SULTANATE سلطنت

Hukmaraan-۲

" Uth gaye Begum Jaan?" A snarky voice reached her ears and she felt her throat parch up in fear.

" Aapko iss gareeb khaaney mein neend aayi ya apne Mahal ko miss kar rahi hain aap?" Dur Afshaan looked down at her hands, holding her dupatta closer as if saving herself.

" Dadajaan ne khoob aisho aaraam mein bada kiya hoga na aapko? Aakhir marhoom betey ki eklauti aulaad joh hain aap" Mahad taunted her and she did what she always does best.

Stay silent.

For her silence could avoid a lot of conflicts. That has never worked in her favour but atleast she got just yellings and not a raised hand.

Mahad sat like a wounded lion in the shadows, nursing his wounds. The rising sun cast a sinister glow on his frame, illuminating his outline like the dark angel that he is. Ready to avenge everyone who hurt him.

" Naam toh bata dein apne shohar ko ya zindagi bhar Begum Jaan se kaam chala lengi aap?" He raised from the huge chair slowly, deliberately.

His only motive to scare her and her flushed face was testimony to the fact that it was working.

" Behri hou ya bol nahi sakti? Kya kismat hain Mahad aapki, Wallah!" Mahad laughed derisively at himself and Dur Afshaan felt hot tears running down her face.

Tears of humiliation.

" Dur-rr" she said in a soft voice.

" I'm a bit hard of hearing darling and you already know about my naive trusting heart. After all you witnessed it first hand, right?" he pocketed his hands in his trousers, still dressed in last night's kurta pajamas.

A reminder of his shattered dreams. Of the betrayal at her family's hands.

" Dur Afshaan" she looked up at him with red eyes and Mahad had to steel himself against the innocence they portrayed.

The hazel grey eyes that could prove to be his doom if he was not careful.

Just like her family did.

" I was wrong last night. You're not ugly. You're breathtakingly beautiful with an even beautiful name..." he placed his knee on the bed and sat down with his other one still planted firmly on the floor.

But this little action caused a surge of panic through her and Dur Afshaan moved away from his presence, almost plastering herself on the head board.

" Maybe that was what has been used here as a weapon" he smiled sickly sweet at her and she feared him even more, clutching her dupatta closer.

Where was her shawl from last night? She felt exposed without it!

" Tell me, how many times has this happened? How many times has your beauty been used to lure in innocent men to be exploited by your family? How much money have you raised for your Dadajaan's political career?" Mahad said cruelly, not even realizing the poison he was spilling.

Dur Afshaan stilled hearing that accusation. She never had anything to her name but her character. Her pristine and spotless character and this man was raising fingers on that?

She may have forgiven him for everything else but not this.

Never this.

" Am I your first husband or have you invited other investors to your bed..." Mahad was slapped out of saying anything more by the one he was so callously accusing.

" How dare you!" He held her hand and pulled her to himself, trapping her struggling form beneath his body as he hovered above her.

" Chodein" Dur Afshaan cried in fear as he loomed over her, scared what he would do to her.