Page 27

'This really happened. Am I this lucky to have her all to myself?' he thought, running a hand over her hair in admiration. He liked her long silky hairs. It was proof she was an angel, who was sent just for him.

It was still dark outside. The dawn wasn't ready to come. Perhaps it was on his side, giving him more time to admire his sleeping beauty.

Many things had happened the day before, he couldn't keep his desires under control. But it has to happen someday, so there was nothing wrong.

Her small, small lips quivered, as if she were in pain.

He put his hand to her belly, soothing her pain. No one would be able to harm her or even look at her in the wrong way. An attentive sense of protection ran in his every fibre.

Suddenly, she stirred and yanked her eyes open. She looked blankly at him, still lying, and then became frightened. Oman was shocked.

He observed her movements.

"What happened?

She sat up straight. She was confused, restless, and rather appalled by herself.

What she had felt last day had been shocking for her in many ways.

She was too scared to speak and couldn't utter a single word. He tried touching her, but she flinched back.

He perceived a hollow pang inside him.

"Tell me if I did something wrong.

You are frightening me, he muttered.

Still holding his hands in the air, ready to seize her and enfold her in his arms,

She remained silent while she surveyed her surroundings. Then at herself. She was wrapped in a thin flower sheet. She was familiar with the sheet because she saw it at Azadeh's house.

More than half of her beautiful body was visible to his eyes and he liked what he saw.

Is it all about making love? A thought made his realised his mistake. Oman briefly closed his eyes, while biting his lower lip hard. He had crossed a certain limit, for sure.

She was behind all this. Making him feel something he had no control over.

He had become obsessed with her. Insanely wanted to claim her at any cost. But, It was her first time and chances are she got scared.

"Come to me," he said, sensing her hesitation with intense ferocity.

She looked down, then met his eyes, glaring at him with pure hatred. The expression on her face indicated that she had become disgusted with him.

"Don't look at me like that," he said with a straight face, while looking away. He didn't know what he should do in this situation.

He again tried touching her. She slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch me." Her breath became hoarse

It set a fire in his heart. Instead of dimming it was rising with each passing moment. Who was she to reject his claim on her. He felt wild inside.

In a flash, she arose, but then quickly fell back down on her seat with a thud. She was still sore.

Oman quickly went to her and grabbed her by the arms. Their faces were inches apart.

"I did nothing wrong, tara. I know I should have told you about lovemaking. But physical intimacy is a part of a marriage, and I have every right on you and your body," he whispered, making every word clear to hear.

Tara was messing with his brain. He wasn't able to accept more restrictions in their relationship.

Oman gripped her by the waist, his thumbs creasing her skin, and her belly quivered in response.

She placed her hand on his heart in order to push him. The thuding was loud against her palm. She immediately let go.

He had been sweet, but all in the name of hurting her at the end.

She felt suddenly empty.

She was unable to shake the sensation of being harmed by Oman.

"You hurt me."

His facial features became soft and understanding.

He cupped her face in his big palms.

"I am sorry. I will try to be soft next time." Tara became a statue at his statement.

His tone only confirmed what she already knew-this was not a man to bend to her will, or to anyone's will.

A distant hurt expanded in her eyes. She sniffed.

"You mean you will do this again?" Oman gulped.

He knew that now it was impossible for him to stay away from her. Just like a lion, once he would taste the blood, he won't be able to resist coming back for more.

"I love you so much, and this is not wrong. I am your husband, and every husband needs his wife for love."

After that, no word came out of her mouth. In fact, her chin wobbled, and a pool of water collected in her eyes. There was no way she could win against Oman.

Oman had been mortally offended. He was trying to be considerate, and giving her more time to accept him again.

Are two days not enough for her to accept his apology?

In his head he had done nothing wrong. He had attempted to do everything to make her happy and kept saying sorry.

Along with this, it was essential to keep moving as staying at one place was too risky. But everyday she was reluctant to go anywhere with him and acted in a disrespectful way.

The only solution was to carry her forcefully in his arms on horse. He managed everything calmly. Because, the tiniest part of him accepted his mistake and wanted to make everything like before.

On the contrary, Tara was exhausted.

Without any doubt, Oman had been keeping her good and secure but she did not want to fall for Oman's tricks. She had a feeling he did it with other girls too. The thought made her cringe and angry.

However, when she gets a glimpse of that day. She blushed furiously.

He had been explaining to her for the past week that it was all right and 'physical intimacy' is needed in a married relationship.

"You like torturing me, don't you"? She remembered him saying when she rejected his kiss.

And yet again he showed his dominating side by pulling her for a needy kiss and ended up making her more angry at him.

And she wasn't ready to accept his unnecessary apology.

But the fact she could not stay away from him for long and still needed him at any cost.

The part in her wanted him, she loved him.

It was evening and for the last hour she had been sitting behind a rock, playing an act of ignoring him. While he prepared their meal. She felt bad and wanted to help him.

Maybe, it was enough. She was just simply going to help him with food preparation, nothing else.

A wife shouldn't let her husband do any chores. But here everything had been flipped.

She was about to get up when suddenly, She heard the horse neigh, so she immediately got up and peered out over a rock. She noticed a cloud of dust forming behind six horses, fast moving. They were crossing by but one of the men had noticed the tent.

She scrambled to her feet and moved one step away from the rock, suddenly a large hand covered her mouth and a strong arm circled around her waist. She struggled but relaxed when heard his familiar voice.

"Shhh, it's me. Keep still and don't move" his voice was low but at the same time commanding.

She was twisted around to face him. "These people, they are gonna harm us, right?"

"Yes and get behind the rock and don't come out, no matter what happens. Do you understand?" He said wresting a glittering dagger from its sheath.

Her eyes widened. Tara grabbed his hand.

"Please don't go"

"I have to. It is time to give them a warning. They have taken me lightly. Wait for me and don't come out" he placed a hand on her cheek and deliberately kissed her forehead.

She clutched his rob's sleeves in her fists. He set her free from her hold.

"I love you," he said lovingly.

He leapt over the short distance to their residence. He went behind a man with silent footsteps and slashed his back, making him cry out loud, and others became aware.

She gasped with fear but covered her face with both palms.

Oman fought viciously, utilising all his skills with a sword that he had snatched from the first assassin he had slashed. He was slicing it in bold arcs through the air while defending himself with his mighty dagger.

It was five to one. He was trapped in a circle.

Tara's eyes were ready to come out of the socket. She couldn't see this. Her heart was thumping wildly.

"Surrender yourself, traitor," one of the assassins said.

"Never"

Oman clanged the sword against one of his enemies shoulders. Two down, three to go.

He thought he could win against them, but soon his hope seemed to be fading, when he saw another group of horseriders coming towards him.

He cursed furiously.

He looked toward the high rocks. She was waiting for him.

Maybe it was his last day.

He prayed and asked for more time from God. To give him one more day. So that he could assure Tara's protection and send her to a safest place.