34. Persistent Dizziness

I said in loud and clear words to Ashar that night that I liked him and he didn't even mention or talk about it for once. In case if he didn't hear it or pretending to ignore it then I swear I would never going to repeat myself. I had my pride too.

My regular class was over so mindlessly I left the classroom and scurried outside the campus. All of a sudden, Eleanor and Abigail came in front and blocked my way. Confusion crossed my face.

Abigail turned to her friend, "Elle, isn't she is the same Dumbo who was acting like a hot celebrity at the party?"

I rolled my eyes. Eleanor started laughing, "I guess so."

Abigail moved her eyes and examined my appearance as if I was some disgusting creature, "I don't get it why that crispy looking man was with her when she's no match for him?"

"Certainly." Her friend agreed.

If they were trying to rise up the temperature of my blood, then they almost succeeded, "Can you both please move aside from my way. You can bad mouth me somewhere else."

I tried to walk past her, but Eleanor straightened her one arm and stopped me once again, "Tell me are you a part-time whore because there's no way that man can be with a girl like you?"

My nostrils dilated. I was not the kind of person who responds to every dog that barks, but these days, I remained in black mood most of the time and get angry on small things. No one can blame me because my mental and physical health both were not good. That dizziness and nausea-feeling had become regular.

"It's not your business." I simply muttered.

Eleanor crossed her arms on her chest, "We want his contact information."

I laughed in disbelief, "Who's acting like a whore now?"

The front yard hall of the campus was full of people. Students were everywhere, busy in their respective activities. I wandered my eyes around and imagined what could happen if our little argument intensified. How people were going to take this?

"You've got a big mouth. But face it, he doesn't suit you. Go for some who would match with your class. Leave that handsome being to us." Abigail said, turning to her friend, "Elle, go for it."

My eyes narrowed in confusion. Before I could understand or react, her friend reach to my back pocket and pulled out my phone. My mouth fell opened. They were probably trying to get Ashar's number from my phone. I got scared.

"Give it back." I held Eleanor's wrist before she could unlock my device. If they would find out about Ashar's name, then it won't be very difficult for them to find out details about him. They would know that he was Ashar Hobsons, the renowned businessman. And after that, they won't be very far to understand my relation with him. My marriage secret would be out.

Abigail chuckled and took the phone from her friend's name, "Not a chance."

I grumbled and attacked her. I had to now use other methods to get my phone from them. I grabbed her hand and tried to twist it. She used her strength and pushed me back. I reached for her again, but this time I was attacked from behind by her loyal dog.

All three of us were surely now getting attention from people around us, but I didn't much notice because I was too focused on those sluts who didn't even know how to respect someone's privacy. They were palpably mental.

Soon our fight turned quite serious. I didn't give up and struggled with all the power in me. We yelled, cursed aloud to each other in between without caring that we might be creating a scene. No one came to help us, no wait, no one came to help me. I was sandwiched between them. Eleanor was trying to stop me and I was trying to hold Abigail so that she could not run away with my phone.

"You, bitch." Abigail exclaimed in frustration while trying to get rid of my grip on her arm. I shoved back her friend and get myself freed to take care of Abigail once and for all.

I smacked my fist right in her abdomen. She hollered and her mouth remained opened for few seconds. My phone fell from her hand. I was about to pick it up, but Eleanor again attacked me and grabbed my waist from behind.

"Leave me." I screamed, wriggled my body.

They both burst into laughter at my helplessness. I shot them a death glare. With her hand against her abdomen, Abigail bent down and again took my phone. I squealed in frustration. All my hard work went in vain.

"What you all three are doing?" A new voice caught our attention and we all stopped and looked at him.

Aaron. Aaron had probably seen us. He looked surprised and bemused at the same. "Help me get my phone back." I said. His eyes moved to the Abigail's hand. He understood the whole situation.

"A new guy?" Abigail said in astonishment. I leered at her. "Seriously, Dumbo who are you?"

Abigail tried to run away when she saw the danger, but Aaron, my savior, although an annoying savior caught her arm just at the right time. I laughed, "Good work."

Aaron showed her his infuriated glare, still that stubborn woman weakly tried to pull her arm from his grip. Eleanor came forward and held her friend's hand, "Who are you? Don't come between our fight."

Aaron tightened his lips and gave them a blank stare. He pulled Abigail back by her arm and very easily took my phone from her. I smirked at them. Both of them were shocked and looked little intimidated by Aaron's authoritative aura. I mentally sighed after seeing my phone in his hand. I was saved. My secret was saved.

"I'm her bodyguard. Don't bother her again." He said in a threatening tone, "Take it as my warning." He left Abigail's hand and pushed her back.

This was the first time when I thought it's not bad to have your own personal bodyguard. I found Aaron useful for the first time. I was so scared that today they would know about my marriage and my connection with Hobsons. I was unable to fight against them. They were two and I was one.

"Do you want to go now?" Aaron asked from me.

"Yeah. I'm done with today's classes." I answered and started walking towards his car. He followed me behind.

Abigail yelled, "We're not done yet, Sanaya..."

I ignored them and kept on walking straight. All of this was because of Ashar. Those girls attacked me because of him. If he would've just listened to me and left from Amelia's house, they wouldn't be suspicious of me. He just does whatever he wants without taking responsibility of the aftermath of his actions.

💙

Dinner was ready. I placed all the filled dishes and bowls on the kitchen counter for the servants to take them on the dinner table outside. Melanie was also there, chattering with me while scrubbing the floor.

"Let's eat together tonight." She suggested.

I shook my head in negative, "I can't. But yes, I can sit with you and watch you eat."

"Why?" She stood upright, holding a long mop in her one hand.

"I told you I'm feeling nauseous nowadays so I don't want to eat."

"Sanaya, you should see a doctor. It's been two weeks you're feeling this way."

A middle–aged man in formal uniform entered into the kitchen and started gathering all the dishes onto the tray. He looked in my way, asking for my permission wordlessly. I gave him a light nod. He resumed his work.

"It's not something serious. Don't worry. These days, a lot is going in my head." I replied to Melanie while helping the servant with his work.

Melanie didn't have a clue about what I had been going through these days. The constant stress was making me this way – hating everything, including food. Only I knew how much effort I was putting to keep myself going and not to give up. Just could not distinguish between what was most saddening for me; losing my foster mother, Ashar's behavior, or realizing my second biggest mistake – sleeping with Ashar.

After Amelia's party, he didn't even show me his face. He was being annoyingly protective for me that night at Amelia's house but now, he was not even talking to me.

"What is it?" Melanie questioned, "Is everything going good?"

"It's not important." I shrugged. That servant walked out of the kitchen.

When Melanie saw him going out, she immediately put the mop down and pattered to me, "There's something new I've found."

"What?" I furrowed my brows.

She brought her mouth close to my ear, "I think it's a woman issue between Ashar and Samara. I overheard their conversation today."

I pulled back my hand and gave her a surprised look. A wave of shiver passed through me. I hoped she wouldn't have found out the truth. I hoped she wouldn't have heard that woman's name. "What di-d you hear?" I stuttered.

"I tell you in detail what I heard." She turned her body to me and said in a very serious tone, "She was like, I swear Ashar she's influenced by your enormous wealth. She's very manipulative. You don't know her. I know her. I can bet she will try to stick to you like a parasite and would try her best to stay in your life. Then she hugged him."

I was taken aback. Something heavy, something invisible hit my chest, causing it to ache. Samara was still brainwashing Ashar about me. She was still trying to make me a bad person in front of him.

Melanie continued, "Then she said don't ignore my love for you, Ashar. You don't know I'm counting days that when you'll come to me and then our lives will be back to normal. Don't hurt yourself or waste your time for some greedy woman. Throw her out of your life. After that, she pressed herself more to him like you know a kind of bear hug or warm hug."

"Did Ashar say anything in response?"

She mused, "Not really. At least not until I was there. But later on I saw that he hugged her back, you know lightly patting her back. I guess they are slowly trying to resolve their differences. Can you guess who could be that woman?"

I didn't respond to her question because I was surrounded by my own agony. There was no way out for me. I couldn't fight against Samara when Ashar himself was not ready to see the truth. I was too hurt, too broken and too shocked to fight back, to fight for myself. According to what Melanie just said, then it was now certain that Ashar had taken his decision regarding our marriage. He was choosing Samara over me.

💙

Familiar dizziness assailed me so I ran to the college cafeteria to buy something to eat. I tried that technique every time whenever I felt my head spinning, sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. I bought two bread rolls quickly and unwrapped them on spot. I took a mouthful bite and walked my way to outside.

"Hey there, Sanaya."

Someone called my name. I stopped and turned around. It was Amelia; the one who invited me to her house. I stuffed my mouth with the remaining bread roll and forced a smile on my face, "Hi."

I was seeing two heads of her. My vision was blurred. I guzzled down the food in my throat and waited for it to show its effect on me. Amelia's eyes moved to my mouth. She furrowed her brows, "I forgot to say thanks for coming at my party that day. I was busy."

"No problem. The party was good." It was hard to stand straight in front of her. My legs were wobbly.

She grinned, "I'm glad that everyone enjoyed."

I tried to smile, probably showing the pieces of bread that were stuck on my teeth. I involuntarily put my hand on my temple and started massaging it, "Indeed."

"I'm going to the library to complete my English notes, do you want to join me?" She looked at me with a confused face, surely thinking that I was eating like a hungry pig.

What could I do? I was eating like this only to curb my giddiness. "No. I'm going home. I'll see you around."

"Okay." She walked away.

Sighing in relief, I finished my bread rolls and scurried outside the building. I should now listen to Melanie and get a checkup from a doctor because now I was getting annoyed with my weak head. It's embarrassing, getting hungry like that. I caught Aaron standing at the same spot. His head was down, staring at his phone.

I was about to take a step further when I began feeling uneasy. Perspiration formed on my forehead. I tasted bile at the back of my throat. Immediately, I put my palm on my mouth as a reflex in case if I would throw up right here. My surroundings started rotating including the ground under my feet.

I tried to drag myself towards the car and get Aaron's attention, but I could only take just two steps further because I was draining out of energy. Driblets of sweat appeared on my upper lip area, at my nape of neck. Maybe, the bread rolls I ate were not of good quality. Maybe, I should've eaten slowly now it wanted to come out.

That was the very reason I was avoiding food because every time I eat I felt the same nausea as if I was about to puke out every single food particle that was in my stomach. God, give some more strength. I swear I'll go to the doctor this time. I prayed silently, but damn no, it was not helping.

My eye lids turned heavy and my legs left with no strength, causing me to sit on the ground. I was still looking at Aaron, waiting for him to pay attention to me. But he didn't so I just gave up. I laid on the ground.

After few seconds, I heard Aaron's voice, "Sanaya? Hey....Are you okay?"

Black spots loomed in front of my eyes and finally I lost my consciousness.