Let me Hate you by Anjaani (top reads txt) 📖

She was mesmerized by his presence and even forgot about her decision to stay away from him. She wished the moment would freeze there, and she could keep looking at him. However, she jerked out of her trance when she saw Amaan’s eyes flash.

“Um...Kabir might be looking for me”, she made an excuse and was passing Amaan when he suddenly pulled her by her waist, locking her in his arms.

“Don’t!” he yelled, but seeing Asmaira flinch, he took a deep breath to calm his agony and again said in a gentle tone, “Don’t run away from me.”

“Why are you avoiding me? Why don’t you look at me? Why are you hurting me, Asmaira?” Amaan desperately asked, making Asmaira look into his eyes.

“Please talk to me, anything, just anything, but please don’t ignore me,” he pleaded, and there was a glint of desperation in his eyes.

“I...I am not, please let me go, Kabir is waiting for me”, she struggled to get out of his grip but failed.

“No, unless you talk to me, I am not leaving you.”

Seeing that she was still not responding or even glancing at him and was struggling to move away from him, he got infuriated, and he yelled, “Look at me, dammit,” making her flinch in fear, and the next moment she blacks out.

It took long for Amaan to realize that she passed out, hearing him yell at her, and he cursed himself for hurting her again.

“Asmaira, I am sorry. Please open your eyes. I won’t come again in front of you, but please open your eyes”, he said while lightly patting her cheeks. He frightened, seeing her pass out, and his senses seem not to work in his despair.

He immediately dashed towards Fariya for help.

“Ma, Asmaira,” he puffed while holding her with his trembling hands.

“Amaan, what’s wrong, Asmaira what?”, Fariya inquired his frightened son.

“She”...he gulped. His throat felt like a desert after running for help.

“She, she fainted.” He finally managed to say while panting.

“What?”, Fariya gasped.

“Maya, call the doctor immediately, now?” she ordered while she went to see Asmaira.

When Asmaira woke up, she noticed everybody was in their room except for Amaan. Fariya was the first one to approach her and was beaming.

“Don’t get up. Stay in bed. I am so happy today. You have no idea what gift you have given me today”, she gently caressed her hair and kissed her forehead.

Asmaira noticed the side of her bed dip, and Ishaal and Hania sat next to her.

“Oh my God, Asmaira, congratulations,” Ishaal said happily while clapping her hand.

“You don’t worry about anything, I will plan everything for you, right from shopping to your diet, and I will not listen to no from you,” Hania said while squeezing Asmaira’s hand.

Asmaira, who was still in a daze, didn’t understand the reason for their happiness.

Before she could ask what happened to her and why she suddenly passed out, Amaan entered the room. To be precise, Jamshed dragged him inside the room.

“Here come the would-be father, Ma; he was fleeing when I caught him and dragged him here. Is my little brother feeling shy or what?” Jamshed said while elbowing Amaan, who was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Asmaira felt her world turned upside down on hearing “would be a father.”

Does that mean I...I am going to be a mother? She thought while gawking at Amaan, looking at her for the first time after entering the room.

“Enough! Let’s give them some moments to celebrate. Amaan, take good care of Asmaira from now onwards”, Salar said while placing his hand on his shoulder.

When everyone left, silence again prevailed in the room. Amaan noticed Asmaira crawled back on the bed with her head bows down. He thought she was feeling shy as she was a coy woman. He was dying to hear her voice after receiving the news about her pregnancy, but his heart broke hearing her sobbing the next moment.

“I am sorry,” she whispered with her head bowed down.

Asmaira didn’t notice Amaan stumble back on hearing her words, and she continued to say, “I didn’t know it would happen.”

Amaan closed his eyes in despair and turned his back to her. This was not what he was expecting her to say, and the worse was, he thought with her pregnancy, now things will change for good between them.

“I am sorry. I will not let one mistake lead to another”, more than Amaan she was saying this to herself.

I don’t want him to think I am binding him to me with a child, she cried.

When Amaan heard what Asmaira said, he immediately snapped his eyes open and turned to look at her in a fury.

She thinks that night was a mistake and our child is also a mistake; Amaan was fisting his hand to control his anger.

He didn’t hear what she was saying and glared at her. The next second he marched towards her. Her reluctance to look at him made me more irked, and he grabbed her by her arms, roaring, “How dare you?”

Asmaira shivered with the intensity of anger she saw in his eyes. She thought Amaan was angry with her because of her pregnancy, while Amaan was angry as she thought their child was a mistake.

She immediately closed her eyes in fear. Although her mind alerted her of a threat from Amaan, her heart chose otherwise. Unknown to Asmaira, she was clinging to Amaan’s shirt, begging for solace in his arms. Seeing her frightened state, Amaan melted down. He badly wanted to hold her in his arms, but he thought it would only hurt her again. Already he has done enough damage to her, and he can’t see her in pain again.

With that thought, he left the room. Asmaira collapses on the bed, looking at his retreating back.

“I am sorry, Raina, I never intend to take your place. I never intend to fall in love with Amaan. I never intend to have his child. I was here for Kabir and didn’t fulfill your wish. Instead, I started dreaming about life with Amaan and Kabir. I am sorry, I thought for once I meant something to Amaan. I was stupid to think he could like someone like me. I am really sorry. Please don’t hate me, Raina. Please ask Amaan not to hate me. I can’t see hatred for me in his eyes”. Asmaira whispered to no one while sleep consumed her.