Danish Taimoor AT #8 II Always on our Minds II - Page 51

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZtSkcAvLyD/?utm_medium=copy_link

I haven't seen the first one i think, second one yes

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZtpYbWPs7x/?utm_medium=copy_link

Damn!

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CZtzG3BIxHn/?utm_medium=copy_link

Haha you are a star ya Danny ⭐️😆

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZuC07-oKNF/?utm_medium=copy_link

Why the f**k has this stupid account taken the oath to include Danish's name i dont understand. (Talking about the account thats been harassing and not the publication here)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZrnwuEB1OH/?utm_medium=copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZKHxzoteqi/?utm_medium=copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/CY80UhzKX4K/?utm_medium=copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/CY00w7lKoyJ/?utm_medium=copy_link

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https://www.instagram.com/p/CYEXsQyoW79/?utm_medium=copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/CX-wFHjMInw/?utm_medium=copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXftEg9hHug/?utm_medium=copy_link

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This was lol

https://www.instagram.com/p/CWk8zi1Knlf/?utm_medium=copy_link

This show has saeeda imtiaz as well

Originally posted by: -shopaholic-

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CZtzG3BIxHn/?utm_medium=copy_link

Haha you are a star ya Danny ⭐️😆

He's so proud of himself 🤣

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CZuGL-_oFqM/?utm_medium=copy_link

First time i saw them share the screen

I need some time to digest it 😆

Originally posted by: -shopaholic-

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CZuGL-_oFqM/?utm_medium=copy_link

First time i saw them share the screen

I need some time to digest it 😆

Before I saw the post I thought Hammad Shoaib 🤣

Haven't you watched MRW? 😆

Chapter 5

Warning: Sexual situations, past traumas of DV, violence between father-daughter, cuss words

And I want a proper review, as always 😆

*********************

Sultan

‘So…you’re back on Plan Nageen?’ My best friend, Fawad, asked me.

I stirred the cream in my coffee, pursing my lips, ‘Yeah pretty much.’

‘Really?’ He scoffed. ‘Even after everything that happened at the party?’

Fawad and I had known each other since we were in diapers. He was the only one who truly understood my pain when my parents’ marriage was failing. When they passed away, he saw my loneliness and silently supported me. He had also helped me remain as calm as I could around my leech family members. Fawad had seen me through my good boy school years, to my promiscuous university years.

So naturally I had shared the entire Nageen-Narmeen-Noora fiasco that transpired at the party with him, as well as a bit of the aftermath, only hiding the fact that Noora was haunting my dreams every single night.

Now I was wondering if it were a good idea because for hell I did not want to think of Noora first thing in the morning.

‘Yes,’ I emphasised. ‘Even after all that.’

‘Seriously Sultan,’ he chuckled. ‘What’s going on here? You saw her a week ago, right?’

All I want was a nice poolside breakfast in my house without any awkward interrogation but looks like I would not be getting that.

‘Mind your own business,’ I replied haughtily, sipping my coffee and grabbing a rye bread toast. This was turning out to be a disaster. ‘We have had no interaction since then.’

‘Listen, I am not interested to know any of the deets. But you and I both know that I will not allow you to make any mistakes. So, what exactly is going on here?’

I sighed, giving up on stalling, ‘I don’t know. See its simple. I am not interested in Narmeen, never was and never will be. And I suppose that for a couple of days I was interested in Nageen—’

‘And now you’re totally interested in Noora,’ he interjected.

‘Will you let me finish?!’ I was getting angry.

Fawad took a bite of his chicken sandwich, ‘Sultan, even an ignorant individual will be able to see how totally into Noora you are. Then why are you going after Nageen? We both know where your mind will be.’

‘I just— I don’t know.’ I sighed. ‘I guess the loneliness is making me crave for some sort of companionship and I am at that age now where I genuinely think of settling down and having my own family. Narmeen is not even an option. Chachajaan and everyone else are just creating this weird zone every time we are in the same room so that I agree to marry her.’

‘Then of all the girls, why Nageen?’

‘Okay, valid question. Well there was something about her the first time we met. She had this resilience and a lot of self-respect. At the same time, she was very…home-y?’

‘Something’s wrong with you,’ Fawad rolled his eyes. ‘That self-respect you talk about is arrogance. She made you stand in the freakin rain for an entire night! You think that was okay?’

‘No.’ I felt bile raising at the back of my throat as I recalled that unfortunate night.

‘Noora, on the other hand,’ he continued. ‘Was sweet to you and actually talked civilly, despite being your rival.’

‘Well she refused to get with me,’ I mumbled.

‘Because she felt she was third wheeling!’ Fawad sounded exasperated. ‘You tell me Sultan, who in their right mind would get into such a fiasco, especially since you are not clear with your feelings? You yourself don’t know what you want and now you are willing to make a hasty decision just because one of the girls refused you!’

Okay, I had no rebuttal for that. But my ego, however, had taken over my senses.

‘You know what, I don’t care what you think. I will go right now to the bus stand, ask Nageen out and she will say yes. BiJaan has given me the family ring, I’ll make her wear it today. Mark my words!’

I got up, put on my blazer and rushed towards my car, greeting BiJaan quickly as I passed her on my way out. She was going to be leaving for Chachajaan’s soon, but I wanted to reach the bus depot before Nageen took off.

Before I was out of earshot, I heard her ask Fawad rather loudly, ‘He didn’t even stop to wish me before I leave…what impulsive decision has he taken now?’

**************

The bus stand was moderately crowded when I reached there. I got out of the car, looking for Nageen. The ring was burning a hole in my pocket but the girl in question was no where to be seen. Finally, after what seemed to be a long excruciating wait, I found the group she usually worked with and eventually, spotted her.

I walked towards the group, ignoring the anxiety. The girls froze, not knowing where to look and what to do. They stared, wide-eyed as I made my announcement, ‘I would like to talk with Nageen alone, please.’

They did not budge, not understand what my intentions were. This was getting annoying, but I could not let anger take over me.

Taking in a deep breath I said, ‘My name is Sultan Durrani and I only wish to speak with Nageen privately. We’ll be right here in front of your eyes.’

Once realisation hit them with respect to my identity they sauntered away, murmuring amongst themselves. Nageen looked at me expectantly with an eyebrow raised, waiting for me to say something.

Nageen

There he was. In the flesh. In front of my eyes.

I smirked inwardly. He was finally where I needed him to be. There was no way I could not get what I wanted now. Not just the Durrani name, but a husband who would worship the ground I walk on and could get me any damn thing in the world.

He looked good as always. White shirt and trousers with a purple patterned coat. Matching sunglasses and a wrist watch. Waiting for me to say something.

I had to still play it carefully though. One wrong move and he would be gone forever.

‘Yes?’ I asked him.

Sultan hesitated for a few seconds before speaking, ‘I’ve been trying to get a chance to know you. Is it so wrong?’

‘How do I know you don’t have other intentions?’ I said indignantly.

‘All I asked you was for a fair chance and a neutral conversation. My methods might be strange in your world, but that does not mean your prejudices will prevent you from being unbiased.’

How cute. He was coaxing me to give him a chance.

‘See Mr. Durrani, I am not interested at all.’ I walked away, hoping he would follow me. Luckily, he did. A sense of pride gushed through my entire body, seeing such a powerful man in such a position…all because of my resilience.

‘Nageen, is it bad if a man wants to court you and know you before wanting to take a decision?’

That stopped me at my tracks. My heart was beating rapidly at the meaning of his words. He was ready to marry me!

‘If you want to court me, you would have seeked permission from my family! Getting their contact number was not a biggie for you, was it? But the truth of the matter is, men like you only prey on women like me, take advantage of us and then leave us in pain and agony!’

Sultan staggered a few steps back, breathing heavily. It was not until thirty seconds in that I realised what I had just said.

Holy crap, how could I?

Sultan

Her words hit me like a truck, which sent me to a time period I had tried to erase from my memory:

‘What was this about, Mehraan?’ My mother wailed, a hand on her cheek. ‘How could you do this to us?’

‘What have I done so wrong?’ My father’s arrogant voice boomed through the room, shaking me internally as I hid scared behind the curtain.

My mother’s tears never stopped, ‘You have been having an affair, that’s what you did wrong! You have emotionally wounded me and your son! You broke apart our family!’

‘Silence!’ My father screamed. ‘I don’t give a damn, you know that right? You should be bloody grateful that I married you! After everything I have given you, its time that I deserve some happiness in my life.’

‘I thought I was your happiness!’ My mother wailed. ‘We were in love, Mehraan. Where did that go?!’

My father huffed, staggering because of all the alcohol in his system, ‘Doesn’t matter. Your job is to remain Mrs. Durrani, smile in the public eye, raise our son and keep out of my business.’

‘You said you loved me!’ My mother fell on her knees. ‘All these years we have known each other, does none of that matter anymore?’

‘All I wanted was a beautiful woman who would birth my children. Or rather…just one child,’ he sneered. I peeked from behind the curtain, seeing his cruel eyes on me.

And who do you think was responsible for that? I miscarried the day I found out about you and your w**re—’

‘SILENCE!’

SMACK.

My mother fell sideways on the floor, clutching her cheeks. Hot tears tainted my face when I saw my father, to my horror, grab my mother’s chin, making her look into his eyes, ‘You should be grateful to Mehraan Durrani. If it weren’t for me, God knows where you would be rotting!’

‘The truth of the matter is, men like you only prey on women like me…take advantage of us…and then leave us in pain and agony…’ My mother mumbled, trying to get out of his clutches.

As he raised his hand again, I got out from behind the curtain and ran upto them, jumping between my mother and him, not caring if he hit me in the process.

‘NO FATHER! NO!!!!’

‘No…’ I shook my head. ‘No no no…’

I was not my father. I could not be. That man was evil walking the face of the Earth, hurting individuals without any remorse. Breaking out of my trance, I noticed a crowd had gathered around us, whispering and murmuring. Nageen looked scared, seeing how I had zoned out.

And at that very moment, I have no idea how, but realisation struck me. It was as if my mother guided me to the answers and cleared my mind once and for all.

‘You…’ I started to speak. ‘You little cheat…’

‘Sultan?’ Nageen said softly. ‘What did I do?’

‘You know exactly what you did,’ I said through gritted teeth. ‘You were trying to attain me right? Wrap me around your little finger, get me to beg and grovel…until you would agree to marry me? Like some huge favour you were doing on me.’

‘N-no…’ Her hesitation gave it away, making me see red. The wheels were turning in my head and every incident started making perfect sense.

‘Who the hell did you think I was? A rookie? That I would not be able to see through your plan? Well, guess what Miss Nageen Fariyas, your little facade is over. You wanted me to beseech in front of you right? You played some sick twisted game and tried to manipulate me!’

‘S-Sultan, you’re mis—’

‘The hell I am mistaken!’ I yelled loudly, making her jump. ‘I can see it on your face. In your eyes!’

‘No—’

‘And you ended up taking it too far,’ I laughed humourlessly. ‘Damn Nageen, I could have never thought you of all people would have been such a b**ch.’

The crowd gasped loudly at my crass words. Their murmurs were becoming louder by the second. A few men stepped in front of Nageen, one shoved my shoulder, ‘How dare you talk to a lady like that!’

‘She’s no lady! She’s a manipulative b**ch!’ I chuckled at the men’s futile attempts at trying to harm me. If I wanted, I could have them groaning on the ground in pain. When else would my expertise in kickboxing come into hand?

Noora

After a week of looking at car catalogues, I had finally purchased my company’s car. The test drive was going good, but I could not wait to switch to my own vehicle in a few minutes, get home and take a nice hot shower…while trying not to think of someone I recently met.

‘Hey babe?’ I called out to Jiah. ‘Instagram is being weird today. No matter how much I refresh my Explore page, I can’t get new posts!’

‘Must be an app issue,’ she said matter-of-factly.

I huffed, ‘What am I supposed to do in this traffic jam then? And why is it so bad today?’

‘Firstly I am proud of you. You said “traffic jam”,’ she grinned. ‘No idea about the traffic. Lemme ask the driver.’

I waited patiently while she repeated my question in Urdu. The driver said, staring into his phone at some video, ‘It seems like there’s some sort of fight going on.’

‘Fight?’ Jiah asked.

‘Yes. Apparently some man has got into a tiff at the bus depot with a girl.’

That sounds familiar…

‘How do you know sir?’ I asked him.

He passed me his phone, ‘Someone’s live streaming it.’

As I took in the visuals, my eyes widened, ‘Uh oh.’

‘No way…’ Jiah breathed. ‘Is that..?’

‘Uhuh,’ Was all I said. ‘Boy, he’s in trouble.’

‘Damn…’

I started getting antsy seeing Sultan surrounded by men who were about to beat him up. My palms started to twitch and my heart was racing. I had to do something!

‘Jiah,’ I told her, fixing the wrinkles on my formal maxi dress and blazer in the car quickly. ‘Take the car and go to your home. I have something to do.’

‘Noora no,’ she said warningly. ‘You don’t wanna get into this!’

‘I don’t have a choice,’ I picked my bag.

‘Noora that’s bull—’

‘Go,’ I said very firmly. ‘My car is just parked outside the depot. I know how to drive, I’ll get home. And I want you to go to your house and not mine. See you tomorrow.’

Without waiting for her answer, I jumped out of the car, half-running towards the location of the spectacle. The huge crowd was unmissable. Pushing people aside, I made my way inwards, freezing momentarily when I saw the scene unravel in front of my eyes.

Sultan’s arms were grabbed by one man each, and there was a third who was trying to shove him away from Nageen. The woman in question cowered on the other side with a bunch of ladies supporting her.

I shook my head in anger at Sultan’s stupidity. The bystanders tried to stop me from intervening but I could not care less.

‘SULTAN!’

His head snapped towards me, the anger on his face replaced my immediate relief. My heart pounded as my eyes took in his appearance after a week of being away from him. He was flawless, as always, but I could sense he was disturbed internally. Something was bothering him, because he could not even get those men off him…which I know he could have done all by himself.

Ignoring the words of the people around me, asking me to stay away, I ran towards him, pushing the men away.

‘Hands off mister,’ I yelled. ‘He’s with me…I said HANDS OFF!’ I kicked one of the men in the shin, causing him to fall down in pain. That made the others let go immediately and move away from us in fear.

A sense of calm washed over me the minute I was near him. Oh how I had missed him. I had not just run into the crowd to save him from public humiliation and getting physically harmed. No, I craved his presence around me. My body had a mind of its own because the rigidity with which I was holding myself together was dissipating slowly.

‘Hey…’ I said softly, noticing his tear-filled eyes. ‘Let’s get you out of here.’

Grabbing hold of his hand, I pulled him with me, away from the mess. From the corner of my eye, I saw Nageen seething in anger but I could not give a rat’s ass. It was evident she had done something. But I could not afford to pick a fight at the moment.

At the same time, I could not ignore the fact that my body had put itself in self-healing mode the minute he was within the radius of my aura. The gaping emptiness which I had tried to fill using chocolates and titillating visuals like movies, videos and books seemed to heal itself only because of his presence.

I shook my head and walked faster, tightening my grip on Sultan’s hand. I just had to get us away from the restless crowd, that’s all.

Narmeen

Today was a good day. I smirked as I saw the circus going on on my MacBook’s screen.

A special thank you to BiJaan who mentioned casually to my mother on the phone that Sultan left in the morning in a hurry.

And an extra special pat on the back to me, for getting one of the staff members to follow Sultan all the way to that bus stop.

My anger held no bounds when I figured out he was after some random ordinary middle class girl. The visuals were right in front of my eyes, that Sultan would propose, she would say yes and they would end up getting married.

No freaking way.

Sultan was mine and mine alone. There was no way any random chick could just swoop in and take him away.

Before I could plan anything, my “employee”, Hussain informed me the conversation between Sultan and the other chick was getting ugly. So I came up with something immediately— have my employee live stream the event, make sure Sultan was humiliated and then be the shoulder he would cry on. The rest would be my parents’ doing, who would then force Sultan to marry me. Granted this pantomime would affect the Durrani name, but it was for the Greater Good.

Wait…wait a second…

I frowned when I saw a woman entering the frame, yelling Sultan’s name. His head snapped towards her. The pit in my stomach grew, seeing how happy and relieved he looked when he said her.

Who the f**k was she?

The woman moved aggressively towards the mob, screaming to let go of Sultan and kicking one man in the process. She seemed to ask him something and Sultan visibly relaxed around her.

My heart nearly spasmed when she turned around for a couple of seconds, looking warningly at everyone, before holding Sultan’s hand and taking him away.

I could not believe it.

Noora freakin’ Khan had just waltzed in and screwed up the entire plan within no time! If there was no public humiliation, how would I be the shoulder to cry on? How would my family pressurise Sultan into marrying me?

With shaking hands, I called Hussain, shaking in anger, ‘What the hell just happened?!’

‘I don’t know madam. I went live just as you asked me, and this woman came out of nowhere.’

‘Who called her?!’ I screeched into the phone.

‘No one madam. Sultan sir was cornered and he had come here alone. She must have seen him from afar or on the stream.’

‘Do something…anything!’ I threw my phone across the room, knowing my yelling was useless.

‘Narmeen…’

Oh no.

I turned around slowly, only to see dad, mom and BiJaan, who seemed to have just returned from Sultan’s, standing in the room, with dad having the streamed video playing on his phone. He walked up slowly to me, pointing the screen towards me, while mom and Bijaan stood behind with a sombre expression on their face.

‘Did you do this?’ He asked me, his voice dangerously low.

‘Dad I—’

‘I asked you a question, Narmeen. Did you do this?’

I nodded my head slowly, ‘Yes. But I—’

SMACK.

I clutched my cheek in pain, realising that my father had just raised his hand on me for the first time.

‘Are you for real?! Do you realise what you have done?! Not only did you try and humiliate Sultan, but you’ve made a fool of our Family Name!’

‘Dad I—’

‘I kill you!’

‘Mujadad no!’ My mother stepped in the middle. ‘She’s your daughter!’

‘I’d rather she dies that remain my daughter! Just look at what she has done!’

‘Mujadad son no!’ BiJaan stepped between us. ‘Don’t do something you’ll regret. She’s still a child, I’ll talk to her. You please calm down.’

‘There’s no way I’ll calm down!’ Dad yelled. ‘And you tell me, mother, how am I supposed to clean our image! This shit show has happened just before the goddamn elections!’

‘Calm down please!’ BiJaan said, dragging me away from dad. ‘We’ll think of something together.’

‘But right now its imperative that this information doesn’t leave the room,’ Mom said, holding Dad’s arm so that he would not come towards me again. ‘Sultan cannot know anything about this. God knows what he’ll do if he finds out.’

‘Yes,’ Bi Jaan nodded in agreement. ‘Sultan can’t know.’

‘But where has he gone?’ Dad asked. ‘Who is the girl who took him away?’

‘Its that UK returned businesswoman, Noora Khan,’ I said softly.

‘Sultan should be here by the end of the week. Before he arrives, we’ll have to do something about this havoc your daughter has created,’ Dad said the last sentence looking at Mom. ‘But for now, we all have to lay low.’

As silence engulfed the room, I could not help but wonder where Noora and Sultan were, the sinking feeling in my stomach growing every minute.

Noora

Sultan walked limply next to me as I took him to my car, which was parked a couple of blocks away. Unlocking it, I made him sit in the passenger seat, shutting the door quickly. From the corner of my eye, I saw a mob of people running towards us, a mix of reporters and people.

‘Shit,’ I mumbled, quickly getting into the driver’s seat. The engine roared to life as I drove at an unnaturally fast speed, not caring abut speeding tickets or breaking any rules. My goal was to just get him away from there, and to a safe secluded space.

My rash driving did not seem to bother Sultan at all. In fact, all he seemed to do was stare into nothing. There was no blinking or movement of any kind which was scary. I was not a mind reader but the wheels in Sultan’s head were running rapidly.

‘Sultan?’ I said his name softly, my left hand rubbing the back of his right hand. ‘Sultan sweetie please…talk to me…’

‘That…B**CH!’ I half-jumped at his sudden burst of anger. ‘Who the f**k does she think she is?!’

‘Sul—’

‘So she wanted me in her goddamn life but only on her terms and conditions! Which would mean a Puppet Sultan, who’d do whatever she’d want him to do!’

‘Sultan—’

‘Holy f**king shit!’ I jumped again when he smacked the dashboard, breathing heavily. Sweat ran down his brows, his eyes were bloodshot and his body was shaking. That was when I noticed his phone in his hand. ‘Who the f**k live streamed it?!’

Oh no.

‘Sultan calm down—’

My eyes were fixated on road but I could hear the audio. Sultan was checking out different sources, different news portals. He was seething listening to the news anchors exaggerating the story for ratings.

‘I swear on my life she’ll not be spared!’

Hot tears slid down his cheeks, breaking my heart. Words had failed me, witnessing his painful condition. Here was a man, who desperately craved companionship and love. He might be confident and powerful on the outside, however he was a lonely soul.

Ignoring the choking feeling in my throat, I fished a pack of tissues from the dashboard storage and passed it to him. ‘Here you go sweetie,’ I said softly. Maybe it was the use of the nickname, but the anger seemed to dissipate for a short while. ‘There’s water there,’ I pointed to the door bottle holder. ‘Please drink some.’

The rest of the car ride was silent, except for Sultan’s mobile vibrating constantly. I was sure he was receiving calls because of this incident. Every time the phone rang, he froze momentarily, knowing he would have to face the consequences.

Wordlessly, I took the device and switched it off. Sultan made no attempt to stop me. If anything, he must be feeling relieved.

When we reached my apartment, I gestured him to follow me. The walk to the elevator, the elevator ride and even stepping into the apartment was a quiet affair. I placed my bag on the sofa, waiting for him to say something. Sultan was propped against the dining table, his hands gripping one of the chairs tightly.

‘I won’t spare her,’ he said softly, unbuttoning his purple blazer. ‘She’s gonna pay for her twisted thoughts and messed up actions.’

‘Sultan, is that really necessary?’ I asked him. ‘You don’t want to stoop down to her third grade level.’

‘No no. She’ll totally pay for what she did. She and her entire family,’ he growled. ‘Where’s my phone?’

‘In my bag,’ I replied. ‘And you’re not getting it.’

‘The f**k I’m not.’ He straightened up in anger. ‘Get out of my way.’

‘No,’ I said equally strongly. ‘You’re not gonna do anything stupid.’

‘I said, get the f**k out of my Noora!’

Sultan moved rapidly towards me, his intention to grab my bag clear. But he did not know who he was trying to fight this time. The minute he reached me and his arm extended towards the sofa, I placed my palms on his torso, pushing him backwards. His look of surprise did not stop me from shoving him against the table. I moved closer, effectively trapping him between the table and I.

Placing my hands on the sides of the table, I looked up at him angrily, locking our eyes, ‘What the f**k is wrong with you?’

‘Me?! Really, now this is my fault?!’

‘No. Your fault is you making stupid decisions in anger. When this woman had rejected you once—’

‘Thrice.’

‘What?!’ I questioned sharply.

‘First at the bus station, the second time I stood in the rain for the entire night outside her hostel and you witnessed the third one.’

‘F**k…after all the shit she had already put you through, why the hell did you create such a ruckus publicly?!’

‘I created no ruckus! She said horrible things and her true intensions were exposed to me at that very second!’

‘So? You called her a b**ch and created more problems!’

‘You’re telling me she’s not one?’

‘Of course she is,’ I said exasperatedly. ‘Her actions were inexcusable! But do you forget where we are? Such language is looked down upon in this country. And women like Nageen misuse the gender card to manipulate situations. Despite you being in the right today, you are the one being shamed! Hence you shouldn’t have resorted to such behaviour!’

‘Behaviour or no behaviour. Even you are responsible for my actions!’

‘What the f**k did I do?!’

‘You never gave me a fair chance!’ He yelled loudly. ‘Just like Nageen! No one gave me a fair chance!’

I stuttered, momentarily stunned, ‘Sultan, you know that’s not true.’

‘You know exactly what I felt for you,’ he laughed humourlessly, shaking his head. ‘I agree there was desire but I like you. As an individual. And even as something more.’

‘Sultan, you are aware of the complications right?’ I asked him. ‘I did not want to be the third wheel. Or fourth wheel, if you count Narmeen.’

‘Would you be dating them or me?’ He retorted. ‘It was gonna be us, right?’

‘But Sultan, what was I to do? According to what I saw, you were already having feelings for Nageen. And all of sudden if you would ask me out…do you see how complicated it is?’

‘This is what happens every time.’ He ran his fingers through his hair. ‘I am either a prize to win or a person rejected without a fair chance.’

‘Sultan,’ I grabbed his arm. ‘I know its unfair for you. But if this is your behaviour after rejection, then I don’t know if it would’ve ever worked out between us. I am headstrong too, you know. If I were to not agree with you on a topic, would you go into an angry fit? We would fight all the time and play break up-make up. It would be a toxic relationship.’

Slowly, I moved away from him, noting how close he was to me, how I could feel his breath fanning against my face. And how he was staring at my lips.

‘But at the same time,’ I said softly. ‘I had no idea you felt so deeply for me.’

He scoffed, standing against a wall now, ‘That’s what I am saying. You have no idea. And these feelings have grown over the last week.’

‘Don’t—’

‘Oh no, don’t tell me what to say,’ he interrupted me. ‘If you would’ve given this a fair chance, I guarantee you the relationship would have not been toxic. Yes I have anger issues and I would work on it for you. But if you truly wanna know, then you would’ve been my Queen.’

My breath hitched, as I took in Sultan’s words.

‘That’s the truth,’ he whispered, smiling sadly. ‘Certain emotions are so transparent and visible that we both can feel it. What do we do now? I am not blind, Noora, and neither are you. So answer me…now what?’

I was, again, at a loss of words. My heart thumped wildly in my chest as the gravity of his words weighed on me. His emotions were raw and real, just like mine. We were both avoiding to give those feelings its real name. That would make things so much more complicated.

However he genuinely wanted me in his life. Sultan Durrani not only wanted to date me, but he was thinking beyond that. He was thinking marriage.

But I had to ask one burning question.

‘Did you say the same to Nageen?’ I asked him softly.

Sultan sighed, ‘I told her I wanted to court her and then make a decision…does that really count?’

‘No,’ I smiled sadly. ‘Because if you were so sure, you’d have asked her right away.’

So many unsaid words. So many unaddressed emotions.

Now what?

My brain had shut down. Not knowing what to say or how to react. But my heart had taken its place in no time. Before I knew it, I took three great strides upto Sultan. Grabbing him by his collar, I pulled him down and my lips captured his in a hungry kiss.

His eyes widened while my fluttered shut as I moved my lips against his, my hands travelling up his neck, knotting them in his hair. Tugging at the strands gently, I deepened the kiss, sighing softly in relief. How long had I controlled myself around him?

He tasted of black coffee and a flavour that could only be described as Sultan. It was fresh, dark and delicious.

Every dream I ever had of him did no justice to the current that coursed through my veins. I wanted more and more, until I was completely engulfed by him. The rollercoaster of emotions had me overwhelmed. Tears prickled the corner of my eyes, spilling down my cheeks.

Sudden realisation dawned me when I realised he was kissing me back, but very lightly. I pulled away in panic to look at him, not sure if I had crossed a line. His all-too handsome face donned an expression of sheer surprise and amazement.

‘Baby?’ he said softly, his deep baritone sending shivers down my spine. Not to mention my scarlet lipstick was smeared along his lips and jaw.

When he understood what just transpired a fraction of a second later, Sultan cupped my face and sealed our lips together, knocking my breath away. One of his hands tangled in my hair, while the other moved south to grab my ass. As he repeated marked the length of my neck, throat and reclaimed my lips, every touch of his caused soft mewls escaping my mouth.

Once the initial shock had worn off, I found myself pinned against the wall in no time, the pain in the back of my head when it hit the wall making no difference to me. In retaliation, I tugged at his hair harder, biting his lower lip in aggressing. Sultan growled in desire, his callous palms hitching my right leg around him, bringing me closer to him.

I whined, an audible way to convey I craved much more. Sultan seemed to get the hint, because soon after I felt a sting across my thighs, realising he had ripped my stockings.

‘Shit,’ I gasped, as his mouth bit my earlobe.

‘Oh angel…’ he sighed softly, a contrast to the rough actions of his hips against the junction of my thighs, which sent sparks in my entire body.

And at this moment, every problem in the world ceased to exist.