, he will be in a vegetable state. Ideally, this will last another few days, but I can't guarantee that. It might last maybe a few weeks or even months. The damage done is too high." A sigh escaped both peoples mouths.

"Is there no way to help?" James asked with some hesitation. He was a greenhorn doctor, so compassion filled his mind, clouding his sense of reality.

Aarush shook his head. "No, there isn't. Even if the surgery wasn't performed, it would be impossible to save him with our current medicine and technology. At best, we can lower the pain he will go through and maybe allow him to live a more comfortable life then he would have if he didn't come to us, but even then, the pain he will go through might not be too great. Plus, with his brain eroding, his sense will slowly weaken, and realistically, he will lose most of his bodily controls. Everything will just be chaos." Aarush explained slowly. James couldn't help but take a deep breath as his body trembled. "James, this is the reality of this world. Some people just get the short end of the straw and as doctors, all we can do to help is lower their pain as much as possible."

"Then what's the point in the plans? If they won't help him, then what's the point?" James asked with confusion and a bitter look.

"Like I said, as doctors, we have to try our best and help the patient with anything we are capable of helping them with. Currently, the best thing is to help Kenrick wake up and then help him recover from the vegetable state. During this time, his recovery is vital. If he stays in the state for too long, the deterioration of his brain will only increase in speed. Which is why we need to plan ahead for everything." He brought out a chart and began to explain the various steps they would take. James listened carefully, writing anything and everything.

"Dr. Yunus, even if this goes as planned, it will take a few weeks atleast. Didn't you tell the parents we would help him within a week?" James asked with confusion.

"That was just a way to stall. The parents were adamant about leaving with Kenrick, and if they did leave, it would only endanger the patient even further. Even a week is too much for them, they don't trust this hospital." He sighed. "Right now, we have to help Kenrick recover from his coma state. Once that happens, I will try and explain to the parents how sensitive the issue is. Hopefully they would allow Kenrick to stay for a longer time. Plus, at the end of this week, the court case is opening up, so I will need to make a brief appearance." He sighed. Legal issues were always tricky. Especially since this was a case that gave them zero advantages.

A sigh escaped James's mouth. Both of them continued to discuss more and a few hours passed quickly. James left the room and Aarush opened up his computer and began to type on a document. It was a timeline, showcasing the various events that occurred at various time intervals, related to Kenricks case of course. Aarush filled in the new data he gathered and recorded their time and day. This took him about two hours to complete. After completing it, he stretched his arms and yawned. "What a troublesome case." Getting up from his chair he left the office. Morning was already here so he needed to start checking patients himself. It was a tiring day and night, but the rest he could get was little.

It was already night where Aeleya was. Her day wasn't exhausting, rather it was actually enjoyable. She went to the market with Aarush's mom, and the many aunts and cousins. Hazim was around too. The day didn't have many events, but they ate lots, bought a few things, and then went to eat more. It was a relaxing day.

She was back in her room, laying on her bed in her pajamas. She held her phone in the air as she looked at it with hesitation. 'Should I call him? He did say that he would be busy, so maybe it would be inconsiderate to call him now. But, what if I don't get to talk to him for a week, like last time?' She felt her heart drop when she thought about that day. Although she didn't have the feelings she had now, it was still sad. Aeleya didn't want to go through such a long time without talking to him again. Especially now that they were both mutually in love.

Sitting up on the bed, she decided that maybe just looking through photos would help. The urge to call him was biting at her, but she knew that it would only disturb him. 'I have to hold myself back. Unless he calls me first, I can't call him just because I miss him. That would just make it harder for him to work.' She sighed and looked through her phone gallery. She had a few pictures from the wedding. Laying on her side, she looked through them, smiling whenever she saw Aarush dressed in his fancy clothes. 'He really looks so handsome.' After going through the few photos, she had, Aeleya felt a little irritated. 'Why didn't I take more photos with him? Or even of him? I'm so stupid.' Hitting her own head, she got up and blew her hair which was dangling in front of her. 'Should I call mom? It's morning there now, right?' Coming up to this point, she quickly facetimed her mother.

"Aeleya." Seeing her mother's face, Aeleya's mood brightened.

"Mom. Hey," She smiled at her brightly. "What are you doing right now?"

"I just woke up a few hours ago, so nothing really. Your dad is gone for work, while this little kid decided to skip school." She pointed the camera at a boy around the same age as Maaz, maybe a few years younger. He was Aeleya's younger brother.

"Hey, why did you skip school stupid?" Aeleya scolded her younger brother, but the latter only smirked.

"What are you going to do? Bite me." When she heard his words, she couldn't help but snort.

"Get lost, let me talk to mom." She felt irritated looking at her brother. Her younger brother snorted and left. "Mom, you should smack him. How could he talk to me like that?"

"You aren't any better. If you speak to him like an older sister, he will act like a younger brother, but no, you want to scold him right away." Her mother squeezed her forehead, sighing a little in irritation. "Anyways, why aren't you sleeping? It should be night there now."

"I can't sleep." Aeleya sighed. "Aarush is probably in the hospital right now, super busy. I'm a little worried he is overworking himself." She didn't hide much from her mother. This was a person she could talk to without much holding her back after all.

Aeleya's mom shook her head. "It is a difficult job. Aeleya, is he even able to come for lunch? If he is tired, why not just reschedule?"

"I wish I could, but he said not to call too much. He is going to be very busy since the person he is looking after is in a critical state or something. I don't want to burden him too much." She explained with a heavy look.

"Well, if he does come over, I'll just let him eat in peace. I will be going out to buy a bunch of the ingredients for his favorite dishes. Hopefully this will lighten his mood." As a mother and mother in law, how could she not worry about her daughters husband?

"Thanks, but don't try and give him special treatment or anything, he doesn't like it." She said with a serious tone. "Just treat him like how you would treat me. He doesn't like attention nor does he like being treated like someone special, especially by family. It irritates him. He says that if he is treated specially then he has to act fake or something. I don't know exactly, but just treat him normally. None of that, 'oh the damad is here, we have to raise him to skies' type of stuff."

Hearing her daughter pestering her about Aarush, Aeleya's mother couldn't help but smirk. "Oh, you seem to know your husband well."

"Of course, he is my husband after all." She smiled and said without any shame.

"Well, that's a good thing then. Alright, I'm probably going to head out soon. Let me just tell you one thing though. While you're there, don't forget to lend a hand to your mother in law and aunts with chores and other stuff. It will be good for you, plus their impression of you will be better, got it?" Aeleya nodded her head. "Good, as their bahu, especially the wife of Aarush, who is supposedly everything to their family, your responsibilities are much more than the average, alright? Don't do anything stupid."

"Mom I know. Plus, even if I want to help, aunty never lets me." She laughed bitterly. "Aunty and the rest just make me relax and do anything except work."

"That's their love for you, but don't take advantage of it. You shouldn't ask if they need help, just do it on your own. If they are sitting, give them chai. If they're tired, clean the house, or wash the dishes." Her mother explained slowly while Aeleya nodded. Since she wasn't working, doing house work would be more helpful then just lazing around.

"Alright, I'll try and help as much as I can. I'm not lazy, you know that I'm not like that." She knew what she should do. Aeleya understood that as a daughter in law, although in her generation, doing dishes, cleaning, and cooking, wasn't something a woman was needed to prioritize, but that didn't mean that her parents generation thought the same thing. They were from a time where girls did housework, so to get a better impression from her parents in law, doing house work would be the best thing. "Anyways, when Aarush does come over, please call me." This would be the best time to talk to him, and maybe the only time.

"Sure, no problem. Alright, go and sleep. I'll call you if he comes or something happens. Bye love." The phone was cut from there. Aeleya sighed and laid on her bed and closed her eyes. She still wasn't feeling sleepy.

"Aarush, why don't you call me? I want to hear your voice." She sighed as she lifted the blanket and wrapped it around herself. She pulled out her and Aarush's best picture from her phone and just stared at it. "Aarush, you're so handsome." She giggled as she looked at Aarush. Her face blushed as she was entranced because of his looks. Soon, her eyes began to shut, but the image of Aarush never left her mind.

Looking at the watch around his wrist, a smile finally appeared on Aarush's strained face. "I can finally go and rest. Sadly, I only get four hours to do whatever I need." Although the time was short, he was glad, nonetheless. He quickly went into his office and grabbed his coat, before heading towards the exit. He got into his car and was about to drive to a nearby food place, but suddenly remembered something. "Oh yeah, I'm supposed to have lunch with Aeleya's parents today." A sigh escaped his mouth. "Well, it's not a bad thing, at least I can hang out with them finally." He picked up his phone and searched for Aeleya's home phone number. He knew that showing up without informing them beforehand was not always a good idea. It was better to let them know.

"Hello?" Aeleya's mom picked up the phone.

"Aunty, it's me Aarush. Aeleya told me that we were having lunch today. Is that alright?" He wanted to confirm himself. Just in case they may have forgotten, or something had come up.

"Aarush beta, of course of course. If you're free now, just come over." Her voice seemed somewhat excited, which Aarush noticed. He smiled gently.

"Alright, I'm done here so I can come right now. Do you want me to grab anything?" In case they needed anything, he wanted to grab something. Plus, he planned on grabbing a few gifts. It would be his first time going to their house, so it would be wrong to show up empty handed.

"What are you talking about? No need, just show up, that's all. Haha." Her slight laugh came from the phone. Aarush smiled bitterly but nodded.

"I'll be there in like an hour or so, is that alright?" Aeleya's house address was saved on his phone and getting there would take him about twenty minutes, but he still needs to go grab a few gifts and alike.

"Absolutely, take your time." Although Aeleya told her not to give Aarush special treatment, how she not? This was her damad.

Aarush cut the phone after a few more words. The first place he headed to was a mall nearby. He didn't know what to buy exactly so he decided to call up Aliya. The phone rang a few times and she finally picked up. "Hey Aliya, I need a little help."

"What is it?" Her voice sounded a little irritated.

"Why are you always so mad when I call? Like damn, relax." He grumbled as well, even debating whether he should turn the phone off or not. His sister really annoyed him.

"Whatever, what do you want?" Her voice became more irritating, but she still asked.

"I'm going to my in-laws house for the first time, what kinds of gifts should I bring? If Jeej is there, ask him as well." He wasn't great at choosing presents. Normally, he would leave it to his sister or his parents.

"Alright, what kinds of dishes? Also, what games does her little brother play?" He didn't know too much about Aeleya's family. The latter just never spoke about them.

"How would I know what games he plays, just get him a console or something. Also, for dishes, you can figure that out yourself. Grow a pair and do something yourself--" Before she could finish, Aarush cut the phone with a frown.

"This little shit." He hated the way his sister spoke. It was so irritating. He decided to go get the console first. Although he loved to play video games when he was younger, it had been a while since he last game, so his knowledge was bad. 'Maybe I should ask Maaz?' Thinking up to this point he called Maaz's phone. It took a few tries before it finally connected.

"H-hello?" His voice seemed very tired.

"Maaz, get up. Stop sleeping." Aarush growled as he spoke.

"Aarush?" Maaz's voice suddenly became more awake, even somewhat frightened. "Why're you yelling? I didn't even do anything." He was complaining as he slowly answered back with a yawn.

"Whatever. Here, help me a bit. Aeleya's brother is your age, and I remember that you and he spoke a bit during the wedding. Tell me, did you find out anything about what he liked and the type of games he played?" Maaz and Aeleya's brother were similar in age, so of course they spoke during the wedding.

Maaz thought for a moment before answering. "He talks about PC gaming a lot. He didn't seem to like console gaming, so if you're planning on getting him something, maybe get him a PC headset, or even a few games for the PC." He replied while still yawning a few times.

"Alright, stay on the line. I'm going to go to a game shop and just tell me the things he might like." Although reluctantly, Maaz still agreed. It wasn't like he had a choice in the matter.

Aarush found a game shop and got a few things. He got a few games, a headset, a gift card, and other small things Maaz told him to buy. The price didn't bother him too much. After completing that, he went to find a place where he could buy kitchenware. Entering the shop, he looked around, but didn't know what to buy exactly. He didn't want to get help from the workers, because he just didn't trust their taste. As he was looking around, he saw a girl walking in one of the aisles. She had long, light brown hair. She was tall, maybe reaching Aarush's nose. She had a slender build, with light skin. She was a very attractive girl, but Aarush suddenly paled. 'Shit, it's Mona.' He quickly ran from the aisle and entered a new one. 'What is she doing here?'

Mona was one of Aliya's friends. She was the same age as him, and was also someone Aliya wanted him to marry at one point. Aliya was actually actively trying to set them up. Aarush never thought ill of her, rather he felt she was attractive as well, but his life was in jambles so he never pursued her. At one point, Mona even asked him out, but he kept on postponing it, saying he was busy. Aliya even tried to get Mona and him to kiss on new year's way in the past, but he declined that as well. He had a weird past with Mona. It was to the point where many people thought that Mona and Aarush would be the ones getting married.

'Maybe I should go to a different shop.' He decided that this would be the best course of action. No girl made him feel uncomfortable, not even Tari and Mackenzie, because he firmly rejected them. But Mona was different. Back then, he never pursued her, but it was mostly because of his parents and his busy life. He actually had a small crush on her when he was younger. Although he was over that crush, it was still awkward for him.

Running towards the exit, he left the shop, but as he stood on the side and panted a little, he felt an arm touch his shoulder. "Aarush?" A sweet voice entered his ears. He looked to his left and cursed on the inside. It was Mona.

"Mona? Oh hey, what are you doing here?" His mouth twitched a little as his smile was as fake as it could be.

Seeing him act like that, Mona sighed. "Aarush, I'm not dumb. I know you saw me in there, or else why would you run away?" She would be lying if she said she didn't like Aarush. In her mind, and in the mind of many others, she was supposed to marry Aarush at one point. Sadly, for her, it never happened. When she found out Aarush got married to someone else, she actually shut herself off from others for a few days, balling her eyes out.

Aarush laughed bitterly. "My bad." He scratched the bad of his head. He didn't make eye contact with her and just looked around a little. "Anyways, what are you doing here?"

"I'm just here to buy a few things for myself. I got a house for myself recently." She spoke with a bland smile. How could she not notice Aarush's weirdness? "What about you?"

"A new house? Congratulations." He didn't answer her question. Just avoiding it.

"Thanks." The conversation was very awkward. Aarush knew that Mona hadn't gotten married yet, so it was even more awkward for him. "What are you up to these days? Aliya said you were in Pakistan, why are you here?" She wasn't oblivious to what was happening in Aarush's life. She knew lots. If anything, she knew more than Tari ever knew. She knew Aarush's likes and dislikes, his struggles and so much more. Unlike Tari and even Aeleya, she used to see Aarush everyday. Although they were the same age, she got into medical school before him and unlike Aarush, she excelled in school, yet unlike Aarush, she was only just finishing her residency. As she always assumed she and Aarush would end up together and it was only a matter of time, she tried her best to learn more about him.

"I am supposed to be there. I was there a while ago, but because of some issue in the hospital, I was called back." He sighed a little. Whenever he talked about how he was dragged away from Aeleya, he felt sad and bitter.

Mona smiled a little for some reason. "I heard that you're about to be the next chief of doctors in your hospital? My superiors were telling me how they tried to bring you into my hospital, but you never took the offer. There supposedly even lots of other hospitals trying to hire you. Impressive." Of course, it was impressive. It wasn't a small thing for so many hospitals to want one doctor to work for them. It showed how skilled he was. 'I still remember how he was so depressed when I got into medical school before he even applied.' She giggled a little thinking about this.

A wry smile appeared on Aarush's smile. "It's not that crazy." He didn't like to talk too much about these things. To him it wasn't too important. "Anyways, I won't hold you up any longer. I still need to get some shopping done. It was nice seeing you." He didn't want to stick around for too long. Talking to Mona was very awkward.

She could tell he wanted to just avoid her, which made her sigh. Nodding her head, she waved her hand with a bitter smile. "Alright. I'll see you later." She watched him leave and a pout formed on her lips. 'My luck is so terrible. If only I told Aliya to try and convince his parents, maybe I would be the person he married. It would have worked out, he even liked me back then, and I liked him.' her thoughts were filled with regrets. She truly had a good chance to marry him, especially since Aliya was all for it. Sadly, the matter never reached Aarush's parents, especially his mom. If it did, then she would have been married to Aarush.

Aarush went back into the shop and began to look around. He quickly erased his meeting with Mona from his mind and tried to find something to buy. After walking around for a few minutes, he finally found something he thought looked decent. It was a large set with cups, dishes, and spoons. They had beautiful engravings and designs. "This should be good." He carefully picked it up and walked to the checkout. After paying for the item, he walked out with two bags in each hand. One was the set for the kitchen, while the other was for Aeleya's younger brother.

He walked out of the shop and when he took a right, he saw that Mona was leaning against the wall, looking through her phone. He sighed a little and cursed his luck.

"Mona, are you still shopping?" He walked over since he couldn't just be rude and ignore her. It wasn't how he was. Plus, it was only awkward for him because of their weird past, but his heart was completely given to Aeleya, so there wasn't an issue there.

Turning her head, she saw that Aarush was walking towards her himself. She couldn't help but smile brightly. "I'm not sure. I was supposed to buy some kitchen supplies, but I'm not sure what I need to buy. I've never actively cooked and stuff, you know?" As she was going to live herself, she needed to buy things for cooking, cleaning and alike. Yet, as her family was wealthy and everything was always there, she was never really taught what was needed to live alone. In a way, she was raised with a silver spoon in her mouth.

Aarush thought for a moment and sighed. "Should I help you find some things?" He knew the types of things one needed in order to live alone. After all, he lived alone for a month, plus he cooked a lot, so he knew the basic needs.

Listening to his words, Mona smiled brightly. "If you could help, that would be great." She didn't hesitate to ask for help. She understood Aarush's personality. He would help those he knew.

Both of them walked back into the shop and began to quickly pick out all the things Mona would need for her new house. He helped her pick a few plates, cooking supplies, pots, pans, etc. A trolley was quickly filled. After paying at the checkout, both of them went to the parking lot. "Alright, I think I'm going to head off then. It was nice seeing you Mona." He smiled at her and walked away after making sure everything was in her car. Mona smiled back and waved him off reluctantly. She felt great shopping with him, as if she were his wife and they were buying things for their house.

'If only it was truly like that.'. She sighed and got into her car. Aarush on the other hand felt relieved,. He didn't like the feeling of walking alone with Mona and he knew that she still liked him, which made him feel even worse.

"Luckily it's over. Now, off to Aeleya's parents house I go." He put all the things into his car and drove off. He felt a little excited. He never spoke with his wife's parents for more then a few words. He never got the chance. Now he could speak to them more and even learn a few things. Maybe he could find old pictures of his wife. He felt excited just thinking about it.

After driving for about thirty minutes, he finally reached the house. It was a midsized house, nothing spectacular, but the front was beautifully decorated. There were various types of flowers, and also a few vegetables growing on the side as well. He parked the car beside the sidewalk and got out. Walking towards the house, he could smell the fragrance of the flowers, they were soothing. He walked up the steps and knocked on the door.

A few seconds later, the door swung open. It was Aeleya's mother. "Aarush, come in." She smiled brightly, helping him in. Aarush didn't hesitate and walked in with a carefree smile. After walking in, he placed the gifts on the side and took his shoes off. Then lifting the bags once more he passed the kitchen supplies he got over to Aeleya's mother.

"I got you these. I didn't know what to get exactly, but I hope this is alright." He passed them over to the smiling woman.

"Aarush, why did you go through the trouble? I said not to bring anything." She shook her head helplessly. She wasn't trying to be pretentious, rather she actually didn't want Aarush bringing anything. This was her damad, not a random person.

"Aunty, it's alright. How could I come here empty handed for the first time? Where is Nabeel? I got him a few things as well." He spoke while walking towards the kitchen with Aeleya's mother.

"Nabeel! Come down!" Walking towards the stairs, she yelled for his name. With quick footsteps, Nabeel ran downstairs.

"Yeah momma?" He saw Aarush right after that and walked over with a smile. "Jeej, hey. What's up." He spoke very casually, without any of the crazy formalities. This was something that actually made Aarush very happy.

"I got you these things. Check them out." He passed the bag over with a smile. "Maaz told me you would probably like them, so yeah." Nabeel took the bag and looked through it with a wide smile.

"No way! You got me the latest headphones! Sick, I never played these games." Nabeel had excitement on his face as he looked at Aarush. "Thanks, Jeej. Aeleya finally did something good in her life- ouch!" Aeleya's mom smacked him on the back of his head.

"Don't speak such nonsense. Go and fix your hair, it looks like a mess." She said with a scolding tone. Her voice showed hints of embarrassment. 'Why is my son so shameless.'

"What do you mean? This is my Jeej, no stranger. I could walk out shirtless and he wouldn't mind." Nabeel smirked shamelessly, but before his mom could hit him again, he ran up the stairs while laughing. Aarush couldn't help but laugh as well seeing Nabeel's actions.

"Aunty don't worry about it, Nabeel is right, we're family now so I don't mind anything. Rather I love his casualness, that's what I want." He smiled and said, seeing that Aeleya's mom showed a bit of helplessness.

"Still, he should have some decency. If his dad was here, Nabeel would have never acted so stupidly." She shook her head and said. "Also, he will be home in twenty minutes or something. He is on his way from work."

"Aunty it's fine. He can take his time. I have lots of time, so don't worry about it." He followed her into the kitchen and sat down. Aeleya's mom took the gift out of the bag and smiled after seeing what it was.

"This is so beautiful, thank you." She loved the way they looked. She placed the box carefully on the side, making sure not to damage it. It was glass, so any sudden movements could cause it to crack or even break.

Aarush smiled as a reply. "Anyways, how are you doing? I didn't get the chance to meet you after the wedding since I got super busy. Sorry about that." He spoke with a bit of embarrassment. It was improper not to go and see the in-laws after getting married, yet it was already nearing his second week of marriage and this was his first time visiting.

"Don't worry about it. Aeleya told me how busy you are. You were even forced to come back from Pakistan because of some work. Really, such a busy and hardworking child you are." She pitied him a little.

He could only shrug his shoulders. "Well, that's how life is." he didn't have another explanation.

"Alright, so Aeleya told me your favorite dishes. I made most of what I could, hopefully you will like it." She smiled and explained.

"Aunty, why did you? I can eat anything, haha. As long as it's desi, I don't mind it at all." Both of them laughed. Aarush got up and walked to the cooking food. "Wow, it smells great."

"I heard you can cook pretty well yourself? Atleast that's what your mom was telling me?" She asked while seeing him look at the various foods.

He smiled lightly. "Well, I have to learn how to cook myself. I can't just depend on others, am I right?" He opened the various dishes and looked at them with an impressive look. "You should try my food one day as well. They may not be as good as yours, but they aren't terrible." He wasn't trying to be humble, his food was good, but not to the level of the moms. He could just barely get a good taste.

"Of course. Just bring me some one day. I would love to try it, and see if you're better than my daughter." She smirked. When she mentioned Aeleya, she couldn't help but remember that she was supposed to all her. She picked her phone from the counter and quickly dialled Aeleya's number, after waiting for a few minutes, and trying a few more times, Aeleya didn't pick up.

"What's wrong?" Aarush looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Aeleya said to call her when you arrived, but she isn't picking up." Explaining with a sigh, she placed her phone back down. "She is probably sleeping."

Aarush smiled. "That's fine. It's good she is sleeping. She is probably tired of hanging around all my aunts and uncles. My cousins are very formal as well, so she must be exhausted trying to keep up with all the formalities." He smirked but didn't go more into it. He saw an apple on the counter and picked it up. Taking a bite out of it, he smiled. Unlike most people, he didn't like keeping up with formalities. Since he considered Aeleya's family his own, he didn't hesitate with grabbing food randomly. Even when he was younger, he would do things like grabbing things from people's refrigerators. Of course, he was beat for doing stupid things like that, but he never saw a problem with it.

Aeleya's mom was a little surprised by him just picking up an apple and eating it but it was a pleasant surprise. She felt closer to him since he acted like the place was his home, which she really wanted him to feel.

"The food should be ready by the time my husband comes home." She said while stirring one of the pots.

Aarush nodded while biting on the apple. "I was actually wondering if you had any old home videos? I want to see what Aeleya was like before meeting me. Plus, she watched all my home videos and knows so much…" He smiled bitterly, but he had a playful look in his eyes. 'Since you have seen my most embarrassing sides, I have to see yours as well. That's only fair.'

"We have lots. We also have all of her old photos from graduation and so much more. Here, let me go and grab them. Let me also show you to her room. We have old photos of her there as well." Lowering the heat, she led Aarush upstairs.

When they reached the top, Aarush noticed that there were four rooms. Aeleya mom explained which room was whose. When she pointed at Aeleya's, Aarush couldn't help but become curious. He walked over and pushed it open. Aeleya's mother didn't mind. This was Aeleya's husband, so he could look at anything and everything in the room, it was his right. Plus, Aeleya did say that it was fine to let him into her room.

"I'm going to go and find those videos; you can just hang around." She smiled and went into her own room. Aarush nodded and entered the room. He looked around and laughed.

"I always thought that her room would be plain, but it's so… not." The first thing he saw entering the room was the collection of different stuffed animals. It was very weird. There was a giant panda and penguin on her fluffy bed. With a few smaller animals in the corner of the rooms. He saw various chest like boxes of different colors organized in a corner. There was a piano and guitar. Her dressing table had a large mirror, although smaller than the one they had in their room, it was still large. Everything was neat and tidy. He couldn't help but walk over to the chests and open them one by one. He noticed that some of them were filled with her old school work, some had clothes, some had more animals, there was even an empty one. He picked up her old school work and looked through it. He noticed that her grades were usually hundreds or nineties. He couldn't help but feel ashamed. "She was so smart. I used to get C's in humanities and English, while barely getting an A in math, with a B in science." He wasn't a smart student. His grades improved when he got into highschool, but it was still bad. Unlike him, who barely got into a degree in University, having to settle with English, Aeleya actually got into engineering in NYU right from the start. He felt ashamed.

Putting the work back into the chest, he looked around more. He saw a small purple box on her dressing table. Walking over, he picked it up and opened it. There were pictures. "Finally." He picked up all the photos and walked over to the bed. Sitting down, he began to look through them. Sure, it was weird and also a little creepy for him to look through his wife's things, but she was his wife. In his mind, if he didn't look through these things, who would?

"Wow, she was hot even then!" He saw her pictures with her friends. There were many people, most he had never even seen. Out of all her friends, she was the most reserved in her dressing, mostly because of her culture and mothers up raising though. After looking through a few more pictures, he saw that she took a picture with a guy alone. He was holding her shoulder, and for some reason, Aarush felt a rage fill his heart. Not towards Aeleya, rather towards the guy. "Who's this little shit?" He looked through a few more pictures and saw that the guy appeared many times. He appeared in lots of pictures with Aeleya and him, and a few more with other friends. "Nabeel, can you come here for a second." He wanted to know who this was.

Nabeel ran out of his room and found Aarush in Aeleya's. Scratching his head, he asked with a bit of confusion. "Yeah?"

"Do you know who this guy is?" He showed Nabeel the picture. The latter looked at it and nodded his head.

"His name is Izam. He went to Aeleya's highschool and also went to university with her." He gave the photo back and sat beside Aarush. "Between you and me, this Izam guy is no good person. He liked Aeleya and was trying to force her to marry him at one point. Supposedly, he threatened to beat up Aeleya and even my dad at one point." Nabeel clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. "If I was older back then, I would have beaten him to a pulp. How dare he say something about touching Aeleya and my dad? Over my dead body!"

A cold smirk appeared on Aarush's face. "Oh really? Did such a thing happen?"

"Yeah. I know this because Aeleya told me herself. My mom and dad don't know since Aeleya wanted to keep this a secret. You know, to make sure they don't worry." He spoke with a bitter look, while still clenching his teeth. "Aeleya never hung out with people who were bad or alike. She never partied, nor did she even date or something. This guy just appeared one day and pestered her over and over again. Oh man, I would go beat him right now if I could."

"Do you want to?" Aarush asked with a smirk. He wanted to really beat the shit out of the guy.

"What do you mean?" Nabeel asked with confusion.

"Well, I'm pissed that this little shit tried to do something to my wife and uncle. He even dared to touch her, whether it was in the past or not, he touched her." Although it was just a shoulder in the picture, he felt angry just thinking about him even trying to touch her anywhere else. "Plus, he doesn't look so strong. While the food is being made, Let's go and find this guy and beat him up."

Nabeel thought for a moment before nodding his head. "Alright, let's beat him. I'm not much of a fighter though." He hesitated before saying this.

"Don't worry about that. You can just watch from the side as I handle it. You may not know this, but I trained myself on how to fight for many years just for this occasion. To beat anyone who even tries to touch my wife." He got up and walked out of the room. "Do you know where he lives?"

"I don't, but Aeleya's friends might know." He picked up his phone and made a quick call. "Yo, this is Nabeel, Aeleya's brother. Yeah, I was just wondering if you know where Izam lives, or where he is right now? I'm just curious… alright thanks." He put the phone down and smiled. "He is at a club right now with a few friends."

"Alright, let me call a few of my friends, then we can all go and beat this little shit up." Picking up his phone he made a quick call. "Hey Haider, can you bring five others and meet me at a location I'm sending you… yeah I just need you to hold his other friends while I knock him out. Yeah yeah, I'll handle anything that happens. Just meet me there in ten minutes. Thanks a bunch." He put the phone down and smiled evilly. "Alright, let's go. Go and tell your mom that we will be right back. Just tell her that I need to pick something up really quick and that you're coming with me. We will be back in thirty or so minutes." The club was only a five-minute drive. He had been there a few times and was even banned from there for a few months because of a fight. Nabeel nodded his head and quickly told his mom and then ran down the stairs with Aarush. Both of them got into the car and drove off.

Aarush and Nabeel arrived in front of the club soon. They waited a few more minutes and Aarush's friends arrived. They were all tall and muscular. Nabeel couldn't help but suck in a deep breath. "Alright, you guys know the deal. We'll find the dudes, bring them out and then knock them out. This here is Nabeel, my wife's younger brother, so my younger brother. If something happens to him, you guys will get it." Aarush commanded them like a gang leader.

"Yeah yeah, whatever." The one in the lead was light skinned and wore a pair of shades. He had shorts on, showing his hair legs. "Where is the unfortunate guy? Also, don't go crazy like last time Aarush. Just scare him and then we're done. If you try to do anything more, then you're on you're on own."

"I know. I won't do anything. But if he says anything stupid, don't blame me if I break a few things." Aarush spoke with a deep tone. Nabeel listened from the side and became pale. He had a terrified look as he looked at Aarush, who looked completely different from before.

'Is this my Jeej who's a doctor? He talks like a gang leader. Who the hell did my sister marry?' After listening to them talk, he followed the group in. The club was dark, but the amount of people was large. People were dancing around and drinking various drinks. Aarush pulled his phone out and tried to match faces.

"There's the bastard." Aarush grinned coldly and led the group over. There were three people around the victim. Aarush grabbed Izam's shoulder roughly.

"Who the hell is touching me!" Izam turned around with anger, but when he saw Aarush he looked at him with confusion. He was a little more buff then Aarush, but he was shorter.

"You don't know me, but I know you. Come outside, I think we need to talk." Aarush spoke in a threatening manner. Izam was a little taken aback but glared at him.

"Who the fuck are you? Let's go then you little shit!" Pushing Aarush to the side, Izam walked outside. His friends followed him out, glaring at Aarush while also laughing a little.

"Nabeel, when things start, stay on the side. I don't want him to know that Aeleya and the rest are involved. Make sure he doesn't see you. Alright?" Nabeel nodded his head and followed behind Aarush slowly. Aarush wasn't an idiot. If he exposed that he was Aeleya's husband before he gave Izam a scare, then Izam might go and do something to Nabeel or his parents. In order to prevent this, he wanted to scare Izam enough that he wouldn't think about it.

He stepped outside and saw that Izam was standing with his group of friends. A cocky look was on his face. "So who the hell are you?! I haven't seen you before." Izam looked at Aarush with anger and a bit of confusion. He had never seen such a person. Aarush didn't answer and just waved for his friends. They all gathered around him and did something different.

"Before I beat the shit out of you, let me make some introductions. This person here is a part of the army and has been serving them for more than ten years. He could be considered a person who has seen a few things." He pointed at a tall, muscular white man. There was a tattoo on his neck which was visible. Next he pointed at Haider. "This person is a boxing coach and has played professionally for three years." He began to make more introductions, causing Izam to become a little pale. "As for me. I'm Aarush Yunus. I'm a doctor." His own introduction was very unordinary. Although in the group of six, Aarush could be considered mid level for his fighting skill, that was still very high. Most in the group were either professional fighters or a part of some sort of force.

"Aarush?" Izam thought for a moment and still shook his head. He became a little more cordial as he spoke. "Dude, I don't even know you, what's the issue?"

"Issue? There is an issue. You." Aarush smiled and rolled up his sleeves and walked forward. His eyes were a little dilated and Izam could see a craze in them which made him a little worried. "Come. My friends won't do a thing if you're friends stay out of this. I just want to beat you to a pulp. That's all."

Izam took a deep breath and looked deeply at Aarush. "Dude, tell me the problem first. What's the point in fighting if I don't even know the issue? Maybe we can resolve this without fighting. After all, if cops get involved, then that will be bad for both of us."

"Both of us?" Aarush laughed. "Whether cops get involved or not, it won't be an issue for me. For you though, it may be a problem. Enough talk now, come on."

Seeing that Aarush wasn't listening, Izam decided that he couldn't do a thing. He walked forward and thought that if he could beat up Aarush and get away in time, he could get away from the other people.

Nabeel watched from the side and he couldn't help but feel goosebumps filling his body. He had seen a few fighters in the past, but the one that just happened in front of him gave him a real shock. 'J-Jeej is a freak! He's psychotic!' The fight lasted only a few minutes, but Izam was already on the ground. He was bleeding and barely conscious. There was a bit of vomit on the ground. Nabeel felt nauseous himself. One of Izam's fingers were broken and his face was bruised. It was serious!

Aarush squatted beside Izam with a a trail of blood leaking from his lip. "Now that this is through, let me tell you who I am." Seeing that Izam was scared enough, Aarush decided that it was time for a warning. "You see, out of the many girls you tried to touch, one of them was my wife. Do you remember Aeleya?"

Izam was still conscious enough to speak, so when he heard Aeleya's name his eyes suddenly glared. "Aeleya!? I never touched her! Sure, I tried, but I never fucking touched her! I only ever threatened her!" Izam spoke with a voice filled with pain and indignation. "For a bitch, you beat me up so bad?! Ahhh!" He suddenly screamed as Aarush grabbed another finger and began to slowly bend it. Aarush knew that his actions were illegal and very criminal like, but he didn't care, nor was he scared. He was never scared of getting into trouble with the government. He had ways to escape without much problems.

"Who the fuck are you to call my wife a bitch!?" Aarush's eyes became filled with intense anger. Almost murderous. "Watch your mouth fucker. Unlike others, I have ways to hurt you in a way you could never believe. I'm a doctor, so I know things about the human body that you don't. I know where places hurt that won't kill you, but make you feel worse than death. Want to try me?" Taking a rock, he smashed one of Izam's fingers.

"Ah FUCK!" Izam screamed loudly, tears filling his eyes. The fingertips had lots of pain receptors, so of course it would hurt.

"Now then. From what I heard, you supposedly threatened to beat Aeleya? And even her dad? My my, what a big man. Trying to hit a girl and an old man? You must have big balls, right?" Aarush smiled wickedly. He looked like a maniac. Nabeel had his hands on his ears, covering up the sounds. Aarush's friends also frowned.

"Aarush, that's enough. If you do anything more, then maybe you won't get in lots of trouble, but we will." Money spoke the most in their world, so Aarush of course could protect himself well, they on the other hand didn't have such fortune.

"Relax, I'm almost done." Aarush ignored them and looked at Izam. "Let me tell you something. Aeleya is my wife, my life, while her family is my family. If you ever get near them or if I hear you talking shit about them, then watch your back. With a snap of my fingers, I could make you disappear from this world."

"Alright, man! Alright! I won't do a thing! I swear on my life! Just get me to the hospital! Please, it hurts!" Izam was on the brink of tears. His hands hurt, while his face was also in immense pain. Everything hurt.

After getting his confirmation, Aarush got up. He looked at Izam's friends and smiled wickedly. All three of them froze and felt cold sweat fill their backs. "If you guys want, you can go and call the cops after this. My name is Aarush Yunus. I'm a doctor, so it should be easy for them to figure out everything about me. Now then.." Aarush didn't forget to give a good kick to Izam's private spot before walking away. "Let's go." He looked at his five friends and smiled.

"What a crazy bastard. If I didn't know he was a doctor, I would really think he was a part of an interrogation force." Haider shook his head and smiled bitterly. Although he was able to overpower Aarush, the latter was a psycho, so he was always scared of him.

The group left and Izam rolled on the ground with his eyes wide open. He was breathing heavily, but fear clouded his face. His friends ran over and looked at him in concern. "We need to get you to a doctor. Dude that guy is crazy, I think we need to call the cops of something. He could really kill a guy one day." One of them spoke in a panic. When the fight started, Aarush went ballistic and just kept attacking Izam, unconcerned about the punched landing on his face. It was horrifying to watch.

"No, screw that!" Izam spoke with hurried breathing. "Just get me to a doctor. After that, I'm going back to my home country. I was here to have fun and maybe even get myself a girl, but that guy is a freak. If we tell the cops, I am sure he could handle it. Or else, he wouldn't have beaten me in the open and so badly. I already have an offer for a job back home, so I'm just going to go back." He was scared silly. Taking revenge was the last thing on his mind. How the hell would he avenged himself with Aarush having so many high-level friends. "Fuck! Who the hell thought that Aeleya's husband would be so fucking psycho?! I never did anything to her, I only threatened her once, but even after that I left her alone!" He wasn't lying when he said this. Sure, he was attracted to Aeleya, but he was attracted to lots of people. He threatened Aeleya once, but when she said she would go to the cops he gave up and just never spoke to her again. Plus, the only times he ever touched her were for photos and even then,. Barely touching her. He knew she was a reserved person.

Seeing that Izam was against the idea of cops, they reluctantly agreed. They quickly found their car and rushed to the doctors. Although Izam was fine over all, his hands were in a messed-up state.

Aarush thanked his friends for coming and waved them off. Nabeel stood beside him quietly. The latter looked at Nabeel with confusion. "What's up?"

Nabeel shook his head. "Jeej, that was… I've never seen something so… scary and crazy," Nabeel shivered a little just thinking about what happened. He also had a completely different outlook on Aarush. He never thought this person was such a psycho. He couldn't help but worry for his sister a little.

"Nabeel, since you're a guy, let me explain something to you. Unlike my little brother and cousins, I was never taught how to react to situations where people would try and hurt those around me. So, I just picked up the idea that the best option is to beat those people up." He explained with a bitter smile. "Sure, it isn't the safest option, but to me, it's the most efficient option. As guys, we not only need to be able to support our families financially, but we must be there to handle other types of situations as well. Let me ask you, if this Izam person tried to hit your sister in front of you, or even your mom, what would you do?" Aarush waited a few minutes and received no answer. "I know that you can't answer unless put into that situation, but as a guy I know one thing. You would fight. I know it. You would try your hardest to beat the person so much, maybe even doing lots of harm to him. Why do I know this? Because your sister and mom are important to you, you would go crazy for them. That's how I am. Your sister is my life, so when you told me that someone threatened her, I went crazy. Even if the person who threatened her was the president, I won't give it a second thought. I would go and beat him up too." He smiled and rubbed Nabeel's hair. "Don't think too much anymore. Just know this, you're my little brother now as well. If anyone ever tries to bully you or hurt you, just tell me. I'll take care of the rest, and don't worry, I won't do anything drastic like I did today." He got into the car with Nabeel and drove off.

As they drove, Nabeel finally spoke. "Jeej, would you ever hurt Aeleya?" That was the one thing on his mind. Izam would have hurt Aeleya at one point, but Izam wasn't crazy like Aarush. He really wanted to know if Aarush would ever go crazy on his sister.

Aarush looked at Nabeel in shock. "Never! I would rather die!" Aarush parked the car on the side and looked at Nabeel. "Listen, I know what I did today was crazy and scary, but don't ever think I would hurt those near me. If that was the case, don't you think I would have already hurt Aeleya when she told me she didn't want to marry me, and all of this was forced?" When Aarush said this Nabeel looked at him in shock.

"H-how did you.." Aarush cut him off with a smile.

"Aeleya told me on our wedding night." He sighed. "Nabeel, I didn't touch your sister then, nor will I ever. I have never hit anyone other than those who have tried to hurt my family. Trust me when I say this, I may be psychotic when I fight, but I'm a very collected person. Don't worry, I promise you that I will never ever hurt your sister. She means the world to me." He explained with a smile. Nabeel listened and smiled at last.

"I believe you. If you didn't even touch her after learning such a bad thing, then I don't think you ever would." It was true. Learning news like the wife you married wasn't actually willing to marry you, was very heartbreaking news. It could make many go crazy. Yet, Aarush, who he thought of as a psycho, didn't even touch her. His love for her seemed extremely high.

"Alright. Now forget about everything that happened. Let's go back and relax. Since I'm here for a few days, during my breaks from work and before I go back to Pakistan, we can hang out if you want? I'm not terrible at games. If anything, I'm probably better than you." Aarush spoke with a smile.

Nabeel felt like he bonded with Aarush after the whole incident, so he felt even more relaxed around him. "Sure, I don't mind. Even though you're Aeleya's husband, I don't mind teaching you who's boss when it comes to video games." Both of them joked on the way home. When he arrived back at Aeleya's house, he found Aeleya's dad waiting. All of them spoke happily and ate the food. After that, they watched the videos and Aarush finally had to go. Before he left, Aeleya's mom asked about a bruise on his face and swelling on his lip. He brushed it off with the excuse that he accidently ran into a metal pole and then bit his lip because of walking into it. It was believable, plus with Nabeel helping him out, she bought it right away.

He left soon after and got back to the hospital. He went into his office and began to work.