SaHil FF: Eternally Yours, Epilogue, P42, Dec14.2016 - Page 25

Ookkk...No prblm...Even I stopped watching QH after Aahil's death...bt one day I saw an episode of season 4 of Armaan-Mahira nd I really liked it so I again started watching QH 😆

@mahwash22 - once again, thank you so much! 🤗 Honestly, it is always a pleasure to read how much you're enjoying this story. It does my heart good to see such encouragement. Please, feel free to be like this in all of your reviews. ☺️

I have to admit, that I really liked the take charge, somewhat "beastly" Aahil from the beginning of the season, too, more than when he became all mellow, and then just this sad, powerless thing (those da*ned writers! 😡). I want to have that man in this story more than anything. So, we'll definitely get more scenes of this version of him. 😈

Even though she got angry, too, Sanam was always the more cool headed one. And coupled with her intelligence, that made her a strong heroine. That's the version I want for my story, versus the damsel in distress we got when Seher entered the picture and the airhead we were stuck with post-amnesia.

I'm glad you liked the dargah scene. Those scenes I felt were very important to us as viewers, and I really wanted to include one in this chapter.

I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and let my words touch your heart. Thanks!

@Humnava - thanks for understanding! 😊

Getting beaten . . . was nothing new. This time he'd fought back. 😭

Funny how innocently Lateef's brought all of Bhopal's newspapers as a reminder of the beautiful night. 😛

I actually chuckled at how Sanam is so desperate & indifferent, while Aahil is so irritated 😆

Then again Lateef's phone is smashed by an angry ARI... Bechari chui mui 🤣

The conversation between Aahil & Zoya is so well-thought out... Aahil's turmoil & Zoya's understanding... You've portrayed it really well 👏

Yesss!! Finally Dilshad has given her final word ". . . There is nothing you can do to take that right away."

Aahil's flashbacks are so heart-wrenching:

"I can't be in here. I can't . . . they don't let us out at night.". . . Well... that signifies his fondness for stars, isn't it? Poor Aahil 😔

I'm impressed how well you've merged in the dargah scene 👍🏼... And it's Sanam saying the same thing... "Now that these threads have been tied," she said softly, "Then don't separate them. I mean . . . if you try to untie them now, they'll break. They say that if that happens, it's a bad omen. Bad luck. Don't you have enough bad luck in your life?"

It's an amazing update as usual... Loved reading it... I hope they get married soon... SaHil & SeHan ❤️

Do continue soon buddy 🤗

Beautifully written- a true delight to read. Thank U.

Wow! Another beautifully written chapter my dear! Bravo!👏

@innocentangel4u - Thanks for the compliments. ☺️ Glad you liked how I merged the dargah scene into the story. It just felt right that Sanam talk Aahil down this time around. 😆 I enjoyed writing the scene between Zoya and Aahil, and I'm glad you enjoyed reading it. Hope you like the next chapter.

@chicksoup - And thank you for the compliments! 🤗 I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I didn't know the Zoya of the show that well, but I would hope she grew more mature as she got older. 😆 And it's true about all mothers, isn't it, that they see the strength in their daughters, whereas fathers see their fragile little girls? I'm glad you liked the dargah scene. That first dargah scene for the two of them was so beautiful, so I definitely enjoyed using it with one of my favorite songs.

@booteefool - Thank you! ☺️ I'm glad you enjoyed it. Agree with you on how sad Aahil became at the end. Maturity, as a husband, did not mean that he should have become a doormat for everyone else. I'm happy that you think that Sanam and Aahil are true to the way we initially saw them. And what you said is so true about fathers, but they have to change their point of view of their daughters, right? I'm really glad you liked the dargah scene. Their first scene there was my favorite of them. Sorry for the wait. Hope you like the next chapter.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 14: Stay

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sahil Video on Google Vids - Stay With Me

Two Weeks Later . . .

Loud music filled the room, coupled with the raucous laughter of friends and family as they enjoyed the food and company. Streamers of garlands hung from the walls, scenting the air with their perfume. Lights twinkled in horizontal columns down the walls and pillars, lighting up the room.

Haya carefully finished the mehndi design on Sanam's hands, smiling at the quiet joy she saw in her cousin's face today. "Now, for the most important bit," she said, carefully placing an "A" in the space expressly left for that purpose. "Happy? I did your mehndi just like I promised you I would."

The room was filled with family and friends, but, for the moment, it was just the five of them sitting on the dais and enjoying these moments of solitude. And for the moment, Haya, Seher and Sanam had huddled together for one last session of the best friends. The girls had never had many other friends. They'd shared their secrets, laughed together and cried together. It had been enough for them.

"I'm losing a second daughter! How did you plan everything so quickly, Sanam? I was thinking months, and you got it all ready in weeks!" Zoya suddenly wailed, the hint of melancholy that had been playing across her face all evening finally bursting forth. "You've all been mine," she said, staring at the three of them. "And now I have to share you."

"You were already sharing them with us, Zoya," Dilshad Bi said soothingly, patting her daughter-in-law's back. "It's just one more person."

"Yeah, but these are outsiders!" Zoya wailed, immune to the logic that was coming her way. "First Rahat."

Haya raised a silent brow at this. She knew for a fact that Zoya Auntie loved Rahat.

"Now Aahil," Zoya continued darkly. "When will it end?"

"With Rehan, Mom," Seher responded, teasing her mother mercilessly. "You'll run out of daughters at that point."

"At least you won't be going anywhere for a while," Zoya shot back.

Seher's face darkened. "What the . . . way to hurt a girl when she's down!" she said acerbically, pouting at the reminder.

"It's okay," Haya murmured quickly, moving over to place a comforting arm around Seher's shoulders. "Uncle will give in. It'll just take him a little longer, since Rehan refuses to force your dad's hand by taking the choice away from him. You have me as your truly wonderful support. You're going to be my sister-in-law. Be a little patient. Why don't we put an "R" on your hand?" she cajoled, bending down to do the task herself. Seher gave in and allowed herself a laugh as she watched the R take shape.

Sanam heard the two of them in the background, but her eyes were focused on the drying A on her own hand. A for Aahil. The haldi had been yesterday. The mehndi today. There were only a small number of guests, nothing near what they would have had for a normal Khan wedding. Hundreds of people had been invited to Haya's wedding. But these weren't normal circumstances, and everything was deliberately low key. The people who had been invited, and the ones that had come, were truly the well wishers of the Khan family.

But there was one very important person missing. Aahil hadn't been there for any of it, citing business conflicts for each and every event planned. She was beginning to worry whether he would even show up for the nikah.

"Sanam?" Zoya asked, disturbing Sanam's increasingly depressed thoughts. "Why did you have to hurry things so much? You didn't even give us a chance to get used to the idea of you leaving."

"I had to hurry, Ammi," Sanam explained candidly. "I didn't want him to get away."

Zoya nodded in reluctant agreement. "I can see the validity of that. Do you have any idea how many times your father escaped? Something would always come up! But don't worry," she cried, seeing the trepidation on her daughter's face. "You're going to get your man tomorrow. He won't escape. I'll even have your dad guard the doors. That's what you want, right?"

Sanam nodded, her eyes catching her father's as he stood at the door. Hugging her mother in silent thanks, she got up and moved over to stand by her father at the door.

"Abu," she said, placing her hand in the crook of her father's arm. Leaning her head against his shoulder, she stared into the room, her eyes moving over the family that had made the trek from their respective homes to join them for this sudden wedding.

Ayaan Uncle was here with his family, but Abu's sisters couldn't come so quickly. Humeira Auntie had come along with Haider Uncle, but their children had had to miss the event. She winced, remembering the barrage of questions she had received from all of them. They had relentlessly thrown criticisms at her, questioning her sanity and saying that she was making a mistake. She had literally been crying the day of her haldi until Abu had stepped in.

". . . You're marrying a convicted murderer! Just what are you thinking?" Ayaan barked at her. Haider Uncle stood behind him, his arms crossed across his chest. "Have you thought this through?"

"Ayaan Uncle, please," Sanam uttered, "This isn't the time. Guests will start coming soon. Can we talk about this later?"

"Sanam does not make mistakes," Asad said quietly, coming to stand beside his daughter. "She has always been a conscientious child and a very responsible woman. If she had one flaw, it was that she always put others before herself and her own safety. That doesn't make her insane. It makes her a person who cares."

"But," Haider Uncle began, clearly unhappy with where Asad was going with this.

"My daughter is an adult," Asad continued evenly. "She can make her decisions. While we may question those decisions at times, she has the right to choose. I would never take that choice away from her."

Sanam's eyes filled with tears at his words, seeing the love and acceptance in his eyes. Her father might not understand the decision she had made, but now she knew he would defend it because he trusted her.

"My daughter has chosen this man," Asad Ahmed Khan said reflectively. "And now our only job is to find the good in him."

Asad silently placed a supportive arm around her shoulders, hugging her close. "You have to be happy," he entreated, resting his chin on her head. "Don't ever regret this choice."

"I wouldn't dare," she teased back, wiping a tear with the back of one finger. "He wouldn't dare make me unhappy."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Twenty-four hours later, Sanam sat in her room, her eyes on her reflection in the mirror. The bride was ready for her nikah, but would the groom come? All of the confidence she'd shown her father last night had disappeared. Anxiety was eating away at her, and it was driving her crazy. This should have been the happiest day of her life, and she was unable to control the turmoil inside.

"Just what are you doing?" Seher demanded, coming over to stand behind her twin. Seher was a vision in pink, a direct contrast to the deep red tones of her sister's dress. The two stared at each other for a moment, and then Seher moved to sit beside Sanam on the bench. "What's wrong?" She placed a comforting hand around Sanam's shoulders.

"What if he doesn't come?" Sanam finally gave voice to the worry that had been eating away at her. "What if this is too much? What if he--"

"Sanam! Stop!" Seher barked at her, squeezing her shoulder. "This is your wedding day. Stop thinking about all that could go wrong and focus on what's going right. This is not the woman that I know. Rather than giving up, rather than letting him go, you made it so that you were together. You fought the world. You fought your family. You're a fighter. Where is that woman right now?"

"I'm trying," Sanam cried out. "But there has been nothing but resistance on his part. At least before, he was being very loud. But now there's only silence. He won't even pick up my calls. What am I supposed to think? What if he really doesn't show? What I'm sitting there, and I look through the net and there is no one there?"

"He stepped up to save you from scandal," Seher reminded her. "He didn't do that just to have you face humiliation weeks later. That would kind of defeat the purpose, don't you think?"

"Maybe he thought his job was done," Sanam tossed back. "He never planned on marrying me. If I hadn't insisted, we wouldn't be having this nikah today."

"Want me to tell you a secret?" Seher asked.

Sanam turned to look at her, raising a brow in silent query.

"This wedding dress," Seher murmured, fingering the material, "It's in your favorite shade of red. Remember how hard it was for you to find? You wanted this exact shade, but none of the stores you went to had just the right color . . . just the right dress that gave you that feeling you were looking for."

"That's why I'm so happy you and Haya came across it," Sanam murmured, staring down at the cloth. "This is exactly what I wanted. It makes me truly feel like a bride," she admitted with a blush.

"That's because it's a present from your groom," Seher said. "I told Rehan about you obsession with finding the perfect dress."

"You mean," Sanam began uncertainly, touching the material with reverence.

"He asked for the details and took care of it," Seher confirmed with a big smile. "He will be here because he made sure you were ready for the nikah."

Sanam's eyes widened at those words, her heart feeling lighter.

Seher got up and carefully took Sanam's dupatta and draped it over her head.

"Dulha aa gaya! Dulha aa gaya!"

Sanam's eyes met Seher's in the mirror, a relieved smile growing across her face.

"Looks like your prince charming is here," Seher quipped. "Now, I'll be out there and taking care of the wedding party. Just remember, the one thing you were worried about didn't happen. He's here. Nothing else can go wrong."

Sanam nodded, silently watching her sister leave the room. She really had been worrying for nothing.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Aahil stood in the doorway of his home, staring the closed doors in front of him. He was dressed in the groom's sherwani, and everything was ready. Rehan and Lateef were gathered outside with the rest of the wedding party, all raring to go to the bride's home.

The only question now was whether he should follow through on this. He clenched his fingers into fists. The nikah was never meant to happen. He'd only intended for the engagement to be announced, and then for the pretend relationship to quietly fade away without any comments. He hadn't even given Sanam a engagement ring, and now they were getting married!

"Are you insane, Sanam? What is this I'm hearing about Aahil Raza Ibrahim? He might be the Nawab of Bhopal, but he was in jail for murder. You're marrying a convicted murderer! Just what are you thinking? Have you thought this through?"

He flinched, the words that he had heard on the day of the haldi still running through his mind. He'd gone over there, giving in to Sanam's entreaties, and had been slapped in the face with those words. He'd seen Sanam's uncles standing over her, and his first instinct had been to charge in and confront them . . . to get them to back off. But what right did he have? He was the reason that she was being called insane.

And, so, the uncertainty grew. He could no longer fight the doubts that were eating away at him. Most people would be celebrating at this moment in time, but he couldn't. For a brief moment at the dargah, he had bought into the fantasy, but reality in the form of disapproving relatives and a teary-eyed Sanam had soon intruded.

And really, where did it say that the signs he had seen were coming from above, rather than the desperate hopes of a delusional mind? His own delusional mind. His mind knew now what his heart hadn't wanted to believe. She was being forced to do this.

"Bhai, what are you doing?" a voice called out from the now open doors. Striding in, Rehan came over to stand beside Aahil. "It's time. Everything is ready and everyone is waiting. Let's go."

Aahil's shoulders slumped. "Am I doing the right thing, Rehan? I don't want her to not have a choice," he admitted starkly. "My skin crawls at the idea of her feeling trapped. "This, all of this," he said, waving his hands to encompass everything, "feels like a trap closing in on her. And I don't want that for her. I was trapped for a large part of my childhood by my father's abuse. And then I was literally trapped in jail. I would never do that to anyone. I would never want to put anyone in that position. And I feel like my mere existence is doing that to her."

"Sanam Ahmed Khan wouldn't be trapped into anything," Rehan said with a suppressed laugh.

Aahil looked at him in surprise.

"I'm sorry, bhai, but do you know that woman? She's a lot like Seher, and those two know what they want and they go after it. She wants to marry you and that is the only reason that this nikah is happening today. You had something else planned, but Sanam wanted something else. And guess what's happening today? I mean, did she sound depressed on the hundreds of calls she made to you?"

"No, she sounded very peppy," Aahil responded. "I didn't know she was a morning person until she called me at six for yet another detail about the wedding."

"She made her choice when she pushed forward with this marriage," Rehan stated. "Now, it's your choice how you're going to move forward. Will there be a nikah today or not, bhai?"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Rehan sat with Aahil, his eyes trained on the other man. Aahil was nervous, anxious about something. Rehan knew it, but Aahil bhai had shut down after their conversation at the door of their home. When he thought that Aahil would run, his brother had actually put on his sehra and headed for the Khan Mansion instead.

His eyes moved over the blue of his brother's sherwani, the back and gold of the scarf he had draped over his shoulder and his arm. The sehra now covered his face, so all expression was hidden, but he could see Aahil's stress through the tense muscles and clenched hands.

For a moment, he allowed himself to be distracted by the decorations in the home itself. Garlands hung on the wall, side by side with streamers of light. Red flowers and blinking white lights covered every surface of the room, most likely in an effort to match the beauty of the bride herself. Family members and friends had arranged themselves around the room, and most of them were even smiling.

He saw Zoya Auntie and Dilshad Bi directing the staff in their efforts to keep all of the guests well-fed and happily hydrated. He saw Seher's dad standing to the side, arms crossed over his chest; he was standing between two men, who Rehan assumed were family, since they wore identical expressions of mild discontent. It seemed that some of Sanam's family still wasn't quite happy with this union.

Turning his eyes back to Aahil, hoping to distract him from that discontent, he saw his brother reach into his pocket for his phone. He saw Aahil glance at it, and then pick it up, despite the fact that he had already taken his seat on one side of the net screen and was now waiting for the bride to enter the room.

Hanging up the phone, Aahil signaled Lateef over and whispered something in her ear. Giggling with gaiety, Lateef ran to the front door and ushered someone into the room.

"What are you doing?' Rehan murmured softly to his brother. "Can't you see this is not the time to conduct business? Things are tense enough as is. Don't push it," he urged, knowing his brother would always push the envelope because something inside of him needed to do that.

"She's beautiful."

He heard the murmurs around him, pulling him out of his own little panic attack. Turning his head, he saw Sanam coming down the steps, a ghoongat over her face. Seher was by her side, and she caught his gaze. Smiling cheekily at him, she raised her chin questioningly towards Aahil. Looking back at him, he saw that his brother was distracted by the dapper little man at his side.

"What?" Aahil yelped, turning to glare questioningly at the man, one hand coming up to push aside the flowers covering his face.

The little man nodded, shrugging apologetically.

Taking a deep breath, Aahil brusquely nodded and gestured for the man to go away. Turning to look back in front of him, Rehan saw Aahil's gaze catch the fluid movement of the bride as she walked to her side of the screen and begin the process of carefully settling down, with Haya and Seher there to help her.

"Bhai?' he asked questioningly, leaning forward. "What was that about?"

Aahil shook his head, letting the flowers fall across his face once more. And he sat there quietly, as the maulvi sahib came over and began to make dua before the nikah.

"Janab Aahil Raza Ibrahim, wald Raza Ibrahim, kya aapko yeh nikah qubool hai?"

There was no response as the seconds ticked by.

"Aahil bhai," Rehan prompted, clutching at the other man's arm. Pulling at it, he forced Aahil to come out of whatever reverie he had fallen into.

"Hmm?" Aahil asked, turning to gaze at him from under the flowers.

"The maulvi sahib is asking you a very important question," Rehan ground out.

"Janab Aahil Raza Ibrahim, wald Raza Ibrahim, kya aapko yeh nikah qubool hai?"

Aahil straightened and took a deep breath. "Qubool Hai."

"Janab Aahil Raza Ibrahim, wald Raza Ibrahim, kya aapko yeh nikah qubool hai?"

"Qubool Hai."

"Janab Aahil Raza Ibrahim, wald Raza Ibrahim, kya aapko yeh nikah qubool hai?"

"Qubool Hai."

The maulvi sahib turned and went to the other side of the screen, and began to ask the same questions of the bride.

Rehan saw Aahil's profile and saw Aahil smile when Sanam practically yelled the final qubool hai. He nudged his brother to get up and go to the screen for the public unveiling.

The two stared at each other across the net, and, not for the first time, he wondered what was going through his brother's head. Because, instead of relaxing, now that the vows had been made, he saw his brother walk away and the smile on Sanam's face disappear.

"Just what are you thinking, Aahil Raza Ibrahim?"

~*~*~*~*~*~

The wedding was over, the rituals complete. The vows had been spoken, and the commitment had been made. The look on her face when she had said those vows . . . the determination with which she had gazed at him had moved him . . . shaken him . . . scared him.

Could he hold out? Could he do what needed to be done? Could he do what he had decided just days ago, a decision that had been solidified hours ago, in the midst of the party, as their wedding pictures had been taken?

"Stop!" a female voice commanded, a figure jumping in between him and his bedroom door.

Aahil blinked, his eyes widening to see both Seher and Haya now standing in front of him, blocking his path. "What?" he began, clearing his throat. "What are you two doing here? Where did you two even come from?" He stepped back, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It's your wedding night," Seher said cheekily. "Do you think we'd let you go to your bride so easily?"

"You have to pay the toll," Haya explained, laughing softly at the surprise she saw on his face. "Come on! You can't be surprised by this," she protested. "Every groom has to go through this."

"Grooms with female relatives willing to do this," he reminded them softly. "I didn't. . ." his voice trailed off, as a the lump in his throat made it impossible to speak any further.

Seher and Haya both paused at this, their eyes blinking as they heard the suppressed emotion in his voice. "Well, who says that you don't have female relatives?" Seher demanded. "We're here."

"You're the bride's sister," Aahil told Seher sardonically. "And you are her cousin," he pointed out, turning to Haya.

"I'm also your sister-in-law in all but name," Seher threw back at him, raising her chin in silent challenge.

"And I'm your sister," Haya proclaimed.

He turned his gaze to her, raising a brow in silent question.

"My brother is your brother," Haya murmured. "Therefore, you're also my bhai, right, Aahil bhai?"

A reluctant smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, as he desperately swallowed the lump that was growing in his throat. This brother-sister duo was going to be the death of him. Sometimes he just had to wonder where all of that faith in him came from? Why were they so trusting?

"Now, pay up," Seher said, putting out a demanding hand. "You don't get to see your beautiful bride until you bribe the gatekeepers," she declared gleefully.

Reaching a hand into his pocket, he pulled out his money clip. As he began peeling the bills off, a feminine hand came out and pulled the clip entire from his grasp.

"Thank you, Aahil bhai!" Haya yelled as the two ran off with promises to put the money to good use.

Shaking his head at their shenanigans, he opened the door and stepped inside. He froze on the threshold, his foot raised forgotten in the air.

Sanam sat on the bed, her eyes downcast. The red outfit . . . the golden jewelry . . . the dark color of the mehndi . . . the blush on her cheeks all bespoke the splendor of a newly wedded wife. She literally took his breath away. It didn't matter that he had seen her minutes ago, because her mere appearance in his home . . . in his bedroom made him literally stumble on air. Sanam . . . had been poetry in motion . . . dazzling any way you looked at her . . . she was the keeper of his heart, which he could admit at least in his heart, and quite a manipulator.

She jumped slightly at the noise he made landing clumsily into the room. Raising her incredibly long eyelashes, she stared at him inquisitively. She saw him gazing back at her quietly, his eyes almost devouring her in their intensity. His eyes were focused solely on her to the exclusion of all else. Blushing lightly, she wondered if he even saw the decorations that adorned the room.

Did he see the flower canopy comprised of her favorite flowers above the bed or the twinkling lights placed along the walls? Rehan and Lateef had gone all out for their sej. When Seher and Haya had snuck in to take care of the decorations, believing that the men wouldn't think of something like this, they had been amazed to see what had been done. Seher had even been a little disappointed.

Sanam saw him shake his head. She saw him look away. Tilting her head to the side, she watched Aahil walk to the other corner of the room. The fact that he stepped past the table laden with food without a second glance made her realize that he didn't see the food either.

He turned and walked back towards the bed, and she stiffened. Her heart began to beat rapidly, her lungs finding it hard to get the air they needed to breathe as he moved closer. Would he sit on the bed? Would they talk now? Would this be the beginning she had been s--

"I'm leaving," he said abruptly, as he came to stand at the foot of the bed.

"What?" she asked, jerked out of her musings by his words.

"I'm leaving," he repeated.

"What?" she repeated.

"I said I'm leaving," he said slowly. "What is wrong with you? Are you okay?"

"You're leaving on my wedding night," Sanam responded curtly. "And you think something is wrong with me?"

"Our wedding night," he inserted.

She snorted. "At least you admit it."

"Admit what?" he said in exasperation.

"That's it our wedding night. How can you even think that you can just leave me. Just stay, Aahil. That's all you have to do," she urged softly. "You just have to stay with me." She clenched her fingers into fists, hoping that the words would be enough.

He turned away, shaking his head in rejection of her plea. Walking to the armoire, he began to pull clothes out. She silently watched him place the clothes into a suitcase, his attention seemingly focused solely on the task.

She pulled the dupatta off of her head, and quickly got up off the bed. Striding over to him, she grabbed him by the arm and forced him to meet her gaze. "What are you doing?" she demanded, irate beyond belief.

"I'm le-," he began.

She glared at him, silently daring him to repeat it.

"I'm going on site for a project," he explained. "The company has to finish the Diamond Plaza in the next two months, but delays have put us in danger of going over the deadline. I'm going on site to ensure completion so that the penalty doesn't cut in," he said brusquely, zipping up the bag and reaching out to grab the handle.

She clutched at his arm with her sharp nails, making him wince at the pain. "Was this your plan all along?" she asked incredulously. "We were going to get married and you were going to leave?"

"No," he interjected.

"Right," she said with a snort." Looking around the room, she smirked angrily before turning back to him. "Then why this?" Sanam growled, pointing to the decorations. "If you were going to cheat me out of a wedding night, why bother with the sej and the decorations? Why bother with this," she said, pointing at her dress. "Why make me hope?"

"Rehan went crazy," Aahil explained with difficulty. "Lateef helped. I didn't really intend . . ."

"You were courageous enough to marry me today," Sanam interrupted in frustration. "Then why be a coward now? You're my husband. I'm your wife. We said 'qubool hai' to each other!" She pulled him closer, her lips inches away from his. "Do you really think this is the right way to start our marriage?" She breathed the question against his lips.

"Some things just aren't meant to begin," Aahil finally muttered, entranced by her beauty once more. Sanam was beautiful on any normal day, but to see her as a bride, his bride, was heart wrenching. Stepping back abruptly, he pulled his arm out of her hold. Picking up the bag, he strode towards the door. "I have to go," he said, stopping at the door. "and maybe while I'm gone, we can think about what we want from this marriage. Both of us."

"If you're going to be doing all of that thinking," Sanam snapped back, her chin raised defiantly, "Then think about making this a real marriage!"

He shook his head, firming his jaw, even as a muscle ticked along its fine line. Glancing down at the phone he had in his hand, he looked back at her. "There are a lot of rooms in this house. I have nothing to hide from Rehan. Pick any one of them for the time you will stay here."

She stood there, her eyes staring bleakly at his retreating back before looking down at the mehndi in her hands. Her eyes burned with unshed tears, blurring out the A that had been written there with such high hopes.

The twinkling lights . . . the red flowers, what had seemed like a fairy tale moments before was now just sad and garish. At this moment, she felt so small.

Had she really trapped him into this marriage? Was this how things would be? Her reputation meant nothing. She would have gotten through the scandal, and her family had enough clout to squelch any long-term effects of the rumors. She hadn't wanted to trap him, but he would never have succumbed otherwise. That was just the kind of man he was. She'd never thought that he would regret it so soon. She' d thought that if he gave their marriage a change, then he would give them a chance.

She angrily brushed away her tears, and firmed her lips with determination. She wasn't some doormat that he could place somewhere and forget. She wasn't going to play along. This was his house. He would have to come back at some point.

She'd be here waiting. Having made his house into a home.

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Chapter 15 - You Are

A/N: Chapter 14 for your reading pleasure. Sorry for the long wait, but I hope there are readers still out there. 😆 As always, please leave a comment if you like it.

Beautiful chapter

Nyc update. Finally SaHil r married.😊 Bt Aahil is still not ready to accept Sanam as his wife!! Hope that he does not take too much time and not too late to realize the importance of Sanam in his life. I solely wish to see them happy bcoz our dear Gul Khan mam(sarcastically) did not show us an happy ending for our beloved SaHil.😭 I don't know what happened bt, the VM is not playing.😕 So I couldn't watch it. Really wanted to watch it.😔 Plzz update the next part soon. Eagerly waiting.😃

Originally posted by: muskaan17rocks

Beautiful chapter

Very heart touching

Loved watching the vm

Finally sanam and aahil get married

But aahil still not ready to accept her as his wife

Hope he doesn't take too long

Wish to see them happy

Hope he's not too late in realising the importance of sanam in his life

Looking forward to know what happens next

Please continue soon this time

Will be waiting impatiently 😊

Aww, thanks! ☺️ Aahil always takes his sweet time finding the right path for himself. He's going to have to let go of the past.

Glad you were able to see the vid, but it's blocked in like 248 countries. 😲

Will try to update soon.