42.

The sunlight gently filtered through the curtains as Feras and Anam finished their Fajr prayers, the tranquility of the early morning moment interrupted by a burst of excitement from Anam. She rushed to his side, her eyes bright with enthusiasm.

"Feras, Feras!" she exclaimed, practically bouncing with joy. "Can I go shopping with Pari and Ayub for Ayan bhai's niqah? It's in two days, and I literally have nothing to wear!" She pouted as she looked up at him, her excitement tempered by the slight desperation in her voice.

Feras chuckled softly aback by the innocence in her eyes. He looked at her with affection, his heart warm at the sight of her happiness.

"You can go," he replied, his voice a mix of affection and authority. "But you have to be careful."

Anam's face instantly lit up in pure joy, and before he could react, she rushed forward, throwing her arms around him in a quick hug.

She pulled back with a big smile, and in a burst of excitement, kissed him on the cheek. The feeling of her soft lips on his skin made his heart skip a beat, and for a moment, he forgot about everything else, lost in the warmth of the moment.

But before he could say anything further, she pulled away with a giggle and darted toward the bathroom, still radiating excitement. Her playful energy was contagious, Feras couldn't help but smile as he watched her go. Shaking his head he muttered to himself "Yeh larki ek din mujhe maar daalegi." (This girl is going to be the death of me.)

But just as he was about to get back to his morning routine, his phone rang, pulling him back into reality. He glanced at the screen, his eyes narrowing when he saw the name of the caller: Zameer.

Frowning, he answered the call, his voice sharp and professional.

"Feras," Zameer's voice came through, sounding more urgent than usual. "We've found Aman. He's in the warehouse. We've got him here, waiting for you."

The blood in Feras' veins seemed to freeze for a moment. His body went still, his entire demeanor shifting in an instant. His mind raced, the darkness in his eyes reflecting the cold fury that suddenly surged within him. He had been waiting for this moment for so long... the moment when he would face the man who had harmed Anam, the man who had dared to hurt her. And now, it was time to finally put an end to it.

Anam, who had been in the bathroom, heard the change in Feras' tone as he was on the phone. The conversation was brief, but the weight of it hung heavily in the air. Her instincts told her that something had shifted, something darker, and she stepped out of the bathroom cautiously, her heart beginning to race as she saw the change in Feras.

His expression had hardened into something almost unrecognizable. The warmth that had previously filled his eyes had been replaced with cold, seething anger, a storm that threatened to break loose at any moment. His jaw was clenched, and his body was tense, as if preparing for something inevitable.

He pocketed his phone without a word, his back turned to Anam as he gathered himself, his face now etched with a deadly seriousness.

Anam watched him, feeling the shift in the atmosphere.

She took a step toward him, her voice soft with concern. "Kya kuch hua hai, Feras?" (Is everything okay?)

Feras gave her a curt nod, but his eyes never met hers. His usual reassurance, the calm and steady presence she was used to, was absent now. He was distant, his mind already elsewhere, consumed by the call.

"It's fine," he muttered, his voice almost robotic, as if trying to convince himself as much as her.

Anam didn't believe him. The unease in her chest grew, and she walked closer, her hand reaching for his. "Please be careful," she whispered, her voice filled with worry.

Feras turned to look at her, his expression softening for a brief moment. He forced a small smile. He knew what he was about to do... he had made up his mind, and nothing would stop him.

"I will be," he answered.

Without another word, he turned toward the door, his pace quickening as he left the room. Anam stood there, her heart heavy in her chest, watching him go.

.....

Anam entered the kitchen with a bright smile, eager to share her news with Ayub and Pari. As she made her way to the table, she noticed Ayub, who seemed unusually quiet. She greeted her sister with excitement, letting her know that she was going shopping for Ayan's niqah and was planning to join Pari and her.

Ayub nodded, though the forced cheerfulness in her response didn't escape Anam's notice. She noticed the way Ayub kept her distance, avoiding eye contact and not engaging in the playful banter that usually filled their mornings.

Anam, chose to overlook it for now, too excited about the prospect of shopping. She turned to Pari, who was sitting at the table with a cup of chai, and told her the good news.

"Pari! Feras said I can go!" Anam said with gleaming eyes.

Pari's face lit up, and she squeaked eagerly. "It'll be so much fun, we'll find some gorgeous dresses! I also need to buy some new earings and bangles"

Ayub, however, remained strangely silent, only offering a brief smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Anam couldn't help but feel a small pang of unease at the way Ayub was acting. The tension between Ayub and Ayan was becoming palpable, and it hadn't escaped her notice that Ayub had been avoiding Ayan the entire morning. She wondered briefly if it had anything to do with Ayan's niqah.

Ayan, however... who usually filled the room with his bubbly personality... sat silently, his gaze fixed on Ayub. It was unlike him. His usual playful demeanor was absent, and there was a heavy tension in the air.

"Are you okay, Ayan bhai?" Anam asked, her voice gentle but concerned. Ayan turned to her, his face momentarily softening before he nodded, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he got up from the table and walked toward the door, his eyes never leaving Ayub.

Ayub, on the other hand, was visibly uncomfortable. Every time Ayan's gaze lingered on her, she looked away, not meeting his eyes. She kept herself busy with her food, pretending she didn't notice the tension in the room.

The whole situation felt strained, heavy with unspoken words.

The drive to the mall in Ayan's Audi was mostly silent, with Anam and Pari chatting excitedly about their plans for the day. Ayub sat in the backseat, her gaze fixed out the window, her shoulders tense. She couldn't help but feel the weight of Ayan's attention on her, the way he kept glancing at her through the rearview mirror, as though searching for something in her expression.

When they arrived at the mall, Ayan parked the car and turned to face them, his expression unreadable. "Have fun, but remember... don't take too long," he said with a slight, almost forced smile.

Anam was already bouncing in excitement, practically jumping out of the car. She waved to Ayan and called out, "We won't take long! Don't worry!"

Pari laughed, joining in the fun, and the two girls walked into the mall together. The air felt lighter as they strolled through the mall, with Anam and Pari laughing, teasing each other about clothes, and playfully trying on outfits. Their bubbly energy was contagious, and even Ayub found herself laughing at some of the jokes Anam and Pari made. For a moment, it felt like everything was back to normal, the tension between Ayub and Ayan temporarily forgotten in the whirl of shopping.

But the shadow of their unspoken feelings still lingered, particularly around Ayub.

While Anam and Pari basked in their joy, Ayub couldn't shake the uneasy feeling growing inside her. The distance between her and Ayan was only getting wider, and no matter how much she tried to hide it, it was becoming harder to ignore.

.....

Feras slammed the door of his BMW shut with a force that echoed through the dimly lit parking lot. The usually composed man was beyond angry, his every step full of purpose as he adjusted the hem of his brown kurta. The air in the warehouse felt suffocating, oppressive with the tension as Zameer approached him, his face just as serious.

Feras barely spared a glance for him, his focus entirely on the scene before him. Aman sat slumped in a chair, his body battered and bruised, eyes narrowed with defiance despite the evident pain. He had the audacity to smirk at Feras, as though trying to taunt him even in his current state.

"You think it's finished here, Feras bhai?" Aman's voice was low, dripping with malice as he slowly lifted his head to meet Feras's glare. Feras glared at him, confused, but it was the next sentence that turned his blood to ice.

"My men are following Anam right now," Aman said, his voice dripping with venom. "By now, they must have taken her."

Feras froze, his stomach lurching violently as those words echoed in his mind. The world seemed to stop for a moment, his breath catching in his throat. His vision blurred, but only for a second before his mind snapped back into focus.

His gaze flicked from Aman, whose smirk had now twisted into something darker, and he realized that every moment he wasted here could mean another moment of danger for Anam. His mind was already racing, his every instinct screaming at him to act immediately.

Without wasting another second, Feras reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone with shaking hands. He dialed Anam's number, the seconds stretching into an agonizing eternity as he waited for her to pick up. But his heart sank when the call went straight to voicemail.

Panic crept into his chest like an icy claw, but he immediately suppressed it. His mind wasn't allowed to lose control. With a tight breath, he dialed the numbers of the two bodyguards he had stationed to protect Anam, hoping they would be able to reassure him. But again, the call rang and rang until it cut off, unanswered.

"Why isn't she picking up?!" Feras barked into the phone, his voice strained with fear he hadn't allowed himself to feel in what felt like years.

Zameer, watching from the sidelines, knew better than to speak. He knew Feras was dangerous when he was desperate, and right now, he could see the desperation in his eyes. But Feras wasn't listening.

His heart was racing. His mind was a blur of worry and fear for Anam. Was she okay? Was she in danger? The questions haunted him, gnawing at his very soul.

"Zameer, let's go!" Feras growled, his voice colder than ice. His feet pounded against the ground as he ran out of the warehouse, his mind focused solely on one thing: Anam's safety. His bodyguards had failed to answer. There was no telling where she could be right now, and he couldn't afford to waste another second.

His next move was automatic, a desperate, gut-wrenching need to reach her. Feras immediately punched in the number of his most trusted men. "Anam. Find her," he ordered coldly, his voice devoid of emotion. "I don't care where you have to go, just get to her. Now."

His thoughts were a whirlwind of fear and rage, each passing second feeling like a lifetime. His fingers gripped the wheel tightly as he got back into his car, the engine roaring to life as he sped away, his only thought the terrifying possibility that his worst fears had already come true.

He couldn't lose her. NO.

As the drive felt like an eternity, his heart raced, and a sickening dread gnawed at him. "Please, Anam, be safe," he muttered under his breath, praying to Allah hoping against hope that the worst wasn't happening right now.

Feras's grip on the phone tightened as he practically shouted into the receiver, his voice raw with panic. "Ayan, where is Anam?" His tone was sharp.

Ayan's voice crackled with confusion on the other end. "She's at the mall, Feras bhai, with Pari and Ayub. What's going on? Is everything okay?" Ayan's words were drowned out by the rising panic in Feras's chest, his worst fears beginning to take form.

Feras slammed his fist on the steering wheel, his voice now a frantic roar. "Why the hell aren't you with them?!" The frustration and terror laced every word as he shouted, his heart racing. "Anam's not picking up her phone, Ayan! Something's wrong... she's in danger!"

Ayan's voice faltered, worry quickly replacing his confusion. "What do you mean? What's happening?"

Before Feras shut the call.

The car screeched to a halt in front of the mall. Feras leapt out of his car, heading toward the mall entrance. Ayan, Pari, and Ayub were just stepping out. He ran straight to them, his eyes scanning their faces, his heart thundering in his chest.

"Where is she? Where is Anam?" he demanded, his voice sharp and trembling with desperation.

Ayub's eyes welled with tears as she stammered, "Some men... they came out of nowhere and grabbed her. They took Anam Api!" Her voice cracked as she continued, "We tried to stop them, but they pushed us away! We... we couldn't do anything..." She looked down, guilt written all over her face.

Pari chimed in, her voice shaking. "It all happened so fast, Feras bhai. I didn't even realize what was happening until it was too late! We tried, but they overpowered us!"

Feras's world collapsed around him. The words hit him like a blow, and for a moment, he couldn't feel anything but the cold dread sinking into his chest. His jaw tightened as he fought to stay composed, though every fiber of his being was screaming to act.

"Anam," he whispered, his voice breaking.

His hands clenched into fists as he turned toward Zameer, his face a mask of fury and pain. "Where did they take her?!" his tone sharp and deadly.

Ayub sobbed, "I don't know... they left in a black van. We couldn't catch them... we couldn't do anything." Her guilt was evident, and her voice cracked under the weight of it.

Zameer placed a steadying hand on Feras's shoulder. "We'll find her. I've already put our men on alert. We'll get her back," he said firmly.

Ayan, visibly shaken, stepped forward. "Feras bhai, I swear I didn't know this would happen. I should've been there with them. I...  I'll help. Tell me what to do!" His voice was desperate, full of regret.

Feras turned to him, his eyes dark and full of rage. "Get the damn car ready. We're going after them," he ordered, his tone colder than ice.

Without another word, Feras climbed into his car, his mind a storm of thoughts. He couldn't lose her... not now, not ever.

A/N: Can you believe it? We're nearing the end (^人^)