"I don't know what will happen to me," Haseeb said as he continued to roam here and there like a lunatic. All four of them were meanwhile collected in Zahra's room.
"You coward. Be a man and face it with dignity" Dua sassed although she was also afraid for him, Zahra, Haya, and herself but didn't show it.
"Shit! Why didn't I think of it?" Haseeb replied to her in the same tone.
"Because you don't have a brain stupid. Just tell Irtaza bhai you wanted to go and you always do what you want." Dua joked to break the lock of the thick and hypertensive surroundings.
"Haan (yes) why not. I will absolutely do as you say and then your brother will break almost all my bones." He replied.
"Wow, how did you get there? I exactly want that to happen." She teased
"Brain baby brain," He answered..
"Can you guys stop pulling each other legs because it's already 9:15. Think of something solid to give as an excuse." Saif said while entering the room. He only had a single motive to somehow alleviate their tension.
"Aghh! Nothing is coming into my mind. No lies, no excuse nothing and I don't know what he will do to me. Ya Allah save me from my own brother." Haseeb dramatically replied.
"Why are you acting like a scared cat Haseeb?" Saif asked.
"Am I acting like a scared cat? You forgot your time when you were almost ready to run from haveli only to get away from Irtaza Bhai."
"Bastard this was a secret between us." He gritted, teasingly.
"Shit! Sorry, just a slip of tongue."
"Dua Haseeb has a crush on your best friend, Sameen, and Haya he knows your Instagram password. Oh sorry a slip of tongue"
Haseeb's mouth hung open.
"Bhai you know my password."
"You have a crush on her!! What???"
With that being said four of them engaged in a ceaseless and an incessant conversation while Zahra sat on the other side of the bed looking like a scared pigeon, only praying that somehow the clock could not be stuck at 9:30.
...................
"You go in first," Haseeb whispered shouted, and pushed Dua towards the door of Irtaza's office. It was 9:28 by now.
"No I am not going first. You go Haya."
"I can't be your scapegoat. Haseeb bhai you go in first this all happened all because of you."
"Hahahaha I am not going in until or unless someone knocks at the door. You know manners. Dua, you knock at the door and Haya you enter first then I'll be following you."
"You are a big ass coward Haseeb."
"No, you are."
"No, you are"
"You. Are."
"You were, are, and will be."
"Guys stop it it's 9:29 already," Haya told making their whisper shouting stop at once.
"I think so Zahra should go in first. She is Irtaza bhai's fiance and he won't say anything to her." Haseeb advised.
"No...I don't want to." She stuttered. Her face was already paled.
"Fuck off Haseeb. I am going inside." Dua said, turned the doorknob, and went inside. Three of them followed her, Zahra at last, and found the office table empty.
"Irtaza Bhai darr gye mj sei" Haseeb jokingly said.
(Irtaza bhai got scared of me)
"Who got scared and from whom?" Irtaza asked, who was sitting on the sofa along with his Dada. He stood and move towards the table.
"Shit" Haseeb cussed under his breath and bit his tongue.
"Sorry, Bhai," Haseeb said.
"You will be" he replied, and leaned against the front of his office table.
"Line up." He ordered and chucked the apple in his hands. Their grandfather observed them with his hawk-like eyes.
All of them lined up. Zahra next to Haseeb, Dua next to Zahra and Haya at last. Their heartbeats were now getting faster with every second especially Zahra and Haseeb. All four of them were looking down at the floor as if it was the most mesmerizing thing they have ever seen.
"Zahra," he called out making her breath hitch, "why did you leave haveli when I told you not to?" He asked.
She remained quiet, contemplating what to say. It took her two long minutes but still, nothing came to her mind.
"Answer!" He gritted.
"I..uh.." She immediately replied but nothing was coming up in her mind.
"Look at me while you speak."
She nodded her head and slowly looked up at him.
"Now speak" he commanded looking straight into her eyes.
"I do..don't know" she replied with the first thing which came into her mind and looked down again.
"LOOK UP!" He shouted and in hysteria, all of them looked up at once. Zahra was almost shivering by now.
"And what exactly you don't know?" He asked and threw the apple in his hands with full force towards the nearest wall as he slowly marched towards her. She tightly held dua's hand and it took everything in her not to step back.
"You know how to disobey my direct orders. You know how to defy me. You know how to deny my commands then what the fuck is that you don't know?" He asked as he stood two small steps away from her. She tried her best not to look down again. His eyes were pinning her eyes to the spot. His whole demeanor was speaking of anger, rage, and trouble for her. He was looking like a handsome beast to her who was sucking the whole life out of her just by one dangerous look.
"Bhai actually-" Dua interfered.
"Did I ask you, Dua?"
"No Bhai"
"Then be quiet" he commanded and Dua nodded her head in response.
His eyes moved back to Zahra, demanding an explanation from her.
"I am..so..rry," Zahra replied, with her tearful eyes.
He gripped her chin and pinned her eyes to his.
"Look at me and look well, I'm not good at entertaining disobedience. If I ever saw you disobeying me again, I won't waste a second to break your legs. Not even a second. All of these would be spared but you being my wife, thus under my direct authority, won't be spared. So do what I tell you to do, don't follow others," He threatened and the threat was nough for her to look down again.
"Look up, Zahra, for God's sake," Dua whispered in a low voice and Zahra immediately shot her head up. Tiny whimpers leaving her mouth as she scaredly looked at him, not being able to utter a word. Her neck was slightly pushed back as he was about to lunge her.
"Got me?" Irtaza asked in a low voice, nodding his head as he questioned her.
Only gibberish came out of her mouth. For a moment she thought, she never had a voice.
"Gghhh....jjhhh...jhh," Was her response as her abdomen shivered with her shallow breaths.
"Irtaza that's it for her. Move to the next." Their grandfather spoke, stopping him from further investigating her. He nodded his head in response.
"Why was I not informed about this little outing of yours?" He asked in general and stepped back towards the table.
They all looked down towards the floor. No one knew what to answer and even how to answer.
"We are so...ry bhai," Dua replied, stuttering.
"I don't want this word to be heard again during this whole session. Give me a fucking explanation, not your sorries." He jeered.
"We didn't...know we...had to inform you." Haya stammered.
"Well, in this case, we have our culprit here," he said, and before anyone could know a straight bullet landed to Haseeb's arm, which brushed off the side of his arm and landed straight to the wall behind them. Haseeb hissed and tightly held his arm.
Irtaza moved toward him and a straight punch was landed on his face but he didn't fall.
"Only because of your stupidity my sisters nearly got kidnapped today" he gritted, grabbing his collar and another punch landed on his face, causing his lips to break and blood to draw out.
"Brother of the most powerful mafia don is a stupid piece OF SHIT!" His voice got octaves high as another punch landed on his face.
"Despite my warning, you let Dua and Haya go alone. Despite my warning, you went out without fucking informing me when you already knew about the severity of the situation." He barked and punched him again.
"Are you a fucking fool, dumb who does not care about anything?!" And another punch landed on his face before Irtaza got away from him.
Haseeb was about to fall when Zahra instinctively grabbed his arm to support him which didn't go unnoticed by Irtaza. He pinched the bridge of his nose and narrowed his eyes at her, who immediately removed her hands from Haseeb and stood rigidly.
"Irtaza beta come to me in the morning. I have to discuss something with you. I should take my leave," Their grandfather said and left the office, closing the door behind him.
"Haseeb sharp 7 o'clock you will be joining me in the gym from tomorrow and until your summer breaks aren't over you will accompany me in both, business and mafia. Dua and Haya you are not allowed to leave the haveli for a week and after the week guards will always accompany you while leaving the haveli. Now you all may leave." He commanded and sat back on his black swivel office chair and began to play with the pencil. Four of them turned around and were about to leave the office when his next words stopped Zahra dead in her tracks.
"Not you Zahra,"