The Tangled Love

𝟏𝟓.𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐳𝐞.

Night descended upon Khan's mansion, enveloping the walls in darkness. Fairy lights dangled from the ceiling, casting a soft glow, while a profound silence took hold of the house. Moonlight peeked through the vast window of Fayra's room.

The walls reflected the trembling image of a panicked girl. Her eyes were shut tightly, her hands gripping the quilt, her legs jerking as beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

< Flashback starts

❝Dad will kill me if he finds out, please let go of my hand,❞ a girl in a navy blue frock pleaded, trying to free herself from the grip. She was delicate, her hair loosely tied in a ponytail, and she was just eight years old at the time.

A boy, around twelve, held onto her wrist, refusing to let her leave him alone in the garden.

❝Your eyes are so beautiful!❞ she giggled, gazing into his stunning ocean-blue eyes, so deep that they could captivate anyone with their charm. The boy blushed, covering his cheeks with his hands.

❝What's your name, friend?❞ the little girl asked, stepping closer to the boy. His ocean-blue eyes filled with tears as he noticed the scars on her hand, knowing full well how abusive her parents were.

❝Call me Khafifa, that's what my family calls me,❞ the boy with ocean-blue eyes muttered, a dazzling smile tugging at his lips. The girl was puzzled by the unusual name.

❝Khafifa means light in Arabic, baby doll,❞ the boy explained, ruffling the girl's hair, causing her to smile brightly. But soon, her abusive father yanked her away, his nails digging into her flesh as the boy chased after them, her scream echoing in the sky.

The boy was pushed to the ground, begging for his baby doll, who was as precious as a diamond. But the beast, her father, paid him no heed. She was locked in the storeroom for days without food, abused, and left with scars on her body. Though the physical wounds healed with time, the deep scars on her soul remained, with no remedy in sight.

< Flashback ends

The walls bore witness to a soul in torment, as Fayra was jolted awake from this nightmare by God's mercy. Tears streamed down her brown skin as she clutched the bedspread, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

❝Khafifa,❞ she murmured weakly, fresh tears spilling from her dark, enchanting grey eyes. She stood on trembling legs, scanning every corner of the room, while the moon watched her with pity.

She left the room, covering her head with a hijab, and made her way down the crowded hallway. A faint scream reached her ears, causing her to stop in her tracks.

She took slow, deliberate steps towards the source of the sound, wiping her tear-streaked face with her hands, her fingers trembling with fear and apprehension. The scream grew louder, making her heart race with panic.

She found herself standing by a door, from which the sound was emanating. Fidgeting with the doorknob, she hesitated, trying to figure out what she was about to see. Her mind urged her to turn back, but her heart pushed her to move forward.

In the name of Allah, she slowly pushed the door open, careful not to make any noise. The sight before her left her breathless, her eyes widening in shock as she took in the scene.

There, on the bed, was a man whose identity her heart recognized in an instant. His shirtless body trembled, sweat trickling down his chest and forehead, even though the AC was set to a low temperature. He was burning up, his hands clenching the bedspread as he screamed and thrashed in his sleep.

Reality hit her like a harsh blow, snapping her back to her senses. Without a moment's hesitation, she rushed to his side. The moonlight illuminated his face, and tears welled up in her eyes. The real question was, how could she cry for a man who was, after all, her beast?

Fayra gently lifted his head onto her lap, her eyes catching sight of his bloody hands hidden beneath the bedspread. Glass shards were scattered in the corner of the room, making it clear that he had probably hurled a glass against the wall. The deep cut on his palm hadn't even been properly bandaged, just a white cloth wrapped around it.

She shook her head at his stubbornness.

❝No, don't go,❞ the man screamed in his sleep. Fayra held his head in her lap, cupping his cheeks to bring him back to reality. Her heart knew all too well the agony of being trapped in a nightmare.

She sobbed quietly as she comforted the man who was her beast. Strangely, he clung to her wrist, finding solace in her presence, his magnificent ocean-blue eyes still shut in fear.

❝Shh, I'm here. It's just a nightmare,❞ she whispered, holding him close. Her eyes met his broad chest, and she quickly looked away, her heart racing. She was startled by her own actions, helping the very man who was her beast.

His ocean-blue eyes slowly opened, locking onto her grey ones. It took him a moment to process everything, and he exhaled a soft breath, sitting up while still holding her wrist. Their eyes remained locked on each other.

❝Fayra,❞ he mumbled, his voice so gentle that she almost didn't recognize it as his. Her heart, without her consent, danced to the rhythm of tranquility, hearing her name from him for the first time. But she knew this devil would never change.

Her mind raced with thoughts, wondering how a dominant man like him could be plagued by nightmares. She realized he, too, had a past that was still untangled.

❝I despise you, Mrs. Fayra Khan. You—you ruined my life!❞ Musa shouted, shoving her against the wall. The fragile girl held her breath, pushing him away with all her strength. He was back to his madness, and in that moment, she regretted every step she had taken to come to his room.

❝How dare you enter my room?❞ he yelled, punching the walls. The white cloth on his palm came undone, and blood oozed from his hand. His ocean-blue eyes turned red with fury, so dark that they were almost impossible to read.

Fayra felt as if her breath would stop. The man who had been sleeping wasn't the same as this beast. He looked like a child in fear before; now, he was a beast. Her beast.

❝How strange it is,❞ she said quietly, ❝that you let someone else destroy you, while I destroy myself with my own hands.❞ With that, she walked out, her words echoing in the room. Musa screamed and trembled as the miserable girl ran back to her room, crying her heart out.

They were polar opposites, yet somehow connected. Their tangled past would only unravel the day they discovered Khafifa within each other, a light to dispel each other's darkness.

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