Our Love story

Zoya's secret

(that's Zoya in the picture. I've imagined her to be an Indian television actress drashti dhami and slowly I'll be adding the pictures for all characters in the book!! :) )
Reyna:
I woke up late this morning, really tired. I have no idea why. My eyes were closing and I couldn't get up. I looked at the time. Shoot it was almost noon. We wanted to go to a movie today and as much as I hated it I knew I could not make it. I dragged myself out of bed. I went downstairs holding whatever I can because I felt I'll fall off unconscious. Honestly I had no idea why I was so tired. I sighed and went downstairs. I was still in FRIENDS house as we discussed it's better if we sleep here rather than go to our separate homes. I reached the living room and everyone were around the dining table talking. Sheela saw me. "Hey finally your up!" I was half asleep and my head started aching. "Hmm" was all I said. I reached the sofa and sat down leaning on it. Arjun frowned. "Reyna are you okay? You don't look fine." Zoya came up to me. " Reyna what's wrong?" I was in no mood to talk so I caught her hand. "Zoya sorry but can you get me some water?" She nodded. "Yeah sure but what about anything to eat?" I groaned. "No." My head  was really hurting and my throat started aching. Ouch. Sheela came up to me. She sat next to me and touched my head. "Reyna! Your head is burning. Arjun get the thermometer." Arjun got it very fast and handed it to her. Ibrahim spoke. "There is some medicine in my room. Or Sheela's, I'll go get it." Sheela checked my temperature and frowned. "Not good." I frowned. "What? Very high?" She nodded. "Yes. Reyna you've got fever. I think we should go see a doctor." I groaned. "What????? No . Please." She shook her head. "No way. Come on get up." Ibrahim handed her the medicine and she gave it along with glass of water . I smiled at them ."thanks. But please ----" I was cut off by Arjun. "No. I know what your gonna say and no. We'll go to the doctor Reyna. " I groaned. Arjun glared. "okay so I'll have to carry you then. " He got down and was about to carry me when I screamed. "Arjun!!" He grinned. "So? Get up." I shook my head. I got up slowly and Zoya helped me dress up. She gave me something to eat so wouldn't faint. Oww my head was hurting and all I wanted to do was sleep. Ibrahim and Sheela took me to the doctor. I slept in car to and from the hospital. Ugh I had viral fever. I shouldn't go out much and be careful with food and I'll be okay in 5 days. Great. 5 days!! I came back home and slept in the bed. I woke up in the  late evening. I had encouraged them to go to the movie. So I was alone when I woke up. I wasn't completely well but I was feeling better. . I went downstairs and  got myself something to eat. I sat on the couch and was drinking some tea when the door opened and Arjun walked in. He saw me and smiled widely. "Reyna! How are you feeling?" I sat up and smiled at him. "Good. Better. How was the movie.?" He frowned. "Okay. I guess. The others went out to bring dinner. They'll be here in 30 minutes. Think you can stay hungry for that long?" I nodded." Of course." Arjun touched my head. He frowned. "It's starting again. " I frowned. "And here I thought it had gone away for at least a few hours." He got up. "I'll bring you a blanket. " I smiled. "Thanks." I took out my phone and was going through a few movies when he came back. He wrapped me with a blanket. I smiled. "Thanks. Come sit and watch this movie with me. I'm sure we'll enjoy it." He took my phone and saw the movie's title. "This sounds good. What's it about?" I shook my head. "There's no way I'm going to tell you." He thought for a moment and smiled. He sat next to me and we watched the movie enjoying every bit of it. Every now and then he'd ask me if I was okay staring at the screen for so long. I was leaning on him eventually. He was like a warm teddy bear. He put his arms around me after a while. I yawned. He chuckled. "Hang in there. Eat something and sleep." I frowned. "I'm awake." He laughed. "Sure you are." I was almost into deep sleep when everyone came home and made loud noise. I jumped up. "I'm up! I'm up!" Sheela laughed and Zoya went to set up the table for dinner. Me and Arjun got up from the couch and I saw Ibrahim. I smiled but he didn't return it. He was glaring. I frowned and realized he was looking at Arjun and me back and forth. It was almost as if he was jealous. My frown deepened. What's going on in his head? Only when Sheela called him he regained his expression. He was stern throughout the night. Only glaring every time me and Arjun laughed or I held his hand or when Arjun gave me my medicine. I didn't like this. What was he doing? The next few days were full of bed rest but good food. After what seemed like an eternity I decided to get out of the house. I'm never taking sheela's shopping trips and all for granted.  We all went to the mall except Zoya. She wanted to stay home. I came from the mall early as I had some college work I was planning to do that night. I came back home and opened the door. "Hey zoya----" I stood, frozen, still when I looked up. I was seeing Zoya and a man in front of her. She was leaning away from him tears in her eyes. He was smirking. "Can't I say hello?" He said. She was really scared. I reacted immediately and put myself between them. Zoya came and hid behind me clutching my shoulders tightly. "Hey! Stay away from her." The man looked at me from top to bottom. He was tall, pale white skin, brown eyes and had strong musculature. He smirked and looked at Zoya behind me. "Well who's the new friend sister?" I was shocked. "Sister?" I whispered and looked at Zoya. She bent her head down crying. I turned back to him. "Go away. Now. " I kept my face stern. He chuckled. "Why? This is my sister. I'm just saying hello." He reached out to her and she almost screamed. She flinched away from him and gripped me tightly. He hated this. He looked angry. I interrupted them. "Hey stop that! Stay away or I'm calling the police." To this he laughed. I was confused but didn't change my expression. He looked at me. "I'm pretty sure that's unnecessary. I've never seen you before. What's your name?" He reached out to touch my cheek. I slapped his hand away. He grinned. "I'll be back Zoya.  Don't forget that." He threatened. I glared at him. He saw my expression and laughed. "Relax. I know you want to call the police but without any evi----" I cut him off showing my phone.  "Yeah. So Unless you want me to show what I just voice recorded to the police I suggest you better back the hell off." He frowned. I smirked. I looked at him. "Your right. You've never met me before. You don't know who I am. So listen carefully. I don't care who you are. I will ruin you if you come here again. Get the hell out." He glared at me. He looked back at Zoya. " Don't feel happy. We all know how this ends. Tell your friend about it. And you. " He pointed his finger to me. "I will see you again. " He smirked and left. As soon as he left Zoya grabbed my phone and deleted the voice recording. "Zoya what are you doing?!" She deleted it and hugged me tightly. When she spoke she was crying very badly. "He came back Reyna. He always does. I don't know what to do." I wrapped my arms around her. " Shh Zoya. I'm right here. I will not let him touch you. I promise." 
"Promise me you will not leave me alone Reyna." I nodded. After that it took me a while to calm her down. She was okay by the time others came and assured me that she would tell Sheela everything. I wouldn't have believed it so easily but I saw her talking to Sheela and Ibrahim separately. The next morning I went to speak with Zoya . She was awake sitting on her bed. I put a hand on her shoulder. " Hey . I know you don't want to but do you mind telling me what is the problem. Between you and your brother." She looked at me and pulled my hand. I sat in front of her. She was looking at me but was lost in thought. "His name is Dev. " She looked at somewhere else while talking. "He was , the most beautiful man I had ever seen. Very protective brother. Always wore white clothes. His smile made you smile. " She spoke in tears at the brother she must miss. She spoke again. " He was the best brother. But underneath those white clothes, he was full of darkness. He was 8 years older than me. Always took care of me as a kid as our parents died when we were young. Our aunt took care of us. I was overwhelmed by the love my brother was showing. Until I knew who he really was. And what he wanted from me. And then I tried running." She now started crying. There would be no happy ending to this story. I gripped her hand. She looked at me and nodded. She started again. "He became really obsessive over me. I didn't realize why. Later I came to know that our grandfather had written everything we own in my name. He asked my aunt to give it to him at 18 but she said no as it was for me and that it was for my future family. Dev didn't like that. He didn't like the idea of me having anything that would make me independent of him. So he separated me from everyone. He would lock me in dark rooms day after day. He would hit me constantly. He pushed my head in water over and over again. He told bad things about me to my friends. So I grew up alone. Every time I tried telling someone he convinced everyone I was mentally unstable. I thought this was all my fault and didn't open up to anyone not even my aunt as he threatened to kill her. He became a really successful business man . I thought growing up he would be okay. But I was wrong. He wanted it all. He killed my aunt. I didn't realize it at first. He took away her property papers and made sure she didn't get married. He used to threaten her that he would harm me. Like that he put us both in cages. When my aunt fell sick he made sure that she didn't receive any treatment till the last moment and by then it was too late. He acted as if he changed. I thought her death changed him and we would become close again. He acted that way too. But he was too greedy. He wanted it all. He wanted money, my properties, my aunt's, and would do anything for it. One day he took me to a party." Her voice started breaking. It was close. The point where she would lose it. I had tears in my eyes too. She gathered strength. "that day he asked me to help him in his business. He said he really couldn't do anything alone and that he needed to save the company for us. I was completely fooled and agreed. He introduced to me another business man with whom he was planning a deal. He took me and that man to a room and---- he left me there. Later I realized that he sold me. For one night. " I was shocked. Tears rolled down my eyes. She was his sister. His sister! I hugged her. She cried. "I escaped somehow. I ran to Dev to tell him what almost happened to me. He asked me to shut up and do as he says. He then took me out of the party in the car and he stopped in the middle of the road. He told me that I had to do whatever he said. One by one I came to know all his secrets. I was broken beyond repair and so was he. When I look at him all I see is ----my brother. All the time I thought what did I do so wrong? That he became like this? Things got better after I found ibrahim and Sheela and Arjun. But he always returns . He loves torturing me. The feeling that I'll never stand up to him. Nothing can help me. The police can't find evidence and even if we try anything he'll threaten me and I can't step forward then. But the saddest part of all this was that I trusted him with my aunt. I couldn't save her. " She started crying really bad in my arms. "I couldn't save her Reyna. My aunt. My . my mother. And my brother."