After a week, Haya and Taimoor left for Islamabad. Phupho was REALLY REALLY happy that Taimoor married her. She said , she wanted it to happen and was actually planning and rooting for it but hadn't hope it would happen like this. Phupho was glad that Taimoor stood up when he did. Little did she know,that she was just a charity case or a way to seek revenge for her son.

Haya had not talked to Taimoor since the day he raised voice at her. She actually spoke less which was so unlike her. Her parents never came to see her off, to her great dismay.

Living alone with Taimoor was appearing to be difficult. Four days had passed since they came to Islamabad. And in those four days, she had realized that there were two major problems. First problem was 'thunderstorm' and second was, being alone.

Thunderstorms scared the shit out of her. Just her luck that they were common like a housefly in Islamabad. Now there was nothing she could do about thunderstorms as they were work of God, and natural .

But about the second problem of her's there was a solution, Taimoor. But she couldn't go to him since she hadn't apologized yet and nor had he. She should have apologized to him the day after the wedding night. But she hadn't . He had raised his voice at her. What did he think, that she was going to tolerate this kind of behavior ? That since she had literally no one to go to after her father completely abandoned her, Taimoor could treat her like shit . She was used to insults from him , it was their thing. But that tone he had used on her had come as a surprise. And that change of behavior which came after Haya, being dismissed by her family made everything worse.

One morning while they were still in Islamabad, Haya had actually woken up with the thought of apologizing. But it went out the door as soon as he began lecturing her. And since that they there were no normal conversation. It wasn't complete silence for they did talk . But only "dinner is in the oven" "I am leaving, lock the door" type of conversations. And those kind of conversations made her more miserable. Haya was a cheery person, she loved talking to others about anything. And now she was reduced to 'Hello's' and 'Goodnight' which was ultra level lonely for her.

Haya sitting in TV lounge watching Netflix on full volume pretending everything was okay. And there were people around her. That she was not alone. She was waiting for Taimoor who should have been home by now but wasn't. It was getting darker . And the lightening was freaking her out. The cloud like her and Taimoor were having an argument and by the booming and clattering of the windows, it seemed that it was probably an heated discussion.

Looking at the clock ,she noticed that it was 7.00 already. Taimoor was usually home by 6:30. Where the hell is he ? She wondered as she stared at the door before turning her attention back to the heroine , who was about to make a complete fool of herself.

Haya and Taimoor had moved in the well-furnished house that was given to Taimoor by the company .Cherry on the top , it was in a secure area of Islamabad. But still she didn't feel secure enough. She felt as if some shadows are going to come out the window, kill her and then leave. Being a person with wild fantasizes does that to you. When she was a kid , she used to sometimes imagine burglars entering her house and then her saving my family and cash by throwing laal mirch into their eyes. Now that she was a grown up , she had realized how stupid that was. And those imaginary scenarios changed to her lying on the ground with a bullet in her stomach as a pool of blood surrounded her. Haya quivered with fear as an image of herself lying lifeless on the ground appeared in her head.

Haya you are a strong independent woman. What is the worst that could happen? You could get murdered. But then everyone is going to die One day or another. Plus, how much worse could it get? You got harassed by your cousin. Your family abandoned you. You got married to jerk who hates your guts. It can't get anyworse. Her alter ego told her .

Haya quickly dismissed the thought, talking back the "couldn't-get-any-worse" line she apologized to Allah for thinking that. Because usually when you think "is say bura kya"(What could be worse than this) the worst happens which you couldn't have dreamt off.

All her mental debate came to an end when she muted the tv to go to washroom and herd that "clip" sound. Someone had just closed the window . Someone was here. What to do? What to do? I cannot panic. She told herself but she was panicking.

What if it were Salman again? What if was a murderer? An image which she had dismissed few moments ago , came back to her. She was sprawled on the floor covered in her own blood while a pool of her blood surrounded her. But this time in her imagination, she wasn't lifeless. She was still breathing, those low shallow breaths.

And the fear took over her. Shaking that image out of her head , Haya stood up. She recited Ayat-al-Kursi to get some strength. Getting some of her senses back , Haya saw a silhouette appear in the hallway. As soon as she saw the silhouette. She screamed an ear screeching shriek followed by a "Don't !"

"Haya!! Stop it. It's me Taimoor. " He said, grabbing her. And hugging her to his chest as she shoke with fear. Shivering as if she had seen a ghost. Her breathing was rapid . She was struggling to breath. Her huffs and puffs were echoing in the room .

"You are safe". He whispered as he wrapped his arms around her. And her heart believed it. And just like that suddenly she felt safe. His arms which were wounded around her, were surprisingly give her a sense of security. His strong arms with which he lifted dumbbells every morning, caged her, shielding her from her demons. They held her tight close to his chest. She could actually hear his heart beating at normal pace while her's was galloping.

Deep in her heart, she had always believed that those strong arms would fight her monsters away. His cologne was invading her sense while he rested his head on the top of hers and he ran soothing circles on her back. Those soothing circles soon began to give her butterflies as she got over her initial shock of being sneaked on and spooked.

Gaining her senses back, she realized what position they were in and slightly she pushed him away to get out of his embrace . And he didn't resist it, he let her go the moment he felt her struggling to escape. Her heart wanted to and had begged her to stay a little longer there. But then she never did listen to her heart when it talked sanity.

"You did it on purpose. You want to scare me to death. Why would you creep into your own home? Why can't you come from the main door"? Haya asked him, pointing a finger at him accusing him of something which even her alter-ego found appalling.

"You have an audacity to ask me that? You locked the main door. And when I tried to call you. You would not pick your phone up. Because guess what? Who was watching TV on full volume and didn't realize that their phone kept ringing? If you are afraid of dark, all you have to is ask me to stay or come earlier. I am not the villain you believe me to be. ", He said in cold voice. Which grew softer when he made that offer.

"Yeah come to you with my problems so you can make fun of them or even exploit them more. No thank you! "

"Why don't you understand this. I did not betray you. I would NEVER betray you. I asked you to marry me. I gave you a choice. You accepted it, Haya. It's as simple as that. I didn't force you. I never would. If anyone got any plus in here, it's you." Why was his voice raw with emotions? The first part of his mini speech got past her shield, but the latter part set her off. Was he implying that she was using him?

"Yeah right. Like leech and human benefiting from each other we both have advantages". She said as she rolled her eyes.

"Can you just stop with your sarcasm and for once be civil with me? And for the record I don't consider you a leech. Sure, I am providing the shelter and food, but that's what husbands do. They protect. I'd never consider you a leech. You do suck sometimes but not enough to be a leech" He said as he left gaping Haya in the lounge. Taimoor -1.Haya -0 ,her alter ego was displaying the imagining scorecard she had kept for the comebacks.

But why was her heart fluttering when he referred to himself as her husband." EARTH TO YOU FOOL .HE CALLED YOU A LEECH AND A SUCKER."Her alter ego screamed.

Did he just call me leech? But then he hadn't .He had just twisted her words to make her a leech. He always did that. Twisted her words to insults, which came striking back to her. And like every time , he had outsmarted her and left her feeling guilty and mortified for the accusations and the ill behavior she had shown. She hadn't even apologized for the last time and now she had this new apology on her list.

"I made lasagna for the dinner, it's in the fridge. I am going to my room. Call me if you need anything." She shouted to his back and he shoke his head without glancing in her direction as he continued to march towards his room.

********************************************************************************************

"Crack, crack, Crack "

The wind knocking against the windows was alarming Haya who was trying to sleep in her room. Ugh ,how she hated Islamabad's weather. After tossing and turning for 15 minutes she decided to go ask for help. But first she was going to apologize.

Now you are going to him. And he is going to belittle you. Stop ,right here Haya. It is not like he's going to help you, her alter ego was protested .BUT her heart said he would. As he had himself offered to help.

So, here she was standing at his bedroom door debating with the herself whether to knock or not. When she heard the thunder strike again and like a scared little fool, she barged in without knocking.

Damn damn damn!!! Now explain yourself, you chicken .

Taimoor was lying on the sofa lying with his legs crossed on the coffee table, his Mac in his lap while his hair were a mess. An attractive mess . God, the messy bedroom hair were such a turn on for her. And his t-shirt was sticking to his body like a second skin. What was with the people who went to gym and getting a size smaller shirt ? All this for what? Highlighting the biceps and the abs? . Damn he is looking like a feast. Haya thought to herself as she eyed her husband from head to toe. Tauba Tauba , get out of gutter , you ninny .Her alter ego lectured. She was debating with her alter ego when he looked up from the screen and gazed straight into her eyes.

"Umm if you think I am here to apologize then you are wrong. I came here because I can't sleep. ",Haya confessed which was completely untrue. She could not sleep due to the guilt. The thunderstorms were just an excuse she had made to satisfy the ego.

He looked at her . And like a Cheshire cat he smiled and said the following through his teeth."I never thought you would apologize. But about the sleep thing , do you want me to sing you to sleep because princess can't sleep ."

"We'll you were the one who said I could ask for help. I could not sleep because I am scared of darkness and thunder." After a brief pause she whispered , "What if I tell you I came here to apologize for being the brat."

Haya had whispered the latter so earnestly and meekly as she stared at the floor which suddenly had become more intriguing and was definitely less intimidating then her husband.

"Well if you came to apologize then I'll say there is no need to apologize for being yourself. And if you want to sleep with me. All you must do is just 'ask'. Everyone fells for my charms. And you, lucky girl are my wife."

Why had the W word made her heart dance and her cheeks warmer? The W word had mind blogged her, that for a minute she missed the fact that he had called her a brat. What was wrong with her? She was eyeing him and getting all giddy just because he had called her his wife instead of getting vexed at the insinuation that she wanted to sleep with him.

"You are a pervert and jerk. I had no such thing in my mind. And Alhumdulilah, I am the luckiest girl. I mean look at me ,I am still pretty normal after marrying you." Haya rolled her eyes.

The argument apart, MY WIFE had legit stolen her breath away. The words kept ringing in her head like a song.

Stop acting like a teenager. You need to focus on the argument here. You silly.

"Tuc tuh now Haya,shohar ko itni izzat say bolatay hain. (You are calling your husband names?) Why do you have to turn every conversation into an argument." He asks. Ok wow? Did he just blame me for the argument? She thought as she eyed him with utter disbelief. She was apologizing while he was the one, being a brat about it.

"Clap !!! Clap. You turned it into an argument. Whatever ,should not have come here. " She said as she went for the door. He could be such a jerk sometimes. Most of the times to her if they were keeping a record . She amended. But then she also had her fair share of lousy behavior .

I told you so. But what were you saying? He offered! Now that you got insulted , can we just go back to the room .Her alter ego thrashed her, pouring salt on her wounds.

"Wait." He said as his hand grabbed her arm and he pulled her back to him. How he had managed to get there so fast was beyond her. One moment he was lying on the sofa and the next thing she knows he is holding her arm. Maybe, he did get up when she was having a debate with her alter ego. Not wanting to let her go, he held her arm in a soft but firm grip. His touch was making her giddy , heat was spreading from that arm to her body accelerating her heart rate. He released her hand as if her skin were burning him after a minute.

" You can sleep on the bed. I'll take couch," Taimoor said as he released her arm.

"I'll take couch . You can umm sleep on bed. After all it is your room. "

"I said sleep on the bed. Whatever, you might think but Ammi raised me as a gentleman." He said dismissing her and getting back to work.

His bed smelt like him. It was strange . Actually stupid, but she could just feel him on the pillows .I am going crazy, she thought as she sniffed the pillows which smelt like him. "Thank you" she whispered as she got in bed and pulled the cover. After few minutes of tossing and turning in a foreign bed , sleep finally came, and she was thankful for it.

"You are a disgrace. "Dad said.

"I hate you" . Mom said.

"We wish we never had a sister like you Haya". Hassan's voice echoed.

"She's cheap. Whoring around my son," Tai said.

"Now I will finally get to have you. Who's going help you now. Who will listen to you.Huh ?",Salman asked giving her an evil smile as he approached her.

"Help !! Help !!! She was shouting. Crying. Begging. But mom ,dad and everyone stood there like statues.

Taimoor was sitting on the sofa , working on a presentation when Haya began mumbling in her sleep. Soon the mumbling changed into sobbing. Haya had been having the nightmares. Even in Lahore , she used to mumble and cry in sleep. That incident had left her distraught. She couldn't even find peace when she slept for the nightmares and the bad memories followed her there.

Taimoor felt this sharp pang of guilt every-time he found her mumbling and sobbing in her sleep . So, he would hold her and whisper soothing words until she fell back to sleep. It had become his routine in Lahore. The first night, when she had nightmares and was crying as she lied on the sofa , Taimoor actually thought that she was awake.

Putting his laptop aside , he went to sit beside her. He knew that she wouldn't remember a thing tomorrow. It was a usual for her. Her dreams , as she had always said, felt too real too her. So, the next morning, she would just brush all his caring behavior under the rug of "dream" and get on with life. And Taimoor preferred it this way because it meant that he won't have to explain himself or his actions in the morning.

Comforting her, Taimoor brushed away the strands of hair that were covering her angelic face . He wiped away the tears, as he continued to whisper soothing words to her. She was going through a hell, he was sure of that. Taimoor didn't know what those dreams were about but he knew, she was pretty shaken up by them.

"Hey hey . You are safe. I am here. No one is going to harm you. I would not let them. I've got you.", whispered a voice. Her angel's voice. Her savior was here. He was finally here. She was safe. Haya felt someone ,brush her hair. Maybe my guardian angel , she thought. "Please do not leave me. Please stay." She begged him afraid that when she walked back into the darkness she would be alone.

"I'll stay. "He replied and she could feel the warmth and the promise in that voice.

"Promise. ? " She said . She had to make sure , her angel stayed. She had to have his promise.

"Promise!!!" said her angel as kissed her hair. And everything felt calm.

في امان الله