Over the next couple of hours, I and Lissa were occupied, discovering our surrounding's.

We explored the town and reached the long road that ran downhill to the historic seafront, which In winter was crowded because of the modern holiday centre with its filled watershoots and garnish colours. This place surely attracted a lot of tourists.

The place was filled with laughter and chattering noises from a large number of kids gathered on the beach. Few were playing in the water, whereas other children were busy building sand-castles.

One small little boy, who was not more than four years old, was busy building a beautiful sand-castle, a little away from the shoreline. As soon as he finished building it, he started jumping out of sheer joy and his parents started clapping to make him feel proud. But not later than five minutes a huge wave came and gobbled up the castle.

The poor little boy burst into fits of tears.

I frantically began searching my handbag for chocolates to hand it over to the boy, but within seconds I heard the little boy give a squeal of delight.

I was flabbergasted when I raised my vision in the boy's direction.

Aahil was already beside the boy trying his skills in rebuilding the castle.

Who knew a billionaire would play in the sand with some random little boy on the beach, just to bring a smile on the child's face.

If Aahil thought he had a heart of steel then he surely failed miserably in executing the fact and all such minute gesture's which he did solely for the benefit of other's, made him more of a man than he could ever think he was.

The rest of the day was as pleasurable as it could be. This place possessed a sleepy charm, the water washing the sandy beach was deep blue and not mirky from the silt like it was in the cities.

The countryside, could not be equalled, it was wrapped in a cold anorak and it gave such a magical effect to the beauty of nature.

I enjoyed ambling along the quiet rural lanes and through the silent woods, it was a tranquillity-restoring walk.

If earth possessed such calmness, peace and beauty then I couldn't help but wonder how wonderfully Allah might have created the heaven's and hoped that I had done enough good deeds to be a Jannat.

This is a temporary enjoyment, I reminded myself firmly, no matter how much this place beckoned or offered a diversion from my current affairs, I couldn't suppress the empty feeling that kept nagging my conscience. I  would never have a happy married life. Suddenly, a Quranic verse came to my mind Verily in the remembrance of Allah does heart find peace.

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"I am driving to the laboratory," Aahil informed the next morning, looking stupendous in his black suit and immaculate white shirt as I met him in his act of walking down the stairs.

"I'm doing an interview with the media regarding the new medicine we are developing and I want you with me," he told me peremptorily.

"Why? Nervous about speaking to the camera on your own?" I couldn't help quipping in response.

A censuring lift of an eyebrow and the slight curve of his lips assured me that he was amused.

Well, why would Aahil ever be nervous? Self-confidence emanated from him in waves. He handled everything with such supreme ease.

"Give me ten minutes," I said, fancying the idea that he had asked me to accompany him.

I had to hold my breath as I walked past him and inhaled the air of clean, fresh vitality surrounding him and he muttered, "Make it five."

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The place was filled with scientists and media crew, there was an air of excitement around. Camera's had been already set up.

"It must make you very proud that people think you hold some magic solution to end deadly diseases," I was unable to help to remark as we picked our way with the lab-manager through the rubble and dust to were the camera's where lined up outside the tastefully designed laboratory with pale and bright stone wall and coloured glass construction.

"I think satisfied is more the word," Aahil drawled, "There was a lot of controversy about whether we were right to proceed but we managed to please both the planners and the environmentalists in the end."

"That's a feat in itself," I gave a genuine smile.

Even though I was wearing a protective hat, it didn't help much as the weather had turned bitter-cold and so I had to pull on the gloves.

"If you knew the obstacles the scientists met with during the initial research to develop an antidote, you'd never believe it," I challenged as I had heard dad tell me about the difficulties they faced while developing a new medicine.

"Oh, I would! Believe me, I would!" Aahil assured me with an ironical twist of his mouth, "It is not always about the profit we are going to make, all the obstacles and difficulties we pass through helps us reach one step closer to preparing a medicine which could help a sick person."

"You mean to say that you have worked in the laboratory?" But before I could get an answer to my question, I stumbled over a cable, to a chorus of apologies from several of the media crew.

I found myself caught firmly in Aahil's steadying arms, "Look where you are going," he breathed admonishingly against my hijab and I found that more than the fall, his closer proximity left me rather breathless.

"I am alright," For an endless moment, it seemed that I was caught against his hard strength and I saw a flicker of tender emotion in his eyes before I was released and my knees felt as wobbly as blancmange.

"Sorry about that Mrs.hussain," They knew me of course, I realised as a young cameraman was quickly pulling their cables of harm's way.

Aahil exuded such power and authority even without trying and therefore it was natural that the crew apologised to me and not the other way round, but I had always learnt to accept my mistakes, "It should be me who needs to apologise, I am sorry that the cables got tangled," The cameraman gave me a look of complete surprise but nevertheless accepted my apology.

From my peripheral vision, I saw Aahil smile and I found myself trembling from the chaos his nearness caused in me and I realised that I had to be crazy to even have considered coming down here as his better half.

The media crew had grabbed his attention now and were planning how they wanted the interview to go.

"We are going to interview the scientists who are handling this project and then perhaps we would be grateful if we got a few minutes of your time, Mr Hussain," The interviewer requested, a young man with a chic grey suit.

Their difference to him was unquestionable, and with an inward sigh, I leaned against the cool marble of a nearby pillar, glad for a few moments to regain my composure.

"Aleena! Aleena Aboobaker!" My moment of recovery was short-lived, shattered by the voice that I recognised and now loathed.

"Safwan?"

Lean-built, with dark hair, with midnite black eyes and an air of self-importance, he stood there with a smile on his face.

"What a small world. Fancy running into such a lovely person in this place," There was nothing complimentary in his use of the word lovely.

"Fancy!" I forced myself to smile, a whole host of emotions tightening in my stomach.

"I am a journalist, if you have quite forgotten and my job demands that I travel a lot," I could sense that he had taken his time to make small-talk to me, just to get any morsel of information and a shiver ran down my spine.

"It is said that your father isn't here to assist this new project," he prompted.

"Everything depends on qadr and Allah is the best of planners," I breathed, pulling a face, trying to conceal my discomfiture at running into him. He was Isaac's sister, Rushda's husband, for some unknown reason their marriage had gone downhill but from what I had heard it was due to his unfaithfulness.

He shook his head, "But I have this weird feeling that Aahil married you for some ulterior motive."

Of course, a man such as him would only use people for their own benefit. Rushda was one of my good friends and I wasn't going to shame our relationship by wasting time on the man who had broken her heart. Aahil had married me to help him reach the file but surely he had no ulterior motive attached to it.

Could he?

My insides repelled at the very thought of Aahil being a bad person.

"I would like to do an interview with you about your father. How about tomorrow?" He chirped.

"I don't think so, I am busy," One hint of the missing file or dad's murder in my talk and everything would be printed in tomorrow's newspaper.

I appended quickly, reminding myself that it wouldn't do much good to alienate him altogether, "I really don't think it's going to be possible as I am newly married and have yet to settle in my new life," I justified my earlier statements.

I tried to sound sorry and felt my heart sink as Aahil drawled from behind, "What isn't going to be possible, darling?"

I blushed to the roots of my hair. Why did he have to call me that in public? Why? When he himself didn't even believe in the very word.

An arm was placed on my shoulders in a mock-affection but nevertheless causing my pulses to leap like skittish colts.

"We were discussing her father's death," Safwan exclaimed, his bright eyes were narrowed, his brain ready to leap at any information that would slip from Aahil's mouth by mistake.

"Mr Ayaan Aboobaker's death?" Aahil asked in stark surprise.

Aahil's tone alone willed me to look at him, "Why on earth does it need to be discussed?" his tone coloured with constrained anger but the smile was still plastered on his face solely for Safwan's benefit, but I could feel the bunching muscle in the hard steel of his arm.

"Safwan was just giving his condolences as dad isn't here to assist the new project," I answered quickly, rather than risk Aahil refer to something which he would regret later.

Aahil's smile returned, "Safwan is one of my very good friends," He claimed calmly, "And you know where to come to, if you need any help," Aahil told Safwan as the two men embraced each other.

This was the last thing I wanted right now. The very thought of any sort of liaison with safwan made my temple throb because I would fail miserably in being nice to him, as much as I would try.

But a small satisfaction came over me as I considered getting answers to his irrational behaviour with rushed and maybe if Allah-willed then I could play cupid in uniting them.

But before I could get a chance, a beautiful young lady in a prim red suit, who was part of the media crew came and whispered something in Safwan's ear and he vanished within seconds.

I turned away as the interview with the scientists was about to come to an end.

After that, it was Aahil's turn, and I couldn't help think how his presence was far outclassed then any other men present over there.

Before he took the long strides towards the interviewer, he turned towards me and murmured against my ear, "You look very beautiful MashaAllah and my heart swells with pride that you belong to me."

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Dedicated to Beingulya

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