Chapter No 38
Chapter No 38
Some weeks later,
Roman started going back to work. Saliha had joined the college again, and this time, she was going with Hunza and Kashan, which pissed off Roman even more, but she vowed to make him pissed off these days.
Emaad was now well and back to health, and they went back to their house. Saliha was feeling all alone in this big house again. She had not seen Roman for two days as he had to attend college and the hospital for his internship. Sometimes she wonders, he is rich and Uncle Imran got everything a luxurious family has, why he needs to do an internship but he was indeed so mysterious.
"Roman," she whispered his name in a deep breath. It was one of those lonely nights. He did not return home. She opened her drawer and took out her diary. It has been a month since she wrote something.
She entered a few entries; it was usual today's routine. She took a deep breath.
"Devil," she whispered and wrote the devil under his picture stuck in her diary.
It was the 13th time she wrote this word under his photo. She always does it whenever he goes out with other girls but it has been a while since she has not seen him with any girl.
"Roman," she called his name again and got up. She was feeling bored all alone in this big house.
"What should I do? Why is it boring," she thought, annoyed.
Just then her phone rang. She looked at her phone screen, it was an unknown number. She answered the call.
"Did you think you had escaped by marrying him? No, I will not leave you till the end," she heard a deep voice and gasped.
It was none other than that Jamsheed to whom she was being forced to marry but instead, she had gone married to Roman.
The phone was hung up.
"Why did he call me?" she asked with tears in her eyes. All of her strong aura was gone.
She found herself trapped in limbo again. She was staring at her phone as if it would sting her.
Just then her phone rang again. She had gone startled and looked at the screen of her phone. Roman's name was appearing on her phone.
She answered the phone instantly. She was so panicked that she did not realize that her voice was depicting her anxiety.
"Hello, Saliha, are you okay? What happened?" he asked from the other side.
"I, I am fine," she lied.
"Saliha, what is it?" he ordered.
"Nothing Roman, I am fine, I was going to bed just now," she said, trying hard to sound calm.
He heard his sigh from the other side and then he hung up the phone.
She stared at the phone and fell on the bed.
"Why would he care? If I panic or what?" she thought sadly.
It was a tough day, he had to attend to so many patients, as he was still a medical student so he had to work with senior doctors as it was part of his internship. His head was aching now as it was very tough to join both college and the hospital.
He took out the cig and was about to lid it when his colleague Saira Malik walked beside him. His gaze fell on the ring she was wearing, recently she had gone engaged. A beautiful platinum ring appeared on the screen of his mind and automatically he smiled.
"What are you smiling at? Is that someone special?" asked Saira, sitting in front of him, his light brown hair falling on his forehead.
"No one is special," he said, expressionlessly. She turned her lips in round 'O'.
"Saira, a patient in ward 101 is asking for you," said a nurse. She got up but stopped.
"Roman, you are my very good friend and a few years younger than me, I will give you advice and tell her before it's too late," she said, smiling.
Just then a girl walked towards them. She was the most beautiful girl in the whole staff.
"Saira," she called her while sitting beside her.
"Sania," said Saira, expressionlessly. It was oblivious that she does not like her.
"Roman, are you free tonight?" asked Sania while primping her hair.
He narrowed his eyes expressionlessly. Saira looked so pissed off.
"I have to go home, I am tired," he said, steadfastly. "Well, I can come as well," Sania said, shamelessly.
Saira stared at her with her eyes wide open. Sania always liked to hit on her co-workers.
She got up and touched Roman's hair but he held her hand stopping her.
"You have tried to touch me, but I don't want it to happen again," he said, straightly and shook her hand away.
She fell on the chair, shamelessly staring at him with a smile. "My shift is over Saira, I am leaving," he said, ignoring her. Saira smiled.
"Yeah, go on," she said.
He walked towards the exit, arrogantly.
"Do you think you can reach him? No girl could reach him against his will," said Saira while getting up, and then she walked towards ward 101.
"I will," whispered Sania with a smirk.
He sat inside his car and grabbed his phone. Since morning he wanted to hear her. He was unable to determine why he wanted to talk to her in the first place, he hates her.
He dialled her number and she answered his call in a second. "Hello," her panicked voice appeared. He got alert.
"Saliha? What happened?" he asked. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I am fine," she said. He was unable to determine why she always lies to him when he meant 'he got his eyes on her inch by inch' he means it.
"Saliha, tell me," He ordered.
"Nothing, I am going to my bed," he heard her. He sighed and hung up.
He started the car and drove rashly. He wanted to reach her as soon as possible.
She had another panic attack and she hated herself for that. She had a very bad childhood and that led her to anxiety issues, how much she pretends to be strong, was all her illusion. She was checking her phone again and again; she was still unable to believe that Jumshaid had called her. The unknown number was still on the screen. Her breath started fast again and strange scenarios were coming in her head.
"What if he came here, no, no I can't let that happen," she said in panic and got up from the bed. She was walking in the whole room to calm herself. Just then the lights were gone making her heart jump. Electricity in these societies rarely disconnects. She rushed towards her bed and grabbed the phone to turn on the flashlight.
Just then the door of her room knocked, making her startled. Nobody was home, not even servants. Who could knock on the door?
She felt her legs shaking.
The phone in her hand fell.
She wanted to ask who it was but there was no voice in her left. The door knocked again instantly and then with a thud somebody opened the door, it was dark so she was unable to determine who it was.
She started screaming.
"No, no, no please don't hurt me, please," she was screaming while climbing up on the bed.
He turned on his phone torch.
Seeing him made her feel relieved. In a fit of anxiety, she ran towards him and tightly hugged him. He was not ready for this; his body automatically shifted a few steps back due to Saliha's weight. She was trembling in fear.
He looked around to determine the situation.
"Roman, he...he...he...he....I...my..heart..is..beating..so...f..f..fast," she tried to complete her sentence with her instant breaths.
He looked at her and his brows narrowed so did his eyes, he understood she was having a panic attack.
He softly put his hand on her head and took her out of the room. He did not say a word, instead, he was confronting her softly.
She was taking deep breaths. After a while, he had gone separate from her and rushed to the kitchen. He came back with the glass of water and gave it to her. She imbibed all of the water in one breath.
"Relax," he whispered to her, there was concern in his eyes.
After a while, she came back to normal and her senses started working. She found herself in his embrace, her cheek started turning bright red and she moved aside a bit. He understood why she did because they were too close, her womanhood almost touched his chest. She took a deep breath.
"Feeling better?" he asked. She bobbed her head. He sighed. "Now, what happened?" he ordered.
This was the question she wanted to avoid.
"Saliha, I am asking something from you," he asked this time, a bit angry.
"I am fine, I was just missing my grandma and mom," she said. He took a deep breath.
"You had a panic attack, and as a doctor I know when it happens, is there something bothering you?" he asked, concerned.
She looked at him instantly. Those were emotions she always wanted to see in his eyes but all she saw was humiliation for her. She got up.
His words slut, imposed dirt, needy, shameless were echoing in her head. Whoever she met in her life had always abused her. She had lost all the trust in people.
"Nothing is bothering me, Roman Ali Gardezi, don't waste your precious time on someone like me, I need to sleep, and thanks for helping me," she said without looking at him.
He got up and clenched his teeth.
He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him, their chests collided with each other. His eyes were turning red due to anger.
"Today you have talked to me this way, don't you dare to do that again," he said, angrily.
"Why? Because I am living in your freaking home? Fine, I will leave....." She was about to complete her sentence when he grabbed her through her waist and pulled her closer.
"You will never leave without my will, you are now my property and what's mine is mine, I don't like sharing, Saliha," he said in a dangerous tone, she felt a chill through her spine.
He pushed her away and walked towards his room without looking back. She was staring at the spot where he was minutes ago.
"Aunt Eliza, finally you are back," she walked towards her and hugged her. Since when she arrived here, she found it very odd that her Uncle and aunt are always away and rarely stay at home.
They have come back home after three months.
"Yeah sweetie, I missed you so much," Eliza hugged her back. Imran put his hand on her head with love.
"Welcome back uncle," she said smiling.
"Where is Roman?" asked Uncle Imran. She explained his duty.
"He changed his ways, strange, are you sure no parties?" asked Eliza. She looked at them sheepishly because a few weeks back he held a party where he sort of seduced her and humiliated her. "No," she said, shortly.
"Anyhow what you made darling? I am super hungry," said Imran.
"Your favorite 'baingan sabzi and yogurt,' she said smiling, telling the names of Pakistani/Indian food made of aubergine.
"Whoa, you know I have loved these since I was 12," he said but Saliha noticed a slight expression of pain on his face but just like his son he was indeed good at hiding expressions. He smiled widely.
"He makes these so delicious," said Eliza, smiling.
"Uncle one day I will eat the infamous fish and boiled rice which you make," said Saliha.
"Why not. I will cook it for you for dinner today," he said, smiling.
Her worries were gone in the presence of these two people, and they took good care of her like their own child.
Sometimes she wonders if they love her more than their son Roman, that's how they imposed her on him for her safety? Strange.