His father left apologising to her for shaking the volcano that hasn't exploded yet. She can feel the tension in the air and she wants to hide somewhere from it.
"Laila". He said and she knows that tone wasn't very pleasing
She closes her eyes, "It's true".
"Why?".
"I-I don't know, Awais". She said frustrated, "I had to stay on streets whenever they feel like I have done something wrong and other days to save myself from their wrath".
She can feel the anger oozing from his calm demeanour leaning on the wall.
"Tell me in detail".
She explained how since she turned 8, she was continuously abused and she didn't know what was happening to her until at 12 they started to throw her on the streets even if she were to break a plate or glass. It started with her sister accidentally pushing her and the plate falling on the ground and she had to spend the whole night on the street across from her house on a cold night.
He takes a long stride towards her sitting in front of her. She feels his finger under her chin raising her head. His eyes held nothing short of fury in them.
"Just so you know". He started in a thick tone, "I am not going to go easy on them".
She holds his hand nodding, "I don't know why they didn't throw me in an orphanage if I was an orphan, to begin with".
"Whatever it was is in the past". He said wrapping his arms around her petite figure, "Now you have me and I will never hurt you".
She nodded smiling slightly as she looks at the man who is becoming something more than she wished for and that scares her.
"Will you be able to stay until the end?". She asked looking at their hands that were intertwined
"I will stay, no matter what".
The next few days went by in their hospital reports and tests before she was free to leave the hospital.
"Inaya's brother is getting married". Awais said opening the door of his car for her helping her to sit inside
She places the belt on her, "We are attending it? Don't we have an appointment for tomorrow back home?".
He smiles when she calls his home her home, "I cancelled the meeting for another day. You can arrange it once we are back".
She nodded looking out of the window, "How many functions is he doing?".
"We are attending the main event so it's just one for us. I didn't want to stress you with the preparation of each day and I know you don't like dressing up that much". He said as he starts to drive
She feels his hand moving to take her hand that was in her lap as he kisses them placing them in the middle and his thumb continued to draw on the backside of her hand making her heart flutter.
"You like holding my hand, don't you? Do you have a secret obsession over it?". She teases watching a laugh escape his lips
"I like everything about you, my hiccup". He said as he turns the car with his one hand that was on the steering wheel
She turns to cross her leg on the seat something she knows he dislikes but all he did was send her a warm smile looking in front again. She takes this time to look at him as his muscle moves with his every action and the vein-popping making her gulp. Even when his injuries on his face didn't heal, she can still say that he looks just as handsome. His eyebrows have a slight cut from the accident and his beautiful eyes shining under the long eyelashes. His red lips look delicious and she flushes when she remembers that she has indeed tasted them once, would there be a next time?
She feels her body heating at the thought, when she has kissed him the first time, it was all in the heat of the moment. Yet, she remembers how rough and soft they were at the same time. How they fit perfectly with her and just how delicately he had kissed her.
She gulped.
"What's on your mind, hiccup?". He said turning to her when the light turns red on the road
She shakes her head looking in front when she feels his hand on her cheek as he turns her around.
"You were looking at me for quite some time". He said as she starts to feel her cheek heating up, "What exactly were you thinking?".
"I was just thinking if we have our house what will we have in it?". She said the first random thing that came to her mind to avoid his question
"That is making you red as a tomato? Or was your thoughts of Christian Grey type?". He asked haughtily
Her eyes widen as she slaps his hand away and her face reddened, "No! What is wrong with you? I would never think about something like that".
"Your reaction tells me that you did fantasise about it for a few days". He said playfully as his usual smirk adore his lips, "Don't worry! We aim to please, Mrs. Awais".
She chokes on the water she was drinking to calm herself while his laughter rings in her ear.
He parks the car on the side helping her calm down and she pushes his hand away glaring at him.
"Don't say it". She warned while he smirks, "I will kill you".
"Should we sign an agreement?". He asked over-enthusiastically making her groan, "I promise my terms will be better".
She rolls her eyes knowing she has only one option that is to play along with him, "And how is that?".
"You will have my heart". He said placing his hand over his heart with a wide grin on his face
She sighs, "Sure. Can we leave now?".
He shrugged as he starts the car driving it again and she noticed how he is careful while driving now.
That is not him.
He is always fast and reckless breaking line and queues. He is much more considerate and he isn't even going over the limit.
"If we do have our house what will you like in it?". He asked as he remembers her question, "Beside the playroom, of course".
She holds her head cursing herself for handing this information to him of all people.
"What is that others have?". She asked ignoring his words and watching him send a smirk at her for it
"Well, Zafar built an underground water park kind of thing. Because his sons are hyperactive, he placed a swimming pool with slides around". He said and she nodded, "Akbar house is obviously high tech since he works in the technology field. His house is built with all the gadgets and all".
"What about Usman? Don't tell me he has a hotel?". She said chuckling
"Something similar. Usman is into modernising his every interior, his kitchen is the best thing ever. Beside that, he has a pool cinema because he enjoys having a date night with his wife there". He explained
"Make sense". She said thoughtfully, "We can have a cinema in the house since I love cinemas".
"Ok. Deal". He said smiling
He parks the car in front of their house holding her hand again, "Everyone is home. It's going to be chaotic".
She chuckles when she finds everyone in a heating conversation.
"I told you not to say that to him". Zaina said angrily to Azaan who looks indifferent
"I don't care what you ask me to do, Ze-Ze". Azaan said shrugging and she can exactly see Zafar in him
"I don't like you anymore". Zaina said holding her baby sister hand as her lips wobble
"Does it mean you liked me before?". Azaan asked earning a slap from Ayaan
"Behave yourself". Ayaan said stern, "You have to respect women. Mama taught us well".
"She is not a woman to me". Azaan said
"Do I look like a man to you?". Zaina screeched
"No". Azaan said bored, "You look like a kid to me".
"You are one too and I am only a year younger than you". Zaina countered as Zakirah starts to cry in her hand and she starts to cry with her
Ehan (Usman child) takes Zakirah in his hand playing with her while Mahak (Usman child) takes Zaina away giving her the candy her father got her.
"I can't believe they are my children". Zafar said sighing as he glare at Azaan who ran away
"Your son is getting on my last nerve". Akbar snapped taking Zakirah in his hands as he quieter her cries and her big doe-like eyes filled with tears looks at him which he wipes away smiling, "I swear I will make your son play for all this time".
"Don't do something stupid". Zafar said almost scared, "Last time you got me married right after you said something similar".
Akbar smirks, "Not a bad idea".
"So what? You regret marrying me now?". Inaya said glaring at Zafar who pale and everyone smirks at him
"I-I never said that". Zafar said wincing when she walks away, "I am going to kill you Akbar after I get her apology".
Akbar laughs, "He doesn't even know how whipped he is".
"And you think that's a bad thing?". Zainab said narrowing her eyes at him, "Maybe you should be like him".
Akbar closes his eyes when he saw his wife walk away and he follows behind with his daughter.
Usman looks at his wife smiling as he holds her hand, "I think we have fought enough to not join in their path".
Anabia laughs, "We did spend years apart so I guess that is an excuse".
Usman grins adorably taking her hand as he turns to Awais, "We leave for Inaya's brother wedding at 8 PM".
He nodded as Usman asked, "How are we leaving?".
He smirks, "You should never ask that from someone who owns the business of cars, to begin with".
Usman rolls his eyes, "Whatever".
He chuckles holding her hand as he drags her to the basement and the memories start to rush to her instantly as she places pressure on her leg wincing when the pain shoot through her injured leg.
His eyes widen as halted turning to her placing his hand on her cheeks as the worry consumed him, "I am sorry. Was I rushing you?".
"No. No. It's not you. I just turn my leg in the wrong way. Why are we here?". She lied because she just wants to avoid this situation yet it keeps coming back to her
He releases a breath nodding as he holds her hand again walking slower.
"I just thought we can relax better here instead of our room". He said shrugging as this time he didn't head to the poolside rather to the other side opening the door entering inside
She gasps because this house just keeps getting better every second. He smiles watching the pure excitement and glee on her face as he moves to sit on the couch and she follows.
"Don't tell me they have something this cool?". She said amazed
He nodded, "Zafar has a pool table, Akbar has a basement library and Usman has something like this in his basement. That is why you will find all of those ideas in this house because this is our house, for all of us, so we always bring the idea back here".
"You people are doing everything, aren't you?".
"We try".
He pulls her in his laps wrapping his arms around her carefully, "Now select a movie before they take you away from me".
She takes the remote pressing it, "Take me away?".
He nodded sadly, "Zainab and Inaya are evil".
She laughs, "No. They are not. They are the best".
"You just don't know them". He said grumpy, "They are very very evil".
"Sure. So what will they do now?".
"They will come here and scream for me to let you go because they have to make sure you look pretty. Even though you look pretty to me all the time, they will just make you prettier in a way that everyone in the event looks at you and I won't like it so I have to stay by your side at all time".
She giggles and then break into laughter while he continues to look at her body shaking from laughter, her eyes shut and the pure euphoria on her face makes his heart melt.
"You look beautiful". He commented moving a curly hair of her strand away as his finger move across her cheekbone
She shivers as his cold finger move on her skin and the places he touches starts to create a sensation in her. Her cheeks start to flush yet again as she tries to calm her heart before it explodes.
"What is that you want me to do?". He asked as his voice hoarse and she gulps and all she wishes is for him to not ask her instead do it like that night, "Not yet".
He smirks at the disappointment on her face and he turns her in his arms securely as they start to watch the movie. He presses a button and a cabinet open from under the table where she finds all the snacks. She didn't even look surprised instead she quickly grab all her favourite snacks leaning back on his chest as she starts to eat them.
He chuckles lightly placing his head on her shoulder with his arms around her. He takes small bites from her snack watching how she frowns each time he takes her snack making him smile.
He was right about one thing that Zainab and Inaya will drag her out while he continued to protest against it.
She ended in the other quarter to make sure that their husbands don't meddle in their preparation.
She chuckles straightening her dress as she looks at herself in the mirror.
She loves that Zainab has a connection that allows her to change her style now and then. She changes her hair colour to having some highlight of blonde which looks good on her.
She smiles sitting on the small couch in front of the Television while she looks at the news of their businesses succeeding even in their absence. She knows Akbar watches over the most part in each of their business and she can't help but wonder how he does that.
She looks at her dress which is another one of Zainab's collections and she loves it.
Once she heard that her husband sent their car while the children were taken in a more family-friendly car. They have to send everyone separately because of the security protocol.
She walks towards the front door where she finds the limousine making her eyes widen.
"Your husband sure knows style". Inaya said chuckling
"I love this baby". Zainab said excitedly as she enters inside while the other laughs following behind her
"Your husband business of car and showrooms is now coming to good use". Anabia said smiling
She shrugged, "He is always taking a car out for himself and I can only imagine when the company will collapse".
Inaya laughs, "If that was the case my husband import and export business would have doomed long back".
"And my security business". Zainab piped in
"And our hotels". Anabia added
"What do they even have to build this empire so strong?". She asked amazed and confused
"Two things". Zainab said grinning as she holds two fingers, "One is their bond and the second is money".
"She is right. Their bond is strong which strengthen their businesses and each of their businesses are connected in a complex way that we can never understand". Inaya explained smiling, "Only Akbar is the one who knows and has a clear image of it".
"And the money brings them the high-class security, people and organisations which help secure their empire". Anabia said looking at the road when their venue came in view
"It's time to shine ladies". Zainab said, "Until our husband finds us so hide better and longer".
She chuckles exiting the limousine and the camera flashing from all directions. She tries not to vary and Zainab constant support didn't let her go lost in the cameras.
She enters the venue and her eyes widen to the beautiful decoration. While she was busy looking at it, all the ladies ran away to hide and she frowns at them running like they are in a marathon.
Have they seen a ghost?
Ghost doesn't come to a wedding, do they?
His eyes wandered around since he came to the venue and he was tracking his limousine because Akbar always places tracking devices and live tracking from their team whenever any one of them is out.
He knows they will enter any second now.
His eyes widen as she enters after the other three ladies and the delight in her eyes when she looks around the place. He knows she likes these shiny lights and most importantly these flowers. He had seen her decorating with these flowers on their wedding day too.
But that is not what has his heart flutter, it was the fact that she looks ethereal in her dress. The dress only adds to the shine in her eyes and face. Zainab did well hiding away the injuries of her face but he knows that even with them she would have looked the prettiest to him in this event.
He watches Akbar growling and he jerks back, "I cannot believe I have to handle my woman more than I have to handle my kids".
Akbar walks to his wife who was running away effectively wrapping his arms around her waist taking her away.
Next was Zafar who walks towards Inaya pulling her away from the people she was speaking to and the hold on her wrist told him that he is in his possessive mode now.
Usman looks calm in all of them with his smirk on his face as his eyes look at his wife as his prey. But his eyes held all the things that his face doesn't show as he moves towards his wife who ran away.
Lastly, he looks at his wife with an adorable frown on her face as she watches all the women running away and didn't realise when her husband moved right in front of her.
Her eyes widen as she takes a step back losing her balance, he immediately wraps his arms around her waist pulling her to his chest.
He twirls a strand of her hair making her breathing hitched as he leans closer, "I know you are falling for me, my love".
She grumbles, "And you are not?".
"Oh, I am. I sure am for a long time". He said softly as he looks at her with all his love
"Careful. I might not be what you want".
"Maybe. But I can be everything that you want".
She continued to mingle in the event and he didn't leave her side for a minute. He glares at any men who look at her and push away (literally) the one that comes an inch closer to her. She appreciates his presence though because in all these people she would have lost her mind by now if it wasn't for his constant bickering and jokes with her.
She leans in his arms once the bride sits in the car and she cannot help the smile that comes on her lips.
Her life is perfect.
That is what she thought because she watches everyone leave the venue. Soon, a group of men snatch her from her husband hand and while she tries to fight Akbar stands in front of her halting her movement.
"You are the traitor". Akbar said as his eyes filled with rage looking at her
Her secret is out.
*****
I am going to say it "The end is near"
So,
There will be three/five chapter before I end it. ;)