Anaa - a tale of ego and love

chapter 11

Author's Note: This was a heavy chapter to write, but I hope you'll stick with me because Izza and Altamash's first kiss is coming soon! (Probably in Chapter 13, if I stick to my plan!)

Altamash's POV

The room was thick with tension. Izza's parents sat rigidly on one side, while Altamash and Anya sat opposite them. Altamash's gaze flicked toward Izza, curled up on the sofa beside her parents, wrapped in a blanket as if it could shield her from the weight of the world. His heart twisted at the sight of her. But then, he caught Izza's father's eyes—stern and assessing. The look made his skin prickle as if he had been caught doing something illegal. The air in the room felt suffocating.

He had explained the situation as best he could—how Zubair had been manipulated, how Ghazanfar had interfered with everything down to the press release—but it hadn't gone over well. Azham Khan, Izza's father, didn't care about the finer details. He didn't care about Ghazanfar's meddling or the partial "truth" that had been aired on television.

Leaning forward, Azham gripped the armrests of his chair, as though holding himself back. "What do you expect me to do?" he asked, his voice cold and precise, cutting through the tension like a blade. "Thank you for these meaningless reassurances? These irrelevant explanations?" His voice dripped with sarcasm. "Tell me, Mr. Mukhtar, how does any of this change what the world thinks of my daughter now?"

Altamash swallowed hard, trying to keep his voice calm, not wanting to provoke the older man further. "Sir, at least with Zubair's confession and the footage being aired the truth—or some version of it—is out. People will know Izza had no part in this. She was a victim—"

Azham slammed his hand down on the armrest, cutting him off. "A victim? And who made her a victim? Your fiancée!" His voice rose with fury. "And you're rewarding her by concealing it and announcing your marriage to her!" He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Not that it matters. In a society like ours, who cares about the truth anyway? They've already seen the videos. They're already whispering behind our backs. Do you think they'll care who spiked her drink? They'll remember the pictures, the rumours. They'll remember her name tangled with yours! And don't even get me started on what those pictures look like—" His voice cracked with rage, and he coughed, cutting himself short. But the implication of his words lingered like a shadow in the room.

Izza's mother, Nazia, wiped her eyes with her dupatta, her quiet sobs breaking through the heavy silence. "A girl's honour is fragile, Altamash Sahab. One mistake, and it's gone. What will they say about us now, about my Izza?" She turned toward Anya, her eyes red and pleading. "Beta, you are a woman. You tell me, will our society forget this? My daughter is ruined. No one will marry her now."

Izza, who had been quiet until then, looked up at her mother with tear-filled eyes. Her voice, when she spoke, was barely a whisper. "I didn't do anything wrong, Ammi."

But her father's harsh scoff silenced her. "Does it matter?" His voice was sharp, his eyes blazing. "You didn't do anything, but your name is still ruined. You were seen with him, clinging to him, and now people are talking—about you, about us." He turned back to Altamash, his face hard. "Now, tell me, Mr. Mukhtar, what is your relationship with my daughter?"

"Abba!" Izza gasped, shocked.

Azham Khan's gaze snapped toward his daughter. "Don't interrupt me," he growled. "We have to face these questions from the neighbours and the society, let's pose the question to Altamash Mukhtar, let him answer!"

Altamash's jaw clenched as he looked at Izza, her head bowed in shame. It didn't sit right with him. He turned back to her father, his voice measured but tight with frustration. "Your daughter is my – our most cherished employee, Sir. She has done nothing but work tirelessly for the students, and if you want to hold someone responsible, blame me. I failed to protect her, but I'm trying to make it right."