The Past That Haunts
Asad banged open his apartment door as he got out the lift. His body seethed with anger, with emotions. He needed to take a shower as soon as possible. Wouldn't help the pain that was eating him away, but might give him a little more physical and mental strength to bear with it.
He stopped dead in his tracks as he heard the music. His shoulders fell, his body eased. He closed his eyes as he took in the soft, soothing music that entagled itself with the air, hitting him, subsiding his anger little by little. His eyes once again became moist as he heard his mother's voice coming from the old recorder.
Anyone who knew Asad Ahmed Khan would never have believed the sight he was in right now. So vulnerable. He was known as one of the tough people out there, who felt nothing in their heart's departments but ruled the world with their cunning minds. But the image he created right now was anything but tough or cunning.
He dropped on his knees, on the hard, marble floor, his head thrown back while his body remained straight. He had always avoided this lullaby. But today it hit him as a refreshing voice of his mother, who tried calming him with her sweet words.
'Ammi', he called out to no one, his voice so low, helpless.
**
Zoya sat there, crouched up, looking at the heart wrenching sight in front of her. For a moment, she forgot the pain in her world, the situation she was in as she looked on at the man on his knees, crying silently a few feets away from her.
She had heard the door banging which had jolted her awake from her not-so peaceful slumber. Her breath hitched as realisation sank into her that the time for her dignity to be snatcthed away from her was near. Tears made their way across her face, as she hugged herself, dreading what would come up next.
But what happened shocked her to no ends. She had expected a dark demeanoured, ugly looking man who would instantly start want his ways with her, and would enjoy looking at her, suffering. But what she saw was a man who looked as if he was suffering instead. He didn't even aknowledge her presence but sat there, calling out to his mother, his voice giving away his helplessness.
That instantly reminded her of her own self and her own situation. She suddenly became self concious. Though she lacked every ounce of strength in her, she still stood up on her feet, with the support of the wall she earlier had been leaning on. She slowly tried tip-toeing out the apartment, her eyes fixed at the man lest he saw her, when she accidently knocked off the flower vase kept at the side.
Her eyes nearly popped out of her sockets, as she realised what she had done. She was doomed. The hope she had been seeing, instantly wiped off from inside her, and fear gripped her whole body.
**
He had been cherishing the sweet voice of his mother coming out from the recorder when he heard a smashing sound from somewhere near him, bringing him out of his own, sweet land which he never really visited lest he got used to it.
He turned around to find the source of the noise, when he saw a petite figured, pale looking girl nearly in her twenties, standing there, her whole body shaking. His eyes which previously had soften, instantly turned into their original form as he glare at her.
'Who the hell are you?!', he barked at her, making her wince.
Hearing no response from her, he strode towards her, only to have her take uneasy steps backword.
'I asked, who the hell are you?', he hissed.
He now stood just a few inches away from Zoya. Her whole body shook with fear, as she realised she had been caught and in no time, her life would finish. Not literally maybe but not far from reality either.
Anger gripped Asad's body as seeing the lack of response from the girl and he quickly covered the distance between the girl and him and gripped her by her upper arm, causing her to stiffen.
'Pl-please. Please leave me', he saw the tears falling uncontrollably down her face, shocking him.
Zoya could not handle the close proximity. In no time at all she would be stripped naked and forced to do something she didn't want to. Forced to something that would steal her only chance of being a normal girl. The hot breath of the man fanned her face, causing goosebumps on her whole body, due to immense fear.
'Don't do this, pl-please!', Asad heard her beg, shaking with fear.
Asad let go of her and stared at her. She looked vulnerable, dressed in a light green kurti and jeans that hugged her curves perfectly. He noticed her honey-brown orbs that produced water like it was the most natural thing to do. He noticed how almost instantly she ran backwards towards the wall as soon as he left her, trying her best to sheild herself, by hugging her arms around her.
What was she doing?, he thought, confused.
He heard his land line ringing, on an arm's distance from him. He reached and grabbed the phone, holding it against his ears, his eyes still not leaving the face of the girl standing, her eyes shut, her whole body shaking.
'Sir, Ayaan speaking', he heard his man-friday's voice from the other end.
'Speak', he ordered.
'The girl has been sent to your apartment, sir. Her papers will be mailed to me soon on my personal account' he heard Ayaan say.
Realisation sank in him instantly, his eyes darkening with desire immediately, even shocking him. He hung the phone back on the reciever and started taking slow, measured steps towards the girl. Finally, he thought. Finally he could engage himself in the physicality and forget about his worries for the night.
He stopped a few inches away from her, drinking her sight from head to toe.
'Take your clothes off', he ordered, casually.
Zoya's eyes sprung open, turning wide like saucers, as the meaning of his words sank in her. Her throat constricted. Her heart rate quickening, like the thrumming wings of a caged bird. She stood there no reacting at all, her vision once again blurring with the unshed tears, as she stared at him.
Asad took of his tie, tossing it away, not caring where. Losening his buttons, he shurgged at her, urging her to take off her clothes. He couldn't help wonder why she wasn't dressed like the earlier women he had slept with. Usually they would dress up all seductively, making alluring movements and initiating the process. He chose to ignore.
Her lack of response made him walk towards her and snake his arm around her waist, pulling her flush against him, while her body lacked the strenght to protest, due to the shock that gripped her.
He moved away her hair from her shoulder, bending forward to kiss her milky white collarbone.
As soon as his lips made contact with her skin, her whole body heated up, alarming her. She managed to push him away with all her might, with her tear-stricken face.
**
'Come in', the woman seated behind the desk, her legs sprawled all over it spoke.
'Ma'am! The girl you just sent to Khan's house is not listed!', the other girl, much younger spoke, her voice giving away her panic.
The woman who had been casually chewing her gum, pulling it out of her mouth occasionally, then chewing it all the way back in, suddenly got alarmed. She lowered her legs, off the table and stood up.
'What the f*ck do you mean?!', she hissed at the girl, her hands on the table, showing off her cleavage.
'Yes ma'am', the younger girl spoke. 'She was brought in the cell a month ago, found on the streets and she was yet to be listed', she finished.
'F*ck you! F*ck you!', the older woman cursed loudly. 'We'l be sued for rape, you b*tch! GET OUT'.
The younger woman literally ran out of the dark room, light by a single light bulb.
**
'Listen, I have no time for the 'go slow' acts!', Asad barked at Zoya. 'And get rid of the tears woman, they're so disturbing'.
Asad was getting impatient. Tomorrow was his mother's death anniversary and before he once again got caught up in the emotional trauma, he needed to ease his mind. And physical intimacy was theonly thing that could help him.
Zoya couldn't let this happen. She couldn't. She had to get out of this, she couldn't give up. She closed her eyes and was greeted with a flashback.
'Zoe, stop crying!', said a young man, hugging a thirteen year old Zoya.
'Bhaijaan, I lost', Zoya cried, hugging her brother back.
Ashar could deal with anything and everything being the eighteen year old young lad that he was, but he could never deal with his crying sister. It pained him like nothing else. Made him helpless like nothing else.
'Shh, Zoe!', he said rubbing her back, trying to calm her down.
Moving her face away, he cupped his little sister's face, affectionately.
'You know Zoe, there are alot of things in life that are not in our hands', Zoya heard her brother say. 'But giving up takes away the little chances that life has indeed given us. You lost just once dance competition Zoe. There are many more to come'.
Zoya looked at the concerned and relaxing face of his brother.
'Neve give up in life, Zoe. If you give up in life, life may give up on you', he finished, wiping her tears with his thumb.
That day Zoya had vowed never to give up in her life. She had won many dance competitions henceforth and it was all because of her loving brother.
Zoya was brought into the presnece by an arm that once again snaked around her wasit, pulling her flush against a rock hard body. She couldn't give up, but she lacked strength.
She got aware of the man in front of him opening her zipper on the back of her kurti, and her whole body turned stiffer, if that was possible.
**
Ayaan sat behind his mahagony desk in his office, signing some files that later had to be signedd by the highest authority, Asad Ahmed Khan. Though his hands worked like a proffessional on the work he was doing, preparing himself for the meeting, his mind was elsewhere.
He remembered the young, helpless girl he had picked from the ugliest place ever. He remembered those honey-brown orbs that begged him, that even at one point thanked him. He wish he had tried harder. But his hands were tied.
He picked the photo frame up from his desk and lovingly traced his hands across it, his eyes getting moist. He kissed his sister's photo frame, a tear rolling down his cheek. No matter how much he hated Asad Ahmed Khan and his ways, he could not deny how he had saved his sister's life. Saved her dignity. He was indebted to him in many many ways and this was just one of them.
He was brought back to the present by the ringing of his phone. After placing the photograph back on his table, he grabbed his phone and held it against his ear with one hand, while he used his other to wipe away his tear.
'Listen, hunk!', he heard the women he detested on the other end of the phone, making him go stiff.
'What do you want, Giselda?', he spat at her.
'The girl I gave you today for Khan, she is not listed', Giselda let out in a simgle breath.
'WHAT?!'
'Listen hunk, go stop your boss before he commits rape!', Giselda said, panicking.
'Sh*t!', Ayaan screamed, dropping his phone.
He got up, grabbing his blazer and rushed towards the lift. He just hoped his boss didn't do anything with the poor girl yet. She wasn't meant to be there. They all were responsible for her situation, he had to stop him before it got too late.
With that he got in his car, speeding it across the city towards the high-rise apartments. He couldn't let anything happen to the girl. Or to his boss for if something happened, he would have to go to jail. And Ayaan and his family would probably have to face the aftermath. There was Giselda too. Though he couldn't care less about her but he couldn't ignore there were so many people attatched.
He had to stop the unstopable. He had to stop Asad Ahmed Khan.
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