2| Worst Nightmare

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Please go back to the Introduction and read it from the start. I have changed a lot of things in the Prologue and the first chapter. Also it will refresh the story in your mind.

Do read author notes(I know they are boring but I love you❤)

Thankyou for your patience.

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W O R S T N I G H T M A R E

One of the worst nightmare is watching your loved ones die and to not be able to do anything about it. Nightmares were supposed to end the moment you wake up but there seems to be no escape from this one. No matter how hard Hayat tried squinting her eyes or telling herself that it shall all end soon, the moment wouldn't fade away.

For this nightmare was just a beginning.

She had always been sheltered by her parents.

She had never known how cruel the people of her kingdom could be.

Or how cruel their king could be?

The cold floor of the cell had only helped in numbing the pain that shot through her skull. She was trembling. The clatter of her teeth could be heard by the guards outside her cell.

The red and green silk cloth that was supposed to be her wedding dress was now covered in blood stains.

Her parents' blood.

They were brutally murdered and stabbed to death right in front of her eyes and she couldn't even put up a fight.

She was a coward.

She would have thought that Ahmar was dead too but the screams that filled her cell from time to time, were enough to tell her that he was alive and in pain.

They were torturing him. All for what?

They didn't even know what crime they'd committed.

She couldn't help but see her entire life spinning right in front of her eyes. The warmth of her Amma's arm was forever snatched away from her. The war stories that Abba often told her were replaced with lullabies of death. The love they always had for her in their hearts, it now didn't even exist.

She couldn't think straight. For how long had she been lying on the cold and icy floor of the dungeons, she didn't know. It seemed only an hour ago, she was sitting across Ahmar, her groom, her life and her everything. They were about to get married.

Her heart had thumped with excitement, every beat more restless than the other. But everything now seems a blur. All she remembered was blood, the way one of the soldiers had lifted his sword to slice it through her parents throat, the way their body collapsed to the ground with a thud and then went limp. Her Amma had tried to put up a fight but she couldn't do much. She had soon succumbed to death too. Nobody helped. None of the guests came forward. Some ran for their lives while the others watched out of dread as the royal guards continued to oppress her family.

Hayat had watched in shock too, had it not been the two royal guards holding her by her arms, she would have sagged to the ground too. She had felt weak, she had felt her knees buckle beneath her. She had clamored, screeched with all that was left of her but then she had felt a warm liquid on her feet and when she'd seen blood there, she had swooned with a shriek.

The next thing she had seen was the sable blackness of her dungeons. She chundered again, spilling out the contents of her stomach. By now, she was covered in her own filth but that didn't matter. Her tears were not ceasing and the memories continued to haunt and spook her. She was hoping for some miracle, hoping that just any moment, she would wake up and run to Ahmar's tent, to her Amma and tell them all about this horrific nightmare, this incubus, except that wasn't a possibility, not anymore. This was the truth. This was her present and future. This was the beginning of the end.

The sudden creak of the wooden door opening had thrown Hayat into a state of frenzy but when she'd seen a brawny and barrel-chested guard enter her dungeons, she couldn't help but crawl back in a haste. The fear was palpable but her body relaxed as soon as she had seen food in his hand.

It's just food.

He has brought you food.

He is not here to hurt you.

She chanted in her own mind, sighing in relief. The guard roughly placed the clay plate on the floor, the sound of which made Hayat shudder. "Eat." He ordered viciously.

How did they even expect that out of her? She stared into oblivion as he turned back and moved out of her cell. Silent tears fell as she hugged herself and continued to cry until her eyelids felt heavy. She either slept from exhaustion or fainted again. She had no clue.

Umar had never seen the emir of Hudaan so furious and restless, not even when Meher had been abducted. He had seen vengeance then in Tayyab's eyes but along with it had also been a kind of determination, determination to find her even if he had to travel to the end of the world.

"I will not let my only chance at happiness slip away from me Umar. I will not let anybody take it away from me. I will find her and punish anyone who had tried to snatch her from me. I will be so ruthless in my pursuit, they'll wish they never existed in the first place." Tayyab had said back then and Umar had believed every single word.

Tayyab was not the lovely jovial boy anymore, the boy that had once been far away from any treachery and deceit, the boy who had revolted against his own father to protect the rights of his very people, the people of his kingdom, he was gone, long gone. He would have served as a just king, had Meher not been kidnapped.

Now the memory seemed distant. He hadn't seen a heartiest laugh or a genuine smile on Tayyab's face ever since. The only kind of smile he now saw on his face was an evil one, the one that came from hurting people. Had he not seen Tayyab's ruthless demeanor himself, he would not have believed the rumours that had begun to circulate the streets of Hudaan.

But it was the truth and he could see it right now as Tayyab fisted Ahmar's hair, snapping his head up so fast, Umar thought he'd break it but Tayyab was calculative, he knew what he was doing. He knew how much pain he wanted to afflict on his captive. The cell already reeked of blood and decay, making the general scrunch his nose in disgust. As the general to the Hudaanian army, he was supposed to be used to the smell of blood and torture but the fact remained unchanged, he was still a young boy learning the art of sword fighting along with Tayyab, he was still the boy who had been compelled to train by his father, the ex general of the army who was murdered the day Meher was abducted. Umar, on the contrary, didn't want it, none of it. He had other plans. He was against the royal family for he was not blind to their injustice but fate had other plans for him.

"Listen you wretch, this is probably your only chance at freedom and if you don't open your mouth now, you can forget that girl of yours." Tayyab growled, bending low enough to come face to face with a very wounded and knackered Ahmar. For the very first time in four days of his captivity, Ahmar simpered. His smile was a smug one and Umar wished to wipe it off but he restrained himself, held himself back because Ahmar's pain belonged to Tayyab. He had started to think that they'd caught the wrong man but the smile couldn't be mistaken.

He knew Tayyab's patience was withering away but he was holding on to the last tendrils of it just for the sake of Meher, just for the hope that had bloomed in Tayyab's heart. "I've heard lots of rumours about you, ogre. I.. " Ahmar had begun, his breath uneven from the bruise that had become more prominent on his lips, jaws and forehead but his voice trailed off as Tayyab spoke again, "I am not interested in the rumours you've heard about me, all I am interested in is knowing the location of my fiancée and you better get going with it now or you might just see for yourself whether the rumours you've heard about me were true or not." Tayyab threatened but no matter how hard they tried, their captive wouldn't flinch.

Tayyab had always been a man of few words. He believed that action spoke louder than words but watching him shout and threaten the prisoner was something new.

"What makes you think there is a location? Are you sure she is alive?" Ahmar sniggered infuriating Tayyab all the more. He had let go of Ahmar's hair. Poor guy didn't know who he was toying with. Tayyab clenched his jaw, but Umar could see his muscles tensing up. Up until now Tayyab had never thought about this part of the possibilities and the general knew it too well. "Give me the blade." He ordered raising his hand to his right. This time a look of shear terror did pass on the bastards face.

One of the two guards that stood near the door, handed Tayyab a sharp knife, its blade engraved with sacred Arabic verses. He sighed deeply before sitting on the stool right in front of Ahmar's wooden chair, the very chair he was tied to, his both wrists secured to either side on the armrest.

"Now do we see this knife?" Tayyab said, flaunting its sharp blade right in front of Ahmar's terror stricken eyes. "Of course you do, but do you know what you are not going to see anymore?" Tayyab hurled, smiling maliciously at the captive. He was savoring the moment. "I don't give a fuck." Ahmar spat.

Tayyab then lightly pressed the blade to Ahmar's middle finger, "You are a smart boy, and I'll start with this finger, so you actually don't give a fuck to anyone, ever again."

For a minute both of them kept staring into each other's eyes, but then a deep bawl echoed through the dungeons as Tayyab snapped the knife, detaching the middle finger of Ahmar's right hand, leaving copious blood and agony in its wake.

"You demon!" Snarled Ahmar, spitting on Tayyab's face. Umar was outraged but as he stepped forward, Tayyab raised a hand asking him to stop. The general could only grit his teeth in response. "You will never find her. Never." Ahmar shouted through pain.

"Oh I am going to find her and you will live to see that here but your fianceé might not be that lucky." Tayyab spoke, wiping his face with the sleeves of his off white kameez. Umar watched attentively for some reaction but he could see none. No fear for his fiancé? His suspicion grew. This was all too confusing for them all and the general knew Tayyab had been observing the same.

Maybe the girl was just a pawn in this game or maybe not.

Ahmar kept on bawling like a wounded animal, cursing Tayyab with all his heart but something was off and the general could sense it. "You better start speaking now." Tayyab hissed, making Ahmar wince. "You can tell me the truth and I will let you and your fianceé walk out of the palace alive. You can live peacefully with her. All you have to do is tell me where my Meher is." Tayyab spoke as politely and slowly as possible to ensure that every word he spoke was crystal clear.

"No matter what I say or do, you will kill me." Ahmar pants while coughing blood. He stares at Tayyab with a crooked smile, challenging him to defy his words. "You are right, I will but if you say the truth, I will make it less painful for you and your girl." Tayyab replies.

Ahmar laughs a devilish laugh, "How merciful of you my emir!" Umar could see how Tayyab gritted his teeth out of anger, he was least effected by his words but he did care about the time Ahmar was wasting.

"You are of no use to me." Tayyab stands. "Kill them both." He orders before turning around to leave. He was almost out of the cell when Ahmar spoke, "She's alive." Tayyab stops abruptly. Umar couldn't believe it. All this while, Tayyab had been right. He couldn't imagine the happiness these words had brought to him. Deep down, they had all given up hope, all except Tayyab.

When Tayyab finally turned around, a lone tear escaped his eyes. Tears of joy you'd call them but it somehow made Ahmar laugh, "Are you seriously crying?" he mocked, but there was malice in it. Umar clenched his fist because he definitely wanted to break all of Ahmar's teeth. Tayyab didn't seem to be bothered by it. "Where is she?" Tayyab asks.

"At home." Replied Ahmar.

"This. Is. Her. Home." Tayyab roared, he was as clueless as Umar was. Ahmar had to be damn stupid to be trying something like this right now.

"I am her home. She is mine." The look of cluelessness was replaced with rage. It only took a moment before a hard punch landed upon Ahmar's face, almost dislocating his jaw. He brought this upon himself by saying those absurd things that weren't even making sense. Tayyab held him by his collar to keep him from fainting, but Ahmar was blacking out now. All of this was too much for his body to take. "You are lying." Tayyab spat. "You are an idiot. She is one of us. She is my wife." Ahmar rebuked.

"You are a lying piece of shit! And I hope you burn in hell." Umar finally shouted. Tayyab looked too stunned to move. It seemed like he froze in time. Umar loved Tayyab like his brother and the look on his face was only ruffling Umar's feathers all the more. He finally let go of his last ounce of patience and lunged at Ahmar, grabbing his neck with brutal force. "What did you do to her? You are hideous! You forced an innocent to marry you?" Umar bellowed. Ahmar was unable to breathe, his face had turned a shade of crimson. Umar had completely forgotten that Tayyab was there in the same cell and he would have killed Ahmar with his bare hands, had Tayyab not put his hand on the general's shoulder, a silent order to stop.

Umar pulled back immediately, watching Ahmar desperately breathing for air. He was coughing insanely and that satisfied Umar.

"Everyone leave." Tayyab commanded and without a shadow of shock, every guard started to leave. Umar however turned to Tayyab, "We'll find her. He'll pay for everything."

Tayyab didn't even raise his head to meet the general's eyes. His eyes instead looked vacant, void of any feelings.

Umar left the cell, because despite the silence, he could see a storm surging within Tayyab, waiting to be unleashed.

"General, the girl refuses to eat." One of the guards came up to Umar as soon as he left the cell. The guard waited for the general to give an order, to tell him if he could use force to feed her but that would feel like hypocrisy. Not minutes ago he had been shouting at Ahmar, about how he'd forced an innocent.

The girl they brought was innocent, she was only brought here so she could be used as a weakness against Ahmar. Umar had tried to convince Tayyab that they wouldn't need her but Tayyab didn't listen. Tayyab believed that she was not innocent.

Umar walked towards the further end of the dungeons where the girl had been kept. He stopped outside her cell to have a look. He pitied her. She had nobody. Nobody to fight for her. Nobody to stop them from using her as bait.

Nobody who would dare to try to save her. She was curled up into a ball, and from what the general could see, she was covered in her own vomit. Her food was kept untouched on the ground, her cell even reeked of filth, and her fate kept on hanging on a lose tendril of rope.

The girl had lost her parents and was about to lose her fiancé. Umar remembered the time when his father, the ex general was murdered, the same night that Meher had been abducted. He remembered how things changed for him abruptly after that, how he wasn't even given a chance to mourn the death of his father.

He was too young to become the general of an army, he was too young to go through the brutality of war. He was too young to have his heart turned to ice. He felt a lot, he felt everything too deeply but he couldn't express it. It was not expected from a general to be soft hearted. He learned to live with it. He was still learning.

He thought the girl had been sleeping or was either too weak to move but she did. She tried to move but her body indeed looked very weak from not eating. "Do yourself a favor, eat." The general spoke with authority but the way she jumped back at his voice, his heart broke. She looked young, not more than twenty. Her face was smeared with mud and her hair was disheveled. She looked fragile.

"I am sorry." The general said before three guards interrupted him, informing him that the prince was summoning the girl. He didn't wait to see the look of sheer horror that passed Hayat's face.

He walked hurriedly towards Ahmar's cell. The guards were running helter-skelter, he stopped one of them to ask about the chaos. "Sayyidi has ordered to fetch the royal sheikh, Humza efendi." He informed before scurrying away.

Umar was puzzled.

Why would Tayyab call a sheikh? Who was getting married? Tayyab must have completely lost it.

He went in to find Tayyab on the brink of murdering Ahmar. Ahmar had fresh bruises on his face. Umar wished Ali, Yousef or Usman were here to help him but they had been sent for border patrolling by the King himself, He didn't know what to do for he had never seen Tayyab like this, a vein on the left of his forehead was protruding out of rage. "Ya Sayyidi! What is all this about?" Umar inquired but Tayyab only clenched his jaw in response. Ahmar on the contrary looked like his arrow had finally hit the bull's-eye.

Within minutes an elderly man with white beard entered the cell, "Where is Humza efendi?" Umar asked. "Hazret couldn't come so he sent me." Replied Nouman efendi, one of the durvesh that accompanied Humza efendi everywhere. He looked scared to death and a moment later Umar saw Hayat being shoved into the cell. It looked like someone had thrown buckets full of water on her. Her face was no longer smeared with mud and she shivered as water dripped from her clothes and hair. Her doe like eyes landed on Ahmar, and soon tears welled up her eyes. Tayyab paid no heed to either of them.

The sheikh pulled out a parchment with royal seal on it. "My emir, I would need the name of the girl." He barely spoke.

"Hayat bin Hashmet." Tayyab spat her name like it was poison on his tongue. The Sheikh scribbled her name on the parchment. Umar felt dumb because he had no clue what was happening and he had no courage to question Tayyab at the moment. "The name of the groom?"

Tayyab didn't speak for what seemed like eternity but when he did, every piece of the puzzle fell into place.

"Sheikh Tayyab bin Zubair."

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