Zara's POV

The intense pain in my right leg makes me wake up again. I slowly open my eyes and they roam around in the same surrounding I was before. Now, I look at my own self; there are bandages all over my legs and arms. My jaw drops seeing a bandage on my stomach and with this, every detail from today comes into my mind.

My baby. Is he still there? I can't bear to lose him. I have no one except him. Please be fine.

"Zara, thank God, you are awake."

I look at the other direction when a feminine voice comes into my ears alongside someone patting my forehead.

"Aila, " I whisper as I hug her tightly. Tears start streaming out of my eyes when I clench the back of her shirt with my hands.

"Aila, my baby! How is he? He is fine, right? He hasn't left me as well, isn't it?" I pull away from her and look at her with teary eyes.

"Zara, calm down. Your baby is alright, " she asserts while tugging my hair behind my ears.

I let out a sigh of relief as I divert my gaze towards my stomach. I slowly caress the area while a mitigating smile appears on my lips.

Thank God!

"How do you come here?" I ask her.

"Your friend has asked me to come to you because you again got chest pain," she replies.

"Who?" I raise a brow in confusion.

"Zara, don't take the stress right now.  You still need rest. We will talk later. Now," she holds my both shoulders and pushes me down, "just lay down and sleep."

"Aila but-"

"Zara, just go to sleep. I am here with you. Hun?" She caresses the side of my face.

I look here and there while I make myself lay again. But my eyes come back without any purpose. Armaan hasn't come to me. He doesn't even care for me. He is this stone-hearted.

"Close your eyes." I come back to the present when Aila softly whispers.

"Aila, please don't leave me," I mumble as I take her hand in mine and intertwine our fingers so that she won't be able to go.

"Never, Zara. Now just sleep." She slowly rubs her finger on my eyelids and pushes them down so that they are covering the sight in front of my eyes. And I don't realize when I have gone to sleep with her hand still in mine.

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Zainab's POV

My eyes are on Armaan rubbing his forehead in frustration but my mind is somewhere else. When I have seen him shirtless, I don't know how to react, I was startled. When he prevents me from falling on the floor and I accidentally lay my lips on his recently shaved, rough cheek. Odd feelings have emerged in my heart at that time as well.

And when he hovers over me and placed his broad hand on my slim waist, tingling sensations run throughout my body. When he pulls me closer to him and his other hand gently rubs my stomach. At that time, he was thinking that he is teasing me but little does he know that I was liking his touch. When while trying to unlink my necklace from his button, his fingers brush against my bare neck sends shivers to run down my spine. And when in the end, his lips met my lips, a sudden urge was prompting me to hold his face and deepen the kiss.

But he is the same guy who has bought me from my greedy family. He is my that best friend for whom I am a burden. I purse my lips hard to stop myself from crying. The feelings which are emerging in my heart for him are absurd.

"Zainab, I am sorry."

I come out of my thoughts when Armaan's voice comes into my ears. I divert my gaze to the couch in front of me where he is sitting, gaping deeply on my face with his red eyes. Why is he saying sorry to me? Don't tell me he is still thinking of me as his Zara. I just come here because I can't see him in this state. Moreover, when I dash out of the farmhouse due to Shaiq, only Armaan's house comes into my mind to stay till I make some decision.

"I am not Zara, Armaan," I chuckle.

"I am talking to Zainab, not Zara," he asserts in a stern tone.

"Why are you saying sorry to me then?"

I look at him in a baffled state when he gets up from the couch and crouches down in my feet,

"Because I shouldn't have done what I did to you. I snatched away your love from you and nature has snatched away my love from me. I am sorry for strangling you in darkness but I can't help, Zainab," he pauses and stares at me.

" That girl has made me realize that there is a difference between likeness and love. She has become the light of my dull, gloomy life. She makes me enjoy and live this life again. After realizing that I am in love with her, I can't even think about lingering you in fake love and promises."

I can't help but wearily smile at this. Even while talking about me, he is bringing Zara up. I have never seen this intensity of love from him. His love, sincerity for her is evident from his every pore.

"You love her this much?" I ask him.

"Huh?"

I chuckle as I slightly hit his forehead with my hand.

"Someone has become majnu for his Zara," I get up while my eyes are still on his dumbfounded face.

I bend down so that my face is directly in front of his.

"You don't have to say sorry to me. Just bring Zara back. I can't see you being a majnu, my friend," I again chuckle, but this time my eyes are wet due to tears invading them.

Armaan, I loved you with my all heart. I trusted you more than myself. But you really aren't written for me. You and Zara are fated to be together.

"She won't come," he sighs as he wraps his both arms around his knees.

In this position, he is looking like a cute, lost kid who doesn't know what to do.

"Then you yourself go and try to appease her. Tell her how much you love her. Tell her she is the light of your life. I am sure she will understand," I tell him.

He shakes his head while rubbing his face with his both hands as a sigh leaves his mouth. A sigh of a defeated person; a sigh of an aimless guy; a sigh of a stressed lover.

"I would have gone to her and take her quivering body in my embrace, the moment her breaths started hitching but..."

I finally blink my eyes after looking at him without blinking them, for so long, when he delibrately stops and gaze at me. His eyes are so emotionless, so liveless like they are of a dead person. His love for Zara is evident from every disheveled move he is making, completely opposite of the Armaan I know.

"But I am the reason, Zainab, because of what her breaths were heavy, I am the reason she is suffering so much right now. If I go to her, she will be mad again seeing me. I want to take away her every pain, but I am the reason she is in pain right now. She is heartbroken due to me and I don't want to add to her sufferings anymore," he adds.

At that time, I feel so small, so low that words can never express it. Love is so weird.

"I will amend every bad which I have done. I will bring your love back. I will bring the light of your life back. I will bring your Zara back, " I whisper while stroking his soft hair with my slender fingers.

I stand up and am about to walk away when I stop in my track when he calls me.

"What did you say?" He asks hurriedly.

I turn behind on my heels and this time my eyes have tears in them.

"Don't make me say more than needed. When you will get to know everything somehow, please forgive me. Armaan, I was and I am still your friend and-" I deliberately stop and pull forward my hand in front of him.

"Can we remain friends forever?" I ask my hand still before him for a shake.

He first gapes at my hand and then my face before a smile appears on his lips and he shakes his hand with me while nodding.

"Thanks, Zainab. It's like a huge burden has lifted off my heart. You are really such a sweet and kind girl. I have acted terribly towards you and..."

"Oho Armaan," I interrupt him and again crouch down in front of him, "you haven't done anything wrong. No one has played with anyone. It's just our fate which has played with us. You needed to ultimately meet your soulmate who is Zara so don't be sorry or blame yourself."

"And what about you, Zainab?"

I laugh at my helplessness inwardly. You are asking about me, Armaan; I have ruined everyone from my best friend to you to Zara. I am still alone despite having my childhood friend in the form of my husband.

"I am fine. In fact, I have already started to see guys," I wink only to make him feel light.

"Stupid girl," he chuckles while patting my cheek.

I give him a full smile when he smiles. I again stand up when my phone starts buzzing in my palm. I look at the screen and a disappointing sigh leaves my mouth seeing Shaiq's name glowing on it. A tear falls from my eyes as I turn my phone off and walk away in order to execute my plan.

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Zara's POV

"Aila, I can't eat more. Just stop now. " I shove away the plate having apples in Aila's hand.

"Zara, if not for yourself then at least eat for your baby," she tries to persuade me.

"The baby whose father has ditched me. What bad fortune this poor baby has got whose father won't even want him," I argue as I laugh in sarcasm.

"Why are you punishing your baby for whatever Armaan Bhai has done? First of all, like always you being reckless aren't letting him explain himself. I am sure what you are telling me isn't the whole thing. His father may have done this but Armaan Bhai can't do anything like this," she asserts while sitting beside me on the bed.

I glare at her. Why every time she thinks I am wrong and Armaan is right?

"Aila, he was involved in all of this with his father and you still think he isn't wrong?"

"Do you have any proof of this?" She crosses her arms on her chest.

I am taken aback at what she has said. I don't know whether Armaan is involved in this or not. But still, he has hidden everything from me when he could inform me.

"I..."

"Ma'am, someone is here to meet you. Shall I let them come inside?"

I get interrupted when the nurse comes inside and calls me.

"Who?" I ask in confusion.

"Her name is Zainab. She is saying she is your friend," she tells me.

Zainab? The same one? What she wants from me now? Is she going to confront me that Armaan has left her for me?

"Tell her I don't want to meet her. She may..."

"Zara please, it won't take much time. I want to tell you something."

I look at the nurse's back when that long-haired girl pleads me. I have always admired her long brown beautiful hair which falls till her hips. The mole above her lips makes her a hundred percent more attractive.

"But I don't want to listen to you. You may leave," I mumble as I turn my face to the other side.

She will be mad at me for snatching her boyfriend from her but little does she knows, that jerk has flirted with me as well.

"Zara, Armaan hasn't played with you."

My jaw drops when she says this prompted me to look at her with wide eyes.

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"Congratulations on being pregnant. You are going to have a cutie baby soon. You know, I love babies so much," she says with a charming smile playing on her lips.

I return her a small nervous smile. How does she get to know that I am pregnant? I am still confused at her saying that Armaan hasn't played with me. That is the very reason I have decided to let her talk to me.

"You may be wondering how I got to know about your pregnancy; it's because the nurses have told me when I ask them about you," she chuckles.

I don't say anything as I keep on staring at her blankly.

"Zara." She sighs as she drags her stool near my bed. She looks at my hand before plopping her hand on it.

"Armaan is innocent. He hasn't married you for your father's wealth. He hasn't played with you. He loves you truly. He is sincere with you. It was his father who has done this; Armaan was oblivious of all of this."

My uncertainty gets more pronounced with her every word. Why is she favoring Armaan?

"When Armaan got to know about his father's cheep act, this is the very reason, he has started behaving sweetly to you. His father has used him for his revenge against your father. He told me at that moment that he needs time to repent everything which he has done to you. He even said that he will get you your father's property back. He fought against his father for you," she pauses for a minute to take a breath.

Here I don't know how to react. I don't have any words to say to her. Now, I remember when Armaan has told me that he wants to become my friend so this is the reason he has done that. And he doesn't get along well with his father for the same reason as well.

"I am sorry, Zara."

I look at her in astonishment when she says this to me and her voice gets muffled due to this.

"I and my that stupid husband, Shaiq have plotted revenge against Armaan for betraying me. We have done all of this from that coffee shop's mishap to wrongly blaming Armaan of being involved in your father's death. I am really sorry," she is now sobbing as she holds my hand tightly.

Everything feels like spinning around me. Shaiq is her husband? Plot the revenge? I harshly take mine had out of her grip as I glare at her.

"What are you saying? How can you do this?" I yell.

She sniffles her nose while wiping her cheeks.

"You know Zara, I and Armaan have dated for two years. At that time, I have all my love and trust in him. Just imagine yourself in my place when one day my boyfriend comes to me saying he has got forcefully married to a girl. I let it go because I trusted his words that he is mine. Then one day he told me that the girl he married is naive and he wants some more time to repent his wrongdoings with her. I again let it go because I feel bad for the poor girl who happened to be his wife. And then..." She stops when tears don't let her speak any more.

"Then a pleasant rainy day, I got on a date with him with happiness in my heart that he will give me a date today and we will get engaged soon but you know what did he say?" She wipes the tears from his eyes as an ironic smile spreads on her lips.

"He said I have fallen for my wife. He said I have misinterpreted my feelings for you. He said I like you just like my friend. Just imagine yourself in the place of this heartbroken girl whose two years boyfriend has chosen his six months older wife. Just imagine, Zara; you have pressure from your cruel and abusive family to get out of their house as soon as possible and here I am ruined."

"My abusive family just got this as a sign to dump me to anyone just for the sake of money. They were willing to sell me for their greed. I was submissive then becausee you know what Zara?" She deliberately stops and looks at me.

"Only the hope of Armaan's love I had which was keeping me to stop them from marrying me off to that oldage alcoholic, flirt who had lust on me. I knew it well that he will just fullfil his nasty desires on me but I was paranoid to that thing as well because according to me, the one I trusted the most left me in darkness then whats the use of being adamant now? And then thatt best friend of mine sacrifised his life, feelings and our strong bond to protect his heartbroken friend. He lied about in love with me, he named his property to my greedy parents by marrying me, just to protect his Zainab. I was mad on Armaan for this as well because due to him, I have costed Shaiq's happiness."
I feel like crying for her right now. She has gone through this much. I stare at her bending her head as she is hiccuping. Her hair is spreading all around her. I put my hand on her hand which prompts her to rise her hand and look at me with a smile.

"You may be thinking that I am blaming Armaan but I am not. Yeah, I was doing it earlier that's the reason I take revenge from him because there is a rage which was burning inside of me; the rage of betrayal, the rage of humiliation, the rage of being insulted, and then the rage of ruining my best friend's life. But now I think Armaan isn't at fault. Falling for your wife isn't a sin. He in fact has done me a favor by telling me everything at the moment."

She sighs before continuing, "so Zara, go back to him. He loves you so much. He isn't in his senses without you. You know there is a difference between Ishq and muhabbat. Muhabbat can change but Ishq can't. Ishq can't even get lessoned in hot deserts or under the shadow of knives. Armaan has Ishq with you. Don't test his love anymore and go to him." She stands up and hangs her handbag along her shoulder.

"I hope you will give this good news to Armaan soon. He will be overjoyed to learn that he is going to have a little one soon. Please forgive me and ask him as well to forgive me. Take care. Bye," she explains and rushes out of the room without even looking back at me.

I glance at my hand blankly which still has the feel of her hand.

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Zainab's POV

I take out the key from my handbag's pocket and insert it into the lock of the main gate of the farmhouse. It's almost midnight now as I have come from the hospital where Zara is admitted. I quickly twist the key and the door gets opened with a cracking sound. I purse my lips tightly as I see Shaiq in front of the door. I ignore him as I walk ahead but before I can move, he grabs my arm and pulls me in front of him.

"Where were you?" He asks in a monotonous voice.

"Will my answer do any difference to you?" I glare at him while trying to remove his hand from my arm.

I gasp when he tightens his grip on my arm.

"You were with him?" He again asks.

"Yes, I was. Happy now?" I hiss in anger.

"What did you do with him all night?" He spews in rage.

I stare at him dumbfoundedly. Is he really my Shaiq? He has started being suspicious of me as well.

"What a girl can do with a man alone in his house. You know this really well. Don't you ?" I smirk.

"Zainab!"

His voice is so loud that I flinch terribly.

"You want to listen, something like this, right?" I assert while removing his hand from my arm.

"But you know what, he is not a jerk like you. He is much better than you who knows how to respect people," I yell and when I get myself free from his grip, I move ahead.

Before I can walk, Shaiq grabs my wrist and pins me against the wall.

"Let me go, " I yell while hitting his chest.

But he clenches my both wrists with his hand and put them up on both sides of my head on the wall. He twists my wrists when I try to shove him aside. I get baffled when he leans closer to my face.

"If he is better than me then what are you doing here at my house? Go to that non-jerk who treats you better," he scoffs in anger.

At that time, I really feel like slapping him hard. But due to my hands being in his grip, I can't even move them. Is he really saying this?

I have no interest in living in your house anyway, Shaiq. The next morning I will leave your house. To the hell with you!" I snapped at him.

I gasp in pain when due to him twisting my wrists, the bangles which I am wearing on them, get broken. They poke in my skin causing blood to ooze out.

Shaiq soon frees my hand when I sob in pain. I glance at my bleeding wrists in a rush.

Please don't faint in front of this jerk, Zainab.

But I am sure bleeding will cause my blood pressure to drop and me to get fainted. Tears start hazing my sight when I separate the broken pieces of bangles from my wrist.

"Zainab, I...I am sorry...Let me see," Shaiq panics as he tries to take my hand in his.

Before he can reach there, I take a few steps behind, "you are not my best friend. You are someone else because my Shaiq can never hurt me."

I look down to find the drops of my blood dribbling on the white, clear floor.

"Zainab. I didn't do this on purpose. Your...your wound is bleeding so much. At least let me bandage it," he again grabs my arm but I dodge him again this time.

"You are not my Shaiq. My Shaiq is not like this," I mumble as I shake my head from side to side.

The view in front of me gets hazy as I look down at the trail of my blood on the floor. I walk some strides back aimlessly, my whole body swaying from here and there, just like my head.

Don't faint, Zainab.

"Zainab, I am sorry. You will get fainted, for God's sake," he again says but this time, in my sight, his voice is also muffled as his face.

I hold my head in both hands as I try to open my eyes fully. Before I can understand, Shaiq rushes to me. He puts his one hand on my waist, the other one behind my knees, and lifts me up in bridal style.

"Let me go," I mumble while hitting his chest with my fists.

He doesn't budge a little as he takes me in the room. He makes me sit on the bed. I can feel my eyes getting closed with every passing moment. I see as when Shaiq doesn't find anything, he rips the sleeve of his shirt and covers my both wrists in it to stop the bleeding. I am too weak right now to even protest or stop him from doing what is he doing.

"I...I hate you, Shaiq. I hate..."

But I have fallen for you, Shaiq. I love you, Shaiq.

I don't get to complete myself when my eyeballs roll towards the back.

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Scroll through the next page to read the part 2 of the last chapter.