Gereksiz İntikam

31

Shoaib's POV

She was lying on the floor, unconscious, her dupatta nowhere in sight. 

For a few seconds, my breath hitched at the sight of her like this. 

I immediately rushed to her, crouching down to her level, cradling her unconscious frame securely in my arms. 

God, my heart was pounding like a thunderstorm. What happened to her? Did she have a fear of flying? 

Seeing beads of sweat forming on her face in this luxury air-conditioned jet only increased my tension. 

Laying her carefully on the bed, I adjusted the temperature and sprinkled water on her face. 

"What happened, Taniya? Open your eyes! We don’t have a female doctor on board, and there’s no way in hell I’m letting a male doctor check on you!" 

I sprinkled more water on her face and rubbed her palms. 

Relief flooded me as I saw her slowly open her eyes, blinking several times as if adjusting to the light. 

Without wasting a second, I grabbed her cheeks and asked, "How are you feeling? What happened?" I didn’t know why my voice carried so much concern. 

She nodded weakly and tried to sit up using her elbows. 

I immediately held her arms and helped her sit, resting her back against the headrest. 

"Tell me, biwi, are you okay? Should I call the doctor?" I asked, though half-heartedly, because I didn't want a male doctor to see her in this vulnerable state. 

She shook her head and whispered, "It’s just fatigue and travel, I think..." 

I nodded, then my eyes landed on the food placed on the small table. 

As I had instructed the attendant earlier, that meant Taniya had been fine when she brought the food and changed the bedsheets. 

Thank God she hadn’t been unconscious for too long. 

"You scared me, biwi," I murmured, pressing my lips to her forehead. She closed her eyes at the touch. 

"I think you have a fear of flying," I said, gently caressing her head. 

"Let’s eat something," I suggested, placing the plate in front of her. 

But she almost gagged at the sight of the food, struggling to control her nausea. 

What’s wrong with her? Maybe she isn’t travel-friendly, I thought, removing the plate in understanding. 

"Get some rest. You’ll feel better once we land," I said, helping her lie down properly and covering her with a duvet. 

She nodded, turning onto her left side, showing me her back. 

---

Taniya's POV 

Scared? How could someone act so well? 

As soon as I turned onto my left side to avoid his face, I let my tears fall. 

His acting—his fake concern—was killing me inside. 

I thought I had chosen Navruz out of desperation, but seeing Shoaib’s double personality made one thing clear: I was terrible at seeing people’s true faces. 

I covered myself from head to toe, trying to muffle my sobs, as he sat beside me. 

While crying over my miseries, I didn't know when sleep took over. 

I woke up feeling movement—something beating gently against my temple. 

My mouth fell open when I saw his face, and I became painfully aware of my situation. 

He was carrying me like a baby in his strong arms. 

I glanced behind and saw Mamu’s jet. 

Feeling me stir, he muttered against the top of my head, placing a soft kiss, 

"Welcome to California, Mrs. Malik." 

His words filled me with emotions I didn’t want to feel. But, unfortunately, I couldn’t stop the tiny spark of happiness at hearing his surname attached to mine. 

*Don’t be dumb, Taniya. Remember what he did to you.* 

As we entered his apartment, my eyes roamed over the cozy living area—modern interiors painted in shades of gray and black. It screamed perfection. 

"You like it?" His voice pulled me out of my awe-struck state. 

I nodded, quickly masking my embarrassment. *Allah, why did I have to gawk like a creep?* 

He suddenly turned me around until we were facing each other. 

"Welcome to our home, biwi." 

Before I could react or even process my emotions— 

His lips sealed over mine. 

My body stiffened as his lips pressed against mine—firm yet unbearably gentle. A contradiction. Just like him. 

I should have pushed him away. I should have reminded myself of the pain, the betrayal, the truth I had uncovered. But my treacherous heart wavered, my mind betraying me for a split second. 

A second was all it took. 

He pulled away just enough to rest his forehead against mine, his breath mingling with mine. His fingers brushed against my cheek, a touch so light yet burning into my skin. 

"You don’t know what you do to me, biwi," he whispered, his voice rough with emotion. "I thought I lost you on that plane. I’ve never been so scared before." 

My throat ached with the weight of unshed tears. How easily he lied. How convincingly he played the role of a devoted husband. If I hadn’t known better, I might have fallen for the sincerity in his voice. 

I closed my eyes, willing myself to stay strong. I couldn’t let him see through me. I couldn’t let him know that I had seen his true face. 

Instead, I leaned into him, just slightly, just enough to make him believe. 

His arms tightened around me instantly, as if he was afraid I’d disappear. 

"I can’t lose you, Taniya," he murmured against my hair. "Not now. Not ever." 

A bitter laugh almost escaped me, but I swallowed it down. *Lose me?* He never had me to begin with.  Taking my virginity by fooling me that doesn't mean he have me, whole of me, and just wanted to laugh at his award winning acting, like lose? Scare? That too for me?

I could believe him like i did before but not after knowing his reality,  i know I am weak but I have to become strong if I want to have some dignity in this marriage of web and betrayal,

His hands cupped my face, tilting it up so our eyes met. His gaze burned with something raw, something intense, but I forced myself to look away, pretending to be flustered rather than broken. 

"You should rest," I whispered, stepping back, creating space between us. 

For a moment, he hesitated, his jaw clenching, as if debating whether to let me go. But then, he nodded, exhaling heavily. 

"Okay," he said, voice laced with reluctant acceptance. 

I turned away before he could see the tears threatening to spill. Before he could see the war raging inside me. 

Because no matter how much my heart betrayed me… I could never forget what he had done. 

And I would never forgive him.

*****

Unedited