He tightened his grip on the door knob and stared in shock at Jasmine and Hamza, kissing passionately, oblivious to everything else. He felt a bleakness clouding his soul. No. No. "No, Jasmine," he whispered, crushed.
Quickly, he turned and walked away to enter the room she had previously occupied. With a strangled cry, he hurled his phone across the room where it crashed against a mirror. Then he gasped with the pain that made him see darkness everywhere.
Jasmine. Why had she done this to herself? How could that bastard touch her the way she was only supposed to be touched by Armaan? How could she let him?
Clutching his hair and falling back on the bed, he stared up at the canopy with demented eyes. He stayed that way for a long time, his soul writhing in agony. So this was love. This was the pain people talked about, the pain they were afraid of, the pain that had inspired poets and writers alike.
This was what everyone said was worth fighting for.
****
Master Manipulator
17
"Good morning," Armaan's voice greeted Jasmine pleasantly as she stood on the balcony of his room and watched the sunrise the next day.
He had brought her coffee and set it down on the wide stone balustrade, bracing his elbows on it and regarding her with a warm smile on his face.
"Yo," she muttered in a lukewarm tone, making him chuckle.
"Somebody's in a sour mood this morning," he said in amusement. "I thought you'd be happier considering the little rendezvous you got to have with my brother last night."
It was one of those stunned-speechless moments as she absorbed what he had said and gaped at him, feeling the blood drain from her face. Oh, God. He knew about her and Hamza? He had seen them.
"Hey, relax, okay," Armaan told her, straightening and frowning at her in what appeared to be concern. "I'm not judging. I mean, you could've just told me he's the one. Stuff happens. I get it."
"Armaan, you can't tell-"
"I wasn't going to," he stated calmly. "Your secret's safe with me. I gotta say, I didn't even suspect it was him. It must be hard, huh? Having to keep it all in. I'm so sorry, Jasmine."
She stood shell-shocked as he reached out and rubbed a hand on her shoulder in comfort. Jasmine couldn't believe he was being so understanding of her situation. It made her want to give him a hug. Such kindness coming from a guy she always saw in a bad light. It made her even more emotional than she already was after everything that had happened yesterday.
"Jas. What're you going to do?" Armaan asked her quietly, his expression grave as he bent his head to catch her eye. "I don't think Hamza will marry anyone else because he's spent years resenting our father for the same thing. And you'll have to go back soon. It wouldn't work out."
That hurt so much because he was right. After talking to him last night, Jasmine had become convinced that Hamza wouldn't ever marry her. He wouldn't put Alisha in that position even if he kept telling Jasmine he'd try and fix things. It was just wishful thinking on her part and a way for him to keep her from pestering him about the illicit nature of their relationship.
She'd have to say goodbye to him once more after Zoya's wedding was over. The agony tore at her heart because Jasmine didn't feel as though she could survive a separation from him the second time around.
"Unless...of course...you find a way to stay here for the rest of your life," Armaan murmured, his fingers tracing the length of her arm, his voice almost seductive. "See him every day, live under the same roof as him and not be judged for it by anyone."
She looked up at him with a confused expression. That wasn't even possible. Hamza was a married man and she was nothing to him as far as society was concerned. There was no way she could live with him without consequences.
"I could help you out with that," Armaan offered sweetly, giving her a kind smile. "I could marry you."
~~~~
It happened so fast Jasmine didn't even know what stroke of luck had befallen her. Armaan arranged for everything. He lied to his family, saying that they were deeply in love and couldn't wait to be married. And then he set up a quick, small wedding ceremony, hiring people to do all the shopping that was necessary so that she wouldn't have to go through any of the stress
All Jasmine had to do was speak to Hamza about it and even though he was very upset at first, not to mention suspicious of Armaan's motives, he finally relented because he also realised it was the perfect solution to their problem.
"Tell me you won't let him come near you," Hamza said sternly, holding her to his chest and caressing her arms. "I don't trust him, Jasmine. He might try to take you from me."
She kissed him and hugged him back tightly, smiling at his misconceptions. "I won't," she promised sincerely. "This is just for convenience. I won't even share the same bed with him. Armaan understands. He won't be here half the time, anyway."
The function ended at night and after receiving many congratulations and unwanted hugs from Armaan's relatives, Jasmine found a space in a corner of the reception hall downstairs near a balcony to be alone for a moment. She sensed someone watching her then. Looking up, she made out Hamza's figure leaning against the railings just several feet away in a darkened area. A smile touched upon her lips
