"Wh..at?" She croaked out, looking towards him with teary eyes.
"Shot him right on his head."
"No..never...no." She whimpered, her throat clogging with tears and shooked her head violently as if it will convince him.
He held her hand which had the gun, it was shaking so badly, and targeted right on Daniyal's head.
"Kill him and I will divorce you right now."
"I don't wa...nt div...orce."
"But you've to kill him today Zahra."
"Please stop!"
She was horrified.
"Stop! Stop! Stop!" She cried out, her voice breaking.
"I already to...ld (hiccup) you I didn't wa...nt this marr...iage, I nev...er (hiccup) asked you to mar...ry me and you never ask...ed me whether I've some....one else in my hea...rt (hiccup) You said that you lo...ve me if it's rig..ht for (hiccup) you to ma...rry me against my will in my love then its also right (hiccup) for me to go with him in his love. I can't kill him. If you'll make me do that I'll kill myself!" She cried out, it was the first time in her life she was standing up for herself.
"I told you I married you to claim you as mine and about love, I fell in love with a fake version of yours. And are you sure you won't kill this bastard?"
"No, I won't, I'd never do that." she replied shakily.
"Fine with me." he said and took the gun from her hands, utterly confusing her and then took out his phone, calling Haseeb.
"Send the stylist in the basement" he ordered Haseeb on the phone and hung up the call.
"Moosa take him away," he pointed towards Daniyal, "and Shehryaar ask Amman to come to my office next morning." he commanded them both and they both left the area living her alone with him.
He held her chin, turning her head towards him and looked straightly in her fearful eyes.
"I feel like slapping the shit out of you Zahra" he muttered. "Why you're so keen on hurting yourself?" he asked, holding her chin.
"I...no..tt." she stuttered.
"Then why you keep messing with me? I told you I'd never let you go, still you ran away." he stated, his composure calm.
"You sc...are me." she replied, looking downwards.
"Eyes on me" he ordered and her eyes straightly shot up to his, "that reason is not enough to run away from me. I know you love Daniyal and that's the only reason for which you ran away again and played with my heart. Right Zahra?"
"I...I'm sor..ry."
"Yes or no." he firmly stated, ignoring her apology.
"Yes but-"
"I promise, you'll now not be able to love anyone else but me."
"This is not how love happens."
"This love will happen like that Zahra you'll fear me but you'll love me." he vowed and released her chin.
"Brace yourself Zahra, you have to fulfil your duty tonight. Remember?"
Her eyes widened but she nodded meekly, recalling her verdict that she had given that night. She had to do this tonight. It was going to happen and no one can stop him from doing so.
"Words"
"Ye...ss I reme...mber." she replied, her voice shaky.
"Good" he said and then the beautician came down to the basement along with Haseeb and Irtaza left the basement before saying something to Haseeb.
Zahra sat down on the chair and Haseeb analysed her face, she had been slapped harshly.
"Zahra why did you run away again?" he asked.
"Because I didn't want this marriage, this rukhsati. I don't want anything happening around me. I also have a life and I also have the right on that life." she suddenly snapped, whatever she wanted to say to Irtaza she released it infront of Haseeb.
"Zahra I understand, but now you can see the consequences. I told you, you can't run away from him. Why you didn't think practically yaar?!"
"Because I just wanted to run away from Irtaza." she replied, her voice at the edge of crying and her face pouting like a child.
"And go with Daniyal." he completed.
"Yes"
'How can I live with a man who was about to rape me?' she thought.
"Zahra you should've paid some attention to my words, now look the situation turned out more worse."
"Haseeb, now I don't want to care for anything. I'm just tired. I don't know what's coming my way but I think I should brace myself for it. He will not spare me specially after this stunt of mine and who would? So please end this conversation here. I want to spend my last moments with you all happily so I could actually have some good memories to dwell on when I'll be alone there." she replied, her voice said it all, how much she was tired and broken at the moment.
"Okay partner." he said and then asked the beautician to begin her work and cover all the marks on her face.
Meanwhile they both have a chat in which he constantly tried to lift her mood up and he was somehow successful, for a moment, she forgot every sorrow of her life.
"....Dua was holding slippers both in hands and was running after me like a maniac, when we both reached the lawn and I abruptly opened the water pipe, picking it up quickly and pointed its nozzle towards her, then she was all wet from head to toe. The expression on her face was worth watching and you know what happened next, she threw the slippers at me but I dodged them down and meanwhile the pipe slipped from my hand. She picked it up and siso, I was done at that moment, she screamed for Haya, her partner in crime and they both drenched me from head to toe." They both laughed hearing his silly story.
She was feeling light hearted now and she was so thankful to Haseeb, they continued on with their stories and jokes when the beautician told them that her work is done. She showed the mirror to Zahra and she looked at it, every mark on her face was covered and her dupatta was set again along with her jewelery. She was looking as if she got ready just now.
"You can leave." Haseeb said and the beautician left the area leaving them alone.
Haseeb called Irtaza and told him that Zahra is ready to go.
"Zahra, Irtaza Bhai is coming. You both will go together."
Her heart begin to beat fast. Utter terror consumed her senses.
"Hase..eb," she called him out breathlessly, as someone calls for help.
"What Zahra?! What happened?!"
"I'm scared." she answered shakily.
"Zahra be brave. Be brave and try your best to somehow win his heart and remove that black spot of betrayal on yourself. I know he loves you, I've seen it in his eyes, the admiration which he only holds for you. I know betrayal is big thing but maybe his love for you is stronger and one day he will forgive you and you will forgive him, and eventually you both will have a great life."
"But I'm scared! my heart is beating so fast! I can't breathe!" she hysterically replied as panic again took a control over her nerves.
"Zahra relax. Relax. Nothing will happen. Hardships makes one stronger and Indeed after hardship there is ease. Please relax." he tried to calm her down but she was breathing heavily, her breathing was coming out short and rapid.
A sudden sense of impeding doom covered her, her heart was beating abnormally and her whole body begin to shake and sweat profusely, she couldn't breathe, feeling a tightness in her throat along with nausea when Irtaza entered.
Her heart sank looking at him and her uneven breathing increased.
"Please no! No! Please no!" she hysterically said, panic written over her face while looking at him.
He guessed it right away, she was having a panic attack.
"You can go Haseeb." he ordered and Haseeb left.
"Count" he said to Zahra and she begin to count fastly from 1 to 10 and tried to relax her mind but nothing was working. The tightness in her chest increased.
"Its no...ot wor...king." she said in between her breaths and he suddenly took her in a hug and ran his hand over her back trying to calm her.
"Relax Zahra."
She still was taking deep heavy breaths.
"Close your eyes." he softly said and she did just that. His soft voice somehow soothed her a little.
"Take long breaths." and she followed trying to suppress every haunting thought from her mind.
Several minutes passed and they both stood in each other's embrace, her panic attack ended but still he wanted to feel her in his arms, closer to her when suddenly her betrayal came into his mind and he pulled away, his face emotionless as he gazed her.
"Now come with me" he ordered turning around and they both got out of the basement.
The whole function passed in a blur, everyone was enjoying themselves except the bride. Every passing minute was hitting her like a truck, she was internally praying that the time could stop, and she could hide somewhere where he can never find her. Her face was paled and her breath was hitched, her hands clammy and eyes widened. She was struggling while breathing and the dark aura emanating from the man just sitting beside her was making it more and more difficult.
She was sure tonight he will make her face hell and she didn't has the energy nor courage to face what he has saved in for her but she didn't has another option. She had accepted it now and she knew nothing can't stop him from punishing her.
The time passed quickly and it was the time for rukhsati, she hugged her mother tightly and cried in her arms wholeheartedly, the fear, the terror, the helplessness everything collided at that time and she poured it in her hug. She was getting closer to her doom, the anticipation she was feeling was killing her from inside.
After she had met everyone she sat in the car beside Irtaza and he drove it towards his mansion.
She was now totally in his hands at last and now he could do whatever he wanted to do with her.