Meri Dua'oon Mein Tera Wajood Rehta Hai,

Is Se Badh Kar Mera Aitraf Kya Hoga.

They both looked towards Mustafa who was throwing daggers at them.

His eyes were red, the vain on his forehead bobbling up seething in anger.

"What are you two doing here, all alone ?"

He again asked, fire still evident in his voice, seeing them both standing close to each other, holding hands.

"Bhaai I was...."

He walked towards his brother to tell him the cheap show Tabassum Bashar put up, trying to humiliate Maria but before he could say anything their father came oblivious of the tension brewing between them.

"Hassan where were you ? I was looking for you. Come, I want you to meet our important clients."

Giving a last look, he left with his father leaving both of them alone.

"What were you both doing ?"

He walked towards her with calculated steps, reading her nervous expressions which she was trying to hide, looking down.

"I asked you something."

She flinched at his cold tone, making her shiver in fear and take few steps back but he held her wrist, glaring at her and took her inside the house not caring about the curious eyes of few guests in the living room.

"Will you tell me what I asked you ?"

Locking the door of the guest room at first floor, he turned towards her, holding her chin in a tight vice like grip, forcing her to look up in his eyes.

"W-we we-were talking. Y-yeah talking."

She stuttered lying, not wanting him to know what happened. She knew what he was capable of doing in anger. He won't let anyone insult his family and let them go easily. When provoked he could no less than a pawn of devil. He could be the best man when happy and the worst man when angry.

"Do you think you can lie to me ?"

He laughed sinisterly, catching her lie. He knew she was lying as she wasn't able to meet his eyes. She was too bad at lying for it was a game she didn't how to play.

"I am not lying. We were talking only."

She whispered softly still not able to look in his eyes. Not been able to get a proper answer out of her, he was ready to burst, the clock of his patience ticking slowly towards it's end.

With one tug he pulled her towards himself, resulting her to land on his chest. She tried pushing him but he held her firmly against himself.

"What are you doing ?"

She gasped with his action trying to get out his hold but his grip was tight unmatchable to her protests.

"That's how you talk. Right ?"

He mocked, making her eyes widened in disbelief with his words.

"What are you trying to say ?"

"I am not saying anything it's you who has decided to conceal the truth."

His anger knew no limit when he saw them together. He was mad seeing them so close.

"What are you hiding ? Is there something going on between you two ?"

His hold loosened on her waist and he held her arms tightly, shaking her trying to get answer which he was desperately trying to get.

"How can you say that ?"

She was shocked with his behavior towards her. Never in her wildest dreams she thought he would be so rude with her not knowing the worst was about to come.

"Because from where I looked it seemed you two are very close."

His jealousy knew no peaks. There was a tone of possesiveness in his voice which he himself was unaware of.

"Standing close doesn't mean there is something going on between us. Humaare darmiyan kuch waise bhi nahi ho sakta."

She tried defending herself but he wasn't ready to listen anything.

"But I have seen the way he looks at you and from what I have seen I think he loves you."

He said what he saw. Hassan liked her or maybe was in love with her and that was his queue to start feel jealous of his own brother that he didn't even saw her eyes which were red from crying.

"But I don't."

"But from what I saw I think you too.."

"Stop.... Please stop...."

She had enough of his accusations of loving Hassan. How can he not see the love she had for him ? If he could read Hassan's emotions why can't he read hers. Why ?

"Aise kuch nahi hai..."

"To phir Kya hai..."

He asked bringing her closer once again, now holding her hand. He was desperate for her answer.

"Bolo..."

He again asked, seeing her eyes filled with tears. Unshed tears which were for him, solely and exclusively.

"SPEAK UP DAMMIT..."

Not getting his answer he screamed, scaring her with his loud voice.

"I can never like him cause I love you."

Not been able to hear more of his accusations of loving Hassan, she finally admitted her feelings fearlessly looking in his eyes.

He was gobsmacked hearing her. He couldn't believe his ears. Her eyes held love for him. Love in it's purest form. Love that happens once in a lifetime.

She knew it was bound to happen soon. She couldn't have been able to keep her feelings inside her heart for long. It was now or never.

"No, Y-you can't do that with us. You can't destroy what we have. I won't let you do that."

He got hyper, started pacing inside the room, raking hands through his hair, looking for a solution to turn back everything to normal.

"I love..."

He kept his hand on her mouth cutting her off not wanting to hear those three words from her.

"NO, DON'T.... PLEASE DON'T..."

He requested but she removed his hand from her mouth, holding him with his collar.

"I LOVE YOU AND IT'S TRUE."

"You don't love me birdie. It's just an infatuation, nothing else. It happens at your age and I am sure your feelings are temporary. They will go by time. Yes, they will."

It seemed like he was reassuring himself more rather than her. On the other hand she saw red, she didn't expected him to accept her love but at same time she didn't expected her feelings to get insulted in the name of infatuation.

"I know what I feel. You have no right to insult my feelings. I love you and no one can change it, not even you."

"NO. Do whatever you want but unlove me. You can't love me. You heard that, YOU CAN'T LOVE ME."

He yelled at her with same ferocity but she wasn't ready to listen to him. She wasn't ready to let him say anything he wanted just because she kept quiet. First he was accusing her for loving his brother and now when she herself admitted she loves him not Hassan he wasn't ready to accept it.

"I can and I will. You yourself can't stop me."

His expressions suddenly changed. His eyes became cold, evicting every ounce of warmth they held before. His chuckled with a dark look on his face, holding the nape of her neck bringing her close towards him.

"To phir tumhari mohabbat mubarak. Kyuki tumhe is mohabbat mein dard ke alawa mujhse aur kuch nahi milega."

"Meri mohabbat na mukammal sahi par haq hai mujhe mohabbat karne ka, aur mujhe pata hai ke aap mujhe dard de hi nahi sakte. Khud se zyada aap par aitbaar hai mujhe."

"To phir apne is aitbaar ko toota hua dekhne ke liye taiyaar ho jaao."

Giving him one last look she left towards her room and broke down.

•

Days passed and they both were avoiding each other. She was angry at him for mocking her feelings whereas he was angry at her for loving him.

His mind and heart were at war. He wasn't able to understand what was wrong with him.

When she said she doesn't love Hassan, a wave of happiness washed over his heart but when she confessed her love for him, he was speechless. Somewhere his heart he was happy but wasn't able to grasp on the fact she loved him. It felt so wrong but at the same time it felt right.

So he did what came in his mind. He rejected her love. In her age people fell in and out of love easily. Maybe her feelings were temporary and will go soon but things won't be same between them. The ease, the comfort they had will now be gone just because of her stupid feelings.

What he didn't knew her feelings were not temporary nor stupid but he was correct about things not being same. Everything was about to change drastically and the change will only bring pain in their lives nothing else.

Everyone was able to notice the cold war brewing between the two but never said anything thinking they were mature enough to solve them personally.

In those days Maria and Hassan's bonding grew stronger. He was there for her, bringing a smile on her face whenever she felt low. He was like an angel Allah sent in her life. Hassan's sweet and caring nature made her feel guilty each passing day. He loved her and she wasn't able to return his feelings back but that didn't stopped her from talking with him.

"Don't be sad. I'll come back soon."

Hassan was going for a business trip for a week and Maria was upset about it. She found solace in him. He was able to distract her heart to forget thinking about Mustafa who was ignoring her.

Her simple fault was falling in love with him. She never decided to fall for him, she simply did. Heart never asks for permission to fall in love, it just does.

"Please do, otherwise I myself will come and drag you back at home."

She chucked teasing him with a pout on her face not feeling good about his departure.

"Are you threatening me, Maria ?"

He gasped feignedly, playing along with her.

"I am. I certainly am."

She giggled, her beautiful laugh vibrating inside whole Ahwaan villa.

"I am sacred. So scared."

Putting his hand at his heart Hassan whispered softly making her smile again. Before she could answer him they heard someone clearing throat, getting their attention.

"You are getting late Hassan and now you should leave."

It was Mustafa who came to inform Hassan to hurry up when he saw him and Maria talking and laughing with each other. His heart flared seeing them together burning it with jealousy.

And she says she loves me.

She immediately lowered her eyes feeling his intense gaze on her and quickly walked beside Hassan who was ready to leave.

After bidding goodbye to everyone he turned towards Maria and side hugged her, patting her back assuring her for coming back soon.

"Miss you. Come back soon."

"You are looking sad as if I'll never return again. Relax girl. I'll be back in no time."

He joked seeing her sad face, wanting her to relax.

"Pagal... Aaj ke baad aisi koi baat mat karna."

Slapping his shoulder she warned him not to speak anything bad again to which he replied laughing, shrugging innocently.

He didn't knew his words would come true. For it is said to speak good as Lord doesn't delay granting some wishes.