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been extremely
    good-looking and so was his son. The grinning idiot was probably flirting with Shahira to his heart’s
    content. For some strange reason, he felt irritated.
    Salma had been observing her son long before she’d called out to him. Noting with delight that his
    gaze returned repeatedly to Shahira. He was definitely interested she could tell, but being a man, he
    was also upset that instead of pining away for him she was actually having a good time. And now he
    was staring at the poor girl like a stern father.
    She diverted his attention. “Hussain, what a surprise! Why didn’t you tell us? So happy you could
    make it.”
    The evening passed quickly—too quickly for Hussain. He hardly got time to meet everyone
    properly and Amidst all the food and chatter, he forgot how tired he was and just enjoyed himself.
    The last guest finally departed at three in the morning. His mother and the kids had gone to bed much
    earlier. Only Shahira, playing the gracious hostess, smiling, still tempting, was there with him.
    As the last car drove away, he turned to her and said lightly, “You’re more popular with my family
    than I am.”
    She laughed. It was a pretty sound, soft and light. He smiled.
    “You seem to have taken on much more than you’d bargained for,” he said quietly, referring to their
    arrangement. Like a flower closing its petals, all the softness and light-heartedness vanished,
    replaced by the mask he’d seen on his last visit.
    She replied coolly, “I hope you don’t mind. I wasn’t trying to make inroads into your family or
    anything. It’s just that Aunty can’t arrange these things.”
    He held up his hand, “I didn’t mean anything of the sort. I was paying you a compliment. Or at least
    that was the intention.”
    Why was she so prickly?
    She looked surprised, then suspicious.
    “Oh.” With that profound observation, she quickened her pace and walked away from him as fast
    as she could.
    Well, one thing was for sure, he thought wryly, his wife of convenience couldn’t get away from him
    fast enough. Her aversion was reserved only for him apparently. She’d been friendly enough with
    other men of all ages and doubtful hygiene.
    Hussain decided that this time he would stay home for as long as he wanted it was his house after
    all, and she was his employee.
    ≈

    SIX

    Shahira’s pleasure in her beautiful clothes and the wedding revelry was much diminished because of
    Hussain’s presence. She had to be careful to behave like an employee around him and not appear to
    be having too much fun. She’d learned that lesson from Usman, who’d disliked her smiling too much,
    or wearing nice clothes, even if he hadn’t paid for them.
    She recalled his long lectures on how she wasted money. Once she’d made the mistake of saying
    that her parents had paid for the clothes. For three days, Usman, his mother and his entire family had
    berated her, saying her parents couldn’t afford anything and if they could why was she a burden on
    them? Why couldn’t she bring some of that money her parents seem to have so much of to support her
    husband and his family? Then had come the other permanent taunt—she was ungrateful; they fed her
    and clothed her, even though Usman had never once bought anything for her, and yet she couldn’t be a
    good wife and daughter-in-law. That incident had taught her never to explain or complain. She would
    always be wrong. She’d never be good enough. Period.
    “Hi.”
    Nudrat did a quick once-over and her eyes flickered uncertainly. If Shahira or any of their other
    friends looked exceptionally good, this strange expression flickered across Nudrat’s face and Shahira
    recognized it.
    “Hi, Nudrat. I’m so glad you could come,” she said smiling. It must be such a burden being in
    competition with other women all the time. She didn’t understand it at all.
    “I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Nudrat said, sounding sincere. “So, what’s the