Chapter 10 Nightmare

From Zoya's Point Of View

"Happy 18th birthday Sahir" Zoya smiled widely & intertwined her fingers in his.

"Ahun...I don't want only wishes! I want a birthday present my love " Sahir stared at her romantically.

Zoya lowered her eyes shyly."What do you want ?"

"A kiss" He stared at her pink plump lips. How much he had craved to taste her lips!

Zoya's cheeks turned a deep shade crimson. Sahir moved closer taking a deep breath.

"Promise me, love, you will never leave me" he cupped her face and tilted his head aiming at her lips.

"I'll never leave you Sahir" She blushed.

He brushed his thumbs on her cheeks delicately."I love you Zoya"

She shuddered with his touch.

"I love you too Sahir" She whispered. The moment she said, he kissed on her temple & trailed down his lips, brushing his nose on her eyes, nose, cheeks & stared into her eyes.

She rested her hands around his neck & blushed while looking down. He wrapped his hands around her waist & pulled her closer. She closed her eyes as he leaned forward. He cupped her cheek & she leaned to his touch, melting completely in his embrace. Their breathing was in sync. She felt his breath fanned on her lips. Her body shivered to feel their intimacy. He softly held her chin up with his finger. She didn't open her eyes but she felt him so close to her.

"Open your eyes, My love" He whispered.

She shyly shook her head sideways.

He brushed her hair behind, "Please love, look at me"

She shyly bitten on her lips.

Suddenly he squealed in the pain.

"Argh..z Zoyaaa"

She looked up & saw his face became pale.

"Sahir...what happened Sahir? " She felt her hands sticky & wet behind his neck. She looked at her hands.

She gasped in a horror.

Blood!

Her hands were full of blood.

"SAHIR!!'' She touched his neck and looked behind, there was all blood.

Suddenly few goons came and started dragging Sahir away, separating her away from him. Sahir gripped on her waist tightly while she held his neck.

"NO...NO...leave him...please. Ya Allah.. somebody help!! please leave us..." Zoya cried out her pleading. Both looked in eyes whole holding each other tightly.

"Zoya...Don't leave me, ZOYA" Sahir clenched his jaw & held her closer to his chest. Black masked goons tried to separate then away but both didn't give up on each other.

"Leave us...please...I beg you. Please...aaaarhh"

Zoya felt a sharp pain when someone roughly grabbed her hair from behind. She didn't give up. She went through all the pain but kept holding on Sahir.

"Leave him Zoya otherwise I will kill him" The woman who grabbed her hair whispered in her ears.

Zoya immediately loosened her grip on him. The black-masked goons quickly dragged him away and started beating him with chains, sticks, rods. Sahir screamed in the pain.

"Ya Allah!! Please...leave him." Zoya tried to run towards Sahir but the woman behind her held her wrists.

"Tsk tsk tsk you have to think about the consequences before falling in love with him Zoya. Now it's too late" The woman said in a very cunning tone.

Zoya started begging and pleading to her. But in the darkness, she couldn't see who was the woman.

"No..no, please...I beg you...I beg you...please leave him" Zoya cried, bending on her knees and pleading to the woman but she pushed Zoya away.

"Say you don't love him and will never ever meet him again!" The woman said. Zoya tried to see her face but couldn't.

Sahir screamed in the pain.

"Aye...kill him" That woman ordered the goons.

"Noooo. I don't love him...please...leave him" Zoya screamed and tried to run towards Sahir but the woman held her wrists, hair, and dragged away. This time she felt she know this woman but couldn't see her face.

"Kill me if you want...but don't kill him. Leave him. I beg for his life "

"Fine then...I'll kill YOU "

That woman pointed a gun at Zoya and pulling the trigger in a snap, she fired a bullet.

-

I woke up gasping for breath."No...no...I don't...I don't love him...leave "

"Oh my god, what happened Zoya?" I saw Rabia running at me and sat on the bed, holding me.

I felt my breathing heavy and ungraspable. What was that? A nightmare or harsh reality? I looked at Rabia and tried to fight my tears. I felt sweat covered over my face as Rabia started wiping my face with a towel & gave me a glass of water.

"Zoya, are you okay? What happened, you were literally begging in the sleep," Rabia asked me. A feeling of blankness numbed my mind for a while.

I looked at her in confusion. "What?"

"Yeah, you were crying for help. Like 'Please leave him, I don't love him' You were saying something like that" Rabia's words made me gulp in fear.

I looked away. Rabia should not know about this nightmare. I let out a deep sigh and chuckled at her nervously lowly hiding my face "Nothing it was just a bad dream, I don't remember saying something like that"

"Zoya is there anything bothering you?" Rabia looked worried. This was the first time probably, she had heard me screaming in the sleep.

"No Rabia. I told u, it's a just a bad dream" I shrugged looking at her. "Hey, you are still watching the TV? " I changed the topic.

"Yaa new movie is showing...Love Aaj Kal"

"Oh my, its 3 am Rabia, we both have work tomorrow. Switch off the tv right now & Lets sleep" I told her.

Soon after we both went to bed. Rabia dozed off but I couldn't sleep. I keep thinking about the nightmare. That nightmare came into my life again. Whenever I tried to move closer to my feelings for Sahir, this nightmare starts haunting me. I shouldn't have to think too much about Sahir. From now onwards I will not let my feelings be vulnerable again. I shuffled on bed grabbing my pillow and tried to sleep but couldn't so I got up. I needed to search for another place too. I grabbed my laptop and started applying for all the vacant places in the town, without leaving a single one.

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Next Day

I received a notice from the hostel authority to relocate the room till the evening. Rabia has already left for the work. She assured me to find a place. I felt anxious while leaving for work. I have applied for plenty of vacant rooms. Till the evening, I will get at least one of them. With hope, I waited for the affirmation message. The time passed by, and the hope within my heart started dying slowly as I started getting negative responses from the owners. Here, I couldn't found out any other place to live. Not in the town nor outside the town. Anywhere in the freaking state. Since morning I waited for the positive news to come but nothing happened like that. Each and every vacant place including, paying guests, hostels, cheap hotels, NGO's sent me only one reply.

'Sorry we don't have any vacant room available here'

How is this even possible? How come a big town doesn't have room to stay for a single person? Where I will go now? I felt on the verge of cry. From whom should I take help now? A pool of tears gathered in my eyes.

Suddenly my phone started ringing. I checked it and saw Sahir's name flashing on the screen. I wiped my tears and swiped to pick up his call.

"H hello" I tried not to sound like I was crying before. With a lot of difficulties, I controlled my tears but my voice shook.

"Zoya? What happened?" Sahir asked from the other side. His voice filled with so much warmth and care that I couldn't hold it anymore. A sob let out from my mouth.

"I am coming there Zoya right now'' He said and cut the call.

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