Destined Strangers

Chapter 23

Perhaps she was glass. But glass is only brittle until it breaks. Then it's sharp.

V. E. Schwab

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It is a dark alley, the kind where shadows seem to swallow the light, leaving only faint flickers from distant streetlamps. Sania is running, her breath quick and shallow, footsteps echoing behind her like a menacing rhythm.

When she bolted out of the library moments ago, she had briefly become the center of attention. The sound of hurried footsteps, her frantic pace-it caught the eye of bystanders. But soon enough, they returned to their books, conversations, and distractions, as one concerned man spoke up, "I'll see what's going on."

The footsteps behind her grow louder, faster, until suddenly, a hand grips her wrist, halting her escape. Sania freezes.

Slowly, she turns, her heart pounding in her ears. The figure standing before her is partly shadowed by the poor light, but his face is strikingly clear.

It's him... She can never forget those eyes. Her heart skips a beat as she stares at him-silently, fearfully, her expression a mixture of shock and disbelief. His face, though vague in her memory, holds a familiarity that unnerves her. She knows him...but from where?

The man, sensing her fear, lets go of her wrist and steps back.

"Please, don't be afraid," he says, his voice calm.

"Let me go," the only words she can manage.

"When did I ever stop you? But please, just listen to me once,"

His tone soft, almost desperate, as he takes another step back, offering her space but hoping she'll stay.

"I don't want to hear anything," she says as she moves forward, but he steps in front of her again, blocking her way.

"I'm not letting you go like this. Just listen to me once, and then do whatever you want. You can leave, you can even tell your husband and the police, I don't care. But please, just hear me out."

There's pain on his face. Today, he seems different from the man who had once hurt Sania. But the fact that he knows about her marriage catches her off guard, even if just for a moment.

"What should I listen to? Do you even have anything to say?"

Sania's voice is fierce, filled with anger as she steps closer, her fists clenched.

"You were such a shameless man. Did you have any honor when you kidnapped a girl in the dead of night, flaunted your masculinity, and used violence to force your will?"

Her words are sharp, her voice rising with each sentence, echoing through the dark alley. A surge of unexpected courage flows through her, but a nagging feeling lingers-why does this man feel so familiar?

"Get out of my way, or my husband will cut you into so many pieces, they won't even be able to count them." she threatens, her heart racing as she glares at him.

"I told you, just listen to me once, then do whatever you want-even have me cut into pieces,"

Azlan says quietly, his voice soft and filled with a plea. There's a sadness in his tone, something broken that draws Sania's attention. His face, etched with regret, causes her steps to falter. She stands still, unsure, her silence perhaps a sign for him to continue.