Zara's POV

I turn my face to the other side and drag myself more towards the corner when the guy sitting on the opposite side keeps on peeking at me. Now, this peeking has changed into a full stare. I can see the mischievous on his face. On top of all, there is only me and him in this coffee shop except some waiters.

Where has Armaan gone? He doesn't even think that I will be alone here. I look at the guy with a startled gaze when he whistles. As soon as he discerns my eyes on him, he winks at me and gets up from where he is sitting. I gasp in fear finding him coming towards my direction. I shift to the chair beside the one I was settling earlier.

"Zara."

A familiar voice comes in my ears and I look up with a relieving smile on my face.

Armaan has come!

"Ar...Shaiq you?"

Shaiq glares at the guy and he runs out of the shop right after.

"What are you doing here alone, Zara? It's almost midnight and it's risky, " he asserts.

"Armaan...I mean I have come here with my husband but he has left for a call and has never come back," I explain.

"I know your husband's name, Zara," he smirks earning a raised brow from me, "anyways, let's go. I'll drop you at your house. It's not a good thing if you keep on staying here alone."

I want to ask that husband name knowing thing but I let it go as I am really terrified right now. It's best at the moment to go with Shaiq.

"So, are you coming?" He asks.

I nod my head as I follow him to his car.

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"Where do you live, Zara?" Shaiq turns his face towards me as he asks.

I look out of the window to get a better view. It's really dark outside. The only light which is lighting up the area is of the streetlights. Although I am not good at memorizing routes, still I remember that the coffee shop is not that far from where we live. But I am not sure of the actual way.

"I guess, when we take left from here, there comes the main road, and then after crossing this main road, on right there is a housing scheme," I tell him by using my hands to gesture.

"Okay, I get it,"  he exclaims and presses his foot on the race.

The car gets started with a usual whacking sound. I rub both hands against each other in fear. I still am not certain that I have told Shaiq the right address. It's my good luck that I have met Shaiq or else I can't imagine what I would have done otherwise. Moreover, where is Armaan, I still don't know. I hope he is fine. It's not like he is going to leave me alone. What if he is in a trouble? Ya Allah, please keep him safe. I look at the phone in my hand and again dial his number. My eyes get watery when he still isn't taking my calls.

Armaan, please be fine.

"Stop trying, Zara, he won't receive your calls because he is busy somewhere," Shaiq states as he twists the gear with his hand to the right side.

My moving fingers on the phone's screen stops as I stare at him with confusion. Who is he talking about?

"What do you mean?" I ask him.

"I know you are calling Armaan, your husband." He turns his face towards me and looks at me with full concentration.

I remember the time when I come with Armaan in university and then Shaiq has bumped into us. He may be knowing him since then. But what he was saying a while earlier about Armaan being busy?

"And I know this as well that he is ignoring you."

Now, this makes to get startled and stare at him with wide eyes. Shaiq's face is straight, without any expression. Why is he talking about Armaan as he knows him really well? But when I have asked him the same thing earlier, he clearly denied this.

"I am not understanding what you are saying?" I hiss in frustration.

Shaiq turns towards me, this time he has a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Your husband Armaan is playing with you." He pauses and puts his arm behind me on the seat's head, "just like the same way he has played with his girlfriend."

I get stiffen in my place listening to this. My mind can't even process whatever he has said. Just the words playing and girlfriend are echoing in my ear. But Armaan has told me he has broken up with her. I can feel tears oozing out of my eyes and cascading down with my cheeks.

"You are lying. He can't do this," I yell at the top of my lungs.

"About what? Playing with you or playing with his girlfriend? Because Armaan has done both," he shrugs his shoulder.

"Armaan has flirted, toyed, and then dumped his girlfriend and I am afraid he might do the same thing with you," Shaiq says.

"Just shut up. Don't lie to me," I shout as my voice gets muffled due to the tears.

Every word of him is just bringing terror in my heart; the terror of being exploited, being lied, and humiliated by the guy none other than the one I am in love deeply. How comes Shaiq is saying with this with full confidence? He is maybe lying. He is perhaps wrong.

Shaiq gets stunned when I suddenly yell so loud. He sighs before asking "you know who is Armaan's ex-girlfriend?"

I don't say anything as I just keep on looking at him with a blank stare.

"My cousin Zainab is the girl your husband used to date. He toyed her for straight two years and when he got you, he just said he doesn't love her anymore as he loves you now and he didn't think twice before dumping her. You know Zainab really well and I am sure you are well aware of what type of girl she is."

It's like a huge weight has fallen on my heart. And now that photograph from the book in the library comes in my mind. So it is Zainab that's why I have felt a familiarity with her with the first glance I have laid on her. But that's what Armaan has told me as well. That he has broken every tie with his girlfriend in a good way because he loves me now. Is Shaiq manipulating me and making Armaan low in my eyes? But what will he get by doing this?

I shake my head vigorously as tears start leaving marks on my face, "you are lying, you are clearly lying."

Shaiq stares at me but doesn't say anything instead he rushes the car ahead and after some time, he stops the car. I am so baffled at this time to actually look at my surrounding.

"I am not lying Zara. He is again trying to approach Zainab. Why he has left you and isn't picking up your calls is because right now he is with Zainab. So I am warning you to stay away from that flirt. He is maybe doing the same thing with you," Shaiq spews.

I drag my body behind so that my back hits the inside of the car. This can't happen. Armaan can't do this to me. He loves me. He says he loves me.

"No, no...don't lie. Armaan is not like this," I whisper, more to myself.

"Then look for yourself how your Armaan actually is," he points his hand behind me, in order for me to follow his gesture.

I slowly turn towards my opposite side and roam my gaze at the area Shaiq is pointing. My jaw drops seeing Armaan and Zainab coming out of a hospital. My heart sinks seeing both of them calmly walking and chatting with each other.

A lump of tears gets stuck in my throat as I cover my mouth with my hand to stop a sob. After leaving me alone at midnight in a barren coffee shop, he is here talking and smiling with his ex-girlfriend. And I was worried that he has might got into some trouble.

How can he do this to me? He never loved me and has been playing with me for the whole time. I notice as they walk towards Armaan's car, sit inside and in a blink of an eye, they have gone. Why he has to act all sweet to me and make me fall for him? What has he got by doing this?

I can feel intense pain in my heart. My throat is hurting due to my hiccups. I don't even realize when Shaiq again starts the car and lays it back on the road. What have I done to deserve this? I need to confront Armaan. I won't let him go this easily. He needs to answer me. I wipe my cheeks with the back of my palm.

"Shaiq, stop the car," I say in a stern voice.

"We still haven't reached yet, Zara," Shaiq says.

"I said, stop the car," I yell as I open the door of my side.

"Zara, what do you want to do? It's really dark here and..."

I don't let him complete as I get out of the still-running car. Shaiq stops the car right after. He comes in front of me, blocking my way.

"Where are you going? I'll drop you," he offers.

"Shaiq, let me go," I mumble as I cross him and run away.

I can still hear him calling me but I don't stop as I rush ahead.

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Armaan's POV

After dropping Zainab to her supermarket, I again get into the car in order to go to the coffee shop. I hastily start the car. Zara must be so worried and frightened. I shouldn't have left her like this but what can I do when Zainab has again got hurt due to me. At this time, I have done what comes into my mind.

I peek at my dead phone placed on the dashboard with frustration. Its battery has got died the same moment, I have taken Zainab with me to the hospital. Zara must have been calling me. Oh God, what have I done? She is already sick and now I have left her alone in the midnight. I hope she is fine.

I quickly rush out of the car when I reach the coffee shop. I run fingers through my hair in frustration when I can't find Zara there. Where has she gone? She may have gone home. With this thought in mind, I head towards there.

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I am about to insert the key in the lock of the main gate when it's get open before I can, revealing Zara. I let out a sigh of relief seeing her in front of me.

"Zara," I whisper as I take out my hand and about to touch her face but she drags herself away from me.

"Are you okay?" I again ask but there is no reply from her except her being staring at me with blubbering eyes.

I look at her with confusion. Is she mad at me? And she should be as I have left her alone. I look into her eyes. They are so swollen and red ascertaining the fact that she has been crying. Her cheeks have marks of tears on them.

"I am sorry, Zara. Something has come up and I really needed to go. My phone has died so I couldn't even inform you," I assert as I try to take her hand in mine but she jerks away my hand.

"With whom have you been all this time?" She asks in a monotonous voice.

She has a grim look on her face as she asks this. Should I tell her about Zainab? I think it's better if I tell her everything.

"I...I was with the girl I used to date. I accidentally spilled the coffee on her hand and due to her being in pain, I took her to the hospital."

My eyes get wide when Zara wraps her arms around my neck and digs her head on my shoulder. I was thinking that she will get angrier with me but I never thought she will hug me. I fold my arm around her waist when I hear sobs from her.

"I am sorry, Zara," I whisper as I slowly caress her hair.

"You have any idea how scared I was?" I hear her muffled teary voice against my ear.

I hug her waist more tightly. How much more pain will I give this girl? She is so pure and innocent. Obliviously, I have given her so much suffering and damage. I slowly pull her away from me and hold her both arms. I raise my one hand to wipe her cheeks. I lay my lips on her forehead as I give her all my love, affection, and warmth just by this single kiss.

"I am sorry. I won't do something like this again," I whisper as I lean my face closer to her.

I take her hand in mine and my jaw drops seeing her hand all red and big cysts appearing on it.

"Zara, what happens to your hand?" I ask in a panic.

"Nothing serious. It's just coffee that falls on it. I am fine now," she replies while she tries to pull her hand away from me.

"It's nothing serious for you? Your hand has got burnt so badly. Let me apply some ointment on it," I grab her hand once again.

"Armaan, I am fine, " she mumbles.

But I don't listen to her as I take her along with me inside the room to apply for medicine on her hand.

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Zainab's POV

"Huh, let me apply some ointment on your hand," I mimic Armaan's voice as I remove the headphones from my ears.

Why this Zara hasn't reacted? Is she not at all affected by her husband meeting his ex-girlfriend? How weird she is! If I were in her place, I would have slapped my husband so much that next time he wouldn't be able to show his face to that girl.

"Nothing happens, hun?" I glance at Shaiq when he sits beside me on the couch, with a cup of coffee in his hand.

This is when it hits me. I have just thought about slapping my husband and here my husband is sitting in front of me. I shake my head vigorously.

No Zainab, he isn't your husband, he is your friend. Get your head straight.

"Nothing happens except he is applying ointment on his lovely wife's hand," I roll my eyes.

"By the way, I wonder." I pull up my both legs on th couch and turn towards Shaiq, "why Zara acts like she is least affected by all of this which happens today?"

"Because Armaan himself has told her that he was with you, this causes Zara to have more trust in him," Shaiq explains while sipping his coffee.

Yeah, that's the point which I haven't consider. This is surely a plus point for Armaan.

"Why am I having a feeling that Armaan is sincere with Zara?" Shaiq says.

This makes me look at him in annoyance, "he was seeming really sincere with me as well but look, what he has done."

"In a way, we are helping Zara as well to get rid of that flirt but looks like that airhead is so deep in love with him," I add.

"Our plan has failed, Shaiq. What will we do now?"

"I have a really big thing after listening to which Zara won't even like to see Armaan's face," he smirks.

I look at him in excitation with popping eyes, "what is it?"

"You'll get to know soon." He pinches my nose.

I pout as I drag myself back to where I was sitting.

Shaiq pulls his hand having coffee in it towards me, "Wanna have some?"

I first stare at Shaiq and then the cup in his hand before taking the cup from him.

"I am sure it won't be good," I mumble as I lay my lips on the cup.

But to my surprise, it's really good. A smirk appears on my face when I try to tease him.

"Eww Shaiq, what is this? I can make a thousand times better coffee than this."

Shaiq looks at me but to my astonishment, he has a smirk on his face.

"Really?" He asks.

I nod my head as I show him puppy eyes. I look at him in a baffled state when he leans closer to me.

"No Shaiq, don't do this!" I yell as I try to get up but he grabs my arm and makes me fall back on the couch. I close my eyes when he again bends on me.

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Salam guys!

First of all, let me tell you one thing that this isn't the second last chapter as I said earlier. The second last one will come tomorrow. Actually, I didn't know that the ending parts of this book will become so extensive. That's why you are seeing chapters with 2.5-3K words these days. Perhaps because I don't have any experience in writing a full-length novel till now. Anyways, we have got another chapter. Amazing, right?

What do you think Zainab and Shaiq will do next? And will Zara now believe them?

And what do you think Shaiq is going to do to Zainab at the end of this chapter?🙈

And yeah, Zara has reacted opposite to what we and Zainab and Shaiq were thinking. I just thought to surprise you guys.😂

If you like this chapter, don't forget to vote and comment.