The lounge was alive with chatter — cousins sprawled on sofas, tea cups clinking, laughter echoing. Palvasha sat with her husband Saad, while Maria, Sameer, and Chohan gossiped in the corner. Right in the middle of it all stood Daniyal, cocky grin plastered on his face as he leaned just a little too close to YN.

His jokes were playful but his nervous energy betrayed him. Still, he pushed on, trying to impress.

Daniyal (grinning, cocky but shaky under it): “Tumhein pata hai, har family gathering ka main highlight tum hoti ho. Matlab… seriously, baaki sab toh background noise hain.”

The cousins burst out laughing, some egging him on, others rolling their eyes. But while Daniyal played his game, everyone’s attention shifted to the man in the corner.

Asfandyar Khan.

Tall, broad, his 6’3 Pashtun frame radiating cold dominance. His glare, sharp as a blade, stayed fixed on Daniyal. The room’s energy dipped — the kind of silence people feel when a predator’s watching. His jaw tightened, his fists flexed once, but his expression didn’t crack. He stood straight, calm, intimidating, as if one wrong word from Daniyal would earn him a broken jaw.

Finally, his deep baritone cut through the laughter.

Asfandyar Khan (slow, controlled, ice in his tone): “Daniyal. Har gathering mein highlight banana hai toh tameez seekh lo pehle. Joke banane aur izzat todne mein fark hota hai.”

The room stilled. Daniyal’s cocky grin faltered, but he tried to laugh it off.

Daniyal (raising his hands in mock surrender, smirking nervously): “Arre Asfand bhai, relax… bas mazaak kar raha tha. Itna serious kyun ho gaye?”

Asfandyar didn’t move. His eyes shifted briefly toward YN, and in that fleeting glance, there was something softer, almost vulnerable — a crack in the armor that only she could cause. But the moment passed, his cold mask snapping back into place.

Asfandyar Khan (voice low, steady, almost a warning): “Main sirf tab serious hota hoon jab koi hadh paar karta hai. Aur Daniyal… tum abhi bohot kareeb ho uss line ke.”

The cousins exchanged looks, whispers rising. Everyone knew. They always knew. The unspoken tie between Asfandyar and YN simmered in the air, undeniable, even if neither dared admit it out loud.