Chapter 24

       Taimur just came home from a business dinner. The whole penthouse was dark and there was pin-drop silence. Eva must have been asleep, otherwise, she would wait for him in the lounge.

     He headed straight towards the bedroom, only a night lamp was on in the room. Eva was fast asleep on the bed. He halted at the side of the bed where she was sleeping. He looked at her in the light of the lamp, she looked so pure and innocent.

     He was staring at her when he saw her face contort and then her body started jerking, Taimur realized it was one of those nightmares she had been having since the day she spent in the woods.

      "Robb!!!!! No!!!!!!! Please come back!!!!!!", Eva was screaming in her sleep.

    "Please Robb, Don't Leave me!!!!!!" She cried again.

     Taimur felt a pang of jealousy for Robb; he had been dead for more than 5 yrs, and here she was the woman Taimur had loved dreaming about him. "That's one lucky bastard", he thought.

    Eva had told him about Robb and why she had joined the secret service, the first time she woke up from the nightmare. The night he had brought her back from the woods. It had almost been a month since they returned from the ranch.

     Eva had wanted to go to her apartment, but he had already asked Haris to bring her stuff over to his penthouse. The farms were a different thing, he couldn't leave her free in the capital. All she would need to do was walk into her country's embassy and they would send her back home.

      And Taimur didn't want to lose her. He knew she didn't love him, she had faked everything but still, he wanted to keep her. He couldn't imagine letting her go. He wanted her, she was the only one who could satiate him. It didn't matter if she didn't love him the sexual chemistry between them could not be denied.

      The time they spent together was filled with passion. They couldn't keep their hands off each other. It was not the same as it was in the farmhouse because Taimur had business to attend to. But their nights were filled with passion.

         He didn't trust her anymore. Eva was not allowed to leave the penthouse alone. She was not allowed access to a telephone. Taimur had confiscated both her cellphones. She was only allowed to call her parents and that too in the presence of Taimur.

      Eva had protested against these restrictions but it was of no use. He was not in a mood to listen to anything regarding this matter. He made sure to take her out in the evenings, sometimes to movies, dinner or shopping.

       On the weekend they would spend the day making love and in the evening they would hit it out with Riyadh, Ayesha, Laila, and Haris. He made sure she spent time with the girls so as to not feel lonely.

         " Robb!!!!!!! No!!!!!!!Nooooo!!!!!!!!!!", Eva jerked up from sleep screaming.

       He took her in his arms and tried to calm her. Eva was still screaming and tears were rolling down her cheeks and were getting absorbed in his shirt.

     "Shhhhhh, it's ok. It's ok, I am here, everything is fine", He tried to soothe her.

    Eva lifted her head and looked in his eyes, and then she started crying again.

    " Help me", Eva whispered to him.

   "Yes baby, we will get you help don't worry everything will be fine", He said pressing Eva close to his chest.

     These nightmares were getting nasty each passing day. He had to do something about them. He thought of taking her to a therapist. The day Eva had spent in the woods lonely dreading what was going to happen, had triggered something hidden in her mind from her past.

     He calmed her down and put her to sleep. After he was sure she had slept he came out into the lounge and dialed Haris and sat on the sofa.

     "Haris I need you to approach the best psychiatrist in the city and make sure he is here at my apartment at 4 in the evening tomorrow", Taimur said as soon as he heard Haris speak.

      "Is the nightmare still not gone?" Haris asked, startled.

    " They are getting worse", He said.         " You have to take care of her, I don't think it's a good idea keeping her a prisoner", Haris said carefully enough to not enrage him.

     "She is not my prisoner Haris", Taimur snapped at him.

     "Then let her go, why are you keeping her against her will?" Hairs asked him.

    " Because I can't help it, I want her. And I can't imagine my life without her", Taimur said helplessly.

    "4 O'clock right?" Haris asked.       "Yeah, make sure he is on time", Taimur said and hung up.

     He came back to the bedroom. Eva was now fast asleep and he changed into his nightclothes. And came to bed, he took Eva in his arms and smelled her hairs. Her hair smelled so good, he was intoxicated with her smell. And he was not able to sleep until she was in her arms.

      When he woke up in the morning Eva was not in bed with him. This was the first night they didn't make love. He went straight to the kitchen after freshening up.

    Eva was busy in the kitchen making breakfast. He went straight to her and took her in his arms. He felt a sudden feeling of peace settling his heart. He felt home when they were in each other's embrace.

     He nuzzled her ear with his breath and kissed her cheek and said " Good Morning".

     Eva had relaxed in his arms. It didn't startle her anymore, she was getting used to it. " Good morning", she said.

      "You okk?" He asked her.

      "Yeah" she replied and gave him a peck on his lips.

       But as she was about to withdraw, Taimur held the back of her head with his hand and kissed her with you are my girl kind of kiss. By the time he pulled away, they both were panting for air.

      "What was that about", she asked smiling.

     "To remind you, that you belong to me. You are just mine", He said possessively.

     " Make sure you are free at 4 in the evening. There will be a therapist for you" he added.

     "What?" Eva looked at him like she didn't understand what he said.

       "You didn't remember do you?" He asked her.

      "Remember what?" She asked him.

     "You had the same nightmare last night. And after I had soothed you, you asked me to help you", Taimur said looking at Eva, who was watching her with wide eyes.

      "You are lying right?" She asked in disbelief.

      "No, why would I lie to Eva? I don't know but your nightmares are getting worse. Their frequency has increased. You scream and yell in your sleep. Then when you wake up, you cry your eyes out before going back to sleep", He said with a sigh.

     "No, this can't be true, now you are trying to prove I am mentally unstable. So no one believes what I say about you", She said bewildered.

     "Get a grip Eva, you think I will stoop so low?" He couldn't believe she thought him so low.

      "You have imprisoned me, against my will. You can do anything you want", she said weeping.

      Taimur looked at her in disbelief. "Was he so dishonorable?"  

      "What do you want?" He asked dreading that he won't like the answer.

      "I want to go home. I want you to let me go, I can't carry on like this. I feel like a whore", she said between sobs.         Yes, he mistreated her when he found the truth about her. But since the day she was lost in the woods, Taimur had treated her like a lady. Barring the restrictions he had placed on her.

     "And I have told you that is out of the question, you need anything I will provide for you. But you will stay with me", Taimur said and walked out of the kitchen.

      He was in a very bad mood, why didn't she see how he felt about her. How much he needed her. How possibly could he let her go?.

       It was one of the worst days for his staff. Taimur was yelling at everyone, he was unable to focus in the meetings. Once he just threw the coffee on his secretary because it was not as hot as he liked it.

      It was after lunchtime when Ahmed peeped into his office. "Can I come in?" He asked.

      "Not until you are ready to face the wrath", Taimur retorted. He knew how he was acting in the office because of the argument he had with Eva in the morning.

      There was no mistake of his staff, but he was using them as a punching bag. Firstly he was worried about Eva because of the nightmares she was having. He was also jealous of Robb, the guy was in his grave and still haunted the dreams of the woman Taimur was in love with.

         It was like Eva was with him but she still craved for Robb. She was still in love with Robb and was not ready to let go. Then she was accusing him of mistreating her and keeping her against her will.

        Though the later part was correct he was treating her in the way any honorable man treated a woman. He never took her against her will. Yes, he would seduce her but Eva never said a NO to him. She was always as eager as he was for her. "So was it really lust that she felt for him?"

     "I think I can handle it, I have been through worse", Ahmed said as he entered his office and sat on the chair across him.

    " You want to talk?" Ahmed asked.

     "No", he replied.

     " It really hurts when you love someone and they don't love you back", Ahmed said looking at him.

        "None of your business", Taimur replied, ohhh yes he was hurting bad but he won't let anyone know it was because of a woman.

     "I was with Haris when you called him last night", Ahmed said looking at him.

     " So what can I do about it", he snapped.

     " You can tell me what's going on? It helps when you speak to someone", Ahmed added.

     "I don't want to talk about it to anyone, not you, not Riyadh, not Haris", Taimur said with a sigh. He was tired of the constant mental stress.

      " You know, we care about you don't you? And we don't want to see you like this." Ahmed said as he sensed Taimur was giving up.

      "I know you guys care about me, I know you can't see me like this. But I have to deal with this myself and I am trying to but as you know, I am not a man of emotions. I still have to figure out what I want", He said and rested his head on the back of his chair.

    " It's going to be ok, Taimur. I know you are a strong man. You will figure out a way. But you need to stay calm. These emotional outbursts are not good for you in the long run", Ahmed said sympathizing.

    "Do you know how much everyone in the office is dreading you? You are ruthless I know, but you have always been truly professional where business was concerned", Ahmed stopped and looked at him " But what you did today with your Secretary was very unprofessional and against the ethics".

      "I am sorry, it's just that she drives me crazy. She pushes me to the edges till I lose control" He said, shutting his eyes for a few seconds as if he was trying to shut out his thoughts.

      "Come we will grab something to eat. I know you didn't have lunch. And you also skipped your breakfast", Ahmed said rising from his chair.

       " Did Eva call you?" Taimur asked, startled.

      "Yeah, how the hell would I know you skipped breakfast", Ahmed said smiling.

     They left his office, Ahmed wanted to go to the Italian restaurant near their office. Taimur just agreed to it. He was famished, and he needed to eat if he wanted to keep a sane mind.

      As they came out of the building and onto the pavement, Ahmed was walking beside him and he turned towards Taimur when he noticed something on his headscarf. And before Taimur could understand what was happening Ahmed was in front of him and had pushed him to the ground.

      Taimur then heard the voice as if something cracked, he watched in horror as Ahmed was stumbling to the ground. His guards were all around them. And Ahmed's head was in Taimur's lap, blood gushing out of the wound from the bullet shot.