Chapter 7: Chapter 7

"May I come in," she asked, nervousness was evident in her voice.

"You already came in, Ms. Sheharzaad," he said with a smile, "what brings you here?" he asked and pointed towards the chair for her to sit.

A ghost of smile was apparent on his lips.

Sheharzaad sat on the seat just infront his table and fiddled with her fingers out of nervousness.

"Speak," he commanded.

She looked up and then down towards the table. She was feeling utterly anxious.

"I don't know how you will take it as," she started.

"Don't beat about the bush," his tone clipped.

She looked up at him and gathered the courage. After the last meeting she had with him she was afraid of him. Often at nights his words that he had whispered near her ears would play in her mind like a tape making her sleepless..

"Sir, I am in a dire need of loan. Its very important, my friends life is at stake. I assure you I'll try my best to return the loan asap." She breathlessly said it all. Her eyes were filled with hope and expectations. He was her last hope.

Shehryaar kept on looking at her. His intense eyes peering directly in hers. His gaze was stern that was making her feel dreadful. For a moment, she thought it was a wrong decision to come here but she needed to do. She had to take this step or she would regret it her whole life.

"How much?"

"Three...three million,"

"And since when you have been working here?" he cocked his brow at her.

"Three weeks, sir," She looked down. He was right. It's not even more than three weeks and she was already demanding for a loan and that too 3 million at a time.

"You want the amount by when?" he asked making the hope rekindle in her eyes.

"Within a week,"

He gave a pensive look to her as if contemplating his next step. He poked his tongue against his cheek, while looking at her and inhaled making his chest rise up. It gave him the look as if he was in control of everything and she was at his mercy.

"Miss Sheharzaad," he said, while standing up from his chair causing her to instantly stand up.

"Yes sir," she replied, her voice troublesome yet had that tinge of confidence, which she never lost no matter what.

He walked towards the other side of the table and sat on the chair parallel to her.

"Keep sitting, please." He said, more like a gentleman and she sat down. She tightly held her hands together. A life could be saved by his single yes.

"Sir please," she pleaded.

"I agree. You can have the loan,"

"Really?" She asked, not able to believe him.

"Yes, really" he replied, slightly nodding his head.

"Thank you so much, sir. I will try my bet to retur-"

"But I have a condition," he cut in.

"I agree to your every condition sir," she replied with a little smile of hope and relief on her face. For her friend's treatment she can go to every length. Every length.

"Think before you speak, Miss Sheharzaad." he stated, conveying the hidden message through his eyes, which she couldn't grasp.

"I trust you with it,"

"I want a one night stand with you," He dropped the bomb on her, making her stand up from her position out of disbelief. Her heart stopped beating. She froze, unable to breathe. Her hand flew to her chest. Goosebumps surfaced on her skin. The time stopped for her. Her face had lost all the colors of joy that were present just a few moments ago.

Her  mouth hung open as her lashes moved up and saw him, who was leaning against the back of his chair. A void look on his face. He remained indifferent as he didn't just make the most obnoxious demand from her ever. His deadly eyes observed her with that lifeless but keen look making her want to hide herself away from his peering eyes.

Did she hear him right?

One night stand? And me? She thought out of disbelief. It was unbelievable for her.

Was he talking to her?

Did he make such demand to her?

A web of thoughts jammed her mind as she was unable to digest and forgot to breathe.

"What are you saying?" her voice came out as a whisper. Her voice box had lost its strength to produce her voice. Her brain had frozen unable to process what did he say and did he actually mean what he said.

"You heard me right," he said and stood up.

Her legs became jelly like unable to hold her weight but she stepped backwards so as to stay away from him but he came closer.

"No," she shook her head as if in a trance while looking towards him. "No!"

Sweat formed on her forehead as she witnessed him coming closer and closer. Fearfully, she gave him the hardest push that she could muster and ran out of his office while he smiled.

The deadliest of smile. Not reaching his eyes.

"Oh, sheharzaad. You shouldn't have caught my eyes," he uttered.

......

With a paled and colorless face, she entered her cabin while running fingers through her hair. Her eyes had jutted out of their sockets.

She couldn't believe her ears. Did She hear him right? Did he actually ask for that? Did he really?

She never expected that proposition from him even in her wildest dreams. He was so right, so accurate when he warned her to think before she speaks.

She raised her hands and looked at them, trying to figure out the lines of her fate. What her fate has stored in for her? She had never thought that a time like this would come in her life.

Rafay was nothing.

Rafay was nothing.

His mere proposition did more damage on her than what Rafay did to her.

What that vile man thought of her? Who was she? Who was she?! A prostitute?

A slut?

What did he take her as?

How dared he think of her like that?

How dared he even to spew something so disgusting infront her and to her?

How could he even have the audacity to ask something so sickening from her?

She had never sent him any kind of signals, then how could he ask something like that from him?

How could he?

How could he?!

Tears were flowing down her eyes. But she didn't want to cry. Yet she was feeling too vulnerable. Too emotional. Heartbroken.

Her heart was crushed into pieces. She felt like she was a characterless woman to whom everyone can ask to spend a night with.

Her chest was burning with pain and revolt making her take deep breaths.

His words kept on ringing within his ears.

'I want a one night stand with you'

It was all sickening for her. Sickening to the core.

That day she had went to home earlier. Amna had already noticed that something wasn't right. She kept on asking Sheharzaad but she always changed the topic.

Sheharzaad couldn't tell that to Amna because Amna already felt as if she was a burden on her. Though they didn't have any blood relation but they both loved and cared for each other deeply. Their bond was no less than a siblings bond. They both were alone in the world.

Amna was brought up by her grandmother. Her maternal along with her paternal family had died long ago while migrating during partition. Her mother and maternal grandmother made it to Pakistan but sadly her maternal grandmother also died before giving her mother in the care of her paternal grandmother as they both knew each other.

Then her grandmother had gotten her parents married. Amna was the only child of her parents yet she remembered them vaguely. Her parents were not on good terms and her father used to beat her mother. And one day her mother had killed her father before committing suicide.

It was the sad story of her family.

And after her grandmother's natural death, Amna had met Sheharzaad, whose story she found sadder than her.

Sheharzaad had almost the same family history as hers. Her parents were also only children to their parents and she too was the only daughter. She didn't know about any distant relative. The three of them lived happily. Apparently, her parents didn't have enmity with anyone. They were so loving, caring and supportive. Her parents had deep love and respect for each other.

One cold night of winters, the door of her house was knocked. Upon opening the door by her parents, they found a girl in disheveled state. Her whole body was shivering, her clothes were ragged, her wrists had marks of hand-cuffs. She was wailing and crying asking for help at the same time she was being too vigilant and noticing her surroundings as if someone was following her.

Her parents had led that woman in. The woman's name was Sheila. She told them her story that she was kidnapped by a bunch of men while on a walk and she just managed to escape them. She was asking Sheharzaad's family to provide her a shelter until she finds her way out.

Sheharzaad's father had decided to call the police but Shelia began to cry aloud, saying the people who were after her had a wide approach. Even the police was working under them. If she made a call then not only her but those people will also attack them.

Her mother requested her father to keep her here. And as her father was a lawyer, he had decided to take Shelia's case and collect evidences for that.

Within a week after Shelia's arrival at their home, Sheharzaad felt her parents getting stressed over something. One day, the three went somewhere and they never came back. What came back was her parents dead bodies. Shelia wasn't found anywhere. They had a severe accident and due to major injuries in head, they both had passed away.

No distant relative was present on the occasion of her parents funeral as her parents also didn't know them. Only the neighbourhood had gathered. The people told the tale that Sheila was involved in their murder. Her parents were receiving threats after keeping that woman in their house. And the people who were after Shelia also killed her parents.

After her parents funeral, she moved to Islamabad where she met Amna and their bond grew stronger and stronger. Amna had the house of her grandmother in Lahore where they both currently lived.

"You can tell me what's bothering you?" Amna asked again, seeing Sheharzaad poking the fork around her food. She hadn't even had a bite since the time food was served to her.

"It's nothing, siso," She smiled.

"As if I don't know you,"

"Nothing just office being too hectic on me,"

"Is there someone bothering you?"

"Where did that come from? Nobody is. Nobody can't dare," Sheharzaad said smugly to lighten the atmosphere around them.

"Ahaa that's my shehar. And eat your food before I eat yours. You know I'm foodie," Amna joked giving her a wink when Sheharzaad pulled her plate towards herself, hiding it from Amna.

"Vice versa, siso," She answered giving her a wink too and they both laughed getting engaged in their stupid conversations.

They were having their dinner when suddenly Amna began to cough violently. Her whole body began to jolt with her violent coughs and what Sheharzaad saw next had her heart cut in pieces. Blood was spurting out with her every cough.

It meant her condition was deteriorating.

"Give me my..(cough)...medicine, medi (cough) cine," Amna said with difficulty and Sheharzaad rushed to retrieve her medicines. She gulped the tablets down and after a while her incessant coughs ceased. Sheharzaad put her to bed and was about to leave when she called her.

"Yes, Amna?" She asked worriedly.

"Bury me next to my grandmother," her lifeless eyes requested Sheharzaad.

Sheharzaad heart broke into pieces. Tears rushed to her eyes making her throat clog. She tried to control her tears but she couldn't. She was so helpless.

"Please don't say this. I just have you in this whole world," She cried out.

Amna smiled at her, "I don't want to be a burden on you, Sheharzaad. Stop gathering money for me. Nothing can undo death,"

"Nothing can but if this was the case, then there would have been no need for doctors. Don't lose hope. The Almighty is merciful,"

Amna again gave her a smile, "He is, Indeed. He says in Quran, And whoever relies upon Allah – then He is sufficient for him," She said with tears in her eyes, "I have hope in my God but...but I don't want to be a burden on you," The tears flow down her eyes.

Sheharzaad face drenched with her tears. She had never seen Amna crying and now the tears flowing down her eyes was breaking Sheharzaad's heart. It meant, Amna was broken. Too broken from inside. Her heart was wounded badly.

"You are not being a burden on me. I'm just paying back. You gave me a place to live when I had no home to go. I'm just paying back, Amna. Trust me,"

"Thank you, Sheharzaad," she uttered and her eyes began to close as she felt the sleep overtaking her.

Sheharzaad cried the whole night. Not for a second did she stop. Tears kept on flowing on her eyes on and on. Shehryaar's words kept on coming in her mind. At one hand, she had Amna's life and at the other hand she had her dignity. And the time was short. Too short. The death was approaching. But the thing was, she didn't know whose death would it be.

Amna's or hers?

She would have to sell her body, her soul to save her friends life.

........

The next day at office, she was busy in her work when Hannan came in.

"Did you get the loan from Sir Shehryaar?" He asked.

"I....I couldn't muster up the courage, Hannan," she answered.

"Has something happened?" he noticed the gloominess on her face.

"No. Why?"

"You sound so off and quiet to me,"

"Nothing just stressed,"

"Here take two lacs from me," Hannad said, taking out a packet from her pocket and handing it over her.

Her eyes widened as she looked at him.

"What?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes, it's for you,"

"No. Hannan, thank you I don't need this,"

"I would love to help you,"

"Thank you, Hannan. But no,"

"I have saved this for my younger brother's wedding but I feel like you need it more than me and-"

"No. Thank you so much. Please keep it for the purpose you saved this money for," She denied. It was crushing her already crushed dignity more. And just two lacs can't help her.

"There is no need to keep this cash anymore. My brother had died long ago,"

"What? I'm sorry for your-"

"There is no need for that," Hannan cut her in. For a moment, she noticed the distantness and the stony look in his eyes.

"Please keep this. I don't want it," she persisted.

"You are a stubborn piece,"

"No need, Hannan. It would make me humiliate more infront my eyes and maybe I'll manage to get a loan from the company because I need more than just 2 lacs and that too by next week. Even if I'll get 2 lacs from you then still a significant amount would be left. Thank you so much for your help but keep it, "

"Okay. That's fine," Hannan retrieved the packet back and took his leave before leaving her office.

By evening, she had made some research and decided to file a loan from a bank. After calling all those banks in her radar, she again sighed with helplessness. The amount was big. It would take a few weeks for her to get the loan. The paper work was long and she didn't have anything which she could give the bank as an assurety. Her house wasn't that expensive and it was a disputed property as well where they lived.

Leaning against her chair, she looked up to the sky as if waiting for a miracle.

"What should I do?" she said more to herself before closing her eyes.

She didn't know when her lashes drenched with water that came out of her eyes as Shehryaar's word again engulfed her mind. Her eyes were closed, mind submerged in thoughts and silence around her. She didn't know when she drifted to sleep.

Her lashes flutter open as she struggled opening her eyes. With one full and other half opened eyes, she checked the time and she was shocked to know it was 9 pm already. Darkness and silence was around her. She moved her hands around with her dizzy mind and got hold of glass of water and gulped it. As soon as she gained vision, her eyes struck open.

He was sitting there.

Just infront her.

His cold eyes staring at her as if he had been observing her sleeping form since a while. When he noticed, she woke up, a small smile sprawled on his lips.

He looked psychotic to her.

"What do you....you want?" She stood up from her chair.

"You," he stated bluntly "and I don't like to wait for what I want," he stood up and she got alarmed.

"Why...why me?" she managed to ask. "There is nothing so special in me, then why me?"

"I don't know," his quiet voice came, "and I just came here to inform, my offer stands intact till tomorrow," he began to move closer to her, making her take quick steps back towards the wall.

"By tomorrow if you didn't give me your answer then you won't be getting any money," he took quick steps towards her as she was moving back, "and I will make sure no bank would lend you. It was in my knowledge how much attempts you have made to take a loan," he uttered, "and if your answer would be no, then for sure you will not get your money," he cornered her against the wall. Boring his eyes in hers, he grasped her chin and uttered,

"Laikin meri yeh baat yaad rkhna, jo cheez mje pasand aajaye wo tw mei lai k rehta hunh," He whispered, dreadfully. His grey eyes alone send shivers down her spine.

(But remember this, if I lay my eyes on something I know how to get it)

"Now you better know what your answer must be," he finished, retreated his steps back while looking in her trepidatious eyes, turned around and left.