CHAPTER 43

CHAPTER 43: confronting the truths

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'If I tell him , he will get to know I am Z' She thought to herself . "I-I don't remember anything" she snuggled herself in his chest and he held her tightly.

"Okay , don't worry . I will find that person" He whispered lovingly.

"Don't, please don't . Just leave it . Everything happens for a reason , it might be something I did.  Leave it please" She told him . He pulled her away and cupped her face.

"Is this you referring your identity as Z?" he asked.

"You-You know?" Her heart felt like it would jump out of her throat .

"Yes ,"

"Still you are supporting me?" She asked and Augustus wiped her tears which fell down her eyes.

"Yes silly , because you are my girl . You didn't did anything wrong and I know the reason must be something serious too . I trust you . Our wedding vows weren't just mere words for me" He lovingly caressed her face .

"I am so sorry hiding it all from you" she started to sob and hugged in , although her fist couldn't take a grip on his shirt due to weakness , and he just sighed and pecked her temple .

"Sir, Mr Rudhra have came" Augustus turned his head around , at the words of his assistant.

"Knocking is a thing for a reason" Augustus retorted in annoyance.  He didn't liked the thought of any man seeing this side of his wife . Thinking deeper , he doesn't like any man to look at his wife , and vulnerable state , just makes it worse.

He tried to hide Zeheb as much as he could with his body .

"I am sorry sir-"

"get out , and tell Rudhra to wait" Augustus angrily said.

"He has been waiting for half an hour" The assistant answered with a slight worry in his head.

"Then ask him to do a little more and don't tell him about Zeheb waking up" Augustus told him and the guard nodded.

In any case , he had his suspicion on his friends now . Fawad and Rudhra. Although he didn't thought they would have a direct involvement but he surely knew that atleast one of them was involved.

Afterall the only businessman or person his wife messed up with , was Khalid's business.

"Gustus—" she whispered and he could feel the tears which he had supressed coming into his eyes again after hearing her say her name.

"Yes sweetheart"

"Can I sleep for sometime? I am tired . I swear I will clear up everything which I wake up" she said while she could barely keep her eyelids open and Augustus hummed.

He put her on the bed comfortably , and tugged her whole body inside the duvet , kissing her nose and palm and got up .

He went outside and opened the door . Rudhra was sitting in the chair , and the door swung open , as Seth and Sabrie entered the house too.

Like the past few months , Rudhra was drunk now too .

"You are drunk again" Sabrie whispered and rushed towards Rudhra to hold him straight . He had clenched an envelope in his hands tightly clenching it.

"What's this?" Seth asked and he snatched it away from the firm grip of Rudhra.

"You were right Sabrie-" Rudhra chuckled as his head hung low . "We can escape the police , the people, but never our own selves , never the payback of our actions" He said as a tear rolled down his cheek.

Surprising everyone in the hallway .

"I-I saw Augustus in his weak state . He was always worried that the one who is responsible for this state of his wife is living peacefully. It's only fair , if he sees , I am not" his voice was heavy as he tried to say the words .

Augustus was beyond shocked at his words. He saw this coming but seeing Rudhra accept it all himself was something out of the question.

Seth rushed towards Rudhra.

"You are blabbering just about anything. Get sober and then we will talk"

Rudhra shook his head at Seth's words.

"I am more sober than I can ever be" he said while brushing off Sabrie's hands and walked towards Augustus.

"I have been carrying this guilt with me for the past month. The guilt of killing your child , of hurting your wife . I-I just did it to protect you and Fawad , but turns out , I was just hurting you" He confessed his honest thoughts.

The intentionally getting beaten up , barely eating , always drinking , nothing helped him .

"I am sorry , I know it won't work or undo the damage but I am sorry" Rudhra apologized. But Augustus just jumped on him beating him up mercilessly, while saying curses.

One punch after another . Rudhra laid down taking it all .

"You-YOU KILLED MY CHILD! YOU ARE A FREAKING MURDERER" Augustus screamed making Sabrie take a step back , as he punched Rudhra again. Hard enough to make his upper lip bleed and swell .

Rudhra just sat took all the beatings .

Sabrie was about to help again , but Seth holded her arm .

"Let it be . Let him take his anger out" Seth told her .

"But-But he will kill Rudhra" Sabrie hesitated , she frowned with worry .

"He won't. They are friends , since childhood. He's just taking his anger out" Seth said in a calm voice despite the heavy feeling in his heart to see them both in this state .

Khalid was truly a master of this game .

Seth just held the paper which Rudhra was holding in his hand . It was none other than a court letter by Kalyani for him to stay out of the life of their kid Adikrit . In one night,  Rudhra lost everything which could change him forever , and that was about to happen to Augustus too , if Zeheb didn't got saved. What he was worried about was Fawad , which made him more keen to actually know where his cousin was.

After punch by punch .

Rudhra's face was bleeding by this time and Augustus backed off, staring at the condition he made of his friend in anger .

"You-"he tried to say something, but Rudhra looked defeated .

Because perhaps for the very first time Rudhra Rajpoot was . The man who build his whole career upon dead bodies , didn't expected to come to phase where his victim's list will have a small unborn child .

He thought he gained all the power in this world , but only to know that it was build on the grave of his own feelings and relationships.

"Seth take him to hospital" Augustus scoffed and got up . He left without sparing a glance at his friend and Rudhra just chuckled bitterly , at the mercy his friend showed him . He knew he didn't deserved it too .

~

Seth sat down with a deep sigh , Sabrie stared at him with worry .

"What do you think , will Kalyani really come to see Rudhra?" Sabrie asked , noticing that Seth had texted her about the situation.

"I don't know ," Seth replied in short and Sabrie just shut her lips up silently while staring at the ants walking on the marble floor .

"If she doesn't , I don't blame her . She knows about what Rudhra did to Zeheb , she won't most probably. But if she does , I will be greatful for her" Seth replied.

"She knows ?!" Sabrie asked in horror.

"Ofcourse , that's why she sent the letter to Rudhra to stay away from their son too . In a state of anger "

"Who told her?!" Sabrie asked another question.

"A staff told me , that Rudhra himself told her " Seth said .

"Why ? Is he crazy?"

"Rudhra has always been crazy . But for now he's guilty. He's trying to get rid of the guilt by putting himself through all sorts of pain" Seth pinched his nose bridge .

Sabrie stayed silent , she had no words to speak . Humans were complicated.  They did things without any remorse as if nobody will hold them accountable and when the guilt hits , then they are ready to even peel their own skins out to get ready for the blood stains on their skins.

~

Safia turned her body in sleep to hold onto Fawad's body , but he wasn't there . With closed eyes , she tapped on the side of the bed , but there was nobody. With displeasure evident on her face , she opened her eyes to find find him , but instead he was on the ground , praying tahajjud .

She wanted to cry at the moment . She wanted to recreate the moment she saw in tv serials and movies , about praying tahajjud beside her husband, but she was in her menses .

Nonetheless, she got up and slowly left the room . The villa was huge , and the hallway was dark , she found the switch and opened the light illuminating the mansion late at night . Walking downstairs, she grabbed a packet of milk and then the bottle of coffee .

She heated up the milk in the pan and mixed the powder as per their taste . After pouring the coffee in 2 cups , she aligned two cups of coffee in a tray and just put a packet of namkeen on the side and walked upstairs .

She switched off the light of the hallway with her elbow carefully enough balancing the tray . She opened the door and at that exact moment , Fawad turned his head to offer the final salam , ending the prayer a smile formed upon his lips seeing Safia .

"Namaz mukkamal hi ki thi , ki jis ke liye dua ki thi vo khud chal ke mere paas aa gyi" he flirted making she blush furiously.

( The words of prayer had hardly been completed, and the one I have prayed for appeared before me )

"Mr Siddiqui, don't you think you should stop reading all those romantic novels?" She asked him and sat down beside him .

"I call them manuals for a happy life" he joked , making Safia dramatically roll her eyes mumbling an "ofcourse" with a shy smile .

"Thanks for the coffee" Fawad said noticing the coffee and folded the prayer mat and started to take slow sips of it .

"Your welcome. Aap bhi kya yaad rakhoge kitne lucky ko aap, ki apki mujh jaise pyari , talented and honhar ladki se shaadi hui,  Mr Siddiqui" Safia dramatically said .

Fawad smiled at her words , "Main bilkul yaad rakhunga Mrs Yousuf" he took another sip and Safia shyly hit his hand . She was joking and here her man was shamelessly flirting.

"Okay okay, now tell me , why were you praying this late at night, was something worrying you?" She asked as a sense of concern filled her and Fawad passed a light smile and shook his head.

Although the true reason was worries . He needed some peace of heart and mind , to distract himself from all the troubles.

"You are sure?"

"Yes , I am sure" Fawad smiled and took another sip , "And why don't you join me in this ? We can pray together" he suggested.

"How much I wish for it , but I am in my menses" Safia told him while biting the inner corner of her cheek in embarrassment.

"Oh , it's fine , we can still figure out a way . How about, you let me keep my head in your lap , and in return I recite the Qur'an to you?" He asked and she stared at him in shock.

"You have memorized the Qur'an?" She was surprised, and completely forgot about his offer .

"Not fully , I am still in the middle . I got a fast memorization power , so I don't think it will take more than a year or two" he told her , but didn't complete the part 'If the time permits me to' .

"Mashallah, I have heard that a hafiz e Qur'an can take a few people with Jannah with himself! Please don't forget my name Mr Siddiqui" she happily said and clapped her hands making Fawad chuckle .

"Ofcourse, only if I end up in Jannah though" he joked .

"You will , In Sha Allah. Don't lose hope !! Wait , quickly lay down !! Narrate it to me!! I want to hear your voice" she didn't even give him a long time to finish his coffee and he quickly gulped them up staring at the excitement of his wife.

Fawad then laid his head in her lap , it almost reminded him of the first day they met . But unlike that day when they were strangers , today they were lovers .

Safia kept sipping her coffee slowly , hearing the beautiful recitation, enjoying the beauty of the moment .

To be continued .....

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Okayy so yeah , ik the update schedule is very irregular for now , but hope it gets fixed soon ,and for those who haven't checked my messages board Mrs Pride Weds Mr Arrogant have been re-uploaded. It now serves as a prequel to this story (although both are standalones) ❤️