Match Made In Moonlight ✓

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Haider thought what Ishmal said that day after their argument was just for the sake of it and she didn't really mean it but he was wrong. The next morning, over the breakfast table, as they all were seated, Mr. Tashfeen started which made him confused.

"Ishmal Beti is a very good painter and Hiba struggles in her art class and she and many of her friends don't like their art teacher so Ishmal had said that she would help all of them in their art subject by joining their school temporarily till Hiba is in eight grade. And I very much like this idea. It will help Ishmal to live her dream of being a painter and help the kids as well."

{A/N: Beti: Daughter}

Haider was stunned hearing this. Where did this come from? His eyes went towards Ishmal who was looking at her plate while sluggishly moving the fork into it. Perhaps she had felt the heat of his gaze on her as she lifted her head and met his gaze in which initial surprise got replaced by irritation. Ishmal gulped swiftly.

However it was true if he hadn't have told her to not work like an order, she maybe wouldn't have done this. She needed a job but somehow she wouldn't have done it like this by involving his parents. But Ishmal was so fed up with Haider treating her like some culprit.

Haider couldn't say no in front of his parents. It now included Hiba as well who really wanted to pass her art subject and she only wanted Ishmal to teach and assist her.

There was no anger. There was no hatred. Haider couldn't understand what he was feeling right now. This girl was stubborn and constantly doing everything opposite to what he said. Why couldn't he get bitter with her? There was a curiosity. A feeling of not being able to claim something after owning it.

She was indeed not his real wife. It was a contract marriage between them. And she was right that she would be left empty-handed after it would get over and he was no one to assert any right over her. At first when it never bothered Haider that she was just here because of that agreement, now it did. His heart and mind weren't ready to accept the word fake with her. She was his wife and whenever she mentioned that she was just bearing with his marriage as a drama, it aggravated him.

Haider couldn't understand the sudden change in his notion of Ishmal and their marriage. She was also a woman and she would also ditch him someday yet he made his ego to hate women tumble down by accepting her as his wife.

These days Haider couldn't focus on anything. Ishmal remained on his mind every time. He wanted to mark her as his own. But it was wrong; he couldn't give a woman a sense of feeling special. He believed they didn't deserve it. But why was it changing when it came to Ishmal?

Possibly that was the reason why he didn't like the idea when Ishmal said she wanted to find a job. He never wanted his wife to do it when he was here for the same purpose. Maintaining a household was a duty of a man, not a woman and that was what he always had crafted in himself. Even he had no intention of it when he was fine and was engaged to Nisha.

Nevertheless, Ishmal wishing for a job shouldn't have provoked him because she wasn't his responsibility. She could have done anything she wanted. But Haider got furious when she said it.

Right now, Haider was in the shower to calm himself down. As he was applying shampoo to his hair, he wondered why there was no hate. Why did everything become smooth and soft just like the lather on his hair was forming? That was not what he anticipated. The egoistic and wounded man in him would never wanted to find any charm from the woman but here it was happening.

He wanted to feel anger toward Ishmal. The way she was blatantly ignoring him and wasn't showing any reaction to him was annoying Haider. She was not abiding by him as he initially wanted was something which should make him repulsive of her but instead, Haider was getting more drawn towards her. His desire was increasing more and more for her.