Chapter 115: Nervous

Her chest heaved up and down, her heart pounding intensely. Her face turned paler and

paler, her head light, hands clammy, toes squirming, eyes wide, mind in utter chaos.

"I tried running away," she abruptly said. She couldn't mentally brace herself for his torture.

She didn’t know what got into her. Her hands moved, and she hugged him tightly. Her frame

began to shiver with hiccups as her tears soaked his shirt.

She felt helpless. She felt bound. She realized, she had nowhere to go. All the paths of her life

led to him. She felt restrained. She was clueless about her future. She was anxious. She did

not know what to do now.

She tried to control her tears, tried to step away from him, but she was too afraid to face his

wrath. She loathed herself for crying in the arms of her tormentor, yet she held him tight. So

tight. As if, hoping her tears, her desperate situation would move him. A little, at least.

She felt an arm wrapping around her frame, and she whimpered while sobbing. A hand

began to run along her back, soothing her. The hand kept on soothing her until her sobs

softened to small cries, and they too faded. The tears that had glistened in her eyes dried as

she slowly began to pull away from him.

Afraid he would begin to question her now for the reason behind her attempt to escape, her

mind couldn’t come up with a story.

Gathering all the helplessness she felt within her eyes, she stared at him.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, her voice dry.

He stepped forward, and she flinched, stepping back.

She felt so weak. So vulnerable. Caged. It was the moment she began to accept that her life

was completely restrained. She was under someone else's command. She had no right over

her life now.

Standing closer to her, he moved the pad of his thumb and cleared her tears. His lips moved,

placing a kiss on the crown of her head.

"I don’t want to see you crying tonight, Sheharzaad," he whispered, enveloping her in a hug.

...

Every minute, she would steal a glance at him as he sat next to her, tapping his fingers

against his thigh while the driver maneuvered the car along the road.

His daunting presence and dominance were palpable. His aura surrounded him. He seemed

oblivious to her plight, her inner turmoil.

He seemed oblivious to her fear.

The tears that would occasionally escape from her eyes she would quickly wipe away.

Tears of terror.

Anxiety.

Anticipation.

And prayer.

She hoped everything would be fine. She prayed he wouldn’t ask the reason for her escape.

She prayed he wouldn’t suddenly start staring at her blankly.

His blank stare held the power to make the ground slip beneath her feet. She couldn’t bear

it.

What worried her was his calmness. He didn’t show any reaction to her attempt to escape.

That could either mean he forgave her or he was waiting for the right moment to confront

her, and right now wasn’t the time for him to comfortably torture her.

"I'm going to introduce you to my family," was all he answered when she asked where he

was taking her.

One glance at him told her how cool and calm he was. Legs crossed, eyes on the window, fist

resting against his lips, fingers occasionally drumming on his knees.

She was staring at him with fearful eyes when he suddenly looked back at her, making her

breath hitch.

His eyes noticed her pale face, a streak of dried tear imprinted on her cheek. He

remembered calling the stylist to fix her appearance before they left for the haveli.

She immediately looked down, playing with the hem of her shirt. Her chest rose and fell

with anxiety. Then, from her peripheral vision, she saw him extending his palm toward her,

making her look up again. Her lashes fluttered between his hand and his face, her lips

slightly parted. Reluctantly, she took his hand as he pulled her closer, so she sat just next to

him, leaving no space between them. His scent completely surrounded her.

Letting go of her hand, he placed his arm on the armrest, and she looked down again. She

thought he wouldn’t push her further, but already, he was grasping her chin, lifting her

head.

"What happened?" he asked, more like an elder asking a troubled child.

"N-nothing."

"Really?" he mimicked her, shaking his head and letting go of her chin, so she was now

looking at him.

"Actually...I'm just a little nervous, that’s all."

"Just a little?"

She bit her lips, blinking repeatedly. His eyes flickered from her eyes to her lips, which were

held captive between her teeth.

"Don’t do that again," he said, releasing her lip from her teeth, "not when I’m around."

She gulped audibly.

"I-I won’t do it."

"Good. So, tell me, why are you 'a little' nervous?"

"I...actually...I haven’t been in such a situation before, that’s why."

"Don’t be nervous, little lady," he murmured while tracing her brow with his thumb.

It wasn’t just nervousness she felt. It was a mountain of anxiety, fear, and anticipation. What

if he found out about her plans?

Oh god!

She was so scared. And the fear had brought an intense timidity in her, making it difficult to

speak in front of him.

"Yes," she replied in a hushed voice.

"Hmm. Good. What were you doing while I was away?" he asked casually, and she thought

he was referring to her attempt to escape.

"I...was...I...was," she stammered, repeatedly saying the words, "I didn’t mean to escape. I’m

sorry."

"My beautiful Zaad," he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, "that wasn’t my question.

Though, I surely will ask you about the tiny attempt you made to escape, but it’s not the

right time," he whispered and smiled.

Her eyes gave him a pleading look, but she nodded. Their gaze was broken when the

driver’s voice interrupted the intense moment.

"Sir, we have reached the haveli."