A walk on thorns

Chapter 12| What?!

Anisha's POV
Last night.
The sound from downstairs stirred me awake, snapping me out of my uneasy half-sleep. How could I relax, knowing that Mukhtar and Sabrina were both under the same roof? He was in the next room, and I knew he hadn’t slept, he rarely did at night, especially when… I didn’t even want to think about it.

The noise persisted, then his door creaked open. My heart pounded painfully, racing ahead of itself. Disaster was brewing.

I sat up, pressing my ear to the door, straining to make out the muffled sounds outside. Everything had fallen quiet. I slowly cracked my door open, tiptoeing out, barely breathing, careful to stay unnoticed. The voices became clearer, Mukhtar and Sabrina. I could just make out his looming figure as he moved closer to her. She must have said something, something that triggered him. I knew that look, his stance, his posture.

Minutes passed, tension hanging in the air, and I retreated to my room, knowing this wouldn’t end well. I leaned against the headboard, eyes shut, counting the seconds, trying to drown out the dread. Suddenly, the light flicked on, and I froze.

When I opened my eyes, Mukhtar’s furious stare drilled into me, burning with a terrifying intensity. Fear paralyzed me as he marched toward me. In a single, vicious movement, his hand struck my cheek, snapping my head back against the headboard.

"Who is this insolent dog you brought into my house?" he roared, his voice filled with venom. I shivered uncontrollably, my voice stuck in my throat.

"I asked you a question, bitch!" His voice echoed through the room, sharp and seething.

“She… she’s Sabr… Sabrina, my sister,” I stammered, the words barely forming through my sobs. He lunged closer, fingers wrapping around my throat, squeezing until the edges of my vision darkened.

“Don’t let me see her again!” he snarled, slamming my head back against the headboard one more time. Pain exploded behind my eyes, and I gasped, biting down on a scream. Without a word, he stormed out, leaving me as if nothing had happened.
---

Now Sabrina was telling me about her "nice encounter" with him, oblivious, even excited, wishing to see him again. Only God knows what she said to him. Sabrina, always a trigger, pushing blindly into a fire she didn’t understand.

Meanwhile, Mukhtar’s relentless cruelty was wearing me down, hollowing me out. Every day, the frustration gnawed deeper. I had no one to confide in, no one who could offer any real escape. I felt so lost, and Sabrina would discover it all soon enough, making everything spiral further out of control. Every day felt like the edge of a cliff. I wanted to call Jalila, but after our disasterous conversation... I didn't dare. God, please get me through this.

Mukhtar's POV

The words echoed in my head, her insolent warning replaying like a taunt: "while I am being careful of you, you should also watch your way because this one is not ordinary; it is 'a walk on thorns.'" The audacity, the nerve of this girl to look me dead in the eyes and talk back! No one in my life had dared to cross me that way, no one except Nadeera, but even that was only because I allowed it.

I was still stewing over the whole encounter, my mind racing, when someone burst into my office. I looked up, ready to snap, but then froze, captivated. Nadeera. My beloved. Dressed in a tight maroon dress that hugged her every curve, high heels clicking with confidence, her dark makeup emphasizing her piercing gaze. Her hair was swept back into a high ponytail, sleek and severe.

"Babe, what's wrong? You look like there’s an ant in your pants," she purred, strutting over and settling onto my lap, curling around me like the viper she was.