Warning : This chapter contains a little violence,  so read at your own risk.

After giving a ride to Sarfaraaz I found myself at the bar again followed by an undeniable pull towards her.

Shanaya...

I know she will be there– sank in tipsiness and pain.  The pain she deliberately chose for herself.

I entered the bar and found her dancing carelessly around a few men. My jaw clenched seeing this sight. The way her body was brushing  with them made my blood boil.

I pulled her off the stage with a strong  grip on her wrist.

"Rahat! You come back!  Let's dance!" saying this she  started grinding against my body making me lose my control.

Damn you Shanaya!

Taking a deep breath I tried to regain my composure, "Shanaya stop it!" I said grabbing her by the waist.

" Stop What?" she said with a light chuckle buoying in  her tipsiness.

"Stop chasing after him. Stop wasting your life like this!" my voice raised a little.

"Why doesn't he love me? Tell me what I lack" she said cupping my face to look at her.

I sighed in frustration.
"You are perfect,  Shanaya. But you are not made for him. He already has a wife. Damn it." I muttered the last line inaudibly.

"Then for whom am I made?" her eyes reflected pain overshadowing her elegant city girl aura.

For me. If you could only give me a tiny chance.

"See?? you are silent. Remember I will make him mine by hook or crook..." her words faded as she leaned against my chest before losing her sense in drunkenness.

I sighed caressing her head.
Taking  her in my arms and I walked towards my car to send her home.
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2 days Later

After that heated encounter with him in my shabby room I haven’t met him yet. Yes, I was really happy to make him frustrated and wanting. But that game was truly more dangerous than I anticipated.

A man like Sarfaraaz, with his experience and control, could easily devour someone like me. I was terrified of how he might retaliate. Besides, his ominous touches weren’t just unsettling; they were breaking my sanity.

I hated him the most but there is something between us that creates wildfire every time we collide. My life is already upside down by this devil. I can't afford more than this.

For the last two days, I did my chores early and  moved to my room so that I didn’t have to face him.

I don’t know why he didn't say anything about my cook in all those days. I know my culinary skill is far from impressive.

Well, at least I'm not giving him poison, right? This is the best I can do.

But he silently ate when I served it to him. That surprised me. But for two days I didn’t even serve him food but he still did nothing.

It should have been a relief, right? But a part of me knew better; the silence before the storm was always the most terrifying.

Today, It was only 9 am in the morning  I am already done with my cooking and cleaning job. So I was about to return to my room to take a shower and pray, I heard a scream of a boy.

It was coming from the west wing where I was banned from going. Though I noticed  a woman going there every morning and leaving late at night. But she didn’t come.

Curiosity gnawed at me, but I didn’t dare break his rules. I knew the consequences would make my life more unbearable.

The loud sound of crying made my heart shattered. I  was drawn to that sound. So, without thinking about the consequences I walked in that direction hesitantly but with steady steps.

The west wing was different. Its walls painted in soft blues and beige, a stark contrast to the rest of the house’s cold, muted tones.

I walked to the room taking small steps, my heart was beating faster in tensions and anxiousness.

I followed the sound to a room and there, sitting on the floor, was a little boy. His face streaked with tears, his small body trembling. He looked like a smaller, innocent version of Sarfaraaz, but without the terrifying aura.

Who was he? Sarfaraaz’s son?

Then it clicked. He was also in that car that day. I checked him, luckily he was unharmed  just unconcious. So my whole concern shifted to the man now messing with my life who was covered in wounds, blood that day.

My heart churned seeing that little soul crying.  I rushed to him and scooped him in my arms.

"Why are you crying little munchkin?" I said in a soft voice gently wiping tears from his face.

"I'm afraid. Please call Rayan Mumu." he said in between his sobs.

Rayan? Who is this now?
I heard only the name of Rahat in his hideout.

"He will come soon, baccha ( Child)" I said caressing his back.

Slowly his crying stopped.

"Are you hungry? I soflty asked him.

"Yeah. Give me an Apple from the friz..fridge" he said pointing towards a mini fridge in the corner of the room.

I washed his face and helped him freshen up. He was such a sweet, innocent boy. How could someone like Sarfaraaz even be related to him?

"What else do you eat in the morning. Let me make that for you" I asked after giving him an apple.

"Ce..real. It's in the kit..chen" he replied stammering pointing towards another door in the room.

There was a separate kitchen here too. There were ingredients for kid foods. I found the jar of cereal and made it prepared.

After feeding him I took him in my arms again.

"Who are you? How do you know my Rayan mamu?" he asked innocently.

I was puzzled as I didn’t know who the Rayan was.

"I'm Tania. You can call me Tania Auntie. Okay? What's your name, dear?" I asked ruffling his hair.

"I'm Muneeb" he replied with a cute smile.

Awww. Such a sweet name.

Seeing him finally I felt like I had a purpose in this house, something beyond fear and chaos. It felt good, holding him, caring for him.

In this house I was alone. No one to talk to.
Well there are a few servants but they didn’t talk with me and kept avoiding me like a disease.

I was suffocated . So meeting with a sweet child like him my mood lifted and the feeling was really good.

The boy fell asleep in my arms so cautiously put him down to the bed and covered him with a thin quilt. Then my peace shattered.

Before I could leave the room, a hand yanked me back. Hard. Pain shot through my wrist as I was spun around, forced to face the fury in his eyes.

Sarfaraaz.

His grip was punishing, and before I could react, he pulled me out of the room and  slammed me against the wall. The force of his palms hitting the wall beside my head echoed with a loud thud, making me flinch, my eyes instinctively shutting tight.

Allah! What had I done?
_________________

"How dare you come here?" His voice was low and cold, filled with venom. "Have you forgotten my warning, Tania Shafiq Hussein?"

Her throat compressed, words catching in her mouth as his imposing figure loomed over her. "I... I just heard your son..the boy crying," she stammered, her words weak and broken. "So... I came here."

Without warning, his hand shot out, gripping her throat just enough to silence her. In the next instant, his face was at her neck, lips brushing the tender skin there. But it wasn't soft. It wasn't gentle. His teeth sank into her neck brutally, like a predator marking its prey.

A sharp gasp escaped her lips as the raw pain coursed through her. His bite was merciless, she could feel the skin breaking beneath his teeth. He tasted the saltiness of her blood as it oozed from the wound he had inflicted, the metallic taste flooding his senses.

Tania was trembling by his devilish act but she didn’t scream. But she was screaming on top of her lung inside.

Silent tears welled in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks as she fought to keep the sobs at bay. Her breath hitched painfully, her fingers folded in her palms with a pressure to bear everything but not giving him the satisfaction of breaking her.

Sarfaraaz pulled back, licking the blood from his lips, his eyes gleaming with dark satisfaction. "Just because I didn't say anything to you for the past two days..," he growled, his voice dripping with contempt, "it seems you've forgotten your place. I told you to stay out of the west wing. I don't want Hussein blood anywhere near my nephew; my last remaining family"

His hand dug into her shoulder, pushing her further against the wall, forcing her to meet his cold, unforgiving gaze.

"If you overstep your boundary again, I swear I'll make sure you regret your decision to stay here as my sacrificial bride," he hissed, his voice low and dangerous, cutting through the air like a blade.

Tania's body trembled in his hold, the sting of his words matching the physical pain he had just inflicted. She could still feel the searing burn of the bite, blood trickling down her neck, mixing with her silent tears. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest.

She nodded looking at his face.  Suddenly  he released her.

She was walking back to her room with her broken self trembling wishing not to break down in front of the devil.

She came downstairs staggering and crossing the dining area before she entered the corridor to her little nest.

"Stop! Come here" he command hung in the air making her flinched at his presence.

'Why the hell was he following her again? Isn’t the pain he gave her was not enough?' she thought.

On the other side, Sarfaraaz's heart raced as he looked at her, the guilt gnawing at him despite his cold exterior. The sight of the bruises he'd left on her skin sent a wave of unease through him. His rage had consumed him, blinding him to the damage he was causing.

"Why the fuck I didn’t control myself?" he murmured under his breath.

Now, standing across from her, the silence stretched between them like a rift, filled with unspoken words and emotions neither of them knew how to handle.

Her defiance both infuriated and unsettled him. His jaw clenched, fists tightening by his side. He hated her disobedience, but more than that, he hated how her silence made him feel the emotion unusual for him: regret.

"Why do you make me reveal the beast within?" he whispered, stepping toward her, his voice low and strained.

Before she could answer, he grabbed her wrist, pulling her harshly into his lap as he sat on a chair in the dining area. His grip was firm yet hesitant, as if struggling with himself, afraid of causing her more harm.

"You are a BEAST!" she spat, her voice thick with emotion. Tears welled in her eyes, the pain she felt radiating through her words. "And I’m human, Sarfaraaz. But you... you only treat me like your prey." Her voice cracked  and raw, her anguish hanging heavily between them.

Sarfaraaz froze, her words cutting through him like a blade. He clenched his jaw, his eyes darkening as shame flickered across his face. He hated how much power she had over him to expose him just by her words.

They stayed like that for a moment  in the heavy silence. The tension between them was almost unbearable, their breaths mingling as they struggled to regain control of themselves.

Then, almost reluctantly, Sarfaraaz’s grip softened. His fingers brushed against the tender spot on her neck where he had bitten her, and his gaze flickered to the blood staining her skin. Something twisted painfully inside him. He wasn’t used to feeling guilty, but it was undeniable now.

Without a word, he shifted her gently in his lap and grabbed a napkin from the table. His hands moved slowly, deliberately, as he pressed the napkin to her wound. She flinched at the contact, her body tense, but his touch remained careful–sensual, even, as though he was trying to make up for the brutality of moments before.

"I'm...sorry..." The words felt foreign on his tongue, but they slipped out before he could stop them. He wasn’t used to apologizing, especially not to her. But with her, all of his emotions  are messed up totally.

"I didn’t mean to go this far."

Her breath hitched as he continued to clean her wound, the sensation of his fingers grazing her skin sending an involuntary shiver down her spine.

Sarfaraaz’s gaze shifted, and he lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. "You’re not my prey, Tania," he murmured, his voice softened by something dangerously close to tenderness. His eyes roamed over her face, studying the tear stains, the defiance that still flickered in her gaze, and the brokenness she tried so hard to conceal. "But don’t forget… you’re still mine. So you must obey me."

"Leave me," she whispered, her voice weak but defiant. "I don’t need your twisted care."

Sarfaraaz's hand lingered at her waist, holding her close. He continued trailing his fingers along her jawline, sending a mix of warmth and confusion through her body. His lips brushed against the wound on her neck, the place where he'd bitten her in his rage, and this time his touch was soothing, warm. He tasted  the metallic tang of her blood again as his lips lingered there.

"I said leave me." Her voice broke this time, a tear slipping down her cheek. She wanted to stay strong, to defy him, but her resolve was crumbling in  the softness she was craving for despite it coming from him.

Sarfaraaz tilted her face toward his, brushing the tear away with his thumb. "You drive me to madness, Hazel," he whispered, his breath hot against her skin. "But that doesn’t mean that  I don’t feel anything."

"Remember, if I give you the pain, only I can soothe it," Sarfaraaz whispered, his voice dark yet laced with a tenderness that unnerved her. His lips brushed against her tear-streaked cheek, kissing away the salt of her sorrow as if he could erase the very pain he had caused.

Tania’s breath hitched, her body trembling beneath the weight of his words. Her mind screamed at her to push him away, to fight the darkness he represented, but her body, traitorous and weak, remained still.

"Don't try to be tender with me I know all these are lies. Just fucking leave me for god sake. Let go of me" she said breaking the tears she tried to hold.

His gaze lingered on her tear-streaked face, his thumb tracing the path of a tear as he continued softly, "Not in this lifetime, Hazel. I’m the one who holds the key to your ruin and your salvation. Whether you like it or not, you're bound to me. And no matter how much you cry, no one else will come to save you; it's just us, and that's how it'll always be." He licked the tears rolling down her cheeks for the last time.

Her resistance wavered, but she forced herself to stay strong, "I don't need you. Not your touch..not your care.." she whispered in a barely audible voice.

"Don’t lie to yourself, Hazel" he murmured, his fingers tangling in her hair, pulling her face closer to his. "Because every time we fight, you still end up here... only in my arms."

"I hate you" she said dripping venom though her voice while leaning to his touch.

"I know. Don’t change your feelings please." he whispered mysteriously, his lips were almost touching hers.

Just then, a soft sound broke through the air– "Meow." The sound cut the tension floating in  air making Tania to avert her gaze from the eyes of her devil.

"Marshmallow!!" she exclaimed not being able to believe her eyes.

In a heartbeat, she freed herself from his hold and scooped the cat in her arms. After a minute of checking she was ensured that it was her Marshmallow indeed.

Without a second thought, she pressed a kiss to the cat's soft fur, and Marshmallow responded by snuggling deeper into her embrace. Her face lit up with a smile forgetting all the pain from earlier.

While he was looking at her happy face for the first time except the baby face of her he saw 20 years ago. His stoned heart felt an urge to bloom seeing her smiling like this.

"How come you are here, my baby?" she murmured to it softly.

Then she remembered the presence of the devil in her life. She gave him a fierce glare, raising her voice she said, "It was doing, right? How could you do this? So you thought it gave me peace so you snatched this little baby of mine too from me!!! "

"Shut up,  woman! Would you rather it starve to death out there?  he raised his voice a little not that rough though.

Tania clutched Marshmallow closer, her fingers running through the cat’s fur protectively. "You still kidnapped him!" she shot back, her voice thick with resentment.

Sarfaraaz's jaw tightened as he watched her plant another affectionate kiss on the cat's head. "Stop kissing it so often in front of me," he barked, his tone laced with a mix of annoyance and jealousy.

"Like I'll listen to you!" she rolled her eyes hugging Marshmallow even tighter, her eyes flickering defiance.

"That little son of..." he hissed.

"Devil" she shot back.

His jaw tightened in frustration realizing what she meant but he said nothing.

She was going back to her with Marshmallow but his words made her stop.

"Let it be with Muneeb,...please. He will cry if he doesn’t see it after waking up" he voice softens into an unexpected plea.

"The dead bodies...that day of accident..were they his parents?" she asked
hesitantly in a soft tone fearing to hear the answer.

"Yeah." his voice was almost inaudible, laced with vulnerability though he tried to conceal it.

"I'm sorry" she muttered softly, her voice was barely audible yet reflected empathy.

"You don’t have to. That wasn’t your fault." he said in a sad tone.

Then, his expression darkened, his fists clenching  with barely controlled fury. "But the bastard who did this will pay. And when I find him..." His voice dropped to a deadly whisper, almost to himself. "I'll make sure to give him a slow painful death."

Tania was perplexed at his shift of demeanor.

"How about I keep a condition to let Mubeen have my Marshmallow? " she said trying to change a topic but also fearing his reaction.

"Spill" he let out a low growl.

"Let me visit Mubeen once every day" she said waiting for him to snap.

"Did you forget what happened a few  moments ago." getting closer to her.

"I'm not a harm to him. Rayan." she countered not being intimated by the intense gaze of him.
____________________________

Rayan.

How come she knew this name!

But hearing it from her mouth I didn’t feel bad though I should have.
No one ever called me by that name except my family.

Actually my heart.... it felt good hearing my nickname from her lips.

"If I ever wanted to harm anyone, you'd be the first, Mr. Dark," she shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I've had plenty of chances to kill you, you know like mixing poison into all those meals I've made for you. But I didn't, did I?"

This little woman is really a firecracker.
I was astonished  at her confidence.

But I still cannot trust anyone with Muneeb the remaining sign of my princess, my sister Safina.

I stood there in a delimma what to say to her. A tiniest part of mine wanted to agree with her but then again I'm not able to do so remembering who she was – the daughter of my enemy.

"Okay. I'm giving Marshmallow to you for the time being. Think what I offered." she said seeing me standing there in silence.

This little yet complex woman continued to astonish me. Her fearless way of challenging, despite the danger, both frustrated and intrigued me.

I took the cat from her and went upstairs glancing at her for the last time.

______________________

"Boss. He took her to his house." a voice spoke in an obedient tone.

"It's only because of you fools! If he meets him and re-investigates ... Do you even understand what is waiting for me? " a deep voice growled like an enraged bull.

"No, sir, that can't happen. She had cut all ties with her family, and he hates her. I heard he’s treating her worse than a servant," the loyal voice replied, trying to reassure.

"Good to hear then. But make sure he never re-investigates the case. If it means burning the national archives to the ground, do it." The commanding voice echoed with an ominous finality.
____________________

One Day later

It was late at night Tania woke up to pray for Tahajjud Salah to grant a little tint of peace in her life from her Almighty.

Once she completed her prayer her throat felt dry.  So she went back to the dining area to refill her water bottle.

She saw the foods she made for him kept untouched.
That was usual she thought.

Whatever tensions remained between them he never skipped the food she cooked.
Didn’t he return last night? she wondered.

A strange concern tugged at her, a worry she tried to push away. Why should I care? she questioned herself.

Before she could think properly she found herself in the stairs as if an invisible force was pulling her  towards  the room forbidden for her until he called her.

His bedroom.

She hesitated a little before entering his room knowing It was another forbidden place for her.

Yet, despite everything, her heart defied the rules. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door of his room and the darkness consumed her.

Then her ears caught soft groans not loud yet unmistakable. Her heartbeat quickened as she stepped  forward.Once she reached near his bed she found him struggling in his sleep.

He was tossing and turning in the bed and saying something she could not understand properly.  But it looked like he was fighting with some invisible demons.

Tania froze at her place for a second seeing the man turn her life into a nightmare now trapped in a nightmare of his own.

But this sight did not give her peace. She was never a heartless woman. Besides she was feeling  more than general concern looking at him like this : vulnerable and tormented.

Without thinking, she knelt beside the bed, her hands trembling as she reached out to him.

"Sarfaraaz?" she whispered softly, but he didn’t respond as he was so lost in the grip of his nightmare. He muttered something under his breath, his fists clenched tightly around the sheets.

Acting on instinct, she gently placed her hand on his arm, trying to calm him. "It’s okay... you’re safe," she murmured but got surprised at her own words. His body flinched at her  sudden contact. But slowly, his groaning softened.

Her hand moved to his forehead, brushing away the sweat formed on his skin as she whispered, "It’s just a dream, Rayan. You are okay"

She felt his breathing slowed but his face still remained strained. Then she did something even herself wasn’t ready for this.

She whispered softly in his ear, her lips brushed against his skin in contact, "I'm here...Sleep"

Whether it was her comforting words or something else his breathing gradually became normal. His grip on the sheets loosened and the stiffness in his body also lessened.

In a heartbeat,  his eyes were shot open and surprised to see her near him.

"What are you doing here" shock was visible in his raspy voice.

"You were having a nightmare. So..I was trying to help." she said calmly but her heart was racing in her chest.

Sarfaraaz stared at her, trying to digest the words she said. His expression softened, if only for a moment, before he looked away, his jaw tightening. "I don’t need your help," he muttered, though the usual venom in his tone was missing.

Tania stared at him for a second under the dim light of the room. She found something more than his usual aura in his face.

Vulnerability which he will never accept.

"Yeah,  maybe not. But I gave it anyway, think of it as a free service." she whispered with a tint of defiance before turning around for leaving.

As she reached for the door she glanced at him for the last time over her shoulder before opening the door, "Goodnight Rayan"

She doesn't know why she called out by this nickname. Maybe because it represented the soft version of him.

But before she could leave, his hand shot out, gently catching her wrist.

"Well..then I need this service for longer" he said in a softer voice she ever heard from his lips which made her look at him.

"Stay a little longer, Hazel," he whispered, his voice filled with an unspoken plea. His usual coldness had melted away, replaced with something raw, something almost desperate.

For a second,  she hesitated whether to respond to his pleading or go away. But not waiting for a better judgement of her mind, she found herself nodding at him.

She sat beside him while he embraced her in a side hug which heightened her surprise. But she stayed  unbelievably calm.

That night they forgot the bond of vengeance that brought them together. Instead, one broken soul finally asked for help while another one who itself was broken offered it selflessly.

___________________

That's all for today 🖤

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