Make Me Your Villain

Chapter Twenty Four

A/n : I started this book during November of last year. I'm glad I stuck to it despite taking a few breaks and it's all thanks to your support, my readers <3

╾═════════════╼

Hayat Azhar

"I really am sorry." I said, holding the phone to my ear. "I forgot my phone outside the cafeteria and saw some guys messing around. When I got it back, there'd been a call with you."

Once again, telling Zohaib the truth was going to backfire on me. So I had to come up with a lie in hopes of not worsening the situation.

"How can you be so careless, Hayat?" Zohaib asked, sounding exasperated. "I thought someone stole your phone. Do you know the boy who answered my call?"

"No. I don't know any of them," I had to lie through my teeth again, feeling my stomach turn. Since when did I become a frequent liar?

"I want to know who that son of a-" He stopped himself before letting out a sigh. "Why did I even let aunty Saima send you to a coed university?"

Not this again.

Zohaib was an overly jealous guy, he couldn't bear the thought of any man near me. He believed I'd be in danger if I was around them. But caging someone to protect them wasn't right either.

If you didn't deal with various people and situations, how else were you going to grow and learn as a person?

"Well anyways," I attempted to change topics and cleared my throat. "Why were you calling me so early in the morning?"

"I have some good news," he chirped, sounding happier all of a sudden. "I called dad and then thought of calling you. I got a promotion!"

"Really?" A joyful grin broke out on my face and I gushed. "That's such a wonderful news, Zohaib. Congratulations."

"I don't want your words of appreciation," he countered, making me frown. "Instead, go out with me on a dinner."

I blinked my eyes. "Dinner? But Zohaib-"

"Yeah, yeah. I know all of your excuses. But none of them is going to work anymore." He twined. "We haven't gone anywhere in ages, Hayat. You're always avoiding me as if I'm a disease."

I shook my head. "That's not the reason and you know it."

"But we won't be alone. Other people will be at the restaurant and if you leave the windows down in the car, it'll become a public view," he proposed his solution. "Is it too much to want my future wife to be a part of my happiness? Or are you just not happy about my promotion?"

I rolled my eyes at his unreasonable complaint. "Come on, you know I'm the happiest when it comes to your success."

"If that was true, you'd have already agreed to go out with me."

I closed my eyes. Sometimes I forgot how stubborn Zohaib can become. Even when we were kids, he'd use emotional blackmailing to have me agree with whatever he wanted.

A part of me did want to agree to his request in a heartbeat. But the other part knew agreeing to spend time with him alone wasn't something my religion supported. At times like this, I found myself conflicted, struggling to choose my religion or something that had become normal in our society and culture.

"I can't go anywhere today," I finally said. "I took some days off from the haveli because of the university so I need to go there today."

"You're still working there?" Zohaib's voice turned bitter.