Chapter 23: Chapter 23

A few days passed already. Sheharzaad had passed Khaleda the signal, secretly that she had something to share with her and as Khaleda had instructed, she was waiting for Khaleda to contact her.

They weren't contacting through her phone because there were high chances her phone would be tapped by Shehryaar and Khaleda had prohibited that too.

She kept on coming to the office and Shehryar was too busy in his work. Since he had been absent the past week from the company, he was catching up on some things and working on some deals as well. But still somehow he would find some time and call her to his office, asking her to work on a particular file while sitting infront him. He won't let her leave his office and all the while she would be able to feel his gaze on her making her so anxious and nervous. She would spend more time in his office than hers.

Whenever she would be near him, tremors escaped her body as the deal she made with Khaleda would keep on running behind her mind. She would try to act normal but his dominating presence suffocated her within seconds. She remember getting so nervous that her hands visibly shivered while receiving the file he was giving her.

She had minimized her contact with Hannan because of his sake. Because she knew if Shehryaar even got the wind of her being near Hannan, then only God would be able to save them both from him. He had Hannan beaten badly earlier only because she went with him to a restaurant and he held her hand. She couldn't forget what he did to her only because she disobeyed him. The burn in her tongue still hurt.

He was cruel.

So cruel.

Barbaric.

A dictator.

He only wanted things his way not caring about others.

Above these all, he was arrogant.

Sheer arrogance dripped from every word he says.

His persona only conveyed two things to her, dominance and arrogance.

But her name was Sheharzaad too.

She had too ought to teach him a lesson he would never forget.

One thing that always hindered her from doing so was the fear. The fear that had been born and rooted deep within the core of her heart.

She dreaded him. Dreaded him from the core of his heart. No matter how much she try to act strong and bold infront him, it was all pretentious. All an act just to camouflage her fear. Just to console her heart, give herself a hope that she didn't fear him as much as though she did.

Whenever she would talk back to him, the very next second, regret and terror would torture her.

Just like these days, four things at the same time was working up her mind.

First, what would he do with her at Dubai.

Second, what if he get to know that she has his recording and she was working with Khaelda.

And third one was her cursing herself why had she had to open her mouth and give him a long speech that day when she knew how much of a maniac he was. How much of an unpredictable person he was.

It was slowly killing her day by day that what waited for her at Dubai. She had thought numerous times to run away but she can't. Because of Amna. Despite her treatment going on, her health wasn't good. Often times, she had seen her coughing blood. She can't leave Amna at his mercy and then run away. What if he caught her and then killed her? Neither could she take Amna with her and run away because of her health.

So it was better to wait patiently for her house getting sold. She would get some money through it and then that money would help her to survive in another city. The money she got from Shehryaar, she had kept it all for Amna's expensive treatment. Just to run away from Shehryaar she couldn't just waste that money.

The last and fourth one was him getting to know about the sale of her house. She wanted to get things quickly done before he would get a wind of it. She depended on Hannan for it, completely. Hannan was doing all the work but still he wasn't able to find anyone for her. Though, she had already stared making preparations by packing her stuff in boxes. She hoped Shehryaar won't pay her a visit because if those big boxes caught his eye then she would be caught for real.

She was bearing with his threats for the moment, waiting for the right time. Because eventually, she knew she would run away before passing the evidences to agencies.

Right now, she sat infront him on the desk when her mobile popped with a message from Ahmed.

Ahmed was a great friend to her. She admired him given how selfless he was. He was one of those men whom she could trust with her eyes closed. He was more than a brother to her. Whenever she would look at him and Amna, it would assure her that true love exists in this world. It gave her hope she would also one day find a man who would truly love her.

Yesterday both Sheharzaad and Ahmed had talked for the whole night again and once again he didn't stop making her laugh. She had been feeling so vulnerable about the impending Dubai trip with Shehryaar when his message had popped out and they began to talk. And the conversation went for whole night due to which she was late today for the office.

Sheharzaad told Ahmed that her boss was sitting infront her due to which she can't talk. He understood, not before throwing a joke making her smile and went away as she placed her phone on the table.

Her lashes rose and looked at Shehryaar whose eyes were focused on his laptop screen.

"We will go to Dubai after three days," he informed before focusing his grey eyes on hers.

Fear spiralled through her nerves thinking of her impending doom as she looked at him fearfully.

Nevertheless she gave him a nod, knowing she couldn't leave his highness unattended when his brows rose up, "okay," she answered, gauging he was expecting a verbal response.

That she had came to know by now, how much just head shakes angsted him

"Are you in love?" he suddenly asked.

"Love?" Confusion danced on her face.

"Yeah, love," he said casually, scratching his stubble.

She gulped, her eyes blinked rapidly. Sudden fear overtaking her.

"D-do you th-think I'm i-in love?" With a paled face, she asked.

She began to think that he thought she was in love with someone. He would kill her first even before demanding any explanation if he became assure there was someone in her heart as just few days ago he had claimed her as 'his woman'

She cared less about her love and more about what he thought.

"Maybe,"

"Please don't think anything like that," she became breathless, "please... I don't love anybody,"

"But the way your face just sparkled when that message popped up on your phone and how quickly you checked it. Seems like you've a lover," He stated, lowly and calmly. Subtle threat hanging in his voice.

"He is my brother,"

"Last time I checked, you were your parents only child,"

"No... I didn't mean this. He is like my brother, Ahmed bhai. Amna's fiance," she explained.

"Hmm," his eyes narrowed as he rested his back against the seat.

Her heart throbbed in her chest. The last thing she would want him to think that she loved someone and that too Ahmed.

"Alot of difference," he said, grabbing her complete attention, "alot of difference in 'like a brother' and 'is a brother'. Am I wrong, Sheharzaad?" he asked.

She felt threatened, "No. Y-you are right," she gave him the answer he wanted.

"Come to me, then. I want something to sink in your mind," he uttered making all the life leave from her limbs. Colors flew from her face.

Tears welled up in her eyes suddenly, "please. I don't love anyone," she beseeched.

"Come here," he glared at her, seeing her disobey.

She stood up and walked to him taking steps as small as she could.

"Please, he is like a brother to me. I d-don't love anyone," she said, halfway through when he stood up and covered the distance between them.

Her lashes moved down on their own accord and the tears that had been welled up in her eyes, dropped down.

"Shhhhh," he held her shoulders, "don't cry," he said, making her look up. Yet his voice was void of any emotion. Just plain and cold.

"I swear to you, I don't love him," She explained once again, afraid of his wrath.

"I don't like your face lighting up the way it just did now," he uttered and caressed his knuckles against her cheeks, cleaning the tears, "your face," he muttered, his eyes on her tears streaked cheeks, "should brighten up only when I want it to be,"

She batted her lashes unable to understand him.

"Because?" he rose his brows in a questioning manner while grasping her chin.

"Because.... I b-belong t-t-to y-y-you," she stuttered.

When he still didn't let her go, she muttered, "Shehryaar Haider,"

"Good," he caressed her hair, "that's better. I believe I don't need to drive in the lesson. You're already aware,"

She just gave a subtle nod.

"Cut him off. I don't want to see you talking to him,"

"Why?" The whisper escaped her lips before she could stop herself.

"Because I didn't like you smiling while texting him," he stated plainly.

(A/N: I wish I could just put the scene the way it was running in my mind. He was acting like a total maniac at the back of my head. Like some psycho. This was what I had in my mind while writing this scene + what a maniac is he... Oh God)

"Rather I should put it this way, my sheharzaad," his fingers stroked against her neck making her take a step back, "I don't want you to cut him in pieces by your own hands. So better keep your distance from him before I make it happen. Got me?"

"Yes....yes, I g-got you, I will n..not do anything like that," she just wanted to convince him that she agreed at that moment.

"I appreciate that, Sheharzaad," he said with a smile, before raising her chin and placing a chaste kiss on her lips.

She took multiple steps back from him, "Don't do t-that please," she rubbed her hands against her lips, trying to remove his touch.

Holding her arm, with one single jerk he propelled her towards him.

"I can do much more than that. You know right?"

"Why are you torturing me like that?" she cried out.

"You still have the proposition,"

"I would never willingly sell my body,"

His thumb traced her brow. "That's good to know, Sheharzaad," he muttered under his breath, "but don't challenge me with your stubbornness," he warned, before grasping her jaw and kissing her again to his fill.

A slick of saliva formed when he pulled back that had her rub her lips against the cough of shirt.

Her lips were swollen.

"Sooner or later, I will free myself of you, Shehryaar," she uttered with a tear shedding through her eye before taking a few steps back and turned around only to leave his office.

"Only if I let you, Sheharzaad," he muttered when she was gone.