|| S H A N Z E ||

He opened the first video and the whole room filled with the sounds of loud moaning, making me gasp in shock.

He closed his laptop quickly, not caring if the screen was cracked or not. I put my hand on my mouth and looked away, not wanting to see his face because I could already imagine it.

If I knew what I said would come true then I would have asked for his life. Behaving as nothing happened, I bypassed him and went to the wardrobe to change into a simple dress to sleep.

While changing clothes, I remembered his stunned joker face that I saw through the corner of my eye, I burst into fits of giggles.

“If you are done laughing, come out. I also need to change," His grumbled voice came from the other side of the door along with constant knocks.

I quickly put the clothes for washing in the basket and moved out of the wardrobe while biting my inner cheeks to stop myself from laughing, letting him enter and change. But after entering the bedroom and looking at the bed, I forgot to laugh.

All the moments from morning flashed in my mind making me breathless. I didn't know how long I stood here and kept looking at the bed nervously with all what ifs..

“Don't worry. I am not a reckless person who'll do something without someone's consent. Relax and go, sleep,” His voice came from behind me then he moved to the bed and laid down on his side.

I looked at him for a minute then slowly moved towards my side. I stared at his back with my hands closer to the light switch.

“What is going on between you and Mazhar? Can you be honest with me about this one?" He asked before I turned off the lights, making me freeze.

I looked at him with a trembling gaze and swallowed the thick lump that blocked my throat out of nowhere.

“We don't even trust each other so how can you expect me to be honest about this? Even if I tell you, what is the probability that you'll believe me?” I asked him back, looking at his back.

This matter didn't only involve me or him but also Mahira and I wouldn't expose her biggest scar and history in front of anyone so easily. What if he took this matter and created something so big and my parents came to know. Without Mahira's permission, I had no qualifications to tell him the whole truth about what his so-called best friend did to my sister.

But I knew one thing very clearly that Mazhar was not after Mahira or me, but after him. If not due to him, how would Mazhar come into contact with Mahira? Why would I receive that warning at our wedding? If I had to tell him then before all this, I needed to destroy all those videos and backups from Mazhar.

In this matter, the only man I believed was Hasan. He wouldn't let anything happen to my sister. He would save her and destroy all the evidence.

“You are my wife, Shanze. I'll believe you no matter what," He told me softly.

Seriously. Now he remembered I am his wife.

“Says the man who called his newly wed wife a prostitute," I said calmly and turned the lights off.

I hadn't taken revenge on him for this and I would not leave this topic until he apologized to me properly but to still forgive him then…

Nah not easily.

It won't be until my heart feels happy and calm. I laid on my side and enjoyed the silence around us, knowing well that he must be restless otherwise he would retort back. I put earplugs in my ears then closed my eyes feeling a little sleepy and turned my back towards him.

And about Mahira's matter, I needed to ask her first before telling him.

The next day, I was combing my hair in front of the mirror when he stood next to me, fixing his tie. I paused for a moment then continued combing my hair.

“Mazhar will never step in this house or appear anywhere near you," He told me in a warm and gentle voice then moved away, leaving me alone.

I was stunned for a good minute then looked out of the window to see if the sun rose from the west. His sudden gentle and warm voice raised goosebumps on my body and made me wary of him.

‘Man can't be trusted. Especially flicker ones.’

When he left for the office, I tried to call Mahira from the telephone but the telephone wire was cut. I put the receiver back with a calm smile then turned to a near servant.

“Zeeshan baba said no one uses telephone anymore at home so he cut the wire."

‘Breath, Shanze. Breath.’

Till yesterday the telephone wire was attached but today that donkey cut it off.

I desperately wanted to talk with Mahira so I went to Taiama who was sitting in the garden. I joined her and sat across from her on the chair.

“Taiama, may I use your phone to call my parents?” I asked her with a small nervous smile.

“I am sorry. I have zero balance and this morning Zeeshan turned the WiFi off, saying it hasn't been working properly since last night,” She answered me with an apologetic smile.

Hearing her answer, I was stunned for a half minute then nodded my head slowly in understanding.

“Then why don't I restart it and see why it's not working," I told her, standing up slowly.

“He took the device with him to check in his office. We have to spend a day without the internet. And don't worry about your broken phone, Zeeshan told me everything and said he'll buy you the latest model,” She added innocently.

I was blank for a moment then smiled at her sweetly but deep inside I was raging with anger and killing that donkey again and again in my imagination. Only my innocent mother-in-law could believe him but not even the ghost would believe.

• • •

Just as the men of our house returned, like a caring wife, I went to the kitchen and filled two glasses with lemonade but in one glass, I added a pinch of salt. Thinking that one pinch was less, I added two more. Then with a sweet smile, I took the tray and personally handed the glass to my father-in-law and Zeeshan.

I watched as he took a sip warily then paused and glanced at me with his slightly narrowed eyes then finished the whole glass quickly. His lips were pursued tightly as he stared at me for a good minute then turned his attention towards his mother.

I listened to him silently as Taiama asked him some questions.

“Um.. Ahem.. Shanze beta, next time please mark the glass properly and add more salt,” Tayaaba, who had been silent, spoke after clearing his mouth.

With wide eyes, I looked at Tayaaba with my cheeks heated up then moved my eyes down at the glasses on the tray. I closed my eyes having another episode of embarrassment and quickly ran to the kitchen to look for something sweet for him.

“I am sorry," I apologized to him, handing him sweets while everyone around me was controlling their laugh and looking at me amusingly.

I tuned out everything that happened after this, reducing my presence while praying for the couch to let me hide behind it. Whatever everyone was conversing, I had no idea because I was busy scolding myself mentally and not to forget that donkey too.

When he stood up, excusing himself to fresh up, I also stood up and followed behind him. I hadn't taken my revenge so how could I leave him.

“Sometimes I underestimate you so much,” He said as we both entered our bedroom.

I bit my inner cheeks and glared at his back. While I was thinking of my revenge plan, he went to change his clothes but handed me his phone before going to the washroom. With a surprise look, I took the phone back and stared at the closed door of the washroom.

Surprisingly, there was no lock on his phone. I quickly opened the contact and dialed Mahira's number. She answered the call and greeted cautiously.

………

“Mahira, it's me. Shanze. You ok? That man didn't contact you again? Right? And has Hasan contacted you?”

I bombarded her with the questions in a hurry but lowered my voice halfway.

………

“Shanze.."

There was relief in her voice.

“No. Other than Hasan no one did. And- and he said to tell you don't worry. He will take care of everything,” She told me in a whisper.

………

“That's good," I breathed in relief and glanced towards the closed door of the washroom.

………

“Shanze, he is after you now. Please be careful. Don't let him create any misunderstanding between you and your husband,” She said softly, reminding me of what happened in the restaurant back then.

………

“Umm.. Mahira..? Should I.. tell Zeeshan about Mazhar and.. what he–”

………

“No! Please! I don't want more people to know. Please. Telling Hasan everything was already too much for me,” She cut me off instantly and pleaded.

Her voice wavered like she would cry any second.

………

“Ok. Ok. Don't worry. Zeeshan is already cautious of him. I just want him to receive his punishment for what he did and never appear in front of any of us… Zeeshan is coming out. Take care of yourself. Ok. Allah hafiz.”

………

I quickly hung up the call and checked the recording folder to see if the call recorder was on or not. Thankfully it was off, otherwise, Zeeshan would know everything.

“I am putting your phone here," I told him as he came out of the washroom, putting his phone on the bed.

Then I left the room and went to the kitchen to help Taiama. I apologized to Tayaaba again for the wrong prank before dinner.

“It's ok. You don't have to feel guilty. When I and your Taiama were young, she also used to do this to me. You reminded me of our young self. Next time, you want to pull something against Zeeshan, just tell me. I also have many tricks. All came from experience,” He laughed and patted my head.

I breathed in relief and smiled at him happily.

After dinner, we all went back to our bedrooms to sleep. I changed my clothes and laid on my side of the bed, without talking to Zeeshan or looking at him. After talking with Mahira, I felt a little light and instantly slept.

But late at night I was awakened from the loud noises of the man beside me. I sat up and looked at the almost dead man. Remembering that my revenge on him was still pending, I got out of bed and picked his headset. I attached it with his phone and slowly put it on his ears with a smile then went back to my side. In full volume, I played the heavy metal mashup song.

I put his phone on the side table and closed my eyes, feeling content then counted 3 in my mind.

1…

2…

3…

Someone sat up on the bed abruptly and cursed loudly.

“Shanze, I know you are awake. If you want to pull some kind of revenge on me, you could have done it tomorrow morning,” His voice was forced out with his teeth gritted.

I closed my eyes and smiled, gloating at his condition.

“Besides you should know that once I wake up, no matter how much sleep I catch, I can't go back to sleep," He added slowly, sounding in anger, a really bad anger.

I bit my lips and pricked up my ears when I heard no more sound. I held my breath, feeling something wrong. But suddenly something light like a cloth was thrown on me then the duvet was removed from me and shoes were put on my feet.

Before I could understand what really happened, I was picked in two strong muscular arms. I screamed in sudden fear and held tightly around his shoulders.

“What are you doing, Zeeshan k bache?" I asked him in annoyance, with my heart beating crazily.

“Throwing you out," He answered me, moving with me still in his arms.

I looked up with my mouth open as he opened the door and the hallway light hit us. I squeezed my eyes with a frown and opened it again to adjust against the glaring light.

“Are you really out of your mind? And put me down quickly! I don't want to fall," I scolded him, holding him tightly.

"It's ok if you fall here too because you'll be thrown out soon anyway," He retorted back smugly as moved towards the staircase.

“You.. Tai–”

"Shh.. if you don't want to be pressed against the wall and be devoured here then go and scream," He threatened me in a deep voice with a single glance at me.

My mind must be crazy and out to think him sounding hot. Like really, really, hot.

I pressed my lips tightly, my chest heaved with anger and something else burned inside me as I looked at him. He descended the stairs slowly, holding me in arms which were shaking a little but he held me steadily with swart forming on his forehead.

My eyes moved to his Adam's apple that was bobbing up and down. Why was he looking so hot and sexy so suddenly I couldn't fathom. I swallowed my saliva silently and tried to divert my attention. There was heat forming on my cheeks, making me want to hide my face in his chest.

He stepped out of the house and unlocked his car, putting me inside then went to the driver seat.

“What– what are you doing? Where are you taking me?” I asked him cautiously, looking at him pressing against the car door, he child-locked.

“Told you already. Throwing you out," He answered with a smug smirk, dangerous slyness sparking in his eyes as he ignited the car.

The night shift guard opened the door as the car drove out of the gate.

“If you throw me then how will you answer our parents and family?" I asked him with a smile that hid the murderous glint.

Instead of answering he just side glanced at me with a corner of his lips raised. He sped up instantly and didn't know how many sudden turns he took, making my half soul leave my body.

With quivering hands and fearful eyes, I looked ahead, reciting every prayer I could remember silently. With a loud screech the car stopped, making me jerk forward but luckily a hand saved my forehead from hitting the dashboard.

With a flicker of hand, he pushed my head backward. I caught my breath and turned towards him but he had already gotten out of the car. Slowly like a hunter catching his prey, he came towards my side and opened the door. He pulled me out and took me with him.

“Ok. Now spend the whole night here,” He told me with an evil glint.

I looked around and turned pale with my body trembling as he left me in the middle of this horror place.

Cemetery.

. . . . . . . . . .

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