Ghazal blankly just stared at her husband as he was doing the same but his eyes were not blinking, his features dumbfounded as if she had dropped a bomb on him. Well, it was not less than a blast!

"You're joking, right? I must tell you it's a sick joke, Ghazal. Try harder next time."

Ghazal rolled her eyes and stood up, facing him. Haaris was trying to deny the truth, his breath raged and his hand cupping his lips to calm down himself. She couldn't look at him going through this but she had no other option to leave that lady lying on the street to die. Because in the end, Ghazal was not Azkiya. The humanity inside her hadn't died and she didn't want to repeat the same thing which Azkiya had done with Haaris.

"I'm not joking, Haaris. Why would I? She was lying unconscious on that stranded street. I just hav-"

" There's is no need for you to become a social worker, Ghazal. No need, understand? It's my house, not some kind of lodge that you will bring everyone you meet in your way. "

Haaris barked agitatedly, his hands messing his messy locks and she remained silent with just her heart beating furiously in her chest.

" You may have forgotten it but I still remember, Azkiya had left me hanging at the door of my death."

Haaris turned his face away from her, still his form shaking. What she would tell him? She too had never forgotten it. Because it was not the thing to be forgotten. That cowardliness was a black mark on humanity, love, and care. Ghazal could never forget the lady who had left her husband to die, due to whom he had suffered a lot, due to whom he was ready to take his own life.

"She was in need of help, Haaris. I think she has had too much alcohol."

"So what! I am repeating myself, Ghazal. " Haaris turned quickly to face her and lifted his index finger in front of her in a warning. Ghazal pursed her lips in a shrill fear, her heart just hiding as it was somewhat difficult for her to bear his anger. Yes, he was angry and he was right to some extent but what was hurting her more from the past few days was the emptiness of not hearing her nickname from him.

Tigeress!

It was so unusual, so weird but it was the first thing Ghazal had gotten a gift from her better half. She was longing to hear that from Haaris but deep inside she knew it would have to wait.

"I don't want her in my house. You should have left her just like she had done."

"That's where I'm different Haaris." Ghazal sighed exasperatedly trying to stop his constant blabbering. He surely didn't know what he was saying while he was in anger. "I'm not Azkiya, Haaris. My religion, my father didn't teach me to leave the people in need. "

That did it, Haaris became silent all of a sudden with his brown orbs staring at Ghazal. She just lowered her eyes as her gut rolled in a wave due to his constant gaze.

"What about me? You haven't thought about me? "

"Why are you attaching your past with her? I am not asking you to help her, I'll do it alone. I know how it will hurt you-"

Haaris faked laugh taking a step back from her, " Very well done, Ghazal. You are just trying new ways to make me suffer." Ghazal pushed on his chest to move him a little away from her. When? When he would learn to control his words, his anger which had the power to pierce her so painfully.

Haaris was again dumbstruck at her movements as his eyes were widened in surprise, " Shut up before I slap you, Haaris. You speak so filthily about me that one day I will begin to hate myself. Just-just control your words. Must you every time take a whole different meaning of everything I say?"

Ghazal was sure she would tear her hair out in irritation and anger over Haaris. How could he act so negatively? Didn't he see that she cared about him? Didn't he got fed up with that similar banter every day? She moved out of her reverie on the loud thud of the door and found herself alone in the room as Haaris had left her. It was good because she couldn't tolerate being with him at that instant just because of how hot-headed he was! That anger would not give him anything in return except regrets, pain, and self loath.

Ya Allah! Just make my husband calm. It's all for his own good. Aameen.

***

"So you're the one who saved me. Thank you."

Haaris mentally rolled his eyes at her statement. As if he cared about her! Didn't know why he thought to leave that room of his and got bumped into his ex. He took a cringe thinking about that word. But it was needed for him to leave his room because he couldn't see the shivering of his wife's form in his presence just due to his irritation, Ghazal too didn't know that her whole body was badly shaking in fear though she was showing herself way too strong.

That was a good idea to leave the place for a time being to calm himself down and to give some space to his wife. Because he again had started speaking senseless which always hurt Ghazal in the end and that thing he could never tolerate. That selfless lady in his life, who only thought about those around herself and not about her own, she had again done something grave without thinking about those worst possible consequences. Bringing that Azkiya back had pushed a tornado in their married life as if all was going fine between them. Just a presence of her around them had started an argument between Ghazal and Haaris.

But Haaris had no idea that after coming out he would bump into Azkiya. It was not Azkiya's house that she was taking a good walk all around. If Ghazal had given her a bed to rest, she should have also bandage her to the bed so that she would not move. Ah! What he was even thinking? A minute earlier he was criticizing his wife's decision and now he was slowly accepting it.

I am becoming a true husband!

"Weren't you resting?"

"I got bored you know in that room so I thought of exploring the house. Is this your place?"

Azkiya asked taking an approved glance of the place around her. Haaris was literally getting fed up with her presence and wanted to move away from her as soon as possible. But there were some things which were still needed to be sorted out. It had no meaning but Haaris was curious to know what had pushed Azkiya to take that step of leaving him that night to die.

As Ghazal had told him, Azkiya was looking pale, dark circles under her eyes and her lips chapped making her look more haunting than ever. She was rubbing her head every now and then, maybe due to the fading effect of hangover. What did he saw in her at that time? Crap, he used to compare Ghazal with her. How idiot he was! There was nothing in Azkiya that was attracting him unlike Ghazal, he could think of his wife for an eternity even if she just gave him a small smile. Why he was even comparing them both again!?! Ghazal had no match, her whole being held some kind of serenity that he had craved for his entire life and in finding that solace, Haaris had walked on the path of sins just like being with Azkiya.

"If you're feeling fine then you should go."

"You haven't changed a bit. Just your appearance has changed. I have started a new drug, you should try it too."

Haaris took a step back when Azkiya touched his thin frame glasses." I have given up that habit. So just leave."

"Aw, too bad Haaris. We could have fun."

She was getting on his nerves, if he had no care of Ghazal, he would have slapped her twice.

"I am glad that you left me that night. Else I would have stuck with you." He spat back at her, why he was even talking to her? His mind was cluttered with everything around him and on top of that this lady standing and speaking rubbish was working as the salt on his wounds. His bitter words surely hit Azkiya as she clutched his arm when he was about to move past her.

"I didn't have any option, Harry. Because you were so clingy, pathetic and I was the one who was stuck with you. My God! How boring you used to be, blabbering about your so-called painful past life."

Haaris was washed over with a sense of epiphany on her cold tone. He was right, she had left him for her own good. Azkiya got bored of him, that's why left him to die without thinking how it could affect him. He spent his life in guilt, with a weigh of his own mistakes. But something was heavier than that sense of epiphany, his gratefulness for Ghazal. He had not changed a bit with her, but she stayed by his side without any complaints, without any issue.

"I did the right thing Haaris. Because I don't think any girl will be able to love yo-"

"That's my husband you're talking about. "

***

Ghazal just glared at the lady whose face was showing every kind of shock, surprise, and bewilderment. How dare she speak like that with her husband? Yes, she brought her to their house but nobody gave a right to Azkiya to insult Haaris in his own house. That too of his past, his depressed condition. She just wanted to beat this lady to death for mocking her husband's condition.

Weirdo!

Haaris was silently staring at her when she stood beside him, facing Azkiya. Nothing was fine between them, they were constantly bickering and Haaris's anger was doing a good job to spoil their relationship but Ghazal couldn't stand someone insulting him because she was his wife, she had the duty to cover up for him. That duty which was written in her destiny by her almighty.

"I was the one who brought you here. So if you're feeling fine then there's the door."

Ghazal gestured towards the main door of their house. She had heard everything standing on the staircase. She had come down to have a talk with Haaris about her consent of admitting Azkiya to her rehab but their voices had stopped her, she listened- from Haaris's cold tone to Azkiya's offer of trying a new drug. It was good they were downstairs and Adam was with Papa watching some movie else it would have created a scene in the whole house.

"As if I was staying over here lady."

Azkiya scoffed, composing herself from the shock she had gotten a few minutes earlier. "But I want to tell you something- you will too get bored with him in no time."

Ghazal held her wrist and made her way towards the door. Okay, so she didn't want to accept but Haaris was right. She had definitely done a mistake by bringing her home. But she didn't want to leave Azkiya on that road else that thought had bugged her for her whole life.

"I don't listen to the rubbish advice. I don't even want to talk to you. But you have greatly insulted my husband, that man who has cared for me in every way possible. Due to girls like you men lost their trust in us. "

She ordered one of the maids to bring Azkiya's passport from her room and shoved it in her hand. From her peripheral vision, Ghazal could still see Haaris rooted to his spot, watching them from distance. She called the watchman, "Tell the driver to drop madam to her house safely and after this keep in mind that she will not be seen near our house ever."

The watchman nodded obediently and escorted Azkiya outside the house. The entire time, Azkiya was silent, not speaking a single alphabet. Maybe her little speech had the power to stop her blabbering tongue. Ghazal closed the door with a thud and as she turned, she was caged in a tight bear hug of her husband. It was so sudden that she was unable to maintain her balance and that was why clutched Haaris's shirt tightly in her shaking fists.

Ghazal hesitantly moved away from his embrace, she was still not in talking terms with him. She was still scared, angry with his remarks of sometime earlier but she didn't want to go away from him. She was missing him. Badly. Too badly. She was just becoming tired of that silent treatment she was giving him but Ghazal had not enough guts to face him or talk to him.

Maybe Haaris too sensed her hesitancy as he gingerly placed a quick kiss to her forehead and cupped her jaw, his warm orbs as if seeing through her soul but his eyes were holding gratefulness like she had saved him from anything dangerous.

"Have some rest. You look tired."

Ghazal nodded in affirmation. Looking at her nobody could tell that a few seconds ago she was scolding one woman to her heart's content. Her ability of speech had left her at the very right time when she was so close to her husband. She made her way towards the staircase, her heart wanting to take a single, small look of her husband. Perhaps, she was regretting her mistake of bringing Azkiya over their house and she didn't want to accept her mistake, or it was an innocent wish of a wife's heart to have a little glance of her husband's face.

She turned to look at Haaris and her heart jumped gently when she found him looking back at her with a small smile on his face. So she was not alone, he was also staring at her for the entire time.

***

Haaris opened his eyes sensing a long silence enveloping him. Adam was sleeping with Papa but the place next to it was also empty. He quickly got up and came towards the washroom to find it empty, his heart getting worried for his wife. As he turned, he found the balcony door opened, a moon glistening shadow sitting in front of the railing.

Haaris took a sigh of relief and silently tiptoed towards the balcony, taking his seat beside his lady. She was too engrossed in her thoughts to notice him and he just stared at her shimmering features as she looked at the moon. His heart leaped up to touch her cheekbone which was looking silver in the moonlight, her blinking nose pin, and those lips as if a rose petal had been placed in the twilight.

Didn't know what was going in her mind? Ghazal's features were tensed, her eyebrows were furrowed in worry. Was she thinking about Haaris? If yes, then what? Was he the reason behind those tensed features, those blank eyes which felt like slowly filling up with tears?

Ghazal glanced beside her and Haaris covered her lips muffling her words as she shuddered at her place and was about to scream too loudly in panic. " It's only me, Ghazal. " He gently removed his palm from her lips with a whisper as she blinked her eyes for several moments, just to make sure he was in real with her.

"What are you doing here? "

"I was unable to sleep so I came here."

Haaris replied, pulling his knees to his chest. This place had seen his vulnerable phase but more to that it had seen the building up of their relationship, from here they had started to open up to each other. Ghazal again got busy in watching the moon. What was so fascinating about that white sphere that she was ignoring her husband?

Now don't get jealous with the moon.

When would she start talking to him? Haaris was trying to give her time but now he was getting impatient. Her silence was the scariest thing he had witnessed. How opposite they were! Ghazal was afraid of his words and Haaris was scared of her silence. Her words were powerful unlike him which always hurt everyone around him.

Just like today when Ghazal again took his side and saved him from getting insulted in front of Azkiya. At that time, he just wanted to hold Ghazal against him and kiss her to apologize for every silly mistake he did ever. But he chose to hug her because her anger couldn't be trusted, there was a possibility she would have slapped him for doing so.

"I'm sorry for bringing her here."

Ghazal's soft voice broke the silence around them and he looked at her who was still watching the moon as if to hide her eyes from him.

"It's okay. I was too on the mistake for saying those rubbish to you."

On that Ghazal turned her head to look at him for a moment and then nodded. He had made everything awkward between them. They were not behaving like a couple but as strangers who had been bumped into each other mistakenly. He always had to ruin everything.

"Why you didn't let her insult me?"

Ghazal watched him as he had grown two heads. It was absurd to ask but he just wanted to continue their conversation without falling into the pit of awkward silence.

"Because you are my husband. "

"But you're upset with me. You could have taken advantage of the situation and had enjoyed my insult."

Ghazal huffed in annoyance, he was clearly striking the right chords. She opened her lips to say something but pursed them again and again to stop her speech.

"Because you are my better half and if someone is making my half self dirty, that means he is making me dirty which I cannot tolerate. "

"So this means you did that for yourself. "

"You can say so. I have lived enough of my life for others, enduring pain for others' mistakes. "

Haaris felt silent sensing the pain creeping to her voice as she spoke those words too gently as if they would hurt her once again if spoken too harshly.

"I should head to bed." Haaris got up but his hand was in Ghazal's loose grip and he looked down to find her looking at him with an indecipherable look on her face. Was she stopping him? Was she urging him not to go?

"Can I share a secret with you Haaris? A thing which I haven't shared with anyone, I had kept it hidden from myself also but the ordeal of the past few days had forced me to think about them again and again. Just for the time being, forget the differences between us."

Haaris nodded taking back his seat beside her. Ghazal moved a hand in her hair, his habit slowly making its way to her.

"Farzan used to abuse me just because he had another woman in his life."