Shadows of control { Under Editing }

7.The haunted night.

As the day unfolded, Sofia found herself sitting by her window, deep in thought. She was deciding to resign her job.Gathering her resolve, she dialed Antonio's number.

When Antonio answered, Sofia gathered her courage and said,
"Antonio, I want to resign. I won't be coming back."

With a gentle voice, Antonio replied
"Dear, I'm only the secretary. I can't handle resignations. Once come to the office and inform the boss directly"

Sofia sighed, her mind filled with thoughts of how to face Anj.
She agreed,
"Okay, I'll talk to him"

As soon as the call ended, the doorbell rang. Sofia opened it to see an elegant woman who was looking in her 40s but she was actually in her 60s, exuding beauty and confidence. She was surrounded by guards.

"Yes?" Sofia asked.

The woman smiled knowingly
"You must be Sofia, if I'm not wrong."

Sofia invited her inside ,they settled into the living hall
Malaika's eyes swept over Sophia.
"My son has certainly picked a remarkable woman"

Sofia, caught off guard, whispered,
"Sorry, I didn't got you?"

Malaika chuckled.
"Hasn't he mentioned me to you?
Darling, I'm Ansh's mother, Malaika oberoi"

Sophia responded quickly,
"Oh, yes, yes, he probably forgot-he's just so busy with work."

Malaika nodded.
"Well, we will all be busy soon enough.
The wedding is next week."

Sophia was stunned, her mind drifting as Malaika placed a gentle hand on hers.
"Are you alright, dear?"
Malaika asked, concerned.
"What's on your mind?"

Sophia quickly composed herself.
"Oh, I was just overthinking about the wedding,"
she replied.

Malaika looked intently at her.
"You weren't aware about your wedding?"

Sophia shook her head slightly.
"I knew about it... just not that it would be so soon."

Sophia felt her heart racing as she tried to process everything.
"What am I saying? My tongue is moving on its own... Ansh's presence is like a shadow over me, stirring something deep within." She said in her mind.

Malaika leaned forward, her voice firm and commanding,
"Answer me honestly, Sophia. Do you truly love Ansh, or is this just an act?"
"Be truthful, my dear. It seems like he just wants to win against his father by not marrying the girl he chose for him and marrying you,isn't it?

Sophia paused, taking a deep breath, feeling the weight of expectations.
"No, it's nothing like that, I do love him," she finally admitted.

Malaika gave Sophia a probing look.
"Are you sure, darling?
Isn't Ansh forcing you into this?"

Sophia paused, her heart conflicted, wanting to voice the truth yet saying,
"No,"
against her inner wishes.

"Alright,"
Malaika said

They had a little talk and Malaika said standing up
"Tomorrow we will go for shopping , be ready"
And she left

Sophia, feeling overwhelmed, dialed Vijay.
"Vijay, something's seriously wrong. Ansh had planned to marry me next week, I trusted you that he won't do anything then why this?"

Vijay's voice was icy.
"This wedding won't happen, I'll handle this,
Just stay calm"
He assured Sofia.

Sophia whispered,
"Okay," before ending the call with a click.

Sophia sat, deep in thought, knowing full well the kind of man Ansh was. He was relentless; once he decided something, it was as good as done. With a sigh, she grabbed her muffler, feeling the chill of the night. It was 11 PM, yet she knew Ansh would still be working in his office until 2 AM.

Taking a cab, Sophia reached the office, spotting a few late-night staff. She hurried past them, her heart beating fast. At Ansh's office, she opened the door carefully.
"Can I come in?" she asked softly.

In the dim light, Ansh stood by the window.
"Come in," he replied standing by the window, his back was facing her.

she moved closer.
"I want to talk" she said

"Speak" ansh replied his tone was as cold .

Her heart was heavy.
"I don't want this marriage to happen."
she said, her words slicing through the quiet of the room.

Ansh, still gazing out the window, replied coldly
"And who are you to decide that?"

"It's my life!"
Sophia insisted, her voice rising with emotion.
"Of course, I have a right. You're talking about my marriage."

Ansh finally turned to face her, his gaze icy and unyielding.
"You lost the rights the moment you entered my world" he said.

Tears welled up in Sophia's eyes.
"Please, try to understand,"

"You're not in a position to make demands."
His voice came cold, a razor-sharp edge cutting through the silence.

Sofia felt the chill in his words, but she pushed forward.
"I'm not your property. You can't force me into this."

Ansh slowly turned, his eyes locking onto hers with an icy, predatory gleam.
"You think you have a choice?"
He took a step toward her, his presence oppressive. "You think you can walk away from me?"

Sofia's breath caught in her throat, but she stood firm. "I'll never be your puppet."

Ansh's lips curled into a smile, but it was devoid of warmth.
"Puppet?"
He almost chuckled.
"My puppet."

Before she could react, his hand shot out, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her toward him with brutal force.

His grip tightened, and the coldness in his eyes sent a shiver down her spine.
"You belong to me, and don't you ever forget that."

His voice dropped, each word deliberate and crushing. "You' Il be my legacy. And trust me, darling, everyone will remember who you belonged to."

Sofia struggled, her breath ragged, but it was no use. Ansh was too strong. His fingers dug into her wrist as he backed her into the corner, his voice lowering to a deadly whisper.
" You're in my world now. And in my world, there's no room for disobedience."

Sofia's pulse raced as she tried to find her voice, but Ansh's grip on her tightened, suffocating her will. "You're mine, Sofia. The moment you stepped into my life, you lost any right to choose. You'll do as I say. You'll marry me. You'll obey me. And if you try to run... Nobody can save you from me..."

His face was inches from hers, his voice low and venomous.
"Try me. Test me. See if I don't break you in a thousand ways before you even realize what happened."

Sofia's breath was shallow, her entire body trembling under the weight of his words.
"You're a monster," she whispered.

Ansh's smile turned feral.
"No. I'm the man who owns you."

He shoved her away, leaving her gasping for air, but his eyes never left her.
"Get it through your head, Sofia. There's no escape. Not now. Not ever."

Ansh picked up his blazer, which hung from the back of the chair, and slipped it on with an air of determination. Taking Sophia firmly by the hand, he led her out to his car, commanding her to sit. The drive was silent and shadowed, the cold night streets echoing the tension between them.

Upon reaching the penthouse, Ansh guided Sophia into a dimly lit room.

Ansh left her alone in the room and stormed out, his anger was clear. With a swift motion, he locked the door, leaving Sophia alone in the encroaching darkness.He put off the main switch of power of the penthouse then he entered into another room.

He knew that Sofia was afraid of darkness because once the lights were cut off in the office there was total darkness and Sofia was going crazy.

She was screaming at the top of her lungs, she had claustrophobia which holds many of her childhood traumas of which Ansh was unaware of.

leaving her cries to haunt the night until morning light brought relief.