Ya Amar (My Moon)

Thirty nine

"Amir Hussein Mashood" one of them who had black hair and a goatee stepped out of the line. He had an accent I had never heard in my entire life. How did he know my husband's name?

"What do you want?" Amir asked pushing me again to his back when I stepped beside him to have a good look at the men. I gripped his blazer stealing a look at the men.

"You know what we want. You thought you were smart" the man said with a thin smile.

"I do not have what you want"

"You can keep lying if you want but you know the boss won't take things easy with you"

"I do not have what you want. I told you!" he shouted. The man laughed.

"How could you not know where your father kept the boss's most priced item? You are your father's son. You should know"

"I know nothing" he breathes out.

"Don't play with me young man" the man said, his expression becoming grim. "I am not here to play. You can see" He looked at the men behind him "Try nonsense and you won't see tomorrow. You will be a dead man"

"How about if that dead man will be you" Amir shot at the man. I screamed but he pulled me like a rope and dashed down a lane before the men knew what happened.

When the men ran after us, Amir ran faster. I trailed behind him. They shot at us and Amir ducked me down pushing me into an alley. I stumbled on the floor flat on my face. The hard smell of garbage that could even choke a sewer rat filled the air. I gagged suddenly nauseous.

"Don't come out" Amir shouted.

Bullets sounds followed next. The men shot at my husband and he shot back at them. I heard a groaned and peeped. One of the men fell. Slowly, I stepped out of the smelly alley to look at what happened.

The remaining men charged at my husband who wanted to play hero. He was stupid. Did he not see this is not some movie but reality? These men will injure him. I let out a scream when one of them kicked him and he tumbled to the floor. He sent a blow right under the guy's jaw then grabbed my hands and ran. I did not hesitate this time and decided to hold back my questions. When we got to a busy street, he reduced his pace and slowed down. I did the same thing dawdling by his side.

"Walk slowly to prevent anyone from looking" he whispered to me as he looked back. I did the same thing.

Surprisingly the men were not after us. I was exhausted from running so I walked slowly. Amir acted as if nothing had happened. I was walking bare footed on a busy lane. Anyone will call me a mad woman. We got to a bridge where there were padlocks looked on its rail.

"This is Mala Strana" he said pulling me to the small canal. "It is believed if you lock a padlock, you are locking your love forever"

I was scared. I was full of questions. I did not know what to do or say. Everything was just confusing.

"Who are those men?" I asked my voice small.

"They were no one" Amir said dismissively and picked a padlock. "Come on" he pulled me closer but I yanked my hand from his grip.

"Answer my question Amir. Who are those men?" I stared at him, words leaving my lips slowly.

"Nobody important" he took my wrist.

"Don't lie to me" I swallowed. "They wanted something from you and you are telling me they are no one" my voice shook.

"Angel, let's forget them and whatever happened tonight" he held my face in between his hands.

"You expect me to forget Amir" I pushed his hand from my face. "They were chasing us. They wanted us. You knew right. That was why you were not at ease at the restaurant"

"Yes I knew. They walked in after we settled down"

"What do they want? They were asking for something. I just wanted a peaceful moment with you Amir and look" I threw my hand. "We were chased and shot at. I have no shoes on"

He said nothing and it angered me. I wanted him to reply me but he just stared at me as if I was some cartoon.

"What are you hiding from me?"

"Hayati" he groaned rubbing his forehead.

"Don't call me and answer my question. They know you. That man you shot called your full name"

"I.....I....." he took my hand. "You have to understand Angel. I will tell you the right time"

"Your father has something they own"

"I don't know what Abu has but I am not telling you anything"

His words pierced my heart. He really was not going to tell me anything. At that moment, I felt as if I had married another man. I felt as if I did not know the man I got married to. It was unbelievable that he was hiding something from me.

"Fine" I stepped away from him trying to get my wrist away from his firm grip.

"You have to understand" he held my hands his eyes pleading me to trust him.

"I don't understand you" tears filled my eyes. "You don't want to tell me anything Amir. Leave me. I want to go to the hotel" I tried getting out of his hold.

"Look at me Angel" he held my face to gaze into my eyes. "I wish I could tell you but I do not want to scare you"

"You are scaring me already Amir. Leave me. I want to go back to the hotel" I stepped away.

"Wait Noor" he said as I turned away but I refused to answer. "Noor!" he called me and I increased my pace. "Angel!" he called again.

I walked faster wanting to get away from the stranger I just saw. I wiped away the tears that almost fell. I should not be hurt. When I got to the lobby of the hotel, the lift was not available so I decided to follow the staircase.

"Angel" I heard Amir's voice again as I ascended the staircase but I ran up. He kept following me skipping some stairs and I ran faster. As I tried skipping two staircases, I slipped landing on the steps. A small cry left my lips.

"Are you alright?" Amir asked bending in front of me. I sat up touching my left ankle where there was a sharp pain. He took my bare foot in his hand but I slapped his hand away.

"Leave me alone" I tired getting up.

"Don't test my patience Noor" he pushed me back to sit snatching my foot. I yanked my feet away, pushing him hard to get up. He gripped my arms hard and pulled me back. The way his hands were so tight around my arms gave away his anger. "Stop it" he breathes out with a very hard warning. My breathing came out faster as I held his gaze. I said nothing then he took my foot again in his hands. He turned it, massaged and stretched.

It was relieving. He had his head down and I stared at his face with worried expression. He cared for me. I knew that but he was hiding things from me and that I do not want. My heart pounded in my chest.

"Are you better now?" he asked.

"I don't know"

"Get up and try to walk" he helped me up. When I moved my foot and put my weight on the sprained one, it hurt a bit and I limped. "You can't walk well"

"I....." he swept me off my feet into his arms. My eyes grew wide at his act. "I can...."

"Don't say a word" he warned.

Quietly, he carried me to the room and kept me on the bed. I gazed at his face through our journey to the room. He had a grim look but there was something that I felt, hard and strong. That made my heart race. He went to the bathroom and came back to the room with a pain relief cream. He took my foot and rubbed it on it. I had nothing to say with him so I just watched him. His side view was beautiful. I trailed his facial features from his pretty eyes to his lips preventing my hand from moving to the face that made my heart fluster. I gulped not removing my gaze from those plump soft lips. I wanted them on mine in a way I can't explain. Lust! That was what I felt towards him. Lust mixed with love, something that rarely happens. Usually, the lust was from him before it began in me. I looked away feeling the pounding of my heart. Ya Allah! What is this?

When he was done, he went back to the bathroom and came out again few minutes later. He pulled off his blazer and threw it on the chair. He shuffled around the room pulling off his shirt before getting a towel and he vanished into the bathroom.

I stood by the French window staring out at the night hoping it will cure the lust that was in me like an intoxicant. I had to take my mind off him. He was driving me crazy making me feel things I do not want to feel. I know a simple touch from him had always weaken me but this feeling was different. I wrapped my hands around my body as if I wanted to give myself warmth.

"You should not be standing" He said his voice closer than I wanted.

It was when you are trying to push him away he comes closer. I curled my feet, his presence so close that I could feel him. He had come out from the bathroom and the air around me was bathed in his scent. My heart jumped in my chest, every throb never going on noticed.

"Are you better?" he asked his hand reaching for the zip of my dress. I trembled and I knew he had noticed because instead of stepping away, he pulled me closer. "Is something wrong?" his warm breathe fanned my skin which chilled, Hus low voice husky and sizzling in my ear. Bit by bit, he pulled down the zip in an alluring manner, a finger gliding down my back. I curled.

"Amir" I called, my breathing shuddered at the same time my legs trembled.

In one gentle pull, my back touches his bare chest. My breathing became deeper and he knew it. He felt it, the effect he had on me. He turned me around to look at him. I had the intention of pushing him away until he laid a gentle hand on my face. Just one gentle touch and it ignited sparks inside my body. The racing of my heart had a lot to do with what was happening between us. It was fear of what might happen next and what my body wanted. I could see what Hus ryes gave away. Subhanallah, he wants me.

I saw the pulse in his neck racing, pounding hard against his skin. I refused to look at his eyes so I rested my eyes on his bare chest. He lifted my face tenderly so that he holds the stare I did not want to give him. I felt his hand in my hair. His gaze held mine as he loosened it. Then his fingers brushed over my face, my cheeks bones then my lips. Every part his feathery touch caressed left nothing but goosebumps. There was no smile on his face just the hot passion of his gaze that I knew was the beginning of what was yet to happen.

That was when he captured my lips with his. It was not rushed but the gentleness in it magnifies the spark that rushed through my body. I gripped his sides to prevent falling down. My heart was pounding harder in my chest but there was nothing I could do to stop the desire starting inside me. I wanted the same thing and there was no turning back. He laid me in bed both of us drunken with desire. That night, we sealed our bond as husband and wife for the first time.