Chapter 54: Chapter 54

Imagine.

Imagine being locked in a cell for weeks. The only sight you get to witness, would be a hanging dead body. And when that body was taken away from your sight, your eyes get blindfolded, leaving you in a dilemma that which condition was better.

Witnessing a dead body?

Or being blindfolded for an immeasurable time?

That you would cry tears of joy when a ten-minutes meal is served to you so you could witness the outer world, which was nothing but a dark cell.

And not only this, while you are locked up in that cell, with a blindfold on, the only sense you are left with; your hearing. And only certain words being fed into your ears for hours and hours.

Hours that would seem like days. Weeks. Years.

The words that would contain, etiquettes, ethics, rules and regulations of what belonging to him would mean. The words that would be played in your ears like a tape of belonging to him. And you would be made to repeat those words. You have to put up a facade that you agree. You would have to assure those men that you agree with them, fearing the punishment they were able to bestow upon you.

You were already broke and they would tell you that you killed your best friend, Hannan, and an innocent, Khaleda and now life of your friend like sister, Amna was in your hands. Telling you to sign the documents when he would ask you to do so. Telling you if you dared misbehaving infront him in any way then you will be kept in this cell forever.

And once when you made the mistake of challenging them, they took off your blindfold and place a gun in your hand and force you to shoot, none other than your friend, Amna. After continuous begging, they would atlast stop and free Amna yet slowly it would be killing your spirit.

The spirit to fight.

And strengthening your will to surrender.

While being alone in a cell that would haunt you in unimaginable ways, where you would strive to get human interaction. A normal 'hello' yet all you would get these sentences being fed into your brain, 'you are Shehryaar's property' ; the human interaction you get.

Your mental state deteriorating day by day. Slowly. Gradually. That you start to believe in those words. That your spirit to fight would get completely dead. Your brain, mind, unable to sustain anymore torture would begin to surrender. You wouldn't notice the gradual change occurring within you.

The first stage.

When you start to get dreams, where you would see nothing but words exploding your ears. Screaming. Entrenching in your mind. And even if you would see anything, would be the faces of Hannan and Khaleda with the words playing like a music in your mind, 'you killed them'

The second stage.

When you would start to subconsciously recite those words being fed into your ears. Alone in a cell. Bound to chains. When you haven't moved a limb properly since the day one in the cell with your lips shivering and uttering the same words, repeatedly. With the minimal food you get, you found the fighting spirit within you gradually dying. No physical strength leading you to a no mental strength.

And the last stage.

When the word, 'Shehryaar' alone would make goosebumps rise in your body. Whenever his name would get mentioned, your mind starting to list out the rules. The rules when he would be around. The feeling of being a belonging, being a possession, being a thing, encompassing you. With you clicking off all your emotions as you have been told. As you have been told that you have no will and all would happen as he would say.

And when the same man would ask you sign a contract to be his personal slave, you're in nothing but a dilemma.

The same dilemma which Sheharzaad was facing now.

Which was killing her.

With all the mental torture, brainwashing she went through, there was this sane part in her, which was a remnant of her old self, which knew she can't afford signing this contract.

And this brought tears to her eyes as she kept on fearfully looking at him.

She was aware, she can't displease him with a no and this was increasing her fear by tenfolds.

"Are you?" he asked, again.

And her breathing quickened-aware he was waiting for her. And she can't afford letting him wait for her.

Her shivering lips parted as she tried to produce a response of which she herself was unaware. She was clueless what her tongue would say.

A yes?

Or a no?

Her lower jaw shivered as she struggled speaking.

He knew she was going breathless as he waited for her answer.

"N-namaz.... namaz parhni hai," This was her answer. An answer which travelled all the way from her heart to her tongue.

(I want to pray)

"U-uss k b-b-b-aad apko jawab.... jawab d-dunh gi," she suddenly stopped, realizing her mistake that she put forth a condition infront him. Her eyes quickly moved up at him as she vigorously shook her head in a negative, "woh...woh.." she whimpered, "mera... mtlb.. nhi... mera... woh... mtlb nhi-nhi tha," With a breath struck in her throat, she uttered with difficulty.

(After then I will answer you)

(I-I)

(I didn't mean that)

"If you allow... c-can I p-pray?"

He moved his thumb and she flinched, moving her eyes down as he traced her brow with a thumb. After that, without uttering anything he left, leaving her alone with her fear.

Fear that did she say anything wrong?

She was now getting pale.

.....

One step.

Then another step.

Then another.

The slow steps paced towards the door of the cell. Her eyes fixed at the heavy metallic door which was opened but this time, it wasn't open for anyone but her. She didn't dare moving her eyes from the door, thinking even if she blinked the door would fade away. Or she would wake up from her dream. So she kept on walking towards it.

Both her legs were shivering from up and down as she was putting pressure on them and walking after a long time. She thought she had forgotten to walk. The only walk she was allowed was to the bathroom where she was not given much time to stay. And in that minimal time, she would try finishing her morning ablutions and other stuff as quickly as possible. Just like a jail, the days and the time of her showering was destines. She had been given clothes that belonged to the prisoners.  Her wrists had red marks around them and at places the skin was splitted and so were her ankles. She remembered the day when those chains had adorn her wrists and feet and now she was hoping his mind won't change and he won't restrict her to binds again.

A tear fell from her.

She couldn't believe it.

Her heart swelled. Beat rapidly. Her eyes twinkled. She smiled.

Her smile broadening more and more when the scene didn't fade away, when she realized it was 'the truth'.

She was atlast standing out of the cell.

Atlast....

She had dreamt of this day. She had been so desperate, so eager to have a little view to the world outside that door. She used to wonder how lucky were those people who could wander around so easily, without any restrictions. They didn't know how lucky were they. They should ask her. They should smile whenever seeing the sky, sun and the birds. The greenery and colors of nature around them. She has experienced all disabilities a human could have in that cell. From being visually impaired to a deaf and dumb, a person who was mentally disabled to an immobile person. She went through this all. All alone.

Her eyes that were prior fixed on the door like that of a thirsty man with parched throat and zero strength crawling towards cold water, now landed on her feet. Her legs were barely able to hold her weight as she was putting a pressure on her legs after a long time. She looked at her feet and then at the corridor where she stood. The long dark, dimly lit corridor. A tear escaped through her eye. Her vision cursorily moved back and landed on the cell and that mattress where she spent her day and night. Horror-filled memories entered her mind and she quickly averted her gaze, wanting to run away as far and as fast as she could.

"Ma'am, lets go," It was a woman who had entered the cell with some guards, ordered them to unchain her and told her that she was ordered to unchain her and was supposed to escort her somewhere.

Sheharzaad slightly tilted her head towards her and then gave a nod as the woman began to lead her and she walked behind her.