FALLEN ANGLE

UNPLANNED MORNING

She woke up to the chirping of birds. They sang in unison as though celebrating a special occasion. Then, glancing around, she finds his side of the bed empty and cold.

Veeda added a silent song to their chorus between notes of the orchestra, sending her wishes and prayers.

The sun is peeking out, and the trees are swaying—all to bring a new spark into the air.

Veeda opened the balcony and stood in the fresh air. She inhaled the fresh air into her lungs and closed her eyes.

The fusion of wind and trees, a tense relationship between soil and crops, and liveliness in people are what it looked like in life.

So peaceful yet cold as the cold breeze was touching her pink cheeks, making them pinker. She wrapped her hands around herself to give her body some warmth, but it was avail as she was feeling cold. But she loves cold weather. She loved winter with snow and coldness.

................

Winter, for her, was inhaling the happiness and exhaling the stress.

Winter was a book she wrote, where clouds were the pages, and snow pearls were the words.

Winter was her season. Season of her playing with the snow and inhaling its fresh early morning air. It was more than a hobby for her.

It was so clear, the evidence that was around her—the new beginning to the sunny day.

She was so engrossed in her world that she didn't realize someone was holding her hand and harshly pushed her inside the room while shutting the balcony door abruptly, making her flinch in her place. She looked up to find Hammad digging diggers at her. The moment she looked at his eyes with her wide eyes, she saw nothing, yet a lot of anger and angst made her heart drop to the pit of her stomach.

He clenched his jaw, and his eyes looked red; his nose was flaring fire while his hold on her arm tightened, making her hiss in pain. She knew that it would leave a bruise later.

" What the hell were you doing there?"

He groaned, making her close her eyes and tremble in her place. He pushed her, demanding that she fall back on the bed. She looked up at him with wet eyes while he was eating her with his eyes. Hammad fitted his hands so that his knuckles became white as a sheet. He pulled her up again harshly by holding her arm. She gasped at the sudden act, and tears found their way from her eyes to her cheeks.

"Listen to you, little kid!

This house is mine, and I am a significant major general with guards outside watching and doing their duty. However, they know their commitment to what to do and what not; they live here in my house.

I f*****g don't want anyone to look at you like that. How the f**k did you stand on the balcony while wearing a nighty with its robe around?

Have you lost your mind if you don't have any?" he shouted at the top of his lungs, making her sob silently.

"i...I am sorry."

" But this crap this instant," he didn't let her do, as he roared, making her shut her mouth and look at him.

Hammad left her hand and brushed his hair in frustration. He looked at her from head to toe. Although her nighty was not appealing still, it was a nighty, and Hamad would never allow anyone to look at her like that. He closed his eyes. He was angry. His anger made him not notice how pale and trembling she was.

" Go get change this instant. And listen to me very carefully as I am saying this for the first and last time.

You will never go in front of anyone when your clothes are inappropriate and you will not stand on the balcony when guards are around. Trust me, Veeda, I am struggling to control my anger; otherwise, you can't imagine what I can do now. I am not a man who is comfortable while his wife or sister is roaming around with men. I will kill them if they see my wife or sister with any eyes. But if I see my sister or wife roaming while men are around, I can be the worst husband or brother. I am very possessive. Veeda hell will freeze if I let anyone eye what's mine.

And I am telling you the second time, but it will be the last time.

Do not make me angry. If I lost control, I don't know what I would do," Hamad seethed under his breath, jerked Veeda harshly, and left to shower.

Veeda's legs were wobbly; there was so much terror in her eyes. She never thought that he would react like that to her. She knew he was angry but never thought of witnessing it.

A knock on the door broke her terrorized state. She stood up with her face wet. Veeda wiped her tears and tried to breathe normally to control her shivering form. Glancing at herself, she remembered his words. Hurriedly she took a shawl and wrapped it around her shoulders. With shaky hands, she opened the door.

" Good morning, bhabhi!!!" Muska squealed, making her shut her ears. Veeda opened her ears and glared at her, making Muska laugh.

'' good morning Muska. But why are you calling me bhabhi?" Veeda asked as she tried to smile at her but didn't reach her eyes. His actions and his words disheartened her.

Muska's laughter echoed in her gloomy and unlivable room.

" Yeah, I know that we don't use the bhabhi word in afghans, but I like the word. Second is that you are my best friend and my bhabhi too so I will call you bhabhi.

Veeda was least interested as she was still in shock; his angry red eyes flashed, making her heart drop. Muska looked at her arm. There was a bruise, as she had speculated before. Veeda took her arm and closely watched it, but Veeda covered her arm with a shawl and bit her lips. Her eyes were getting wet, but she fought not to show it to anyone.

" Have you been crying?

And this bruise?" she uncovered her arm and suspected it, but Veeda covered it back.

The concerned look in Muska's eyes changed to mischievousness, and she smirked at Veeda, making her uncomfortable.

" Oh ho wild" Veeda's eyes grew big as saucers, and she covered Muska's mouth. As Hammad was in the bathroom, he could hear them.

"shush, stupid," but Muska freed her mouth and laughed at her flushed face.

" OK, OK, I am sorry," she surrenders her hands in the air, making Veeda roll her eyes. But Muska leaned closer to her, making her confused.

"your puffy red eyes and pink nose, this bruise. It says all, sweety" Veeda slapped her shoulder, making her wince playfully. She turned to go but not before making Veeda shocked again.

"don't blush this much, and apply some makeup; your family will be here with your breakfast. It is bad if they see you like this and cover the bruise. My brother will not like it if someone else sees it". She ran from there but left behind a confused Veeda.

"Get ready," his dark and deep voice pulled her out of her confusion as she looked at him in bewilderment. He looked much more handsome and breathtaking in a black salwar kameez suit. He wore his watch and wedding ring.

Veeda couldn't help but gauge him.

"I don't like repeating myself," he said coldly, but there was so much authority in his voice that chilled her to her spine. He looked at her and gave her a stern look. She averted her eyes and made her way to the bathroom. After freshening up, Veeda wore a red-brown dress reaching to her ankles with brown sandals. It was heavy, as her mother-in-law gifted her this to wear on her first morning. She wore a minimum of jewelry, including only her wedding and engagement ring. Veeda finished her look with minimal makeup. Leaving her shoulder-length hair open, she looked to dry it with a dryer but couldn't find any, so she left it open and put her veil on her head loosely. She decided to leave the dressing room. When she entered her room, she saw Hammad was talking to someone or, better to say, ordering someone. Veeda walked to pass by him, but he held her wrist, making her heart jump to her throat. She feared him after seeing the fire of anger in his eye a few hours ago. Hammad sensed her shivering, so he slowly pulled her to himself. He was listening to someone on the phone, but his eyes were on her. After a few words, he cut the phone while holding her wrist and looking at her intently, simultaneously making her fearful and nervous. She looked beautiful—more than beautiful.

Hammad knew that she was beautiful, but he never intended to look at her in any other way. But still, there was something apart from her beauty that would attract and confuse him. And that was her nervousness apart from her beauty. He would wonder why she became all quiet and nervous in front of him. But now that she was his wife, she was still the same. Timid in front of him.

He left her hand, pulled her hair to her back, and put her veil loosely on her head. She looked at him. The kohl was doing wonders for her green eyes. A combination of green and black created magic inside him; he looked down at her lips, which were left apart with brown lipstick. They were so full and so pouty. Hammad inhaled sharply and averted his eyes from her.

" Cover your hair. It is wet.

It is cold, you will get sick, and it's not appropriate to go in front of males in the house with wet hair. Do you understand what I am saying?" she nodded. He held her hand, which startled her. Then, as he was turning the knob of the door, she stood still in her place, which confused him, and he looked at her.

"Um… h...Hammad i. I am sorry for the morning. I didn't know that there were men outside."

" It is OK, but make sure it was your first and last time" he didn't let her do it and cut her short. She felt hurt and rejected, but she nodded, while he felt strange. It was the first time she had taken his name. It came out so smooth and like a song to his ears. His stomach was filled with butterflies, which were so foreign to him.

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