Umeed

Chapter 40

In a dimly lit, secluded warehouse, Adeel paced furiously, throwing and thrashing anything within reach. The man who had dared to touch Noor was bound and hanging precariously above a large tank filled with thrashing piranhas. His eyes were wide with terror as he begged Adeel for mercy, promising that he would never repeat his actions.

Adeel, his face twisted with rage, grabbed the man by the hair and slammed his head against a nearby wall. “How dare you touch my Noor?” he snarled, his voice low and menacing. “Because of you, she was forced to lean on that bastard Shahzain. If you hadn’t scared her, she would never have needed anyone but me.”

Adeel’s expression softened momentarily, tears brimming in his eyes as he muttered, “I love my Noor, but she just doesn’t understand. I wanted her to be mine… only mine. I even sent that useless girl, Rania, into Shahzain’s life so that Noor would turn to me. But no, she chose him over me.” His voice broke, and he screamed, “Noor!” into the empty darkness, his anguish echoing off the walls.

But his pain quickly shifted back to anger, and his eyes gleamed with a twisted resolve. “I can’t let her go like this. She’s becoming defiant, a… a bad girl. She needs to be taught to stay away from Shahzain.” He chuckled darkly, his laughter cold and hollow, as he turned back to the terrified man dangling over the tank.

With a cruel smile, Adeel drew a knife, holding it up to the man’s face. “You’ll help me send a message,” he sneered. In one swift, brutal motion, he sliced off the man’s finger, his hands steady as the man screamed in agony. “Now Noor will understand what it means to toy with my heart and make me jealous.”

The man continued begging, his words barely intelligible through his sobs. Adeel’s face remained expressionless, though a dark amusement danced in his eyes. He leaned close, whispering, “You want to be free, don’t you? There’s only one way for you to be free after touching what’s mine.” Without hesitation, Adeel slashed through the rope holding the man, sending him plummeting into the tank below.

A sickening splash echoed in the warehouse as the piranhas closed in, their sharp teeth tearing through flesh. The man’s screams filled the air, but in mere moments, only bones remained, floating in the bloody water.

Calmly, Adeel collected the severed finger and, with the man’s blood, wrote a twisted message meant for Noor. Carefully wrapping the finger, he sealed it in a small box and handed it to one of his men. “Deliver this to Noor,” he instructed coldly, his gaze distant as he watched the man leave.

-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-

It was late afternoon, so Shahzain decided to wake up Noor, who had been sleeping for quite some time. He wanted her to eat something, and then they could both go to pick up Ayaan and Hoor from school.

Faris, who was also worried after hearing about the incident, had come by earlier to check on Noor’s condition. He planned to join them on the school run so they could all spend time together and help divert Noor’s mind from the incident.

Gently, Shahzain woke Noor, placing a soft kiss on her forehead as he helped her sit up. Noor’s head was aching from all the crying, and after sitting under a cold shower earlier, she had a slight fever as well.

Shahzain offered her some light food he had ordered and made sure she took her medicine. Noor, still wearing Shahzain’s clothes, was given a dupatta to cover herself, as she didn’t have any other clothes on hand. When they stepped out of Shahzain’s office, Noor noticed the floor was empty, and she looked at Shahzain, wondering why it was so quiet since it was too early for all the employees to be gone.

Shahzain explained with a reassuring smile, “I shifted them to a floor below, Noor.”

Noor’s heart warmed at his thoughtfulness and the care he took to make her feel comfortable.