Chapter 20

Taimor enthusiastically traps the couple as soon as they return from a dinner date and successfully leads them towards living area where Meers are gathered for a Kehwa session.

"Khushi, we bothered you to have your consent." Raza initiates the conversation to present honeymoon gift to his children. But Khushi's blunt refusal hurt every person present there.

"I am so –." Realizing her mistake, she attempts for a genuine apology but her voice dies the moment Arnav stands in fury.

Dada Jaan, however, asks him to sit patiently and requests khushi whose face was friendly smiling, "He is crazy after you. Don't pull his leg."

"Did you two fight?" Yasmeen pulls her own son into dock to settle the matter.

"Honestly, mom, I did not do anything." Arnav sincerely clarifies his side.

"We did not fight. I just cannot go."

At her determined reply, he aguishly storms to bedroom, tripping himself in skeptical dust. His manly ego could not digest his wife's refusal to go on a vacation with him.

"Tell us if he has said you something offensive. We will lecture him." Raza asks tenderly, playing his elderly role.

Helpless against the culprit labelling eyes, she softly murmurs her reason and heads off to calm her husband.

***

His nose flares in despair. Several questions on her sincerity have risen in his mind and he seeks logical answers. Everyone has been giving alms to save them from bad eyes. But guess, when misunderstands have to happen, they do.

Arnav lingers his gazes at their wedding portrait and converses with it.

Do you love me?

The agony messes with his smooth breaths. Before he could groan in misery, Khushi storms inside to rectify the wrong impression.

"I don't want to talk." He turns the other way at her attempt to explain things.

"Oh really? Don't pretend with me. I know you want to have your answers." She comes closer enough to caress his back shoulder.

He shakes his head, persistently.

"Arnav, my love, at least you try to understand me. My eyes were aching for sleep and I... sailed in acute pitch." She alleges her mistake to eradicate the tension launching in their relationship. They have been crazily making immense and intense love since their wedding night and she longs to have some genuine break.

"Pitch, eh?" He who was softening at the reminder of her sleepy head, gets hurt again. "Means you were intended to deny after all." He icily states due to his broken trust.

"Why are you making it ego matter, Arnav? God Forbidden, I am not dying. With my finals of last semester in two weeks along submission of thesis, I consider I would be unable to thoroughly enjoy honeymoon with you. And you are thinking God knows what." She pauses to take in a deep calming breath which does not help at all.

"Rot in your perspective, Arnav Raza Meer. I am going to bed." She tosses her exorbitant clutch on sofa, pulls off her velvety pointed shoes and uncaringly crashes on bed disappearing under duvet.

Shaken, he stands still for a few minutes to comprehend the situation. He should have grasped the real picture of her refusal otherwise there lies no benefit in marrying childhood lover.

Khushi growls under duvet as the bitchy heavy attire does not allow her to drowse comfortably. Irritated, she marches to the changing room and does the quickest change of her life and slams the switch board on her way back to the bed.

Composing himself, he sighs off the anger and slips beside her. "What was the crime of switch board, mm?" He leans over her and states with a chuckle.

She humps, cozily snuggling in duvet, doing her best to ignore him.

"Khushi...?" He wants to terminate their fight before the night ends.

"Your behavior was not really husband-like, Arnav. Your all love-claims faded at my what... one denial?" She retorts, muffling her sobs.

"I admit I was wrong. I should have reverenced your decision but... I don't know what happened to me."

She electrifies out of duvet as a new wave of agony torments her senses. "I know what happened to you. People say love marriages have a year's lifespan and miraculously mine lasted only 10 days." Despite a pretentiously composed face, she helplessly dribbles down the pooled wetness to clear her vision.

"I am sorry." He leans more to cup her jaws and she pulls duvet to save it from his cap toe oxford shoes. He slips them off along socks and climbs into bed to earn apology. "I should have understood your condition. You are not a good person to converse when sleepy." He lulls her head, patting her against his chest. "There is no rush. We can go for honeymoon after your finals." He assures her of his support.

"Yes, we will go for a month vacation." She merrily adds, placing a kiss against his chest. "And I don't want to waste time in travelling. Select one place. We will explore its every nook and corner together." She murmurs while drumming fingers over his silk shirt going under his jacket.

"As you wish, sweetheart. Remember one thing, as long as I am breathing, I will love only one woman and that is You." He warns her off about doubts on the life of his love.

She childlike titters against his chest and looks up to see in his eyes. "I am sorry, too." She holds her ears and puckered her lips. "I should have tried to explain you in a politer manner but I was over the board with my anguish tone."

"Oh, are you really sorry?" He plays with a wink. "I must complaint about it to Dadi Jaan. She will school you about how to speak with husband."

She raises her both brows failing to raise only one. "Would you?" She demands a serious answer.

"Do you think I will joke about it? I also desire chivalrous husband-treatment." He raises a single brow and she scowls at his skill.

"I will not talk to you." She narrows eyes at him. She will be dead embarrassed if he would complain to Dadi Jaan in real.

"Hey, hey, I don't want to get into a fight again. I was kidding." He rubs her arms, leaning down to place a bite on her shoulder but she pushes him away.

"I am dead sleepy..." Saying so she tightly shuts her eyes. "Dream of complaints." She stretches her whisper and he satisfyingly smiles while caressing her forehead until she starts to snore softly. When he had voiced about it at the fourth night of their wedding, she right-out repudiated to accept her snorting habit. Having a room all by herself also strengthened her defense. So, he had to turn the matter claiming it a joke and peace returned.

"Oh, Khushi, what would I do without you?" He places a sweet kiss on her forehead and kicks off his jeans and sleeps holding her close.

***

Sometimes, people say things more than their capacity and then they have to deal with the consequences. Same is the case with Arnav Raza Meer. He happily agreed to his wife's wish of postponing the honeymoon but seeing some of his friends' and brother's shared pictures of honeymoon is making him jealous. Moreover, she is working quite dedicatedly to sum up her thesis from past two nights leaving him unattended. He puckered his lips while thinking logically about her denial and keeps the mobile aside and orders coffer from fill-in assistant.

"Here is your coffee, sir." Before she could present him coffee, Moib ungently breaks in his cabin for an enthusiastic greet after a gap of week. He was gone to Japan for his business meeting.

Witnessing the girl, he halted in his tracks. She was petite and pretty but recalling the relationship they once were about to share panicked him momentarily.

"You okay?" Comprehending the uncomfortableness of Aaniya Malik, Arnav tries to melt the ice.

"Yeah." Moib barely murmurs. "How are you, Aaniya?"

"Wait, you know her?" Arnav enquires.

"My cousin." Moib replies and Aaniya unnerves at a kinfolk knowing her job-post she has hidden from her family supposing their denial. Her best friend offered her an opportunity and she grabbed it as a first step in career staircase.

"Hi, Moib Bhai. How is Auntie, Uncle and your wife?" She formally asks, pretending to be genuinely happy at their meet.

"All are fine. Thank you." He answers and questions her the same to earn clipped reply. To be saved from further interrogation, she excused about work and walked out of cabin leaving Arnav to question his friends in detail about his cousin as we usually do not baffle confronting our relatives.

"First, you tell is she your new assistant?"

"Nah. Just filling in for Umaima. She has taken Umrah leaves." Arnav gives him some details. "So, be a good boy, and parrot out." He takes a sip of his coffee and it reminds him to order one for his friend, too.

"Well, you remember, my mother had liked a girl for me and I bluntly rejected her to marry my Samna. She is the same girl." Moib explains the sensitivity etched in their relation and Arnav only chuckles enjoying his coffee whilst his friend is still in confusion about Aaniya's working in his office. "She had seen dominant husband in father and thus she rejected mine to establish her career. About later, you can join dots..."

"She thinks she rejected you and you kept thinking for long that you rejected her?" At Arnav's unsure guess, Moib passes a positive notion with bitter mouth.

"And society still mocks her guts to reject a good proposal." He takes a sigh before terminating this topic. "Whatsoever!" He exclaims taking a big sip of coffee from Arnav's mug. "We bros are going to paradise. Drinks and fun. There's a new sexy bartender!" He ends his plan with a naughty wink.

"I am sure it would not be a good idea." Arnav denies as per his routine since marriage. If Khushi gets to know, she would not waste a second to drive a knife right through his heart.

"Oh, Arnie, don't be boyish. Look at me. I am 3 years married and here you are barely one month." He refers to Arnav's dreading about Khushi and it brings supposed results. When in this world, you will play a card on a man's ego, you might win but a woman loses eventually.

"Fine!" Arnav seals the plan and quickly wraps up work quota assuming his wife's easiness due to her university workload.

***

Aaniya works on to make a precise schedule for coming day while fretting about her cousin who was once being planned to be her husband. She never wanted to get married ugly early. A good degree, a lavish job and secure future had been her priority. And now when she is filling here for her friend in hope to get some good sources for a job, she has met him again as her boss's best friend. What if he gets her kicked out? Worse what if he breaks a pot in front of his father in revenge.

As the door of her boss's cabin open, her breaths stall up and she feigns to be neck deep busy in her work.

"Good bye, Aaniya. It's almost off time. Go home." Arnav stays at her desk to make sure she does not feel unprotected in office.

"Thank you." She murmurs, arranging things before departure.

"Arnie, you go. I think I forgot my car keys in your cabin."

Arnav suppresses his chuckle hard comprehending the lie. "Sure, but don't be much late." Saying so, he marches out leaving a fumbled Aaniya with confused Moib.

"How come you doing this low level job?" He asks in concern with mock attached to his tone.

"I am afraid you already know the reason." She refers to Arnav's enlightenment about her working here.

"You have done M.Phil. in Online Advertising if I am not wrong." He exposes his check on her.

"References matter in practical field." She utters while picking her bag from the side of desk. Her dismal and fatigue to acquire a reputable job in multinational companies come clear on her face.

"Good luck." Finishing conversation at good will, he notions her to walk before him. He wanted his love girl and she wanted a career. There lies nothing to feel cold about.

Arnav opens the lock of his Parado while hysterically laughing. "What did you talk to her? Your wife is expecting for God's sake."

"Nah. It was just a civil conversation. She is highly graduated and I felt odd at her job status."

"Yeah, she is active and talented. I might have a vacancy for her in our social media department."

"Cool." Moib clears his throat enjoying the ride. First they will have a dinner outside, then Arnav has planned to change his grey blocked suit at home before going to paradise. In real, he did not want to go unannounced.

***

He hurriedly enters in his room, confronting his wife occupied with her laptop.

"Khushi, leave all of this for a moment, first help me getting ready." He urges and she immediately lids down her laptop to greet and assist him.

"Welcome home, husband." She raises on the edge of bed to plant a smooch on his lips. As she sucks in his bottom lip, her balance ditches and if not his sturdy hold, she would have been on floor. She chuckles like a teenager, relishing the fact they just had a filmy moment. "You seem in hurry." She inquires while pressing his forehead lines straight.

"Yeah, you extract my jeans, woolen shirt, blazer, coat and yeah muffler."

"So much of clothes..." She shares her astonishment and he strides for washroom.

Coming out of the flattery view, she works wife-like to assist her husband. For an upper hand, she also lays a fresh pair of socks and matching boots.

"Thank you." Arnav says, tying the laces of his shoes. "Moib is waiting for me downstairs. We did dinner together. And yeah I might get late tonight. Have your dinner and sleep at time." He cups her jaw and lingers a demonstrative kiss on her forehead.

With an open mind, she accepts his dinner with best friend but late night point grabs her attention. "Where are you going?" She inquires cordially while spraying perfume on him.

"To some club." He causally mimics the well-taught answer draining all color from her face. Has she been busy to embellish her husband for lusty eyes?

She softly closes the lid of perfume, placing it back on dressing. "You are not going anywhere." She returns the same casual tone, arraying the dressing table.

"I. Am. Going." He wears his blazer and wraps muffler in a chic way.

"Why?" Her heart is breaking into tiny pieces at his adamancy.

"I am married to you, not imprisoned." He icily declares to shrug off the lectured statements.

She cannot believe his tone. The whole day effort in formatting thesis is less exhaustive in comparison to his changed behavior. Is he the same Arnav she had sent office in morning? "You are going for drinks, right?"

"Yeah."

"Wine is forbidden Arnav. In which prayers had you been asking for me when one drop of wine restricts your prayers for forty days?"

"Don't play it at this moment. I am going. Period." He flaunts in typical dominance, providing her reasons to cry all night long.

Helpless, she pleads him to save her self-respect. Despite having almost a month old bride, his visit to some club will definitely leave her ashamed in her own eyes.

Is she not enough?

Has she not been a good wife to him?

"Don't go, please."

"Don't make it an ego matter. It will be just a couple of drinks." He clarifies himself and she is hurt to see his carelessness about her insecurities.

"If you go today, Arnav, our relation..." She hiccups to even imagine distances between them. "... It wouldn't remain the same."

"I love you and you love me. And in love we also accept flaws."

"Yes, I accepted you with this only flaw but let's change for good, mm?" She extends her arm and caresses his jaw to remind him the solace of her touch. She has experimented it many times during his sound sleeps.

"You accepted my flaw with a hope to change it?" Now, his self-respect is somewhat hurt.

"I am your wife and I want you to lead a good life."

"As per your defined rules?" He mocks her reason and turns to grab his mobile. Tonight, he does not care about her mood because in his rulebook, one can bear anything in true love.

She grabs the lapel of his blazer with shaking hands to plead once more. "It is Allah's rule." She struggles to drag his mind back to sanity. Her misty eyes are paining to restrain tears but few manages to beat her.

"Stay safe." Saying so, he marches out leaving a hollow soul behind.

Khushi gazes the door till her eyes terribly ache in a hope of his return. Shabbily, she sinks on the cold wooden floor. She would never be able to forgive him. First, he went to club, second and most heartrending, he cunningly took her assistance in getting ready. She smacks her own hands which extracted his attire and readied him. Sliding forward, she smashes the perfume on floor. Some pieces also wound her, causing slight bleeding but she cares the least. She hugs her knees and wails hard for long.

The smash and wails catch the attention of Kiran who was coming to ask dinner menu. As soon as she witnesses the seductive fragrant in air and bundled mess of misery, she dips in the pit of shame and embarrassment at her fear coming true.

She forwards to solace her daughter in law but halts at refusal.

"Mama, please, go." She pleads, not wanting to expose her weak side to anyone. Her husband has murdered her self-respect today. She needs time to attend the funeral as well as to absorb the burial.

"Khushi, my bacha..."

"Mamma, please." She pleads once more and Kiran retreats her steps. "Switch off the lights on your way out." She adds and shares her sorrows with herself in the four walls of her room.

***

OMG! What have I done? Vote to solve the tension.

Imp: There might be only a few chapters ahead.

And few days ago, Facebook reminded me that I had started this story a year ago. GOSH! So lazy of me.