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An hour had passed since Jahanara was taken and shut away in a room. Aryan lounged on the couch, looking like a lion ready to pounce. Meanwhile, Arzaan and Arslaan were nervously walking back and forth, anxious about what was about to happen.

"Nawab sahab, chotey Wazir sahab aye hain." one of the guards hurried in to tell Aryan. He stood up and gave a nod, signaling the guard to bring Usman in.

Usman burst through the door, confronting Aryan head-on. His face was a mask of determination, eyes blazing with fury. He locked eyes with Aryan for a tense moment before grabbing his collar.

"How dare you bring her here? You had a rift with me, right? Stop hiding behind her and face me! Talk it out, throw down-whatever it takes-but don't drag her into this mess just to settle your score with me!" Usman snarled at Aryan.

Aryan jerked his hands away, shoving him back with a fire in his eyes. "You kicked this off! You took my wife hostage. Let her go and take your woman with you." Usman stared at Aryan, completely baffled. "kya bakwas kr rhy ho? Mein itna gira hua nai hoon ky apny maqsad ky liye kisi aurat ka istemal karoon." he shot back.

Arslaan and Arzaan exchanged glances, a silent conversation passing between them. "Bhai, I think he's telling the truth," Arzaan murmured to Aryan, praying he'd take it in and not explode.

But there was no way Aryan would buy into Usman's words. At that moment, he snapped, doing something that made his cousins question his sanity. He asked one of his men to bring Jahanara out of that room, and as she walked in, he leveled his gun at her forehead.

"Just spill the truth, Usman, or I swear I'll pull the trigger on her." The threat hung heavy in the air, sending chills down everyone's spine. "Abey pagal hogaya hai kya?! I told you, your wife isn't with me!" Usman bellowed, fury blazing in his eyes. His cousins stood frozen, jaws dropped, completely blindsided by Aryan's reckless move.

"Bhai, kya kr rhy ho aap?" Arzaan shoved Aryan aside, releasing Jahanara free from the gunpoint. Usman rushed in, his eyes scanning her for any signs of injury, ready to protect her at all costs.

"He has my wife Arzan-"

"I'm saying this one last time: I didn't take your wife. You better wrap your head around that, or my bullet will do the talking for you." Usman shot back, his eyes blazing. Arzaan gripped Aryan's arm, trying to keep him in check as the tension crackled between Usman and Aryan, both men glaring at each other, the air thick with tension, each poised to explode at any moment.

Just when things were about to heat up between them, Azara's brothers burst in. "Do you have any news on her?" Arslan shot at them. Samar quickly replied, "We found out who took her."

"Who is it?" Aryan pressed, his impatience palpable. "Shehzad Beig. Her ex-fiancé," Rohan chimed in. Arslan and Arzan exchanged puzzled glances, completely in the dark about Azara's past engagement. Only Aryan and his mother knew about it.

"We are leaving." Usman intervened, casting a sharp glare at Aryan before marching away with Jahanara. Aryan was hit with a wave of guilt; he realized he should've apologized to Jahanara, but his mind was all about Azara right now.

-

It has been a full day since Azara was taken. For the past 24 hours, not a single drop of water has touched her lips. Shehzad ensured her suffering, starving her into a state of weakness, making any thought of escape seem futile.She lay there, unconscious, until Shehzad stormed in, splashing cold water across her face, jolting her back to reality. Grabbing a fistful of her hair, he yanked her head up, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"Guess what I've got for us? Plane tickets," he taunted, a sinister smirk twisting his lips. "We'll be leaving for... well, I won't spoil the surprise just yet. Just know we're taking off tonight."

Azara was seething with anger at his very existence. If she could escape right now, she would have taken him down without hesitation.

With just hours remaining before their flight, dread consumed Azara. Where is Aryan? Where are her brothers? Are they searching for her? Do they even realize she's been taken? Her mind raced with countless questions.

-

Azara's pov

It's been a day since that monster took me, and escape feels impossible. Fear grips my heart tighter with every passing moment.

I can't help but think about Aryan. What's he doing right now? Does he even realize I'm gone? I bet he doesn't care; he probably despises me by now and has forgotten all about me.

Azar bhai has always been indifferent, and that won't change now. Rohan bhai is furious with me too. When I returned home, he didn't even take a moment to see how I was doing. It's as if I'm utterly alone in this. No one is coming to save me from this monstrous being. He's going to drag me away and do whatever he pleases with me.

-

Author's pov

Time was running out. Shehzad intended to depart with Azara in just an hour. His hired men ensured a smooth escape to a distant city, a place where no one could track them down.

"I'm only moving her to another city for now. Soon, we'll be out of this country, and then I'll make her regret abandoning me," Shehzad muttered under his breath, sitting on a worn-out stool, his face twisted with madness.

He rose from the stool and moved toward the room where Azara was held captive. Suddenly, he heard loud banging on the heavy metal door, as if someone was trying to force their way inside.

He walked toward the door, thinking it might be one of his men. Without warning, the door was kicked in, splintered by an unidentified figure. The darkness concealed the intruder's face. As the figure moved closer, he hurriedly grabbed his phone to notify his team

Just as he was about to make the call, Azar lunged at him and brought him down. Aryan and Samar ran around the house to look for Azara.

As Aryan walked towards the last room of the floor, he felt his hands shaking. Opening the door, his heart shattered finding her in a disheveled state. She was unconscious, bounded and thrown in a corner of the room. He rushed to her and untied her hands and carried her to the bed that was in the bed.

He attempted to call her, hoping to snap her back to reality.

As Azara's eyes fluttered open and landed on Aryan's familiar face, disbelief washed over her. "Aryan," she whispered, her voice barely audible, her throat raw from the endless crying sessions and dehydration. She lifted her trembling hands to brush against his face, seeking proof that this was not just a dream, that he was truly there for her.

"I'm here for you, Azara. I'll take you  home," Aryan whispered, noticing how pale and fragile she looked. "Let's go." He attempted to lift her, but she gently insisted, "I'll walk." She rose from the bed, and Aryan kept her close, guiding her with slow, steady steps.

Rohan and Azar dealt with Shehzad. After exchanging a few punches and kicks, they stood by, waiting for Arzan and Arslan  to show up  with the police and have him taken away. But as Aryan and Azara stepped into the hallway, Shehzad shoved Rohan and Azar aside and reached for his gun. Without hesitation, he fired a shot at Azara's direction.

Raees Haveli,

"That girl is such a nuisance, I don't get it why my grandson is head over heels for her." Nourez said, walking back and forth in the room.

"Baba, that's his wife we're discussing. We shouldn't speak of her in such a manner," Dawar said, keeping his distance from his father.

Nourez shot a fiery glare at Dawar, his eyes blazing with intensity. "Sure, I've accepted her as part of the family, but don't expect me to like that girl."

Just as they were on the verge of starting an argument, the sound of honking horns pierced the air, indicating that Aryan and the others had arrived.

"Aryan?!" Imama yelled, her heart racing as she spotted his bandaged arm. She sprinted over to her son, panic flooding her.

"Not now, Imama," Dawar pulled her back, letting Arzan and Arslan to take Aryan to his room.

Once he reached his room, he was settled on the bed. Everyone followed them into the room and a flurry of questions erupted around him.

"Mama, I'm okay," Aryan reassured her, his voice steady despite the chaos surrounding him. "The bullet barely touched my arm; it's nothing to worry about. Please, stop stressing over this little scratch." He tried to inject a sense of calm into the room, but the worry etched on his mother's face was hard to ignore.

"How did this happen? Why were you even there?" Nourez demanded answers, his voice a mix of anger and anxiety. Aryan could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"I had to go save my wife." He replied, "ever since she came in your life you've been in trouble. She's-" Aryan cut off Nourez before he could go far,

"Not a word against my wife. I am fine. All of you can leave." He roared.

Azara sat on the couch, her gaze fixed on the floor, too overwhelmed to meet anyone's eyes. The weight of the situation pressed down on her, and she felt a lump form in her throat she felt Nourez wasn't entirely wrong.

As everyone exited the room, hiss mother stayed back. "Alira, take Azara with you," she said. Alira paused and nodded, glancing at Azara as she waited for her to join. Imama approached Azara and gently patted her cheek. "Go with Alira, freshen up, and take some time to rest," she said softly, her voice filled with warmth.

She settled next to her son on the bed, her heart racing. "How did you get shot?" she asked Aryan. "As we were about to leave, we had no idea that he had a gun, within a blink he pulled it out and aimed it at Azara. Just as he was about to fire, I pulled her away just in time, but the bullet grazed my arm." He shared every detail of the incident with his mother.

"That guy is a psychopath. I can't believe Azara's taya was so sure about marrying her off to him. Thank goodness she chose you instead,"  Imama said. She faced Aryan, gripping his hand firmly. "Aryan, you need to fix this. She had her reasons for keeping that guy a secret. She was scared you would walk away. Let it go and forgive her," she pleaded.

"No, Mama, it's not that simple. I happily agreed to whatever she said, and still, she couldn't find it in herself to trust me? If she had just been honest about that guy from the start, we wouldn't be in this mess today. But she chose to keep it from me, and instead of trust, I got a load of lies. You know how much I can't stand being lied to," right? His voice dripped with irritation.

Imama sighed, she knew it'd be hard to convince Aryan, "please don't go hard on her," she said before walking out.

-

Aryan's pov

My mother keeps insisting that Azara was just lying to me, but she has no idea. Azara married me solely to escape her ex-fiance.

Her only goal was to save herself; there was no love involved. She didn't propose out of affection; it was pure selfishness. I was a fool to think she had any love for me or she ever truly cared for me.

-

"Tum kya soch kr usky sath gayi thi?" Usman menacingly asked her, glaring at her, his question triggered Jahanara.

"Dil agaya tha uspy isiliye khushi sy usky sath chali gayi." She snapped at him. His eyes burned with anger.

"Bakwas nai kiya karo." He sneered, "shuru kisny ki thi?" She rolled her eyes at Usman.

He ignored her and drove the car in silence. After a while, Jahanara broke the silence asking, "Kahan gayeb thy tum?"

"Tumhy batana zaroori nai samjhta." He replied rudely, eyeing her. Her eyes bored into him as she snapped at him, throwing his handkerchief that he gave her earlier, on his face "mujhey jan'na bhi nahi hai. Fazool admi!"

"Badtameez." He muttered, grabbing the handkerchief off his face.

It's been a while, an hour or so since they ignored each other. They were still miles away from reaching home.

Suddenly Usman hit the brakes, confusing Jahanara. He dashed out of the car without telling her a word. She wondered if he has been possessed because of how he behaved.

Moments later, Usman stormed back to the car, a file clutched tightly in his hand. As he slid into the seat beside her, he thrust a handful of papers into her direction. "Sign these," he commanded, his voice dripping with authority, igniting a fire of anger within her.

He barked his command with a harshness that cut through the air like a knife. The disdain in his voice ignited a fire within Jahanara, a fury so intense that she ripped the paper into shreds, flinging the remnants out of the car window.

"You can either take me home in silence this instant, or I'll just get out of this car and make my way back alone" she sneered giving him a challenging look.

Usman exhaled heavily, the sound escaping his lips like a whisper of defeat. He turned the key in the ignition, and the engine roared to life, vibrating through the steering wheel and sending a shiver down his spine.

He resolved to have a serious conversation with his grandfather as soon as he returns home.

After a long journey on the road, they pulled into the familiar driveway, the weight of the journey finally lifting. Usman brought the car to a halt in front of the grand haveli. Jahanara flung open the door and dashed out, her heart racing with anticipation, eager to embrace her parents and siblings.

Usman stepped into the haveli, and there was his grandfather, Abad, watching him intently. A cunning smile played on his lips.

"You let him take her, didn't you?" Usman gritted as he barged into Abad's study behind him. "You're smart enough and I'll guess you know the reason as well." Abad replied, sitting on his chair like a king.

"I was going to return home anyway." Usman stated bluntly. "Now that you're back, let me inform you about something important. This Friday you'll be getting engaged to Asim's daughter." Abad declared as he looked through some papers.

Usman chuckled, "shadi toh mein Jahan sy hi karoonga." His smirk was unmistakable, his voice dripping with defiance.

Abad gripped the paper in his hand and spoke bitterly. "Merey liye mera naam aur izzat bohot azeez hai, yeh baat tumsy behtar kon janta hai, Usman?"

"Mein Jahanara sy hi nikkah karoonga. Apky naam aur izzat sy ab mujhy koi fark nai parhta." Saying Usman stormed out of Abad's study. The disobedience hurt his ego and now he'd go to any extent to make Usman regret going against him.

At the dinner, the whole Wazir family was present except Abad and Usman. The family members waited for both of them. Usman walked into the room and sat beside his mother, "why isn't anyone eating?" He eyed his family as he served himself.

"Baba ka wait karlo." His father held his hand, speaking politely. "Woh koi khuda nai hain jo hum unsy itna dar ky rahein." He wanted to argu

e back but decided to ignore everyone and started eating his dinner.

"Why is he behaving so differently?" Manahil whispered to Jahanara, "Why are you even asking me? I'm not his personal assistant, I don't keep track of every tiny thing about him." Jahanara snapped at her.

"What's wrong with all of them?" Manahil and Zara wondered as they exchanged glances.

During dinner, Abad leaned in, his eyes fixed intently on Usman.

He took a deep breath, "Mahtab, Anum," he began, his voice steady yet charged,"we have a marriage proposal for Jahanara. Tomorrow, the guests will arrive to discuss this matter in detail." His declaration hung heavily in the air, his gaze sweeping over his family, each face a canvas of conflicting emotions.

Abad anticipated a response from Usman, but instead, he was met with an unsettling smirk.

Jahanara sat on her bed, her fingers idly tracing the edge of her dupatta, as a storm of thoughts raged in her mind. The thought of marriage terrified her, especially with all the mixed emotions she had for Usman.

Everyone in the family wakes up at Fajr to pray. Jahanara had just finished her prayers in her room and was heading to her bed when she heard a soft knock on the door.

Thinking it was her mom, she opened it, but to her surprise, it was Usman, the last person she expected to see at this hour.

He stepped into her room and shut the door behind him. She was taken aback by what he did. "What are you doing here?" she asked. He didn't respond and headed straight to the couch where her dupatta lay folded. "Put this on and follow me. And just so you know, keep quiet."

He grasped her hand and led her out of the haveli, once they were outside, he headed to his car, "Get in." He opened the passenger door for her. She could feel the danger radiating from Usman, so she complied.

He drove to the closest masjid. "Why are we here?" she asked, confused. "To get married," Usman said nonchalantly, leaving her stunned.

_

Author's note

╰┈➤ Took me days to write this because of my studies and tests.

I wanna know your reviews on this chapter, based on that I might have to make some changes in the upcoming chapters (if needed).

• vote target on this chapter- 10

• comment/ follow- depends on you.

-Thanks for reading 🤍⚘️