Ishmal touched the delicate design of the ring with her index finger. She couldn't understand the purpose of it in her belongings. From putting this in her suitcase, making sure she reached home safely by dropping her himself to arresting her stepfather. What all those actions were implicating?

Haider was giving her a blank check in the morning. Many times he offered her money as a payback for marrying him. Ishmal's fist tightened around the ring. Did all this mean he was again trying to degrade her? Showing it to her that he could do anything with her because he was superior. This suddenly made her sad. It was a miserable feeling, not anger. She had fallen in love with a man who didn't consider her more than a need and a possession. Tugging the ring back into its box, Ishmal put it back on the bed.

When she tried to overlook the arrest of her stepfather by him giving appearing as if she didn't know it was done by him, now the presence of this ring had left so many questions. The former was due to her own need to get rid of that man but later-

Ishmal sighed before standing up. Grabbing her dress, she headed towards the washroom. A warm and relaxed bath made her feel at ease. When she came out, rubbing her hair with a towel, she felt an unusual effect. Like it was some kind of new beginning. But was it something she really wanted?

All her life, Ishmal never had any hopes or dreams. Her life was without any purpose, just moving with the flow. And then that night happened and Haider came into her life. She wanted to stay forever with him and wanted to leave him at the same time. It was her stupid heart's mistake who fall for him despite knowing she would not have a future with him. He was like a temporary adventure in her life and nothing else.

Ishmal was combing her hair when she heard voices from outside. When they took the form of familiar and discrete yelling, she left whatever she was doing and came outside. As she reached the corridor, she saw Abid's parents arguing with her mother in the lounge.

"What did you do to my son?" His father growled.

"He is getting what he deserves. He kept a bad eye on my innocent daughter and tried to molest her," Farah replied.

"Innocent?" The woman smirked. "Your daughter certainly isn't innocent. She under the influence of her own erratic hormones tried to seduce my son and when he didn't comply, she injured him and then fled. No good girl flew from home in the night as she did. And then didn't know where she spent the whole time. To whom she gave her supposed innocence again. Perhaps someone very influential and rich who told the police to capture my son. The police aren't even accepting any bail. I don't know where that characterless girl had rotten herself to again lure a---"

"Stop this!" Farah shouted and raised a finger at the woman. "Not a word against my daughter anymore. You can go because your son is having a punishment for his sin."

Ishmal bit her lower lip when the man's eyes caught his attention. He marched towards her and grabbed her jaw. "You shameless bitch. How many men have you spent the time when you weren't here? Who paid you how much?"

Farah approached her father-in-law and made Ishmal come out of his grip who gasped in pain. "Don't touch my daughter!"

"You are such an ungrateful woman, Farah. We married our chaste son to you when you were a widow with a daughter. He gave you everything which you maybe didn't deserve and considered this bitch as his own daughter. I won't spare both of you. I will be the death of both of you," he barked as his eyes were turning red with anger.

"Ibad, Ayyan come here!" The man then called his grandsons.

Farah's eyes widened. What was he up to?

The boys came on his second call, looking all stunned and confused.

"Go and sit in the car outside. Quickly!" He ordered them.

Farah came forward. "What are you doing? Where are you taking sons to?"

He glared at her. "They are my Abid's sons. And I am taking them with me. You have just a night, Farah. Take your characterless daughter and your belongings and leave my son's house. I don't want to see you tomorrow here. If I do, I will do worse with you. Unless your bitch of a daughter asks that man whom she had asked to get my son arrested to bail him out again, you are forbidden to live in this house and meet your sons. Now get lost.... haven't you heard me, boys?"

"You can't take my sons away from me. I won't let you," Farah gritted her teeth in despair.

The man laughed under his breath. "I am doing that right now."

He forcefully took the boys with him and Farah just left there, crying hysterically. When the door closed, she slumped on the floor. Ishmal's own eyes became wet as she approached her mother.

She put a hand over her shoulder. "Ammi!"

Farah looked at her with tear-filled eyes and then hugged her.

"Ammi, I am sorry. All of this is happening due to me. Please forgive me," she whispered.

Farah shook her head as she wiped her cheeks. "No, my dear. Don't be sorry. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have remarried. I should have protected you. Protected you from that monster."

Ishmal kissed her hand. "Don't say it. Ayyan and Ibad are my precious brothers. They don't deserve to be pulled into all of this. I...I will talk to him. Ask him to bail Abid Uncle because I have forgiven him."

Farah's eyes widened. "Why would you do that?"

Ishmal swallowed thickly. "You won't be able to see Ibad and Ayyan if I don't do that. They have no mistake in this. He is their father and they don't need to live a fatherless life just due to me."

"Ishmal...no," Farah murmured.

"Don't get worried for me. I'll stay at Nano's house again. Nothing will happen," she reasoned.

[A/N:- Nano: Grandmother/ father from mother's side)

She staggered on her feet when she rose up, taking her mother with her.

Farah joined her hands in front of her. "Please forgive me."

She held her hands quickly. "Don't say that, Ammi. Please. Don't get me embarrassed."

Ishmal didn't know what the future held for her but neither her past nor her present was anything pleasant. Except the moments when she was with him. She wished she would have stayed with him. He wanted to keep her to satisfy his ego. She should have let him do it. At least it would have saved her mother and brothers' lives.

  
                   __________________

As soon as Haider came into the room, the vanilla scent he inhaled made him remember her. He gazed around. Everything was speaking of her. The couch, her usual side of the bed, the empty right side of the dressing table, and the vacant en suite. How would he be able to live without her?

There was something on the bed that caught his attention. It was a black shawl of Ishmal. It was he who had given it to her when he was bringing her to his government house to marry her. It was the first thing he ever gave to her. And somehow when she had left her suitcase behind in the the room, he had managed to put the ring he purchased for her inside it.

It was meant for her and what would he do by keeping it to himself? She should know whatever happened between them was based on attraction, likeness, and personality. There was no third person included in it, it was just two of them. But then he felt the need to get something from her for herself.  Something which belonged to her. A last imprint of her that he could ever have. Hence he pulled out that shawl from her suitcase and now it was lying there.

Haider picked it up and brought it near to his nose. Sniffing it, he closed his eyes. It smelled of Ishmal. The usual vanilla scent. His mind went back to the moment when they kissed. It was the most wonderful feeling of his life ever.

Exhaling, Haider put the thing in his wardrobe. He couldn't bring himself to lose this after losing Ishmal herself.

After a shower, when he was about to leave the room, his phone rang. Haider's forehead creased before he took it out of his pocket. It was a call from his inspector. He grimaced before attending it.

"Yes, what is it?" He sounded assertive and calculated as he asked this, as he ambled out.

"Sir, someone came to request bail for Abid Abbas," the other person spoke.

"So? Don't bother me about these minor issues by being an irk. No kind of bail will be accepted for him and that's my order. And my order is final," he proclaimed, harshly.  

"Sir, it's not it. Now the victim girl herself came to request for his bail. She said that's their family matter and she had forgiven her stepfather so we should end this case," the inspector replied, causing Haider to pause in his way.

His whole body tensed. "Victim girl? Did she tell you her name?"

"Yes sir. She is Ishmal," he retorted. Haider face palmed himself.

Why was Ishmal doing it? Was it another display of stubbornness from her to not take his favor? Or was she in another trouble?

                  ________________ 

AssalamoAlaikum/ Hi guys!

How are you?

A new chapter is here for you.

I hope you like it.

Do you think Haider will bail Abid on Ishmal's request?

Will they meet again?

Do you think Ishmal did right by taking this step?

What do you think will happen next?

If you like this chapter, don't forget to vote and comment. ❤

Till next one, Allah Hafiz/ Bye.  💟💟