chapter 48

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Izhaan's pov

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I opened my eyes in a panicked state.

"Oh god I'm late" I quickly checked the time

I heaved a sigh when I realised there was still enough time to go to the court.

My eyes went to Reem who was sleeping next to me, she looked distressed even in her sleep, there was a small frown etched to her forehead, I softly put my lips on her forehead.

I recalled last night, what the hell happened to me, why did I react so much over something so small. I regret my behaviour now.

My heart pained when I remembered how hurt Reem looked when I was yelling at her. Damn it! Why am I so stupid? I will make it upto her. I will ask for her forgiveness and enjoy this time with her.

I stared at her beautiful face, I could feel many desires waking up in me, I wanted to shower my love on her, I wanted to kiss her senseless

I turned on the side so that I can face her completely, I lowered my head and planted a kiss on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry Jaan, I got so angry at you" I said to her softly, I buried my face in her neck and inhaled her sweet scent, it was intoxicating.

She stirred in her sleep, I quickly laid back and pretended to be asleep. I felt her moving, then she sighed, for a few seconds there was no movement, I was about to open my eyes but then I felt her putting her head on my arm, she came closer to me, my heartbeat went crazy.

I could feel the warmth of her breath on my cheek and the heat of her gaze on my face.

"Sote mai kitna masoom lag raha hai aur raat ko kese shaitan ka mama lag raha tha (he is looking so innocent while sleeping, last night he looked like devil's uncle)" she huffed while holding my chin, with great difficulty I suppressed a smile

She held my face and placed a kiss on my cheek, my heart fluttered at her action, it was the first time she was coming closer to me on her own.

She played with my hair, then ran her finger from my forehead to my chin, it was becoming too difficult for me to control myself, she was really testing me.

"I'm sorry Izhaan for hurting you, but I promise I will make it up to you, I will show you how much I love you to convince you" she whispered, it was so hard to keep pretending, my fingers were itching to touch her

"You mean the world to me and I won't let you stay upset with me for long, I will make everything ok between us, you can show as much annoyance as possible, I will still make everything fine with my love" she said thinking I was asleep

If that's what you want my love, that's what you'll get, I will stay mad at you, just to see what you can do to convince me, even I want to see the height of your love for me.

I felt her finger on the outline of my lips, she was tracing it with so much love, her this action made me lose myself completely, I turned to face her and caged her in my arms, she gasped, ofcourse she was not expecting this from a sleeping guy

"Izhaan" she called me, perhaps to wake me up, but the way my name slipped out of her mouth made me forgot everything

I lifted her face up, and put my lips on hers and kissed her passionately, my hands were running all over her body.

Stop it Izhaan! I was yelling at myself, but it was so hard to not fulfill my desires at the moment, I continued pouring my love on her

Don't forget I am supposed to stay mad at her, but how can I when she is so close. I scolded myself and opened my eyes, she was already looking at me

"Izhaan you were angr...."

"I'm sorry" I made a serious face and apologized, I gave an impression as if what I just did was in my sleep

I sat up straight and was about to get off the bed, but she held my arm

"You don't have to be sorry for coming closer to me, I'm your wife" she said, I turned to look at her in shock, is it really my shy Reem, who runs away whenever I try to come close to her

It is all because she thinks that I'm upset with her, now I'm really interested in keeping this act on

I removed her hand from my arm

"I have to get ready" I said in a dry rude tone and got off the bed, without turning around I walked in the bathroom

Goodness, it was so difficult to push her away. But I loved how she was behaving. I am starting to enjoy it now.

I deliberately took longer time than usual, I'm sure the more attitude I'll show, the harder she'll try. I laughed evilly

Zyada khush na ho beta, kya pata meri rudeness pe mooh phulaye bethi ho, wese usse ummeed to yahi hai (don't be so happy, who knows she is now upset because of the way I spoke to her, to be honest I am actually expecting her to be mad at me)

I wrapped a towel around my waist and exited the bathroom, Reem was folding the blanket, she gave me a killer smile and walked towards me

Hayee (an expression of love)

She was really melting my heart. But I hid all the expression from my face.

"I took out your clothes, get ready I'll prepare your breakfast" she said sweetly and then left the room

I stared at her back in total state of shock.

Really! She is not angry! Awesome

If I knew she would treat me like this I would have got upset with her long time ago.

I entered the closet and looked at the neatly hung suit, I smiled. I was loving this giddy feeling inside me right now.

Just to irk her I took out another suit and wore it, I want to see how she would react when she will see that I was not wearing the suit she took out for me.

I looked out at the time, I still had some time to go, I thought of giving a call to Adarsh to find out if everything is prepared, but I could not find my phone anywhere. I remembered I kept it on the side table of the bed, but it wasn't there now.

After looking for it for a while, I gave up. I picked up Reem's phone to call on my number, I opened her phone book and smiled while searching for "jackass" but surprisingly there was no number with that name

"She has changed my name on her phone?" I wondered

I typed my number, a huge smile broke on my face when I saw "jaan" written with my number.

Wow! Congratulations Izhaan on your journey from jackass to jaan. I grinned

I heard my ringtone, it was coming from behind the table, I moved it a bit and recovered my phone, I kissed the screen of Reem's phone and put it back.

I dialled Adarsh's number

"Good morning sir" he answered immediately

"All set for today?" I got straight to the point

"Actually sir, there is something the client wants to discuss with you, can you come to the chamber right now?" he said hesitantly, I got angry

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" I shouted

"Umm sir, I.. aaaa" he irritated me, I rolled my eyes.

"I will be there in half an hour" I said, there was no point in getting angry now

"That's great I will inform Mr Quraish, that you are coming, he has been asking about you"

"What? Is he there already?" I asked getting surprised

"Yes sir"

"You should have told me sooner"

"I was just scared to inform you, this meeting was not in the schedule and I know you don't like to go off the time table" he said and I felt so annoyed

"You are an idiot Adarsh" I said and hung up

I'm sure Mr Quraish is here to discuss something important, I must reach soon, there is anyways only two hours left for the hearing to start.

I was keeping all the papers in my briefcase when the door opened and Reem entered dragging a trolley, she looked at me from head to toe, I was sure she was noticing my clothes, her eyes lost the spark for a second but she quickly recovered

"You are looking very handsome" she smiled

Suddenly I felt too guilty, I should have worn the suit she took out for me. I just gave her a weak smile.

I would have talked to her but right now I had to leave immediately

"I made breakfast for you" she said pointing at the well presented trolley she has just got.

I just wanted to hide her in my arms at her sweet gesture, but time was not on my side at the moment.

Very mercilessly I broke her heart. I was sure she will get upset with me now.

"I'm getting late, I don't have time to eat breakfast" I said and turned to leave without listening to her reply

I was on the stairs when I heard her calling me. I stopped

"Reem seriously I don't have time" I said sternly, but she smiled in reply.

"Take it with you please, have it in the car" she handed me a sandwich wrapped in a tissue paper. I took it from her hand.

"Best of luck" she kissed on my cheek. I looked at her in surprise, she has never been so expressive ever, is this really my Reem. Is she really that affected by my anger?

For a few seconds I just kept staring at her, she looked down, there was a shy smile on her face.

"Now you are not getting late?" She grinned, I came out of my trance. And turned to leave.

I wish I didn't have to leave her like this at the moment, but what to do work is important, I shook my head and made my way to the car.

I want to tell her that I am not upset with her anymore, but her behaviour is making me want to trouble her.

Just a little more than I will tell her, now I really want to see how far she will go for me.

*****

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Athar's POV

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"Don't worry dadi, everything is fine here" I said to dadi over phone, she is sitting so far even then she cannot stop worrying about us.

"I am so happy you decided to stay in Chandigarh, now when you will spend time with your in-laws they will realise how perfect you are for Ayesha" she said proudly, I laughed

"Let's see." I shrugged

"What do you mean? Are you not spending time with them?"

"Right now I'm going to the office"

"What is this Athar? Don't go to the office" she was clearly upset

"It's important dadi, I have not visited the Chandigarh branch in months, I want to see what is happening there, it was also one of the reasons I decided to stay"

"You are too much" I could imagine her shaking her head

"Don't worry I will return early" I tried to make her happy.

"Where is Ayesha and hayat?"

"Hayat is still sleeping, and Ayesha is downstairs with her mother"

"Izhaan's court hearing is also done, he told me everything went well, the judge will give his verdict in the next hearing, he is free now, why don't you call them to Chandigarh, they must be getting so bored at home" she said worriedly, I smirked

"Leave it dadi, why do you want to disturb their privacy" I laughed

"Shut up you shameless person, I'm hanging up now, I will call later" she said

"Bye my gorgeous dadi, I miss you and I love you" I blew her a kiss, she laughed

"Allah hafiz beta" she said and hung up.

I was ready to leave for the office, I thought of taking Ayesha along, but then I decided to let her spend time with her mother, after all she is meeting her parents after months and I have seen her yearning for them.

I made my way to the living room, mumma and Ayesha were there, I will just inform them that I'm going to the office.

I could hear multiple laughters coming from the living room, I stopped at the entrance, and looked inside, Ayesha was sitting with Farhan and one other girl whose name I didn't remember.

All three of them looked too busy with each totally oblivious of their surroundings, Ayesha threw her head back while laughing, then she hit farhan's arm, I clenched my fist seeing this.

I cleared my throat, they all looked at me. Farhan and the girl immediately got up and Farhan walked towards me, he extended his hand for a handshake, I looked at Ayesha, she was already looking at me.

I shook hands with Farhan and nodded my head at the girl in order to greet her.

"We have been waiting to meet you for so long, but Ayesha said you were sleeping" the girl complained, I looked at Ayesha, she looked away

"Oh no I was not sleeping, I was getting ready to go to the office" I said

"Office?" A voice came from behind me, I turned around and found mumma sitting there, I didn't know she was also there

"Yes! I have not been to the office for so long so thought till I'm here, I will see what is happening in the office, I already spoke to baba about it" I said in a soft respectable tone, she nodded her head

"Please come and sit with us for a while jeeju" the girl said to me

"Nitya" Ayesha glared at her

"What? He is your husband, that makes him my jeeju" she shrugged, then she looked at me "I hope you don't mind if I call you jeeju"

"Of course not" I shook my head

All of us sat on the sofa, I grinded my jaw when I saw Farhan sitting too close to Ayesha, but I controlled myself infront of mumma.

"We are planning to go out today, why don't you also come with us" Nitya said to me, but before I could reply Ayesha spoke

"Didn't you hear Nitya, he said he has to go to the office, then why do you want to disturb his schedule?" She said

"I wish you could come with us, but to be honest I'm happy that you are not coming, I will be the only guy between all the beautiful ladies" Farhan winked at Ayesha, she rolled her eyes, and it was becoming too difficult for me to handle myself

"You don't have to come with us, you can go home, we will have some girls time" Ayesha said, I felt a little happy at her answer

"Tum to chup hi raho, pehle hi khasi bewafai ki tumne mere hote kisi aur ki ho gayi aur ab bhi mere bina jane ki baat kar rahi ho (you just keep quiet, you have already been enough unfaithful, you have become someone else's even when I have been there)" Farhan said

His words burnt me, I would have beaten him to pulp if Ayesha's mother was not here.

"Awwww bas waqt bura tha warna maine kaha kisi aur ka hona tha (just the time was bad otherwise how could I have become someone else's)" Ayesha nudged her shoulder with his and I saw red.

I wanted to bury both of them alive for being so shameless.

"You are the sweetest" Farhan put his arm over Ayesha's shoulder, testing my patience further, before I could say anything mumma spoke

"Ayesha go and call Hayat also" she said

"Yeah go quickly Ayesha" Farhan pushed her lightly. Ayesha shook her head and got up, I was burning with anger.

She got up and walked towards the exit, she was just about to exit but then she stopped

"Oops" she said and then she bent down, her top lifted from her back and her waist was on complete display, I looked at Farhan and found him already staring at her, the last string of my patience broke, I got up and went to Ayesha, I grabbed her arm and dragged her to the room

"Mr Khan! What are you doing?" She said in anger, but I ignored her

Once we were in the room I left her arm with a jerk, she stumbled but balanced herself from falling

"How dare you?" I held her arms roughly

"How dare I what?" She asked as if she didn't know what she just did

"How could you flirt with Farhan that too infront of me?" I shouted

"What? I was flirting with Farhan? Are you out of your mind?" She wiggled to free herself

"Don't bring out the devil from me Ayesha, you will not be able to handle it" I left her and turned around, I was breathing heavily to calm myself.

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Ayesha's pov

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I failed to understand what got Mr Khan so angry, I didn't do anything to upset him. He stood straight and looked at me, from head to toe.

"What the hell are you wearing?" He snarled at me, I looked down at my cream coloured top and blue skinny jeans

"You don't know what this is?" I raised my eyebrows at him

"Shut up Ayesha. What do you think of yourself? You really like to flaunt your beauty, why did you bent infront of Farhan?" His question made me so disgusted and angry at the same time

"Excuse me!" I narrowed my eyes at him

"You think I'm not aware what you were doing there" his words were laced with venom

"You know what, think whatever you want, I don't care" I said and was about to walk off when he held my arm and made me stand in front of him

"Change your clothes" he ordered

"Who are you to order me?"

"I'm your husband. You will not step out of this room without changing, and you are not going anywhere with your so called friends"  he pointed a finger at me, I scoffed

"Who will stop me? You?" I said mocking him, he grinded his jaw

"Yes I will"

"I'm in my father's house, I don't need your permission" I said and flicked my hair with attitude, I was sure I left him speechless

He held my arm painfully strong.

"I am your husband, Allah has made you my responsibility, and without my permission you cannot exit the house, you are supposed to wear what I tell you to, you are totally dependent on me. And I don't need your father's permission to take my rights, do you understand?" He said chewing every word, anger was oozing out from him.

I could see the same Mr Khan in him right now which I saw on my birthday eve. I had to calm him before he goes and starts hitting Farhan, but there was no way I was going to talk nicely with him

"You are overthinking, there is nothing like that"

"Oh please you don't tell me that"

"I will be careful, but right now I am going out with my friends and I am not going to change my clothes" even after trying I couldn't hide annoyance from my voice

"So that you can show more of your beauty to him" he said looking at my naked arms, I felt so angry

"I was not showing anything to him, my phone fell and I was only picking that up" I shouted in anger and waved my phone infront of him. "And now I'm going with them" I was about to turn to leave but he snatched my phone from my hand and before I could understand what was happening I saw my broken phone on the floor, I looked at it in shock.

"You are not going anywhere without my permission, understand?" He shouted, then he left while banging the door.

I sat on the floor and picked up my phone, It was badly damaged, I felt so angry.

What does he think of himself? What have I done to deserve this anger? I thought hard to find out my mistake.

"You really like to flaunt your beauty" his sarcastic voice played in my head like a broken record.

I quickly got up and stood in front of a mirror, I looked at my reflection, I didn't see  anything wrong in the spaghetti top and jeans I was wearing, but the way he said that made me so disgusted by myself.

I opened my cupboard, took out a long sleeved shrug and wore it. What a cheap man he is!

Who is he to tell me what I will wear? And there is no way I'm going to change my clothes because of his order, I wore this shrug because of the cheap thing he said.

Mai to jaungi apne friends k sath, kar lein yeh jo kar sakte hai (I will go out with my friends, he can do whatever he wants)

I went back to the living room, everyone was sitting as I left them a few minutes ago, but yes Hayat was now there, I looked around to find him, but he wasn't there. I sighed in relief

I opened my mouth to speak but stopped when mumma spoke

"Ayesha beta! What happened to you?" She held my cheek, she looked so worried

Does she know what just happened between me and Mr Khan?

"Nothing" I shook my head, to cut the conversation short I turned to everyone else, "shall we go now?"

"Yaar you should have told us that you were not feeling well, we would have understood, we can go out some other time" nitya said, I frowned in confusion

"She is right bhabhi, thanks to Athar Bhai who told us that you are unwell, even then you were going out just to make us happy. Oh bhabhi you are so sweet" hayat hugged me lovingly

So you have done this Mr Khan. I felt so angry at him.

"Since you guys are not going, come to the dining area, I'll get tea prepared" mumma said and left

"By the way I'm also very sweet" Farhan bent in front of hayat and winked at her, Hayat's mouth dropped open

"Ji?" She said. I rolled my eyes, this guy can never stop with his flirting

"Behave Farhan, she is just a child" nitya scolded him, he put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him

"Ok she is a child, but you are not" he smiled flirtatiously at nitya, she jabbed his stomach. Hayat was looking at them with a huge smile on her face, whereas I suddenly lost interest with everything.

"Ayesha" mumma called, I went outside to look for her

"Yes?" I stood infront of her, she held my hand and took me in her room. Once we entered she locked the door behind us

"What's the matter?" She asked, I frowned

"Huh?"

"I know something happened between you and Athar, you both looked fine in the morning, but he looked upset while leaving and you are also behaving oddly" her concerned voice encouraged me to share my problem with her, but I didn't know where to start from.

She made me sit on the bed with her, she held my face.

"Why do you fight with him beta? Such a nice loving guy he is, I feel so happy whenever I look at him, and his love for you ..." She continued how great my son in law is saga, but I couldn't hear it anymore

"Stop it mumma. He is not that great stop speaking so highly of him" I got upset and said something which I shouldn't have said, because I wanted to give them impression that I am living a happy married life.

"Why should I not talk highly of him, my son in law is so deserving" she smiled, and that irked me

" You were asking me what happened between me and him. Let me tell you, we had a fight. He shouted on me without any reason. Now you can imagine how "deserving"he is" I said, a frown appeared on her forehead

"Fight? About what?"

"Nothing happened to me, I'm perfectly fine, he lied to everyone about my health because he doesn't want me to go anywhere with Farhan. Can you believe it? He is jealous of him. He said that I was flirting with Farhan. He shouted at me so much about something so stupid." I said, she heaved a sigh

"Honestly it's not his fault. No man can see his wife talking with any other guy like you were talking with Farhan. Even I did not like how you both were talking and sitting" she glared at me and I looked at her in shock

" How can you say that? It's farhan we are talking about mumma, don't you know him? He has always been like this. I have always been like this with him. So what has changed now?"

" You are married now, and you should know your limits. I am on Athar's side about it" she narrowed her eyes at me. I decided to tell her each and every word he said, so that she can see that she is wrong to take his side

She sat and listen everything very carefully but I couldn't read from her face what was going in her head.

"Now you tell me how he can say bad about my clothes? And I am not bound to take his permission" I was getting angry now, she held my hand and sighed

"You should listen to him beta, if he doesn't like something don't wear it, if he doesn't want you to go somewhere, don't go there. Allah has been so kind to you to give you such a loving and caring husband, value him. I have seen how rudely you talk with him, even your baba was complaining about it."

"But mumma how can you ignore that he made me disgusted with my clothes and he said he will not let me go out" I said in irritation, the softness from mumma's face and tone suddenly disappeared and she shouted at me

"You will wear clothes of his choice and only will go out with him, you are not a child anymore Ayesha, stop this stupid behaviour. Athar is righ ..." Before she could complete her sentence, I put my hand on my ears

"Aisa lag raha hai aap unki maa aur meri saas hai, aapse zyada to unki maa hi saath deti hai mera (it feels like he is your son, and you are my mother-in-law. His mother favors me more than you do)" I huffed " I just don't want to talk to you" I got up and left, there was no point of staying with her.

I came to my room and again stood in front of a mirror. I was critically looking at myself, I knew what to wear now, I walked towards the closet.

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