"Why do you look so stressed?". He asked entering inside her hospital room with their food
She shrugged.
"Honestly when Akbar left the room I almost killed him". He said with the hint of Jealousy in his tone, placing the food in front of her, "Don't talk to him especially alone".
"Why?".
"Because I said so".
"I don't have to listen to you".
He smirks, "Oh, you have to listen to me". He said leaning closer to her and her eyes widen, "Because you belong to me".
She pushes him away crossing her hand over her chest as she continued to wonder about Akbar statement. According to him, she was not even adopted legally by her fake parents and her sister which she thought is her sister is not either.
It is kind of heartbreaking.
She used to think whatever that they did to her, they were her parents and maybe they have something good for her. But it all turned out to be fake and she doesn't know what to do with this information.
The fact that her real parents are unknown and not even their DNA can be verified by the top system of TJC's security made her wonder how is that possible.
She knows for the fact that the system Akbar built is the most powerful one with the ability to trace anything, how is it that her real parents never existed?
She feels someone hand on her cheeks raising her head to find her husband concern eyes on her.
"What is it?". He asked softly tracing his finger over her cheeks
"My parents". She closes her eyes tightly, "I mean the one you met are--".
"Are what?".
"Are not my real parents". She chokes out as her eyes start to get teary, "I just never understood the things they did and I always felt this pain, betrayal and suffocation when they hurt me. I just--I--".
He moves the food out of the way pulling her in his lap wrapping his hand around her.
"Shhh, it's ok". He said brushing his hand through her long hair, "You are away from them now".
"But, they hurt me". She cried holding on his shirt clenching it tightly in her hand
He holds her close to him whispering to her until her cries decrease and she continues to have hiccups after it. He smiles looking at her irritated by her hiccups.
"Why do I think I remember hiccups from somewhere?". He said unsure as he thinks about it
She stiffens in his hold, she pulls away from him sitting on the bed.
He sighs and she hiccups again, "Do you want water or something?".
She shakes her head, "I am tired".
He nodded standing from the bed as she laid down and he places the duvet over her. He turns around to close the lights when she holds his hand, he looks at her frowning.
"Stay with me". She whispers and he can still see tears brimming in her eyes
"I don't remember staying with you before". He said wanting to divert her mind
"That's because you never slept with me before". She said and her eyes widen when she realises what she just said and a pink shade appears on her skin
"Ahaan". He said with a wide grin that could blind anyone, "If you wanted to sleep with me you should have said it, hiccup".
"Don't call me that". She said with a wave of fake anger, "And I didn't mean it like that".
"Sure. Like that 50 shades thing, isn't it?".
"Awais".
He leans towards her, "How many shades do you have, my hiccup?".
She groans hiding her face in the duvet and he laughs.
"Go away. I don't want you in my room anymore".
"Not happening. My wife asked me to sleep with her, how can I break her heart?".
"I swear I will kill--".
"You don't want to sleep with me?".
She groans again turning around giving him the famous silent treatment.
He shakes his head shutting the lights as he climbs on the space she made for him. He turns towards her wrapping his arms around her bringing her closer and her back touching his chest.
"Just so you know". He said placing his face on her shoulder, "I wanted to sleep with you too".
"Is that so?".
"Did you really think I will leave you alone in this room after I almost saw you dying and after you cried? I would leave everything in the world to be beside you".
She gulps feeling her heart thunders in her chest, "You shouldn't do that".
"I should. I am the one who got you in this life knowing the cons of it. I should be more responsible and if it means I have to leave all the things for you, I will".
She shakes her head turning to face him, "You shouldn't. You should never leave your friends- they are your family. They are the one who truly cares for you and love you. No one else will ever do that".
He moves a strand of her hair away placing his hand on her cheek, "Not even you?".
"I am not strong enough to give you anything".
"Then accept mine".
"I can't do that either. You deserve someone who loves you and someone who wouldn't do anything to hurt you. Who will think and not even think to ever do anything that comes to hurt you. That the thought of your pain causes them to be in pain. Not me, not someone like me".
"What if I don't want all those things? What if I and my love is enough?".
"Love shouldn't be one-sided, that's the worse thing that can happen to anyone. It is the most painful thing that never leaves that person in any peace. They cry and they feel it in every minute they live in".
"Did you loved someone?".
Even though his heart almost stopped working at those words, he couldn't help but wonder that sadness in her eyes means something he can't understand.
"Did you love me in our high school? Please don't tell me I hurt you by breaking your feeling?". He asked panicked
She shakes her head placing her hand over his shoulder to calm him down, "No. It is not like that. If that was the case, we wouldn't be here, like this".
"Then what did I do? What did I hurt you with?".
She looks at him for the longest time trying to find the words to say and the feelings comes back to her. She shakes her head placing her head on his chest closing her eyes.
"It doesn't matter".
He heard his phone ringing making him groan as he turns around only to feel her stirring in his arms and he pledges to kill whoever is disturbing her sleep.
"Hello?".
"It's me. Although I shouldn't have to introduce myself as a stranger I know how slow your brain works in the morning".
"Thanks, Akbar. I would have been civil if you called at some other time, what in the world do you want?".
"Well, looking at how you are angry I must have disturbed someone. Anyways, we have an emergency and we are in your hospital room so if you can get yourself here, it will be great".
He understands the underlying seriousness in his tone so he clearly removes his hand from her body. One he was sure she was sleeping comfortably, he walks to his hospital room.
"We should cut down on our cost we are spending on the hospital". Zafar said smirking, "He can easily stay beside her and we don't have to pay for the VVIP room here".
He rolls his eyes, "Do you not remember when you were in the hospital?".
"Why do I feel like most of our lives is coming and going out of the hospital?". Usman said frowning as he had been in and out
"I think someone doesn't love us enough to always send us for hospital visits". He said groaning
"That is a great point". Akbar said holding his daughter in his hand who was currently busy chewing his tie and looking at him innocently while her drool came out, he shakes his head using his shirt to wipe it off, "Maybe we should build our hospital, just in case of emergencies".
"You mean to say a hospital in the UK?". He asked confused, "That's going to cost us billions and not to forget the politics".
Akbar shrugged as he picks his daughter smiling at her and she smiles back enthusiastically, "We have enough money and no, I am not planning to inform anyone that it is our hospital. We will hire someone to act for us while the hospital originally belongs to all of us".
"What about the shares?". Zafar asked leaning back watching Zakirah turns to him when he speaks obviously she reacts to the sounds pretty fast
"I will take 60". Akbar said shrugging
"What? No". He said shaking his head, "I am not investing if I don't get more".
"Then you should have come with the plan first". Akbar said smirking
He rolls his eyes, "Fine. I take 20".
"And we both have 10". Usman said pointing to Zafar and himself
"Why is my princess here so early?". He asked moving to hold her when Akbar hides her in his chest glaring at him, "Come on, you can't keep her away from me all her life".
"Watch me". Akbar said angrily and his daughter giggles in his chest making him smile, "The reason she is here is that she is the reason we are meeting".
"Did you find her parents?". It was the most dreadful question to ask for all of them
Because now Zakirah is a part of their lives and she has all of them wrapped around her fingers. To think that one day they will have to let the child go, is painful, worse for Akbar.
Akbar shakes his head looking indifferent but his heart shakes at the thought of having to leave Zakirah someday, "No. I didn't get anything on that. There is no record of her existence. When I filed the paperwork of adopting her, they said she doesn't exist in the world so I had to make her existence from the start".
He sighs a little relieved that there is no goodbye he had to bear, "I don't know why someone will give up on such a beautiful baby".
"Maybe they didn't give up instead they had to". Usman piped in looking at Zakirah who grins at him when he spoke made his heart melt
"That can be the case". Akbar said sighing as he holds his daughter closer so he can assure himself she is with him
"What's the reason that you called us here?". Zafar asked knowing all of them are now sad from thinking about the goodbyes
Akbar moves his hand over his daughter's wrist revealing a beautiful bracelet.
His daughter small soft wrist was shining with the bracelet on it.
"This is the reason". Akbar said as other looks at him confused, "Someone broke into our house last night".
"What?". All the men said
Akbar nodded, "There wasn't much they or whoever it was. It was the same as when Zakirah was in the hospital and someone came to see her. I just found this bracelet around her wrist when I went to check on her and her eyes were opened while she was smiling".
"She must have know the person". Zafar said thoughtfully, "Her parents?"
"Perhaps". Akbar said shrugging, "I tried to locate where our team is lagging to have this happen twice. I can't find anything though. Just for the measure, I sent the bracelet to be checked for any suspicious activities but my secretary told me that this is the rarest and the most ancient gold that no one was able to touch".
"What do you mean?".
"You know how the old people used to hide their gold in places not many people know about". Akbar said and they nodded, "It has to be someone who found that place and gold. Instead of gaining a large chunk of money, they made my daughter a bracelet is absurd".
"He has to be someone big to be able to reach something like that". Zafar commented
"He is". Akbar nodded moving his hand over the bracelet, "I wondered why butterfly of all things, it seems she loves them".
They all look at his daughter looking at the bracelet with her doe eyes shining until she starts to chew on it making them chuckle.
"Yeah! She loves it". He said softly, "So, what do we do?".
"I say we let whoever wants to meet her and however be". Akbar said sighing, "Although it scares me of her safety, I can't stop this even if I want to. I just hope they don't hurt her".
She looks at the food in front of her when the door opens and his father walks in with his usual beautiful warm smile.
"I wanted to see you all glowing after your marriage, not in these bandages". His father said coming closer to her, "How are you holding up?".
She shrugged.
"I am sorry you have to go through this because of my son". His father said sighing, "I shouldn't have let him be, all these years. Now he doesn't even understand his responsibilities".
She shakes her head, "Don't worry. He understands them".
"How are you doing? I heard about your parents".
She sighs, "I am still digesting it. You know how hard it was back then. I always used to ask you if parents are supposed to be that way. I just never imagined them to not be my parents and it's all messing with my head".
"It can't be easy to live on the streets for most of your life". His father said and she heard something fall on the ground only to find her husband raging eyes looking at her in shock and anger
Oh-oh.