Chapter 36: Chapter 36

The black Rolls Royce was parked in aviation ramp as he alighted the car, followed by her. All fit in her shoes and able to walk. The plane came infront her vision, followed by guarded men whose faces were as stoic as that of a psychopath who had never experienced any sort of emotion. Their eyes masked with ray-bands and hands held sniper. Body taut, jaw set, perfectly attentive. Her grey eyes were caught up analysing them as she continued to walk but suddenly her foot struck in the trolley that carried luggage and she fell down, twisting her ankle again.

"Ahh," She winced, her palms rubbed against the rough ground.

The next second, her arm was caught in a vice like grip, she was brought on her feet and then she was in air. His firm arms around her as he held her bridal style. Her arms wrapped around his neck. Puzzled, she stared at him.

Second time.

This was the second time, she had closely looked in his eyes. Under the sun, the grey glimmered and tuft of his thick lashes shadowed his cheekbones.

She quickly averted her lashes, afraid, those feelings would return.

He quirked his brows in a questioning manner.

"You came here twisting your ankle, you are going from here," his eyes moved to her feet, "twisting your ankle," And then connected with hers again.

Again, she looked away.

"I can walk," Her voice was dry as she tried to struggle in his hold.

Moving his face closer to hers, he muttered, "don't blush,"

Her eyes widened and her hand that rested on his chest, formed a fist. She threw a punch at his chest, "what are you saying?" She seemed offended.

"Saying what I see," he said and began to walk.

"Put me down!" She commanded.

He suddenly stopped and then looked at her.

Which felt more like a glare....

She understood the meaning and let him take away to the plane where again she occupied the seat next to him. A doctor stood there, treating her twisted ankle.

The doctor, after treating her, went away leaving them both alone when her eyes found him

"Why are you helping me now?" She asked, grabbing his attention as he focused his eyes on her from his laptop, "why now?" her voice toned down to a murmur, "you know, in that moment, there was a little hope in me when I was begging for your mercy. A tiny hope that you'd save me," A tear rolled down her eye as she laid on the large seat and her feet rested on the seat infront her, "it'd have grown if you've not let me fall. But you know what you did?" She wasn't looking at him but at her injured feet wrapped in a white gauze, the nail of her thumb had a little crack in it, "you killed that hope. Brutally, Shehryaar," She uttered and heard no reply by his side.

He was quiet.

Have her words affected him?

"Sheharzaad,"

Her eyes drifted to him and he was already sauntering towards her with his laptop in his hands.

"Sit," He commanded. His voice unyielding.

She remained rooted to her place. Shook and wide-eyes. "Sit up, baby girl," He was calm. Yet. His demeanor screamed danger.

"What?" She whispered in confusion. Next, he placed the laptop on the table followed by a USB drive and then held her arm so she could sit from her laying down position.

She was shaken.

Next, he sat on the seat and dragged the table, followed by inserting the pen-drive in the port and played a video.

He kept on playing videos, one after another. His hold on her arm was firm that held her on her place. And even if he wouldn't have, she was so shook to even move.

One after another, tears fell from her eyes. Her fingers interwined as she held her hands as if she was praying.

She was praying.

Praying for the torture to stop. Praying it was all a dream. Praying she would wake up.

And next, she threw the table away landing the laptop on the floor in process.

Bloodshed and Gore was what she witnessed.

Just bloodshed and gore.

Dead bodies. Whips lashing. Blood spilled. Terror filled eyes. Begging eyes. Crying eyes. Joined hands. Throats slashed. Burnt bodies. Bodies depreciated to limbs.

And screams.

Bone chilling screams.

Cries.

Hiccups.

Her eardrum was pierced with that shrilling sound when her body was jolted and then she realized it was she screaming.

Her eyes opened and the pupils in them focused on him.

"They didn't have the privilege to get the second chance that was given to you," She realized her chin was in his grip. Then her eyes traced him raising his brows, "Get on my nerves and I won't hesitate to land you in a situation worst than them," Then she felt his breath mingling with her, their noses touching each other, "you know what's the difference between you and them," A snicker was what she heard, "you've caught my eye, Sheharzaad. Or you'd have followed the same fate," Closer. She felt him getting closer. Their lips could touch each other, "Every day and every night, what I dream of is you," Now this time around, it was a hiss and his hand was snaking against her waist, pulling her up, "Of fucking you raw that you forget to walk," Her lips were puckered out, his fingers digging in her cheeks, "Forget to walk for days," His voice came out restraint as if he was controlling himself and her mind absorbed in the position they were in, "To break you and mold you in the way I want," His arms had tightened around her, "But that is you. The real you that had driven me crazy," She was thrown on the seat and he was hovering above her, "If I hadn't thrown you off that cliff and one more night, just one more night you'd have spent under the same as roof as I then not even you could have stopped me from taking you against all those four walls," He was talking as if something within him had snapped.

"Please stop," Her lips shivered.

Her tremulous voice broke the darkness sprawling in his eyes.

"So next time you start whining again, remember those people," The intensity in his voice changed.

"Please stop," Her lips had turned white.

Shehryaar pulled her up and she scooted away, wrapping her arms around her knees. He saw her rocking her body left and right. He stood up yet his shadow hovered above her and she further tightened herself.

Her heart pummeled as the feeling of unsafeness hugged her. After knowing his intentions, her throat had gutted up with dread.

"Sheharzaad," Her eye lashes flew to him, "be very scared of me. Very," he emphasized.

And she gulped.

Khaleda running in the back of her head.

....

She didn't know from where did she find the courage to protest. And he had agreed. Not before asking the driver to slide down the window. Looking him in the eye and leaning forward. A whisper that her ears were able to get.

'Any mark on her and last would be my face that you see'

The driver had shook his head tremulously,  before gulping. His suits, his aura, his eyes commanded respect, obedience and submission.

As now she was on her way back home. He had told her, he would drop her back yet she produced out her voice, insisting she would go on her own. The time in the plane had been quiet with her whimpers every now and then. Yet she too had spoken her heart out. A little. She too had told him that he was wrong. Frankly, that was all she could muster up then but she wanted to say something. Atleast.

And his response was a chuckle. As if the idea, the sentence alone intrigued him. He was unbothered and then had shifted his eyes to his laptop as he continued working.

There was silence. Just the pressing of the keys of the keyboard could be heard every now and then. Then he had closed his laptop and focused his eyes on her. He keept on looking at her then. His one hand played with his stubble while the other rested on the armrest.

Tingles.

She felt tingles arising in her body as his eyes raked her startled form. His keen grey eyes.

The smoldering gaze collided with hers and then he uttered a sentence powerful enough to slip the ground beneath her feet.

'Did Ahmed propose you?'

'No' Had been her abrupt response.

His lips had twitched in a lop-sided smile.

'So naive of you to think that I won't know,'

Her grey eyes, just like wings of a caged bird fluttered between the time on her phone's screen and towards him. She was actually calculating the time left for the flight to land and given that time she tried to gauge how much damage could be done to her.

'He didn't' The lie was on her lips again as she tired to look straight in his eyes. Tried. But failed and fixed her yes on his chest.

At this, he arched his brow. His perfectly shaped thick brow. It almost seemed like they were having a civil conversation.

'I cut him off as you had told me,' Another lie, it was.

'My girl is so obedient. Isn't she?'

'I cut him off as you said,' She started again, maintaining her lie and noticed her voice came out wobbly. Tremulous. One glance of her grey eyes at her hands and then she had noticed, her nails digging into her palms to stop them from shivering. This time around he remained quiet.

'Come here' He extended his arm and moved his fingers, indicating her to move towards him and she did. Then he had held both her hands as  she stood infront him and he was staring up at her while being seated down.

'Oh le cose che voglio fare con te'  He had whispered.

(Oh the things I want to do with you)

She didn't get a word. And then he pulled her on his lap, snaking his arm around her stomach. Sniffing her hair, like people would sniff heroine. Intoxicated people inhaling their intoxication that they knew would relieve them. Give them peace. Calm them.

His fingers rubbed on her lips. Her eyes focused on the clouds gathered around the window. Then she heard his voice near her ear. Dark and whispery.

'And you let him touch you,'

Her lips were parted open and two of his fingers penetrated her lips, entering her mouth.

'Were you this frank with him?'

She could only shake her head in negative.

'I see you love to disobey, my doll,'

With his fingers in her mouth, she couldn't utter a word.

'As for punishment for letting him near you, I'd have you orgasm here on my lap'

Her eyes widened in shock.

'Suck,'

His command came.

And he did make her reach her climax as his fingers not just entered her mouth but other forbidden areas.

She was breathless by that time.

Limbs shaken.

Heart shaken.

Her trance broke when she saw her house and before she knew she was already rushing inside. She wanted to take a shower.

She wanted to cry her heart out.

She wanted to pity herself.

She wanted to escape Shehryaar.

Escape the cage, he had locked her in. Only because she had caught his eye.

....

Ahmed was sitting infront her. His eyes expectant and posture nervous. On and on, he would rub his hands together. Beside him, sat Amna. Paled and weak.

"So?" Sheharzaad tried to initiate conversation. She did her best to feign ignorance and act as if Ahmed didn't propose her.

"Ahmed, you can say," Amna spoke, "Blurt it in one go,"

"Sheharzaad, actually, I...I mean.... I know that... I'm actually.... here for asking Amna's hand for marriage!" He spoke the last part in a go.

Sheharzaad went wide eyes.

"What? But you..."

"I want to marry her. I want to take your sister away," Guilt and embarrassment were two feelings probed in his eyes.

"Oh the tea," Amna recalled and immediately stood up before heading towards the kitchen.

Sheharzaad couldn't tell, was Amna shy or was she actually going to look for the tea. She didn't care at that moment as her angry eyes moved towards him in a flash and he was quick on explanation.

"It was never me. It was, Shehryaar,"

And the look of realization entered her face.

It was all a game...

...

Her hands rested on the collars of his white shirt. Nostrills flared with rising anger. All she saw was red. She had forgotten who he was. Whom she was standing infront. Rage jabbed at her senses.

"How dare you do that?!" It was no less than a scream.

"Do what?" His hands were stuffed in his pockets.

"How dare you bring Ahmed Bhai in all this?!"

"Oh," His brows raised as he moved his hands and held her that were holding her collar. She had barged in his office and then straight away lunged towards him, "is he your brother now?"

Tongue-tied. Out of words. Puzzled. Was what she felt.

He held both her hands and gently pulled then away from his collar.

"When he was proposing you, wasn't he your brother then?"

"Why...why you did that?"

"To get my point across your head that everyone who you call brother is not your brother, Sheharzaad," He grasped her chin. The nail of his ring-cladded thumb resting just below her plump lips.

"Rather, it was a test," With his free hand, he tucked her hair behind her ear, "For your loyalty, mentality and obedience. You passed the first two, my dear shehar," The grip on her chin tightened, "but you failed the third one. You failed to obey me, zaad,"

She get what he emant. She didn't obey him when he had commanded her to cut off her contact with Ahmed.

"Why did you bring m-my family in all this?"

"Because I can,"

"I hate you," Her glassy eyes looked at him, "I hate you," She fisted her hand and threw a punch on his chest, "I hate you. So much! So much that you'd d-"

"Shhh," The thumb that was on her chin crawled up and now rested on her lips, "shhh!"

"Continue only if you want to blame yourself for the consequences," The threat was there but it was subtle as if he didn't threat her. "See that ring. What does it make you? My woman. And I don't like my woman running tongue on me,"

"Go to hell!" She spat and the next second her face jolted to the left as he backhanded her.

"You'd be the way I want you to be. Get that?"

No!

Her mind screamed.

Yet her tongue was already trying to move to utter a 'yes' to him. So she remained quiet.

"Get that, little lady?" His voice lowered to a whisper as his fingers caressed her neck, "get that?" he asked again.

"Yes," It wasn't above a mutter with gritted teeth.

"To carve it in your head," He caressed her bruised cheek. The darkened grey in his eyes had a glint that shone with something eerie. His glimmering eyes stared her face from her eyes to her lips, "let's take you somewhere, Sheharzaad,"