The bright sun rays illuminated her face. Its sharp light brightened her closed eye lids waking her up from sleep. Her eyes opened slowly and she woke up. She yawned and sat up, streching her arms.
She got out of the blanket, whilst yawning, her brain still not recovered from the sleep. She moved towards the washroom when a jingling sound entered her ears, she took two to three steps more when a sudden tug on her ankle stopped her in middle of the room. Her half opened eyes moved downwards towards her ankle and she saw her ankle tied in chain and. That was then every memory from last night hit her like a truck.
Everything from the start, from that horrible night to last night flashed in her brain and her eyes opened widely as reality hit her. She was in his mansion, in his house.
And this chain, he had locked her foot, last night.
What?
Tears brimmed in her eyes. She was chained like an animal. She was caged. Caged by him.
She moved towards the bed and sat on it. She looked towards her foot again.
'Is it chained?' she asked herself.
'Am I chained?' she asked again and moved her foot but still she could feel the cold metal clawing at her ankle.
She was in a state of denial. She didn't want to accept that her foot was chained.
She touched the cold metal. She could feel it. It was real. It wasn't any dream.
"No" she whispered, shaking her head, still not accepting that she was confined to her bed.
"No, this is not real" she muttered whilst placing her right foot on the bed and touched the cold metal around her ankle.
The pads of her fingers could still feel the coldness of the metal.
She abruptly stood up, not believing her eyes and walked again away from the bed when the chain again stopped her in mid tracks.
It was real. All of this.
It was reality. He really had chained her.
She turned around and looked towards the long chain starting from the foot of bed and ending at her ankle. It was like a snake. A snake tightly grasping her ankle.
She begin to tug at the chain and took few more steps but every time she did that a jingling sound flashes in the atmosphere not letting her to take another step.
She still tried to move but all invain. She wanted to free herself. She felt like her foot was burning. She felt suffocated. She felt her breath getting short. She couldn't breathe.
She again moved but the chain stopped her. A sob escaped her lips.
"Its not true!" she whispered, a lone tear escaping her eye.
"Its not true!" she cried out.
"This is not reality!" she sobbed.
"This is not the truth!" she hiccupped.
"FREE ME! AH! FREE ME! LET ME FREE!" she screamed and then her whole body begin to shake with sobs.
She cried and cried trying to relieve all the pain from her heart but nothing helped. She felt suffocated, claustrophobic, caged, strangled, as if someone is smothering her.
She wish she could just die and get out of this life filled with humiliation. His words were coming true, his warning were now turning into a reality.
He had forewarned her numerous time that if in any case she tried to betray him, he will make her state miserable, she will wish to die but death could not reach him. He was true to his words. She felt like dying and getting free from everything at once.
Her shoulders slumped down and she felt tired due to immense crying, then she stopped and cleared her tears vigorously. She took a deep breath and drank the glass of water placed on her side table.
She has to be strong, sh-
Strong.
What does being strong means? How someone can be strong?
Does being strong means standing up for oneself and raising their voice? Does this mean, being strong?
She never knew what was being strong. For years, Shoaib has harassed her but she couldn't raise the voice. She didn't know the reason why?
She used to be a very lively girl, a happy camper but after that incident she felt so low of her. She hated herself. She felt used. At times, she tried to reveal this secret to her parents, but she couldn't.
Numerous thoughts always had consumed her mind, which had made her nervous. What will people think of her? That she has seduced a man? She had a vague idea people always believe men, they won't consider the girl's point of view and impose heinous accusations on her.
Her lips were zipped. She never had enough courage to reveal this matter infront of her family nor friends and not even Daniyal.
Daniyal, the love of her life, the only man which she trusts blindly and completely. His present condition was making her worried. She was so anxious about him. And what he is going through.
That night Irtaza had spared his life but she was clueless what he is making him go through. This thought alone was making her depressed and end her life.
She was just surviving not living. Surviving for the days of her life to come to an end. If she couldn't unite with Daniyal, there was no point of living anymore.
A knock on the door got her out of her thoughts and a maid entered inside with some clothes and a key.
"Good morning ma'am" she greeted.
"Good morning" she replied in her low throaty voice. She tried to cover her face with her hair so the maid couldn't see her bruised and blotched face.
But what was the purpose of it? She can already see the chain. She could see her vulnerable state. Her terrible condition was still evident to her eyes.
"Ma'am these are your clothes. You have 15 minutes, sir is waiting for you at the breakfast table" she announced and placed the clothes on the bed before bending down and unlocking her ankle out of the cuff. And after that she left the room.
She was more like a robot, following his every command.
Zahra sighed in relief as her ankle got free from the chain. She thanked that the chain was here just for night.
She analysed her ankle, she could see, red bruises were already forming on it. Tears brimmed in her eyes and she stroked her ankle.
What her life has turned into?
She mentally cussed the day when Shoaib had harassed her, if Shoaib hadn't harassed her she had never been closer to Daniyal and eventually fallen in love with him. And she had never ran away with him. It was all Shoaib's fault.
The maid's warning rang in her ears and she abruptly stood up. She just has 15 minutes. Moving inside the bathroom, she took a quick shower and got ready for the day, covering all the marks with a concealer on the dressing table.
She rushed towards the dining after getting ready. Her heart was beating fast. She once again has to face him.
Entering the dining room, she found 4 to 5 servants standing around the table and Irtaza was sitting on his chair, indulged in his phone.
She slowly moved towards her chair and sat on it and that was when Irtaza acknowledged her presence and gave her his sharp, cold, emotionless glare.
"Start eating" he ordered with his zero emotion voice and she nodded. Her eyes moved towards her plate, filled with chicken roast and she felt like gagging. She can't eat that thing anymore but still she tried and took the fork and knife before cutting a piece of it and forcing it down her mouth.
She looked up and saw various varieties infront of her, her mouth watered but irony she couldn't have a taste of them. And then her eyes moved towards him, he was replying to some mails, his plate had the same chicken roast.
She was actually perplexed. Why would he eat something like that when he has other options to look upon as well.
Sighing, her eyes went back to her plate. She closed her eyes, taking in a small breath. Her taste buds were burning to get a taste of something else. But she has to eat and she didn't has any other thing other than this dry, flavourless roast. And then she forced herself to eat what was given to her.
She wish she could just run and run, and fly high like a bird in the sky who live its life freely without any restriction. Her throat clogged at this sudden feeling and tears brimmed in her eyes. It was the second day in his mansion and she was already feeling claustrophobic.
Her teary and complaining eyes snapped towards him and she found him already staring at her. Her eyes said it all. He got the message. Her complaints, her miseries, her eyes were telling her tale to him and he was a maestro at reading eyes.
He looked away and focused on something else as something tugged at his heart.
What was that feeling?
Regret?
Was that really regret?
Maybe.
He shook off all the thoughts and replied something to his third in command, Amman. Last night, one of the warehouse was attacked by Osmani's men. It was evident, someone from inside had assisted them to attack as he got the news how his men were getting scattered and attacked but Moosa then had controlled the situation saving them from a loss.
He wanted to get his hands at the traitor asap and for that he has to analyse all the situation from the start and ponder alot but his mind wasn't working these days. As if it got jammed. He wasn't able to think of anything properly. Everytime he does, her fearful and complaining eyes comes into his mind.
Sighing, he stood up and left the table going for his office.
After she was done with the breakfast, she went towards her room and got inside when a maid came in.
She frowned.
"Yes?" she asked politely.
"Ma'am we have to lock your foot again." she said.
Her eyes widened with surprise.
"No. It was just meant for a night." she retorted.
"No ma'am."
"I wont let you chain me again" she shook her head vigorously and moved away.
"Ma'am we have to do this"
"No! Go away!" she cried out.
"I'd have to"
"No! No!"
"Its sir's order. Please cooperate otherwise we will have to face a hard time." the maid said, her voice practically begging her to cooperate with her as she knew what kind of a man her boss is.
She understood the meaning behind her pleading voice. She didn't want to have a hard time just because of her. She knew how it feels like when your everything is in the hand of other person.
"Ok" she replied, defeatedly and sat on the bed.
The maid bent down and tied the chain to her ankle before standing up and handling a button to her.
"This chain is only allowed to get off when you have to use the washroom or when sir calls you. Here is the bell, you can press it whenever you feel like using the washroom." the maid said and Zahra took the button, her eyes getting teary.
"I'm sorry ma'am" the maid muttered and left the room.
She took a shaky breath, her body shivered as she tried to control the damn of tears building inside her. She looked around the room.
How alone she was?
After her father's death, she used to mentally talk with him, this thing had never made her accept that her father had left her but today something sharp tugged at her heart.
She begin to feel the reality, she begin to accept. Her father is actually no more with her. He will never come back. She can never see him again. She can never feel his warm embrace. She can never see his smile.
She had been in a state of denial after his departure but now her heart begin to fall for the actuality. Her state of denial was now broken, at this moment when she realized that how alone she had became.
Her heart suddenly begin to feel an immense uneasiness, a deep hollow pit which was alluring her towards it so she could fall into it, into that darkness.
She rubbed her chest with her palm slightly, she was so alone. Her mother can't come here, her father can't come. Nobody can. No one can help her. She was so alone.
She hysterically looked around, her eyes moving on the four walls, she was so alone. And then they snapped towards the chain, she was chained, incacerated.
Depression
Lonliness
Anxiety
Fear
These four dreadful feelings crept inside her and she felt her throat getting clogged and then a sob escape her lips. Sobs after sobs left her throat. And she cried wholeheartedly.
She can't bear this anymore.
When all of this will end?
And soon her eyes felt droopy and she closed them, falling in a deep slumber.
A major symptom of depression, a person gets sleepy alot and this was happening with her. These days, she was sleeping like an infant acquiring 12 to 14 hours of sleep.
She was depressed.
It was noon when a maid entered her room and found her sleeping. Her eyes moved on the chain and she felt sorry for the poor girl. She knew how dangerous, strict and a hard core man his boos is. She wondered what crime did this girl committed for which she is being too harsh on her.
She moved towards her and slightly shook her shoulder waking her up.
"Yes?! Yes?!" Zahra asked hysterically, her heart beating fast.
Has I done something?
"Relax ma'am. I'm here to ask for lunch." the maid said in her calm voice, trying to relax her.
Zahra nodded her head in understanding. Her heart relaxing.
"Would you like to have your lunch here or in the dining room?"
She blinked several times, as a slight frown etch on her face.
"Ask him" she said in her heavy voice.
"He is at his office yet and ma'am its totally your decision where you will like to have your lunch"
"Can I also decide what I can eat?" she asked childishly, with her puppy eyes.
"I am sorry but your food will be same"
She bit her lips.
"I dont want to eat anything" she said lowly, feeling so tired of that chicken roast.
"Ok ma'am." the maid said and left the room and then Zahra placed her head on the pillow and slept again.
Around 7 oclock, her eyes opened as the peaceful sound of azaan met her ears waking her up from her long sleep. She opened her eyes completely and listened to the peaceful voice, it calmed her senses.
She was happy to listen to azaan. It gave her a feeling that she isn't that alone and a few minutes later the atmosphere went silent as the mo'azin was done reciting azaan.
She felt so odd, so strange as that queer feeling of lonliness again enveloped her mind when a maid entered and informed her of the dinner whilst unlocking her chain.
She stood up and washed her face before leaving for the dining room. On reaching there, she sat at her place and ate the same dish, feeling hungry. Irtaza wasn't present there. She came to know he would some home late.
After the quick and peaceful yet same dinner she went back to her room and the maid chained her again. Its jingling sound ringing in her ears making her hate herself for being such a coward.
She needed to learn how to stand for herself.
Hours passed, but she wasn't sleepy anymore. She wish she could sleep as she has nothing else to do in this hopeless and dry life when suddenly the telecom rang and her breath hitched.
Who can call her?
With shivering hands, she picked it up, dangers bell ringing in her ears.
She placed the receiver on her ear when his deadly cold voice reached her ears causing a shiver down her spine.
"Come to my room"