Hello, Dear Readers! ❤

Before diving into the long-awaited chapters, I have a heartfelt message for you. I owe you an apology for not staying as consistent as I'd hoped. Life has been full of personal commitments that took more of my focus than anticipated, and I truly regret keeping you waiting. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

As a small gesture of apology, I've prepared three fresh chapters just for you, to make up for the delay! I hope this makes up for the wait and adds excitement to your reading journey.

And for those eagerly waiting for "Uns Ki Mohabbat", I'm thrilled to share that it's on the way and will be posted soon on both platforms!

Thank you for your unwavering support. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on these chapters and to continue this journey together.

With love, Author Almas

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As soon as Asad took Aleena with him and disappeared, I noticed Ayesha and Jasmine walking with the elders. I quietly took the opportunity and walked behind Ayesha.

"Cupcake, can I drop you home?" I whispered from behind, watching her stop in her tracks and turn toward me.

My gaze first locked onto her black eyes. These eyes are like my drug; I can't imagine living in this world without seeing them. Then, I shifted my focus to her face-my entire existence belongs to this face. Finally, I looked at her lips, those red petals that are even more tempting. Right now, all I know is that I can't live without this crazy woman. I need her.

"Why?" she asked casually.

"So I can spend a little more time with you, Cupcake," I leaned in slightly, whispering in her ear-the same one I had kissed.

"I'm tired, Dr. Zaid, and you drive too slowly. Promise me you'll drive fast, and then I'll come with you," Ayesha didn't argue with me today, and a sudden uneasiness crept in.

What's wrong with her? Even when she's tired, she usually snaps at me. What's going on? Is it because I kissed her earlobe, or-

"Are you dropping me now?" she asked sternly, and I felt relieved. Her usual tone was back. Okay, it was just a fleeting mood swing. My Cupcake is still the same.

With a smile, I nodded and took her to the parking lot, where my black Thar was parked. I opened the door for my queen and extended my hand. She took it gladly and sat down.

I got into the driver's seat, but as I was about to start the car, I noticed Ayesha braiding her loose hair. My breath caught at the sight. The red outfit, dark red lipstick, and kiss-marked ear weren't enough-now she was braiding her black hair, which is another one of my weaknesses.

With every braid she made, her bare back came into view, and watching her made my heart race faster.

As soon as Ayesha finished braiding her hair, she started searching for something.

"Where's my purse? I think I left it inside," she said, looking at me.

"You didn't bring a purse, Ms. Hayat," I said confidently because the moment she entered, I scanned her-or rather, my gaze was fixed only on her. She hadn't brought a bag, just her phone, which was now in my pocket since madam found it too heavy to carry herself.

"Oh, right. I remember, I left my things in Aleena's purse," Ayesha said, realizing where she'd put her belongings, still busy adjusting her braid.

Seeing her struggle, I pulled a black hairband from my pocket and handed it to her.

"What are you doing with women's hair scrunchies? And why do you keep them?" Ayesha asked, her tone slightly angry.

"I keep them just in case you need one," I replied calmly, looking at her.

Hearing my words, a soft blush crept onto Ayesha's cheeks, only making me even more insane for her.

"Oh, okay," she muttered nervously, taking the hairband from me like an innocent child.

After braiding her hair, she began to remove her jewelry one by one-her heavy necklace, her rings, and bangles, leaving only a few on her wrist. Finally, she took off her earrings.

"Have we reached?" Ayesha asked, turning to me while searching for a place to put her jewelry.

"Not yet," I said, grabbing my office bag from the backseat and handing her a box.

"What? Wait, we haven't even left yet? This is why I don't ride with you, Dr. Zaid. I told you I'm tired, and we're still in the parking lot! I might as well call a cab-"

"I'm sorry, Ms. Hayat, I'll drive right away," I quickly apologized, before she could snap at me again.

The craziest thing is, I hadn't driven yet because I wanted her to braid her hair and remove her jewelry in peace, without any noise or bumps disturbing her. But madam seems to be in an entirely different mood today. Why? What happened to her all of a sudden? Why is she so restless, and why is she making me restless too?

Not wanting to make her any angrier, I started the car and glanced at her as she placed her jewelry in the box. Then, my eyes fell on her side-she wasn't wearing her seatbelt. This woman won't let me have a moment of peace, not even for a second. Trying to suppress my sudden uneasiness, I leaned closer to her. Ayesha's hands froze from what she was doing, and she looked at me. I was just inches away from her.

"D-Dr. Zaid?" she stammered, and I smiled at her cuteness.

"Yes, Ms. Hayat?" I asked, moving even closer.

"Wh-what are you doing?" she managed to ask, but I was busy controlling myself. She was extremely nervous, and I liked how much of an effect I had on her, to the point where she lost her voice in front of me.

"Ensuring my cupcake's safety," I leaned closer, whispering softly near her irresistible ear. After securely fastening her seatbelt, I looked at her, and our eyes met. I could see the nervousness lingering on her flawless face, while mine held only a sense of peace just from looking at her.

I never knew loving a woman could be this beautiful, especially loving her would feel this peaceful to me.

As Ayesha tried to look away, I gently held her chin. "Look at me, Ayesha," I tried my best to sound serious, but my heart surrenders to this woman. I can't even be serious when talking to her, nor can I command her-my heart only listens to her words.

"You might be getting late," she tried her best to sound stern, but her voice was barely audible to me, and I felt a sense of satisfaction watching my lioness act like a little cub right now.

"I'm in no rush," I whispered deeply, moving closer to her ear, and then slowly began to suck her addictive earlobe. And my Ayesha, with complete patience, was letting me do my favorite job.

"Z-Zaid..." My lips froze when I heard her say my name so softly. She began lightly hitting my chest, and though I knew I should pull away, her touch made it nearly impossible to move from where we were.

Struggling to calm my racing heartbeat, I quickly backed away and started the car, choosing some music to break the awkward silence that was bound to follow after my foolish move just moments ago.

Ayesha gave me a stern look, then opened the car mirror and checked her ear. "What have you done, Mr. Rude? How am I supposed to hide this now?" She turned to me, half scolding.

Instead of replying, I played a song: Tum Chupa Na Sako, Mai Woh Raaz Hoon ("You can't hide me; I'm the secret").

I watched as her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red with each line.

"You... you know what it means?" she stammered, and today I felt blessed to see this shy side of my fierce lioness.

"It's your native language, so of course I had to learn and understand what my cupcake says when she badmouths me," I said, a smirk playing on my lips as I turned the wheel.

Ayesha looked out the window, but today, surprisingly, my lion wasn't arguing back. Instead, she was either blushing or avoiding my gaze. I couldn't tell if I should be happy or worried, seeing this softer side of Ms. Hayat, with her voice caught in her throat around me.

For the next 15 minutes, the drive was filled with her quiet breaths and the racing beat of my heart.

"It's okay, Zaid, you just have to start the conversation. Cupcake won't be the one to begin-just go for it," I encouraged myself as best as I could. I was a bit-no, way too scared to even speak to her. She'd been silent for hours, and if I said something now, she might explode like a volcano.

"Are you alright, Ms. Hayat?" I tried to keep my voice gentle as I turned toward her, only to find her lost in her own thoughts.

"Ayesha," I called her even more softly, placing my hand gently on hers.

She instantly turned towards me, her gaze locked onto mine, watching me intently.

"What happened?" I asked, still looking at her. She didn't respond but kept staring at me, and suddenly I felt my breathing slow under her gaze. Her black eyes held something different today, as if she wanted to say something through them, to show me something-yet she wasn't ready to speak up.

"Nothing," came her dry response as she turned back to the window. I couldn't understand what could be so captivating about the view outside that she kept avoiding me.

Calming my nerves, which were on edge from not hearing her addictive voice, I pulled over on the side of the flyover. Before Ayesha could ask me anything, I got out and opened her door. She didn't move, and my mind started racing again. Without waiting for her, I leaned down, unbuckled her seatbelt, took her hand, and led her over to the flyover pillars.

"What's wrong with you, Dr. Zaid?" she burst out at me, finally speaking. My heart felt a sense of relief.

"What's wrong with you, cupcake?" I asked, pulling her closer.

"Let go of me, Zaid. Someone might see us," she hesitated, trying to free herself from my hold.

"No one is so free as to stop their car just to watch us, Ayesha," I replied firmly, tightening my grip around her waist. Her clothes had shifted slightly, so my hand brushed against her bare waist. But before I could react, she hugged me suddenly, holding me tightly. My grip loosened for a moment, then I embraced her fully, softly patting her head.

"Cupcake, you're making me worried," I murmured, kissing her forehead.

Once again, she didn't respond, and a wave of unease filled me.

"Ayesha!" I broke the embrace, cupping her cheeks and looking at her seriously.

"I'm afraid, Zaid," Ayesha murmured softly, looking down.

"Afraid of whom?" I asked gently, caressing her cheeks, instantly vowing to myself that I'd make sure that person disappear from this world.

"You," she replied, and my heart stopped for a moment. It felt as if my entire world had come to a halt, like I'd misheard her. This couldn't be real-my Ayesha couldn't be afraid of me, absolutely not.

"Me?" I barely managed to ask.

"I'm afraid to be around you, Zaid, because I fear I might fall in love with you." She finished her sentence, still staring at the ground.

"Then let that fear win, Ayesha. Fall in love with me, cupcake," I said, softly squeezing her chubby cheeks.

She looked up at me, then tried to look away.

"Ayesha, I'm not forcing you. Take your time, and I'll wait until your fear of loving me fades away." I poured my heart out, knowing it was now or never.

She's been in my heart for the past eight years, and now it's time to make her a part of my life-my beautiful view in the early morning, my peace, my comfort when I'm at my worst.

"Thank you, Zaid," she mumbled softly, hugging me again. I kept caressing her head and held her even tighter as the wind blew strongly around us.

Ayesha needed more time, and so did I, so that I could reveal the true identity of her.

After about 30 minutes, we started heading toward Ayesha's friend's house, and my eyes fell on a medical store.

Parking the car, I glanced at Ayesha, who was lost in gazing at the moon in the sky, while I was admiring the "moon" sitting beside me. Her messy bun had become even messier, and her face was glowing even more. Without saying anything, I got out of the car and headed into the store.

"May I help you, sir?" a young guy, probably in his twenties, asked me.

"Actually, I'm looking for an antibiotic cream," I replied, scanning the creams section.

"Sure, sir," he said, picking out the antibiotic cream and packing it. Then I noticed some chocolates on display. Thinking they might cheer up cupcake's mood, I decided to grab a few.

When I returned to the car, I saw Ayesha inside, trying to open the door. She looked worried. I quickly opened the door, and she hugged me instantly.

"Where did you go? Do you know how tense I got? How could you just leave without telling me? You don't care about me, Zaid. I hate you-"

"Calm down, cupcake, I'm right here," I said, cupping her cheeks and responding softly to her worried scolding. I noticed her take a deep breath, like a sigh of relief.

"Don't go anywhere without telling me, Zaid," she said, sitting back, but I was utterly confused. She says she doesn't love me-or that she's afraid of me-yet she worries if I'm not around.

What's going on with you, Ayesha? You won't let me get close, yet you won't let me leave either. What do you really want?

Setting aside my thoughts for the moment, I got back in the car and drove toward the gate.

When we reached the entrance, I grabbed the bag, stepped out, and opened her door, extending my hand to her.

Ayesha looked at me, then slowly placed her hand in mine. I held it softly as she stepped out, adjusting her outfit. She still hadn't told me what this outfit is called, though it's incredibly alluring. But I didn't want to ask her about it now-I'll figure it out myself.

"Take care," Ayesha said sternly and started to walk away, but I gently grabbed her hand, pulling her closer to me.

"What-"

"I just wanted to give you this," I interrupted her, handing her the bag.

"What's this?" she asked, surprised by the gesture and the bag.

"Nothing much, just a few sweets to brighten my cupcake's mood and..." I paused.

"And... what?" Ayesha asked, taking the bag.

"And..." How should I say it? I felt nervous, and it puzzled me. Why am I nervous?

"Did you get nervous when you kissed her?" my mind scolded.

"Do you think he feels any emotions when he's with her?" my heart taunted, leaving me uncertain whether it was supporting or mocking me.

"Dr. Zaid?" My thoughts broke when Ayesha called my name.

"Yes, yes, a cream to heal your earlobe that's turned red from-"

"A mosquito bite!" she cut me off, completely teasing me.

Mosquito? Seriously, Miss Hayat? I kissed her earlobe so tenderly, and she's calling it a mosquito bite? She's calling the most feared mafia leader a mosquito right in front of me. I wish I could say all this to her, yet my crazy heart still fears her reaction.

"Yeah... mosquito bite!" That was all I could manage in response.

"Take care," I said softly.

"Good night," came her curt reply. Her gaze was lowered, while mine was fixed on her.

"Good night," I replied.

"Sleep well," I added.

"You too," she said, and I wanted to tell her no, I can't sleep. How could I sleep after seeing her in that red outfit? I'll be thinking about her all night: her walk, her gaze, her eyes, her voice, her smile, her laugh, her perfume, her hair, her messy bun-everything about her.

"See you soon," I added, just to hear her voice one more time.

"Go!" she said sternly, finally looking up at me. Her seriousness made me smile. It felt like the old Miss Hayat was coming back.

"Okay!" I chuckled and started walking toward my car.

Ayesha stood there until I got into my car.

"Go, Ayesha," I gestured with my hands, and she gestured back, telling me to go first.

Following her command, I took the turn and pulled out. When I looked in the rearview mirror, Ayesha was still standing there, holding the bag.

Taking one last look at her, I drove straight to Asad's house.

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I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it for you! Your feedback means the world to me, but there's no pressure-vote or comment only if you feel moved to share your thoughts. Every reaction, every insight from you brings so much joy, and I'm always eager to hear what you think!

Thank you for reading and for being part of this journey. Looking forward to hearing from you in the comments!

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