Avoiding me?

Avoiding me?
His frown relaxed as he gave her a nod. "Alright. But what is the matter? Are you alright? Is
everything okay?"
"I just... miss my parents, so I wanted... to be close to someone who is an elderly figure to me
and reminds me of them..." she said with sadness in her voice.
"It is fine, daughter. I'm always here. You can come whenever you want," Haider responded.
But Sheharzaad's response raised a lot of qualms in him. It told Haider that something was
wrong between the couple. Sheharzaad seemed exceedingly docile and scared. It was
evident to Haider's eye that Sheharzaad was scared of Shehryaar. She was avoiding going to
him.
"Thank you," she said with sincerity sparkling in her eyes. Haider suddenly felt sad for the
poor girl's condition. Given how his son was, Haider really did not want to imagine what he
must have done with her. He hoped his son had not utilized his mafia ways with
Sheharzaad. He made a mental note to talk with Shehryaar about her.
"And oh, where was I... ah! So, my friend and I were in the middle of hunting...." Haider
continued his story, and for a moment, she felt relaxed, forgetting that Shehryaar was
waiting for her.
Half an hour must have elapsed when the door to his room was knocked and Shehryaar
entered. Sheharzaad's blood froze upon seeing him there as she had completely forgotten
about him.
A smile sprawled on Haider's face upon seeing his son.
"Baba," he said, and then his grey eyes fell on Sheharzaad. "Can I borrow my wife from
you?" he asked, extending his hand towards her for her to take while looking at his father.
Sheharzaad grasped his hand and stood up beside him. His hand was warm and large while
hers was cold and small, completely covered in his hand. An outsider could not notice the
clamminess of her hand, enclosed in his.
Haider laughed. "Yes, you may," he said, then looked at the clock. "And oh, half an hour has
already passed. Sheharzaad daughter told me that she—" Haider's eyes fell on Sheharzaad,
whose eyes had gone wide, and she subtly shook her head. She knew what he was going to
say. Her hand, which was in Shehryaar's hold, tightened into a fist. Sheharzaad did that
instinctively, but Shehryaar was quick to notice.
Haider stopped for a second. "She was insisting on leaving earlier, but I had her keep sitting
here until my story was complete. And as promised, it took half an hour," he morphed his
sentence.
"Really?" Shehryaar asked, looking at his father and then at Sheharzaad. As soon as he
stared at Sheharzaad, he arched his brow up.
That arched brow had her heart skip a beat. She was already feeling weak in her limbs.
"Yes," she responded in a whisper.
Her voice was suddenly gone. She wondered where that volume went with which she had
been talking with Haider.
"I hope that's the case because I've been looking for my wife for quite some time."
"That is the case, son. Martha came and informed her that you were calling her. Sheharzaad
said she would take her leave, but I told her she would be leaving only after I've completed
my story. Since nobody in this home is interested in listening to what this old man has to
say except for my dearest daughter-in-law—"
Shehryaar gave out a chuckle. "My wife will tell me what story you had told her. Right, little
lady?" He turned towards her. She was too stunned. Her eyes widened as she gave a mild
nod.
"Yes. Sheharzaad daughter knows me more than you. You can take your wife. I will sleep
now," Haider told, fixing the comforter around himself.
"Thank you, Baba," Shehryaar said and began to lead her out of the room.
But Sheharzaad stopped, turning towards Haider.
"Good night, uncle," Sheharzaad muttered to Haider.
"Call me father," he reprimanded.
Sheharzaad smiled. "Good night, Father," and then she left along with Shehryaar.
They were going upstairs towards their room when she called him out. "Sherry," she
muttered, and that made him stop in his tracks.
"Yes, little lady?" he asked, and turned towards her.
"I'm thirsty... can I go drink water from the kitchen?"
"There is water in the room," he replied.
"No, actually... I want to drink juice."
He stared at her for a few moments. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her hand, which
held the railing of the stairs, shivered.
"Alright. Come back in five minutes."
"Okay."
He left her hand, and she took a few steps back, turning around, and then rushed towards
the kitchen. Yet he stared at her retreating back.
As soon as she entered the kitchen, she immediately found the sleeping pills in the cabinet
where she had hidden them. She got them with the help of a maid.
She took one pill, gulped it down her throat, and drank water. Her hands were shivering.
She had lied.
Lied to him.
And it was making her soul slowly leave her body.
She was so scared.
She left the kitchen and went to her room. He was lying on the bed with the phone in his
hands, where he was going through some messages and photos. It wasn't the one he used in
daily routine; rather, it was a BlackBerry.
The notorious BlackBerry.
Noticing her presence, he placed the phone aside and tapped the place next to her, asking
her to sit beside him.
With every step she took, her heart fell more and more into the pit of her stomach.
"Umm... actually... c-can I sleep?" she asked as soon as she sat down. "I'm... I'm... feeling—"
her sentence was cut short as he held her wrist and pulled her towards him. Her face lay
against his shoulder as she looked up into his eyes, and he looked down at her.
"Avoiding me, little lady?"
"No. No," she instantly shook her head. "I w...was act—ually f...eeling s-l-eepy," she stuttered
badly.
"Sleep then." He held her face with his hand, poked her lips by pressing at her cheeks, and
kissed her lips. Placing her head on his chest and covering them both with a comforter, he
wrapped his arms around her and began to caress her back.
"Sleep well, little lady," he uttered.
And soon she had slept as the sleeping pill took its action.
Shehryaar kept on staring at her sleeping form. He got closer to her, caressing her cheeks,
and kissed her eyelids.
"Avoiding me, eh?" he stroked her tresses.
"Don't you trust those stupid sleeping pills a little too much, Zaad?" he whispered, but she
wasn't awake to respond. Otherwise, her body might have shaken with tremors upon
realizing that he knew her truth