Before Kayan's lips could commit any further audacity, Mahjabeen opened the door without knocking and started to enter, but her steps froze at the sight inside. Kayan and Hooreen also saw her. Kayan kept Hooreen imprisoned in his arms. Hooreen lowered her head in shame while he addressed Mahjabeen angrily.
"You are not allowed to come in without my permission. Now get lost from here, you idiot!"
Mahjabeen apologized and left, while Hooreen, thinking of everyone else, exploded in anger.
"What a disgusting person you are! Do not do these cheap and lowly acts with me. Stay away from me, do you understand? I feel disgusted with myself, and I start to hate myself, my very existence, when you come near me and touch me. Stay away...!"
Kayan's grip loosened at Hooreen's words. She pushed him away, and he stumbled back. While he was hurt by her words, they also made his head spin with rage. He spoke angrily.
"What... what did you say...? You feel disgusted by my touch, by my proximity? You hate your own existence? Enough! This drama ends now."
Saying this, he grabbed her hand, dragged her outside, and threw her into the car before taking the driver's seat himself.
"Where... are... you... taking... me...?"
She asked in a terrified voice.
"I have endured distance for too long and given you far too much leeway, which you are taking unfair advantage of. That's why I am taking you to your real home now. And I don't want to hear your voice again; otherwise, I know exactly how to shut your mouth."
The car came to a stop outside a large, magnificent bungalow. Kayan got out, walked over to Hooreen's side, opened the door, and dragged her inside by her hand.
"Leave me… my hand… where are you… taking… me… I don't want to go… leave me…!"
Ignoring her words, Kayan brought her into a room, threw her onto the bed, and locked the door. He walked toward her as she recoiled in fear.
"You feel such disgust toward me, don't you? And you hate yourself when I come near you? Well, today I will remove all your disgust and hatred once and for all by claiming all my rights."
Seeing Kayan approaching and understanding the implication of his words, she backed away until she hit the headboard. He leaned over her, holding her in a firm grip. Gathering her courage, she spoke:
"Is this all your love amounts to...? You performed a forced Nikaah... you forced yourself into my life... you brought me home by force, and now you are going to claim your rights by force? Everything must happen according to your will...? Is this your love...? This isn't love; this is lust, which you are labeling as love."
"Shut up, Hooreen!"
Kayan shouted angrily, slamming his hand against the headboard. Pulling her even closer and looking into her eyes, he spoke in a cold tone:
"This isn't lust; it is an obsessive passion. If it were lust, I wouldn't have married you, nor would I have waited all these months for your proximity. I could have had you back then without any relationship. Even now, I can do a lot by exercising my rights, do you understand??"
After saying this, he backed away. His words had shaken her to the core. She spoke up again, fueled by anger:
"If this isn't lust but obsessive love, then why the force...? If you are so keen on exercising your rights, then do so when I come to this house and this room of my own free will."
In her state of confusion, she realized what she had just implied and bit her lip. A meaningful smile appeared on Kayan's face. He used his thumb to release her lip from the grip of her teeth and spoke:
"Stop biting your lips, otherwise you know what I'll do."
"Fine, I accept your condition. I will claim all my rights on the day you come to our house and our room of your own accord. After that, I won't listen to any excuses. Until then, I won't do anything. But remember one thing: if you ever mention that 'disgust' again or do anything irrational, you alone will be responsible for the consequences. Don't blame me later, because I can tolerate anything, but not such words from your mouth. Those words drive me crazy. This is your first and last warning."
Having said his piece, he sat down beside Hooreen. She tried to get up, but he grabbed her hand, pulled her back down, and said:
"I haven't been able to sleep peacefully for months because of you. So now, just stay here with me."
"Because of me...?" she asked in surprise.
"Yes, because of you."
Saying this, he laid his head in Hooreen's lap, took her soft hand, and placed it on his head. Hooreen was startled at first, but she didn't say anything, nor did she move him.
"Do you know, Hoor? You robbed me in installments. The first time I saw you, my peace vanished. The second time, I became restless. The third time, my sleep at night disappeared. And by the fourth time, I lost my senses and crossed every limit... You are very cruel, Hoor."
He fell silent after speaking. Hooreen was both surprised and lost in his words. Unconsciously, she began to run her fingers through his hair. After a long while, when she thought he had fallen asleep, she gently tried to place his head on the pillow and get up. But Kayan grabbed her hand and pulled her, causing her to fall on top of him. He wrapped his arms around her waist.
"I told you to stay with me. You were the one who destroyed my peace; how am I supposed to sleep without you now?"
"You… leave… me… you… said… you… wouldn't… do… anything… so…"
As she spoke in broken words, he looked at her with affection and said tenderly:
"When am I doing anything? This is all very normal. I just want to sleep while hugging my lovely wifey."
Kayan turned on his side and closed his eyes, holding Hooreen close to his chest. Even against her will, she remained pressed against him, fearing that refusing him might invite more trouble. She could clearly hear his heartbeat, which sent tremors through her own heart. Her heartbeat began to sync with his, and the sensation only grew stronger. Kayan's warm breath was fanning through her hair. She could feel the scent of his presence seeping into her. Hooreen looked up at Kayan's face.
"People like him are not in our destiny, Amna."
Hooreen remembered the words she had once said to Amna the first time she saw Kayan. Today, that very man was her destiny and loved her immensely. Yet, instead of envying her fate, she hadn't accepted his company—though deep in a corner of her heart, there was a hidden soft spot for him. She continued to look at him for a long time. There was a strange noise in her heart and mind; in Kayan's presence, she felt both peace and restlessness. She feared his proximity the most, as his intensity was beyond her endurance. Moreover, the way Kayan had made her his was wrong, and that was why she remained distant.
Kayan was being disturbed by Hooreen's constant gaze, but he remained as if he were asleep. He knew if he woke up, his Hoor wouldn't look at him with such affection and would pull away. Something happened to Hooreen's heart; she leaned up slightly, kissed Kayan's broad forehead, and closed her eyes. Kayan's lips curled into a smile.
When she opened her eyes, Kayan was still sleeping, and she was still in his arms. On Kayan's face, there was the glow of peace, love, and the satisfaction of having attained everything. Hooreen was hungry; she had last eaten the previous evening. She didn't want to wake him, but she couldn't bear the hunger. She placed her hand on Kayan's shoulder and shook him.
"Kayan… Kayan… wake up…"
Kayan opened his eyes. They were heavy with the haze of sleep. For a few moments, she kept looking at him, then lowered her gaze and spoke hesitantly:
"I… I am… hungry."
Usually, if someone woke him from sleep, he would bring the house down, and that person would be in deep trouble. But he liked that it was Hooreen who woke him. He smiled affectionately, kissed her forehead, and said:
"You go freshen up. By then, the food will arrive."
She got up and went to the washroom. When she came out, the food was already there. Kayan gestured for her to come, and she sat down beside him to eat.
How could what Mahjabeen had seen remain limited to her? She told Samara, the Principal, and the entire school. Those who knew Hooreen well ignored it, but some believed it while others didn't. They called Hooreen to insult her so that she wouldn't come back to school on her own, because in Kayan's business, the rule was that no one except the owner could fire an employee.
They called Hooreen's phone. Hooreen was bathing. Hearing the constant ringing, Haleema Begum picked up the call. Looking at the mobile, she was surprised—where did Hooreen get such an expensive phone? It said "Miss Mahjabeen calling." She answered. Before she could say a word, Mahjabeen spoke in a venomous tone:
"You don't need to come to school from today onwards. Anyway, with what face would you show up? Don't you feel ashamed carrying on an affair with your own boss? If you wanted to blacken your face, you should have done it elsewhere."
"This is a place for decent people. There is no room here for a characterless girl like you," the Principal, Nafisa's, voice echoed.
Then Samara added:
"You act so innocent, but as soon as you saw a rich party, you forgot everything and started having your flings. Don't you dare step foot in this school again."
They hung up. Haleema Begum stood in a state of shock, unable to say anything. Even after the call ended, she still held the phone to her ear. Her trance was broken by Hooreen's voice.
"Mama, please give me breakfast, I'm getting late for school."
"Hooreen, where did you get this phone?" she asked in a dazed manner. Hooreen panicked; she couldn't lie to her mother.
"Mama… that… it was given by… Sir… at school…?"
"May I ask on what occasion?" Her tone was angry.
Before she could say anything else, Mr. Ilyas spoke up, having just arrived for breakfast.
"Hooreen's performance was top-tier in the entire school. Her students' results were 100%, so she received this gift from her Principal. What is there to be so angry about? Hooreen had told me about it the very same day."
At his words, Hooreen looked at her Papa with tearful eyes—he had lied for her.
"Hmm… alright Hooreen, you have breakfast. There's no need to go to work today, rest at home. I'm coming back in a moment…"
Hearing Mr. Ilyas, Haleema Begum felt satisfied. It occurred to her that those people were jealous of her daughter's progress and were trying to defame her. She couldn't believe they had said such things about her daughter; she wasn't going to let them off easily.
"Where are you going, Begum? You should also have breakfast."
"No, you both eat. I have a very important task to finish."
"Papa… you had to lie because of me. I am sorry."
She began to cry. Mr. Ilyas pulled her close and spoke while comforting her:
"Don't be sorry. I know my Hooreen can never do anything wrong, so don't say sorry."
"Papa… that phone… Kayan gave it… he is our school's…"
"I know he is the owner of your school," he completed her sentence. She looked at Mr. Ilyas in shock.
"Papa, how do you know...? Do you know Kayan?"
"I know him very well. He is the same man because of whom my daughter couldn't sleep peacefully at night. But because of this same man, my daughter's fear has also vanished. She no longer wakes up crying or scared; she sleeps peacefully now."
Mr. Ilyas said this while looking at her affectionately. She wept for a long time while he comforted her.
"Papa, I wanted to tell you, but I didn't understand what to say or how. And please don't tell Mama anything about this. You know her nature; she will distance herself from me again because I lied and kept her in the dark."
"Hooreen, my child, stop crying. I am your father; I understand your every thought without you saying it. I have left everything up to you because it is your life, so the decision must also be yours. I will wait for the day when you inform me of your decision regarding this relationship. And I won't tell your Mama anything because I also want you to tell her yourself, just as you tell me. Now, go eat your breakfast."
She bowed her head. In her heart, the respect for her father grew a thousandfold.