There was no holding back this time. She would bring those words on her lips that were inhibited to her mind to this day. She had already fallen in that pit which she had been fearing so now it was no holding back. "And you know what? I curse you, your family who brought up a bastard like y-" she spated back but her face swung to left as he slapped her tightly on her cheek. She cried out, breaking in a fit of sobs.
"You will curse me more, Sheharzaad if you didn't tell me what relation you had with him," he said in a low rumble.
"I won't," her sentence started in a whisper of sob, making her realize that her fear was again controlling her and this was enough for her to break the dam and pull out the anger that she had felt all the way on letting herself of being under someone's control, "I won't! I won't! I won't! she suddenly screamed, "I won't obey you! I won't submit to you! I'm not answerable to you! I'm a person of my own and I will do what I want. I will have as many relations as I can and you can't control me on that. I will be with as many men as I want. If I'm a prostitute or not, then it's not your concern. It is my life. My life and you have no right on it. It is you who is no one to me! You! You! you!" she was going livid by now, her face had turned red by the way she was screaming, droplets of her spit was propelling out of her mouth. These words were what she had always felt but she couldn't utter it to him out of fear. And then she would curse herself for being controlled by him to such a level. It had been killing her slowly. It had been aggravating her since so long. Challenging the Sheharzaad that once existed within her. Every night the tears would fall out of her eyes, first, because of his atrocities, his fear, fear of seeing him in the coming morning and second, out of realizations and wondering that where she had lost her self. In this chaotic mess of her life, where that Sheharzaad had gone who always stood for the right, always said what she felt, called out wrong. Where she had gone? It was slowly killing her.
"I will do whatever I want! Do you get me, Shehryaar Haider?!" Despite being bound in chains, at the receiving end of his wrath, at a complete state of mercy, she felt elated of those words she had atlast uttered out. That had been struck in her brain since so long. Now, if he would even kill her, she would die happily.
Once she was done, she found his deep intense eyes staring at her and then slowly something in his eyes twitched.
Challenge
He was again taking her as a challenge.
He didn't say anything. She saw him closing his eyes momentarily and sucked in a sharp breath. Upon opening his eyes back, the cold expression that was flowing in those grey orbs was enough to dwindle her resolute as the fear surfaced up.
Menacing
He appeared to be the epitome of it in that moment.
He came closer to her and her heart began to pound in her chest but she hardened her face further to eliminate any sort of elements of hear on her face. Nearing his face to her, he brushed his lips with hers but she pulled her face away. In the next second, her locks were grasped as his fingers had threaded her hair before he began to rub his lips on her, "this is not how you talk with your owner, Sheharzaad," he murmured against her lips and connected his with hers for a brief moment, "my woman, whose woman are you?" he again whispered against her lips.
"I don't belong t-" her words were drunk in as again he kissed her.
She began to drastically shake her head so his hold on her locks would dwindle and he would stop kissing her. She spitted at his face, "Go to hell!" Her eyes saw stars when he slapped her again and this time he didn't hold back his force. Straightening up, he held her cheeks and made her look at him.
"You do that again, I will not just cut your tongue," he threatened.
"Do your worst!" She tried to spit at him again.
....
The cell was full of her wails and cries. Two persons were on their knees, spilling tears out. On one of the chairs sat him, while on the other sat her restless form wriggling against the chains. The room was filled with armed men. Emotionless. Having no mercy on her form who was going restless.
Two of those armed men stood next to those two kneeled person holding cutters in their hands.
"Amna! Hannan!" she cried out trying to lurch towards them.
The door to the cell opened and a third person joined them and was made knelt down next to those two.
"Ahmed!" Amna shouted in fear and pain.
"Ahmed bhai," Sheharzaad whispered under her breath and darted her eyes towards him.
"Why did you bring him here! You basta-"
He rose his finger, "Language, little lady,"
"Let them go! Please!"
"Not that easily," he clicked his tongue, "they will have to pay for your every disrespect," he announced, paling her face.
"So now they will have their tongues cut. I had decided to take off your tongue but I don't want my beautiful woman go mute. Yet."
Her heart pounded in her chest. She already felt dizzy. She passed one look at those three who were looking at her hopefully and then at Shehryaar, who seemed oblivion to the intense pounding of her heart.
"Please! Don't do this. Don't please,"
"You may start," Ignoring her, he looked towards his men who started.
As ropes had bound their limbs so they weren't able to move and each of them was held by bulky men by their shoulders so they were totally bound. Infront of each of them, two men stood ahead, one of them who was opening their mouth by dugging their fingers in their cheeks and forcing it open, and the other who held a sharp blade was pulling out their tongues from their mouth.
"Sheharzaad help!" Hannan said, "please! help! For the sake of old times, help me!" he began to plead and tears kept on propelling her eyes yet she failed to notice the dark glint that had entered Shehryaar's eyes as he was now more than eager to see things unfold.
Those men successfully had their tongues out by now and held a blade against their tongues now waiting for Shehryaar's order who atlast looked towards Sheharzaad.
"You can cut my tongue," she pleaded, "I will do as you say... let them go. Don't do this," Her whole body was shaking by now. Just his one word, one word, could save them all.
How much power he had, and how helpless she was.
Shehryaar gave no response to her and this was it for her. She knew now nothing would change his mind. Nothing. It was going to happen.
She closed her eyes and tears spilled down and when she looked up, through the small window of the cell that had metal bars, she was able to see the sky. It was night yet the moon was directly visible through it as if it was directly shining on her face.
She was able to see the sky.
A hope.
A hope began to immerse in her.
As through eyes, she began to directly talk with Him. About Whom she has always been taught, He lives up in the sky, about Whom her mother had once told her that He is closer to you than your juglar vein.
Staring up in the sky and speaking in her heart, she was aware that He could listen and she just asked for the safety for her friends. She didn't ask for anything besides it. Just the safety of her loved ones and a whole lot of strength that would make her pass through the ordeal, through the tests life was going to put up infront her.
Finishing her prayer in her heart, she closed her eyes and hung her head low. Her lower lips shivering, her hands tightened in a fist, her heart pounding in her ears. There was a desperation in her. A desperation of God listening to her prayer.
"Let them go," It was Shehryaar, who spoke this and her face jolted up to stare at him with wide eyes. Those men who awaited his command, immediately pulled down the weapons, held the three of them by their arms, making them stand up.
They were heaving with sighs of relief, taking deep breaths and reciting prayers of 'shukr' continuously.
"Leave," he said and within seconds, the room was empty leaving them both alone.
As the door was closed, she looked at him, "why did you stop?" she asked.
A memory.
A faint memory surfaced up.
A helpless woman.
Crying. Wailing. Pleading for mercy.
To whom no one listened.
Looking up at the skies, joining her hands, asking God to save her.
Yet God didn't descend down to save her despite the state she was in.
And then her lifeless body hanging up with the ceiling.
With her children to witness it.
That helpless woman, often paid visits to his mind, emerging the sparks of humanity in him.
The look she had while looking up the skies, brewed up that faint memory....
"Who is Hannan to you?" he asked.
"He... is a friend, he helped me in renting a house at... Multan where I could stay after... running from you... and he also helped me.... get a customer for my house," she told, obligingly.
"How deep was your relation with him?"
The colors from her face slowly evaporated as she recalled one certain incident that had occurred in that dark alley, T the night before, under the moon and just two of them.
Holding hands.
Increased breaths.
Looking in each other's eyes.
'I love you, Sheharzaad,'
His murmur was still fresh on her ears as he slowly descended his lips towards her. Before he could place his lips, she pushed him but he held her hand and embraced her in a hug.
'I'm aware you need comfort,' His mutter began to crawl in her ears but she pushed him again, shaking her head in a negative.
She was able to deduce that Hannan had feelings for her, given how dedicated he was in helping her and freeing her from Shehryaar. And there were certain moments, when his sweetness and his dedication for her melted her heart. And last night, it was one of those weak moments of her life where he had let him have the happiness of expressing his love for her openly and let him hold her hand.
It was just a moment of weakness for her.
Not of love.
Those sweet murmurs he whispered near her ear calmed her and brought a smile on her lips that atlast there was someone to appreciate her and be there for her. She wished she could love him back. She appreciated his love but her heart, she was aware, this plant of love wasn't planted yet it.
He let her hug her and slightly wrapped her arms around him and a smile of appreciation made its way on her lips.
Unaware of the video that was being made of them.
"He is... just a friend," She told.
"We will see, Sheharzaad," he said and unknowingly a shiver ran down her spine.
He nodded his head and then left the cell when his phone dinged with a notification.
Getting his phone out, he saw a video received from an unknown number.