Author's pov
It was almost lunchtime when Aurin reached Mikaeel's office. She didn't bother to knock and entered his room directly. Entering the room she found him talking to someone on the phone. Walking towards him she stood right in front of his desk.
" I will call you back," Mikaeel said looking at Aurin's drained-out face and cutting the call.
Noticing her hands empty he said chuckling," I thought my wifey brought lunch for me."
Aurin remained silent like a mute and Mikaeel understood that something is wrong. Scanning her face, he realized that she is upset about something. A thin line of anxiety appeared on his face seeing her glossy eyes.
Standing up he asked caressing her cheeks," What happened, wifey? Is everything alright?"
" What's your relationship with Mrs Maryam Shamsi?" Aurin asked breaking her silence and the concerned expression on Mikaeel's face was replaced by a confused & scared expression.
He answered turning away from her," Umm......I......mm....I told you already that she was just my business partner. She is very troublesome and that's why I cancelled the deal with her. She is a closed chapter now."
Holding his right upper arm she yanked it making him look at her face. Mikaeel lost all colour from his face seeing Aurin shaking with anger. He gulped down wondering the reason behind her behaviour. He just hopes Maryam didn't say anything to Aurin about them.
" Who is gonna tell me that she was your ex-girlfriend?" Aurin screamed at the top of her lungs.
Before Mikaeel could react or say something she grabbed his collar and shouted," You had been doing business with your ex-girlfriend and meeting her on regular basis but never felt the importance to tell me about her!!! Huh!! Why did you do that?"
" Wifey, liste..........." Mikaeel was stopped by Aurin's yelling," What? What are you going to say? Is it true that you had an affair with her? You were cheating behind my back!!!"
This time Mikaeel grabbed Aurin's shoulder tightly and shouted back," Never!! I can never cheat on you. You are misunderstanding me."
Aurin didn't answer back but let the angry tears flow down her cheeks. No, she doesn't believe that Mikaeel can cheat on her but how can he hide this matter from her? Doesn't she deserve to know about her husband's ex-girlfriend whom he is claiming is just a business partner?
" Why didn't you share anything with me about your ex-girlfriend?" Aurin asked emotionlessly wiping away her tears and this time Mikaeel lowered his head.
After that Mikaeel started saying everything from the very first. He told her everything except that disastrous night. He still couldn't gather the courage to tell her that he was raped. He feels disgusted whenever he thinks about that night so he can't even imagine what will Aurin feel after knowing the truth.
" I swear Wifey I have nothing with her. I admit that I did wrong by hiding all these from you but I swear I have no feelings for her. Please, trust me," Mikaeel requested holding Aurin's hands but she didn't react at all.
Mikaeel scanned her face and looking into her eyes his heart crumbled inside his chest. Though she wasn't crying he couldn't ignore the pain in her eyes. The pain of betrayal.
Pulling her into a bone-crushing hug he apologised," I am sorry, wifey. I never knew that things will go this far. I didn't realise that she will get attracted to me. I swear it was one-sided. Please, try to understand."
" She told me that the father of her 3rd baby is you. She even showed me a DNA report," Aurin whispered and Mikaeel loosened the hold.
Cupping her face between his palms he said," She is lying. Please, believe me."
" Believe you!! So that you can keep me in dark again!!" Aurin replied with glossy eyes and her lips quivered while uttering those words.
Mikaeel answered desperately," Once you told me that you believe me, right wifey? Then why aren't you believing me now? I am your husband and that woman is a stranger to you. You know me, lived with me and love me then how can you believe someone else instead of believing me. Please, try to understand my perspective. I am not refusing that I wasn't at fault. In fact, I shouldn't have given her the chance to think beyond limits. Truth to be told I didn't understand that the situation will turn like that."
Aurin heard him but didn't reply. She wasn't understanding what to say. Her mind wasn't working properly. She was feeling like anytime she will faint.
" Wifey, say something," Mikaeel said shaking her slightly.
Aurin whispered with an inaudible voice," Mikaeel, I can't talk about all this anymore. I need some time. I am not feeling well."
" Then, let's go to the doctor," Mikaeel said sounding concerned.
Aurin answered slightly pushing him away," I don't need doctor, Mikaeel. I need some time alone. Give me some time."
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" Mehu.....say Ma....mma........say....it," Maryam said to her daughter who was slithering on the floor.
The baby let out a cute giggle and Maryam's heart melted right away. Picking up the baby she started kissing it like the baby is some kind of delicious candy.
" Love.....you....." Maryam said giving a hard kiss on the baby's fluffy cheeks.
Maryam was busy with her daughter when someone rang the doorbell. She ordered Yamir to open the door and after a few seconds, she heard Mikaeel's voice.
" Maryam!! Maryam!!" Mikaeel's voice echoed in the whole apartment like a thunderstorm.
Giving the baby to the nanny Maryam came to the living room and found an angry Mikaeel. She also noticed Yamir who was looking at Mikaeel with suspicious eyes. The moment Mikaeel's eyes fell on Maryam he marched towards her like a raging bull.
" What did you say to my wife?" Mikaeel roared at the top of his lungs.
Instead of answering Mikaeel, she ordered Yamir," Go to your room, Yamir."
" Yes, mamma," Yamir nodded his head glaring at Mikaeel.
No sooner had Yamir left than Mikaeel growled at her," What did you say to my wife?"
" Lower your voice, Mikaeel Sheikh. Decent people live here not a rowdy like you," Maryam shot back and Mikaeel lost his temper.
He shouted in her face," You told me that you won't interfere in my life again then what did you tell my wife? You poisoned her mind! You even said that your third baby is mine!!"
" It was your wife who interfered in my life. Didn't I warn you to stay away from me? Then, why did your beloved wife continue putting her legs into my business?" Maryam asked rudely.
Then, Maryam continued saying," Because of your wife I lost my clients, I had to count a great loss, my children were bullied in the school and I lost millions. And, everything happened because of your judgemental wife. Without knowing anything properly she tagged me as an abusive mother!! How dare she!!"
Mikaeel tried to say something but Maryam yelled," How many kids she has raised yet, Mikaeel? Does she have any idea about children? A childless woman complained against a mother of three!! What does she know about being a mother?"
Maryam's questions brought the pain inside Mikaeel's chest that he and Aurin had been trying for a child for a long time but every time they returned empty-handed. He felt Maryam's words stabbing into his chest. But, he sighed thinking that these harsh words weren't thrown at Aurin. She would have collapsed right now hearing these words.
"Yamir & Omaira are my kids. For the past ten years, I raised them with my everything. I sacrificed every single bit of mine for their sake because they are my responsibility. I know how to raise them, how to discipline them. Your wife is a stranger to me then without knowing anything properly how can she complain against me to the police?" Maryam finished saying and then there was pin-drop silence for a few seconds.
Taking a breath Maryam continued shouting at Mikaeel," I still remember that incident. You were in 10th standard when your mother beat the hell out of you because you hurt your younger brother. It was me who put ice bags on your bruises. So, after that incident did you go to the police to file a complaint against your mother? Did you tag your mother as an abusive mother? Did you? You didn't. Because you knew that no matter what your mother loves you and whatever she did was for your own good."
" Just like your mother, I am a mother too. To discipline my children I can do anything to my children. As a stranger, your wife should have minded her business," Maryam finished saying and started taking long breaths.
And, finally, Mikaeel broke his silence. He looked at Maryam with pure hatred but she didn't show any emotions. Nobody cares about her emotions so she stopped showing them.
" You have barked enough. Now, let me say. You are so hurt that you lost billions, and your clients blah blah blah! But, do you have any idea what I have gone through because of you? I lost billions once the deal was cancelled, I lost the position of chairman in my company, and my father almost threw me out of his household. And, everything happened because of you," Mikaeel accused shutting Maryam's mouth.
Then, Mikaeel shouted in her face," And, about my wife. She is a responsible citizen of this country who couldn't tolerate any injustice. I believe in Aurin. She won't do anything unnecessarily. No matter how much you deny it's true that you are an abusive woman. The woman who can sleep with a man without his consent can do anything!!"
Mikaeel's last sentence stabbed right into Maryam's chest but she didn't say anything. Somehow she controlled herself from bursting into tears.
" You ruined my married life, Maryam. You ruined everything of my mine. Because of you, Aurin has lost her trust in me and I don't know if she will be able to trust me again!!" Mikaeel said with a shaky voice but except silence, Maryam couldn't respond.
Mikaeel held Maryam's shoulder and screamed on her face," Even after your betrayal I never wished anything bad for you. I always prayed for your well-being and that's how you decided to repay me. You pathetic bitch."
" Mikaeel, leave my house. I am not in the mood to hear your bullshit," Maryam said trying to free herself from Mikaeel's tight grip.
Mikaeel shouted tightening his hold around her body," Why? Is the truth hurting you? Then, let me tell you some bitter truth."
Maryam looked at Mikaeel with confused eyes when he started saying with pure hatred," I wish I let your family kill you that day. I wish I never saved you. You know what everything is your fault for whatever you have gone through. Actually, your husband wasn't bad. You failed him. You failed as a lover, a mother, a daughter, a sister. You are nothing but a failure."
Mikaeel's words triggered a strong nerve inside Maryam and she shouted back," No. That's not true."
" Yeah. That's the truth. You are a failure and to cover up your failure and frustration you chose me who did nothing wrong to you ever. You know what I feel sorry for Mr Shamsi that he got such a shameless wife like you. I feel sorry for your children that they got a miserable mother like you!!" Mikaeel said while Maryam started breathing heavily.
Then, he whispered in her ear," You know what I wish 100 men rape you at once so that you understand how it feels to get raped. I wish 100 men rape you at once so that you never dream of a dick again."
Those hateful words triggered some memory inside Maryam and she went numb. Tears stopped flowing down her cheeks and her pupils turned like stones.
" Register this thing in your mind that I hate you from the core of my heart," Mikaeel shouted and pushed her with full force.
Maryam was going to fall to the floor when someone held her. She looked at the person and it was none other than Yamir. Yamir is only 12 but he is already taller than any 12-year-old boy and more muscular than any average kid. He made his mother sit on the nearby couch and looked at Mikaeel.
" Stay away from my Mamma. Otherwise, I will beat you to pulp," Yamir threatened and then Omaira stood in front of Mikaeel with a cricket bat.