FROM NEVER TO HAPPILY EVER!

7.

Suman Malik.

"Zaimi kitna samai lagega aur? Ek shadi ka joda hi to choose karna hai. Daniyal kabke kaam par nikal gaye sare fittings de kar. Teri waja se mera kaam do ghanto se ruka hua hai. Caterers mera do ghanto se wait kar rhe hai, desserts try karne ke liye. Do din me Nikah hai aur tune abhi tak outfit choose nai kari", I huff out exhausted.

Zaimi shimmies in the fiftieth gown that she is about to reject, while giving me a side eye,"Tum to chup hi raho. Hogi Mallika-e-Khilb, mujhpar ye raub mat jhado. Tum khud, bagair khane khaye, bagair palak jhapkaye bas lagi hui ho do din se. Aur ek wo Sahir, pagal hai tumhari tarah"

"Khilb ka 70 percent revenue share us pagal ka dimag generate krwata hai. Ab batao, yha pagal koun hai?", I state not in the mood for a banter.

"Hawwwwww, chill Mallika-e-Khilb! Aap to offense leli, aapke Sahir ke bare me kuch nahi sun sak-", she is interrupted with a heavy voice.

"Zaima, had me bolna seekhiye. Mallika-e-Khilb hai wo, aur ap hone wali choti begum. Ye gustakhi dubara na ho aur mujhe Suman se kuch baat karni hai", his voice bellows. Zaima walks out of the room along with the designers, leaving just the two of us alone.

I get up from my seat, giving him a practiced smile, keeping my eyes solely trained on his face.

"Salam Gaddi Nasheen!"

He steps forward and my body instinctively takes two steps away, and I try to make it look casual.

"Walaikum assalam! Suman maine suna tum kal raat ko apne kamre me nahi thi. Designers aur decorators to shifts me kaam kar rhe hai. Lekin tum wha pure time khadi rahogi to Nikah tak tumhari tabiyat kharab ho jayegi", he speaks softly but his voice is still guarded.

I nod slightly, "Fikar mat kariye Gaddi Nasheen. Mai sambhal lungi, aur waise hi bahut kaam aur baki hai."

He settled on the bed, inspecting the guest list I had made and the list of sweets kept beside.

Oh shit! The caterers.

I quickly take the papers beside him and rush towards the door, "Suman! Kaha ja rahi ho, mujhe kuch batan-",

"Baadme Gaddi Nasheen! Main caterers ko wait nai kara sakti, unko finalise karke batana hai."

With that I rush into the study, Sahir quickly gets up with a similar list in his hand.

"Ma'am, ye log panch desserts ke samples le aaye hai jaise ap chahte the. Bas ap ek bar try karle to, menu me kya hoga ye bhi finalise ho jayega", I nod walking towards the buffet.

First, I grap a spoonful of Khubani ka mittha and whoa. It tastes perfect.

Then I move towards the kheer and I am salivating just at its sight. Even the kheer seems nice. Now I am confused, I like them both equally.

"Sahir, ap bhi taste krein. Dekhiye shayad aapko kuch zyada pasand aye in dono me se." Sahir follows suit, I pass him the spoon and just then, the door is pulled open.

Gaddi Nasheen enters in all his glory, while everyone stands out of respect. J avoid staring at any of his body parts, only plastering a smile which is as fake as it can get.

"Sab apna kaam continue krein. Mai bas dekh raha hu sab sahi se chal rha hai ya nhi." Everyone obediently dispersed to their works and so I turn to Sahir to ask how likes the sweet.

Sahir dips the spoon into the kheer and before he can take a bite, Gaddi Nasheen appears behind us suddenly startling us both.

"Sahir, tumhe to factory me hona chahiye tha. Kahi aurton ko chutti hi nai dedi tumne aaj?", Gaddi Nasheen speaks tauntingly, while Sahir stands straight.

"That's perhaps a good idea Sir. The women would like a day off before the big jashn, haina ma'am?"

I nod, it's a good idea actually.

Gaddi Nasheen snorts, "And what about the work? Who answers your clients?"

"Don't you worry about that sir. We have no backlogs. Infact we are ahead of time in a lot of projects. The revenue won't be hit at all. That's why I am here to help ma'am ",

"Oh that's so lovely of you Sahir. But now that I am free, I can do the dessert tasting, why don't you take the rest of your day off and maybe take a pretty lady on a date?"

Sahir steps backs, nodding professionally and begins to walk out of the room, then I remembered I had to tell Sahir about the decorators. So I walk towards him.

"Sahir, ruko. Wo jo flower samples Shaik ne bheje the, mujhe unme se bas do hi pasand aye hai. Ek Tulips aur dusre Daisies. Inke alawa, jo flowers hai wo ache nahi. Bas ye dono decorations me use karne ko kaho. Aur abhi tak unhone mujhe corrections nahi bheje, uska bhi dekhlo", I hand the papers to him and he promptly collects them.

"Mai karwata hu ma'am ", with that he is gone.

Shit, find some work Suman. You can't be alone with Gaddi Nasheen now. But everything is almost done. The stage is set, the decorations finalised, now even the dessert is done. Gaddi Nasheen is deciding on the dessert so I walk to the other end of the study, trying to find something to occupy myself with.

"Kuch kaam dhund rahi ho?", Gaddi Nasheen whispers from behind me and I am startled to say the least. Why has he forgotten his distance while speaking to me. He keeps invading my private space.

When I turn around, I see no one in the study and the door is already locked from inside.

Fuck.

Exactly the kind of situation i did not want to fall into. Think Summi! Kaise nikle yha se bahar.

"Suman! Mai hava se baat nahi kar rha"

"Jii....ji Gaddi Nasheen ", I respond flustered.

""Kya dhund rahi ho jabki sara kaam to tum do din me nipta chuki ho. Tum do raato se soyi nahi ho, ye kya behuda harkat hai jaan sakta hu mai?", he bellows against the shell of my ear and even now he sounds sensual.

The fuck is wrong with me.

"Kaam hi itna tha ki samai nahi mila."

I walk towards the study table to creat some space, but I soon realise that was a weak move considering he quickly cornered me against the table.

My back is to him, as I am trying to find something worth exiting from here with. He grabs my arms from the behind, all the papers from my fingers slip away as soon as his thumb strokes the  skin of my wrist. In a quick turn of events, he twists both my hands behind my back such that my back arches and I find my ass pressed against his thighs. Well, I am struck, between the table and his thighs.

Shik-shak-shock.

"Jhuth. Tumne jaan buj kar khud ko mashruf rakha taki jo hamare beech hua uske bare me sochne ka mouka na mile. Aur mai kalse tumse baat karne ki koshish kar rha hu, tum mujhe kal se avoid kar rhi ho", I shake my head even before his sentence finishes.

"Nahi Gaddi Nasheen, meri itni majal ke mai apko avoid karu"

"Bas Summi. Kitne jhut bologi, tum bhi janti ho ki tumhare paas pura haq hai mujse naraz hone ka. Aur raho naraz, magar manane bhi to do"

I struggle against his hold, trying to get my hands free but in vain. Now I feel his muscles against my back even more. Where is all that layers of clothing between us?

"Gaddi Nasheen, hath choden mere. Ye galat hai. Hame dur ho kar baat karni chahiye", I speak monotonously hoping the affect he has on my body does not show.

Unexpectedly, he drops my hands and steps back. Whoa, itni jaldi chod bhi diye?

Maine to aise hi bola tha ....

"I am sorry for hurting you Summi. Aur abhi tumhara hath na pakadta to tum meri baat hi nai sunti. Lekin ainda ye nahi hoga, wada hai mera."

And then he is gone, leaving behind a trail of tears I had held in for two days now.