• her sanity •

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Shaheer took off the piece of cloth from Hunain's face, turning it into a makeshift bandage and pressed it over the wound.

His eyes welled up as he applied pressure to the wound which was profusely bleeding, his eyes darting around for any sign of help. He looked over at Gule who had frozen in her place due to shock.

"Gule, look at me. I need you to take out my phone, it's in the right pocket. Call the ambulance. Don't panic, please." He urgently guided her as she acted upon his words with panicked nerves.

Gule's hands trembled as she fumbled with his phone, dialing emergency services as he pressed the makeshift bandage against the wound, desperately trying to keep Hunain conscious.

"Mujhy tumsy bass ek shikayat hai. Nai, do." Hunain's voice was strained, barely audible.

"Chup karo." Shaheer urged, his voice cracking. Hunain weakly smiled, the pain increasing with each passing second.

"Tum bohut deeth ho. You never let me ride your bike," A pained smile tugged at the corner of his lips, crimson continued staining his shirt, "aur tumny mujhy kabhi apna barra bhai samajh kar apny kaan nai kheenchny diye."

"Tum mery barry bhai ho. Aur agar tum mujhy maarty, tou mein kabhi tumpy ghussa na karta." Shaheer replied, his voice shaky.

"Am I dying?" Hunain asked hearing the words as he tried to move up to look at his wound. The slight movement caused him to wince in pain as his head began to feel heavier. Tears streamed down Gule's face as she shook her head watching the scene unfold.

"You're not dying. You're going to be fine. Stay awake. Ankhein band mat karna." Shaheer tapped his cheek to keep him in his senses. As he desperately tried to stem the bleeding, the distant wail of sirens grew louder, offering a glimmer of hope in the night.

"Jojo. Tum iss waqt mujhy meri maut ka farishta lag rahy ho." Hunain looked at him with half-opened eyes.

"Shut up. Shut the hell up. I'm going to kill you myself, you can't die yet." Shaheer threatened, his voice shaky.

Soon, they were standing outside the emergency room where Hunain was taken for the operation. Shaheer rubbed his face with his hands, gaining back his composure as he gazed over at Gule.

"Are you okay?" He asked her with concern and worry evident in his eyes. Gule stared at him, saying nothing. "Gule-" He reached out towards her but she stepped back instead.

"It's not your job to protect me anymore." Gule's voice trembled, breaking the silence. It took Shaheer a few seconds to realise what she meant.

"It's not my job, but my whole goddamn business to protect you." Shaheer responded, his stern voice cut through the stillness with a firm resolve. Gule looked at him, her teary eyes carrying guilt in them.

He stepped closer, eyes locked on hers. "You're my wife, Gulunu," he declared, a hint of vulnerability beneath his protective exterior. "I protect what's mine." His thumb gently rubbed the corner of her eye to wipe the lone tear which was about to slide out.

"Only if I wouldn't have gone there," she confessed, a regretful tone in her voice, "then you wouldn't have come looking for me."

"I'd come looking for you even if the world was falling apart." He countered, a steadfast promise.

"It's not your fault," he reassured as he gently touched her cheek. "He's going to be fine. Okay?" Gule melted into his touch, closing her eyes she slowly nodded.

The atmosphere softened and concern overtook them. She was seated on the chair, hands pressed together with chants of prayers in her heart as Shaheer kept pacing around or stood next to the wall of the operation room, not resting for a second.

The operation went on for hours before a nurse rushed out. Shaheer sprinted forward to ask about the condition. "The patient has lost way too much blood." The nurse informed.

Gule who had also stood up, fell back on the seat, her legs giving up on her. She could not bear to witness another loss. She would not be able to live again.

They needed to arrange blood for Hunain. Shaheer belonged to the O negative blood group so he quickly volunteered to give his blood.

He handed Gule her phone and went after leaving her in the care of a nurse. Gule requested for a charger and as soon as her phone turned on, she contacted Radwa who had left her 101 missed calls. She must've been worried sick.

Radwa told her to send her location as she'd only feel at peace after meeting her even after Gule's assurances that she was fine. The hospital was located in the outskirts so it was quite far but she insisted that she'd come with her father.

Shaheer returned and Gule noticed he looked paler. He'd gotten hit while fighting as well and he hadn't rested for a second the entire night.

"Did you get your lip treated?" He moved closer to look at her. Her heart clenched seeing how he worried for her even in this condition.

"It's just a small scratch, I'm fine. You should've gotten your wounds treated-" She looked over at his bruised knuckles.

"It's fine." He shrugged it off like it's nothing. It was a shocking and tiring night, but Hunain's condition was weighing everything else down. The gloomy silence took over them again.

"You haven't eaten anything, you must be hungry. Do you want me to-"

"No. It's fine." She quickly rejected the offer. He was struggling to keep himself sane and she couldn't help but blame herself for everything that happened.

The silence hung in the air as Gule fiddled with her fingers, grappling with guilt. The surgeon finally came out, a solemn expression on his face.

"He's stable, but it was touch-and-go. The blade narrowly missed a vital artery. He's lucky to be alive." The surgeon delivered the news that echoed like a distant thunderstorm.

Gule left out a sigh of relief. Hunain was alive. He was fine. Shaheer covered his face with both his hands, slightly stumbling on his feet.

"You seem to be injured too. Get yourself treated." The surgeon said. "He's going to be shifted to the room. You can see him then."

"Thank you." Shaheer nodded.

Soon after, they were in a private room with the sound of machines humming. Hunain was still unconscious, lying motionless on the bed. His face looked pale and weak.

Shaheer was making a call to someone from work to get some information on the kidnappers and the attacker. Gule stared at Hunain, who looked nothing like the man who would joke around with her every single time they met. He'd become like an older brother to her in such a short while.

"Gule?" Shaheer rested his hand on her shoulder, startling her out of her thoughts.

"Thak gai hun." She murmured in a weak voice, looking drained. "Ghar jana hai mujhy."

"Okay, I'll drop-"

"You should stay." Gule cut him off, "I called Radwa. She'll be here soon, I'll go with her." She assured.

Shaheer didn't push it and soon Radwa had arrived with her father. After exchanging short greetings, she left with them as Shaheer stayed back with Hunain.

Shaheer was wide awake, deep in thoughts sitting on the chair next to Hunain's bed. He could think more clearly now. Those kidnappers were goons hired for this job. But the attacker was someone professional.

He's going to chop him into pieces, but after finding out who sent him. If it's Zarar's doing, then this time, it'll only end with someone's dead body.

Hunain's eyes finally opened, adjusting to the dim light. His gaze landed on Shaheer, who was staring intently, lost in thought, looking weary. Shaheer got alert when he heard him grunt and rushed to call the nurse.

A few hours later, he was fully in his senses and settled on the slightly raised bed with Shaheer beside him who kept checking on his condition and helped him drink some water.

"I've informed the team about the incident, they're looking into the attacker's information. We'll catch him soon." He told Hunain who glanced at his reddened eyes and tired looking face.

"Mujhy nai pata tha tum mujhy ly kar itny protective ho, Sherry." Hunain weakly joked, attempting to lighten the heavy atmosphere with a touch of humor.

"Seeing how you're back to uttering non-sense, you must be feeling fine now." Shaheer remained serious as Hunain lightly smiled.

"Mery peechy kya leny aaye thy tum? Mein gadha tha jo tumhy mana kar ky gaya tha." He questioned, a mix of frustration and concern evident in his voice.

"Wo tou tum ho jo akely nikal pary thy." Hunain retorted. Shaheer wasn't fazed by his remark and continued glaring at him.

"Tumny bhi mery liye apni zindagi qurban ki thi." Hunain added, a flicker of genuine emotion seeping through his eyes. "Tumhary liye ankhein band kar ky jaan dy sakta hun apni."

"Ainda iss tarah ki bakwas mat karna." Shaheer replied sternly.

"Acha, you're welcome and I love you too." Hunain chuckled, warmth in his eyes. "Ab itna pyar barsa ky sharminda mat karo mujhy."

Shaheer didn't respond as usual. The gratitude he felt for the unwavering friendship and support Hunain had provided him with by simply being in his life's journey throughout was inexpressible.

Hunain remained admitted in the hospital for 2 weeks and Shaheer spent the nights with him as he carried on to work on the case as well. Even though the case was going to be handed over to the police, but Shaheer insisted it involved Zarar and two of the agents were attacked so it should be personally handled by the team.

After quite a discussion, the chief approved of it. But he was told to step out of it since he had personal involvement as a witness. He didn't back out though. With ISI's resources, they could quickly get to the depth of the incident.

He continued working on it discreetly. They caught the kidnappers quite easily but they insisted on not knowing who assigned them the job. It took him a week to confirm that it was indeed Zarar's doing. What confirmed it was Gule description of him.

When she was visited for a statement, she'd said she wanted to talk without him present there which surprised him. She had not been answering his calls and only replied to texts telling him she was fine.

He had so many questions for her but she was putting a gap between them which made him feel uneasy. He realised she might need some space and decided to give her time. But something inside him told that she'd found something she shouldn't have.

With so many things going on in his head, he couldn't do anything but wait. Most of all, he missed her everyday. To make matters worse, Hunain being a patient was a headache and it was as if he was babysitting a 5-year-old. He wanted attention 24/7 and threw tantrums over everything.

"Mein yeh rookha sookha khana ab aur nai khaun ga, isski jagah mujhy noodles ka soup la do!" He'd refuse to drink soup as he was not allowed to eat solid stuff till his wound got better. It made Shaheer want to punch his wound.

Gule had been staying at her house. Neelofer baaji was there and Radwa visited her almost everyday. Avoiding him was hard, extremely tough for her, but she didn't know if she could face him yet.

She'd been waiting for months to listen to his story, but from his own self. For him to open up when he was ready. She had no idea she'd end up finding out about it in this way.

She didn't really believe everything she was told, but it was hard not to think it could all be true since Shaheer had been so reluctant to tell anything to her. She shut her eyes closed as those words repeated in her head.

"He was not the drug dealer and he was definitely put in jail unfairly. But, that does not change the fact that he is much worse."

"Your husband, Shaheer Junejo, is a murderer."

"He killed a man to get out of jail."

"So ruthlessly, he let him burn in fire."

"Just like someone left his mother to burn in fire."

"He's been wanting revenge all his life. Just because he met you, doesn't mean he's lost that motive."

"Once he finds out the truth, he won't tolerate you."

"He'll realise you're a huge mistake. A punishment."

"Your being, your existence will become a-"

Her eyes flashed open. Those words haunted her. What did he mean by that? Why will he think of her as a mistake? Why her? She had so many questions for that psychotic man.

It was finally the day Hunain was getting discharged. So along with Radwa, she went to visit him at the hospital. She felt bad for not visiting him sooner, but she had to avoid meeting her handsome husband who's sharp enough to read her like an open book in one glance.

"You could've chosen better clothes for today. Itny pyary pyary kapray latkay hein meri closet mein." Hunain complained looking at the off white shirt, which was the only dull coloured shirt he owned.

"It looks like a kids clothing section. I brought the most decent ones. So just wear these and stop complaining like a 5-year-old." Shaheer was done babysitting this man older than him.

Before Hunain could respond, the door opened, and Gule entered with Radwa beside her. Hunain's eyes lit up at the sight of Radwa.

"How're you?" Radwa asked after they were done greeting. Gule could feel Shaheer's heated gaze on her without even looking in his direction.

"Extremely handsome and dashing." Hunain's grin widened as Radwa rolled her eyes at his answer. He looked entirely too pleased with himself.

"We need to talk, Gule." Shaheer approached Gule in quick strides ignoring everyone and everything else in the room. Holding her hand, he walked out with her as she followed without a word.

"Is your wound better now? It doesn't hurt, right?" Radwa asked, her tone soft for the first time while talking to him.

"It was doing great, until you asked about it and it got the unnecessary attention it didn't need, so now it's sizzling with pain." Hunain sighed dramatically. He enjoyed the attention way too much though.

"Tum kabhi seedha jawab nai dy sakty? Iss halat mein bhi sakoon nai hai." Radwa shook her head, exasperated.

"Dekho, iss-" Hunain tried to squat down to grab the bag on the floor, wincing slightly, and Radwa instinctively reached out to hold it for him.

"Don't bend like this yet. It'll strain the healing tissues and might lead to complications." She carefully said.

"You're talking like a doctor now," Hunain's eyes sparkled mischievously upon seeing her concern.

"I might be one in making," she told, causing him to raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"Oh shit," he muttered under his breath, amusement crossing his features. "An intelligent girl is my weakness!" Radwa started at him, speechless and surprised as he uttered the next words.

"Beauty with brains," he smiled charmingly, the words carrying a sincere admiration and she could only stare at him with her mouth ajar. This man was nuts. He was flirting with her. In a hospital room. Did he hurt his head due to the fall as well?

Shaheer pinned Gule to the wall, his hold on her arms was strong to not let her move, but gentle.

"What did he say to you?" He examined her expression, a mix of concern and curiosity evident.

"He said nothing," she replied, her voice a hushed whisper.

"Tell me every single detail without missing anything out," he insisted, his eyes searching hers for reassurance. "Did he try to hurt you?"

"He didn't try to hurt me," she reassured, sensing the concern in his gaze.

"Agar ussny tumhy haath bhi lagaya tha tou mein ussky haath kaat dun ga," he declared, a protective edge to his voice.

"If it's something worse?" She questioned, her eyes reflecting a mix of fear and uncertainty.

"I'll kill him myself," he responded grimly as his jaw tightened. She felt a shiver run down her spine, realizing the depth of his determination and the lengths he was willing to go to protect her.

It reminded her of when she saw him for the second time in the hotel room. God she could never forget. The confidence remained unmatched. He was a stranger to her at that time. Still so self-assured. It obviously left an impact because it'd been a year and she still remembered the moment vividly.

That moment was magic and it had no reason to be other than him showing just how confident he was in his own skill and judgment. He's been that way ever since. One of his most admirable qualities.

But now, it caused her heart to ache, it made her afraid because he might not just be bluffing. She scooped her arm out of his grip as she pushed him a step away to make space between them.

"He just," she avoided meeting his gaze, "talked. Told me some lies about you and gave empty threats." She was vague and reluctant.

He clenched his jaw looking at the space between them. He had guessed that Zarar would've mentioned his past to her and he knew Gule too well to know why she was avoiding him. She wanted to hear him tell his story with his perspective to believe on it.

"What happened to your lip?" He countered.

"That was, well, a hard blow-"

"I'm going to kill him!" The fact that he had the audacity to raise his hand on her boiled his blood.

"Shaheer. You can't just talk about killing someone so simply. You're-"

"No worries. They're almost at the verge of dying already and he's lost his job again." Hunain piped up from the door, unable to resist. Shaheer passed him a glare.

"You should've kept your cool." Gule met his gaze, a frown creasing her brows.

"I should've fucking killed him." He seethed with anger as Hunain gasped loudly, slapping a hand over his mouth, eyes wide as saucers.

"Yeah no shit bro. Didn't know I'd live to the day to see Jojo curse like that. My ears are blessed." Hunain cried out dramatically.

Gule and Radwa looked between them and then at each other. After a silent staring contest between the four, they decide to leave the hospital building as Shaheer was done with filling the procedure.

They were almost by the door when Hunain's eyes landed on Shaheer bike parked by the front. He stopped in his tracks right there.

"Don't tell me you're planning to take me back on this royal sawari in this condition?" He looked at Shaheer as if he'd grown two horns on his head.

"We drove here on Ajwa's car. She can drop you off on her sawari in a healthier way. Safe and sound. Guaranteed." Gule offered as Radwa shot her a look of disbelief.

"She will?" Hunain raised his brows, internally excited and grateful upon receiving the offer.

"Sure." Radwa gritted, smiling forcefully.

Without wasting time, they started heading towards the door as they both went ahead in her car's direction, while the married couple watched them leave from behind.

"You have a driving license, right?" Hunain interrogated.

"Yes." She confirmed.

"Asli hai na, pakka?" He asked in a suspicious tone.

"Nai, fraud kar ky banwaya tha." She replied, annoyed already.

"Mujhy shak nai, yakeen hai iss baar tum sach bol rahi ho." Hunain dramatically turned around to look at Shaheer.

"Sherry bro? Agar mein marr warr gaya tou-" He couldn't complete his sentence as Radwa aggressively opened the back door of the car.

"Betho andar." She ordered.

"Mujhy front seat par bethna hai!" He folded his arms over his chest.

"Seriously?!" She was agitated, but was in no mood to delay this any further so she obliged and let him have the front seat. "You can't even wear the seatbelt."

The banter between Hunain and Radwa continued until they settled in the car. Gule tilted her head, glancing at them from afar with a hint of amusement. "I think they make a cute couple."

"He is annoying." Shaheer grunted.

"So is she." She shrugged in response.

Shaheer silently observed her then carefully held her hand in his. "Let's go." He guided them towards his bike as she silently sat behind him, her hand on his shoulder. He rode the bike to a very known place instead of their home.

They reached Lake View Park, a place which was a quiet solace for Gule, wrapped in memories. She always came here when worried. Today, he brought her here without her having to say a word.

Gule slipped off her shoes, feeling the cool grass under her bare feet. They silently walked until she reached the spot near the tree, with the best view of the lake and the sunset. She settled down on the grass, and Shaheer sat beside her.

"Suno." He called, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Sun rahi hun." She looked over, a gentle question in her gaze.

"I've lied to you a lot of times." He swallowed, as if tasting the weight of his words.

"Go ahead," she replied lightly, though her curiosity was evident. "Abhi sab jhoot ginwao."

His tone grew somber. "Actually, I didn't guess your foot size. I knew everything about you, long before we met."

Her eyebrows raised. "Tum mery fan thy?" She teased, but the look in his eyes held no humor.

"Tumhy use karna chahta tha." He admitted, his gaze dropping.

For a moment, Gule's heart stilled, then she gave a soft shrug. "Koi baat nahi. Tum bhi tou ab mery haathon zindagi bhar use ho gy."

He quietly smiled, the tension softening. "I was consumed by only one thing. Avenging my mother's death." That was till he met her and gained a new purpose in life.

He'd never spoken about this before and as he talked about it, his voice grew heavier. She reached over, placing her hand over his.

They were gradually breaking the barriers of communication between them as he was finally opening up to her about his past.

"It must've been really hard all by yourself. But you grew up so well, Shaheer." She moved to pat his head lovingly, "I'm so proud of you."

Shaheer could only stare at her in awe. When he'd met her, he never imagined that someone like him could ever deserve her.

He was all messed up and she was as pure as the snow. What if he messed her life up? Because of his rough dark past, he was afraid he'd ruin her. Only to realise, he can only live next to her.

"I thought, if you'd know everything about me, you'd be afraid of someone like me." He admitted.

"Apny muhafiz sy bhi koi darta hai kya?" Gule said as she remembered all the times he'd appeared to save her in times of danger. His past didn't matter to her since she knew he was not a person who'd hurt someone on purpose, ever.

"You don't seem to know that you're such a wonderful person." Her eyes glistened with tears as she looked at the lonely 6 year old child who grew up to be this man sitting by her side.

"Tum mujhy pehly kyun nai mili?" His voice was raw, almost vulnerable.

"Kyun ky tumny itni dair kar di mujhy dhoondhny mein." She smiled, the soft rays of the sun catching her face as her heart lightened. "But koi baat nai, dair aaye durust aaye!"

The sun shone a little bit brighter as her smile grew a little bit wider, and in that moment, his problems were no more. She was, definitely, the most beautiful person, inside and out.

"I live for your smile." He spoke, his voice barely a breath.

"I wish I could make you smile too." Gule's eyes glimmered with warmth. She always wondered what could make him smile and laugh more. Because his smile was the most beautiful and she cherished those rare moments of witnessing it.

"You make my heart smile." He leaned closer, eyes fixed on hers.

Her heartbeat quickened, and she whispered, half-joking, "Stop it, Shaheer. I'm going to die of a heart attack if you continue-"

"Don't talk about dying like this." His expression turned serious. He'd experienced almost losing her and it killed him to even think about it.

"Agar tumhy kuch ho jata tou mein mar jata." He said, voice thick.

She shook her head, meeting his gaze steadily. "Tumhary hoty huye mujhy kuch kesy ho sakta hai." She spoke with confidence.

They sat there enjoying the view of the sunset in solace, her head resting on his shoulder appreciating the view and his company.

"It's getting late. Let's go." He reached for her hand, gently helping her to her feet.

As they started walking, Gule winced, her foot catching on a stray twig. Shaheer stopped immediately, his hand finding her shoulder for support. "Why are you walking barefoot like this?"

He knelt down, carefully slipping her shoes back on. A warm smile crossed her lips, watching him. He was still the same person she'd met and she hoped for him to never change.

On the ride back home, Gule noticed he took the wrong turn. "This is not the direction to our home." She called out from behind.

"We have somewhere to go before that." He said and increased the speed.

They rode in silence until they reached his workplace. They got off the bike and Gule furrowed her brows in confusion, unaware of the purpose of going there.

She followed him inside with questions racing through her mind as he only told her she'll see what they were here for. They went to the basement floor, where there were cell like rooms to hold questioning sessions with potential criminals.

After talking to a guard in uniform, he gave her an assuring look and entered inside one of those rooms. There sat a very known face which stilled Gule's entire being for a moment. Shaheer approached him.

"Zarar," he began, his voice steady but sharp, standing in front of the man in cuffs. Gule's description of the kidnapper matched Zarar's, thus they got the warrant to arrest him for 48 hours.

Shaheer had those hours to search up his workplace and home for any controversial thing which would give them the right to put him in jail. Unexpectedly, during the search, he came across the secret door in his walk in closet.

It held his dirty secrets gathered altogether. Big gambling deals files, information on corrupt political figures, his company's illegal dealings. He had hit a jackpot.

At most, he would definitely spend a few decades time in prison for all those. But if Shaheer would've filed a case against him for arson, when he'd burnt a literal prison centre to get him out of there, then Zarar might have to spend his lifetime there.

The statute of limitation for that case had already expired so he couldn't do so. However, Zarar didn't know that so he used it to his advantage and told him if he apologised to Gule for what he did to her, then he would let it go.

"Go ahead." Shaheer gave him a harsh look. "Apologise to her."

Zarar closed his eyes, trying to control his anger. He felt helpless in the lock up, well aware of that fact that all his sins were now exposed and there was no way out for him. He didn't want to spend a lifetime in a prison cell.

"I'm sorry." His voice was barely audible. Gule pressed her lips together, standing there with her nails digging into the palm of her hand.

"Do it properly!" Shaheer kicked the chair he was sitting on. With much reluctance, he dropped to his knees, holding his hands together. "I am sorry. Please forgive me."

Satisfied with the proper apology this time, Shaheer glanced at Gule who was blinking her tears away.

"This is how one stupid move can end you." He said while Zarar clenched his fists. His plan was to pester Shaheer to dig into the truth again by checking the file he had sent and once he'd break again, he could use him like before.

If he had known that his rushed plan would lead to this, he would've taken a different approach. Now, everything that he'd worked to build was in shambles because of the man who once worked under him.

"You wouldn't feel the same way after looking at the file I sent to you." He smirked, hatred visible in his eyes. If he had lost everything, he wanted to make sure to ruin everything for them too.

Shaheer had forgotten about that email he had sent on the day they got the news of Gule's father's passing away. He had not gone back to check what it was. The look on Zarar's face made him anxious. What could be in that file?

Ignoring his words, he turned around to leave, guiding Gule by his side. She didn't know what Zarar meant, but she still felt uncomfortable about his words and was afraid he was going to call her his mistake again.

"Shaheer, you didn't have to do this." Gule managed to say after getting out of the cell room.

"I had to show him his real place was on his knees begging for your forgiveness." He stated in response and Gule could only stare at him. Before she could say something, a voice interrupted them.

"Shaheer Junejo." The chief called making his way in their direction. Gule stepped back giving them space to talk. Shaheer was no longer an employee there and this was his last visit there as per his request.

It was a shame to lose a passionate member like him, but he'd broken too many rules to not get fired after just getting hired again. He had always been like this. When given a case, he worked day and night to solve it not caring about the orders.

"You're not meant to work under someone. I guess that life suited you, you're your own boss." The chief said, patting his back as a final goodbye.

Gule silently stood at the back witnessing the interaction as the team members bid their farewell. Shaheer wasn't much of a talker anyways so he just nodded, shaking hands with them. Soon after they were on their way.

Back at home, Shaheer sat down beside her on the sofa, tending to the small scratch on her foot. Gule's eyes softened, following his gentle movements.

Gule glanced at him, noting the unspoken frustration in his expression. "So you're jobless now?" She asked.

"My paintings are worth enough to allow me to take care of us both." She further added smiling.

"I'm jobless, not penniless and I'm not shameless enough to live off my wife's hard earned money." He replied.

She grinned, a glint of affection in her eyes. "But I want to pamper you," she urged.

"I'm not a kid." He refused.

"Tum bhi baba jaan ki tarah-" She stopped herself, her voice catching. It was the first time she'd spoken about her father with such tenderness since his passing.

She met Shaheer's eyes. "Do you know, one of the reasons I had started modelling was for him." She paused, memories flooding her gaze.

"I used to take extra care of my feet." God, it hurt her feet to think about those heels and the swollen feet they caused. Her gaze landed on the mark on her foot, which brought back a small smile on her face.

"This scar is from the first time we met. It didn't heal fully, but I don't mind it. It's my favorite memory of us," she murmured, her fingers tracing the faint mark. Reminiscing their first meeting.

Shaheer leaned in, squinting to get a closer look. She felt a blush rise and reflexively pulled her foot back with a jerk. "What are you doing? Were you going to kiss it?" She stammered, flustered as she squirmed away.

"No, I was just looking at it-" He paused midway and blinked. "Do you want me to kiss it?"

"No, astaghfirullah." Gule hugged her legs closer to her chest, curling her toes and averting her gaze. "Why would I want you to kiss my foot?!"

Kiss me instead.

"Don't go around walking barefoot again, Gulunu. Your feet are still precious." He stood up, nearing her to tap her nose. Gule blushed harder, her neck, ears and face flushing red.

A soft smile crossed his lips as he carefully gathered her into his arms to carry her to bed. After setting her down gently, he pushed the strands of her hair behind, glancing into her eyes.

"Shaheer?" Gule's arms were still wrapped around his neck lightly as she called his name out. It made his heart race.

"Kiss me again." She whispered, her voice barely a breath.

He paused, feeling the electricity of the moment. Leaning in, he crashed his lips down on hers, kissing her, slow and deep, as if her touch could erase every scar on his heart. His world narrowed down to this—her warmth, her breath, her light. She consumed every one of his senses and clouded his mind.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to stop myself anymore." As he pulled back, his voice was barely audible. The warmth spread through him so fast it made him feel cold without her.

"Then don't." Her smile was soft, eyes filled with trust. And he obliged as his whole body was beating for her.

Their hearts beat in unison, two souls finally finding their way back to each other unaware of the storm that lay ahead.

//❄︎❄︎❄︎//

/author's note\

WHAT WAS THIS LAST SCENE GOODNESS GRACIOUS IM NOT WELL-

THEY'RE SO FINE SKS STOP !

idk but THESE TWO OWN ME at this point 😫 & i myself am not ready to write the ENDING for this story which is supposed to be the next chapter ,,,

i'm so emotional rn aksk-

mera dil is physically hurting lekin i've to end their story in the next part so i'll take my time to update here 😔

until then , stay safe 🌹

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