A Tale of Hearts

Chapter Nineteen

Rubab's POV:

The water I had been drinking so calmly suddenly suffocated my throat causing me to cough and choke. I quickly grabbed the tissue to wipe the spit and water drops falling everywhere. I then turned my glare in his direction.

He was staring at me with a serious expression but there was amusement in his eyes. Once I calmed down, I put the tissue down and stared at him for a long minute.

"Tumhara dimagh tou nahi kharab hogaya? Nashay ki halat men ho? (Have you lost your mind? Are you intoxicated?)" I replied bitterly.

"Nahi, men apne puray hosh o hawas men yeh baat keh raha hun tumhare bhalay ke liye. (No, I am completely in control of my emotions. I am saying this for your benefit.)" The amusement in his eyes vanished gradually.

"Bhala? Ismen mera bhala kidher hai? Aik paghal insaan se jaan churwane ke liye men dosre se rishta jor dun? (Benefit? What benefit do I get out of this? I get rid of one psychopath by marrying another?)" I still couldn't believe he had suggested that. Of all the things he could have said, this was the least imaginable option he could have stated.

"Mera paghalpan abhi tumne dekha nahi hai Rubab. Khair, Zohaib jaisa insaan tumhe aisay nahi chorega. Uska zameer yeh cheez kabhi kabool nahi karega. (You haven't even seen my craziness yet Rubab. Anyway, a guy like Zohaib wouldn't leave you alone. His pride would never allow something like that.)" He continued to converse with me calmly but I felt my temper rising. I slammed the table with my hand loud enough for nearby people to turn and look at me but I didn't care.

"Tou iska matlab men tumse nikkah karlun? Kisi aur se kyun nahi? (So that means that I marry you? Why not someone else?)" At the last part of my sentence, Fahad's face turned dark and he clenched his jaw.

"Kyunke mere jaisa mazboot umeedwar tumhe kahin aur nahi milega. Dhund kar dekh lou lekin sirf Fahad Abroo jaisa insaan Zohaib Chaudhary ko takar de sakta hai. Baki tumhari marzi. (Because you won't find a strong potential candidate like me anywhere else. You can try looking for me but only someone like Fahad Abroo can handle Zohaib Chaudhary. The rest is up to you.)" Deep down, I knew he was right but I still didn't want to believe it. It just didn't sit well with me to marry this guy. This man that I was trying so desperately to not know my weakness.

"Men phir bhi tumse nikkah nahi kar rahi. Nikkah ko tumne kya mazak samjha hua hai? Men apna naam tumhare naam ke sath jor dungi. Shohar hogay tum mere. Samajh arahi hai is baat ki? Men tumhari kisi girlfriend ki tarah nahi hungi jiske sath tum jab marzi breakup karke baith jao. (I still don't want to marry you. Do you think of nikkah as a joke? I will be joining my name with yours for good. You will be my legal husband. Do you understand this? I won't be like your girlfriend who you can breakup with at any point.)" By the time I was done with my outburst, I was already panting lightly while he still sat opposite me with a totally relaxed expression on his face. Though his eyes promised something else, there was something dark within them.

"Men tumhe kabhi girlfriend ki nazar se dekha bhi nahi. (I never looked at you in a girlfriend light either.)" When he said those words, I felt my heart sting a little but his next words left me speechless. "Tumhari haisiyat humesha se biwi wali hi hai. (You always had the wife status in my eyes.)"

"Tum paghal hogaye ho. (You have gone crazy.)" I shook my head tiredly. I was so not ready for this discussion today or ever. The mask I had placed before my face over the years had crumbled before this man in the fraction of a few seconds. Why? Why was he always able to see my weak spots? My face behind the mask? WHY?

"Haan shayad ho hi gaya hun. (Yeah, maybe I have lost it.)" He gave me another look as he poured me and himself a glass of water.

"Men is waqt tumse baat nahi karna chahti. (I don't want to talk to you right now.)" I really didn't want to expose any more of weaknesses to this man. He had seen enough as it is.

"Thanday dimagh se meri baat par sochna. (Think over my suggestion with a cool head.)" He said randomly as he slid a glass of water in my direction.

"Mujhe samajh ati hai ke meri Zohaib se jaan chuth jayegi lekin tumhe is sab se kya faida horaha hai? (I can understand that marryin you will rid of me Zohaib but what do you get from this?)" I was genuinely curious as to why a womanzier like him would settle down with someone. Unless Nikkah was a joke for him just like feelings were.

"Mujhe tum mil jaogi. (I get to have you.)" those four words sent my heart in a frenzy. Any inkling of counters I had went out of the window. It was like my world stood still for a second. My stone cold heart starting to beat erratically and I wanted to leave because I couldn't handle this any longer. And yet a small part of me wanted to clarify his words more.

"Is baat ka kya matlab hai? Tumhe dunya ki har bandi mil sakti hai. Mere sath tou tum waise bhi khel khel rahay ho. (What do mean by that? You can get any girl you want. I am just a game to you anyway.)" The words left my mouth before I could stop them. The truth slipped right out and I couldn't stop it. This was embarrassing. Fahad winced at my last words and he seemed hurt.

"Yeh sirf tumhe hi lagta hai. Agar khel hota tou tumhari samne baith kar aisi baatein na kar raha hota. (That's what you think. If it was a game, I would have never said anything like this before tou.)" The way he looked at me intensely made me gulp. I can't deal with this right now.

"Men ghar ja rahi hun. (I am going home.)" I got up in a panic and left hastily. I couldn't sit in such close proximity to him right now. For once in my life, I couldn't trust my tongue to say the words I thought it would or my heart to calm down like it always was.

Once I was far enough, I turned around to look at him as he was already staring at me with a serious expression causing me to flinch in surprise. Maybe he wasn't someone I could handle. Perhaps he would turn my life upside down even more than Zohaib. And when that happens, I won't know what to do with him or myself.

This was a doubt in my heart but it didn't take long for it to become a reality.

Fahad's POV:

Her fading back had cleared one thing for me. I had wanted her way more than I had convinced myself for. Her questions answered the doubts I had in my mind too. I had a response to the voice in my head now.

Yes, she was never girlfriend material. She was too unique, too charming, too elegant and too important for that role. A girlfriend can leave you. You can breakup with her. I can't do that with Rubab. My mind and heart would never agree to that. They would rebel. Rather, she was the type of woman I could imagine a life with.

All along that is what I have wanted from her.

'You are finally coming to terms with your feelings.' The sultry voice in my head whispered in amusement but this time, I grinned at her statement.

"It seems that I am."

Author's Note:

Hello and Asalam o Alaikum Lovelies!

I hope you are all well and safe. I know I disappeared out of nowhere but I just needed a breather cause I was so out of it. I am not promising constant updates but I will definitely try my best.

How are we all feeling after this chapter? What do you think Fahad is going to do next?