Mafia Indebted (Dark Romance)

Chapter 11

    "Good girl." He commented, his tone laced with satisfaction. "There is was an accident involving the supposed bus that you were on from Sialkot yesterday in the evening." He started, catching her off guard. She frowned in confusion.

Why is he telling this?

"My team of rescuers saved you and the rest in time before serious damage could be done. We had most of you people brought in here after the accident. There is a celebratory gala in the honor of the victims that survived this horrible tragedy. All the victims will be at the Grand Hotel Islamabad. Your family will also be there."

"Why are you telling me all this?" she whispered in utter confusion, unable to put two and two together.

He gave her a small smile, his hand reaching towards her face which caused her to flinch away. His fingers gently tucked a rebellious strand behind her ear. The gesture was kind but his eyes weren't. they were cold and callous as always.

"You were on that bus. You are also a victim. I invited your parents. Tonight, I shall announce my engagement to you in front of the media. I will give you a few moments of privacy with your parents to explain your engagement to me." he stated with a straight face.

Her stomach dropped as all the blood fled from her face. "P-please don't do this. Don't do this to me. It isn't fair. I need more time." she beseeched.

Shehryaar smirked—he liked her begging him like this. All along he had seen her fighting spirit and bravery but he didn't see her beg once and now he reveled in it.

"You said it yourself that you will let me go home and give me time."

"Yes well, I changed my mind. After all, you don't deserve my generosity." He shrugged, looking nonchalant.

"Please, it's not right. I will lose the respect I hold in my parents' eyes this way. They will think that I already knew you and planned it. Please, it will hurt them. Please don't make me do this." She begged, tears brimming in her eyes. It would be too disrespectful for her as well as her parents if he carried this out. Without proper courting, it wasn't considered decent or appropriate. Shehryaar wasn't thinking of the consequences Anissa would have to deal with it. She would earn her parents' displeasure and disapproval if she went with what he said.

But their lives were at stake here. She couldn't risk that. She's seen firsthand the horrors and terror Shehryaar unleashed upon her for simply fighting for her rights and freedom and by now she knew that she shouldn't incur his wrath any further. His grey eyes danced with delight at her disposition. "Unless you want me to kill your parents, you will do exactly as I say. I don't care what you feel or what happens, all I know is that I want you and I will have you." He declared. He wasn't bluffing when he made the threat on her parents' lives and she didn't want to challenge him on it as well.

Anissa was beyond shocked at his displace of carelessness and self-centeredness. He was a certified psychopath. Her disgust and hate for him grew tenfold.

"Tomorrow we will have our Nikkah." He announced. Anissa felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach.

"You still want to marry me?" she whispered in disbelief, unable to find her voice. He gave her a small empty smile, his eyes calculating as they studied her face.

"And why wouldn't i? I won't lie though; I am still pissed that some one dared to taint what's mine but don't worry, that will be rectified soon enough. Nothing will change my mind." He replied. Anissa felt like a cold bucket of water was splashed on her. His words hurt her feelings more then they should've. What's this? Why do I feel this way?

"I don't care if you were raped. I will still marry only and only you." His response was so cold that Anissa felt shivers run down her spine. How could he plainly say it to her face that he didn't care if she raped or not, his desire was only her. Was his ego that important? Is that what you say to a rape victim?

Victim . . . . She was beginning to feel like a victim once again at the hands of Shehryaar.

She couldn't believe how much Shehryaar displayed such heartlessness. Did the man hold no sense of empathy or a moral compass? He was proving to be every bit the psychopath that Anissa thought.

For Anissa, love wasn't one of the criteria for marriage—she always thought that marriage should be based on honesty and mutual understanding and what Shehryaar was offering were only lies and deceit.

"Besides, you're so f*****g beautiful. Why wouldn't I want you?" he muttered, his grey eyes clearly displaying his lust as he looked at her body shamelessly. Her heart jolted as his gaze.

"B-but you're not husband material. Do you even know what marriage entails?" she questioned. Shehryaar scoffed and gripped her chin rather roughly. "I'll be the judge of that. You don't need to worry because these things are irrelevant. They don't matter."

"They do matter!" she hissed. Her anger flaring up again.

He smirked and released her chin."Now, do as I say. When we meet with your parents, let me do the talking. All you have to do is agree with me."

"Why are you doing this?" she began to choke on the tears that spilled from her eyes.

"Payback baby," he whispered, grabbing her chin and elevating her eyes to his level. "Your parents humiliated me by rejecting my marriage proposal. Now they will have no choice but to accept it and that to in front of the whole world." He claimed intrepidly.

"Why are you doing this? What did me or my family ever do to you?" she sobbed, suddenly grabbing him by his collar. He was taken aback for a split second but quickly recovered and removed her hands from his collar.

"If you value your family's lives, then you will treat me with respect otherwise there will be consequences Anissa." He spat venomously. She shivered, terror gripping her entire being.

There was no going back. She was trapped.

"Now get ready. You have twenty minutes. After dinner we leave for Islamabad." He said and left the room.

She cried but obeyed. Getting dressed into the suit that arrived with the stylist, she continued to cry even when the stylist did her makeup. From her disheveled condition, the stylist had a hard time with putting on her makeup but managed to get her ready within the time limit. But Anissa didn't care.

If he doesn't care then I don't care either.

She continued to cry but became silent when Shehryaar came to retrieve her from her room. When they were seated at the table, tears kept on spilling from her eyes. When food was presented to her, she didn't touch it but one dangerous glare from Shehryaar had her putting food in her mouth and swallowing it without the slightest attempt at tasting.

When she was seated in a black Escalade and drove out of the Estate, she realized that they were in a farmhouse that was located almost two hours outside of Islamabad. There was complete silence in the car. Shehryaar made no attempt to console Anissa as she continued to sob and he was completely unfazed by it.

At around 8 am they arrived at the Hotel Grand. Shehryaar led Anissa to the master suite and handed Anissa her cell phone. "You have exactly ten minutes to compose yourself. The Gala has already started. Now hurry up." He ordered harshly and left her in the ensuite.

She looked at herself in the huge bathroom mirror. All her makeup was smudged and her eyes resembled that of a panda as streaks of black ran down her cheeks. The bruises from Shehryaar's slaps that were effectively hidden under the deep layers of makeup became visible. Quickly, she cleared her face and corrected her makeup as best as she could. She didn't bother much with it. Taking in deep breaths, she tried to calm her nerve down.

She couldn't believe that she was about to lie to her parents. What would I say to them? How will I explain this situation to them? Her thoughts were in chaos.

Her conscience was in shambles. She had lied but only little white lies. Not a lie that was on such a huge scale. Just the thought of marrying that psychopath had her nerves on edge. She felt bile rise in her throat and immediately flew to the toilet, emptying all the contents of her dinner. Was it the prospect of lying leaving a bitter taste in her stomach or the vomit?

Oh God, please forgive me for what that psychopath is about to make me do. She prayed silently. She rinsed her mouth several times. With one last look at the mirror, she took a deep breath and exited the bathroom.

Shehryaar was waiting for her in the bedroom. His heart fluttered when he saw the gorgeous brunette walk towards him. He felt so pleased with the way things were going. He was now close to his endgame. Anissa approached him and carefully brought his hand and touched her cheek. She resisted the urge to run away from him.

"Do not say anything. Especially not a word to your family. Once they inquire about us, simply tell them that you have fallen in love with me and with the incident and me rescuing you, you want to marry me. That's our story." He stipulated. Anissa resisted the urge to gag. She couldn't believe how smoothly he told her to lie without any resolve.

"Fail to follow orders Anissa," he started, his tone dead serious. "And I will shoot your parents right in front of you and what's more, you won't be my wife tomorrow, no, you will be my w***e and I will make your life a living hell that you would pray for death everyday but I wouldn't grant it." He spoke, his threats deep and ostentatious, leaving no room for argument.

"Zameer!" he roared, causing Anissa to flinch.

A tall lean man with dark hair and eyes entered the room. His handsome face was expressionless and eyes cold—he exuded the same terrorizing and powerful aura but not as terrifying as Shehryaar.

"This man will be watching your every move like a hawk. Any funny business from your side and I've instructed him to shoot down your parents immediately." Shehryaar stated frigidly.

And I'm supposed to marry this heartless man?

She wanted to desperately hit him and yell out her opinions but she knew better—her whole family and herself were being held hostage and for now, all that mattered to her was the safety and well being of her parents.

Shehryaar exited the room first and after ten minutes, Zameer led Anissa out to the grand hall. Everything was grand, from the polished shinning Victorian furniture to the glittering silver on the white tables, everything was put to perfection. But to Anissa, it held no charm. Her stomach was in knots and only one thought rushed in her mind: how will things turn out tonight. She thought sadly.

Zameer kept his distance but she could feel his dark eyes on her constantly. As the guests mingled, she tried to get a hold of her feelings.

"Here." Zameer handed her a glass of water. She was surprised at his gesture. She saw his eyes soften in pity at her state. But she didn't lower her guard. For someone who was ordered to hurt her family, she couldn't bring herself to trust him yet his gesture made her nerves calm a bit. "You look like you're about to pass out at any moment bhabi." He exclaimed. He called her bhabi, sister, that meant he showed her respect. With a small smile, she accepted the glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Zameer went back to his original station and kept his eyes ever so watchful on Anissa.

There were many people around especially the bus accident victims who were being given special privilege since some of them were injured. There were many people with cameras and microphones filming and interviewing the incident victims. Some even tried to approach Anissa but were shooed away by Zameer. She was grateful for that because she has no idea what she should be doing and Zameer was helping her out as much as he could.

"Where are my parents?" She inquired from Zameer, her eyes frantically scanning the sea of faces.

"They'll be arriving soon." Was his candid reply.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention please." A middle aged man spoke from a distant tall stage, getting everyone's attention immediately. "As we all know, a terrible accident had taken place yesterday in a bus that carried volunteer helpers from Islamabad General Hospital. Thankfully, there weren't any casualties but a few were injured. We are very grateful for the Indus Fighters' help as well as from members of the MMM party who were around the area during a campaign and helped with the rescue. Therefore, without further wait, I shall like the honour of our host, Mr. Shehryaar Ghulari to grace us with his presence." The man introduced and stepped aside.

Anissa's heart pounded as Shehryaar approached the podium, looking breathtakingly handsome in his black tux. He held so much authority that his entire being screamed power. The whole crowd burst into applause as the cameras flashed and many journalists began to sprout questions at him but the rise of his hand in the air has the whole hall in silence.

He gave a small smirk, his gray eyes that sparkled under the spot lights landed on Anissa, taunting and mocking her to see how great he was. Anissa shivered in self-consciousness and immediately looked away. Her eyes once again began to scan the area for the familiar faces of her parents.

"Thank you. It's my pleasure to be here and host this gala for the wonderful people who make our country great." He stated, his demeanor so saccharine that it disgusted Anissa. He had a certain charisma that Anissa couldn't deny but what she was witnessing right now as Shehryaar continued to praise the work of the volunteers in the bus that she couldn't help but think how bipolar he was. In front of her, he was heartless and in front of the world he was portraying himself to be a charming gentleman who loved helping those in need but she knew better. Of course she could plainly see that there really was an accident and the injured people around her were proof that he really did help them. She felt a sort of respect for Shehryaar blossom in her wounded heart and pride but she didn't dwell on it too much.

She has her own self to worry about. For all she knew, he must've been responsible for the accident to begin with in order to create a perfect scene to deceive those around him and get better publicity. Seeing as he's a famous and wanted personality, it could all be a plot for all she knew.

This confirms it. This guy is a psychopath. I can't possibly spend my life with him. I need to grab my parents and make a run for it.

"Bhabi," she was startled upon Zameer's voice coming from behind her.

"Your parents are here. Let me escort you to them." He said quietly. She immediately nodded and followed him. He led her to a room and as soon as the door opened, she saw her parents. Her mother began sobbing loudly and quickly hugged Anissa.

"Oh my bacha!" She cried. "I thought that we lost you."

Anissa couldn't hold it in anymore and broke in her mother's embrace. "Ammi!" She choked and held onto her mother like her life depended on it, ignoring that her injuries on her shoulders were burning from the tight embrace.

"Now now bacha. I know that you are shaken. We are so grateful that you are safe and unharmed." Her father said, his voice breaking as a lone tear fell from his eye.

She looked at her father from her mother's quaking shoulders. Her heart broke from the state in which she saw her parents. They were truly worried for her.

Releasing her mother, she quickly ran to her father and side hugged him tightly. Mr. Musa was taken aback from the sudden gesture of closeness from his daughter seeing as she had never hugged him before in her life but Anissa only sought comfort and warmth from her family.

"Now now Ainnie. You are my brave daughter. You do not cry. You are very strong." He cooed to her, gently patting her head.

If only I could tell you Abu. I'm about to be sentenced to a life of torment.

"We are so grateful to Shehryaar for saving you. I don't know how we could ever repay him. If he wasn't there then I don't know what would've happened." Her mother shared. Anissa resisted the urge to scoff. "He also invited us here." Her mother gently touched her shoulder.

Anissa released her father and looked at Her mother. She gasped when she saw Anissa face carefully. Viewing the bruises on her cheeks, more tears began to leak from her eyes as she slipped Anissa in her arms again.

The door burst open and Shehryaar walked in along with Zameer and an old lady. She had a soft kind smile gracing her cute little wrinkly face. Her brown eyes shone from the spectacles she wore. She was short and fairer in comparison to the tall men around her and an aura of gentleness radiated from her being. But she looked deathly pale and frail. Her skin hung loosely on her face and hands. There were dark bags under her eyes. There was also a young woman dressed in a white uniform, a nurse possibly, standing beside her.

Who is this?

Shehryaar approached them and shook hands with Mr. Musa who was smiling at Shehryaar with a look of gratitude shining in his eyes. Shehryaar helped the sickly old lady to sit on a nearby sofa. The nurse quickly put a face mask on her mouth and the old lady panted heavily. Anissa felt sorry for her and wanted to ask her if she was alright but she could tell that the lady was sick and it was Struggle for her to stand or sit properly.

Why did he bring this lady here? Can't he see that she's sick.

She was brought out of her thoughts when he father hugged Shehryaar. "Thank you so much for helping our daughter. We really have no words. I don't know how ever we could repay you, Mr. Ghulari."

"Please call me Shehryaar, sir." He said with respect. He was smiling and a charming look came upon his face. He stood tall with his shoulders squared. Anissa felt the urge to hide behind her mother.

"Actually, I called you here so that I could talk to you about something important. This here is my mother." He said and sat beside the lady on the sofa. She removed the mask from her mouth and smiled weakly at them.

"This accident has made me realise something. Your daughter means a lot to me sir. I meant it when I came to you with my proposal and just to show you that I am serious, I brought my mother to meet with you." He started, a soft genuine look entering his gray eyes when he saw the old lady as she placed the gas mask back on her mouth. Anissa couldn't point out any physical similarities between Shehryaar and the old lady. She couldn't possibly be his mother but from the look that Shehryaar was giving the old lady, she could easily tell that she meant a lot to him.

"Please, I love your daughter and this accident would've made me lose her. If I wasn't there in time then I don't even want to think about what could've happened." He drawled, a look of pain entering his features that didn't touch his eyes.

He's acting. Oh my God! How is he doing this? One moment he's a heartless tyrant then a charmer and now acting as if he was in pain with the mere thought of losing me? What the hell is wrong with this guy?

But she was betrayed badly when her parents bought his act as they eyed each other. Mr. Musa nodded when his wife passed him a knowing smile of acknowledgement.

"Surely, we cannot deny that son. You've done a great deed." He said.

"My son really loves your daughter." The old lady started, her voice low and gentle. "I have never seen him so hurt and broken when he heard about the accident and that Anissa was also one of the victims." She told, her voice breaking and her eyes shimmering with sincerity.

Anissa gawked at the old lady with disbelief.

Is this woman also a part of the act? How can she say that. Surely she knows that I wasn't in any accident. Or has Shehryaar also threatened her to act out the part of being his mother?

But she couldn't miss the look of genuine concern in the old woman's soft brown eyes.

"With your permission, please allow my son to marry your daughter. I know that he came to you before with his marriage proposal. I couldn't accompany him at the time because I was in poor health. But seeing your lovely daughter being brought back from the jaws of death, I would want nothing but to make her my daughter." She drawled breathlessly, giving Anissa a kind warm smile.

Anissa only gawked at the lady with wide eyes. This woman deserves an oscar for her performance.

But the goodness of her heart couldn't deny the old lady. She felt sympathy and pity for the cute little lady who was panting deeply to catch her breath after her little speech.

Her parents were clearly smitten and convinced by now.

"I think we would like that." Her mother stated. "We cannot thank you enough for bringing our daughter back to us. It's the least we can do." She continued.

No no no. Ami please don't fall into their trap.

She looked at her mother with pleading eyes but she didn't recognise it. She wanted to take her parents and run from there but she was being held captive. Shehryaar saw her looking at her mother with plight and stood up from the old lady's side. carefully, only for Anissa to see, his hand went up to his waist were she knew his holsters hung and rested there. His eyes warned her in silence,his cold eyes challenging her to try and defy him.

Keeping Shehryaar's threat in mind, she kept her mouth shut.

"With your permission, I would like the nikkah to be held first thing tomorrow." He said, his eyes sharply fixated on Anissa.

"That soon! Surely you cannot think it possible son." Mr. Musa spoke in bewilderment.

"On the contrary sir. I want it as soon as possible and I cannot risk it anymore. I came very close to losing your daughter and I do not want that again. Please do not deny me this." He beseeched, his voice sounded broken and filled with so much plight but his eyes were the same; cold and calculating.

How can he act so convincingly? She was unable to understand the working of Shehryaar's mind.

"But still son. We need time to prepare." Her mother tried to reason.

"Don't worry about anything. I want to take your daughter with full honour and dignity. A simple nikkah ceremony with close friends and family will do. Don't worry about the expenses. I have that covered. All I want is your permission." Shehryaar implored. He sounded so impulsive and immature.

"My mother's health is failing and it's her request that I marry. She's suffering from terminal pancreatic cancer and It's already spread to her lungs and I don't know for how long she'll be able to last." He said, his eyes landing in the old lady. Anissa swallowed.her stomach knotted with fear and confusion and her heart hammered badly against her ribcage.

How can this bastard use that old lady's condition to his advantage? How can he be this ruthless?

He was clearly guilt tripping her parents into agreeing with him. But she couldn't judge him especially when she didn't know whether or not the old lady was genuine. But if she really was suffering from pancreatic cancer, Anissa knew how fatal this type of cancer was.

This whole situation was so perfectly designed. Whether it was an act or not, Shehryaar was successful in conning her parents.

Mr. Musa sighed. "Can we at least have a week. We still need to prepare a little. we aren't ready to let our daughter go just yet and she has been an accident she's clearly shaken. Give us till Sunday. We can hold the Nikkah as well rukhsati ceremony together." He declared.

Anissa'a heart stopped at her father's words.

I'm doomed.

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