She woke up with a knock on the door. Her eyes lazily opened and she groggily said a 'come in'. The door opened and her mother came in with a small smile on her face. She sat beside her on the bed and caressed her silky brown hair.

"Wake up, Zahra. I have a news for you," Ammara (her mother) told her.

She sat leisurely on the bed, resting her back against the headboard. Her brain was still zoned out and she was half awake but still, she wanted to know what news her mother had for her.

"Yes mama, what is it?"

"Haider Bhai (Irtaza's father) asked your hand for Irtaza. Last night, he came to my room and sincerely apologized for his father's behavior and then asked your hand for Irtaza without pressurizing or threatening me of throwing us out of this haveli. He truly wanted you to be his daughter-in-law and that too without any pressure." she broke the news.

This got Zahra's attention and she completely woke up. The memories of last night came rushing into her mind. She was sleeping soundly, her eyes opened, he stood there, he had a gun, he slapped her, he took her to a warehouse, he forced her to marry her. Her brain flashed with those three words that had sealed her fate.

Qubool hai

Qubool hai

Qubool hai

(I accept)

And now she was his wife.

'Am I his wife now? Really, now I am someone's wife? Daniyal, Oh God Daniyal! How can I leave him? What will happen?!'

Her mind began to accept whatever happened to her last night. It was too much for her. Too much. Her eyes were already tearing up upon realizing her situation. She tried to control her tears. She cant break in front of her mother. She can't tell her she was forcefully married. No. She just can't. It will break her mother more.

She blinked several times to drink in her tears and took a deep breath to calm her wild nerves down.

"What do you say, Zahra? Do you want to marry him? Don't worry about where we will live. Haider Bhai promised he will provide us a space to live,"

"I need to talk to Irtaza first mama," she said and jumped on her feet, draped her dupatta (veil) on her chest, and made her way out to his room.

She was being insane, all her emotions were bottled up inside her and she felt like soon they will blast and cause an explosion. She was sad, depressed, fearful, surprised but what she felt the most was rage, pure rage.

How dare he to force me into this relation!

She asked a maid on her way to tell the way to his room. Her legs were moving fast and a deep frown was marred on her forehead. The feeling was so overwhelming for her. Her hands were shivering with indignation and fury.

She came across the door of his room and without knocking or giving a second thought to entering inside or not, she harshly pulled the handle opening the door and blurted out without thinking twice,

"I want a divorce!"

He was standing near the site table only in his boxers. His hair was wet as he had just come out after showering. His muscular back faced her and he was bent down, a bit, picking up his cell phone from the table. His anger knew no bounds when someone entered his room without permission and it got out of control when he heard her words.

He slowly turned around and saw her standing there with wide eyes. His chiseled chest was on full display making him look more intimidating and that accelerated her heartbeat.

"You want what?" he asked cocking his brow. His voice was menacing.

She was getting afraid now. Her resolve broke in a pheww. His voice did all for her.

"I wa..nt divorce," her voice got small but still she stood her ground.

He was trying hard to control her anger. He clenched his jaw but tried his best not to show her his anger else she would want to run for mountains.

"Hmm.. so you want a divorce," he mused.

"Yes," she nodded. She was getting nervous and now anticipation was hitting her hard. She was cursing herself in her mind to come to his room in the first place. Her apprehension grew more every second, especially seeing him only in his boxers.

"Do you know who is a prostitute?" he questioned taking a step towards her. And that's when her heartbeat increased. Memories of last night flashed in her mind when he slapped her.

"What?" she asked in total bewilderment and he took one more predatory step in her direction. Her mind wasn't working now.

"A prostitute is a whore a slut," he told slowly.

"Why are.. you telling me all this?" her voice got small. She was baffled completely that why he was telling this to her.

"If you don't want to be my wife then you will be my whore," he stated.

"What?" she gasped with horror.

"Yes sweetheart," he took a dangerous step towards her. Her legs were frozen after listening to what he just said.

Did I hear him right?

"One step out of this haveli you will be abducted the next second and then I will make you my whore,"

He was now standing just a foot away from her. He abruptly closed the door and caged her between the door and him. Her heart jumped to her throat, her face got all hot and her stomach churned with fear. Her face leveled to his nipples and she begin to hyperventilate seeing him standing too close to her and that too only in his boxers.

"The choice is yours again," he said in a low voice near her ear.

"be my wife or be my slut." he whispered in her ear.

Her eyes watered with tears of humiliation. He was disgracing her.

A slut. Am I that low?

"I don't want divorce," she cried. Her voice was broken and small. She will never forget the way he humiliated her by asking her to be his whore.

"Good girl," he patted her cheek and pulled away from her.

Her heart wrenched painfully. And as soon as she turned around and opened the door to leave the door was harshly closed, bolted and her back was smashed onto the door. And the next thing she knew his pink lips smashed onto her soft ones.

He plunged his tongue into her mouth, caressing her tongue. His one hand knitted into her locks to have better access in exploring her mouth and the other was roaming on her waist, smashing her body into his. He kissed her hungrily as if he was a man wandering thirsty in a desert and her lips are his water. His tongue skillfully explored every corner of her mouth, dancing against her dry tongue. His hold on her locks tightened showing his need as he pressed her lips more into him. He was practically eating her lips like a hungry lion devouring his prey.

Zahra was totally taken aback. She didn't expect this in the least. She was completely shocked unable to understand what was happening. This close proximity and him kissing her, that too half-naked blocked her mind. She had never been kissed before, never in her life. She always expected his first kiss by Daniyal.

Her shocked senses came back when her mind hit with the thought of Daniyal. She promised him never to betray him, to wait for him. And now she was married against her will and this man who was now her husband had his tongue within her mouth, kissing her brutally. Daniyal was her true love and she just couldn't let this happen. By hook or crook, she will find a way to get rid of him and go back to Daniyal. He was her love, life, and everything.

A new determination rekindled in her. She will fight him, definitely fight him till her last breath only for the love of her life, Daniyal.

He pressed her body against his. She moved her face sideways to get rid of his lips but he didn't budge instead flushed her body more into him. Her arms moved and she placed her hands on his chest and the very next seconds she regretted it. Her hands came in contact with his nipples and she pulled them back as if they got burnt. So she did one thing that came into her mind. She bit his tongue hard.

"Fuck!"

He immediately pulled off holding his mouth. Zahra didn't miss the golden chance and straight away unlocked the door and ran out like a maniac.

He cleaned the blood on his lips with his thumb and tilted his head, staring at her running form.

'Why the fuck is she so hesitant? Am I not her fucking husband?'

Her little fiesty act came into his mind and he smirked.

"Senorita, you need to think before you act," he said more like a warning and closed the door shut.

Zahra was panting heavily. She was clueless what she did was right or not but she only wanted to get away from him. She stood right in front of her room's door and composed herself because she knew her mother will be waiting inside.

After good five minutes of calming her hysterical nerves, she opened the door and found her mother sitting on the bed.

"What happened? Did you talk to him?" Ammara asked her as she entered her room.

"Yes mama I have talked," she said with a small smile clearly not showing her vulnerable state.

"So what do you say? Do you want to marry him?" Ammara asked. Her mother liked Irtaza because what Haider told her about his son last night that how much proud he is of him and how he was handling their family business and how he praised his son rose Irtaza's standard in front of Ammara's eyes. And the fact that Mujtaba also wanted Zahra to marry Irtaza, inclined her answer towards a yes but she wanted Zahra's consent first. She can't force her daughter.

"Yes mama, I," her throat clogged. She cannot even express her feelings to her mother, " will marry him,"

Ammara smiled brightly after listening to her daughter's words and immediately crushed her in a hug.

"Mujtaba (Zahra's father) also wanted you to marry Irtaza. His soul would be contented. I am so happy, Zahra. And you my daughter InshAllah will be the happiest. You took the wise decision, Zahra. I am proud of you. Irtaza is the perfect match for you," she said while hugging her.

Tears were now freely falling down her eyes. Her mother thought she would be happy but in actuality, she was caged with a psychopath. But she had to pull herself together for her mother. She cant tell anything to her, it would break her more. Yet the fact that she once again cannot share her feelings with her mother made more tears roll down her face.

Ammara pulled back and saw her daughter crying.

"What happened Zahra? Don't you want to marry her? Are you not happy?" she asked worriedly cupping her cheeks.

"No mama it's not that I just... miss baba," her voice came out broken more than she expected and she hugged her mother tightly. Her crying soon turned into sobbing. Her whole form began to shake with her hiccups. The silent room resonated with her big sobs. She cant be stronger anymore. She was tired of facing all the calamities all alone. She was tired of keeping it all to herself. She was tired of being weak. She needed a shoulder on which she could cry her heart out. Now she didn't care she has to be strong in front of her mother. She just wanted someone to comfort her.

Ammara hugged her daughter tightly. Her emotions were also at bay and seeing her daughter crying made her cry as well. And soon she began to sob as well, remembering her husband. The death of her husband had created a deep hollow pit in her heart that could never be filled. She was being strong for her daughter. But now she also needed a shoulder on which she could mourn. Both mother and daughter hugged each other tightly and cried their heart out in each other arms.

A knock on the door ceased their sobbing. Both of them wiped their wet cheeks and composed themselves.

"Come in," Zahra said in her heavy voice.

A maid came in and informed them of the breakfast before going back shutting the door close.

Ammara kissed her daughter's forehead.

"Everything will be fine my beautiful daughter. Your father is with you and always will be with you. It doesn't matter he is physically not here. And don't worry your mother is here. Right beside you. Who will support you and protect you," she assured her. "Now go and get ready for the breakfast."

Zahra nodded and went to the washroom to take a shower. After getting dressed she walked to her mother's room and then both of them went to the dining room. She felt her heart lightened as she released her bottled-up emotions.

Everyone was already sitting there. Both of them sat on the same chairs where they sat last time.

Zahra didn't dare to look up knowing he is already sitting there. Her grandfather spoke to her mother grabbing everyone's attention.

"Is your daughter's answer is still a no?" he asked, authoritatively.

"I am ready to marry him," Zahra spoke before her mother can say anything. She wanted her grandfather to counter her directly not her mother. She was afraid he might humiliate her mother in front of everyone.

"But I don't want to marry her," Irtaza spoke before anyone could say anything.

...