In the night, Ishmal was squatting in front of the dressing table removing her golden bangles from her wrists. Tonight was Haider's turn to use the bed. He was currently half lying on it, his back was pressed against the headrest and he was working on his laptop. Yesterday he got to know a really important progress in a crucial case of drug smuggling and right now he has many files opened in his tab to let the dots make a fine line.

His eyes momentarily went towards Ishmal and they lingered there. Her golden hair was falling on her back and she was looking stunning in this extra amount of embellishment she did every day. She was now fumbling with her earrings. He wouldn't she was playing a perfect wife in front of his family by acting and appearing like this. However, he didn't want them to get attached to Ishmal this much which was probably happening these days.

He gazed at her more meticulously. It wasn't only his family who was getting attached to her, even he was getting attracted to her. But there was a huge difference between the two emotions. There was just adoration in the former case while he was desiring her. Something which was wrong and shouldn't have happened. He should have hated her considering she was a woman yet that was not the case here. There was anything but anger here. There was curiosity, craving, and many more which Haider didn't want to recall right now.

How could this happen? Was he again preparing himself to get ditched by a woman again? He couldn't be that stupid.

He diverted his stare from her and regarded his laptop again. But that wasn't where his focus fell because the soothing smell of the perfume Ishmal applied on herself was hovering in the whole room.

She was so near, so approachable to him yet he couldn't get her. Wasn't it very ironic?  Or maybe he could but no. There was a big full stop after that. Ishmal didn't deserve the darkness of his soul and life.

Even though she was a girl. Something which he always thought he would be giving to this gender whenever they would come across him but somehow Ishmal didn't provoke such reaction in it. It was totally different and not what he expected.

Ishmal turned around and glanced at Haider who was busy with his work. She coughed to clear her throat.

"I need a security of my future," she started, causing Haider to pause his typing.

He remained still in his position, trying to contemplate the meaning of her words before looking back at her.

"What does that mean?" He questioned, with a slight tilt of his shoulder.

He remembered in the morning he gave her the money she required but with a strict order that she shouldn't buy any gift for his sister by herself and he would do it himself by giving her from the side of both of them. He didn't want her to make a space in the hearts of his family. However, Ishmal didn't take it from him. He hated when someone disobeyed him and didn't listen to him but when that girl left the money he gave her on the table before walking away, the anger was close to almost nothing at that moment. It was something else. Something unusual and again a feeling of not being able to get what was meant to be his. 

Ishmal got up and walked towards him. She stood at a few meters distance from the bed. "After this marriage ends, you will still get the benefit from it while I will be at a loss because I will be left with practically nothing."

Haider placed the laptop beside him and folded his arms on his chest. "Be precise. I am not a mind reader, Ishmal."

"I want to do a job from now on to make a living for myself when I will be freed from this contract," she finally let out.

Haider's jaw unknowingly clenched at the way she talked about their marriage.

She wasn't wrong. It was a contract. What the hell happening to him?

"No woman from my family does a job. It's the duty of men. Whether on paper or not, you are still my wife and I certainly won't let my woman to go outside to make a living when I am already here for this purpose. " He stopped to catch a breath. "There are many places, Ishmal where you have to abide me and stick by my rules. I am already tolerating many things."

She knew what Haider meant here. Her constant mingling with his family was what he referred to as. But she wasn't sorry for it at all. This egoistic man wanted to make her appear as a bad girl and show himself without any fault which wasn't the truth.

"But I am not your wife. I still want to think about my future which is as dark as it is right now as it was before. I will need money when I have to search for permanent refuge for myself in the future," Ishmal tried to argue.

He didn't know why whenever she said those words regarding their marriage and him, it aggravated him. Instead, it should made him happy that he would be able to get rid of her easily.

Suddenly Haider smirked. "Oh darling just say it in clearer words that you are regretting my third condition in the contract. You need that money. Because you all women are same. You only care about where you will get the more advantage and that's all. But don't worry, I will still add that condition and fulfill your wish because certainly, I can't take any favor from the women."

Ishmal who was first calmly listening to him now lost it over his rubbish talks. "I would rather choose to die than to use anything from the wealth of someone arrogant and egoistic like you after we are done with this drama. And don't you always forget that this contract has some secrets with me as well? Maybe I can tell your family right now that I am your fake wife."

She shoots him a last glare before walking away. But before she could do so, Haider's hand was on her wrist. He got out of the bed and loomed over her with his height and strong persona. Ishmal gasped in surprise.

He didn't know why this was affecting him this much. Why this word fake was disturbing him? Haider hurled her around and now she was facing him. Due to how unexpected it was, Ishmal's body got bumped against his chest. Haider tugged on her wrist before pulling her closer. Shock contorted her face because of how his touch was making every pore on her body to ignite.

For a moment, they stared at each other and silence prevailed between them. His stare flew from Ishmal's big brown eyes to her nose and then her pink plump lips. Haider fought an urge to curl his fingers around the small of her slim back and claim her lips. Ishmal held her breath in her throat as his unwavering gaze made her feel nervous and timid at the same time. That wasn't how she wanted to feel for this selfish man.

"You are my wife. Take this fake word out of my mind," he whispered sternly. Something in him wanted to stop here. Ishmal was his wife indeed and he had every right over her but that wasn't the case here. "Till we need this marriage."

"I am not your wife. Stop calling me that when we are in alone because we don't have such a relationship," Ishmal argued.

Even though she was constantly talking back to him which Haider never liked with everyone else and the fear of someone overhearing their conversation, the way Ishmal said it amused him. His gaze focused on how her lips were moving with every word she was speaking and he breathed heavily. If he would keep on holding her like this, Haider was certain he wouldn't be able to control himself.

His grip increased on her wrist and she exhaled because it wasn't strong or painful, it was distracting and weird. Then all of a sudden, he left her hand. Ishmal felt empty and a cold air hit her bare wrist because his hot touch was not present there.

"These talks shouldn't be discussed so loosely like this again. I don't want anyone to accidentally hear it." Haider tugged his hands in his pockets and fixed her with a pointed look. "Regarding your wish to do a job, that's not possible. Whatever you need I will be responsible for it but after that period, you are free to do whatever you want. That's my order and you should know about it. I hope you understand this well."

Ishmal scowled at him. She hated that egoistic man who only thought about himself but like always, her reactions to his proximity and touch were so different than what she superficially felt for him. If he wouldn't have again given her an order, Ishmal perhaps would have done it but the way he worded his statement made her furious. And now she felt like doing everything to break that ego of his.

"And I think you should also know this that I don't owe you my life that you can order me around," she replied stiffly and then headed towards the couch.

Haider couldn't understand what she meant but his eyes did follow her till she switched off the lights and he wasn't able to see her due to darkness.

Haider didn't know what was happening but one thing was clear the path he was leading on wasn't sane. It was crazy and dangerous.

Dangerous for the self-made walls of egos and hatred that he had made against himself.

                 ______________________

AssalamoAlaikum/ Hello guys!

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Here's a new chapter.

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Till next update, Allah Hafiz/ Bye. ❤❤