Chapter 69: Marriage Proposal

Her eyes were lifeless.

Struck.

Not blinking.

Not moving.

As if she was in a trance. Lost and wandering.

The grey of her eyes complemented with her thick lashes as she kept staring at the window,

only able to see the clouds surrounding her as the airplane ripped apart the air, propelling

forward.

Beside her sat Shehryaar, who was busy typing something on his laptop. His eyes were fixed

on the laptop screen. She supposed it might be a response to one of his emails. He was Mr.

Workaholic. He didn't even stop working when they were in the car, coming to the airport.

The coat he was wearing earlier was loosely hung on the arm of the chair. One of his hands

scratched his stubble before resuming typing on the laptop. He seemed immersed in his

work. Yet she seemed immersed in fear. Anticipation. And anxiety.

Anxiety about what awaited her in Dubai.

At that moment, she wished the plane could crash.

An instant death would be better than the death he was giving her.

Slow and gut-wrenching. She was tired of fesring him. Despite him not being angry at her,

she would still get scared of him.

They were on the way to Dubai now, on his private jet. The flight was two and a half hours

long. This was her first time traveling by airplane.

When it was about to take off, instinctively she had held his hand, so tight that even she

heard him slightly give out a sound of pain.

A small hiss.

When she was able to calm down her nerves and the plane was set on its route in the

middle of the sky, that's when she slightly peeked her lashes open and then her eyes slowly

moved towards him.

He was already gawking at her.

With his hawk-like grey eyes, she found his sole focus on her that had her heart throb in her

chest. His eyes arrested hers for a few moments before she looked down and tried to

release her hand from his grip.

Being subjected to his intense gaze was a task itself.

He moved her small hand toward his lips before slightly caressing his cracked lips against

her knuckles and placed a kiss, making goosebumps arise on her body.

She looked away, and since then, she had focused her eyes on the window, unable to match

his eyes anymore.

Rather, his merciless, cold, grey eyes that had the power to make anyone's heart throb.

Apart from her worried state, she felt so sad given the events of that night.

She did not expect that to happen, and since then, her mental state had been too perturbed.

Whenever she closed her eyes, he would come in front of her.

And that he was none other than Amna's fiancé—Ahmed.

He had broken her heart into pieces at this point.

She still wasn't able to decipher his behavior.

What got into him?

Why did he do that?

She recalled how a few nights ago, he forced her to go to dinner with him, and she had

agreed at last. She feared Shehryaar would come to know, which was why she turned him

down, but he was too adamant and insisted a little too much, so she decided to take the

offer. Despite Shehryaar's warning of cutting Ahmed off, she didn't do that and remained

secretly in contact with Ahmed.

Amna was sleeping, as these days, she had been taking sleeping pills to sleep. The pain in

her body wouldn't let her sleep.

And when the two had gone to a restaurant, after talking for a while, Ahmed had literally

pulled up a box in front of her before opening it. It had her eyes widen to the size of saucers,

making her stand up as she placed her hand on her mouth.

There was a ring in the box, and the way he was conversing with her before told her the ring

was meant for her.

Ahmed came closer to her and put forth the proposition of marriage in front of her.

Her hand moved and just slapped him.

"How could you think of that, Ahmed Bhai? You were like a brother to me. How can you

think that I will betray my friend like that? What did you think of me? That I will marry a

man who cheated on my friend? Shame on you! Shame on you for setting your eyes on a

woman other than your fiancée!" she spat.

"I'm not your brother, Sheharzaad. I can marry you. And Amna, God knows if... s-she w-

would," his voice stuttered in the middle, but then he cleared his throat quickly, "if she

would ever be able to recover or not. I've b-begun to l-love you," he looked down and, when

he stared back at her again, his eyes had tears.

"For Amna's sake, marry me, Sheharzaad. I-I love you," his voice quivered as he said those

words. And soon a sob escaped his throat, "my feelings are true for you. I can't live without

you," a tear rolled down his cheek, "please," he pleaded, "Don't insult my love like that,"

Anyone would have melted in that moment as soft sobs raked his form. His cries even made

her heart restless as a frown adorned her forehead.

"Ahmed Bhai," she whispered in disbelief, "apko kia hogya hai?" she questioned.

(What has happened to you?)

"Bohot pyaar karta hu tumsei, Sheharzaad," his voice croaked.

(I love you so much.)

"Why are you doing this to me?" she asked, "why, Ahmed Bhai? Did you not for even once

think about Amna? Not even for once that what would her heart go through? The pain you

feel just now is nothing compared to the pain she would feel," she told him, her voice getting

soft. His state affecting her.

"Love happens. Love tears your soul. Love makes you do things that you would have never

expected from yourself. I know I'm not doing right by asking you this but... I didn't know

when I b-began to l-l-love you, Sheharzaad," he muttered with difficulty.