When Love Lasts.

16. Strangled In Pain.

•Khyati Parmar•

I had been looking at Shubman for an hour or so. He is sleeping on my shoulder with Inayat in his lap, she is also sleeping.

I slowly took out my phone from the purse and clicked their picture. I posted it on my story with 'my world.' Written on it.

We were travelling in the plane, we were just half an hour away from reaching Ahmedabad. The IPL season is starting in 2 weeks and I'm so excited. I'll be witnessing Shubman's captaincy. I had never seen cricket but when Shubman entered my life, I've been obsessing over cricket or maybe on Shubman's game.

Shubman pulled away from me when he got up. "Morning!" I smiled. "I slept on your shoulder? I'm sorry." He said as he looked down at Inayat.

"What are you sorry for, if not on my shoulder then on who's?" I asked and he smiled.

"We are going to land, so get your things along." Ashish Nehra sir from behind to all.

"My one thing is smiling at me and other is sleeping in my lap." Shubman smiled at me.

_____

We landed in Ahmedabad and it was our time to get to the bus that is waiting outside the airport. I looked outside the window and saw many paparazzi that were waiting for the team.

"Khyati bhabhi, they are waiting for you not us." Sai Sudharsan smiled at me. I looked up at Shubman and he nodded with a smile.

"But why?" I asked "You didn't hear what media says about you?" My heart stopped.

"Arey, they say that you are the most beautiful woman they have ever seen, they say even Bollywood doesn't have a beauty like you." I looked dumbfound at him.

Really? I thought they hate me, as I am a divorced single mother, married to the vice captain of Indian cricket team.

I looked at Inayat, she was asleep. "Ayat is safe in my arms. She won't get up." Shubman held my hand tight and we started walking to the exit area.

I looked at Shubman as we walked, he held Inayat in his one arm and held me from another. I was smiling from inside.

The door opened and the paparazzi's light flashed straight to my face. Some helloed me, some said about Shubman that how he is holding her and me. It wasn't like what I thought. 

Sky's stars shined up in the sky but paparazzi's camera's light flashed on my face as we walked to the bus.

I had sat on the seat but paparazzi's kept taking my picture. Shubman closed the curtains and smile at me. "They are obsessed with you." He said and I looked down at Inayat, who was sleeping peacefully. I shook my head with a smile and leaned back.

We reached the hotel to discover some fans. Everyone shouted the team members names but did I said they had shouted my name as they saw me. It made me smiled and they saw it and did 'ooo...'

I jumped on the bed and Shubman placed Inayat on the bed and left to change.

I hugged Inayat and closed my eyes.

____

I opened my eyes and saw Shubman lying beside me. He was playing with Inayat, she was sitting on Shubman's chest and they both were giggling. Shubman looked at me. "Haw look you woke up your maa." Shubman smiled.

I got up rubbing my eyes and saw the time. 2:50 am. "Why are you both not slept?" I asked as I sat straight on the bed.

"I came back from washroom to find you sleeping and Inayat crawling up on you. And she hasn't slept after that. And yes I made her have her bottle milk dinner but she didn't slept but instead wanted to play so here we are." Shubman shrugged.

"When did she had her dinner?" "Around 12, when we reached here." I nodded and took Inayat.

"I'll feed her." Shubman nodded and got up and went to balcony, I made Inayat feed and soon she dozed off to sleep.

Shubman came when I called him. He sighed and laid on the bed.

"I can't sleep Khyati." He said as he looked at me. "Why?" "I don't know." He was still looking at me.

"Are you having some stress?" I asked and he shook his head. "Mujhe khud hi nhi pta what's troubling me." He said.

I placed Inayat on the bed and told him to come to me as he was too far from me.

He came and sat in front of me, this time not far but too close. He tucked my hair strand behind my ear and came more closer.

Our face were inches apart when I closed my eyes. He came and "The paps are not just the one that are obsessing over you. There is another person that is obsessed with you." His hot breath tickled my bare neck.

He placed his hand on my neck. "Who is obsessed with me?" I whispered. He pulled away and stared at me and said "Nothing." He got up and went back to his place. He laid there with closed eyes.

I know that he had got upset that I didn't get his sarcasm in "obsessing talk"

I knew what he was talking about, it is he who is obsessed with me. I know, whenever I look at him, he is already looking at me. The way he looks at me, totally says he is liking me. I am a writer and have written many books in a boy's point of view and know how men mind works. Maybe because what I have experienced in my previous relationship.

I looked at him "I know you are not asleep." I said and there was still silence. I got up and changed into my night suit and closed the lights.

The dark room was haunting me. I never sleep with closed lights. There is always a light with low appearance in my room. To not get into my nightmare.

The memories flashed in my mind as I stare back at the darkness.

He came charging at me with a knife in his hand. I looked around and didn't find any sharp objects. I covered my face as he came closer...closer...closer. He stabbed his knife onto my arm. I shouted his name. I immediately pulled a pen from my pocket and stabbed it into his neck.

Shubman shook me as I yelled, I opened my eyes. I got up immediately and saw Shubman sitting on my side. "You have been yelling in your sleep, from past 5 minutes." I closed my eyes. I can hear Inayat crying. Tears started streaming down my face. I ran my hand through my hair and started crying.

Shubman pulled me in a hug and I cried harder and harder. Minutes later I pulled apart and saw Inayat has stopped crying and dozed of to sleep while crying.

I am a mess, I'm not a good mother. I covered my face and anger rushed into me.

"Don't think like that, you are a very very very great mother Khyati." I looked up at him, "I know what you are thinking. Stop." He said and pulled me in another hug.

I hugged him tightly, scared that if I'll leave him. The darkness will hug me through my life. Minutes later I got calm as Shubman caressed me.

"I am afraid of darkness." I said still in his hug.
"It's a nightmare Shub. That have happened in real life. In my messed up life."