The courts hearing date was coming soon and I was too nervous. We had meetings with the lawyer almost everyday as he prepared us to what and how to speak in the court and how to deal with the opposition's pressure.

I really thought that it was a good idea that I was bed ridden. Kaif spent a lot of time with me, now that he's Chairman he doesn't have much work like before and even if he does, he sat beside me all day and did his work so I got to see his handsome face all the time, holding his hand, being in his warm arms, kissing his soft lips as he showered his love on me. Sometimes I used to pretend to be in pain so that he could take extra care of me.... saying him worried was..... sorry to say but my guilty pleasure. Although, he got used to it and caught on quickly but used to play along too.

We always had breakfast, lunch and dinner together as a family. We took strolls in the garden and on the terrace, I was being moved around on the wheel chair which Kaif usually stole me from the maid's hands. Even Mom and Dad stole me from him to move me around and chat with me even my parents and Ayesha came who used to spend hours with me alone to which he used to pout like a child. How adorable!

Once, as we sat for dinner together, Kaif accidentally licked the corner of my mouth in front of Mom and Dad as the looked away shocked and amused and we both turned redder than tomato with embarrassment. We had gotten used to living alone. Life was like a dream....a beautiful dream that I never wanted to wake up from.

That day, Mr Arnav came to visit us with his fiancee. She really was soo pretty and they looked like a perfect couple.

"Boss, bhabhi, we are here to give you a good news." He said and handed me an envelope.

"You two are getting married! Congratulations!!!" I beamed excitedly. "I am soo happy for you two."

"It's next month and it would really mean a lot to us if you could join us." His fiancee said.

"We would love to. By next month In Sha Allah I'll be leaving the the wheelchair, soo I'll definitely dance in your Baraat Mr Arnav." I giggled.

"Now that's more like it!" He he gave me a High five.

"Congratulations Desai!" Kaif suddenly hugged him surprising him but Mr Arnav hugged him back happily. His fiancee bent down to hug me.

I really couldn't wait for this happy occasion....but first....we had to prepare for the first court hearing.

###

I took a deep shaky breath as we entered the courtroom. It's the first time I was even entering in such a place.....it felt soo intimidating and a chill ran down my spine. More than me, Kaif was troubled as now, he had to go through the incident from 6 years ago again, everyone will know about it and how the people would react after knowing the truth....was quite scary to even imagine. Yet he took my hand and looked in my eyes.

"It's ok. Everything's going to be ok after this.....just a little bit longer " he said giving us both the confidence.

"Don't worry Mr and Mrs Alam, the odds are in our favor. We'll definitely win this." Our prosecutor said confidently. Ofcourse, he was one of the best lawyers in the country. The defence attorney was no less. Ridhima won't ever compromise in any way.

After a while, we saw Ridhima handcuffed and brought in the witness box. She was glaring at us. A shiver ran down me at the memory of that day. A ghost of the pain I felt that day lingered in my abdomen as I shut my eyes tightly and her psychopatic face, her hands the knife covered in my blood, haunted me, my breathing fastening. Mom held my shivering form. I nodded st her with a weak smile. Kaif who sat on my either side entangled his fingers with mine as I held on tight.

The judge came and everyone stood up in respect. And the trial began....

Her accusations about assault and attempt to murder were read and the legal things were being discussed. I was called upon the other witness box. A lady constable helped push my wheelchair to the box.

"Mrs Naila Kaif Alam, would you explain what actually happened that day with you?" Our lawyer asked and I explained as I was made to practice, with precise details and everything. Her eyes were daggered at me making my throat dry with anxiety.

"Thank you Mrs Alam, you can go back to the seat." He said. The constable took me and I smiled at her. She gave me a nod.

"As a proof I've already submitted the hidden camera footage in which it is clearly recorded how Mrs Ridhima Ahuja admitted to all her crimes and assaulted my client." He said

The footage was played and I felt like throwing up seeing my own self like that. Mom had closed her eyes and ears as she had already seen it before when it was actually happening. It must've been traumatic for her and as for Kaif, he was shaking shutting his eyes in agony. I held his hand tight and he looked at me with moist eyes.

"I'm right here....safe and sound." I whispered to him and he nodded with a shaky breath as I swallowed trying to calm my ownself.

There was a lot of murmuring in the court room as everyone was terrified and disgusted, some even about to throw up.

"Order! Order!" The judge banged the hammer looking disturbed himself.

"Your honour, we all just saw how brutally Mrs Ahuja tried to murder my client. How brutal and inhuman it was! She even admitted to all her past crimes. Including the fake accusations on her husband from 6 years ago. I request to get her the maximum penalty for her crime also, I request you to reopen the case from 6 years ago and allow to start reinvestigation on it as well." The lawyer said.

"Your honour, we heard the prosecutor's words, we saw the footage but is the footage really legitimate....or is it forged to accuse my client?" The defence asked.

"Your honour, how can someone like this be forged. We have even verified it with experts that this is 100% real. The reports have already been submitted as well." Our lawyer said.

The judge checked the reports and nodded.

"Alright, I'd like to question the victim again. Mrs Naila Alam, please enter the witness box." The defence attorney called me.

"So Mrs Alam, is it true that you were the one who invited my client to your place that day?"

"Yes, I did." I answered.

"So, should we assume that you had planned this camera to catch my client?"

I nodded hesitantly.

"Yes or no Mrs Alam?"

"Yes."

"So, should we also assume that you manipulated my client into attacking you?" He asked.

"I object your honour. How can someone manipulate a person to hurt them in such a brutal way?" Prosecutor argued.

"Your honour, no one just places a knife in thier living room. It was probably all planned out by Mrs Alam to make my client lose control and attack her. My client here was manipulated and forced to take such a step."

"But your honour, it doesn't deny the fact that she tried to kill my client. She's a psychopath who needs to be behind bars."

"What do you say Mrs Alam? Was it planned by you?" The defence asked again intimidating me.

My heart raced and my mind jumbled up. I could feel bile rising in my throat. I looked at Kaif from under my lashes and he was looking at me in disbelief.

"Should we take your silence as a yes?"

I looked up at him alarmed.

"I.... I wanted to test her." I said meekly.

"You wanted to test her?" The defence had a satisfied smile on his face and when I dared to look at Ridhima, I noticed a ghost of a smile on her face too. I messed up didn't I?

"You see your honour, she wanted to test my client. Also, if you noticed in the video, Mrs Alam was rather too bold with her dressing and words as if she wanted a certain reaction from my client. She wanted to enrage her. Maybe it was easy for her giving her previous reputation....am I right Mrs Naila Alam?"

I darted my eyes at him shocked. Was he really going to bring That up?

"During her college days, there were quite a rumours about her that she was of an unchaste character. That's why she was easily married of to a man who was accused of raping my client. She was what they called her, pardon my language, a slut..."

"I object your honour, the defence attorney is trying to question my clients character which is against the law." The prosecutor raged again.

I couldn't even lift my head up. My in laws, my husband, media and all the other people were here too. I couldn't help but cry helplessly.

"Objection sustained. The defence attorney has no right to question or comment the clients character." The judge said hitting his hammer. "This is your first warning!"

"My apologies your honour."

We heard the clock strike.

"The court is adjourned for the day!"

###

Kaif has been avoiding me since the court hearing yesterday. He hasn't spoken a word to me. I sat on my bed thinking....or overthinking about stuff. When the nurse and my maid came to help me with the bath. Just then Kaif walked in the room.

"You two can leave. I'll take it from here!" He said to them monotonously.

"Kaif?"

He closed the door behind him as they left.

"You don't have to...." I began but ignoring me he just began undressing me with a poker face. I said nothing and let him.

When he was done, he lifted me in his arms carefully and walked to the bathroom. The bandaid was still wrapped around my abdomen. The wound had almost healed from the outside but on the inside, it was all still delicate.

He checked the water temperature first then gently laid me down inside the bathtub. I winced a bit as the hot water touched my skin mostly the wound.

"Kaif." I said again....there was no reaction. He just took the loofah squirting the bodywash on it.

"Please talk to me jaan..." I begged now. When he still didn't reply I held his face but he pushed my hands away.

"Kaif please..."

"What?! What is it Naila? Why do you want to talk to me now? You didn't care about telling me about your plans before....what is it now? Do you wanna apologize? Don't waste your breath!" He said acidly. Grabbing my arm to rub the loofah on.

I bit my lip to stop my sob from escaping but failed miserably.

"Why did you do such a thing Naila? You knew she could do such a thing....you knew she could kill you....then why?" He was in tears too desperately looking at me for my answer.

"Because..... I was scared about the future." I said looking up at him.

"Why?" He tilted his head helplessly.

"I had to prove you innocent but what after that? You'd be an innocent man who was forced to marry a slut. Even our kids would be mocked as the kids of a slut.... they'd be ostracized all because of me. My existence in your life would ruin everyone."

"So....you wanted to end it? Your existence from my life?" He asked.

"A woman character is as fragile as a piece of thin glass. Once it's shattered, no one can fix it. Everyone can see that it was broken and destroyed no matter how much we try to conceal it. That's not the same for a man Kaif. I'm tainted for life Kaif. People will forget about you but they won't forget about me.... I didn't wanted to be your ruin."

"And you thought if you died.... I'd be ok? I'd have gladly followed you to di...."

I covered his mouth petrified. Astagfirullah! I can't even imagine such a thing.

He scoffed pushing my hand away.

"You can't even hear me say it but you thought that I could bear to see you....." He sighed.

"You selfish girl! Do you really think only you can love me? My love is a hoax?" He said hurt and angry.

I shook my head.

"Just because I'm a man I could forget you and move on easily? That's what you thought?"

"I'm sorry.... I'm soo sorry...." I cried in my hands.

He grabbed my face between his hands pulling away my hands from my face making me look in his tear filled eyes.

"I love you damnit! What do I ever have to do to prove it to you?! You tainted you say? Well, so am I! Does it matter to you that I was raped by another woman....then why should I care who touched you? I don't care what people say, I don't care what your past was..... I don't care how our future would be. All I know is that you were made for me....your my Shari-ke-hayat, you are my Wife....the missing piece of me and you are all I want...to spend the rest of my life with, to have a family with and to grow old and die with.

Naila Kaif Alam.....you are my everything!!! So please..... don't ever think like that.... please don't ever doubt my love Jaan..... please I beg you.... please...." He broke down crying as he rested his forehead on mine. I held on to him as I cried with him.

His shaky lips met mine as our tears mixed with eachother's.

He broke the kiss getting back and wiped his tears after a long while.

"I was going to wash you." He reminded smiling at me.

I just watched him as he held my arm and rubbed the loofah all over. His hand reached forward from my neck. My breathing fastened and I closed my eyes trying to think about other things as he was rubbing it on my breast and slowly below around the bandage. He reached my other hand and I gasped as how close he was to me as he was leaning in. He moved away after rubbing my back and I swallowed as he took my leg to wash. I bit my lip hard to stop the moan from escaping as he rubbed my thighs especially the inner part. His finger slightly brushed my crouch making me jump a little as water splashed all over even wetting him.

"Sorry." He murmured.

"Hm." I whimpered.

His shirt became transparent and my mouth went dry at how alluring he looked. I could say he was as restless as me as his chest was rising and falling rapidly. I impulsively grabbed at his sleeve and his eyes met mine mirroring the same lust in them.

He touched the side of my neck and sealed his lips on mine passionately. I moaned in his mouth as how desperately I wanted him. He let out a low groan as I tore open his wet shirt touching all over him. He pulled at my hair slightly pushing his tongue down my throat.

We broke the kiss struggling for oxygen and he rested his forehead on mine, his hot breath fanning on my face.

"We can't Naila....we have to stop." He whispered catching his breath.

"Why not?" I whined.

He opened his eyes and smiled at me slightly carasing my face.

"You're not completely healed yet. We have to wait Jaan."

"But you can be gentle with me. It's been over a month.... I'm fine now." I said desperately.

He shook his head depriving me of his warmth.

"I'm not taking any risks."

"But...."

"No!" He said sternly. I sighed.

"I don't think I should help you bathe from tomorrow. It's dangerous." He said with a slight chuckle.

"Then why did you today?"

"I didn't wanted anyone else to touch you like that." He narrowed his eyes

I shook my head.

"Jaan, they're ladies....just like me. It's ok." I said like 'duh!'

"I know, but I was still jealous." He said wrinkling his nose. I giggled.

"Let's get you out now." He said and picked me up as the water splashed all over making me giggle again and he smiled.