Make Me Your Villain

Chapter Forty Three

Hayat Azhar

Who was I kidding?

With every step toward the dining hall, my confidence crumbled. By the time we reached the table, already occupied by Sameer's family, I found myself inching closer to him without realizing it.

"Good evening." Sameer's voice was calm and steady: everything I wasn't. It hit me then just how much of a coward I felt standing next to him.

But it wasn't my fault. I was here against my will.

All eyes turned to us and Gulbano saheba's gaze pierced me from behind her glasses.

"We do not dine with servants."

I blinked in surprise, struggling to believe this was the same woman who shared meals with her workers on their first day.

"Good thing Hayat is my wife." Sameer responded, his expression straight. "And my wife is entitled to the same privileges as I am. May we join you?"

An uncomfortable silence filled the room. I couldn't figure out how Sameer stayed composed, knowing we were both unwelcome. My feet shifted instinctively, ready to make a run for it, but one sharp look from Sameer stopped me cold.

No running, then.

"What's the main dish tonight?" Akhtar Malik asked the chef, his question indirectly granting us permission to stay.

Sameer pulled out a chair for me and I hesitated before sitting. He took the seat next to me, just as someone at the far end of the table stood abruptly, their chair screeching against the tile.

"Sit. Back. Down." Akhtar Malik's voice was authoritative, stopping Laiba in her tracks. "No one leaves the table before the head of the family says so. That's the rule of this haveli."

Laiba's jaw clenched, eyes flashing with anger. Uncle Arshad gave his wife a warning glance and she quickly pulled Laiba back into her seat.

"Let us begin."

The tension hung thick in the air. Aunty Tabassum passed me a platter of rice and I glanced at Sameer. He nodded with a small smile and I served him before helping myself. He quietly added a kebab to my plate and I could feel the cold stares from the others.

"Going to the gym, Sohel?" Sameer asked casually, breaking the silence.

Sohel's grip on his fork tightened. "No." His tone was curt, making my heart sink.

Even his closest friend had turned on him. Then again, Sameer did break his sister's heart.

"Too bad." Sameer's tone was light, almost taunting. Sohel glared back at him, but said nothing.

Aunty Tabassum interrupted the rising tension, her voice vexed. "The driver brought your medical reports earlier. You have a ruptured eardrum, Sameer, and your right ear is prone to infections now, both due to physical trauma. The doctor recommends a CT scan to check for any internal damage."

Suddenly, the atmosphere at the dinner table shifted and every expression changed into one of surprise, including mine.

Sameer nodded slowly. "That explains why my ear's been aching. I can barely hear anything on one side," he said, wincing a little.