Chapter 29: Chapter 29

She fitted perfectly in his arms. The diamond of his eyes bored in hers as  she stared at him. Lifeless.

"Did not I tell you, I'll even myself with you, Sheharzaad?" His whisper came. Pulling up his callous hand, he placed it warmly on her cheek, "the day you dared to slap me was the very day you sealed your fate," he caressed her cheek, "I had decided," Now, he fastened his hand under her knees, fitting all her body between his arms, "you would be my woman," His feet moved and the striking of boots against the floor resonated in the room as he carried her bridal style. A tear fell from her eye and dropped on the floor and the next moment it was stepped upon by his boot, "As my wife or as my mistress," his irises deeply staring in hers who was digesting the shocks he was giving her, "I would never let you go," A promise. A promise was clearly visible in his eyes.

He placed her on the bed, before pouring her some water. With shaky fingers, she took the glass and gulped the liquid down as if thirsty for centuries.

He sat beside her on the bed and she tried to scoot away or create some distance when he held her hand.

The touch. It felt intimate to her.

As if her brain had already accepted him as her fiance.

He brought her hand closer to his lips and kissed her knuckles.

The same hand with which she had slapped him and which was now shivering with a ferocious intensity.

Her chest got breathless within seconds, heaving up and down. She didn't even try to snatch back her hand.

"Sheharzaad," he whispered, letting her hand go and her shoulders raised up.

And next in the silent air, her ears caught the sound of him inhaling a sharp breath that made her heart beat erratic.

Her eyes dared and again moved to his face.

Angelic yet devilish face.

Instinctively, her lips parted to say the words dancing in her mind but she closed them.

His hawk eyes noticed the subtle movement, "say," he said. She inhaled a shaky breath, her nerves got a little calmer as now she had his permission.

Jolting life to her shivering lips, they moved and began to speak, "I don't want this marriage," she whispered in a go.

No response came so she took it as her chance to continue, "bl k mei abhi shaadi nhi...k-karna chahti,"

(Rather, I don't want to marry yet)

"I am-"

"So my wife does not want to marry, I see," he made a fake thoughtful face.

"Please," she beseeched, looking in his eyes when she motioned her eyes down to her hands. Her other hand about to remove the diamond that settled on her ring finger but she suddenly stopped. The realization hitting her of the deed she was committing. Instinctively, her eye-lids snapped up at him and his eyes too moved from the ring that was about to get removed from her finger up to her eyes.

Grey against grey.

He fixated his brows in a frown, "Just try," she was told and his eyes noticed her, shaking her head in negative as she pulled both her hands to her sides.

"I won't d-do it...it aga-again," her teeth slightly clattered in the middle. She was turning white as still, air couldn't be sucked in by her lungs properly.

"Please, remove this ring from my hand. I don't want this, please," She almost cried out.

One thing, she had realized, his word was the final verdict. An unchangeable one. That could only be altered by him. And him alone. Didn't matter how much would she try to avoid the inevitable, the inevitable happens, every time. The day he announced about the one night stand, the day he told her she would be joining the company as his PA, the day he told her, she would have to take his permission as in even to step out of his office. Somewhere in between, no matter how much she resisted, at the end, what happened was the very thing that he had mentioned in the start. Her mind had now grown a mind of its own that was in his captivity. On its own accord, her mind already accepted what he said.

"I apologize for my behavior that day,"

She solemnly hoped her apology could revert back things. "I did it on impulse,"

A cry baby. A cry baby was what she sounded like.

"Look at me," he ordered and she slowly moved her lashes towards him.

"All you have is tonight to make yourself understand that now you are engaged and belong to me. Give me your answer tomorrow. If it's a no then I'll fix it for you," He stood up, glancing at her ashened face, "As I know how to make a no, a yes," he told.

"We are getting married soon. Now, I will go," Bending, he placed his lips on her forehead, "Have some work to deal with," As he placed them on her nose,  "Be on the best of your behavior," Stating, he planted a chaste kiss on her lips and straightened himself, "And Sheharzaad," he demanded his attention yet her eyes were too lost to even look up at him.

"Shh here baby," he snapped his fingers twice in quick succession infront her visage that had her trance broke, "With a sprained ankle, you can't run away so get that thought out of your mind in case you are entertaining one. I swear, I won't spare you,"

Her heart skipped a beat, "I was not thinking about running away," her tongue quickly explained. The wheels of her head would always stop spinning when she would be alone with him. And at that moment, all she wanted was to somehow escape him.

Be it giving the response he desired.

"Good," he gave a nod before walking outside.

....

"Hello, Hannan," Gulping, she kept on looking at the door, cautiously.

"Sheharzaad?" He spoke from the other side of phone.

Since past few hours, all she did was contemplating her next move. She felt so alone. So trapped. So chained. Even the minor task of breathing was suffocating her.

"What happened?" he sounded worried.

Worried?

Is he worried for me?

Is someone worried for me?

Tears gathered at the corner of her eyes and before she could stop it, the sob that had been struck in her throat broke all the barriers and erupted through her lips. Viciously.

"Why are you worried for me, Hannan?" A sob broke through her lips, "why?" she croaked out, feeling broken.

"What happened, Sheharzaad?!"

"You know," she started, "you used to ask why did I behave oddly. Why I acted scared all the time and why I was selling my house," Putting restraint to her tiny hiccups, she spoke, "I want this pressure off my heart, Hannan. It would crush me. It would break me. Torn me apart in pieces. I want to talk. I want this off, Hannan," Her hands rubbed her chest.

"Speak. Please tell. We will sort a way out," His voice held hope and she couldn't help but scoff.

"Shehryaar. I've been running away from him. He is the reason and he-he....is m-marrying me,"

"What?!" Hannan became speechless. "What's up, Sheharzaad?! Tell me,"

With a broken heart, she narrated the tale to him. Tired of bearing everything on her shoulders. All on her own. All alone. Just a worried glance at her and the dam broke.

Hannan was too speechless after listening to her story that this time he ran out of words.

"I was about to call you, Sheharzaad," he spoke, "I've a good news for you,"

"Listening," Nonchalance was clear on her face.

No news could do any good to her.

"I found a buyer for your house. He has seen the place, he liked it. Before you come back to Pakistan, I'd try to find a hostel where you could shift Amna, out of station. Remember, I told you about my friend? The sale would be done as soon as you come back. Don't worry,"

"Thank you. Thank you so much," there was still a hopelessness in her voice. Something told her, this marriage was bound to happen, "I would try to make the sale possible as soon I come back,"

"Sheharzaad, I do have an advice for you,"

"What?"

"Run away, Sheharzad. Just run away from Dubai. Come back to Pakistan and before he comes for you, you would be off to another city already away from him,"

"It's hard, Hannan. Very hard,"

"But not impossible,"

"I need to think. I will talk to you later. Bye,"

"Bye,"

And the call was hung.

She didn't want to try that.

.....

"Let me go out!" She demanded from the guards. Anger filing her eyes.

Another day had elapsed and she felt like going mad, being encaged in the room. Yesterday, he didn't show up the whole day and she kept on wandering here and there. The thought of stepping out sounded so appealing but his warning entered her mind and the idea was gone as soon as it came.

She felt like getting mad. Claustrophobia was hitting her. The same four walls were teasing her mind. The fact that, the corridor in which the room was had a pin drop silence, actually made her question her sanity. She wouldn't even hear other guests strolling through the corridor and it would make her wonder, was there anyone else apart from her on this corridor or not.

At last her patience slipped and she walked towards the door, diffusing his warning in thin air and again, got encountered by the guards. The security was changed this time around. They straight away denied to let her go out but she didn't budge.

"Ma'am please, cooperate and go inside," his eyes were down as said.

"I can't stay inside any longer. And why are you not listening to me? Look I'll call him now," she flashed her phone infront them, "Infront of you and if still you didn't permit me , I swear, you're done for," she brought forward her hand which had the ring, "I'm his fiancee,"

Their eyes widened as they bowed their heads further.

"Hello, Shehryar," she faked a call and could already see the fear and hesitance resting in their eyes as soon as she had shown them her ring. Acting all the way, she at last cut the call and looked at them with confident eyes.