Dead in the Water - AdiYa FF

Chapter 37

**TRIGGER WARNING**: This chapter contains themes of emotional trauma, discussions of child loss, psychiatric treatment, and references to a premeditated murder attempt. Reader discretion is advised.

Zoya's vision blurred with fury as she charged towards Waseem, knife in hand. Her breaths came in ragged gasps, her footsteps pounding against the floor echoing through the room. She didn't hesitate—her every movement was fueled by years of rage.

Waseem's eyes widened in terror as he stumbled back, his hands raised in a desperate attempt to defend himself.

"Zoya, what are you—!" He screamed, his voice trembling, but his words fell on deaf ears. She swung the knife towards him with a wild determination, her face contorted in pain and anger.

He grabbed her wrist just in time, struggling to hold her back. The force of her attack caught him off guard, and they both staggered against the wall.

"Zoya, stop...!" Waseem's voice faltered, his hands shaking as he struggled to pry the knife from her grasp, its tip now dangerously close to his neck. He was stunned by the sheer strength she displayed, her arms resisting his with an intensity he hadn't thought possible. Even as he pushed back with all his might, her grip held firm, unwavering in its deadly resolve.

Her eyes blazed with fury, burning with a fire that made Waseem's heart lurch. She leaned in closer, her voice low and trembling with rage as she growled, "You need to go... You need to!" The venom in her words struck him harder than the knife ever could, her intent unmistakable.

Outside, Aditya's car screeched to a halt in front of the Siddiqui House. His heart thundered in his chest as he jumped out, panic gripping him as a dark feeling gnawed at him. He knew something terrible was happening inside. He even feared if something had happened already.

He bolted up the stairs at the entrance two at a time, bursting through the front door, his mind racing with dread.

"Zoya!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the house as he sprinted through the hallway, the sound of the struggle growing louder with every step.

Aditya froze for a split second as he rounded the corner into the dining room, his heart pounding in his throat. The scene before him was far worse than he'd imagined. Zoya, eyes wild with rage, was straining against Waseem, her face twisted in fury as she tried to push the knife toward him. Her chest heaved with every breath, and the fire in her eyes was like nothing Aditya had ever seen before.

Her whole body trembled, as she grunted, consumed by an anger that seemed to have taken over her completely. Waseem, desperate and pale, was barely managing to hold her back, his fingers wrapped around her wrist, struggling to keep the blade away.

"Zoya, no!" Aditya shouted, rushing forward without thinking. His heart screamed in panic as he grabbed her from behind, his arm wrapping around her tightly, and his other arm pulling her hand back with all his strength.

Zoya thrashed against him, her body a whirlwind of rage. "Let go of me!" She screamed, her voice cracking with the weight of years of suppressed pain. She struggled against Aditya's grip, but he held on, his arms trembling as he fought to pull her away from Waseem.

"Zoya, stop! This isn't the way! Listen to me, baby...please!!" Aditya's voice was strained, his heart racing as he tried to break through the storm that had overtaken her. "This isn't you, Zoya!"

For a moment, it seemed like she didn't hear him. Her eyes were locked on Waseem, who was gasping for breath, still in shock from the sudden attack. Her mind was focused on just pushing the knife through that monster standing in front of him. She could only remember seeing her daughter for the first time in the orphanage among other orphaned kids, those lonely days she sat by the empty cradle pining for her dead child.