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Thanks for being patient and sorry to all whom I didn't reply. I didn't want to give you false hope. I already regretted doing it once.

"Never leave her alone. You are her only family." They had said. My eyes were teary as I saw where the car was leading us. The same accident again. I tried waking up but it was all in vain. "You'll die. Stop the car." I bawled but it was as if they couldn't hear me. I saw the same car that was coming from the front, the one that was going to hit us.

"Please wake me. I don't want to see it." I covered my eyes and yelled as much as I could.

"Protect Nabiha. You are her only family." My mother had said before the collision took place. "No..No...No." I was constantly crying as I felt the car rolling from the impact.

"Shhh! It's okay. It's fine Anaabiya I am here." I heard a soothing voice which was pulling me out of the darkness and evil that had enveloped me. The expeditious beating of my heart wouldn't stop. I felt his warm and cosy chest as he pressed me against it and I didn't hesitate for once before clutching onto him.

"Open your eyes. See there is nothing. It's just you and me." He cooed as he rubbed my head.

I opened my eyes, immediately muddled with a foreign sight that welcomed and engulfed me. I was panting hard and my body was covered in sweat. Everything was blurry and so light that my eyes hurt. I wanted to remove this fog in front of my eyes, but blinking didn't help at all. I felt so weak and bewildered. "I want to go to my aunt's house. Please." I felt his muscles tense as soon as those words left my mouth. I was breathing heavily. I had to see Nabiha. My parents were right. I was her only family. How could I just leave her?

"Look at me." I looked up to see Humza. He had that pained look on his face. I tried to move out of his hold but he wouldn't let me. He had an iron grip around my waist. We were still lying on our bed. My breath had hiked all the more because of our proximity.

"Slowly breathe in now." He spoke gently. Several seconds later I took a deep breath. "Now breathe out." I exhaled as I followed his instructions carefully, all this while staring into his blazing eyes. They became my anchor now and I couldn't look away.

We repeated it a few more times, until I could breathe properly by myself, and several minutes later my heart beat finally slowed down.

"Do you feel better?" He interrogated and I nodded my head to answer whereas the truth was that I felt horrible.

He didn't ask me any questions about my nightmare and I was thankful for that. "It's not morning as yet. Go off to sleep. You will feel better when you wake up." He spoke, his voice husky but I was scared. I was scared of sleeping.

"I am scared." My voice was barely audible. "I know but I will be here. I won't sleep. Just close your eyes." I obliged because I really felt sleepy from all the crying. I could hear his heart beat which was as fast as mine.

Closing my eyes I allowed myself to sleep again after much difficulty.

The next time my eyes fluttered open, I didn't feel Humza's muscular built, instead it was just a pillow. Humza wasn't there beside me any more. Panic rose inside me as I suddenly remembered my nightmare from last night.

Everything came crushing down again and to avoid it I strode towards the window to distract myself with the view. It was early morning, almost 7.00 am. My eyes lingered over the two men who were playing with a football in the middle of the enormously beautiful garden down there.

Humza was shirtless and the sight immediately made ne forget every pain and agony. I just stared at him shamelessly letting my eyes suffice it's hunger. He was really very handsome. He was dodging the ball while Huzaifa was trying to take it.

Humza's muscles were well built and it felt even more good when he engulfed me. Okay now there is something seriously wrong with me and I am well aware of it.

I hated him and despised him not long ago but every little thought of hatred has now been swapped with...

Swapped with?

Swapped with what?

I wondered if I was going to say love. Humza's eyes immediately snapped to mine and something in the pit of my stomach churned, making me feel very light and dizzy all of a sudden. His eyes were scorching with fire and there was an unknown emotion swirling in his eyes. Did I Do something? He immediately stopped dodging the ball amd Huzaifa easily took advantage of his distraction.

"Hey that's cheating." He groaned at Huzaifa who only smirked in response. "Your fault man." Humza's eyes again darted towards me and the moment our eyes met, I felt heat rushing to my cheeks.

Why am I blushing? I averted my gaze feeling the tension between us. I could still feel his eyes on me and so I moved away. I was rearranging the bed when he entered my room furiously.

As he took long strides towards me, mine immediately went back. "Wha.. What's wrong?" I asked nervously. His eyes held me captive as he almost shoved me to the wall. What is even happening?

"Why are you doing this to me?" He looked very vulnerable and impuissant right now. "I.. I don't.. Know what you are talking about." I admitted honestly. My eyes narrowed as I realized that he smelled of alcohol.

"Did... Did you drink?" I questioned as anger suddenly seeped in. I didn't want him to drink. "That's none of your business." He spat and I immediately shut my mouth. I thought we were getting in good terms. What happened to him?

"Why are you playing with my mind?" His question had me taken aback. "I didn't do anything." I replied in confusion. "I am not in love with you. Do you get it?" I looked at him, slightly ambushed at his words but didn't say a word. I would lie if I said that it didn't hurt me because it did, for some unknown reason, it really did.

He breathed in deeply, shutting his eyes tightly. "Am I your nightmare?" Did he really think that?

"No." I looked him right in the eye leaving no room for argument. "What dream did you see last night? Did you see Uzair again?" He wasn't holding me, he was just caging me by putting both his hands on either of my sides. Our bodies weren't even touching yet he was close, very close. I gulped in nervously. So he always knew Uzair's name correctly. Nevertheless I decided to tell him the truth.

"I dreamt of an accident. My parents died in it. I was worried about Nabiha because they were constantly telling me to take care of her and that's why I wanted to go to my aunt's house. I mean to meet her." I made it clear to him. I didn't want him to think that I was cheating on him.

For several moments he didn't utter a word, looking completely broken. Anguish, despair, confusion and loneliness flashed through his eyes, fully revealing his inner agony and turmoil to me.

I wanted to say more but he just made an about turn and left my room without a word. It was only then that I realized that my heart was on a rampage and I felt tingles down my spine.

Later I took a shower and offered the morning prayer because I had missed it. The entire morning I didn't see Humza again. He was gone with the wind.

I was in a state of dilemma. The entire day I had been thinking of what wrong had I done. I even had to go to meet Nabiha despite the tantrums she would throw my way. I was having my evening snack with Bibijaan since we didn't have lunch today. "Have you seen Humza?" I asked her nonchalantly but I didn't fail to notice the small smile that captured her lips.

"What are you two running away from? Both of you know exactly how you feel yet neither of you wants to initiate." She spoke callously. My cheeks turned a shade of crimson. "I don't.." I couldn't continue as my mouth went dry when my eyes snapped towards the main entrance. Nabiha stood there, her face was slightly contused and she had lost a lot of health too. My insides clenched at the sight of her. Who did this to her?

I sprinted towards her hurriedly, clenching my teeth really hard. The moment I reached her, my heart really tore into pieces when I saw the sadness, pain and guilt that flashed in her eyes. I engulfed her tightly as she winced in pain. Was she hurt? I loosened my grip around her but still hugged her. I couldn't hold back my tears and so I let them fall incessantly. It was then that I saw Humza standing right behind her. His eyes held mine captive until I was finally able to think properly. He brought her here for me?

"Who did this to you?" I seethed as I separated myself from her. She didn't say a word. It was as if she had shut herself down. Her eyes were stuck on the floor. "Your aunt and your brother Uzair." My temper escalated faster than I could think but I didn't fail to notice Humza's way of referring Uzair. "Ya rab." I heard Bibijaan's voice from behind me. How dare they lay a finger on her? I wanted to kill them both at the moment and so I began to walk past them when Humza caught my arm. "It's taken care of. You don't have to go. She needs you. I have called a doctor too so take her to your room." Humza was right. She needed me.

I held Nabiha's arm loosely as I wasn't aware of her bruises. She just followed me as I took her to my room. Bibijaan helped me too but she left as soon as we entered our room.

I made her sit on the bed. All this while I couldn't stop crying and blaming myself for her condition. "Nabiha talk to me." I merely whispered. Her eyes immediately searched for mine and then a teardrop fell which was soon followed by another and then it was as if a dam had been broken. She cried like a baby as she laid down on the bed with her head on my lap.

"Tell me what happened Nabiha. Please. I swear I'll kill them all." I choked back a sob as I wanted to be strong for her. "Aa.. Aapi." She hiccuped as she continued. "Soon after.. You got married, they began to abuse and beat me. Aunty stopped my education, took away my phone and said horrible things to us. She didn't even feed me properly. I tried to contact you but they never let me. They even texted you on behalf of me. I asked them to let me go but they didn't. They said about some money they received because of us and if I was gone, there will be no money. Aunty said she never wanted either of us to get married to his son and that she only wanted me to hate you. I am sorry Aapi. It was all my mistake. I deserve it all. Aapi even.. Even Uzair hit me once when I spoke ill about his mother." She cried harder, clinging onto me like I was her only survival. My temples throbbed at the sudden anger that seeped through my veins. I wasn't going to spare them. That lady will suffer now.

"How did Humza find you?" I finally managed to ask her. "Humza bhai is a savior Aapi. You were right when you told me that when you'll marry, there will be one more person who would care for me." She sobbed and winced at the same time. "Shhh! It's fine. Don't talk now. Just sleep."

I spoke but she didn't listen as she continued saying "The beatings had gone worse after Humza bhai had shot Uzair, Aunty beat me even more. Today Uzair left the country and said he wouldn't come back ever. And...and so she took out her frustration on me as well, blaming our parents for everything. She would have killed me today Aapi if only Humza bhai didn't come. In the morning he came and asked for me. She said I wasn't there and... And that I had gone to my college but I am grateful that he didn't believe her. She had locked me in the store room. I tried to shout but my hands were tied and she had stuffed a cloth in my mouth. He pointed a gun at her forehead and asked his men to search for me. His men found me in the room. Humza bhai was so furious. He told aunty to be prepared for the worst fate now." Am I a bad sister if I said that my heart fluttered thinking of Humza? My heart was filled with a foreign felling this time and I knew that he had stolen my heart before I could even think about it. I don't even want to think about what would have happened if he was not there. I owe him my life now. He wasn't a murderer. He was a savior for me.

He was nothing I wanted but he was everything I needed. The door to our room creaked open and in walked the doctor and the man who had caused a havoc in my system. Humza strode behind him but didn't look at me even once and I felt kind of dejected.

The doctor sat beside Nabiha where I was previously seated. I now stood beside Humza who still didn't look at me even once. He was busy staring at the doctor, expecting him to say something. I wanted to tell him that I was in love with him and that I respected him the most. Ahad was always right. I wanted to tell him so much and hear about his life as well.

I wanted to be there for him but did he even love me? Of course he did. Nobody would do so much for someone, nobody would risk their life for me if they didn't love me.

My heart was filled with warmth. I had to tell him that I love him. I was so happy despite Nabiha's condition because I knew now everything would be fine. Once I will confess it to him, he will have no mistresses and he will be all mine. We would take care of Nabiha.

I now knew that ALLAH's planning was perfect. He never fails to amaze me with his decisions. I couldn't help but stare at Humza. I have to talk to him as soon as possible. I couldn't stop the butterflies in my stomach as they were making my situation even worse.

"I'll just give her a pain killer for now. She will feel very sleepy after this." The doctor said before taking out the injection from his case. "I don't want an injection." The fear of it was quite evident on Nabiha's face and so I walked to her side holding her other hand tightly. "It'll be all right. I am right here." My smile was a reassurance.

"Well I am here too. If you'll be a good sister, you can ask me for any gift and you shall have it." I abruptly turned to my right as I didn't even realize that he was standing beside me. I looked at him in awe. He was definitely not the man I thought him to be. He was smiling at Nabiha and I felt jealous because he didn't even spare me a glance.

Nabiha managed to give him a small smile. I saw Humza nodding his head at the doctor indicating him to do it fast since we were trying to distract her.

"And what gift will you give her?" Believe me I asked him only because I wanted him to speak to me, to look at me for once but he did neither of them. "Anything you want my little sister." He said addressing Nabiha but this time he didn't smile.

"There it's done." I smiled at her as the doctor was done. "I didn't feel a thing." She was amazed. The doctor soon left after prescribing certain medications to her. Humza left along with him.

Later that night I tossed and turned but I still couldn't sleep. Everytime I heard a footstep, I would anxiously look at the door. Maybe I expected him to be here like yesterday. I couldn't understand the reason behind the change in his behavior.

At around 2.00 am when I was quite sure that Nabiha had slept and I couldn't sleep at all. I strolled towards his room with my pillow. The only thing I hoped was that he wasn't with one of his mistresses because this time I wouldn't be able to stop myself from being hurt.

I knocked at his door. The one at the corner in this corridor. I waited for him to open it but there was absolutely no movement at all. My veins constricted at the thought of him being with any of his mistresses. I heaved a dejected sigh as I was about to turn but my footsteps ceased when I heard the creaking sound of the door as it opened.

I turned abruptly to face him. My breath got tangled in my own throat as he finally raked his eyes over me. His eyes were dark at first but then suddenly amusement danced in them making my heart beat wildly.

I let my eyes travel over his naked chest. How I wanted to sleep in its embrace as soon as possible. He looked at me waiting for me to say something.

"I can't sleep." I spoke nervously as he cocked an eyebrow at me, knowing exactly where this was going. "So." I could easily see him trying his best to stop himself from smiling.

"Sle.. Sleep with me." I said sheepishly. He immediately shook his head as if he couldn't believe it but this time he grinned from ear to ear as well.

"You will kill me one day woman." I wanted to smile but that wasn't possible as he suddenly pulled the pillow in my hand, pulling me along with it. My body was immediately flushed with his as his strong arms instantly went around my waist, gripping it firmly, leaving me breathless and anxious at the same time.

Vote and comment as much as you can please 😘 if there'll be many good comments, I'll update tomorrow. ☺

E D I T E D on 4.2.2018