Hired Bride

CHAPTER - 9

"I'm sorry. It's all because of me. Please forgive me." Not knowing what to do she end up breaking down while hugging his torso.

"Ssshhh Zara, calm down."Hammad said controlling his painful shriek by clenching his jaw tight and pushed her away softly.

Soon enough they saw a taxi arriving near them.

Before Zara could go and asked it for help, it stopped near them and Kabeer came out from it.

"Oh my God!!! What happened?" He ran towards Hammad, seeing his painful feature and bleeding leg.

"Can you please take me to the doctor, before the bullet's poison spread in my body? We can explain you everything on the way." He said, trying his best not to show the intensity of pain his feeling.

Kabeer nodded and with the help of the taxi driver, he put him inside.

Whilst crying Zara explained everything to Kabeer.

"I'm sorry Hammad. I shouldn't have brought you with me." Kabeer

apologized watching his friend's condition.

"What rubbish. Don't ever say, that." Hammad forbade him.

The taxi driver told them that that area was very dangerous because very often those goons show up and loot traveller's.

Soon enough they came to the nearest hospital and Hammad was instantly taken in the operation theatre.

Kabeer didn't say anything to Zara but his occasional angry glares weren't helping her already horrified form.

Kabeer called his and Hammad's family member to the hospital.

Soon enough everyone was present there.

Hammad's mother was crying badly.

Hours later the doctor came out of the operation theatre and they ran towards him.

"How's he doctor?" Hammad's father asked impatiently.

"He is fine but...." The doctor paused giving them nearly heart attack.

"But what doctor?" Kabeer asked, his legs shaking out of fear.

"He was shot on his knee which has injured his patella very badly and I'm sorry to say this but there are very little chance of him walking properly with his left leg." The doctor said and went away from there after giving them an apologetic look.

Hammad's mother shriek and fainted there only after hearing that news.

Kabeer step back defeatedly, his heart filled with guilt for dragging his beloved friend in that situation.

Zara never for once regretted her any action but today she was forced to regret it till she choked on her breath and she felt her heart clawing up her throat.

"I don't know, I'll be ever able to forgive her for destroying my son's life." Hammad's mother, Mrs Ali has come to Anjum villa, after Hammad was discharged from the hospital.

Zara bit her lips to stop her painful whimper from releasing after hearing mrs Ali.

She remembered, the past two months. She had been bearing everyone's accusing look.

She knew she was the one to be blamed for but her tiny heart wasn't able to tolerate everyone's silent treatment and accusing look.

She wanted to go and see Hammad but no one allowed her.

"One of the most eligible bachelor of our country is now no more eligible. No one will marry my son and so I've decided to make Zara his wife." Mrs. Ali said with a finality in her tone.

Zara felt her legs shaking and her world whirling. She was inside the washroom of her grandmother's room.

" I don't have any problem with it." Anjum said, her voice weak.

"Thank you Aunty. I hope you do not mind to held the nikah on coming Friday." Mrs. Ali said and went out after bidding good bye to Anjum Ahmad.

Zara came out of the washroom few minutes later.

"I guess you have heard everything. So

go buy anything you want before your nikah." Anjum said and dismissed her saying she wanted to rest.

Anjum's heart cried knowing her granddaughter's fate. She wanted to get her married but not like this.

She couldn't do anything now, knowing well that Hammad was in this position because of her stupidity only and she couldn't be selfish and deny Mrs. Ali's proposal.

"Ammi, how can you do this to me? I'm not going to marry her." Hammad growled at his mother's stupid suggestion.

"I'm serious Hammad. She was the cause for your condition and she needs to repent it." Mrs. Ali said stubbornly.

"Ammi, it was destiny. It wasn't her fault. She never invited those goons to

attack on us. "He tried to convince his mother.

"Hammad, either you marry her or see me dying. I will kill myself if you deny marrying her. "She used her emotional arrow to make him surrender.

"Baba, look what she is saying?" He tried to get help from his father.

"Hammad, she isn't wrong." Mr. Ali said, clearly showing no help board.

"She is almost ten years younger than me. I can't marry her." He said frustrated from all this fiasco.

"Ok then be ready to see my dead face." Mrs. Ali stood up furiously.

"Ammi, please do not do anything stupid. Ok... Ok I'll do as you say." Mrs. Ali smiled and came near to him.

"Good." She said ruffling his hair.

blasted the bomb.

"Why so fast?" Hammad said distastefully.

"This is for the best." Mrs. Ali said running her fingers through his silky black hair.

"Zara, I hope you leave behind your immature behavior and accept your husband wholeheartedly. I do not want to hear any complaints of yours."

She remembered Anjum Ahmad's farewell speech which had underlying strictness in it.

She couldn't believe that she was married and on top of that married with the man her elder sister had crush upon.

She remembered the conversation with Zoya.

"Do you know Zara, because of you I

had to give up on my first love." Zoya had barked in her room when she heard about Zara's and Hammad's marriage.

"Aapi, what are you saying?" She asked oblivious of what Zoya was speaking about.

"I loved Hammad." Zoya said.

Zara didn't notice her saying 'loved'.

"Aapi, you can marry him now as well. I will try to convince our elders."She said and went near her and held Zoya's hand in hers.

"Zara, I loved him. But I can't accept him now. He is not what he was anymore. I can't bring myself to be the reason of laughs in front of my friends and family. "Zoya said not minding how mean she sounded.

Zara wanted to ask her what type of love was that but refrained herself.

That was the day when she decided to accept Hammad with all her heart.

Before Zoya's confession she didn't believe Mrs. Ali's saying that nobody would marry her son but after hearing Zoya's opinion she had to believe her.

She was sitting in the living room of Hammad's apartment. Mr and Mrs Ali along with Hammad's relatives went to their respective homes after dinner.

"Zara." She heard Hammad calling her making her heart beat wildly. She gulped and breath deeply to calm herself.

"Zara." This time his voice was louder.

"Ye.... Yes." She stuttered.

"Come in the kitchen." He ordered her in his deep voice.

She stood up and moved towards the kitchen.

She stood on the threshold.

Hammad heard her footsteps and turned towards her while doing something on the kitchen slab.

"You didn't change? The right door from here is your room. Your trolley is there. Go change and then come back." He said when he saw her still wearing the heavy wedding dress.

She nodded and walked towards her designated room.

After twenty minutes she was in the kitchen again. Hammad was still there, sipping his coffee and scrolling his phone.

When he saw her, he gestured her to sit beside him. She complied confusingly.

When she keep seated there dumbly, Hammad looked up and saw the confusion floating in her eyes.

"Eat." He said again busied himself in his phone and coffee.

"But, I already ate." She stated.

"You didn't. You were too nervous around my family to eat." He stated busily.

She knew he was right but she was nervous around him as well, but not saying anything she started taking out biryani on her plate.

Whilst feeding her empty stomach, she kept occasionally glancing at him.

She was glad that he was able to walk now, his limping does not bothered her.

He was wearing white casual shirt and navy blue sweatpant. Her eyes roamed around his face. She was engrossed in his thick dark eyebrows, big black eyes, long eyelashes, prominent nose and...

'Astagfirullah(may Allah forgive me).' She shook her head before going any further.

'But he is my husband.' She reasoned her other part of brain.

She looked at him again.

'What the hell is so important in his freaking phone.' She thought angrily and slammed the spoon on the now empty plate, catching Hammad's attention.

"Ah....Uh....um... I'm done." She stuttered and stood up hurriedly, sensing Hammad's eyes on her.

"Okay, put the remaining food inside the fridge and come in the living room. I need to talk to you." He said and walked away limping, reminding her the day that unfortunate incident occurred.

'What did he wanna talk about?' She thought confusingly while cleaning the dishes.

Few minutes later she was sitting in front of him in the living room.

"Zara, I just wanted to let you know that live your life as you have been living before that incident, before the nikah. Just be careful of your safety." He said and looked at her.

She nodded.

"Let everything calm down for a year or so. I promise you, I will free you and you can choose a perfect life partner for yourself. Until then, you are my responsibility." He continued and Zara's world turned upside-down.

'What the hell he thinks of himself?' She thought and stood up with a jerk furiously.

"What the hell are you saying?" She hissed between her teeth.

"I know what I'm saying and you don't have to force anything on yourself out of pity." His way to calm reply send her over the peak of ferocity.

But before she could do anything he walked away towards his room.

"Mr. Hammad Ali, I'm not going to let you do as you said." She shouted whilst standing in front of his door and came to her room not before closing her door with a loud bang.

Hammad wanted to somehow stop this nikha but he could not do anything and he was tied with a girl whom he always considered a kid.