Chapter-17 Unknown obstacle

"Muskaan, Muskaan, where are you?", As soon as he entered their home in the evening, he hollered her name loudly as he couldn't wait to see her again after so many hours. And now he wanted nothing but just her on his side only.

"Coming.", The reply came and she too appeared instantly.

He heaved a deep breath, as if found air to breath after so long. " where were you? I have been calling since ages." Grumpily he asked.

She replied softly, keeping his bag on the table which he threw on bed carelessly, “upstairs, I went to see labors. Anyways why were you calling me? Anything important?"

"Yeah, me. umm.", He lost his words and couldn't decide an excuse before and now couldn't find anything to say. But then reply thinking something," why, can't I call you without any reason?"

She nodded smiling lovingly when he again called her," Muskaan, one Coffee please."

Nodding her head in yes, she quickly left.

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After ten minutes, when she again came into the room with a cup of coffee, his condition alerted her. Sitting on bed with his head down in his hands, he was looking so devastated. Quickly keeping the tray aside, she was by his side the next moment.

Kept her shivering hands on his shoulder, she asked terribly scared, “what happened to you? Is everything okay? Are you feeling unwell? Should I call a doctor? Please say something, please."

"Yes, I am fine. Just some problems in the office, don't worry.", He replied, lifting his eyes, while she took some back steps, seeing the intensity in his deep red eyes.

Though he told her it's an office issue, she felt that his eyes were not supporting his words. But before she could say or ask something, he quickly stood and walked out, saying that he would be in his study cum office for some time and not to disturb him, and before she could even breath or react he left the room, she ran behind him asking but he was quick enough to reach in his study and locked himself in. She was not very sure but still a discomfort, a hurt in his eyes and her instinct was telling her constantly that this was not related to office but to them or herself only.

She became so tense that she wasn't even able to breathe properly. Shaking and shivering God knows how many rounds she made to his study, but couldn't gather the courage to knock even.

Somehow with a confused mind and nervous hands she cooked dinner, not knowing what she was actually doing. She got so scared that even the tears were frozen and she was sitting in their room, frozen and scared, clutching a pillow tight to herself. In her mind she recalled thousand times her day chores that if she had done any mistake couldn't figure out.

And finally breathed when after around one hour, Kabeer came into the room and rushed and asked her," Muskaan, do you have some cash right now?

Jerking her head, she tried to catch her senses and replied quickly," oh. yes, I have. wait..."

She was quick enough to open her bag, pulled her purse and handed it over to him. But he didn't hold it but asked slightly hesitating, "how much in it? Please count and then give. Actually, I have to make an urgent payment and cash at home is not sufficient. I don't need much, just 4-5 thousand. Don't worry, tomorrow I will pay back your money."

She was confused as her intuition strongly told her that this was not the actual matter, but he was surely up to something. But silently she opened the bag and pulled out a small bundle of notes and gave that to him. " How much, Muskaan.", He again said.

" 4000. I got it as a gift on reception. I gave it to grandpa but he refused to take it. Sorry, I forgot to tell you about this. " She said with a strange apprehension.

Kabeer looked deeply at her and said politely, “why Sorry, Muskaan, this is your money and it's your decision that you want to tell me or not. Don't worry, I will give your money back tomorrow."

She was shocked by his words, but he continued with his sharp words, which she felt like penetrating her soul like a sword, “I asked the amount, so that I could return you tomorrow."

"Why are you…? Please tell me. Have I done something unforgivable? Why are you saying this?" She wanted to say something but stopped by him.

He again continued with his tormenting like talks, "Thank you Muskaan, Thank you so much... This is really important for me this time. Thanks again and I promise, I will return it tomorrow."

He turned to leave. But she immediately asked softly, “you are scaring me now. Please tell me what happened? Don't be mad at me like this. Please at least let me know. Why are you continuously pestering it as your money? Isn't whatever I have, that belongs to you too? Am I not belong to you?"

And this was it, he turned, this time with a rage, but asked her, strongly keeping a check on his temper," you belong to me?" which she replied shaking her head in no quickly.

He asked again, “it means whatever you have that belongs to me too, right."

She again nodded, this time a yes. He asked again, “you mean everything, don't you?"

"Everything that I have.", she replied trying hard to understand his point.

" And you?" he asked, looking deeply into her eyes.

Muskaan replied instantly, without even taking a moment to think," yes me too. "

" means, you are mine?" he slowly started to take steps towards her and came very close, when again a bomb blasted on her, and the poor soul, who was preparing for a blushing moment jerked.

And his voice reached her ears, “And me, my room, my everything? Am I belong to you or not Muskaan?"

Kabeer, who was coming closer a few minutes back, suddenly took some back steps and left the room, keeping something on table and looking at something on the table very keenly.

Muskaan, was shocked as hell but observing his every move very attentively. She was sure that he wanted to say something. She was sure that this was not related to his office. And she was hell sure that he had done everything for some purpose. But what. This was a big question mark for her now. For which she couldn't find an answer. But she could easily sense a hurt in his eyes and slumped shoulders, when he left the room with a very slow but faint walk.

Slowly she moved to the table and saw the things he left on. And she slowly picked the money, he kept, got confused and mumbled," it means, he didn't need this money, then why did he ask for it? What is going on? Oh God, please help me."