Junoon 3

Author's POV

Zara ran to the bathroom as soon as she escaped Salaar. She entered the bathroom and it was thankfully empty. She gripped the sinks and breathed hard with tears flowing down her cheeks. Her heart was beating so fast, she feared it could jump out anytime.

She started breathing deeply. The angry side of Salaar was not a new thing. It was the second time she heard him yelling but this time was way stronger and had more emotions involved than the last time.

She wasn't sure how she would face him again even though she had done nothing wrong. She did not want to marry him nor did she want to see him ever again after the stunt he pulled. She really hoped Salaar was joking with his demand but his deep strong yelling voice said otherwise.

She decided that she would go home without attending the other classes. She did not want to even accidentally bump into the devil and she was really overwhelmed as well. She called her brother and asked if he was free and could drop her off.

Adeel agreed to drop her off and said he would be waiting for her near where he parked his bike. Zara fixed her hijab and tried to remove the tear stains from her face so that her brother would not notice.

Zara walked out of the bathroom and saw Mikael and Rayan with Salaar coming from one side of the hallway. She turned the same way so that her back was towards the trio. She grasped the dupatta on her head and speed walked out of the building as soon as she could.

She finally made it to the parking lot and saw Adeel leaning against his bike while looking at his phone. She was breathing hard by the time she reached him and said her Salam.

"Walaikumaslaam. Tum theek to ho? Itni sans kion chari howi he?" Adeel asked, worrying about his sister's well being. (Walaikumaslaam. Are you ok? Why is your breathing so heavy?)

"Jee theek hoon Adeel bhai. Wo tezi se chal ke ayi thi isi waja se sans charh gayi he. Don't worry." Zara said as she hurried to sit at the back, trying to avoid further discussion. (Yeah I'm good brother Adeel. I just walked fast which is why my breathing is heavy. Don't worry.)

Adeel did not pay much attention and believed her. He properly sat on the bike and started it. He rounded the parking lot to get out. Zara let out a sigh as the bike started moving. She looked up and saw Salaar, Mikael and Rayan walking to the parking lot. She quickly ducked her head down and brought her hijab towards her face to hide her face.

Adeel successfully exited the parking lot and started going towards their house. As soon as they reached, Zara went inside and said her Salaam while Adeel went back. Mrs. Siddiqui went towards her daughter with worried eyes, seeing her back from university earlier than usual.

"Walaikum Assalam Zara. Tumhari tabiyat theek he beta? Aaj university se jaldi aa gayi ho." Mrs. Siddiqui questioned. (Walaikum Assalam Zara. Are you ok? You are back early from university.)

"Jee mama bas thori sar mein dard ho rahi thi to aa gayi." Zara said as she avoided touching certain topics. (Yes mama, my head was just aching a bit which is why I decided to come home early.)

"Oh acha theek he. Chai bana don? Apne lunch kar liya he?" Mrs. Siddiqui asked. (Oh alright. Should I make some tea? Did you have lunch?)

"Nahi nahi uski koi zaroorat nahi he. Thori der let jayon to theek ho jaye shayad." Zara answered, trying to get away from the situation. (No no there's no need for that. I will lay down for a bit then it might be fine.)

" Aik panadol le lena agr dard theek na howi." Mrs. Siddiqui said to which Zara just hummed and rushed to her room. Mrs. Siddiqui could feel something had happened but she did not want to push her daughter to tell her. (Take a panadol if the pain doesn't go away.)

Zara entered her room and dropped her bag. She changed into some comfortable clothes and laid down so that she could clear her mind.

__________________________

Mikael and Rayan entered the common room as they saw Zara run out. They entered to see Salaar holding his head. He got up and grabbed the nearest thing which happened to be a cushion pillow and threw it to the wall in anger.

Mikael and Rayan ran towards him to hold him as they saw him about to throw something else. "Ruk jaa Salaar. Kia hua he?" Rayan asked as he held his neck. (Stop Salaar. What happened?)

"Yar wo....mene usse dara diya." Salaar said as he gripped his hair. He sat down on the sofa and continued. (Yar I....I scared her.)

"Mene usse kaha ke men usse shadi karna chahta hoon....mgr...mgr wo mujhe kehne lagi ke mein pagal ho gaya hoon. Mujhe gussa aa gaya aur mene usse oonchi awaz men baat ki. Yar wo...wo ab mujhse baat bhi nahi kare gi. Main kya karoon?" He felt angry at himself for not controlling his anger. (I told her I wanted to marry her... but... but she said that I'm crazy. I got mad and I yelled at her. Yar she....she won't even want to talk to me now. What should I do?)

Mikael gripped Salaar's shoulder in reassurance. "Yar mujhe apne aap se ghin aa rahi he. Wo meri taraf dekhe bhi nahi ab." Salaar said in misery. (Yar I feel mad at myself. She won't even glance my way now.)

"Itna pyaar karta hai usse?" Mikael asked. (You love her that much?)

Salaar looked up at him. "Uske liye maarne aur marne ke liye tayyar hoon. Uske baghair zindagi ka khial be-mayeni sa lagta hai. Agr men usse apni jaan kehta hoon to manta bhi hoon." (I am ready to kill and die for her. The thought of a life without her is meaningless. If I call her my life then I actually mean it too.)

"To phir utho. Hum apni bhabhi ko kho to nahi sakte akhir" Mikael smiled and urged him. Rayan patted his friend's back to get him up and going. (Then get up. Afterall, we can't let our sister-in-law leave just like that.)

With that Salaar became determined and got up and went out looking for her as Mikael and Rayan followed behind.

Salaar looked all around the university but could not see her at all. He gave up trying to look for her and just went home. His mind never left Zara though. She was all he could think of. He felt angry at himself for shouting at her and he decided he would not do that again or at least he would try not to.

____________________

The next day, Zara woke up from the same nightmare once again. She decided she should finally consult someone about it. Brushing all thoughts away, Zara went to the university very cautiously. She did not want to bump into him. She had a pep talk with herself saying that she did nothing wrong but her internal self was shaken up from yesterday.

She was aimlessly walking around the university when she came across one of her really good friends, Amar. Everyone could see that Amar was interested in Zara but she was oblivious or rather she thought why would anyone have a crush on her.

"Heyy Zara!" Amar said as he walked to her.

"Hey Amar, kia hal he?" Zara asked as politely as she could. She was fidgeting due to nervousness which did not go unnoticed by Amar. (How are you?)

"I am good, how are you? You look nervous." Amar pointed out.

"Oh..no it's just my..my leg fell asleep. Do you mind if we keep walking around?" Zara came up with a lame excuse and asked in hopes of not having to stay at one place for too long.

"Oh, are you sure your leg is fine? I mean I don't mind carrying you around." Amar said with a smirk, flirting with her. Zara just laughed it off not wanting to seem rude but she cringed on the inside.

They started walking and before they could turn to another hallway, Zara saw Salaar walk from that same hallway looking rather mad. Zara just looked down and started dragging Amar with her making sure Salaar doesn't see her.

Salaar had heard the conversation between them as Amar was pretty loud so he could not help but hear them. He turned to the hallway so that Zara might look his way but she did not even glance his way. The hand that was touching Amar's arm did not settle well with him. He couldn't be more annoyed with the guy. Salaar decided that he had to go one way or the other.

Zara nearly escaped Salaar and hoped that he did not see her. She wasn't completely sure if he saw her or not but he didn't call her so she thought he didn't see her.

She walked in her class and sat at the very side of the class so that even if Salaar did come in, he would not be able to see her. Soon she saw Salaar walking in and looking around, a few seconds later he disappointedly sighed and sat at his seat.

The lecture ended and everyone started to file out. Zara thought of blending with the people and escaping. Before she could get up, she saw Salaar going out before anyone else and standing right by the door.

She internally cursed and hoped that he would not see her as she went out. She shakily got up from her seat and picked up the necessary things. She started walking towards the door. Her heart was thumping against her heart with every step she took.

She reached the door and pulled her dupatta to hide the side of her face and exited the classroom.

Surprisingly she wasn't stopped at the door and she didn't dare look back. She sighed and relaxed once she was at a good distance from them. She turned into a hallway when she felt someone push her into an empty room but making sure she did not fall.

She closed her eyes waiting for the impact that never came. She opened her eyes and made eye contact with those brown orbs that were looking at her with immense adoration that it shook her to the core.

She jerked back into reality when she realized who pushed her. She snatched her arm from his hold and created some distance between them. "Assalamualaikum Zara." Salaar said in his deep voice.

"Ye kya badtameezi hai. Mujhe idhar kion laye ho?" Zara said as she started panicking. (What kind of ill-mannered act is this. Why did you bring me here?)

"Mene kaha Assalamualaikum Zara." Salaar smiled and said in a voice that sent chills down Zara's spine. (I said Assalamualaikum Zara)

"Wa..Walaikum Assalam." Salaar hummed at her compliance.

"Wo larka kon tha?" Salaar asked strictly. (Who was that guy?)

"Konsa larka?" Zara asked, utterly confused. (Which guy?)

"Jo taras raha tha tumhe uthane ke liye." Salaar mocked as his eyes darkened. (The one who was dying to carry you.)

"Tumhe kia he wo jo bhi ho." Zara said, trying to be a little confident. She did not get why he was being so angry. (Why do you care by whoever he is)

"Mujhe sab kuch hai kyun ki tum meri ho. Sirf aur sirf meri." Salaar said as he took a step towards which eyes that held intense emotions. Zara took a few steps as she shuddered at his words. (It concerns me by every means because you are mine. Only and only mine.)

"Mein dobara poochta hoon, wo kon tha?" Salaar asked again as Zara kept quiet. (I'll ask again, who was he?)

"Mera friend he Amar aur mein tumhari nahi hoon." Zara said as she finally snapped back to reality. (He's my friend Amar and I am not yours.)

"Mujhe avoid kyun kar rahi ho?" Salaar asked her not giving her a chance to speak. (Why are you avoiding me?)

"Aur nahi to kya karoon?" Zara asked back, getting agitated. She did not want to be here. (What else should I do?)

"What do you mean?" Salaar's face turned hard once again.

"Look, about the demand you made yesterday, I can't do that. Ask for something else. I really don't want to marry you." Zara said in a calm voice hoping he would understand. She tried to move past him when his voice stopped her.

"Shadi to tum mere se hi karo gi Zara, yaad rakhna." Salaar said, looking straight at her. (You will marry only me Zara, mark my words.)

Zara did not wait for anything else and went to her class. The day went by and Salaar did not go to any of the other classes. When the students started packing up for their next class, the speakers around the school went on.

Zara stilled to hear what the announcement was but what shocked her was that it was not someone from the announcement team rather a deep voice she could recognize anywhere sent chills down her spine.

"Men ye sirf aur sirf aik dafa kahoon ga, saare larke kaan khol ke sun len. Zara sirf aur sirf meri he. Uski taraf kisi ne ghalat nazar se dekha to aankhein nikaal loon ga. Agr aaj ke baad mujhe koi larka Zara Siddiqui ke sath nazar aya to uska haal bhi Amar jesa ho ga. Amar ko ground men dhoond lena. Ghalti se bhi mat bhoolna Zara sirf aur sirf Salaar Hussain Sikander ki he." Salaar's deep voice rang out warning all the student body. (I will say this once and only once so every guy listen up. Zara is only mine. Don't even mistakenly look towards her in an inappropriate way or else I'll remove your eyes out. From this day forward, if I ever see a guy with Zara Siddiqui then you will end up like Amar. You can find Amar on the main ground. So don't you dare forget that Zara belongs only and only to Salaar Hussain Sikander.)

Zara stilled, she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole but it didn't happen. Everyone was looking at her with accusing gazes as if she was the one in the wrong and she did not like it one bit. She could see the professor reaching out to the office to contact them but it wasn't working. She felt like crying from all this.

Something wet slid down her cheek, she aggressively wiped it and picked up her bag not liking the attention at all. She kept her head down and walked out of the class. She wasn't looking up and bumped into her brother, Adeel.

Adeel heard the announcement and went straight to Zara. He was angry but he knew Zara was not one who would do something like this. He saw Zara's eyes filled with tears and immediately hugged her. He was deeply affected by her tears, he could not see his baby sister sad.

"Bh..bhai mene...mene kuch *hiccup* na..nahi kii..ya" Zara said, making sure her brother knew she did not do anything. (Bro..brother I..I didn't *hiccup* do any...thing.)

"Shh mujhe pata he meri behn ese kaam nahi karti. Shhh kuch nahi hota Zara." Adeel hugged her, calming her down. He gently took her bag and moved her to an extra empty room making sure she stays away from other students who looked at her with judgment filled eyes. (Shh I know my sister won't do anything bad. Shhh it's ok Zara.)

Zara calmed down but was still hiccuping. She slowly explained everything to Adeel making sure he was aware of everything.

"Zara bache, is mein apki koi ghalti nahi hai magar apko ghar aa ke baat karni chahiye thi." Adeel explained. He was even madder at Salaar now that he knew everything. (Zara child, it's not your fault but you should have come home and told one of us.)

"Me..ne socha wo..wo mazak *hiccup* kar.. kar raha tha." Zara said as she wiped her tears and drank some water to calm herself down. (I...I thought he..he was *hiccup* joking about it.)

"Acha chalo utho, men tumhe ghar chor ke ata hoon." Adeel said as he helped her up and carried her bag. Zara nodded her head and adjusted her dupatta getting ready to be a target for those judgy eyes once again. (Ok get up, I'll drop you home.)

Adeel guided Zara out and towards the parking lot. They passed the open area in the middle of the university where they saw some people helping up a very bruised and beaten up person.

Zara stopped to have a better look at who he was. Her heart stopped when she saw who it was. It was Amar. Blood covering most of his face as he was limp in the arms of the guy trying to hold him up. He was unconscious and one could not recognize him unless they looked really hard.

Adeel saw what Zara was looking at and immediately ushered her to go. Zara could not believe Salaar was the one who did that. Her heart started filling with guilt thinking she was the one who caused Amar to be in a condition she could not have even imagined herself.

She was in complete shock as Adeel dragged her to the parking lot and started his bike. Zara absentmindedly sat down behind him and gripped his shoulder to not fall. Once Adeel was sure she was all set he then started to go home.

_______________________

Salaar went to the first period but saw Zara was not in their usual seat neither could he see her elsewhere in the huge lecture hall so he decided to just sit at his seat. He was sure that she was in the university as she saw that bastard flirting with her.

After the class ended, he wanted to make sure she wasn't in the class or if she was just avoiding him. He went and stood right beside the door to check. Slowly he saw people exiting but she didn't come out yet.

He then caught sight of a frail girl with stiff posture trying to cover the side of her face walking past. He smirked knowing she was here. His eyes followed her for a few seconds making sure she was Zara when he saw her shoulders slumped and she did not dare to glance back which confirmed it was Zara.

He took long strides and pushed her in the classroom to interrogate her. His heart had been restless about the Amar guy. He had really bad feelings from that guy and he knew he had to be dealt with.

After their interrogation session, Salaar made sure Zara went to her class as he discreetly followed her. He then went to look for that Amar guy. He had to know what his intentions were with Zara. He would definitely not let someone take Zara from him but he still needed to know.

He searched all around till he finally found him. Salaar had already told Mikael and Rayan about Amar so they helped him in finding Amar. Salaar was about to approach him when he heard Amar talking with one of his friends.

"Yar Zara na intahayi khubsoorat he. Uski figure itni achi he. Matlab uski personality bhi achi he magar uski figure...ufff. Bas dil chahta hai ki usse-" Amar was cut off when he saw 3 guys approaching him. (Bro Zara is so beautiful. Her figure is so tempting. Like her personality is good too but her figure.....ufff. I wish I could-)

The guys were none other than Salaar and his friends. Salaar had a very dangerous look in his eye. He hadn't planned on hurting the guy but after hearing the lewd words he said about Zara, he knew he could not stop himself even if he wanted to.

"Jee aapko kuch chahiye?" Amar asked as he looked towards the group that were shooting glares at him. If looks could kill he would be dead right now. (Do you need something?)

"Nai nai continue what you were talking about. I wanna know how much respect you have for the woman you're talking about." Salaar said trying to sound unfazed but his voice was very dangerous.

Amar thought he was just another guy who liked the shape of a female body like him so he cluelessly continued. "As I was saying, Zara is just so hot and tempting. I love-" Before he could complete Salaar had his neck in his grip and he was pressed against the wall.

"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT? TUMHE PATA BHI HE KE PYAAR HOTA KIA HE?" Salaar roared at him. He tried to control himself but he could not control it anymore. He was seeing absolute red. (DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT LOVE IS?)

"Le..leave me" Amar managed to choke out as Salaar's grip on his neck was very hard. Amar's friend tried to interrupt but Mikael and Rayan stopped him.

Salaar let go of him and grabbed his collar. "Tum Zara se mohabbat karte ho?" Salaar asked in a low voice that was so cold it could freeze hell. (You love Zara?)

Amar scaredly nodded his head. He did not know what this guy wanted so he just nodded his head thinking he loved her. Salaar looked straight into his eyes and said.

"Ghalat jawab." With that he received a hard punch that he swore he heard a crack. (Wrong answer.)

"Agr mohabbat karna ye he ke us larki ki izzat na karna aur saroon ke samne uske uper comments pass karna to esi cheap mohabbat koi bhi na kare." Salaar turned around to leave before he beat and then regretted it but what Amar said made him stop. (If love means to not respect the woman and to pass comments about her infront of everyone then no one would do such a cheap thing.)

"Tum kon hote ho mujhe kuch kehne wale. Agr men us larki ko kuch bhi kahoon, it shouldn't concern you." Amar said as he held himself up using the support of his friend. (Who are you to say something to me? Whatever I say to that girl shouldn't concern you.)

Salaar turned around with a very evil glint in his eye as he smiled and held Amar's shoulder in a painful grip. "Now that's where you are wrong. Zara means everything to me. I am someone that actually loves her unlike you who feels lust for her."

Salaar kicked him in his stomach. "Amar, mein tumhe aaj aik cheez sikhata hoon." Salaar punched his face. Amar was crying out loud trying to plead with him but Mikael and Rayan knew he was gone now. (Amar, let me teach you something today.)

"Ek woman ki respect karna mard ko mard banata he." Salaar said as he dragged him to the storage room which was basically owned by Salaar. Salaar twisted his arm at a weird angle till he heard a crack. (Respecting a woman makes a man manly.)

"Ye sirf Zara pe apply nahi hoti baat balke sari larkion ke liye he." Salaar said as he kept beating him up. Amar was groaning in pain as he kept apologizing and begging for mercy. Salaar ignored his pleas as his thirst for blood was far more than any other sense in him. (This does not only apply for Zara but to all females.)

Salaar kept teaching him his 'lessons' till Mikael and Rayan finally intervened, making him stop. Amar was unconscious and bloody. He told Rayan and Mikael to leave him at the ground till he does something.

Salaar went to the office so that he could announce something. He told the administration that he wanted to use the announcement system but they asked why he just glared at everyone. One of the staff tried to call the security guards but Salaar took hold of the phone and threw it across the room making it smash into the wall.

The dean heard the commotion and saw Salaar fuming at the staff. He asked what had happened and allowed him permission to use the system as he knew Salaar could be absolutely ruthless. He had first hand witnessed Salaar's cruelty when he came to change his courses in the middle of the semester.

Salaar announced to the whole school Zara being his and exited the office as he glared at the staff one last time. As he walked out of the office, he could feel the students walking past him look at him with a weird glint in their eyes. He couldn't care less about other people.

He walked to the class where Zara was supposed to be but could not see her at all so he decided to look around for her but couldn't find her. He gave in and decided to call her. Although Zara did not give him her number, he threatened her friend who obliged as soon as he mentioned hurting her.

_______________________

Adeel helped Zara walk inside the house as soon as they reached. Mrs. Siddiqui quickly approached them when she saw them coming, "Assalamualaikum beta. Khairiat kia howa he? Zara aap ro rahi thi?" She asked with concern for her children. (Assalamualaikum child. Is everything ok? Did something happen? Zara, were you crying?)

Zara just hugged her mom and started sobbing hard. Her mother hugged her back and communicated with Adeel using her eyes asking what happened who just gave her an assuring nod.

Once Zara had stopped crying Mrs. Siddiqui finally asked, "Kia howa Zara kuch batao to sahi." (What happened? Please tell me Zara.)

Zara finally got control of herself and hesitantly started telling her mom but halfway through she could not continue. She looked to her brother who just gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and told his mom the rest of the incident.

"Ammi isme meri koi...koi ghalati nahi he." Zara said once Adeel was done explaining. She could not look her mother in the eye. She was scared her mother might object to her. (Mom none of this is...is my fault.)

Her mother just hugged her in response. Her heart ached for her daughter. She was sad that her daughter went through all that and knowing the messed up society, she knew everyone would think it's Zara's fault.

"Zara aap jaa ke aram karo thori der. Ap fikar na karo, InshAllah sab theek ho jaye ga. Apke baba aaj shaam aate hen to mil kar sab baat karein ge." Mrs. Siddiqui said as she wanted Zara to relax for now. (Zara, you should go and rest. Don't worry InshAllah everything will be fine. We'll talk about it when your dad gets home tonight.)

"Ammi aap ye sab baba ko khud-" Zara was saying but got cut off as her phone started vibrating with an unknown number calling her. (Mama can you tell all this to dad yours-)

Zara picked up the phone and questioned, "Hello?" She wasn't sure who it was, maybe it was just another fake call but the voice that replied made her freeze.

"Assalamualaikum meri jaan." Salaar's deep voice sent chills down her spine. She was shocked, she didn't know how he got her number.

"Sa..salaar" Zara managed to choke out. Adeel and Mrs. Siddiqui looked at her with a clear shock on their face.

"Jee jaan. Apka Salaar hi hoon." Salaar said as he heard her shock filled voice. (Yes my love. It's your Salaar.)

Before anyone could do anything Adeel took her phone and growled in the phone, "Tumhare paas meri behen ka number kaise aya?" He was beyond mad. (How do you have my sister's number)

"Arey salaam saale sahab. Mere paas apni hone wali biwi ka number na ho ye to mumkin hi nahi." Salaar said in a very calm voice once he heard Adeel's voice. (Arey salaam brother-in-law. Me not having my future wife's number is impossible.)

"Haramkhor apni bakwas band karo. Wo tumhari hone wali biwi nahi he. Usse dobara phone mat karna warna acha nahi ho ga." Adeel growled out into the phone and cut the call off before Salaar could say anything. (Bastard stop your nonsense. She is not your future wife. Don't call her ever again.)

"Zara, tumhara phone men apne paas rakh raha hoon filhaal ke liye. Apna laptop ya ammi ka phone istemal kar lo fil waqt." Adeel said to Zara as he stormed off somewhere. Zara just nodded and meekly went to her room to sleep so that she could wake up making all this just another nightmare. (Zara, I am keeping your phone now. Use your laptop or mom's phone for the time being.)

Salaar called Zara's phone once again after the call was rudely cut off by her brother Adeel. The phone rang a few times till it declined. He tried a few more times but Adeel kept declining his phone calls. Salaar finally gave up as he could not quite do anything about it.

Mr. Siddiqui and Ahsan, Zara's older brother, came home in the evening. They stepped in and felt the atmosphere of the house a bit heavy. Mrs. Siddiqui immediately greeted them and offered them water. Adeel was sitting on one of the sofas when his father and brother arrived.

He greeted them and made them sit as he started asking about their day. Mr. Siddiqui didn't see his daughter so he asked, "Zara kidhr he?" (Where is Zara?)

Adeel and Mrs. Siddiqui shared a look that didn't go unnoticed by the others. Adeel started telling his dad about the event that took place in the past couple of months.

Mr. Siddiqui was absolutely livid hearing what Salaar did to his daughter. His daughter was the apple of his eyes so it pained for him to hear all that.

"Mein kal hi jaa raha hoon university baat karne." Mr. Siddiqui said in a hard voice. Ahsan was in deep thought when he finally gave his opinion on the matter. (I am going to the university tomorrow to sort this out.)

"Baba aap kal university jaa ke baat kar lena magar Zara do din university naa jaye to behtar he. Agr wo Zara ko na mile to khudi shok utar jaye ga." Ahsan said. He did not want his sister to go and accidentally come across that guy. (Dad, you can go to the university tomorrow but Zara shouldn't go to the university for 2 days. If that guy won't see Zara for a few days then he'll back off on his own.)

"Han ye ziada theek he." Adeel added, agreeing with his brother. (Yeah that would be better.)

Zara was coming from her room when she heard her family talking. She could not help but feel sad that her family was in a difficult situation because of her. She quietly said her salaam once they all stopped talking.

Mr. Siddiqui smiled and motioned for his daughter to come to him. He immediately embraced his daughter in a way to comfort her. Zara's eyes became glossy as the embrace of her father was very comforting and she could not help but be thankful for such an amazing family.

__________________

Salaar called and texted Zara a few times yesterday but did not get any reply. It was as if she blocked him. He did not pay much attention and just thought that he might see her today.

He walked into the university and found a spot where he knew Zara would always pass by if she was in the university. He was talking to Mikael and Rayan for the past hour but he wasn't mentally present there. He just wanted to see his precious Zara.

After quite some time had passed and Zara wasn't there. He thought he might as well go on with his day in hopes that she might show up some time. He passed by the main office to see a man in his 50s coming out of the office with a guy who was fairly young.

Mr. Siddiqui and Ahsan came to the university to talk with the dean about how distressed Zara was about all this. The dean just listened to them and assured them that he would try to talk to Salaar and hopefully he will listen.

The dean came out after them and instantly saw Salaar. He called him over. "Kuch baat karni he, mere office men ayo." The dean said in a hard voice. (I have to talk to you about something. Come to my office.)

Salaar followed him in the spacious office that had a lot of files at the back, a brown table in the middle with one big chair on one side where the dean sat and two other chairs on the opposite side of the table.

Salaar took a seat at the opposite side of the desk and waited for the dean to speak. The dean took his time adjusting comfortably on his huge chair. "Salaar Hussain Sikander." The dean took his full name. Salaar smirked hearing how heavy his name sounded.

"A very strong name." Salaar just hummed, agreeing with the dean. "How is your semester going?" The dean asked, prolonging the actual conversation. "Sir, I am pretty sure you didn't call me here just to ask me that." Salaar stated, trying to get to the real point.

"Tumhe pata wo aadmi kon tha jo thori der pehle mere office se gaya he?" The dean looked straight in his eyes. Salaar just shook his head indicating that he does not know. (Do you know who the guy was that left my office a while ago?)

"He was Zara Siddiqui's father, Akbar Siddiqui." Salaar's ears perked up after hearing this, he sat straighter. The dean continued, "Do you know why he was here?". Salaar just clicked his tongue indicating he doesn't.

"Because tum Zara ke sath batameezi kar rahe ho." The dean said in all seriousness. Salaar just gave a very humorless laugh. (Because you are affecting Zara negatively.)

"Achaa to ye baat hai. Sasur ji ko gussa charha howa he." Salaar said with a smirk, now being aware of what the situation was. (Oh okk so that is what happened. Father-in-law is kind of angry.)

"Salaar, tum samajh nahi rahe. Zara tumhari nahi hai aur tumhara uss pe koi haq nahi he. Bichari bachi ki zindagi na kharab karo." The dean said, pleading with him. (Salaar, you don't understand. Zara is not yours and you have no right on her. You are just destroying the poor girl's life.)

Salaar looked at the dean with dark eyes that scared the dean to the core. "Zara sirf or sirf meri he. Abhi uspe mera koi haq nahi hoga magar jaldi ho jaye ga aur jab ho ga tab mein aapko special invitation bhejoon ga." He said and stood up to leave. (Zara is only and only mine. I might not have a right on her right now but I will soon enough and when I do, I will make sure to give you a special invitation.)

"Salaar, this won't end well for you." The dean said, warning him.

"Sir aapko kyun fikar hai. Apko to ache grades or university ki reputation ki fikr he, wo aapko mil jaate hain." Salaar said and exited the room not waiting for a response. (Sir why are you worried? You just worry about good grades and a good reputation for the university and you already get that.)

Salaar exited the dean's office in a fury, he knew he had to act quick. He saw Mikael and Rayan waiting for him right outside the office. He told them everything and what he might do next.

_______________________

It was almost night when everyone in the Siddiqui family was present at home. The atmosphere of the house was better than yesterday but still not the best. Zara tried acting as if everything was perfectly fine in order to make everyone else in the house loose up a bit.

"Kya baat hui phir?" Mrs. Siddiqui asked her husband. (What did he say?)

"Keh rahe the ke usse baat karein ge aur agr phir bhi naa mana to action len ge." Mr. Siddiqui replied while still eating. (He was saying he will talk to the guy and if he still does something then they will take action.)

Just then the doorbell rang. Zara got up to go check but Adeel motioned her to sit down and he'll check. He went to the door and asked, "Kon", as he started to open the door. (Who?)

He opened the door to see Salaar and his 2 friends standing at the door with some boxes in their hands. His shocked expressions quickly turned into anger. "Idhr kiya kar rahe ho?" (What are you doing here?)

"Arey arey saale sahab itna gussa kyun kar rahe hain. Apne sasural se milne aya hoon." Salaar just smirked and slightly went to hug Adeel. (Arey arey brother-in-law, why are you getting so angry? I'm just here to meet my in-laws.)

"Adeel bahir kon aya he?" Adeel heard his mother shouting from inside. (Adeel, who is it?)

"Koi nahi aya" He yelled back and turned to an amused Salaar. "Dafa ho jao yahan se. Idhar dobara na ana." He said and was about to close the door but Salaar held it and pushed it open. (No one.) (Get lost from here. Don't ever come back.)

Salaar's eyes turned visibly dark from rage. He took out his gun and pointed it to him, clearly warning him. Just then Ahsan came to check and immediately stopped looking at the gun pointed to his brother.

"Ye kon he?" He asked very cautiously. (Who is this?)

"Ohoo dusre saale sahab aye hen. Men Salaar." Salaar said and went in with Mikael and Rayan following while closing the door. (Ohoo, my second brother-in-law is here. I'm Salaar.)

Salaar hugged Ahsan who just pushed him away looking at him with a very confused look on his face. "Lagta hai apki family mein kisi ko hugs itne khaas pasand nahi hen. Koi nahi. I respect that." Salaar said in a very chilled manner as if he wasn't holding a gun to someone's head a while ago. (It seems like no one in your family enjoys hugs a lot. That's ok.)

He thought he should bring a gun so that at least his point would go across. And using guns for targets might or might not have been one of his hobbies. As for how he got it....well it's not that hard to get one in Pakistan when you have a good reputation and you know where to look.

Salaar just went further in the house to meet with Mr. Siddiqui. The Siddiqui couple and Zara had already stopped what they were doing, hearing the commotion outside.

Salaar stepped in and the first thing his eyes searched for were Zara. He had been really desperate to see her after so long. Once he saw her, he released a breath of relief, seeing that she was alright. A small smile graced his lips as she got shocked seeing him and quickly took her dupatta to cover herself. (A/N: This reminded me of the song lyrics 'Aankhein meri har jagah dhunde tujhe be wajah.')

Zara froze in her spot from fear seeing him come this far. "Kon ho tum?" Mr. Siddiqui asked in a stern voice, not liking that he just walked in without permission. (Who are you?)

"Men Salaar hoon. Sasur ji, mujhe kisi se pata chala ke aap ko mujh se shikayat he. Aap dusre ke paas kiyoon gaye, mere paas aa jate hum mil ke baat kar lete." Salaar said in a light manner as he sat on one of the chairs. (I am Salaar. Dear father-in-law, I heard from someone that you had a problem with me, you should've directly come to me instead of going to someone else.)

Mr. Siddiqui was too stunned to speak so Salaar continued, "Magar koi nahi, kher he. Mene socha men aa jata hoon. Bethiye khare kion he." He said nonchalantly as he pointed his finger to the couch. (But that's ok. I thought I should come. Sit down, why are you standing?)

"Usse pehle apna munh mitha kar len, akhir aapke hone wala damaad hoon." Salaar got up and took one of the boxes from Mikael that had sweets and took a little holding it for Mr. Siddiqui. (But before that, have something sweet. After all, I am your future son-in-law.)

Mr. Siddiqui shoved the whole box aside making it fall to the ground with everything scattered around. He was absolutely livid seeing the audacity of the young man. Salaar turned his head sidewards, looking at the now wasted sweets with disappointment.

"Dafa ho jao yahan se abhi ke abhi warna dakhe maar ke nikal dunga." Mr. Siddiqui said in a stern voice. (Get out of here or else I'll drag you out.)

"Ab men aya hoon to ese hi nahi jaon ga." Salaar said in a deep voice, the playfulness from before not there now. (Now that I am here, I'm not going just like that.)

"Kia samajhte ho apne aap ko?" Mr. Siddiqui pushed his shoulder in an attempt to get him out of the house. (Who do you think you are?)

This ticked Salaar off, he was being as patient as he could but he drew the line now. He whipped out his gun and pointed it to Mr. Siddiqui's forehead. Zara screamed and was about to go help Mr. Siddiqui but one glare from Salaar made her freeze.

"Tumhe chahiye kia?" Ahsan asked this time, almost helplessly. (What do you need?)

"Mujhe sirf aur sirf Zara chahiye. Men usse pasand karta hoon aur usse shadi karna chahta hoon." Salaar said as he emphasized each word with dominance as he looked at Zara right in the eye. (I only and only need Zara. I fancy her and I want to marry her.)

"Esa mat karo meri bachi ke sath. Wo tumhe nahi pasand karti." Mrs. Siddiqui pleaded with Salaar as she tried to help her husband. Tears were running down her face because of the situation. (Please don't do this to my daughter. She doesn't like you.)

"Acha to ye baat he, hum abhi Zara se pooch lete hen." Salaar said as he walked to Zara who was looking down this whole time. Mr. Siddiqui and his sons tried to come after him but Mikael and Rayan stopped them. (Oh so that's the case, let's just ask Zara.)

Salaar walked to her and gently grasped her chin turning her head upwards. His eyes met her eyes that were filled with tears. "Zara, meri jaan, aapko men pasand nahi kia?" (Zara, my love, do you not like me?)

Zara was shaking like a leaf from the fear of him. It wasn't a question he asked although it seemed like one. There was only one acceptable answer to his question and everyone knew it.

"USSE HAATH MAT LAGAO KAMINE" Adeel roared, not liking this. Salaar ignored him and continued focusing on Zara who's eyes were on her family. (DON'T TOUCH HER.)

"Hmmm bolo na. Batao mujhe." He brushed a few strands of hair from her face. His hand caressed her jaw lightly. He was mesmerized by her beauty. (Hmmm say something. Tell me.)

"PICHE-" Adeel was saying when a shot was fired. Adeel fell down on the floor as Zara and Mrs. Siddiqui screamed at the top of their lungs. Adeel groaned from the pain as everyone rushed to his aid. (MOVE-)

Zara tried running to his help but Salaar had a tight grip on her arm preventing her from going as he kept looking at her worried face. "Salaar mera hath chodo please." Zara said as tried taking her wrist from his hold. (Salaar please leave my hand.)

"Pehle tum mujhe batao ke men tumhe pasand hoon ya nahi." Salaar asked, his eyes slowly turning darker. (First tell me, do you like me?)

"Salaar, Adeel bhai ko dard ho raha hai please call an ambulance." Zara cried trying to snatch her wrist from him but his hold was very strong not letting her go. (Salaar, Adeel bhai is in pain, please call an ambulance.)

"Please." Zara pleaded. Salaar finally let her go and called an ambulance and left the house without so much of another word. Zara rushed to Adeel's aid who was clutching his leg tightly to stop the bleeding.

After a few minutes, the ambulance came and Adeel was sent to the hospital with Zara and Mrs. Siddiqui at home. Zara was sobbing non-stop while Mrs. Siddiqui was trying to comfort her but she knew she couldn't be strong.

__________________________

Adeel's wound was bandaged up and nothing serious occurred. The doctors gave him medicines for the pain and told him to avoid strenuous activities. The hospital bills had already been covered by someone and the Siddiqui family was grateful to whoever it was.

Mr. Siddiqui and Ahsan met up with the dean that called Mr. Sikander as well. The dean filled Mr. Sikander in on what happened. He apologized for his son's behavior. The dean told Mr. Sikander that he would have to suspend Salaar due to bodily harm on one of the other students and for various other reasons.

Mr. Sikander pleaded with everyone present and came up with another solution. Although Mr. Siddiqui and Ahsan did not want to agree with the solution but they ultimately had to.

Mr. Sikander went home and saw Salaar. "Salaar, tum jo university kar rahe the uss sabki report dean ne mujhe di he. Mene tumhe ye sikhaya hai?" Mr. Sikander said in a loud voice. (Salaar, the dean gave me a report on what you have been doing in the university. Did I teach you this?)

"Apne to mujhe kuch bhi nahi sikhaya apart from formulas." Salaar laughed humorlessly. (You didn't teach me anything apart from formulas.)

"Dekho kaise zubaan chal rahi he iski. Arey wo tujhe suspend kar rahe the." Mr. Sikander yelled at him trying to knock sense into him. (Look how rude he is. Arey they were suspending you.)

"Acha phir? Nahi kia?" Salaar asked, half interested. (Oh and? They didn't do it?)

"Nahi, magar ab tum Turkey jaa rahe ho teen din ke baad aur ye final he." His father said in an 'end of discussion' voice. (No, but you are going to Turkey after 3 days and that is final.)

Salaar shot up and gave a hard look to his father. "Kion?" He asked simply, his mind thinking of him being away from Zara and all the worse possibilities that could happen. (Why?)

"Kion ke mene kaha. Do you even know ke agr tum suspend ho jate to tumhara record kitna bura ho jata." Nabeel Sikander said not caring about what his son wants. (Because I said so. Do you even know how bad it would be for your record if you got suspended.)

"Men kahin nahi jaa raha." Salaar said in a hard voice. (I am not going anywhere)

"Salaar tum jaa rahe ho and that is final. This is the best for you aur agr baat wo larki ki he to you need to have a stable life for yourself before you marry her." Mr. Sikander said as he tried trapping his son. He knew that once Salaar left, he would forget Zara. (Salaar you are going and that is final. This is the best for you and if it's about that girl then you need to have a stable life for yourself before you marry her.)

Salaar was thinking about it when Mr. Sikander said one last thing that he knew would convince him, "Mikael ya Rayan jana chahte hein to wo bhi jaa sakte hen." (If Mikael and Rayan want to go, they can go as well.)

Salaar knew that he couldn't say no either way. His dad was just being generous this time but he still would have sent him anyway. He just asked for the flight time and went away.

Salaar had to get 2 things done now before he leaves, tell his 2 buddies and tell Zara. He called Mikael and Rayan and asked if they wanted to go. Mikael agreed while Rayan couldn't as he had to take care of his younger sister here.

Salaar now needed a way to get to Zara which he thought might be next to impossible. He had to get her out of the house and the only way he could think of was asking the dean.

The next day he went to the dean and asked for the favor. The dean very hesitantly agreed with a little threat from Salaar's side and Zara was called. As Zara entered the dean's office, she could not see the dean. Instead she saw someone she wasn't expecting.

She couldn't help but freeze in fear of him. She turned around to go outside but was stopped by Salaar closing the door and gesturing with his eyes for her to sit on one of the chairs.

Salaar sat on one of the other chairs and looked directly at her. He would not show it but he was nervous. "Adeel ka kya haal he?" (How is Adeel?)

"Th...theek he" Zara said meekly. Salaar sighed and ran a hand through his hair, he knew that he had to say it. (F....fine.)

"Zara I know ke tum mere se darti ho magar I will never hurt you. Men apni feelings achi tarah express nahi kar sakta magar I really love you. I really do." Salaar said while furrowing his brows and looking at Zara who was looking down. (Zara I know you are scared of me but I will never hurt you. I can't express myself as well but I really love you. I really do.)

"I am selfish and I will always be selfish when it comes to you." Salaar continued.

"I don't want you to feel hurt but at the same time I don't want to leave you so I will give you time. I am going to Turkey in 2 days." He said making Zara look up quickly. She was shocked.

"Men Turkey ja to raha hoon but don't think that you are not mine anymore. You will still be mine. You will always be mine." Salaar said as he stood up.

"And when I am back, I will claim you the right way. I am sorry but I won't have it any other way." He said and walked out. He knew she was scared and it was best if he leaves.

He saw the dean outside and went to thank him and bid his last goodbye. Salaar finally packed and after 2 days, he and Mikael went to Turkey with a new goal in mind to return back.

Zara's university continued and after some time everyone forgot about what had happened. The Siddiqui family went back on track as normal. Just like that the years passed by quickly.

__________________________

Assalamualaikum Everyone!!!!

I know its been long but I am back with a very long chapter. Probably the longest chapter I have ever written.

How was your eid?? And this is your eidi LOL

If you see any mistakes, feel free to point it out in the comments or contact me privately. If you have any concerns, leave a comment or contact me privately.

Lemme know how it was

Adore y'all <3

Like the chapter 🌸

Leave a follow 🌸

See you in the next chapter, till then Allah Hafiz lovely people!!!! <3