One more time : Where Oblivion meets Obsession

#37 – A HEARTBREAKING GOODBYE

"Love, It's our wedding night. I'm sorry I didn't bring a gift for you. Tell me, What do you want?"

In an unwavering voice and without a second thought, she said, "I want the right to secrecy. I want you to never ask what I do and why I do it. I won't interfere in your work and you won't interfere in mine."

She extended her hand for him to promise. He placed his hand in hers and said, "I promise. And I want a promise from you too. Divorce, separation… it'll never be an option for us. We will live together, face whatever comes and die together."

"I promise. Can I ask you a question, Shahmeer?"

"Yes." He replied.

"Can you explain how this happened?"

"What?" He asked, confused.

"I mean… you never had any history with women. You chased me so hard, fell in love so deeply, started trusting me even though there was no reason. In fact, it was dangerous. How?" She asked. The question was always there in her mind.

"Why don't YOU answer how? You Step over hearts and move on but you stopped, looked back and came to me. Can you explain?"

"Well I can still say I have not yet learned to love. You say you're in love. How?"

"Love, we don't choose someone to keep in our heart. Our heart chooses who it'll keep inside, and my heart chooses you. To me, you were more than a person. You were a place where I finally felt at home."

Myra held his hands and said, "Listen Shahmeer, I know this is the most inappropriate thing for a bride to say on wedding night but... if you ever try to cheat on me, or betray me or double cross me, I will turn this most beautiful dream into your worst nightmare."

"Don't you trust me yet?"

She shook her head in restlessness and said, "I don't know. For instance, you know when a con man cons hundreds of girls and finally falls in love, all he has in mind is the fear of being cheated because his heart knows he'll reap what he sowed. Same thing is happening with me. I've broken so many hearts, to reach you that I'm afraid of Karma. I know I don't love you But sure I do know I can't see you with someone else. It's me or no one. I lost focus at work. My team suffered because of that

When I saw you with that Fiza, my heart burnt. I just couldn't stand the thought of your fingers entwined with someone else's, your black eyes looking at someone else with the same affection, someone else's lips hold your moisture, someone else's body electrifying with your touch, you being the reason of the blush on someone's cheeks, you waking up to someone else every morning, it was all driving me crazy.

All I knew in that moment was to either have you or be at peace knowing you are dead or something and now nobody else can have you." She finished and Shahmeer chuckled.

'And she says she doesn't love me!'

He pulled her in his lap and said, "Love… I cannot think of anyone else from the moment I met you.

You are the light of my days

Dream of my nights

Need of my body

Scent in my nose

Thought on my mind

Craving of my soul.

There can be nothing better than having you in my arms."

"Really?" She asked, leaning more onto his back and extending her hand to sensually run on his cheek.

He smiled and kissed her forehead. "Let's sleep."

Myra was surprised, rather shocked and a little disappointed. It hurt her ego. 'Am I not alluring? How can he not want me?'

"You don't want to do what couples do on the wedding night." She said, placing both her hands around his neck.

"Do you want to?"

"Of Course. We're married." If she could give herself to Scott, why not him? This was far more real than that.

"Okay then. Say that you love me." He asked.

"What? What does that mean?"

"What I mean is… for us to MAKE LOVE, it's important for us to be IN LOVE."

"Oh my God! You are so old-school. It's not 'Make Love' okay. It's 'Sεx'. It has nothing to do with Love." She snapped.

"Sεx is a part of love. You shouldn't go around doing it unless you are in love.”

"Okay. Think of it as a healthy exercise.”

"Can't." He was enjoying it.

She could feel his loud heartbeats against her ears. What a t*****e it must be!

"Shahmeer don't do this to yourself. What do you want? That we spend the rest of our lives like this?"

"Not rest. Just until you learn to love me."

She sighed. There was no arguing with this man. She pulled the duvet over her and he pulled her back in his arms. She raised her head and then kissed his forehead.

'If all men thought like you, the world would be such a safe heaven for women.'

Myra slowly opened her eyes and saw Shahmeer in the corner of the room sitting on a prayer mat. She rested her head on her elbow and kept staring at him. His head was covered with a handkerchief. Despite being weak, his hurting injuries, he tried to do it properly.

Myra wanted to stop him as it was too much exercise seeing his wounds. But she couldn't. After a few minutes, he stopped, folded it and turned to her with a smile. "Good morning Love."

"Good morning. What were you doing?"

"I'm securing our future and fate with my prayers."

"There is nothing like fate Shahmeer. It's our perfect plan. Our actions and its consequences."

"That's okay. We have different perspectives. You want to fight fate. To rule over fate. To defeat fate. I don't. I want to be in the good books of one who writes fate."

That conversation was too much for an atheist.

She shook her head.

"Okay forget it. What will you eat?" Shahmeer asked.

Myra smirked and said, "Anything YOU cook."

"What?" He thought he misheard it.

"I want to eat breakfast that is made by you." She repeated.

"Well, I would have said no but I need to keep that smile on your face until evening. It's our reception tonight."

"Reception?"

"Yes. For all the people who couldn't attend the wedding. I have invited them to the reception. Call all your friends. The whole world should know that we are married."

"Shahmeer, is it necessary? Today? I am a little nervous."

He caressed her face and said, "don't worry. I am here for you."

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Shahmeer pulled away and said "come in."

An aged man wearing a simple shirt and pants walked in. "Beta, this has arrived on your name." He handed over the envelope and left.

Shahmeer took the envelope in his hands, looked around it and, not finding the name of the sender, tore it to pieces and threw it in the dustbin near the door.

Myra was shocked at such behaviour. "Shahmeer, it could be something important. It could be a well wisher or a congratulations card. How could you just throw it like that?"

"It was none of that Love. Relax."

"How can you be so sure?" Myra asked.

"I don't want to bother you with it. You freshen up. I will get breakfast ready for you." He said with a warm smile and walked out of the room.

As he walked out of the room, curiosity got the best of Myra and she came to the dustbin. Along with that torn letter, there were a few more letters. They were not torn, just thrown away. Some read, some unread. Why would he throw away so many letters? She picked up one of them and began reading it and was shocked to the core at the contents.

The most disgusting things were written about her relationship with Rajat along with a few photos of them in each other's embrace, clicked at the hospital. She could not understand who did this. Her mind went Numb at all this.

'Why would someone do this? But one thing is for sure. There is someone who can't tolerate our relationship. He received these letters, photographs.' She also received Amaan's bloodstained shirt, exactly like the one he was wearing on the day he got murdered along with a letter mocking her pain and telling how easily she forgot him and is marrying someone else.

'Should I talk to him about this?' She asked herself, staring at those photos. Someone has been keeping an eye on them. Both times, she embraced him, both were captured. She threw them back in the dustbin and proceeded to get ready. 'Why didn't he ask anything? From his expressions, his talks, his words or his behaviour towards me or Rajat it didn't seem like he was angry or anything.'

She took a deep breath and started getting ready. She wore an olive green shirt and brown jeans, curled her hair and let them open and walked downstairs.

As she walked downstairs, she saw Rajat walk in through the main door. "Do you come here early?" She asked, amused. It was around 7 in the morning. Which job asks you to start so early?

"Don't make me regret what I did for you." He said bluntly.

"Oh don't be angry. Anyways, thank you for what you did and how is your…"

"How is my…" he repeated just like her.

"The girl who tried to replace me?"

"Her name is Fiza. You might use it as well." He said. "And she is fine." And walked towards the left wing without waiting for her reply.

He stopped remembering something and asked, "Is boss upstairs?"

"No. He's in the kitchen." She said casually but that didn't go well with him. He thought she was being sarcastic and went upstairs to check. "Okay. Enjoy your delusions. I'm going to check."

"Whoa! Now it's not just 'his' room now that you can enter just like that. It's my room too."

"Man! You are the type of woman who can drive a normal person insane. I've important files, papers and other things. I need to go there every now and then." He reasoned, rubbing his forehead in frustration.

"Fine then. Find them and move them to the office area by evening."

"Yes, that would be better." He said and walked away. "Even I am not interested in watching your face every now and then." He muttered while walking away."

It's been merely 14 hours since she came here and she started ordering him around. God knows what the future brings.

***

Myra walked to the kitchen and saw Shahmeer. He looked exceptionally hot in the kitchen apron, chef's hat. The two men working with him were hiding their faces and smiling seeing him. Of course. Not every day you see a warlord making breakfast.

"Sham?" He looked at the door and saw Nani standing there looking at him unbelievably. "What are you doing here?" She asked with wide eyes.

"I… I was making breakfast." He replied awkwardly.

"For me." Myra completed and another gasp left her mouth as she took in Myra's appearance.

"What are you wearing? It's your first day at your Sasural (In-Laws). This is how you show up?"

"What is wrong with my dress?" Myra asked looking at herself when Shahmeer quickly walked between them. "Nani Maa, I like her dress. I told her to wear it. Why don't you wait at the dining table?"

"Really? What happened to all the maids and cooks?"

"It's not such a big deal." He smiled.

"Sham get out of there!" She said angrily. "After marriage, the Daughter-in-law cooks food to start her Grihasti (family life) And she gave that in your hands the very first day! One day to your marriage and she showed you the way to the kitchen. God knows what else I have to see at this age." Nani muttered walking away.

"What just happened?" Myra asked, staring at her in a daze.

"It's just a stereotype that men don't belong in the kitchen."

"Why? Men don't get hungry? They don't need food to survive?"

He smiled at her logic and said, "forget it. Tell me how do you like your eggs? Poached or scrambled?"

'Fertilized' She said in mind , looking at his hot self.

"A… Anything you make."

He smiled and went back to making omelette. "Just make a small one. I don't have a heavy breakfast."

"And I don't cook everyday. You have to eat everything." He said.

Myra asked both the servants to lay the table. They took plates and other stuff and walked out. She stepped closer to him and said, "Shahmeer?"

"Yes?" He asked without looking at her, still busy with the omelette.

"Why did you hide about those photographs from me? Why didn't you question my character like a typical man should?"

His head snapped up with that question.

He smiled at her and said, "my love, my Angel. There was no need for it. I trust you. I trust Rajat. Doubting any of you is out of question. I will never insult any of you like that."

Myra smiled back. With every passing moment, the respect for him in her eyes kept on increasing.