27. The loyal dog

*****

Loud music, stench of alcohol, wolf whistles and disgusting profanities was all the place as such had to offer. Surrounded four sides by muddy walls, with a stage in between and supposed bidders spread across the halls and on tables reserved for themselves, Marwan knew instantly the place was something that could be synonymous to haram.

"Can I have a veil too?"

He whispered next to Aliya's ears. The smell of alcohol had never done any good to him. In fact, it made him want to throw up everything he had consumed. Glancing at Aliya's face, he couldn't help but envy the veil that she had on. One whose material was thick enough to act as a simple mask.

He couldn't see her lips, but he was sure with the way her eyes lit up with mirth that she was enjoying his predicament. Very much so.

"Main bata raha hu, bahot na insafi hai yeh."

"Stop grumbling you big baby. Paise hai?"

Marwan glanced at her with a confused expression but anyhow gave a single nod. Aliya hummed in response and her eyes wandered amidst the crowd.

Before entering the den, they had to keep away their guns and earpods too. Thankfully, Aliya had sent a quick message along with their location to Daiyan before switching off their phones when the men at the entrance demanded.

The place was a walking hell- figuratively. They had been cross checked four times before being given an entrance in the underground bidding palace- that's what they called it.

Plush couches were lined in the front, none of which were occupied as of now. Seeing the way they were kept, one could only predict that it was for the vvip guests and him- hopefully.

"I don't get it. It's been over half an hour since we came here. Kar kya rahe hai yeh log?"

Aliya mumbled to herself. Trying to act unbothered and in the role of a woman who had accompanied her husband to buy a slave for herself, she leisurely let her eyes do a harmless sweep of all the guards aligned at every 5m from each other.

Covid protocols or was it?

"Kab aayenge woh sab?"

Marwan whisper-yelled in Aliya's ears. The latter winced and then grimaced. Her glare could bury him 6 feet deep if not for Marwan's defiant stare fixated on her.

"They're waiting for the final single. Tujhe yaha kahi pe Eren dikh raha hai? Nahi na. When he makes his appearance, they will make theirs."

Marwan huffed like a disappointed kid and stayed silent for the while that followed. His bored eyes kept doing a 360 of the area again and again, so much so that when one of the men at the back and towards his left made a move to secure something around his waist- that little something seemed to be the very object that wasn't allowed inside.

A gun.

And by his appearance, he clearly didn't look like one of those men guarding the perimeters. Squinting his eyes, he tried to take a better look at the man but he turned his back at Marwan and Aliya thought it was the best moment to interrupt the sly investigation.

"Waha kya ghur raha hai? It's about to start."

Scowling down at her, Marwan shook his head and looked back at the spot only to find the man gone.

What was it? A b-grade horror movie?

"Merhaba bayanlar ve baylar. Bu gece kim eğlenmeye hazır?!"

(Hello ladies and gentlemen. Who's up for some fun tonight?!)

The whistles around increased by ten folds and both Marwan and Aliya winced at the intensity. The man standing in the centre of the stage smiled a wolfy grin upon the response and nodded his head to himself in appreciation. Firming his hold on the microphone, he continued addressing the people.

"Şimdi, başlamadan önce, bugünün işlevinin organizatörü ve omurgasını takdir edelim. Eren Kaplan'a herkesten büyük bir alkış alalım!"

(Now now, before we begin, let's appreciate the organiser and the backbone of today's function. Give a big round of applause for Eren Kaplan everyone!)

Marwan held a breath when the said man walked out of the shadows and into the light. A man in his mid forties, built well but not exactly muscular. Adorned in an Armani three-piece suit he exuded the aura of a powerful man but if only it was true.

A man who used women as a ladder, stepping on them, disrespecting them, treating them like the dirt under his shoes could be anything but powerful.

In fact, he was a coward.

A pretentious coward trying to look in charge.

"Herkese merhaba. Bugünkü parti bulabileceğiniz en seçkin güzelliklerden oluşuyor. Güney Asya'dan Avrupa'ya, seçim sizin. Sınırsız güzellik gösterisinin tadını çıkarın."

(Hello everyone. Today's batch consists of the most exquisite beauties you could ever find. From South Asian to European, the choice is yours. Enjoy the show of unrestrained beauty.)

Marwan didn't understand the whole thing. Just a few words here and there and in his confused daze, he made the mistake to glance at Aliya who had a glass fisted in her hands. His eyes widened upon realising the strength with which she was choking the poor thing, probably imagining a certain someone's neck instead of the glass material.

"Oye, you'll hurt yourself."

He quickly pried the glass out of her hands while Aliya's gaze burned like a volcano waiting to erupt and burn everything in its reach.

"I want to choke him. At least once."

"That once would turn out to be his last."

"That's what I'm hoping for."

"Aliya..."

Marwan groaned in dismay. It was tough to control a raging Aliya, especially if it had touched a sensitive nerve and by the way she was acting, Eren had been successful in doing just that.

"How long are we supposed to wait now?"

He asked after a moment of silence. Aliya tsked and looked at the wall clock that hung pretty high and once getting a good look at the time, she pursed her lips and shook her head.

"I'm not really sure. Do you think I've telepathic powers?"

"You would've been more useful if you did."

Aliya glared at the man beside her while he ignored her and pinned Eren with his eyes.

The said man was sitting on the couch kept directly opposite to the stage. A few men were beside him and with the way he laughed amongst them, the man seemed to be enjoying what was going around.

"Hepinizi daha fazla beklemiyorum, işte ilk çiçek! Butan dağlarından utangaç bir güzellik. 18 yaşında olgun ve uğruna ölünecek bir rakam. Bu gece onu kim yanına alacak?"

(Not making you all wait any longer, here's the first flower! A shy beauty from the mountains of Bhutan. Ripe age of 18 and a figure to die for. Who's gonna take her with him tonight?)

"Kamina."

Aliya muttered under her breath and Marwan could only hum in agreement.

And just as fast as the host delivered the message, the bidders had started throwing their bids. The numbers rose quickly, from one person to the other and then to the same. Marwan scrutinised Eren through it all. The man seemed to be grinning like a cheshire cat who had all the attention in the world. A glass of what looked like alcohol rested majestically in his hands and he gave a toast of it with the men beside him.

"₺45 million- 3! Sold!"

The words rang around and Marwan could only wince at how they sounded so casual, as though he weren't selling a living girl but a thing of some sorts.

"I will be the one to strangle him to death."

Aliya gritted the words with so much venom that Marwan distanced himself from her from a few steps. An angry Aliya was a nightmare and right now, she didn't look angry, she looked livid, so much so that he could feel the flames burning through her.

"What's the hurry, ya habibi?"

A new male voice spoke from the entrance. The atmosphere dropped from excited to dense silent and all that sounded around were the approaching footsteps.

Marwan frowned at the change and directed his gaze at the man that had walked in. Dressed in a three-piece Brioni suit, he exuded the charms of the rich but the smirk on his face seemed like the icy aura of the devil. Eyes blue enough to put the ocean to shame and a height of 6 ft or more, he was every bit of a man who could intimidate even the wolves dressed in silk.

"Haye, if only I hadn't gotten my hands on Kabir first."

Marwan scrunched his nose in disgust at Aliya's comment. The girl went from an angry young maiden to the shy and dreamy princesses one heard in Disney fairytales. Even though he knew Aliya wouldn't choose anyone over her husband, the comment still made him feel disgusted and left him a little jealous.

But of course, that wasn't the main point.

Ignoring the woman who was busy swooning beside him, Marwan casted his attention on the newly arrived man and Eren. By the look on the latter's face, it was clear that they weren't friends and with the way he paled like a ghost, Marwan was sure they weren't acquaintances either.

Eren kept the glass that he was holding on the table with hands that were querying in utmost shock and maybe, slight resemblances of fear.

"M-Mirac, B-burada ne yapıyorsun?"

(What are you doing here?)

Mirac, as called, faked a look of hurt and took his seat on the couch that was now left empty of the men that were once chatting with Eren. Placing his right ankle on his left thigh, Mirac gave a roguish grin to Eren, who paled further if possible.

"That's no way to greet a business partner, is it?"

"S-stop playing games and say why you're here."

Eren too switched to speaking English and tried to look tough in front of Mirac who only glanced at him with a bored look.

"Come on now, I'm sure you're well aware as to why I'm here."

Whatever the words seemed to have implied, Eren clenched his jaw and gave a curt nod but the spark of defiance in his eyes was hard to miss.

"Ohh, drama."

Aliya mumbled to herself in joy and pulled Marwan with herself to a vacant seat not far away from where Eren and Mirac were.

"We'll get caught!"

Marwan hissed and tried to pull the two back but Aliya only swatted his use of force and glared at him before tilting her head and enjoying the show that was unveiling ahead of them.

"Y-you don't o-own control here."

Eren retaliated back with a little confidence, though the lurking doubt behind the words made Mirac smile a satisfied smile.

"Oh I don't, but Ayden does."

Eren snickered at the mention of the new name and took a seat beside Mirac who was looking bored by every passing second and it was clear that he wasn't in the mood to have a childish banter of authority.

"Right, how could I forget. The loyal dog, like always."

Marwan blinked at the underlying insult and within that mere second, Eren found his neck in the deathly grasp of the man who was now breathing ice- calm, cold and deadly.

"At least, I'm loyal. Now, let's get down to business, shall we?"

All traces of fake humour were wiped off from Mirac's face as he took back his seat. He tilted his head a little to the men standing not far away from him and the last 4 of them scattered across the stage and towards the greenroom.

"YOU CAN'T DO THAT!"

Eren yelled in anger upon seeing the girls he had brought to sell being escorted out of the den.

"Sit down, Eren."

Mirac didn't suggest, he simply commanded and with the last bit of restraint, Eren did as he was told.

"Now, I believe we had an agreement on how things work around here, didn't we? In case you've forgotten, here, go through the clauses once again."

Mirac forwarded a stash of legal papers towards Eren who begrudgingly took hold of it and randomly switched through the pages, clearly not interested in reading through them.

"I know the rules."

"Then you should also know what happens when you defy them."

Marwan did a quick glance at the door that was still open for anyone to exit. His eyes then moved towards Aliya who seemed to be too indulged in the scene ahead of her. Closing his eyes, he could only pray for the reinforcement team to arrive before they were lying in a pool of blood.

And by what was going on between Mirac and Eren, he could see the probability of that happening very soon.

"Clause 5.3 clearly states that 'No women or children shall be harmed in any business related matters across Turkey.' The clause also states that 'Human trafficking, buying or selling slaves or women or children is strictly prohibited and would end badly if done so.' My my, Eren, if you were aware of the rules, why make such a terrible mistake?"

Eren seemed to be losing the courage that he had held onto for so long. Subtly dabbing his forehead, the said man glanced at the door and then at Mirac who was staring at the paper in his hands.

Aliya would've enjoyed the show more if not for the fabulous host running out of the door like he was being chased by hungry wolves. Puffing a breath of disappointment, she tsked and focused back on the scene playing ahead.

"There weren't many. And the majority of them weren't even Turkish. I don't see how-"

"Did the clause specify a nationality? A number? An age?"

Eren didn't have an answer to it and that just added fuel to Mirac's running patience.

"You say there weren't many but a certain birdie tells me, this isn't the first time that girls and women have been abducted to be sold like an object. Come in please."

The last sentence was directed to somebody else and as Marwan waited for another bomb to blast, his eyes widened in shock, surprise and then relief, when Major Mathur walked in alongside Daiyan and a few other of the comrades.

"I believe you recognize him, yes?"

Mirac had directed the question to Eren who gaped at the scene ahead.

Marwan made a move to walk up to his team mates when Eren made a foolish move. The latter removed a gun from his waist and directed it towards Mirac who sat leisurely, completely at ease and uninterested.

"Let me go and I wouldn't h-harm anyone."

"Azizi, looks like you've forgotten who gives commands here."

In a swift move, the gun was out of Eren's hands and in Mirac's. The latter twirled it with his fingers as though it were a toy, mocking the man who now looked ready to beg for mercy.

"You've not only broken the most sacred rule of the organisation but also, dared an attempt to kill the second-in-command of the Sultan. You're hereby taken in custody and would be dealt further with by Ayden. Enjoy the limited time of this free oxygen because the moment you cross the borders, you'll pay for every breath you take in exchange for every innocent life that you've destroyed."

Two men came forward to grab Eren who was now on his knees, crying his eyes out with his hands folded together in front of Mirac.

"N-no, p-please, p-please f-forgive -me. I-I'll compensate, I-I'll-"

"Take him away jaani. My ears will bleed if he keeps speaking."

Mirac made an annoyed face and the guards were quick to pull a thrashing and weeping Eren out of the den.

"Do we get to know what just happened here?"

Aliya asked in astonishment once everything was settled. Quickly removing the veil from her face, she pulled Marwan alongside her and towards Major Mathur who only offered a secretive smile.

"No. What did you guys even do here?"

Daiyan teased his commando friend who flared in anger. She had tolerated the nonsense and waited for them and here he had the audacity to ask her what she did?

"Excuse me, we're the ones who tracked the den."

"And for that I'm grateful."

It was Mirac who spoke. A gentle smile now rested on his lips, a complete contrast of the man from a few minutes ago. His aura seemed to have lightened from a king to that of a humble citizen as he greeted Marwan and Aliya with a friendly nod and a smile.

"Well, I think your commander will have more fun explaining it all to you while I go and attend to the important affairs that await me. It was nice having your cooperation Major, hope to see you soon someday."

Mirac shook hands with the Major who nodded his head in appreciation and agreement to his words. Sharing a brief handshake with the other men and a nod towards Aliya, Mirac took his leave.

"I have-"

"Not here."

Major Mathur interrupted Aliya's words and motioned for everyone to empty the place. Apparently the police were on their way and the whole market was under raid.

"Explain please."

Marwan spoke in a dazed tone. Everything happened so fast and without any bloodbath, that it was tough to come to terms with it. How could a man hold so much power? Everything got settled with riddles and underlying threats and vows while he stood in the side, looking like a kid in all this.

Oh, and Aliya too. Like the playmates in kindergarten.

"Mirac Zoltan, a known lawyer and the most trusted adviser of the Sultan, the head of Mafia around town. Ayden Demir, the man who controls the shady business around here. Apparently they have morals too, one that were clearly violated by Eren who had pledged to not cross the bar ever. Of course, Mirac was aware of it but didn't have the solid proof until today. With Kabir's help and a little digging up and almost a bullet in my head, we convinced Mirac to help us- not like we needed to say much. The man's a strict follower of rules."

Daiyan filled in the details that had been left out or most likely were discussed when Marwan and Aliya were out in the market, playing fancy dress competition.

"So I endured those nasty smells for nothing?"

"What do you mean? Did I suffocate myself for so many hours just for fun?"

"The hell!"

Marwan and Aliya both groaned in annoyance and slumped on the couches in utmost frustration. Daiyan snickered at the two while Kabir patted his wife's shoulder in sympathy.

Marwan shared a look with Daiyan who raised an eyebrow upon seeing the mirth in his best friend's eyes and before anyone could understand, Marwan casually dropped the bomb that had Kabir gaping at his wife in betrayal.

"Just so you know, Aliya hinted that if she wasn't your wife, she'd have definitely taken chances with Mirac."

"I didn't say that!"

"Liar!"

"Kabir, sachi!"

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The longest chapter in the book, by yours truly. And trust me, for once, I felt like slicing a dagger through people who ain't real. The chapter clearly tested my morals...

Now that that's done, let's get back to India and to our Ziah. The next chapter will be.. ahm, Idk, I haven't typed it yet...

I seriously thought the ending would be different but the bloopers regarding this chapter will be given once the book is complete along with the rest of the chapters, Insha'Allah.

P.S. I've made a twitter account, nothing more than my stupid words would be seen there but but but, pretty puh-lease give a follow and I'll give you great updates. Hehehe..

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