Salaam brothers and sisters, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter, and it is dedicated to one of my most motivating and polite readers ; @hasmiimaan (thanks for everything)

Maryam's peacock dress on the side.

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"Maryam?....psssst? MARYAM?" said Zeeshan waving his hand in front of my face.

I snapped out of my thoughts and gave him a mild stare,Whoa! when did he appear?

"aaaaah man! you have a whole life to stare at me, now come on! I'm starving" He said pulling me away from the window.

I grabbed my pink hijab from the bed and loosely tied it around my neck while he was dragging me

"Salam Mom, Salam Ameeeeeeeeeeenah" Zeeshan greeted everyone at the table and teased his sister.

"Salam auntie, Asalam-o-alaikum Aminah" I copied and sat besides in between auntie and Aminah.

"Wasalam, come sit" both auntie and Aminah replied in unison

I noticed that Zeeshan wanted to sit with me but I had purposely chosen the seat away from him to tease him ofcourse. It's not that I like him now, I still hate his....beard, but sometimes he's so different from what he looks like, I wish he looked like that too. (sigh)

The breakfast went well and Now I was getting ready for we were invited for lunch at my parents house.

I wore a printed peacock colours embroidered dress with light matching jewelry and heels and loosely put on a green printed scarf. Zeeshan was waiting for me downstairs in his car. I walked slowly down the stairs like a Queen and blushed when Auntie sent a flying kiss at me and Aminah motioned that Zeeshan will faint seeing me. I kissed Auntie's cheek and hugged Aminah then quickly went to the car.

Zeeshan stared and stared at me continously. I had already sat in the car but He didn't start it and kept staring me with his mouth open.

"Please Zeeshan, Auntie will soon notice that we have not left yet and when she'll come outside and see you looking at me like I'm a lollipop and you're a 3 year old, it'll be embarrassing. "

He closed his jaw, gulped and without saying a word nodded, then started the car. I noticed that he was throwing quick glances at me while driving when he thought I wasn't looking. I know the dress was extremely beautiful, one of my favorites but was I right to wear it?

I mean He stared at me at traffic signals and did not realize the green light unless the vehicles behind us honked fiercely. At last I asked "WHAT?"

"What? No. Nothing I was just...." he managed with his hand in his hair. He was tensed and I could sense it. "Look Zeeshan, Is something wrong with me? my dress? my face?" I asked a bit softly this time.

"NO!!! You're perfect, I mean your dress....and face...and, and everything, it's gorgeous" He   replied still confused and ashamed.

"Then why are you acting like this?" I asked again making sure to keep my tone calm.

"you're uncomfortable?" He asked instead of replying.

"No YOU'RE uncomfortable" I replied.

"You look  beautiful" He said ending the conversation.

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We had arrived at my parents Home. Mom was so happy to see me and believe me or not, for a moment, she was mesmerized too. Zeeshan was with my dad talking on some gadget, boy talk!              I helped mom with table setting and salad. She tried a lot to stop me saying that my dress would be ruined and blah blah but I did not listen.

We all had a splendid lunch wile chatting on random topics. This time Zeeshan had managed to sit with me because my parents also wanted that.

Just then, Dad started a new topic,

"So Mano, what do you say about my choice?"

"what choice dad?" I asked

"why ofcourse the selection of a man for you" Dad replied smiling

"are you happy with him?" He continued

I was swallowing a bite of chicken at that time and choked. Zeeshan patted my back but no use, Mom also tried but I couldn't breath. My eyes were beginning to fill with water, I freed my self from mom's grip and ran to the bathroom and locked the door.

I made myself vomit to get rid of that chicken and so I did. But tears were running down my cheek. My choking was not just a coincidence. Dad had triggered my sad part of life. Was I happy with him? Did Dad  make the right choice? I recalled everything, my misery during my wedding when I came to know that He had a beard, the time when I cried the whole night, the pain my parents had unconsciously caused me and were still unaware of it, the sacrifice I made for their happiness.

Mom was knocking the door now and was continuously asking If I was alright,She seemed worried. Zeeshan and Dad were also calling my name. I quickly washed my face, corrected my appearence and unlocked the door. I am not going to create a drama scene here, I can cry at home I thought.

As soon as I entered out of the bathroom, Mom embraced me in a tight hug.

"Mom I just survived a choking attack and you're again choking me" I managed 

Everybody laughed and went back to dinner. Thank God Dad didn't start that topic again.

Zeeshan took me shopping after lunch. I was really not in the mood and I tried to explain it to him but he won't listen. So we just window shopped with me rejecting everything he suggested to buy just because I was not in the mood, otherwise I LOVE shopping. We ate ice cream which I was forced to eat because Zeeshan was begging me in the public to eat the ice cream.

Zeeshan seemed pretty happy today while I felt more gloomy than ever. Zeeshan had started to realize that something was wrong so he inquired me if I was alright.

"I'm fine, just take me home....need some time....to myself" I said emphasizing the last part.

He simply nodded with a worried  expression and started the car. The drive till home was quite unlike I expected. I know I had ruined Zeeshan's day but it wasn't my fault, was it?

I dashed upstairs as soon as we arrived home, Thank God mom and Aminah were not home. I locked the door and fell on my pillows. All the tears I was holding till now flooded out. Why me? Why can't I be happy like all other couples? Why can't I get a husband of my dreams? I know Zeeshan is nice and all that but he has a BEARD  and that is what I hate the most. I was sobbing and coughing fiercely now.

"Maryam? open the door, ....Maryam? are you alright...open the door Maryam"  Zeeshan was now beating the locked door with all his might.

"Zeeshan go...please Go!" I shouted between my tears. 

"Maryam I said open the door or I swear I'll break it" Zeeshan replied from outside in a stern tone still banging the door.

I did not move. No, not this time, I can't afford to see him right now, I really can't, and thinking all that, I again burst into a flood of tears. Just then Zeeshan broke in, the lock was broken, Man! he's powerful, He broke the metal lock!

He was looking at me with horror. I must be looking horrible too with all the dark swollen eyes and tears. But I didn't stop crying, instead his arrival triggered my tears more.

"Maryam what happened?" Zeeshan asked terrified cupping my face.

"No, nothing, just go!" I replied struggling  out of his grip.

"Maryam wait!....mm Maryam!" Zeeshan followed me while I was dashing towards the bathroom and unluckily, He caught me.

I struggled my best to get out of his firm grip but it was no use, He was way more stronger than me and his tight grip was now causing me pain. Tears were rolling down my cheeks continuously and Zeeshan looked worried as hell.

"Maryam what happened, why are you crying? Maryam tell me!" Zeeshan demanded shaking me by my shoulders but all I did was to cry and continuously shook my head sideways.

"Come, come here with me" Said Zeeshan taking me towards the bed.

"sit" He said putting a pillow behind my back

"Now stop crying, for Heaven's sake! if its a person who is the reason for your crying then I'll kill him/her" He said wiping my tears.

I was still sobbing but suddenly I felt my head heavy and everything went blur. Zeeshan's voice seemed deeper and faded now. The lights flickered for the one last time and then everything went black.

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