Talabgar E Ishq

Chapter-3

Murat's POV

As I drove through the quiet streets, my mind kept racing back to the events of that disastrous night. Two years of hard work, and in one impulsive moment, it all went down the drain. I could hardly believe it. The project I had been building, piece by piece, was my escape—my chance to finally bring down Malik Faris, the scammer who had fooled half the business world. I had spent years undercover, gathering information, connecting the dots, playing the part of a regular businessman, only to lose it all because of a ridiculous prank.

And her. Aaisha. She was the last person I expected this from. She never seemed to understand the gravity of things, always trying to catch my attention with her ridiculous stunts. She seemed oblivious to the fact that I couldn’t care less about her so-called affection. Love? She didn’t even know me. If she did, she'd understand I didn’t have time for these games.

The week I disappeared was to salvage whatever I could from the wreckage of my project. Malik Faris was too smart, always one step ahead. I had planned everything meticulously for this final strike—gathering financial records, infiltrating his network, and uncovering every fraudulent deal he was involved in. The moment was perfect, and I was prepared to expose him to the world.

But then, that stupid party.

I clenched my fists on the steering wheel. I hadn’t been able to focus after that night. How could I? The investors dropped me, the confidential meeting I was supposed to attend that evening got canceled, and word spread about my supposed ‘unprofessionalism.’ Malik must have laughed at my misfortune, thinking he had finally slipped through my fingers.

But I wasn’t done yet.

The past week had been exhausting. I was forced to do damage control, reaching out to contacts, trying to salvage whatever reputation I could. My nights were sleepless, filled with pouring over documents and backtracking every lead I had on Malik. I even went off the grid, making sure no one could trace my moves, not even Aaisha, or anyone at the office. They probably thought I had vanished, but no—I was biding my time, regaining control.

Now that I was back, I needed to get back into the game.

I walked into the office, ignoring everyone’s greetings, their murmurs of relief at seeing me again. They were just as irrelevant as Aaisha’s constant attempts to grab my attention. I caught her out of the corner of my eye as I passed her desk. She looked at me with the same adoration, like nothing had happened. Did she not realize what her actions had cost me?

I forced myself to remain calm. There was no point in getting riled up by her again. She was a distraction I didn’t need. But that didn’t mean I could ignore her completely—not if she could be useful.

In my office, I called her in, keeping my tone as professional as possible. “I need you to get information from Faris Malik,” I told her. She seemed to light up at the chance to prove herself. Of course, she would. Anything to get closer to me.

I needed that information. Malik had already slipped out of my grasp once, but I was ready to make my move again. He was planning something big, and this time, I wasn’t going to let him escape. If using Aaisha’s father's connections could help me hack into his system, so be it.

But when she started her usual nonsense, bargaining for apologies and dinners, I felt the anger rise again. This is exactly why I never give her any importance. She treats everything like it’s a joke, like her silly crush is the only thing that matters. I couldn’t afford to entertain her antics, not now.

Still, I had to keep my cool. She had leverage that could help me bring Malik down, and if I wanted to get back on track, I needed her cooperation. Begrudgingly, I softened my tone, knowing it was the only way to get her to work.