Hours later, I lay awake in the darkness, filled with self-loathing and rampant insecurity.

I was still shattered by the knowledge of dad's planned death. I felt drained. Never had I cried as much as I had in the last few hours.

It was noon and Aahil had still not returned and I had refused to go down for lunch even though Mariam had requested a number of times.

When I could lie down no more, I sat up abruptly in my bed and tied my hair into a messy bun and I was about to stand up when a magazine on the side table caught my attention.

It had a tittle, "The rich and famous."

I leafed through it absent-mindedly so as distract my current chain of thoughts, but when I saw something familiar, I stopped at the very page and eyed it intently.

There was a picture of Aahil looking as spectacular as ever in his dinner jacket. There was a whole page written about him.

Aahil Hussain is an Indian businessman and one of the richest persons in India. He is the founder and managing director of A1pharamaceuticals.

He started by helping his father in the wholesale generic drug business. It was during his work as a drug distributor that he thought of manufacturing his own drugs instead of selling products of other company.

A1 pharmaceuticals were started with just a capital of Rs 10,000 but today it is India's largest drugmaker and most valuable company.

Appreciation of the drugs produced by his company led to a 50% surge in his personal wealth amounting to USD $4.7 billion and in the past year, he had a net worth of $17.2 billion.

He is named in the list of Asia's top ten wealthiest self-made billionaires.

He has acquired many pharmaceutical companies worldwide in the aim of expanding his research of drugs to a larger scale.

It won't be long when this dynamic and hardworking young man will be called as the first richest man in the country!

Suddenly, the bedroom door flew open and it was blocked by a stunning looking man wearing Italian double-breasted beige suit.

Who could look more stunning than him?

For a split second, Aahil took my breath away and I was transfixed.

But the sensation did not last long.

Aahil frowned at me, "Did I not make it clear that for the duration of our stay here, you were to behave as if this is a normal marriage?"

And how I wish this truly was a  normal marriage.

I suppressed my thought and with uncertainty nodded my head.

"Then why did you refuse to join me for lunch downstairs? And why did you refuse our housekeeper's offer to give you a guided tour of the villa?"

Had he just used 'Our'

But then what would it matter, what words he chose to use now after the harsh words he had already used.

I heaved a stoical sigh, "Anything else I have done wrong?"

"You are not my guest. This is supposed to be your home. Act like a newly married woman."

"I haven't a clue how a newly married woman acts."

"But you have an incredible imagination. Use it," Aahil suggested with a sardonic bite.

It was already being used. In my mind's eye, Aahil had changed from a hero to a gangster. But Oh so incredibly handsome gangster.

I steadied my breath and wondered frantically what was going on inside my mind.

"I expect you to join me in a few minutes," he commanded before his exit.

I opened my wardrobe only to find my cases missing. Opening another one greeted me with fluttering draperies of unknown garments.

Opening the chest in the drawers won me the same disorientating discovery.

While I was in the jacuzzi my luggage had been unpacked but to my amazement, all my dresses seemed to be missing.

I raced down the long, sweeping staircase barefoot.

With the light of battle in my eyes, I slung at him in full volume, "Where is my stuff?"

"I dumped it," he replied with a nonchalant shrug of his broad shoulders.

I stared at him for one long stunning moment, "I beg your pardon?"

"Every shred of clothing you possess, I have given it to charity, It does not go well with your status."

I moistened my dry mouth slowly, "I don't believe you."

"Could you stop acting for once? You should be glad that you will be wearing designers from now and that is what you wished for."

"How incredibly arrogant can someone get?" I stammered.

At that instant, a servant came to the door and spoke to Aahil in a low voice while I stood there with balled fists of fury.

His arrogant dark head turned, "You will have to excuse me. I have a visitor."

For the space of a few minutes, I was frozen to the carpet by the careless dismissal.

Frustration current through me in a wild surge, I marched through the great hall and then hesitated and slowed down my pace when I heard voices.

With curiosity, I glanced in through the ajar door.

Aahil was in his office.

For the part of our stay here, one wing was transformed into his office and a number of staff where present.

Aahil was conducting a conversation in bursts of low pitch on phone, While simultaneously dictating notes to a young man seated, muttering over a computer terminal.

And another man was ripping several feet of paper out of the fax machine.

I assumed it had to be some office work and was about to turn when ----

"Aleena, come in," He had seen me peering and I felt like an intruder.

"From now on you will always be accompanied by Dilshad," Aahil delivered pointing towards the bodyguard who was towering over me and was well over six feet in height, he had shoulders like axe handles and a massive chest. He appeared very young and you could term him as extremely attractive.

I looked at Aahil to find his brilliant brown eyes unflinching and then he introduced me to two others, "Musthafa and rafeeq are my security men, You are at all times expected to ask someone to accompany you if you want to leave the villa for any reason."

I was tense as a drawn bowstring so instead of arguing, I nodded my head in approval.

--------------------
I had dressed and was about to go down for lunch when Mariam entered looking startled, "Mrs Hussain, do you wish for your lunch to be brought up here?"

I gave a confused look.

"Sir Aahil had to leave immediately to one of the factories, as there was an emergency and has asked me to inform you that he will not return until sunset."

I sighed and agreed for the lunch to be sent upstairs. A few hours passed by when I decided to ring mom, "Assalamu alaikum."

"Walaikum salam dear, how are you? how is Aahil?"

We spoke for a long time and I tried my best to sound happy.

"Aleena, I had to let you know something." Mom sounded worried.

"What is it, mom------?" My stomach lurched yet again.

"Isaac works part-time in Aahils company and yesterday he was found prying into secret files in the safe."

Suddenly I started feeling physically ill.

Why would Isaac do something like that?

I kept silent as I did not have any response.

"One of Aahil's security men caught him red-handed and turned him into the police. I know it is very shocking that Isaac could do something like that. All of us are hoping it to be some major misunderstanding and for Isaac to be proven innocent."

After I ended the call, I went and sat in a swing in the large spacious lounge. I felt devoid of emotions.

My simple life had turned upside down.

Nothing seemed to make sense anymore.

Why had Isaac looked into the safe?

What was going on in our lives?

He had never seemed like someone who would involve himself in anything termed as morally wrong. Everything seemed like a big jigsaw puzzle and I intended to solve this.

Uncle Haroon was a reputable man and he would be devasted by the news.

I just hoped that Aahil's security man had made a mistake and it would somehow be proved that Isaac is innocent.

After long hours of frantic worry, I had fallen asleep on the swing to be woken when I felt I was being carried.

I opened my eyes to find me in Aahil's arms, "It is late in the night and it is not safe for you to sleep in the lounge."

I did not bother to reply.

He gently laid me on the bed and went to the washroom.

He seemed quite and remote. I was missing our usual fights and arguments.

When he returned from the shower, I gathered my courage and asked, "Where had you been?"

"To conclude some unfinished business," he told quietly, "Someone trustworthy tried to break in the company safe. Now I am not sure which of my staff members I can actually trust."

He looked hurt and some unknown emotion surfaced in my heart, "Did you have your dinner?"

"You actually sound like a wife," he remarked sarcastically and expelled his breath in a stark hiss of pent-up tension.

I am your wife.

How I wished to say it loud, to end all the misconceptions between us. I went down to the kitchen and piled dinner on a tray but when I returned he had already fallen asleep on the couch.

My eyes scanned his sleeping form, his drowsy eyes were deeply shadowed and the cresent lashes as luxurious as a child's had already drifted towards his cheekbones.

As I recalled all that he was going through I deeply flushed.

Now, for the first time in my married life, I felt threatened by the discovery that a glimpse of Aahil looking exhausted could make me feel strangely guilty and sympathetic.

I hoped everything would be sorted out soon and the missing file found, so that we could all go back to living our normal lives.

And I wanted to see Aahil happy and smiling.

Why did it bother me so much to see him tensed?

Of course, I would feel the same for anyone who is trying to help my family.

Surely, I don't have any special concern towards him! 

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