SS: For You I Will - COMPLETE Page 14 - Page 7

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CHAPTER SIX

Asad and Hafez face each other as Zoya and the workers look on in horror-stricken silence. Hafez rolls his head to stretch out his neck muscles while Asad clenches and unclenches his fists.

"She's just a woman," Hafez says. "Are you really willing to risk your life for her?"

"She's not 'just' anything," Asad growls. "Her worth is greater than filth like you could ever understand."

Hafez looks past Asad to Zoya kneeling on the floor. The look he gives her is so insolent she pulls Asad's jacket closer around her.

"Really? Then I'm sorry we didn't have more time together." He gives Asad a taunting smile. "She looks quite comfortable on her knees. It must be a position she's in often."

Asad roars like the lion he's named after and charges Hafez. Asad's shoulder catches Hafez in his diaphragm and knocks him back several feet. Hafez brings his doubled-handed fist down onto Asad's back, dropping him to his knees. The bully follows up with an undercut to Asad's jaw. Asad's head jerks back, giving Hafez another opening to his face. Hafez lands a hard blow to Asad's eye socket. Asad sways but stays upright.

Hafez twists his body in a roundhouse kick, his foot level with Asad's jaw. Asad jerks back, avoiding Hafez's brutal blow. Hafez struggles to keep his footing. Asad takes advantage of Hafez's loss of balance and kicks out at his injured knee. Hafez falls onto his backside. Asad follows up with another mule kick. The sickening crack of Hafez's kneecap breaking is accompanied by his shriek of pain.

Hafez pulls himself up to his good knee but he is handicapped by his damaged leg. Still, he's close enough to punch Asad in the stomach. Asad grunts but doesn't allow the blow to detract him. He slides away from Hafez and springs to his feet. Asad brings his knee up into Hafez's jaw, making the bully's head snap back. It's the opening Asad needs. He begins to rain close-fisted blows to Hafez's face and chest.

At first, Hafez fights back, blocking blows and even landing hits to Asad's midsection, but he's at a disadvantaged by his broken knee. Asad is relentless, ignoring Hafez's weakening attempts to defend himself. A moment later Hafez crumples to the floor.

"Stop! Mr. Khan, stop!" Zoya calls out. "He's unconscious."

Still Asad continues, his breathing harsh and audible. Blood spills from Hafez's mouth and nose, his arms lay helplessly outstretched and his body lies like a broken puppet, almost without support, as though his bones are unable to hold his form.

"Mr. Khan, you're going to kill him!" Zoya cries out again.

Asad ignores her and continues to take out his rage on the now defenseless Hafez. Zoya drags herself to her feet and staggers over to Asad.

"Please stop!" She grabs Asad's arm.

He flings her away, breaking her hold on him. Zoya cries out as she is thrown backwards. Her scream finally penetrates Asad's blind fury and he turns away from Hafez.

"Zoya!"

She lands with a pain-filled sob. Several of the workers reach down to her.

"Don't touch her!" Asad snarls, his voice high and panicked.

He crosses the room in a single leap, separating the men from Zoya. He brings his fists up in a fighter's stance. His knuckles are torn and his hands are streaked with blood but his arms are steady, ready to take on any threat. The men pull back, heads bowed, their painfully thin shoulders stooped and unthreatening. Asad does not ease his guard.

"Get out!" he barks. "Get out now!"

The men hurry out of the little house. Asad watches them go, keeping Zoya safely at his back. It's not until they've all left that his tense frame unlocks and he turns to her.

"Are you okay?" he demands. "Did I hurt you?"

She shakes her head, still catching her breath.

"Talk to me, say something!" He kneels besides her, brushing the hair off her face and watching her, his expression tight and tense. "Did I hurt you?"

Hafez's blows show on Asad's face. His eye socket is discolored and a bruise blooms on his cheek. A slight wheeze to his breathing indicates that Hafez did some damage to his chest but Asad seems otherwise fine.

"I...I'm okay." Zoya finally takes in a deep breath. "I didn't hear your car come up."

He smoothes her hair down repeatedly, as if the action helps him calm himself. "That's because I hid it near the bottom of the path. I didn't want to alert Hafez and give him a chance to get away."

She nods which causes his hand to skim her bruised temple. She winces and he jerks his hands away.

"Did I hurt you?" he asks again.

"I'm fine," she assures him. "Did you find me by listening on the phone?"

He nods. "I heard everything. I heard him hit you and how he threatened you. And I heard your screams." He shuts his eyes as a shudder shakes his frame. It takes a few seconds for him to regain his composure. When he opens his eyes again, they are moist and slightly unfocused. "I'll hear your screams in my nightmares for weeks to come."

She reaches out to him, her hand slow and steady, as though trying not to alarm a vicious beast. Asad stays perfectly still until she gently, carefully lays her hand against his jaw, her thumb lightly stroking against his chin. He tilts his head into her hand and presses his face against her palm, like a cat wanting to be stroked

"You were so brave," he says, looking directly into her eyes. "You stayed calm even when he was abusing you. If you hadn't told me what direction to drive, how far to go and to follow the electricity line, I--" He breaks off, the fear he is incapable of verbalizing showing clearly in his eyes.

"I stayed calm because I knew you were there. I knew you'd save me." She strokes his jaw again. "My Mr. Khan would never desert me when I needed him."

Asad shudders again. They are both silent for a minute, kneeling close together, Zoya's hand still on his face, Asad leaning in so close their foreheads almost touch. Finally Zoya pulls away, grimacing as her damaged arm jars from the movement. Asad jerks out of his emotional trance.

"We have to get you to a doctor." He shifts to her less injured side and gathers her into his arms.

She wiggles free. "No, we have to go back to the factory. Ravi is still there."

"Ravi is a worm," Asad says viciously. "I'll take care of him. I'm going to drag him out of his dirt hole and squeeze him until his organs explode. But not until you're safe." He reaches for her.

She pushes him away. "I am safe. I have you. But who will protect those women and children?"

"They have their husbands and fathers." He catches her hand, not allowing her to put distance between them. "The men are on their way back to the shanty already."

"The men weren't enough before." Zoya tries to pull back but her movements are jerky and disjointed. She grimaces again and her damaged lip begins to ooze fresh blood.

"Don't worry about them. Hafez isn't a threat anymore. We have to get you to a doctor." Asad reaches out to touch her bloody lip but Zoya turns her head away.

"That's fine for now but what about tomorrow?" she demands. "What will happen when Hafez heals from your beating or when Ravi finds another monster to abuse those poor people?"

"I'll call Mr. Gill and explain what happened." Asad's voice is impatient now. "He'll take care of this."

"Are you sure?"

Asad tries to gather her up a third time but Zoya still wiggles away.

"Yes, I'm sure," he snaps. "I'll call him tomorrow. I can't worry about them now. You need a doctor."

"No, you have to worry about them. I won't leave until I know they're safe." Zoya's eyes are dull with pain but they still glitter with her conviction.

Asad just stares at her for a moment. Then he shakes his head as if to clear it.

"You want me to call Mr. Gill now? Now?" Asad's voice rises. "While you're sitting here bleeding and in pain? How can you even think of anyone else at a time like this?"

Tears spill out her eyes. "Because I am bleeding and in pain. If he's done this to me, what has he done to them? I'm a strong girl. I can handle the abuse he inflicted on me but I can't take knowing those poor people suffered the same and more. Please, Mr. Khan, why won't you help them?"

Asad locks his jaw, fighting for self-control. He takes a deep breath and speaks through his gritted teeth. "Fine. If I call Mr. Gill and get his promise that he'll protect his people, will you let me take you to a hospital?"

She nods silently.

He glares at her as he yanks his phone out of his pocket. "If you weren't so bruised I'd shake some sense into you. You're supposed to worry about yourself first before you worry about others."

"I don't have to worry about myself. I have you," she says with soft sincerity.

Asad freezes, phone half-way to his mouth. He stares at her until Mr. Gill comes on the line.

"Hello? Hello?" Mr. Gill's voice sounds far-away over the phone connection.

Asad blinks and comes out of his daze. He brings the phone to his ear. "Mr. Gill, this is Asad Ahmed Khan. Ignore my previous call. Your factory is a mess and your workers are being badly abused."

"What?" Mr. Gill's shock is so great they can both hear it over the phone line. "You told me everything was fine less than half an hour ago!"

Zoya presses close to Asad to put her ear against his phone. Asad brings the phone down and presses the speaker button but doesn't move away from her.

"I said that because your worthless son took Zoya from me." Asad snarls.

"Zoya?" Mr. Gill asks.

"She came to the factory with me. That good-for-nothing brat said he wouldn't give her back unless I lied to cover up his greed and cruelty." Asad makes no effort to hide his anger

"My God." Mr. Gill's voice rises. "Is she alright?"

Asad is about to answer when they hear a car door slam shut. Zoya and Asad look out the window to see Ravi swagger up the path. He holds his head high and he has the nerve to whistle as he hurries up to the house.

Zoya glances over to when Hafez lays unconscious and bleeding. "Ravi doesn't know that Hafez is out cold or that the workers have gone back to their families."

"That self-centered bas***d." Asad's voice shakes with his fury. "Looking so smug and confident, thinking he has the upper hand. Does he really believe I'd abandon you to Hafez?"

"Hafez? Who is Hafez?" Mr. Gill's words spill over each other. "I don't know anyone named Hafez. What's going on? Is my son safe?"

Asad ignores Mr. Gill, his whole focus on the unsuspecting Ravi.

"I warned him I wouldn't spare him if anything happened to you. He won't get away from me this time." Asad's voice is savage with anticipation.

They watch Ravi saunter closer and closer. Asad's eyes glitter with unholy light and his body goes tense, like a tiger waiting to pounce on prey.

Mr. Gill is still on the phone. "I've ordered my driver to turn around. I'll be there soon. What is happening? Where is my son? Is your Zoya okay?"

Asad responds but his attention never wavers from Ravi. "No, Mr. Gill, she's not okay. Your son ordered Hafez, his factory foreman, to hurt her badly. She needs medical attention."

"No!" Mr. Gill gasps. "That can't be true. Please, my son couldn't do that."

"But he did. And now he's going to pay for what he's done to her." Asad's voice is stone cold, contrasting his burning eyes.

"Please, don't do anything hasty," Mr. Gill pleads. "Stay calm. My managers and I are almost back at the factory."

"We're not at the factory. We're a mile --" Asad glances at Zoya "-- or a kilometer and a half past the factory. Follow the power line to the house at the top of the hill."

"Please tell me, will Zoya be okay?" Mr. Gill asks.

Another shudder passes through Asad. "Yes, she'll be fine." His words are hard and firm, more a vow than a statement. "But I will make no such guarantees about your son."

Asad turns off the phone, cutting off Mr. Gill's pleas, his face a mask of icily-controlled fury.

Chapter 7: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/78872706

Author's Notes: I'm sorry I didn't post on Friday as I normally do. This was a crazy week. As always, all mistakes are mine and made accidentally. This story is not intended to hurt anyone's feelings, culture or beliefs. Next update is on Friday morning (New York time) really!

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