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𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓜𝓮𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓗𝓸𝓶𝓮

The huge cabin of Dr. Zubab Zaheer Shah fell into the silence of fear, a different handful of fear. After all, Rizwan Faruqi was here. Zubab informed Rizwan like Asfandyaar said that she will get him the GK project papers.

Zubab pressed her legs together in anxiousness though she knows Asfandyaar was watching everything through the CCTV and will come in anytime if she needs her. Rizwan was reading those papers. She kept biting her lips throughout.

"Get out, Rizwan. Don't ever try to come back again."

Rizwan laughs, "Oh my god! Do you even realise that you snatched the biggest project of your husband's corporation. It costs more than a fortune, Zubab!" He was laughing louder.

"It's Dr. Zubab Zaheer Shah for you!"

"I guess he taught you a lot of confidence at once." He says. He wasn't aware how fast her heart was running because of his presence. Nothing can make it go away. He is where her trauma began. Nothing and no one can make it go away except for Asfandyaar. Even if he makes it go away, it will still arrive when she encounters Rizwan.

"This project. You don't understand. It's such life changing thing for me and this coffee that you made still feels like heaven."

He fell back in his chair, closing his eyes. "Stop exploiting life of women now. Leave Tahmina alone. It's not a joke anymore."

"It is a joke. It should be a joke and I must not leave her. You bought me money and she will buy me fame."

"You should rot in hell, Rizwan. Even hell will not accept a monster like you."

Rizwan glares at her but does not says anything. The fear tripled when she acknowledged him glaring. Those wounds, those fresh set of tears, those pleadings, those screams, those bruises everything came back to her mind all at once. She didn't even had enough energy left to ask him why he did something so crucial with her. It wasn't her fault. It was never her fault. He was mad. Physical abuse in any sense is wrong. No matter what.

Rizwan left the office with a ton of money from Zubab which Asfandyaar told her to give. She didn't knew why he was doing this. She was not at all understanding his plan but she hoped for the best throughout.

She kept breathing in and out after he left. Asfandyaar came in a rush inside her cabin and wrapped his arms around her, capturing her in a hug. He knew she must have been so scared. He loved her so much. There was absolutely nothing he loved more than her.

Amit knocks the door and soon comes in right after with Moosa. "Call them, Moosa." Asfandyaar instructs. Moosa nods, dialing the number. Moosa is expert in changing his voice and accent to anyone's. Moosa made sure he corrected his voice before he called.

"There has been theft of property papers and ₹5 lakhs cash from Asfandyaar Shah's cabin. I know the thief." Moosa says to the receiver with a stern voice. Zubab snapped towards Asfandyaar because Moosa's voice sounded like never before. It sounded rude, straight and strict.

"Excuse me, Sir? We need evidence to believe that."

"I'll email the evidence once you raid the house of Rizwan Faruqi. Do not leak this call at all. I can assure you, you will find property papers on GK project papers of Shah Constructions, plot papers, 5 million cash in his apartment, construction papers of West Delhi projects which were stolen last year but came out in another name as a gift land."

"Who are you?"

"Do you think I will tell you that? Of course not. Make sure you raid the flat. Check your bank account, Mr. Sandeep. I have already deposited ₹5 lakh to your account. Isn't that enough evidence to realise that it isn't a joke?"

"The address of the apartment?" This is how people worked. "They say, 'Action speaks louder than words' but I always believed that Money speaks louder but I do not walk on that path. I have emailed you the evidence and sent you the exact location of Rizwan Faruqi with a chip through my man. He must have arrived in your office."

There was a sound of door opening from the latter. Moosa knew it was the parcel they sent. "Connect the GPS with the chip in your computer." Moosa instructed.

The officer's eyes bulged open wide when he saw the location of Rizwan Faruqi. There was a chip inside the morphed property papers he had. "We will raid the office, Sir. Let us know the address."

"Plot no. 4, 5th phase of Karol Bagh, Seepa Apartments, 9th floor and door no. 156." Moosa cut the call and looked at Asfandyaar. "How was it?" He asked with his actual fun and soulful voice. Zubab smiled proudly. "You were accurate, Moosa."

"Thank you bhabhi!"

"Your brownies will arrive within few minutes." Asfandyaar says laughing. "Of course I wasn't doing this for brownies. It was all for my dear sister in law."

A while later, Zubab and Moosa were eating the brownies which arrived earlier. Amit entered the cabin informing that Rizwan had been arrested. He switched on the television. It should be the exact news.

"On the complaints of the Joint Commissioner of Income Tax. It got leaked out that there was an embezzlement of property papers and a lot of money was stolen from the safe of the CEO of Shah Industries Asfandyaar Shah's cabin in the headquarters. The Syeré ambassador Tahmina Jaffar's fiancé Rizwan Faruqi is arrested after a raid on fluctuations of his tax reports. West Delhi projects, plot near haridwar bridge, 5 million cash has been seized out of his apartment in Karol Bagh. There was a morphed embezzlement of GK project papers from Rizwan Faruqi. Apparently, it's coming to light that he was Asfandyaar Shah's wife Zubab Zaheer's ex-husband. Mrs. Shah had appealed for divorce a year and half ago on complaints of physical abuse. Looking into that matter, it was true. There are reports detailing the fact that every hidden project is registered under a paper company named by Samreen Faruqi but when looked under the case, Samreen Faruqi is Rizwan Faruqi's mother who died thirty years ago. Rizwan Faruqi had been using a morphed ID as well to register a fake company and a business account through her dead mother's name..."

•

Zubab had been restless. The entire day and the day after. Rizwan was continuously getting questioned by the Income Tax Department. He should have realised that killing a hen won't give him gold forever. Apparently, the world knew she was abused and throttled brutally by Rizwan.

It had been three days since Rizwan had been arrested. She grew more worried for Tahmina. She still hadn't been able to adapt to the fact that Rizwan was an abuser, a rapist. She knew she would. She just needed enough time to settle with the fact that she was engaged and loved a person as low as Rizwan.

Lily poured a glass of water for Zubab as she sat alone eating her dinner. Asfandyaar isn't home yet. He told her that there is a meeting he must attend.

"You should sleep, Lil. It's midnight."

Lily stroked the back of her hand. "It's alright, Zubab. You haven't been eating well these days. Asfandyaar should be here besides you."

"He has his duties and responsibilities aside from my presence in his life. He should look up to that." Zubab munches down the tortilla and sips the water.

"Asfandyaar was heartbroken when I took him in. Before Azeem Sir got married again, He refused to talk to me, be with me, play with me or even stay near me but right after his father got married again. He knew there were no doors that would lead him anywhere except mine. He cried so hard in my arms the night when Maham entered this house."

Zubab listened to her, silently without interrupting.

"He refused to eat, play, go to school or do anything for a lot of days." She held Zubab's hand tightly and gazed at her eyes saying, "Don't ever leave his side no matter what. He is a precious gem. He is my son."

Zubab smiled. "I will-"

The main hall door smashed open as Asfandyaar came in. The sight was horrible. He was dragging Rizwan by his collar. Rizwan was bathed with his own blood. He was half-unconscious. Zubab stood rooted to her place after she witnessed this. Her rapist was in her husband's hand beaten up like black and blue with blood pouring out.

Lily and Zubab gasped the moment they noticed Rizwan. Police commissioners, Income tax officers, and his guards were probably scattered all around the hall even before they knew it. Asfandyaar looked no less than a starved man hungry for madness. Rizwan's blood was over Asfandyaar's face as well.

"Dad! Mr. Azeem Akbar Shah! Please come down, Dad. Your son might die now."

Zubab walks towards Asfandyaar and removes his hand from Rizwan's collar. "What are you doing, Asfand?" She was crying looking at the helpless state he was in. He held her face lightly, cupping her cheeks with her hand.

"I wish I were to die now, Zubab but your presence. It's you keeping me one step away."

"Stop talking about death, please."

He laughed as soon as Azeem rushed down after putting on his steel rimmed glasses. Sleep deprived, he looked around to see what was happening. Maham and Moosa came down behind him.

"Dad?"

"Are you drunk?"

Asfandyaar laughed again, "I am on the verge of dying and all you have to ask is if I am drunk?"

"Get yourself together, Asfand." Azeem glares at him but nothing cries more than his betrayed heart. Asfandyaar points at Rizwan, "Do you know who he is, Dad?"

"He is my brother."

Everyone in the room gasped, not knowing how to understand what was happening. Moosa walks to Asfandyaar. "Bhai? Please come back to your senses."

"I am in my senses, Moosa." He holds his hand and whispers, "I wish I wasn't."

He looks back at Azeem. "Congratulations, Dad. You have been the worst father ever." Azeem listened to him. He knew nothing and no one can stop Asfandyaar now.

"Not only a worst father, you were a worst husband to my mother but kudos to you! You were the best son to your father. Shout out to your bravery for marrying my mother just for the sake of an heir."

Azeem slapped him.

But that won't stop the actual hidden truth to bring out upon. Asfandyaar hates getting humiliated and now he was slapped in front of so many people and now it didn't matter to him.

"No matter how many times you slap me. It won't change the truth, Dad!"

He walks towards Rizwan, drags him towards Azeem. "This is your fault, Dad. You should have looked upon everything keenly."

"What are you speaking, Asfandyaar?"

"The GK project? How many one's knew it?"

"Maham, you and I."

He walks forward. Everyone stared at him astonished and knew he was walking towards Maham. "No. There's someone else who knows about the GK project."

"Who?" Azeem asks.

"Samreen Faruqi."

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