Syed couldn't remember when he'd started using the shower as an escape. He would stand under the flow of water, close his eyes, and pretend he was somewhere else. He'd leave all the stresses of his married life behind him, and drift back to the flat where he had been truly happy. The problem was he couldn't stay in his happy place forever. He sighed and got out of the shower, shivering as he realised he'd let the water get cold. He grabbed a towel, heading towards the bedroom he now shared with Amira. Luckily, she had already gone downstairs for breakfast, leaving Syed alone with his thoughts. Or rather, his one thought, which was always, as it had been since the moment they'd parted for the last time, Christian Clarke.

He dressed quickly and went downstairs to greet his wife. He stopped outside the kitchen door, took a deep breath, plastered on his fake smile and walked through the door.

As far as Amira was concerned, there was nothing more beautiful than her husband, still glistening from his morning shower, smiling down at her. She got up from where she was sitting at the kitchen table and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Morning" she smiled, "You okay?"

Syed nodded, "Never better"

Amira wrapped her arms around his strong waist, and he sighed. He wished he could hurry up and fall in love with her, like his mother had told him he would at the wedding 6 months ago. She should be so easy to love, she was beautiful, kind, gentle, and she would be a good wife and mother. In a way, Syed did love her, but the problem was he wasn't in love with her.

Just then, Zainab bustled through the door, a small baby in her arms.

"Morning, mum" Syed greeted her, letting go of Amira to give her a hug. She smiled at Amira, before settling down into one of the chairs.

"How are you this fine morning, Zainab?" Amira asked.

"Well, I've been sorting out the Masala Queen accounts all morning with Jane" she sighed, "Not an easy task when all she wants to do is talk! I mean, she's a lovely woman, but I don't really know how it affects me that her brother has returned to Walford"

Syed froze, "Christian?"

"Well, yes, who else?" Zainab muttered. Amira grinned, happy to have her friend back in town.

"So, when did he get back?" Amira asked.

"Last night, I think, but..." she trailed off as she noticed the look on Syed's face. He was staring in shock, and Zainab's eyes widened as she realised the bombshell she had just dropped on her son. Syed suddenly jerked into action, grabbing his coat from the back of a chair and moving towards the door,

"I'm just going to..."

"Syed!" Zainab yelled sharply, "A word, please"

He sighed, defeated, and walked towards the living room, Zainab close behind him. She shut the door behind them, much to Amira's annoyance. She didn't like having secrets in her own house.

As soon as the door was firmly closed, Zainab turned her attention to Syed, a look of determination on her face.

"Syed, you're not to go anywhere near the Beale's house, ok? I don't know how long Christian is staying, but it would do neither of you any good to see each other"

"Mum, you can't stop me going out of the house" Syed insisted, "Anyway, he's my friend, I wanna see how he is"

"But we both know he's not just your friend, is he, Syed?"

He sighed, "I'm sure he's forgotten all about that by now. He's been in Miami; there are many attractive men for him to have the time of his life with"

Zainab eyed him distastefully, "And have you forgotten about it?"

Syed looked his mother in the eye, "What do you think?"

Zainab groaned, "Syed, we've been over this so many times!"

"I was in love with him, and you forced me to get married, mum!" he yelled, "Did you expect me to just fall back out of it? Because that was never gonna work, was it?"

Zainab sighed, "Syed, you can't do this, you love Amira!"

"I do!" he saw a glimmer of hope in his mother's eyes, "but I'm not in love with her, she's like a friend, or a sister"

"You're a good boy, Syed, a good Muslim; don't throw that all away by..."

"By what? Being happy?"

"Syed, he'll have moved on, you said so yourself, what's the point of doing this?"

"I don't care, I have to see him, even if he hates me, I love him, and I always will"

Syed swung open the door and started to rush out to see Christian, but he was stopped in his tracks. Standing on the other side of the door, eyes wide with shock, was Amira.....