Azaan's pov:

"You who?" Nafisa says looking at me with a soft glare.

"Az-"

"Awaan!" she grabbed onto my hand which I wanted to use to put her seatbelt on. I use my other hand to help her with the seatbelt and try to take my hand back. But she grabs my hand again even tighter this time.

"Don go." she said with a pout on her face. 

With a sigh, I start the car and start driving with one hand while Nafisa started fiddling with my other as if it was a guitar.

Noor sent me her address and informed me that Nafisa's parents weren't home for the night. Which is good cause I don't think they'd want to see Nafisa in this state.

Nafisa was a very unexpected person. She was very clumsy so anything could happen when you're with her.

But never in a million years did I imagine that I'd find her in a drunk state!

How did she even get drunk! 

Who gets drunk in non-alcoholic drinks?

I reach her house and park my car to see that Nafisa was in a deep sleep.

I get my hand out of her grip and get out of the car to go to her side and then pick her up. and take her bag in one of my fingers.

God, she had too many things in that tiny bag of hers.

I take her to the door when I realised, I need to open it with the key! 

I balance her with one hand while I use the other to open her bag to find the key. Thankfully, it was right on top of the bag.

I open the door and push it with my foot and then enter. It was pitch black.

I struggle to find the light switch while still carrying Nafisa and then finally turn on the lights. 

Finding her room was easy as she was an only child. How did I know that? From her job application forms.

I put her in bed, and cover her with a blanket and start leaving when I hear sounds from downstairs.

"Tumne light kyu nhi band ki?" a female voice was heard. (Why didn't you turn off the lights?)

"Maine to kiya tha. Lagta hai Nafu ghar aagyi. Nafu! Nafisa!" a male voice was heard as a reply. (I did. Maybe Nafu came back.)

Oh no. Fuck. What now?

I look around to try and find a spot to hide. There was none. So with no other option, I slide under the bed hoping that they won't have a sudden urge to look under the bed for anything.

"Nafi- Oh she is fast asleep." the door swung open and then it was closed again. Murmurings were heard for a bit from out before they stopped.

Thank God!

I did a good thing by parking the car further away from the house.

I come out from under the bed when Nafisa woke up and sat.

"Nafisa?" I say in a whisper as I go closer to her. Let's just hope she doesn't shout.

"You-" then she vomits on my shirt! 

Oh gosh.

"Sowy." she pulls my cheek and starts playing with my hair.

This girl will be the death of me.

"It's okay, now sleep. It's too late." I say while grabbing a tissue I spotted on her bedside table and clean my shirt.

"Cwan you stay with me?" she said holding my hand.

This girl. Will seriously be the death of me.

She hugs me tight when I nod. "Yay!" 

Thankfully, she let go and laid down but was still holding my hand.

--

After two hours, when I was sure she fell asleep, I start thinking about how I can escape.

I mean, how else? I have to take the chance and just run off somehow, hoping her parents won't have a sudden urge to get up and go downstairs.

 Hai Allah! Please save me this once! Aj se har roz das baar Qur'an padunga. (From today, I'll read the Qur'an 10 times every day.) 

I take her hand off mine and quietly walk up to the door and open it. 

I squish through a small gap of the door cause I didn't want to risk opening it more to get a creek noise.

I tip-toe downstairs and quietly run to the front door and open it. 

"Who's there?" a voice was heard from behind.

I slam the door behind me and run to my car.

A figure was chasing me for a few seconds but I cut off and went too far and got inside my car and started it immediately.

Gosh, that was scarier than a horror movie.

Aliyah's pov:

"Were the Rashids invited?" I ask Noor after my breathing was steady.

"I only invited Arisha and Arshia cause I had to invite at least one Rashid. Oh God. Aloo I'm so sorry. I didn't think of the fact that he might've come here with one of their invites." she says after realising.

"It's fine. I'll get going. Sorry I couldn't stay until the end. I planned to stay until closing but-"

"Areh Aloo it's okay. You go home and rest. Aariz will be here anyway." she says while cutting me off.

"Huh? Already husband ke wajase dost ko bhul gyi?" I ask in a disappointed voice. (Forgot your friend because of your husband already?)

"Areh, how can I forget my bhabi? Of course I remember you." she said while chuckling.

"Bhabi?" I ask in disbelief.

"Haan. Ahaan bhai ka wife to mere bhabi hi hoge." (Ahaan bhai's wife would obviously be my bhabi.)

"Oh Allah, bachao mujhe isse." I say while slapping my forehead. (Oh Allah, save me from her.)

"Save yourself later and now go. I'll see you out." she ushers me out of the bathroom and out of the hall.

I saw Ahaan outside, standing beside his car.

"Ahaan bhai, take her home please. Thank you." Noor ran inside.

"I didn't sign up to be your driver. Mrs Raihan." Ahaan said annoyed.

For some reason, he didn't like the fact that I took the surname. Well, that was the only reason I had to marry, if I hadn't taken it, marriage would've been pointless. I don't want to have the surname 'Rahsin' anymore anyway.

"Well, too bad Mr Raihan. You have to take me." I say while folding my arms.

He lets out a big sigh and opens the passenger door. "Get in Nightmare."

I was surprised by how he didn't argue further but didn't question it. Let's just use the luck I have. I don't want to see Fahad anymore. I get in.

He gets in the driver's seat and starts driving.

I notice that his sleeves were folded. He looked dashing like this.

Allah, what am I thinking?

"Do you really not have any family?" Ahaan asks after some time of silence.

"Biologically, yes. But relation-wise, no." I answer. I didn't mind him knowing everything anymore. After all, he knew my weakness already. He should know the cause as well. That is, if he wants to.

"Zarin Rahsin? Mahir Rahman?" he says. Either Aryan told him, or he is too curious about me. I nod in reply.

"They are my parents, yes. But I stayed by myself ever since I turned 17. And even before that, I was always by myself. I learned how to do everything myself. Actually, life was great when I was a baby. But when I was 5, Zarif was born. All their attention shifted to him. And when I complained about it once, they said I was ungrateful. That I didn't even deserve even one bit of attention. But they were still helping me, as they felt pity for me." 

A drop of tear fell from my eyes as I remembered those memories.

"As you know, my parents were really good friends with the Rashids. We went to their house frequently. Zarif was best friends with Farhan. While I used to hang out with Fahad. He was nice to me. Really nice. He was the only person who saw the good in me. Or so I thought during that time. And then, I told him my feelings towards him. He was happy. He looked happy at least. He invited me to his house privately. I went cause I trusted him. A lot." At this point, I was crying.

"He took me to the secret basement of their house. It was dark. It was a small space." In short, the main reason for my nyctophobia and claustrophobia. "He said the darkest space hides the best surprise. He was not wrong about the surprise bit." a bitter chuckle escaped from me. "I still went in the basement. That's how much I trusted him. He locked the door behind us. And tried to-" I couldn't go any further. Like there was something stuck in my throat.

I could see Ahaan's body stiffen. His hands were grabbing the steering wheel with more force than needed.

"I escaped. And went to my mother and told her everything. She-" I paused as I tried to blink away my tears. "She said I should've gone along with it. That I should've been grateful that someone at least wanted me. I didn't know what to do then. But I definitely did not want him to get away with it. I sneaked out of my house and went to the police station to write a statement about what he did. But my parents came and took me away. My mother blackmailed me into keeping the information to myself. So I couldn't tell anyone. I left my house after I could live by myself. I paid back all the money they spent on me and started living alone. But my mother called me last month and told me to change my surname. As apparently I didn't deserve to have the surname Rahsin. She said if I don't change it soon, she'll take me out..." I trailed off as I didn't know what else to say.

My mind felt empty. It felt nice to let out everything I had in my mind. It felt natural.

Silence filled the car as we got to the mansion. He continued to park the car without a word. He gets out of the car and I do the same and follow him in silence. Was it a good idea to tell him? 

"How much of this does Aryan know?" he said when we entered our room.

"He found out only bits. The fact that they are my parents and the bit that something happened between me and Fahad Rashid."

"Do you want him to know the rest?"

"I... I don't know." I said while letting out a big sigh.

He gets a call and leaves the room without another word.

Ahaan's pov:

I come inside the room and see Aliyah lying on the bed. 

Her words come flashing into my mind.

'I told him my feelings towards him. He was happy.'

'I went cause I trusted him. A lot.'

'He said the darkest space hides the best surprise. He was not wrong about the surprise bit.'

'And tried to-'

'She said I should've gone along with it. That I should've been grateful that someone at least wanted me.'

'My mother blackmailed me into keeping the information to myself.'

'She said if I don't change it soon, she'll take me out.'

Her shaky voice, her tears. They sent an uncontrollable rage through me.

Fahad Rashid better hide well. If I see that fucking bastard anywhere, he is dead. I don't care about any consequences.

I lie on my side of the bed, surprised to see Aliyah turn around and wrap her arms around me.

Normally, I did it while she tried to debate that she would be fine without me - apparently squeezing her but I do not!- hugging her. But I still didn't listen as I didn't want her to wake up in the middle of the night because of nightmares. Which now I know is because of that Rashid.

I didn't question her and pulled her in my embrace. 

After some time, she went to sleep. Her face looked so empty. Like all the stress she carried with her vanished somewhere. 

It made me feel a bit relieved. 

She told me everything. The reason for her insomnia, the reason for her phobias, the reason for her stress. She trusts me. And I'll do anything and everything to keep that trust.

I will do anything to protect her. 

Noor's pov:

"Oi cockroach! Hold this." I instruct Aariz as I hand him the hand of a mannequin that broke.

"Yes your Highness," he says while sighing. He gave up trying to get me to stop calling him cockroach. 

"Take the whole thing back to the storage room," I order.

The event finished and everyone left. It was only me and him.

My mind was still worried about Aliyah. That psycho can't see her living in peace! I wish I could kill him!

"Don't worry darling. If anything, Ahaan bhai will take care of him." Aariz says while holding a bottle of water towards me.

"How did you? And what is this darling thing?" I didn't mind him calling me that. I just didn't want him to give me any false hopes like this. Sometimes, it felt like he actually might've started liking me, but then he says his usual speech about me being a responsibility which crashes all my hopes.

"It's written all over your face. And I will call you darling cause I want to call you darling. You call me cockroach and I stopped debating so you should stop trying as well." he opened the bottle when I didn't take it, and handed it to me again.

--

We finished cleaning up and got out of the building. Aariz walked over to his car and got in. I waited for him to come out of the parking lot when I saw him walking over to me.

"Kya hua? Do minute mujhse dur nhi reh pahte aap?" I say to tease him. (What happened? Can't you even stay away from me for a minute?)

"The car broke down. We will have to walk or take an Uber." he said ignoring my statement. This cockroach is so annoying!

I take out my phone but it was off. "My phone has no battery. Call one from yours."

He takes out his and stares at it for a few seconds. "Mine doesn't as well. We'll have to walk."

We both start walking towards the mansion. 

Some time later, it starts raining heavily. 

"Oh God." Aariz starts running while I try and catch up to him. There was no shelter around us so it was kind of pointless, we were soaked anyway.

"Just walk! It's just rain. We'll be fine." I say as I stop running. He gives up and stops as well.

The mansion was about thirty minutes away if driving. So walking would probably take some hours.

I suddenly stumble on a rock and my heels break. 

How lovely.

Aariz bent down and started taking off my heels. "What are you doing?" I asked confused.

He doesn't reply and picks me up in his arms. In a sudden instinct, I wrapped my arms around his neck and stared at him in confusion. "What are you doing you cockroach?" I ask again.

"Stop shouting darling." was all he said. This jerk.

--

It's been about 20 minutes. Aariz was still carrying me in his arms. It's making me wonder if he did fall for me. He keeps saying otherwise, but what if he is denying it? What should I even do about it?

I couldn't live like this anymore. Ignoring all my feelings like they don't exist. It hurts.

"Aariz." let's see how it goes.

"Yes darling?" my heart starts beating faster. Maybe even he could hear it.

"Remember you owe me a favour? Because I won the bet in juta chuppai." I honestly didn't even know what I was saying at this point.

"Yes."

"Can you... at least try? To give me a chance? To not see me only as a responsibility?" my voice was starting to get shaky. Who knows why.

He was silent. But he started walking slowly.

"I've started liking you ever since I've seen you for the first time. I tried to deny it myself. But I couldn't. Why don't you like me Aariz? I... I-" a teardrop fell from my eye. I hoped the rain hid it as I didn't want him to humiliate me more than he probably already would.

"Darling, I didn't want to hurt you. I can't keep pretending anymore. I care about you... more than you probably know. I've started liking you already, and I thought I could fight it, but I can't. I'm sorry for being so afraid. I've acted so stupid. I'm really sorry for hurting you. For making you think like I didn't like you. It's just, I've never known what it's like to feel this way. To feel loved. To love someone. I thought it might make me weak. Please... please forgive me.. I was STUPID, a stupid person who couldn't understand your feelings"

The rain stopped but I felt water dripping on my hands. He was crying.

I wiped his tears away. 

"I love you," I say the words I've been meaning to tell him for a long time.

"I love you too darling," he replies making my heart skip a beat.

--

Thank you for reading <3