Haider lifted his hand and outlined her lips with his thumb. "Does anyone ever tell you that you are extremely gorgeous?"

Ishmal inhaled a sharp breath at his husky voice, the feel of his hot breath over her cheek and his thumb on her lips. She shouldn't like it but it was the opposite. His touch had nearly made her numb and she was looking at him with widened eyes.

Haider went more near her; their lips were almost touching. Ishmal was sure that even if he would slightly tilt his head, that almost would leave the context. She didn't know what was happening to her at that time. She felt like that her feet were almost glued to the floor and she couldn't move away. From this destruction and havoc.

"Even if no one told you but I find you very beautiful," he murmured. "And till you are my wife, I want only me to appreciate your beauty, only me being your orbit of attention and everything."

He again glanced at her lips. She had evoked a fire inside his heart. A scorching one in which he was enjoying getting burnt without wanting it. He was again on the same path which he never desired for himself.

Haider was not in his senses right now. He was intoxicated. Intoxicated by Ishmal's scent, touch, brown eyes, and delicate body. The person he had become because of what happened eight years ago wasn't present here. He wasn't being himself and only Ishmal was on his mind.

God, he never found himself in this spell bounded by anyone.

Ishmal's cheeks heated by his statement but soon she cursed herself for making this obvious to him that his words did their effect on her. "But why? We never agreed for anything to become real in our contract, Mr. Haider."

"To the hell with that contract. I damn care about it," he growled, placing his both hands behind her on the roof. "All I know is that you are my wife."

What was happening to him? He shouldn't do that. He was again making himself get ready to get betrayed by another woman. But what could he do with this ego of his? This ego which wasn't letting him to think of Ishmal as someone who wasn't his.

Ishmal glared at him. It was all a matter of his egotistical and selfish reasons. Haider considered her as someone who was his property and whom he owned now. Just like her stepfather who also deemed her his possession as she was living in his house. Perhaps Haider also wanted to dominate her and it was nothing else other than that.

Ishmal placed her hands on his chest and pushed him away. The sudden rush of emotions she got because of this touch was also there. She didn't know why she was drawn towards this arrogant man who didn't think for anyone else but himself. But self-respect was way ahead of anything for her. She then fled from the room before he could say or do anything.

As she was gone, the spell that was spread around Haider also broke. He kept on looking at the closed door with a blank mind. What was that? Did he just indirectly say that he accepted this marriage and wanted to stay with Ishmal as his wife?

Haider took out the pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lightened it up with a lighter. He placed it in between his lips while inhaling the air around it. A while ago when it seemed so mesmerized to it because of Ishmal's sweet perfume and her very own alluring scent, now it only smelled of annoying smoke. Suddenly his mind made an image of Ishmal getting irritated and touching her nose to remove the smell of the cigarette whenever he smoked it. Getting disgruntled, they blew it off and crumpled it in his palm before throwing it away.

Standing opposite to the window, Haider looked outside. The sun was about to set as the sky was turning orange-red. Why all this was happening? He never let his self-made walls of ego tumble in front of anyone. But why it was different with Ishmal? He hated women but why hate didn't even exist whenever Ishmal was concerned? Haider closed his eyes momentarily and in front of them, a memory of Ishmal's light brown eyes and pink lips appeared.

The lips which were so close to him but he yet couldn't get a taste of them because certainty he didn't want Ishmal to see through the darkness inside of him that existed. She already hated the mere show of the bad man he was to the whole world. She would even loathe if he would any day try to display the demon he had hidden beneath all those layers. And he knew it wouldn't be good for Ishmal if she would ever see it.

                 ____________________

Ishmal didn't go back to the room that day till it was night. She stayed in Hiba's room and helped her with her paintings. It was fortunate of her that the little girl had an exam in a few weeks so it worked for Ishmal to use this opportunity as a way to avoid Haider.

After giving Hiba a sketch to draw at it, she leaned against the headrest of the bed. As she got freed from that task, her mind again diverted back to what happened in the evening. She abruptly touched her lips. It was so close and if she wouldn't have left, he would have already kissed her to show his possession over her. How proud this man was? For him, only he mattered and no one else. But why she was not disliking whatever happened? She should have but it wasn't the case. She liked his touch.  

"Bhabi, did I do it right?" Hiba's question brought her out of her thoughts.

Ishmal regarded her who was showing her notebook to her in which she had made a beautiful painting of a jug with four glasses.

She smiled. "Wow, Hiba. That's so pretty. You learned pretty quickly."

Hiba grinned. "That's because my teacher is very good."

Ishmal chuckled and then patted her head.

"Do you know Bhabi, Haider Bhai also loves paintings and arts," she told her.

Ishmal already knew it from the day she found that locked room but she did make a face showing surprise to please Hiba.

"He has a whole room for it. There are so many paintings inside of it," Hiba continued, leaving her notebook and turning towards her.

"Really?" Ishmal asked.

Hiba nodded. "Yes. He brought all of them for Nisha Api. But she never got to see it."

Ishmal raised a brow. "Nisha?"

That name seemed familiar to him but she couldn't remember properly.

"Yes, she is our cousin. Haider Bhai had collected those paintings as a way to disclose his heart to her but then Nisha Api got married to Ruhaan Sufiyan Ahmad. You know she has 3 kids as well. I especially love her twins. They are such a troublemaker. Nisha Api says they are a combination of water and fire but still couldn't remain within each other and you know....." In her childishness and naiveness, Hiba was spilling everything.

Ishmal's eyes were widening with every word she was saying. Now she remembered this Nisha. She came to their reception with her kid and even congratulated her and Haider as well. She seemed a nice and polite yet confident girl. Did Haider love her? Then why didn't they get married? Was this the reason Haider chose to do a contract marriage because he didn't want to marry anyone now? Was his bitterness all due to Nisha?

It was odd that she felt weird about this. Even though he wasn't her husband in the real sense, yet it made her sad for no obvious reason that Haider was in love with another woman. He was still in her thoughts.

But why was she getting it over her mind? He meant nothing to her and he should never. But it wasn't the case with her heart.

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A few days later, Haider was at a jeweler's shop on one pleasant afternoon in September. He wanted to buy a gift for Hiba's birthday which was about in a week. He was sitting in front of the jeweller who was showing him different types of necklaces. He liked a delicate gold chain with a small pendant for Hiba.

After he got it packed, his eyes caught the attention of a box of rings. They were so beautiful that he paused. Suddenly he recalled the sight of Ishmal's soft, slim, and elegant hands and delicate fingers. A smile came on his lips. After skimming through a bunch of rings, he finally liked a beautiful gold ring with intricate work on it above.

It would definitely look gorgeous in Ishmal's hand. That was for sure.

After paying for both the things, he left the jeweler's shop. As he was walking in the corridor of the mall, perhaps he wasn't paying attention or maybe the opposite person was reckless that they bumped into him. And it caused some shopping bags from their hand to fall on the floor. 

              ___________________

AssalamoAlaikum/ Hi guys!

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Here's a new chapter for you.

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Till next one, Allah Hafiz/ Bye. ❤❤❤