"W-what are you doing?" Maya asked shocked when he invaded her personal space.

"Having fun." Was his disgusting reply.

"N-no." Maya whimpered, her voice barely audible when he tried to touch her. "D-don't touch me..." She tried to push him off her but he was too strong to be moved by her.

Sobs spilled from her mouth as she tried to push him away. She wanted to remove his hands from her body but she couldn't. It felt like she had no strength. She felt so weak, so vulnerable. Her cheeks were wet with tears rolling down them as he touched her.

She wanted to stop him from touching her but she couldn't. She couldn't speak. Her throat felt constricted. She opened her mouth again as he tried to kiss her but no words came out. Her throat felt so parched.

She was sweating profusely. She could feel the sweat forming on her body as his hands slipped under her clothes. She wanted to push him off but she had no strength. She was hitting him on his chest but he seemed unaffected and his hands kept exploring every curve of her body.

"St-top." She cried but it fell on dead ears. He was not ready to listen to her. His hands roamed around her body in a disgusting way that her stomach turned. This was the second time something like this was happening to her. 

What had she done wrong in life?

He pulled the collar of her shirt and ripped her dress apart and now she stood naked in front of him. Her eyes burned with tears and she crossed her arms over her chest to hide herself from him.

"You are mine now. What do you have to fear now?" He growled. He said as he took off his shirt as well. She closed her eyes tightly and cringed when his warm breath fell on her lips.

"Please... s-stop." She cried flailing her arms and trying to hit her but he kissed her lips harshly not letting her speak. He held her arms tightly behind with his hands not letting her cover herself.

She wanted someone to pinch her and bring her back to reality. She wanted to wake up and know that this was just a nightmare but she knew that was not possible. She knew this was real and whatever she did could not change it. What had she done to deserve this?

She couldn't breath anymore. It was as if oxygen had forgotten its way into her lungs.

She could hear a muffled voice calling her name but she didn't know where it was calling her from. The voice was as if the person was under water. She couldn't here them clearly and all she could focus on was the man who was ruining her.

"What did I ever do to you? I am sorry. Zayan! Stop!" She cried louder this time as he squeezed her breast painfully.

She felt her shoulder being shaken harshly and she slipped away from the present scene. Maybe she was unconscious now. She couldn't feel him near anymore. She kept her eyes closed tightly fearing she would see him if she opened them.

"Maya, wake up! Please open your eyes." A voice said to her.

"No..." She cried and flailed her arms to get that person away from her. 

"Maya..." The same voice said again but it was sharper this time. She felt so scared. What did this person want from her?

Her eyes slowly fluttered open. It was dark everywhere. Had she died? Where was she?

The voice that was calling her was now more clear. She could make it out. It was very familiar. But she couldn't make out its owner's face.

"Maya, are you okay?" Someone called shaking her shoulders. She felt like she would have dislocated her shoulder.

Suddenly, there was a little light and she saw it was Zayan who had been shaking her so hard. 

Maybe he would save her from that man.

"Z-Zayan there's someone..." she started saying but as his face came back to her she broke off with a lump in her throat. Her heart eas thudding so ludly under her diaphragm and she felt so scared. Her breaths came out in short pants and her eyes burned with tears.

"Maya, snap out of it." Zayan told her harshly, holding her shoulders. He felt so scared when she wasn't responding to him. It was a repeat of losing someone all over again.

"No, Zayan I need your help...." She broke off again. How could she tell him what had happened to her? "Just.... just tell him t-to leave me..."

"I'm here Maya." He reassured her. He knew how scary these nightmares were, having experienced them all first hand.

"B-but how did I come here?" She asked after a while confused. She was in another place a few seconds ago. And this was Zayan's bedroom if she could make it out properly.

"Maya, you were sleeping here. Remember? There's no one here." Zayan said to her.

"No Zayan there was D-Daniyal here a moment ago. H-he was-"

"Maya there is no one here except me and you." Zayan said firmly as he gritted his teeth in anger. 

"Zayan h-he... he tried to touch me in a b-bad way... P-please stop him..." She cried not comprehending anything around her. 

"Maya, there's no one here." Zayan said clenching his jaw but she didn't pay any heed to him. She looked so scared. 

"Maya, it was a nightmare. It's over now." He said holding her by the shoulders.

She looked up at him in surprise. It wasn't real?

"It was a nightmare?" She asked feeling a little relieved. This wouldn't be the first nightmare she had gotten because of him but it had felt so real as if he was really there touching her.

"Yes, it was." He confirmed.

"B-but it felt so real. He was t-touching me, Zayan. Stop him please." She wept, hiding her face in her hands.

He clenched his fists hearing that. He wanted rip apart that bastard for making her this way. He had woke up to see Maya thrashing in the bed. He couldn't imagine what she was going through and his heart ached seeing her like this. He had tried to wake her up but she kept crying and then she stopped responding to him and went still. 

"Maya, that was a nightmare." He repeated as he instinctively put his arms around her. He wanted to protect her from the cruel world, from her fears.

It wasn't sympathy or pity. He was sure about that. He wanted to go to all extents to protect her and he had never felt that way before. He had met many women who were in a worse condition but he had never felt the need to care for them, to cherish them in this way. With Maya it was different. He needed to protect her not only for herself but also for himself. He had a strange connection with her. Maybe it was because he was married to her.

"I am so scared. He is going to come back and take me. Zayan, p-please help me." She cried on his chest bringing him out of his thoughts.

"I am with you Maya. I will make sure he doesn't lay a hand at you again. I promise that." His arms around her tightened and his heart ached so much seeing her like this.

"Are you sure?" She asked. She was so transformed right now. He had never seen her this broken before. She was always the funny, calm and collected girl who had her anger at the tip of her nose. Even from the time she was living with him he had never known that she was this much affected by what had happened.

"Yes. Now please go back to sleep. We still have a lot of time before Fajr." He said rubbing his hands on her back. Even touching her spread warmth within him. He was satisfied to know that he was with her, to protect her. He couldn't justify his feelings but he let them be.

"If I sleep he... he will come back. I can't. I can't sleep." She said quietly hiding her face in his chest. She couldn't think even properly with her fuzzy mind. All she could think of was how he had tried to wrong her.

"Come on. Lay down next to me." He tried to convince her, not knowing how to soothe her.

She laid down next to him and he bought her closer to himself and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Sleep Maya." He murmured in her ear as he rubbed her back soothingly. 

"Hmm." She hummed softly in response as her eyes drooped. Her mind was so hazy with sleep that she couldn't form words.

Her head was buried in the crook of his neck and Zayan noticed she was nearly asleep. Her warm breaths tickled his neck.

He pressed his lips to her forehead lightly once he noticed she was fully asleep. He observed her face in the light from the lamp. Her features had somewhat softened from earlier.

He ran his hand through her hair. It was so soft and silky. It even smelled like heaven. Her body was soft against his own hard one. It felt good to hold her close to himself.

A sigh escaped his lips. He was glad that she found solace in his arms. If he be honest with himself he found more peace having her in his arms. He felt like he was doing something good. He felt in control of the situation.

When Leya was diagnosed with cancer he had felt so helpless. He couldn't do anything to lessen her pain. 

Maya was in pain too and he felt so good knowing he was of some help. Like he was of some worth. Like someone needed him.

He had always felt guilty when he thought about Leya when Maya was with him. He knew it was his responsibility to take care of her as her husband. Caring for her in her hard times did help reduce that guilt too. He did this not only for her but also for the peace of his own mind.

His fingers traced patterns on her back and her breathing leveled out. He stared at her for a while. He really wished he could help her more than this. She was suffering so much and none of this was her fault. She was innocent in all of this.

He felt so angry at the one who had caused all of this to her. How did he even dare touch her? He couldn't fanthom anyone else even laying a finger on her. She was his wife. A feeling of protectivness surged through him. It wasn't fair to any girl. Maybe it was because of his profession that he was familiar with the horrors some vile men made women go through.

Society deemed men to be the protectors of women. Why did some men abuse their role? Why did they make others suffer because of thier selfish whims? Didn't they know they were answerable to Allah?

He knew suffering. He knew how helpless one felt when things were beyond your own control. That's why he wanted to prtoect Maya. It was not only his responsibility as her husband but it was also his responsibility as a human.

He sighed heavily trying to calm himself down. No girl should be taken advantage of.

Maya stirred in her sleep and he glanced at her as she mumbled something incoherent but didn't wake up. Her eyes were moving under her eye lids and he realized that she was in deep REM sleep as if she had never woken up earlier.

He envied that thing in her. Once he woke up, he always had a hard time falling asleep again. He didn't mind being woken up by her though. He was glad that he was of any help.

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, soon his eyes began to feel heavy and drooped.

Lazily, he raised his hand and clicked off the bedside lamp. Burying his face in her long hair, he welcomed sleep feeling at ease. It was a long time since he had slept like this. With someone in his arms.

He hoped that their relationship would become closer after this and she would slowly learn to trust him.

***

Random fact:

When I first wrote this chapter it was only 700 words. I edited it like thrice, each time I found more details I could add to it.

Anyway, do tell me how you found the chapter! I need to know what you think about each thing!

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Hope you enjoyed!

Until next time (you know when), 

Assalam Alaikum.