Not you

One look.

One hard glare stopped her heartbeat. The disappointment and anger she witnessed in his eyes made her hands clammy within minutes. All the life left her legs and she visibly gulped. Her eyes widened with surprise and fear as she tightly held both her hand together.

"Bha...ii a..ap yah..an kes..ay" Haseeb stuttered grabbing his attention back.

"Haseeb," he moved his head towards him, "a week ago, I gave some instructions to you boys which was obligatory for all of you to follow. Remember what were they?" He asked.

'Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!'

'None of you will be stepping out of this haveli without informing or taking permission from me. If it is too urgent then take guards along with you. The Osmanis are keeping tabs on us though I won't let them harm any of my family members, you could expect anything from your enemy. They love to strike at your weakest point. If something urgent comes make me a call before leaving the haveli. All of you make sure not to let go of Haya and Dua alone outside. By next week, trackers should be installed into each member of the haveli. And do not wander uselessly outside until the situation does not get controlled. Khurram Osmani wants me to stop the consignment at any cost which I won't and he is doing everything in his power to blackmail me. It does not bother me until my family is involved. And I repeat specifically to you Haseeb, do not uselessly wander outside the haveli with girls. Whatever I say act upon it, if I found out that you are not then you know what can happen to you'

And then another thought hit him, he let Dua and Haya go alone god knows where. He was doomed.

He looked down in embarrassment.

"Get the car out, I'll deal with you in the haveli. Zahra is coming." He ordered, jacketing his rage. He for sure was so good at maintaining a calm composure outside.

"Ok Bhai." He immediately said, eager to just go away from him, and left for the parking lot, disturbed over the fact that Dua and Haya still hadn't reached.

Zahra's heartbeat stopped there. Dread pooled in her stomach. Her life and fate were torturing her over and over. Everything felt so surreal to her. She was in a dilemma about whether all of this is actually happening to her or not. Once again, she had to face his vicious wrath which is almost unbearable for every sane or insane person.

"Up," he flicked his two fingers in the air, ordering her to stand up.

"I am sorry," she shakily said as she shudderly stood up. Her legs were wobbly.

"Sorry for what senorita?" He asked and began to approach her.

Ya Allah!

"I am sorry," she repeated, scared. Her paled face mirrored her inner feelings.

"Sorry, for, what?" He repeated, feigning ignorance, and took two more steps toward her, provoking her fear more and more.

She was breathless by now. No thoughts, no lies, nothing was coming up in her mind. She felt like a deer caught in headlights. Her eyes were already shining with the unshed tears.

"I am sorry." Her voice was weak and desperate as she stepped back.

He advanced towards her, covering the distance between them, and stood in her personal space. His eyes pinning her to the spot. She immediately looked down and shielded her face from his pinning gaze through her straight brown hair. His hot breath fanned against her cheek while he placed his hand behind the wall, caging her in between.

His fingers reached for her hair and he slowly, smoothly tucked her hair behind her ear, making her face visible to her. The back of his fingers began to leisurely graze her cheeks. The same side where he had previously slapped her, causing all the incidents to rush back into her mind.

Then her sparkling brown eyes matched his.

Grey to brown.

This was his favorite moment when he could see her mesmerizing eyes. He could spectate the fear residing in her glistening eyes. They only delivered utter terror and anxiety. He could feel the bottling up of her inner emotions. He could feel her helplessness and fear. But he was a selfish bastard and his psychotic mind only wanted to punish her for defying him but something panged at his heart on the thought of punishing her.

She turned her head away. His eyes were emanating pure rage at the moment and she can't stand it. She was so afraid.

"Zahra" he called out her name causing goosebumps to rise all over her body. Her name in his voice always sounds so different and distinctive. No one can call her in the same way as he does. One could spot both love and dominance in his voice.

She didn't look back at him and kept her eyes somewhere else. She already has realized, he will be too despotic and severe towards her after knowing she has disobeyed him but the dire and acute intensity in his eyes always stops her breath. His eyes were beautiful to him but till now those eyes have always shown him rage and anger. She does not want to look back straight into his eyes.

"Zahra" he called out again, his voice soft now, contradicting his demeanor which was emitting rage at the moment. He held her chin and raised her head, indicating for her to look towards him, but she cast her eyes down.

"Sorry" she whispered, desperate to go away from him.

"Look at me" he ordered.

"No" she straightly denied. She just couldn't. She did not know where that courage came from.

"Girl you have a death wish." He said and before he could do anything, his phone began to ring, causing her to internally sigh in relief.

He narrowed his eyes at him making her breath hitch for a second and then picked the call up before getting away from her. She took a deep breath which was stuck inside her throat for so long.

The call was from one of his men whom he has assigned to secretly keep an eye on each member of haveli for their safety.

"Yes?" He asked on the call. His voice was stoic and dominant.

The person on the other side answered making him cuss under his tongue.

"Fuck. If anything happened to them I will slit your throat" he barked.

The man answered again.

"I want those bastards alive. Get them to the nearest warehouse. I will be seeing them in a day or two." Before the other person could answer he hung up the call and immediately grabbed Zahra's wrist, rapidly dragging her out of the restaurant towards the parking lot.

On reaching there, they saw Haseeb standing out of the car frantically making calls to someone. Irtaza left Zahra's wrist and moved towards him and grabbed him by the collar.

"Where the fuck are Dua and Haya?" He gritted. Zahra's mouth hung open while Haseeb looked as if he has seen a ghost. Zahra ran towards them to stop Irtaza. And the very next moment they both saw very troublesome Dua and Haya running in from the restaurant gate towards the car.

They breathlessly reached toward the three of them as they have been running for so long.

"Get into the car all of you and drive straight to haveli as soon as possible. I will see you all in the evening." He ordered. His face told that he already knew what has happened and they all could feel the threat behind his last sentence.

All of them got back into the car while Irtaza canceled all his meetings and went somewhere.

......

Haseeb was storming the car on the route berserkly. While Dua and Haya continued to tell about the incident that happened to them.

"...we already had a hunch feeling someone was following us but we ignored it. We thought that we are being paranoid. And then I don't know what happened and how it happened the very next turn we took, two to three men came from somewhere and lunged at us locking our arms in the process. Their faces were covered with masks and one of them was their boss who was frantically ordering them to place the clothes on our faces. He was extremely fearful of something, I don't know what but he kept on saying, 'do it quickly before he gets here, he will kill us, place the clothe.' We continuously were kicking our legs in the air to protect ourselves but they had tightly locked us and muffled our screams with their hands. Then they placed clothing on our faces, we were about to inhale the chloroform before some men came, and it all happened in a blur, those men came and begin to beat us whilst we both ran and ran till we reach the restaurant. I don't know what happened behind. I don't know who were they. I don't know...." Haya finished her story.

"Thank God they couldn't kidnap us otherwise I don't know what would have happened to us by now," Haya said as if in a trance. The incident had mentally disturbed her so much.

"God forbid Haya. Shut up. Nothing happened to us and nothing could ever happen to us because all of these gangsters know who we are. We are the sisters of the most powerful mafia don in the whole of Asia. They cannot even harm a hair of our head. Get this thing into your mind. And all of you listen no one will be telling anything to anyone in the haveli. It's up to Irtaza Bhai how he will deal with the situation," Dua proclaimed, truly meaning what she said. She knew if even they got kidnapped no one could do anything to them after knowing their identity.

Mentally, she was anxious for Zahra. She went against her brother's order and took Zahra along with her. But if Zahra hadn't come with them then the plan would have been canceled and she didn't want that. She wanted Zahra to breathe freely out of the haveli and create some memories with her cousins but she had no idea the situation would turn out like that. She knows Irtaza will be too harsh with Zahra for disobeying her and she doesn't know how to stop him.

On the other hand, Haseeb was now extremely paranoid. He was afraid of what today's evening will be held for him. His heartbeat was faster and his hands shivered a little bit as he continued to drive the car. He still remembers what his elder brother, Saif has to face failure in his endeavor to protect Haya. And today both of them got nearly kidnapped, furthermore, his hippocampus acted like super stupid shit and forgot all the instructions Irtaza gave to all of them. He was doomed. He tried to brush off all the thoughts but he knew he can't stop the inevitable.

Whilst Zahra's legs and hands were shaking nonstop. She felt nauseatic. She considered herself the culprit of today's incident. If she had listened to Irtaza, nothing like this would have happened. Moreover, he also caught her in the restaurant. She was done for. Every single day was tormenting her mentally and physically. Today's evening will be no good for her and she was already afraid to face the rest of the day.

They reached the haveli at last. No dialogues were exchanged as the atmosphere was thick and everyone went back to their rooms and slept as if there was no tomorrow. By evening, all four of them were wakened up by maids and servants then ushered to the dining table where all the family members were waiting for them.

On reaching the dining table, they found everyone seated there except Irtaza and their grandfather. They move towards their respective chairs and sat over them. Zahra's legs felt heavy moving towards the chair next to Irtaza. She do not want to be anywhere around him but everyone was tying her to him. The feeling of being caged again woke up inside her choking her throat with tears but she tried her best to brush it off.

Soon their dada came along with Irtaza and they both sat in their places. Zahra's nerves were on high alert when he dragged his chair and sat on it. Their grandfather has a deep frown marred on his features like he was disturbed over something.

"Start eating" He ordered in his deep, elderly yet dominant voice and everyone begin to eat. The atmosphere was thick at the dining table. No dialogues were being exchanged. Everyone had that hunch feeling of something ominous being happened. And minutes later the dinner was over.

"Everyone listen to this and listen well," Shabbir Haider Syed spoke, his deep baritone voice striking in the thick atmosphere, "no member of haveli will be leaving out without informing Irtaza or Shehryaar." He announced.

"And Zahra," he moved his head towards her, "you won't be stepping out of haveli without taking 'permission' from Irtaza." He ordered and stood up.

"I hope I have made myself clear." He said and left.

Zahra was not able to utter a single word in front of him. She was gobsmacked and felt humiliated. Then another bomb was dropped on her by Irtaza's next words.

"Dua, Haya, Haseeb, and Zahra I want you all in my office by 9:30" He ordered and then left the table. They all felt like they were being called to the principal's office. Before any once could ask something from them they immediately stood up and left.

.......

"I don't know what will happen to me," Haseeb said as he continued to roam here and there like a lunatic. All four of them were meanwhile collected in Zahra's room.

"You coward. Be a man and face it with dignity" Dua sassed although she was also afraid for him, Zahra, Haya, and herself but didn't show it.

"Shit! Why didn't I think of it?" Haseeb replied to her in the same tone.

"Because you don't have a brain stupid. Just tell Irtaza bhai you wanted to go and you always do what you want." Dua joked to break the lock of the thick and hypertensive surroundings.

"Haan (yes) why not. I will absolutely do as you say and then your brother will break almost all my bones." He replied.

"Wow, how did you get there? I exactly want that to happen." She teased

"Brain baby brain," He answered..

"Can you guys stop pulling each other legs because it's already 9:15. Think of something solid to give as an excuse." Saif said while entering the room. He only had a single motive to somehow alleviate their tension.

"Aghh! Nothing is coming into my mind. No lies, no excuse nothing and I don't know what he will do to me. Ya Allah save me from my own brother." Haseeb dramatically replied.

"Why are you acting like a scared cat Haseeb?" Saif asked.

"Am I acting like a scared cat? You forgot your time when you were almost ready to run from haveli only to get away from Irtaza Bhai."

"Bastard this was a secret between us." He gritted, teasingly.

"Shit! Sorry, just a slip of tongue."

"Dua Haseeb has a crush on your best friend, Sameen, and Haya he knows your Instagram password. Oh sorry a slip of tongue"

Haseeb's mouth hung open.

"Bhai you know my password."

"You have a crush on her!! What???"

With that being said four of them engaged in a ceaseless and an incessant conversation while Zahra sat on the other side of the bed looking like a scared pigeon, only praying that somehow the clock could not be stuck at 9:30.

..........

"You go in first," Haseeb whispered shouted, and pushed Dua towards the door of Irtaza's office. It was 9:28 by now.

"No I am not going first. You go Haya."

"I can't be your scapegoat. Haseeb bhai you go in first this all happened all because of you."

"Hahahaha I am not going in until or unless someone knocks at the door. You know manners. Dua, you knock at the door and Haya you enter first then I'll be following you."

"You are a big ass coward Haseeb."

"No, you are."

"No, you are"

"You. Are."

"You were, are, and will be."

"Guys stop it it's 9:29 already," Haya told making their whisper shouting stop at once.

"I think so Zahra should go in first. She is Irtaza bhai's fiance and he won't say anything to her." Haseeb advised.

"No...I don't want to." She stuttered. Her face was already paled.

"Fuck off Haseeb. I am going inside." Dua said, turned the doorknob, and went inside. Three of them followed her, Zahra at last, and found the office table empty.

"Irtaza Bhai darr gye mj sei" Haseeb jokingly said.

(Irtaza bhai got scared of me)

"Who got scared and from whom?" Irtaza asked, who was sitting on the sofa along with his Dada. He stood and move towards the table.

"Shit" Haseeb cussed under his breath and bit his tongue.

"Sorry, Bhai," Haseeb said.

"You will be" he replied, and leaned against the front of his office table.

"Line up." He ordered and chucked the apple in his hands. Their grandfather observed them with his hawk-like eyes.

All of them lined up. Zahra next to Haseeb, Dua next to Zahra and Haya at last. Their heartbeats were now getting faster with every second especially Zahra and Haseeb. All four of them were looking down at the floor as if it was the most mesmerizing thing they have ever seen.

"Zahra," he called out making her breath hitch, "why did you leave haveli when I told you not to?" He asked.

She remained quiet, contemplating what to say. It took her two long minutes but still, nothing came to her mind.

"Answer!" He gritted.

"I..uh.." She immediately replied but nothing was coming up in her mind.

"Look at me while you speak."

She nodded her head and slowly looked up at him.

"Now speak" he commanded looking straight into her eyes.

"I do..don't know" she replied with the first thing which came into her mind and looked down again.

"LOOK UP!" He shouted and in hysteria, all of them looked up at once. Zahra was almost shivering by now.

"And what exactly you don't know?" He asked and threw the apple in his hands with full force towards the nearest wall as he slowly marched towards her. She tightly held dua's hand and it took everything in her not to step back.

"You know how to disobey my direct orders. You know how to defy me. You know how to deny my commands then what the fuck is that you don't know?" He asked as he stood two small steps away from her. She tried her best not to look down again. His eyes were pinning her eyes to the spot. His whole demeanor was speaking of anger, rage, and trouble for her. He was looking like a handsome beast to her who was sucking the whole life out of her just by one dangerous look.

"Bhai actually-" Dua interfered.

"Did I ask you, Dua?"

"No Bhai"

"Then be quiet" he commanded and Dua nodded her head in response.

His eyes moved back to Zahra, demanding an explanation from her.

"I am..so..rry," Zahra replied, with her tearful eyes.

He gripped her chin and pinned her eyes to his.

"Look at me and look well, I'm not good at entertaining disobedience. If I ever saw you disobeying me again, I won't waste a second to break your legs. Not even a second. All of these would be spared but you being my wife, thus under my direct authority, won't be spared. So do what I tell you to do, don't follow others," He threatened and the threat was nough for her to look down again.

"Look up, Zahra, for God's sake," Dua whispered in a low voice and Zahra immediately shot her head up. Tiny whimpers leaving her mouth as she scaredly looked at him, not being able to utter a word. Her neck was slightly pushed back as he was about to lunge her.

"Got me?" Irtaza asked in a low voice, nodding his head as he questioned her.

Only gibberish came out of her mouth. For a moment she thought, she never had a voice.

"Gghhh....jjhhh...jhh," Was her response as her abdomen shivered with her shallow breaths.

"Irtaza that's it for her. Move to the next." Their grandfather spoke, stopping him from further investigating her. He nodded his head in response.

"Why was I not informed about this little outing of yours?" He asked in general and stepped back towards the table.

They all looked down towards the floor. No one knew what to answer and even how to answer.

"We are so...ry bhai," Dua replied, stuttering.

"I don't want this word to be heard again during this whole session. Give me a fucking explanation, not your sorries." He jeered.

"We didn't...know we...had to inform you." Haya stammered.

"Well, in this case, we have our culprit here," he said, and before anyone could know a straight bullet landed to Haseeb's arm, which brushed off the side of his arm and landed straight to the wall behind them. Haseeb hissed and tightly held his arm.

Irtaza moved toward him and a straight punch was landed on his face but he didn't fall.

"Only because of your stupidity my sisters nearly got kidnapped today" he gritted, grabbing his collar and another punch landed on his face, causing his lips to break and blood to draw out.

"Brother of the most powerful mafia don is a stupid piece OF SHIT!" His voice got octaves high as another punch landed on his face.

"Despite my warning, you let Dua and Haya go alone. Despite my warning, you went out without fucking informing me when you already knew about the severity of the situation." He barked and punched him again.

"Are you a fucking fool, dumb who does not care about anything?!" And another punch landed on his face before Irtaza got away from him.

Haseeb was about to fall when Zahra instinctively grabbed his arm to support him which didn't go unnoticed by Irtaza. He pinched the bridge of his nose and narrowed his eyes at her, who immediately removed her hands from Haseeb and stood rigidly.

"Irtaza beta come to me in the morning. I have to discuss something with you. I should take my leave," Their grandfather said and left the office, closing the door behind him.

"Haseeb sharp 7 o'clock you will be joining me in the gym from tomorrow and until your summer breaks aren't over you will accompany me in both, business and mafia. Dua and Haya you are not allowed to leave the haveli for a week and after the week guards will always accompany you while leaving the haveli. Now you all may leave." He commanded and sat back on his black swivel office chair and began to play with the pencil. Four of them turned around and were about to leave the office when his next words stopped Zahra dead in her tracks.

"Not you Zahra,"