Chapter 33.

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Rauhan.

I was having a hard time to control my anger on my workers. They can't do a simple thing without listening a big lecture on it. Shaheer was always short tempered and if he was on my place 10 workers are fired by now. Me and Shehroz told him to stay at home because if he come then our new magazine didn't come out on time. We collect all business report of the month and some business man interviews. We published about the business man and women of the past 5 years. When everything was done perfectly we all head our homes.

I already told Khadija that I will be late and that was the reason I ask Zoya to go and spent some time with her so she didn't feel alone. I choose Zoya because she can understand the situation and didn't comment without thinking about it deeply. I park the car in parking and went in building.

I ring the bell few times but no one open. I open it with my keys and went inside. All lights were off telling she is sleeping. I sighed heavily and went in our room. When I open the door and lights I was shocked to see no one there. Bed was neatly made like she do in morning. I check all rooms, balcony, kitchen and everywhere but she is not at home.

Now, I started to worry. I take my phone out and dial her number. After few rings she pick it up.

"Hello, Rauhan." She answer my call. Her voice was normal which make me relief a little bit.

"Khadija, where are you? Why you are not at home?" I asked worried and panic. I was afraid to let her go without me. If something happen I wouldn't be there to protect her.

"Um... I am at mall with Zoya. We are coming back." She informed me. I sigh at least Zoya is with her.

"Come fast."

"Don't Worry I-" the line went silent and I heard shuffling voice before a light thud voice come.

"Hello Khadija." Someone says on other line. It was a male voice. I panicked who was he and how he know her. What if it was him who tried to hurt her before? I keep calling Khadija name but I didn't get any response. I heard Khadija scared voice on other line and suddenly she yelled to leave her alone. I ran out of the apartment taking my car keys with me. Suddenly line went dead and I can't hear anything. I sit in car and dial Zoya number.

"Rauhan Bhai?" She answer my call after few minutes.

"Zoya where are you? Is Khadija with you?" I asked driving to mall.

"No, I went inside to take my phone. I am just heading out. Why? What happen?" She asked slightly worried. I heard her rushing.

"I don't know. Someone attack her. Go check her, I will be there in few minutes." With that I hung up and honk the car in front of me. After 5 minutes I was pulling in mall parking. I heard Zoya calling Khadija name but didn't get any response.

I went to Zoya and ask her if she saw her but she shook her head. I also start calling her and then I heard someone running on other direction. We follow it and saw Khadija lying in corner in blood.

"Khadija wake up." We went to her and keep calling her name but she didn't give any reply. She half open her eyes and then close it completely. I saw a big cut on her right hand and someone name on left but because of blood It wasn't clear.

After few minutes Ambulance came and they took her to nearest hospital. When we arrived there they took her in emergency where they attach some wires to her skin. They told us to wait outside while they check her. I call Dad and tell him everything. Zoya also call Amir. She keep apologizing for leaving her but I told her its okay. She doesn't know they is going to happen.

What happen today scared me and now I have to know what happen in her past whether she wants to tell me or not I will know it. I heard a light shake on my shoulder from behind me and my name. I turned around and saw Dad. I don't know what take over me that I hugged him tightly. I can't live without her. She can't leave me like this. I didn't know I was crying when Dad say comforting words. After an hour later doctor come out with a straight face.

"How is she?" I asked her. She smile slightly.

"She is fine but her cuts were long and very deep. We don't know but we are surprise that she made it after losing a lot of blood." I sigh in relief when she says Khadija is fine. I feel angry on myself for her long and deep cuts and not to protect her.

"Can we see her?" Dad asked. She nodded and leave. We went inside and saw her sleeping. I slowly went on her side and sit on chair holding her hand gently. She open her eyes and look at me with small smile.

"How are you feeling?" I asked quietly forgetting about everyone.

"Good." She smile and looked around. She give her Salam to Dad and he asked about her heath. She look over Zoya who is looking at her apologetic look.

"I am sorry Khadija Bhabhi, I should have stay with you. I don't know this will happen." She apologize her but Khadija quickly refused her saying she don't know anything about it and it is not her mistake. Amir introduce himself as my little brother and says if we need anything we should call him.

After an hour everyone leave for home. Khadija say to Dad not to tell anyone about it. She also told him strictly not to tell anything to Yasir or Asim. I know why because when they know they would come here immediately. I notice she don't want to give trouble to anyone, but she is giving me by not telling me anything. I decide to ask her tomorrow when we get home. Doctor says I can take her home. Khadija is ready to go home now but I refused her saying I have to make sure first she is okay to go back tomorrow. I can't risk her life. She is my everything. She is my world.

Next evening, I help her to get ready to leave. While she was taking a quick shower, I went to receptionist and sign the discharge papers. When I get back in room, I saw her ready but having problem wearing hijab.

"I will do it." I says and walk over to her. She turned around and shook her head but it was late. I already take her hijab in my hands and start putting it over her head. All time I feel her eyes on me.

"Thank you." She says quietly and lowered her head. I smile and leaned forward to kiss her forehead.

We went back to apartment and I help her to our floor. Doctor says she had deep cuts and it will give her pain. I know she is in pain but she is not showing it.

"You want something to eat?" I asked her as we enter our apartment.

"No thank you." She says and went in our room. I put her stuff in living room and went after her. She was already in bed. I walk in kitchen and decide to give her my surprise by my cooking skills. I know how to cook when I was in college and live here alone. Every weekend Mom would come here with some new recipes for me. I really missed Mom but she should understand she is doing wrong with Khadija.

We are living in apartment for a week and I didn't go back to meet her. I tried to call her but sometimes she didn't pick my phone call and sometimes it went to voice mail. I hate when Mom ignore me. I feel like crying when she do this to me. I couldn't bare the pain of her doing all this with me. Now, I think I should listen Khadija and stay at home but I also can't ignore what Mom do with her.

I am hanging between my Mom and my wife. My Mom never let me go away from her and here I spent a whole week without talking or seeing her face. On other hand my wife, she is the best person I know after my Mom. She couldn't see anyone in pain and that's what she was doing back at home. I don't like it that's why I made this decision.

My thoughts were broken when I feel someone tapping on my shoulder. I turned around and saw Khadija with half open eyes looking at me.

"What are you doing?" She asked sleepy and rubbed her eyes.

"Cooking for you." I shrugged and frowned when she make a face.

"Are you cooking or trying to burn the kitchen?" She asked pointing to stove. I rolled my eyes and looking at stove on which I am cooking for her. My eyes were wide open when I saw I burnt it. I quickly turn off the stove and put pan away from it. I heard a chuckle behind me. I glare at her and she coughed to cover it.

"Sorry." She stop but smile never let her lips. I smirked and take a step forward to make her stop and take back one.

"Are you making fun of me?" I asked raising my eye brow at her. I saw her gulping a lump.

"N-no." She said and her back hit the wall. I smirked and take a step back.

"Good. Go back to bed. I will bring dinner for you there." I said and turned to start cooking again. She went back in room. I had done cooking dinner without burning this time. I set a tray and take it to her in room. She was on laptop watching something.

"Dinner is here Ma'am" I walk inside with tray and set it in front of her. She look surprised at tray then at me.

"You made this?" She asked with wide eyes. I rolled my eyes and slowly feed her. I saw as her eyes got teary but she blink them away.

"So... You like it?" I asked nervously. She smile softly and nodded.

"It is delicious." She comment and eat again. I thought where I should start asking her about last night or about her past.

"Khadija, do you trust me?" I asked and saw as she stop chewing. She looked at me with confused look.

"Yes, why?" She asked. I shrugged and give her water to drink.

"I was just asking. Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure." She said with small smile. I took a deep breath before saying anything.

"Who was the guy that attack you last night?" I asked looking straight in her eyes. I saw as she freeze and didn't blink for a minute.

"H-he w-was my c-cousin from P-pakistan." She answer my question and look down. Cousin? Her cousin from Pakistan? I thought he would be the person who reject her first time.

"If you don't mind can you tell me why he was doing this?" I asked pointing to her bandage on her hands. She looked up at me and her eyes watered.

"H-he had an o-obsession with me." She stuttered and look away. Obsession?

"Obsession?" I asked confused. She nodded and wipe her face.

"You remember when we went Usama Bhai house before their Mehndi function and you fought with a man?" She asked. I nodded as I remember that man who tried to kill her and he was her uncle.

"He is my uncle and the guy who attack me last night was his son. When we live in Pakistan before we come here. Ayaz used to protect me with everything. He never let anyone hurt me. He beat those who tried to make fun of me. I always thought he was like this because I was his little sister but one day he show what he is."

"It was my 10 birthday when in middle of the night he come in my room. He wished me birthday and tried to touch me in wrong way. I push him out of my room. Later that day he apologized saying he never do that again and I was a fool who get trapped in his sweet talk. After that incident he was behaving weird."

"It was our last day before summer vacations. All our cousin get home late after school because we all celebrate at some restaurant. It was like our little tradition. Ayaz and I were going to meet you other cousins after school when he took me to a house of his friend. He tied me and beat me badly because Asim come with his parents to ask Mom that if we could join them in beach house. Asim was my best friend and my brother and I say immediately say yes for it. He beat me with a wooden stick and whipped me with his school belt. Then he tried to take advantage of being alone. But before he could do anything his friend parent come back home and hold him back. They look me hospital and call our parents. After that day Ayaz was sent in boarding school for study and he go for appointment to therapist."

"Slowly he was coming back to normal. One day we all decide to meet him. When we get there he again attack me saying I was his. After few moths he got free and stay with his grandparents from his Mom side. When he was 16 and we are shifting here he ran away from there. I don't know how he come here but I know he is back to kill me. When I come here with Asim, he attack me that time he told me he know about something going between us and he would kill me if he ever caught us together. He write his name on my hand last night and say I am his." she explain everything. She rolled her sleeves up and take off her bandage.

There was Ayaz written in her hand. I slowly trace my fingers and she hissed in pain. I pulled my hand back and clenched my hand fist. I would kill him for touching her. Only once I know how he look like and where he live, I swear I will make him pay for everything he had done with Khadija. I stood up and went out leaving her there. I am so angry right now and I couldn't take it out at her. If I stay here a minute I do something that I don't want to. I start my car and leave from there to calm my anger.

This is the last time he touch her. This is the last time he hurt her. Next time he have to face me before hurting her. But for that I have to find him first and I don't know anything about him. I only know he is her cousin and have some mental problems.

Khadija.

I saw as Rauhan hand clenched into a tight fist as he was trying to control his anger. I tell him everything happen to me when I was a child. I still have small marks of getting beaten on my back. I let Rauhan go where he wants to. I know where he is going but I didn't call him back to stay because if he would stay here with me something will happen that he regret. I laid back on bed and stare at glass ceiling. I don't know how long I stay like this. I don't know when Rauhan come back home. All I know someone take dishes away and bed of other side dip. I have no energy to open my eyes and looked at the person because I know it was him. His familiar scent and the light kiss on my forehead tell me it is Rauhan.

I am scare more of Ayaz on what he did last night. I am scare to leaving Rauhan. I don't want to leave him. I don't think I will ever live without him. He is now the piece of my heart and my life. I think, I am falling for him. I am falling for my husband.

I think about the events in past few months. It has been 3 months since I got to know about my little sister and my ex fiancé marriage. It has been 3 months of Usama Bhai marriage. It has been one month of our marriage and it has been two weeks since he confessed his love for me. I don't know I would end up with him. The person who tease me all time in his sister wedding.

'This is what written in our fate. This is Our Fate. I am glad that Allah choose him for me. I am happy with him and I don't need anything else in my life.'

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