LET ME HATE YOU

Torment

"I gave her," Feriha began, but Amaan's retort cut her off, "Don't lie to me, Ma."

"Raina wanted it to be auctioned."

Raina's name instantly silenced him. "What?"

"Exactly what you heard. It's the last piece in the auction, and I gave it to Asmaira to wear for the final act." As Feriha confessed, Asmaira couldn't help but look at the item again.

"Amaan, I know how it looks, but this is not the dress Asmaira was supposed to wear. Th—" Hania was interrupted by Amaan. "Of course. She wasn't even supposed to be here in the first place, but here she is. Isn't she?"

Seeing her son snarl like an agitated beast, Feriha intervened, "We'll talk about this later. This is not the right place or time."

Amaan glared at Asmaira for a few heartbeats. He might have applauded her performance of a terrified woman if he hadn't been fully aware of what she was capable of hiding behind her innocent facade. He turned away, vowing to make the evening unforgettable for her. She should not have provoked him and pushed his boundaries by impersonating Raina. He would make sure she understood what happens to people who cross Amaan Hashmi.

"He won't do anything. Hania, take her to the powder room and give her some water." Feriha offered a comforting smile.

Asmaira complied, needing a moment to compose herself. The knowledge that she was wearing Raina's necklace deepened the emptiness inside her—a void that had kept her from peace for months, and which had only begun to fade after she married Amaan.

But with Amaan's outburst, the void returned with a vengeance. She felt she didn't deserve to wear something of Raina's, especially the famous necklace Amaan had gifted Raina at their grand reception. Asmaira should have remembered seeing it in the ripped newspaper that Ehsan had discarded the day after the reception.

Her soul weighed down by remorse, Asmaira felt pathetic as Feriha and Hania took turns attending to her. They stayed constantly by her side, checking on her. Tears welled up as she realized she had always been a burden: to Raina, to her own family, and now to Feriha. She longed for the ground to swallow her. When Salar approached Feriha to join him in greeting a business partner, Feriha declined, and his exasperation with Asmaira was obvious.

Asmaira's inherent discomfort prevented her from mingling with people easily. This was why she had been apprehensive about attending the party, especially a gathering involving people who openly scorned her or judged her worth as a Hashmi daughter-in-law.

She rubbed her bare arms uncomfortably. The spaghetti straps of the dress seemed to slip with her slightest movement, making her cheeks flush with embarrassment. Her legs trembled with residual self-consciousness as she occasionally overheard guests murmur, "She looks like Raina." She yearned to be back with Kabir, away from the mocking stares, away from Amaan, whose scorching gaze she could feel even in the ballroom's dim light.

Not wanting to detain Feriha, who needed to greet guests as the hostess, Asmaira urged her, with feigned bravery, to carry on. Feriha simply smiled and instead grabbed a mocktail from a passing waiter for her.

"Ma, I'm sorry, but we have to meet Mrs. Khan. She's interested in our NGO and has been meaning to meet you for a long time," Hania said, looking apologetic.

"Asmaira doesn't know anyone. I can't leave her alone," Feriha lied.

She knew the moment Asmaira was left alone, Amaan would corner her, and that was precisely why she couldn't let her out of her sight. The madness she had witnessed in his eyes signaled an imminent storm if she didn't interfere.

"I'll stay with her, don't worry," Aslan, who was passing by, overheard and offered his help.

Seeing Feriha hesitate, Asmaira reassured her, "I'll be fine. Please go."