About 12 years ago*

Author's pov:

"I really like you Fahad." Aliyah says to Fahad shyly.

She dressed up very nicely to confess to him. A blue dress with black leggings. 

He was the only one who was always nice to her and respected her. Something she always longed for.

"You don't know how happy that makes me Sparkle." Fahad replied. "I have a surprise for you. Let's go." he took her hand and took her inside the house.

"Where are you taking me?" Aliyah said excitedly. 

"Just wait a bit. You trust me right?" 

She did. She trusted Fahad more than anyone else.

He took her down through an unknown passage she never knew could exist in the Rashid's house.

"I have a surprise for you."

"Why is it so dark Fahad?" Aliyah says getting a little nervous.

"There's a saying. The darker a room is, the better the surprise inside it would be."

"But-"

"Don't worry Aliyah. You trust me right? Just wait a little more."

"Okay"... "Oh my god Fahad. I can't see anything now that you closed the door. What are you doing?"

"Just something I know you will love. Now don't shout or else I'll kill you." he tries to touch Aliyah.

"What? OH MY GOD! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STOP!" she shoves his hand away.

"I said don't shout Aliyah. I don't want to kill you. Everything will go to a waste if I do."

"STOP!"

"Come on Sparkle! What's the harm? You said you love me." 

"I do. But please don't do this," she begs. He cornered her so she couldn't even escape.

"This is for us. There won't be any us without it. Stop running away!" he grabs her hair and pulls her closer to his face. "I wasted so much time in being nice to you. I can't let it go to waste, can I Sparkle?" he smirks.

Tears run through Aliyah's eyes. "P-please." she says again.

"Why are you crying sparkle? This is not fun. Stop crying." he said wiping her tears with extra force her cheeks get red.

Aliyah pushes him out with all her force and tries to escape but he holds onto her dress and pulls her back to him. The bottom part of her dress ripped and dropped to the floor.

"Enough. You must've thought I'd let you go because I was acting nice." he pulled her hair once again to make her look into his eyes.

"P-please. F-Fahad." she begged once again. 

"My work is half easier now." he tries to rip the top part of her dress when she punched him in the face so hard that he stumbled across the wall.

She tried to find the door but the darkness consumed her. She finally found the handle and opened the door. She ran out as fast as she could. 

She ran out of the house, all the way to hers. Thankfully, the Rahmans/Rahsins lived close to the Rashids as they are family friends.

"Ma-Ma." Aliyah runs to her mother who was sitting with Zarif.

"What are you wearing young lady? What will people say? Why is that ripped? Are you a beggar?" Zarin Rahsin shouts at her daughter furiously.

"M-Ma. Fahad. He did this." Aliyah started crying.

"Zarif. Leave the room. And close the door on your way out." Zarin ordered her son who followed her instructions.

Aliyah tells her mother everything about how she trusted him but he broke her trust and then tried to take advantage of her.

Her mother wasn't very good to her either so she didn't know what to expect from her after she said everything. But she definitely did not expect, "He was being too good to you that you have turned ungrateful."

Aliyah's tears dried up as she looked at her mother. "What?"

"He was always so nice to you. The least you could've done is go along with it. At least he wanted you. I don't get what he's seen in you though." Zarin Rahsin replied dryly.

Aliyah was speechless. She knew her mother hated her but she didn't know that her mother didn't even see her as a human.

"Make sure this information does not get out anywhere else." she goes out of the room leaving Aliyah alone.

Aliyah runs to her room and changes her clothes before sneaking out of the house.

She quickly got to the police station where she tried to talk to one of the officers but they told her to write a statement for later.

She started writing a statement when her father entered the police station. Mr Mahir Rahman was a respected citizen who was loved by everyone so when he told the police officers Aliyah was just here because she was writing a statement about how annoying her brother is, the officers believed him.

One scolded her and told her not to come to the police again.

--

"How dare you go against my words young lady!" Zarin Rahsin slapped Aliyah so hard, she fell to her floor.

Aliyah was silent, she didn't know what to say. 

"Until you're in my house and you have my name, you are bound to follow my orders Aliyah RAHSIN." she emphasised the last name as it was her family's. "I shouldn't even have named you that! Listen until you're a Rahsin, You have to follow my order! No one, can know about this you hear me?" 

***********

Ahaan's pov:

The event is taking place in our mansion. The living room is decorated in a simple but elegant way. I am here sitting on one side of the curtain.

Aliyah was apparently with her friends in Aariz's room as Noor was helping her.

The number of people is nothing compared to Aariz's wedding reception though Mum will probably even invite more to mine.

Everyone in our family and the Rashids. Apparently Aliyah didn't have anyone to invite except of two of her friends as Noor was basically already invited. And the Qazi. I think he was paid extra to not reveal our Nikkah.

Everyone in the Rashid family was here for some reason. I thought only one or two of them would be here but everyone was here. Even Arisha and Arshia.

Who knows why!

But I seriously don't want them here.

The attention shifted when footsteps was heard. 

She is here.

I noticed Fahad's expression changed for a second when he saw her which later turned back to neutral.

The Qazi starts talking and asks Aliyah to say 'Qabool hai'. 

There was a few beats of silence, after which Aliyah's voice was finally heard. "Qabool hai."

After that, the Qazi does the same to me to which I reply with the same response as Aliyah. What's done is done.

--

"Congratulations dear." Tayab Rashid shakes my hand. I don't bother to reply. He doesn't deserve it.

Thankfully, the Rashids leave as we already had our meal right after the Nikkah.

What I keep thinking about is that Fahad kept gazing at Aliyah during the meal. Aliyah's face was always at the food. But I could tell she knew he was staring. And I could also tell she was hella uncomfortable.

It made me want to stab his eyes so he could never look at anyone like that. Who gave him the right to stare at women like that? That too, a newly married one?

"We kept our promises. We don't have to worry anymore." I heard Dadi whispering to Mum.

Before I could ask about what the promise was, my 3 stupid and annoying brothers came up to me.

"Bhai! Congratulations." Aariz pats me on the shoulder receiving a glare from me. 

"Honestly, I didn't think you had it in you," Aryan says right after. Neither did I!

"Is she going to stay with you now?" Azaan asks. Thankfully, his voice was serious and not teasing like the other two,

"Obviously! They are married!" Aariz beams. This guy! Is ke wajah se mera ye haal hua hai! (I'm in this state because of him!)

"No, but it's not official yet, that's why I asked. But of course, I wouldn't mind another bhabi joining our family already." Now Azaan started teasing as well!

Aliyah and her friends come over. And everyone else. For some reason.

Mum hugs Aliyah. "Welcome to our family Aliyah. We are happy to have you."

Aliyah whispered a thank you. 

"I can't believe Aloo is my sister-in-law! This is amazing." Aariz's wife Noor says excitedly.

Aliyah looked like she was trying to be happy, which probably fooled everyone in my family, but it didn't fool me.

--

I enter my room after saving myself from my annoying brothers and notice that Aliyah was already there. Of course she was.

"You should've asked for an extra blanket from Noor." I say when I enter.

"I'm not sleeping on the floor. If you are, then you should ask for one." she replied in her normal sassy tone. At least she was back.

"This is my room."

"So what? It's also mine now." 

"Stop being such a Nightmare and get an extra blanket for yourself." I try to say nicely.

"Stop being such an angry bird and get it yourself if you want to sleep on the floor."

"You! Are! So! Annoying!"

"You are even more annoying birdie."

"You-" 

"Anyways, I'm going to change. If you have the wish to sleep on the floor then you can ask for a blanket from your dear bhabi or mother." she goes to the bathroom without another word. 

This girl just cut me off! I can't stand her! How am I supposed to stay with her forever?

Why can't she just-! Oh wait. Based on the events, it's clear that she has insomnia.

Okay, that's a clear and valid reason for not wanting to sleep on the floor.

But it's not-

"Still in your thoughts birdie?" This Nightmare is even interrupting my thoughts now! Gosh.

I look to see her in casual wear. A T-shirt and plain trousers. She looked so different. Less tiring.

I don't bother to reply to her and go to the bathroom to change. 

I come out to see Aliyah was already lying on the right side of the bed. This girl is seriously a Nightmare.

Without another word, I sit on my side of the bed and take out my laptop to check my emails. 

And notifications, in case the Rashids revealed our marriage.

Surprisingly they didn't. 

I look beside to see Aliyah consumed in her phone. I put my laptop back and turn to the left side while lying down.

"Good night," I mutter before drifting to sleep.

Aliyah's pov:

'You made a mistake Sparkle.'

'I told you to come back.'

That means, he did not just send these texts because of my mother's orders. He sent them for his own advantage!

And what was he even doing at the Nikkah! 

Mrs Raihan said it was family only. And it was family-only except for the Rashids. 

Why were they there?

They are not family to Raihans! The Raihans are even trying to take them down. So then why?

Could they be related to whatever that 'family' reason was that Ahaan had to get married before the end of the year? 

And why is he texting me after all these years? 

And why, was he staring at me the whole time during dinner?

Agh! I wanted to gouge his eye out because of it!

--

'I wasted so much time in being nice to you. I can't let it go to waste, can I Sparkle?'

'Enough. You must've thought I'd let you go because I was acting nice.'

'P-please. F-Fahad.'

I jolt up at once. I was breathing way too loudly.

"Aliyah? What happened? Are you okay?" Ahaan was up beside me, trying to calm me.

"I-I" I try to steady my breathing but it was all in vain.

"It's okay. Aliyah, look it's okay. Nothing happened. You're alright. You're safe." he says while I steady my breath.

"He-he..." I don't even know what I'm trying to say or want to say.

"It's okay. Don't worry." he hugs me and starts caressing my hair. Something no one has ever done for me.

My heartbeat goes back to normal after a few minutes and my breathing also becomes more steady.

"Are you okay now?" he pulls back from the hug and looks into my eyes.

I wasn't in a state to talk yet so I only nodded.

He helps me lie down and lies down beside me, facing me which surprises me a lot.

But the next thing he does makes me speechless.

He hugs me! And closes his fucking eyes like it's such a normal thing to do! 

Before I could say anything though, my eyes started getting heavy and before I knew it, I started sleeping.

---

The next day

I wake up to see Ahaan was still cuddling into me.

I look to the other side to check the time which sends a shock through me.

3:39 pm

I slept until the freaking afternoon! That too without any nightmares!

And why was this guy still asleep?

"Oi! Eh! Oi birdie! Wake up." I start shoving him to the side to free myself from the cuddle.

"What is it?" he said in an extra morning deep voice while yawning.

"It's the afternoon! We slept for more than 12 hours!" I say surprised. Normally, I sleep for about 3-4 hours. Or if sometimes, I'm really lucky, that moves up to 5.

He sits up and looks at the time. 

"Oh well." he walks to the bathroom ignoring my existence. This annoying bird!

A few minutes later, he comes out after freshening up.

I go to the bathroom after him and do my morning routine.

"What do you want?" Ahaan says when I come out.

"What?" I ask confused.

"Our cook is on a yearly vacation. So for the month, we're cooking our own food. Which I don't have the time for. So I order. Do you want something or not?" he says still staring at that damn phone of his.

I walk up to him and take the phone.

"No thank you. I'll make my own food." 

"Then give me my phone." He tries to get it but I hold it further. Thankfully, we didn't have a very big height difference.

"Nope. I need your help with the cooking as I don't know anything about the kitchen in this house."

"Why? Ask your friend," he says while trying to get the phone.

"She has shoots today." 

"Oh gosh fine. At least tell me you're a good cook," he says after letting out a big sigh.

"The best!" I say while giving him his phone.

We go to the kitchen where he shows me where everything is.

I start making parathas. Cause obviously, it's one of the best breakfasts. Even though it's past lunch time. But it counts as a great brunch as well!

The flour was way on top of a cabinet. 

"Help me get that," I order Ahaan

He tries to get it. But surprisingly, it was taller than him.

I look to the side to see if there was any small stool or anything when I hear a loud noise.

I look back to see Ahaan Raihan. Covered with flour.

Before I could stop myself, I started laughing. 

Me. Laughing.

I couldn't believe it myself which made me even more laugh for some reason.

After I finally controlled myself, I look to see Ahaan was staring at me like I was a ghost. Khud hi to bhut hai! (He is a ghost himself!)

"Your flour my dear Nightmare." he says sarcastically while putting the bag of flour on the counter and then leaves to wash himself.

I start cleaning the floor as it was filled with flour and then start making the Parathas.

--

Thanks for reading<3