"Kya aap apna beta mujhe soupengi?", only God knows how difficult it was for me to vocalise those words. She gasps audibly, her eyes as wide as saucers.

For a good minute, she doesn't close her own mouth, "Kya... kaha tumne?"

"Maasima, I know I haven't been the best daughter. I also know I don't deserve one bit of Dani's love but I am selfish. Too selfish to let him go. I tried, I really did try to not think of him romantically. But I am going nuts, just at the thought of him even looking at someone else with half the adoration that he used on me. I can't survive it. Please maasima, do something. This pain is killing me, he doesn't look at me anymore, he doesn't even ask if I am alive. How can he become so cruel? I hate him Maasima, I hate him so much", the sobs racking out of me only become louder with each sentence.

She only engulfs me in her arms, patting my back and shushing me.

"Naaz, beta tum itna dard chupa rahi thi us painful smile ke piche? Kab itni badi hogai meri beti ke dard chupana seekh gai hai?", her voice is a little hoarse and I realized just now she also has tears in her eyes.

She smiles at me wiping my tears, "Naaz, tum jo maang rahi ho, wo ek bahut badi zimmedari hai beta. Ek aurat ke kai kirdaar hote hain, sabse aziz aur ehem roop hota hai Biwi ka. Wo ek haseen ehsaas bhi hai aur mushkil imtehaan bhi. Agar tum ye soch rahi ho ki meri dost ki beti aagai to sab bigad jaayega to main use mana kar deti hun. Lekin is chakkar mein tum Ye faisla mat lo. Tumhare paas aur samai hai. Chaho to graduation tak waqt lo aur phir faisla karna is Nikaah ke baare mein."

I shake my head, "Waqt hi to nai hai mere paas Maasima. Har ek pal jo bagair Dani ki smile dekhe guzar raha hai wo kaate ki tarah chubta hai. Uske bina kuch acha nai lagta. Khana, shopping, college, yahan tak ke wo trip bhi bekar lag rahi hai.

Aise lag raha hai jaise agar usne mujhe pehle ki tarah gale nai lagaya to main pagal hojaungi. Uski ek jhalak ke liye taras gai hun mai. Mai mar jaungi Maasima, mai nai rehpaungi uske bina. Ya to aap usse kahen ki sirf mai uski biwi hun aur koi meri jagah nai le sakta ya aap mujhe zeher......Aaaaah", I shriek and Maasima jerks up startled at the noise. Both our heads twist towards the door that is off it's hinges by now, with a roaring lion pouncing right at me.

He grasps my arms, glaring at me with gritting teeth, if his eyes were red before now they are completely maroon.

"Zeher chahiye na tumhe? Bada shouk hai na marne ka? Theek hai. Mai khud tumhe dunga", he spits then begins dragging me into the hall.

Maasima steps before us, glaring daggers at him, "Ye kya behudgi hai Danish. Aise bartaav karte hain apni biwi ke saath? Haath chodo uske"

He looks down, but shakes his head, "Nai Mama, ye meri biwi nai hai. Aaj ye maamla mai khatam karke rahunga. Aap please beech mein mat padiye." She looks in shock as he drags me up and into his room.

The moment he looked his door, he turns to me with a senile look in his eyes, if he thought it was going to scare me then he needs to try harder. Even if he comes to hate my existence more than anything, he would never even hurt a single bone in me. His legs take predatory steps towards me, the moment he reached me he pushes me on the bed. My butt lands on the mattress with a bounce, the madness in his stance hasn't reduced even slightly. He doesn't look one bit like my Dani. This man before me is somebody else.

"Mama ke saamne wo jhuta natak kyun kiya? Kal tak to tumhe badi hasi aati thi mujhe shohar samajhne mein, achanak ek ladki ki wajah se dil badal gaya tumhara? Ye koi movie dikh rahi hai tumhe?"

"To tumhe aitbaar nahin mere shabdon par? Kya itne dur hogai hain ham Dani", I ask broken.

He laughs sarcastically, going to his wardrobe and removing a bottle of pills. From what I know, it's given for insomnia. What is a sleep inducing drug doing in his room?

He pops the bottle open, and throws atleast half a dozen of them in his palm, then walks to me. He places his hand before me, "Agar main tumhe apni biwi na manun to tumhe zeher chahiye tha na? Ye raha, kha lo. Kyunki mai to tumhe biwi samajhne se raha."

I look up at him with a tearful smile, what has my stupidity brought us to. The same Dani who wouldn't let others bash me with words is now giving me poison. Life works in weird ways. I nod, taking a deep breath.

"Agar mai ye goliyan khalun to kya tum yakeen karloge ki mujhe tumse muhabbat hai? Agar haan, to dedo." I take all the tablets from his palm, and grab the glass of water from beside. I proceed to pop them in my mouth, but his hand comes flying in the middle pushing mine away. In the process, all the tablets fall down scattered.

Before I can look up at him, he grabs my face pressing his lips to mine. My eyes close involuntarily, though my whole body is under paralytic arrest, his furiously moving lips on mine overpower all the angst. His trembling hands, slide down from my jaw to my neck and presses the pad of his thumb against my carotid artery which is ticking very fast. My hands unconsciously move to his chest, and I gasp at the pace of his heartbeat. I can literally hear it thudding fast against his rib cage.

Even his body is shaking slightly, the trembling in his fingers hasn't stopped yet. I move my lips faster, while my hands rubbed his body trying to calm him down. A few seconds later, his trembling stops and we break what is going to go down in history as the most exploding kiss. I open my eyes, frowning at the drops of water falling on my cheek. I see Dani's red eyes have now become tender with a few drops of pearl falling off them, he looks at me with guilt, "Paagal hogai ho tum Niny. Puri paagal. Kaise sochliya tumne ki tumhe marta dekh kar main zinda rehpaunga."

I look into his vulnerable eyes, grabbing his neck I roll on the bed with him on top of me. He quickly stabilises himself on his elbows on either side of my head while his chest is heaving in sync with mine. The big finger of his foot slides along the skin of my ankle to my thigh,raising goosebumps on the skin. My fingers trace the skin of his face, as our heaving chests come in contact when he lowers his body on mine. I automatically break eye contact, my eyes rolling to the back of my head when a moan spills out of my throat at his chest touching mine. His strong, rough build caging my curves only adds more heat to my core.

Very soon I feel his heavenly lips placing feather kisses along the tip of my cleavage. My back arches and my bosom rises more to accommodate as much of his face as it can.

Gosh, I am going crazy. From the collar of his shirt, my hand sneaks in, to come in contact with broad toned muscles. I want to purr like a cat, all of this meat is mine. I steadily explore his back while his teeth graze the side of my left breast, eliciting another moan.

"Daniiii, I.... Oh....yeah.. I.... Ca..can't", my speech had deserted me and my body is spasming under his effect.

His head comes up, his eyes shining with desire and hunger," Tell me Niny, tell me I own every fiber of your body. Tell me I own your heart", his command is clear, his confidence sky level yet there is a minor fear, an insecurity of sorts wanting to be vanished.

"Mere jism ka har hissa sirf tumhari ibadat karta hai Dani, sirf tumhari", I murmur kissing his jaw. He smiles satisfactorily, squeezing my waist.