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Chapter 8: Nightmares And Daydreams

Haya's POV

I gasped for breath but it was so hard seeing all that blood in front of me. Something pulled me to him, the man lying dead on the ground. I tried to stop my body but I could not control it.

I was so close to him. He twitched as I bent down to lift his head. When I raised his face to the light despite the blood on his face it took me no time to recognize him.

Baba.

"You wronged me. You helped my muderer." It was a deadly whisper and Baba was looking at me strangely as if trying to recognize me.

I shook my head. Baba whispered again. "You are a murderer."

"No, Baba." I pleaded, my voice wet with tears. "No."

"You murdered me, Haya. You killed me."

"No no no..."

"You killed me." His face was transforming to the man Armaan killed.

"Baba?"

"You helped him. You killed me."

"Baba? Baba?" I screamed trying to find him in that face. The whispering continued.

"Baba? Baba help me. Baba?"

"Haya! Haya?" Someone was shaking me. "Haya? Wake up sweetheart." It was Baba. My eyes flew open.

"Baba?" He was sitting on my bed. I hugged him and hid my face in his shoulder. "Baba." I was crying now.

"Shh darling please don't cry. Everything is fine. I am here. Shh. Everything is okay. No one can hurt you." As he talked more sobs erupted.

"Haya drink some water." It was Ammi, she was standing there. I saw Dua and Api Zainab behind her. Api Zainab had her arm around Dua's shoulder as if trying to console her.

I took the glass from Ammi's hand and tried to gulp it down my throat. It took me some time to finally calm down.

Baba tucked my hair behind my ear. He looked sadly at me. "Haya?" He whispered.

"Yes Baba?" My voice still had a hint of tears in it.

"It has been a month since these nightmares started. Tell me what is bothering you." He was caressing my hair.

I just shook my head. Baba took a deep breath and then exhaled. "Beta, is it about Armaan? Did he do something?"

My eyes widened and I was not the only one who was shocked.

"Murtaza! She does not even know him. Stop assuming things." Ammi held Baba's arm and went out with him.

After a while I could hear Baba shouting. "What else do you want me to do? Huh? Since that man came, Haya has changed. Did you see her smile even once? It has been a month. One freaking month since these nightmares started. It has never happened to her before. He came to my office. He threatened me and then all of a sudden he disappeared. Tell me what I should do?"

There was silence for a while. Again Baba spoke but in a calmer voice. "Tell Khawar that he should warn that bast**d. If he does anything to my daughter, he would not see the sun next day."

Tears formed in my eyes. I hid my face in my knees and started sobbing again. After sometime I felt a hand on my should and looked up to see Api Zainab.

"Haya why don't you tell us what is bothering you?" Her voice was full of grief. I turned to look away.

I was being unfair to her. Her wedding was starting the next day and I was being so troublesome.

I wanted to tell everything, but that meant turning my dreams to reality that I would not be able to escape even during the day.

"I will be fine." I whispered. "You should rest I will not bother you again."

"I worry about you."

I smiled at her. "Don't I will be okay."

She nodded and went back to her bed so did Dua. I also laid down but did not close my eyes. Sleep was not going to come close to me now.

Next day everyone was busy. It was Api Zainab and Ahmed Bhai's mehndi. Khawar Bhai was here and Ammi had also asked Faseeh to come and help Baba. His mother was friends with mine, just like his sister was friends with me.

A lot of Api Zainab's friends were also here. I had invited only Fareeha and her family. The relatives started showing up around noon so it was quite crowded.

I was also helping Ammi and Dua while Api Zainab was being pampered in her room. The whole day passed like that.

One of my cousins applied henna on my hands. I took rest for an hour before washing it off and wearing my dress.

It was a short plain kurti with palazo. The palazzo was embroidered. I fixed my scarf and went downstairs. The event was at Ahmed Bhai's place.

The whole house was lit with lamps and candles. In the garden, a beautiful stage was made where Ahmed Bhai was sitting. We brought Api Zainab and the event started.

We applied henna on their hands, oil in their hair and fed them sweets. Me, Dua and Api Faria teased Zainab Api a lot. After the rasm ended, the food was served. I was not hungry but I had not fed myself the whole day so I ate a little. Api Faria introduced us to her in-laws who were invited.

The whole event ended. Api Zainab was taken to her room. Faria Api was going to stay at Mustafa Uncle's house too. Ammi and Zubaida Aunty were preparing rooms for the guests and I _after changing my dress_ was running back and forth working as their messenger.

I was about to leave Zubaida Aunty's house with a set of pillows when a girl came to me.

"You are Haya right?" She looked at me hopefully.

"Yes, I am." I said trying to balance the pillows.

"Good. Api Faria asked me to ask you to get her mobile phone charger from the glove compartment of Khawar Bhai's car." She said speedily.

"Umm I don't know his car."

"It's the black land rover parked on the other side of the street." She ran away before I could say something else.

"Ammi do you want me to do something else?"

"No, I am going to my room. Everyone else is settled already. You should rest too."

"Api Faria asked for a charger. I am gonna go give it to her."

"Okay good night." She went to her room and I went outside. I walked to the black car hoping it was the one. Reaching the car I remembered it must be locked so I turned around but on second thought turned back and turned the handle.

To my surprise it was unlocked. I got inside and opened the glove compartment. Before I could look into it. The door to the other side opened and closed. I looked up to meet familiar forest green eyes.

I took me a second to get my senses back. I turned to get out of the car, but he moved faster to close my door. I tried to open it but it was already locked.

Armaan started the car and drove away from my home. I was still trying to unlock the door but of course it did not work. At last I turned to face him.

"Where are y-you taking m-me?" Why do I always have to be so scared of him?

Instead of answering me, he took my trembling hand in his and pressed my knuckles to his lips. "Relax, Haya." He whispered.

"Where are you taking me?" I willed myself to be stronger. "You have no right to take me like this."

At this he smiled. "Baby you are my wife. I have rights to do whatever I want with you."

I stared at him for a minute before speaking again. "Ammi will get worried. Please take me back." I pleaded.

"Let her worry a little. I had been worried about you the whole month."

"Please." It came out as a whisper.

"Haya, I have something important to talk about. And don't make that face, I am not taking you back." He said leaving my hand and focusing on the road.

A tear slipped from my eye. Before I could do anything, Armaan had already wiped it away.

"Haya, I told you I have something to talk about." His voice was soothing. "Shh it won't take long." I looked away. The darkness outside made it impossible to see something.

After a while we arrived at his house. Armaan opened the door for me and led me inside. He left me in the living room and disappeared. I sat on a rocking chair by the window. The garden outside was fully lit and looked absolutely stunning.

A minute passed, a maid came back with a glass of orange juice. Again. Why is he obsessed with giving me orange juice whenever he brings me here?

"Sir will be here soon." With this the maid left. I looked suspiciously at the juice first then shook my head. He does not need to poison me.

Two more minutes passed before Armaan came back. "All done. Come with me." He took my hand and dragged me upstairs. Armaan opened a door to the left of the hallway and stood aside to let me enter.

The room was filled with cupboards with glass doors and inside the cupboards were hundreds and hundreds of books. In a side of the room there was a mahogany desk with a laptop on it and a chair behind it. There was also a couch by a window that gave a beautiful view of Armaan's brightly lit garden. I looked around as if I were in a dream. This was bigger than the library at my college.

I must be drooling because I heard Armaan chuckle. "Close your mouth before you swallow a fly." I felt my cheeks becoming warm.

"I know you like books. This is nothing, I have prepared a library for you back at our home. You would love it."

Armaan smiled and sat on the couch and patted the space next to him. I went to sit, creating as much distance between us as I could. Armaan crossed his legs and turned to face me.

"Are you okay?" His question confused me. Sensing that I was not going to answer he continued. "I was talking to Khawar and he told me you are having nightmares." He stopped again expecting me to say something but I did not speak.

"What are they about?" His voice was calm but I could sense some agitation in it.

"N-nothing." My eyes were downcast.

"Love you don't have to be afraid of me." I heard him take a deep breath. "Is it about what you saw that day?" I did not respond in anyway. He took that as a yes. "You did not see me kill him. So why are you having nightmares?"

Again I did not respond. Armaan held my face rubbing his thumb on my cheek. "Haya, talk to me." I lifted my eyes to look at him but turned them down again.

"I am fine." I whispered.

"You clearly are not. You have no idea how worried I am about you. Sweetheart please have some mercy on me."

"I said I am fine." I emphasized on my words.

Armaan withdrew his hand from my face. "Fine." He leaned back to rest his head and closed his eyes and held my hand.

"Can I go back now?" I asked hopefully.

"No."

"Why? Take me back." My voice was louder than before.

"You do not listen to me, I will not listen to you."

I tried to free my hand but he would not let go. I stopped struggling after sometime. "I told you I am fine."

He opened his eyes and uncrossing his legs leaned towards me. "You are not. Have you looked in the mirror the whole month? You are becoming more of a skeleton day by day. Do you even eat? I was the one who killed him and you are the one having nightmares about it. You have nothing to do with it."

"But I kept quiet about it. I did not fulfill my duty because I did not report his murder. His famil..." I stopped abruptly. I should not have spoken those words.

"So that is why you are upset." Armaan shook his head. "Haya that guy had no family. As for killing him, you should be glad I killed him, as many people already are."

He had gone crazy. No one deserves to be killed.

"Don't look at me like that. You would have nightmares in your waking hours if you saw what he did." Armaan studied my face again. "He was involved in smuggling drugs and human trafficking."

I looked at him in disbelief. "You have no idea what he did to thousands of young girls and children. He destroyed a lot of lives. So I did the world a favor by killing him."

"I do not believe you."

He looked at me for a second and then went to the desk, opening a drawer he took out a usb from it and taking the laptop came back to sit with me.

He lifted the lid of the laptop and plugged in the usb. Opening a video he turned the screen towards me.

Three men were sitting on three different couches with drinks in their hands. They were laughing about something. Looking closely I recognized one of them as the man Armaan killed.

A door on their right side opened and to my shock a man holding a chain entered followed by seven girls who were chained and looked terrified. Their dresses looked like sacs.

I swallowed bile. One of the man stood up and started examining one of the girls.

Armaan quickly took the laptop from me and closed it.

"Now you see that his life was completely worthless." I stared at him with wide eyes.

"W-what happened to th-those girls?"

"Whatever happened to them will not happen to anyone else at least not at the hands of that man." Armaan caressed my hair.

"I do not want you to think about it. Okay? Last time I told you not to think about his death. You did not listen to me and ended up with nightmares. This time please don't be so stubborn." Armaan took both of my hands in his and looked into my eyes.

"I showed you this video only so that you would stop feeling guilty. I do not know about others but I will never let that happen to you. Now please listen to me for once and do not think about it. Okay?"

I nodded.

He patted my head. "Good. Now let's eat something." He got up and held out his hand for me.

"I already ate." I said ignoring his hand.

"Yeah I know how much you ate today and your health tells me how much you ate since I last saw you." He took my hand and walked out of the room and down the stairs to the dinning room.

"I do not want to eat."

"Come on." He looked like a small boy, asking for candies. "Please." Did he just pout? Did my heart just skip a beat?

I looked away from his handsome face and repeated myself. "I do not want to eat."

"Not even pizza?" At that my stomach grumbled. Seriously?

Armaan chuckled and made me sit on a chair. He went into the kitchen and came back with the pizza.

"Maria just made it and she makes the best pizza." Who the hell is Maria?

"She is just the housekeeper. Don't worry, love. She is too old for me." Did I just say that out loud?

Armaan chuckled. "I have eyes only for you, so don't be jealous."

I glared at him. "I am not jealous."

"Yes you are." He said emphasizing on each word. I opened my mouth to say something but closed it. It was useless to argue with him. I took a slice of pizza and set it on my plate.

Sensing his gaze I looked up at Armaan. "Why are you smiling?"

Armaan took my hand and kissed it. "Nothing just eat." He smiled and took a slice for himself.

Maybe just maybe he was not so bad. Yes he married me forcefully but sometimes he was so sweet. If this was not the situation maybe I would have liked him better. I mean come on the way he was eating pizza like a kid was too difficult to ignore.

And his perfect jaw and his eyes and those perfect lips. Dammit what was I thinking? He looked up from his pizza realizing I was checking him out, I dropped my gaze.

The pizza was truly delicious. After the pizza, Armaan brought the best most delicious ice cream sundae. This guy surely knows how to get to a girl's heart.

"Now I am a little less worried about you." He said setting it in front of me. After we had finished He got up with me and held my hand again.

"Now can I go home?"

"No." He said taking me towards the stairs again. I resisted.

"Why. You said you would take me back once I tell you about my nightmares." I accused him.

"I do not remember saying any such thing but I do remember telling you that I am not taking you back."

"But..." I stopped. He was definitely right. How could I be such a fool?

"Yes right. Now please follow me." He started dragging me again but I pulled back and whispered. "Ammi and Baba will be worried about me."

Armaan turned back and held my face. "They won't be. I have already handled everything. But if you will go back at this hour they will definitely be anxious."

"But... but I can not stay with you."

"And why not?"

"Because it is not right."

Armaan laughed. "Love we are married and for married people living apart is not right."

I glared at him but he just laughed again and took me upstairs. He opened a door. I went inside to find that it was a bedroom, I started to move out but Armaan held my arm and dragged me inside.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Why am I here?" I was panicked moving away from him.

Armaan smiled at me and then asked in his softest voice. "Why do you think?"

My eyes widened as he started stepping towards me with a smirk on his face. I can not believe I just thought he was not bad.

I was going to move aside but he grabbed my arms and pinned me against the wall behind me. I stared wide eyed at him as he looked at my trembling lips.

I tried to push him but he was still holding my arms.

"Stay still." Armaan whispered looking into my eyes. He kissed my forehead. Then he trailed kisses to my cheek. I could feel butterflies in my stomach.

He reached the corner of my lips and drew back a little. "I love you, Haya." Armaan whispered as he looked at my trembling lips. He slowly moved forward and pressed his lips to mine. They were so soft and warm.

I was too shocked to move. His lips were making it difficult for me to think properly. They moved against mine in a slow and sensual way. I was loosing my breath. He sucked on my lower lip and kissed it again and again.

Armaan let go of my arms and tangled one of his hands in my hair while the other went around my waist. He bit my lower lip, I gasped and before I closed my mouth again, his tounge slid in and started exploring my mouth.

My brain had totally stopped working. I started responding. My body was working on its own. All the reason left me as I started imitating Armaan's actions.

He pulled away all of a sudden. I felt disappointed in some way. We were both gasping for air. Armaan was the first one to recover.

"I am sorry. Let's just sit and talk. Okay?" He still sounded breathless.

I moved to the couch and sat down. Armaan sat next to me. I felt that he did not want to be close to me. I felt hurt by this? Seriously what was this guy doing to me.

"So what is your favourite colour?" I was surprised at his question.

"Why are you asking?" I asked trying to be rude.

"I want to know more about you."

I just kept quiet. I was being a little unfair to him. I had also responded to his kiss.

"Do you want to talk or..."

"Or what?" I glared at him.

"Or do you want to do something else?" He asked meaningfully looking at the bed then back at me.

"Blue." I looked away.

"Blue?" He sounded surprised. "I never thought a girl would like blue."

"But I do."

He chuckled. "Of course you do. Okay favourite food?"

I smiled. "Biryani."