Make Me Your Villain

Chapter Forty Four

Hayat Azhar

Sameer stood in front of me, his face a mask of indifference but his intense eyes locked onto mine, making my breath catch.

The first thing I noticed was the gauze pad over his ear. He'd just had surgery today.

"The door was unlocked," he said, his voice flat. "Asra mentioned there was an emergency. I came to check if everything was okay." His gaze flicked to Zohaib still on the ground behind before returning to me. "But it looks like I didn't need to rush."

Something in the way he looked at me made my stomach twist, as though I'd somehow wronged him.

Zohaib wiped his eyes and scrambled to his feet, his expression hard. "You're not welcome here. Just leave. We'll send the divorce papers tonight."

Sameer didn't budge. His eyes stayed fixed on me, as if waiting for something.

Zohaib's voice grew more aggressive. "Hey! I'm talking to you. Get out!"

Sameer's fists clenched but he stayed calm, never sparing Zohaib a glance. "Do you want me to leave?" he asked, his question directed at me.

Both of them waited for my answer as my heart pounded. I felt trapped, caught in a situation I didn't want.

"Have some tea first," I blurted out, not knowing what else to say. It was a lame attempt, but it was all I could manage.

They both looked confused but I didn't stick around for any response. I hurried to the kitchen, leaving them behind.

Sania was already there, brewing tea. She shot me a concerned look but didn't ask any questions. Instead, she poured the tea into two cups and placed them on a tray with a plate of biscuits.

Without a word, she walked back outside, where Zohaib and Sameer now sat at opposite ends of the two charpais, both lost in their own thoughts.

Sania handed Zohaib his cup first. He took it without meeting her gaze, his posture slouched in defeat.

Then she turned to Sameer, her lips tight. "I don't know how you take your tea, so either drink it or don't."

He passed her a small smile. "Thank you."

But Sania wasn't impressed. She glanced at Zohaib with a worried frown before turning back to Sameer.

Neither of them seemed interested in the tea, but they both held their cups, not wanting to back down.

"Hurry up. I need to clean up soon," Sania snapped at Sameer, arms crossed.

Sameer hesitated. "Actually, I like to let my tea cool down a bit."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. Hand it over, I'll cool it for you."

"No, I prefer to cool it... naturally," his voice dithered, making it obvious he was was only stalling.

Sania threw him an unamused look but didn't push it. She returned to the kitchen, keeping an eye on both of them from a distance.

She eventually let go of a sigh, leaning against the counter. "He's not bad-looking," she muttered, almost to herself. Then in a quieter voice, she added, "But he's not Zohaib bhai."

The sadness in her voice tugged at my heart. Zohaib had always been a part of my family, practically a son to them. They loved him like one of their own.

But where did that leave me?

I stood there, watching the two men. One was the person I'd loved, who broke me. The other was the one I thought would break me but was doing the opposite.