chapter 5
1029 Words
Flashback: Musfira’s Client Meeting
The conference room was filled with the scent of freshly brewed coffee and the crisp sound of papers being shuffled. Musfira sat at the long mahogany table, her black eyes scanning the faces of the clients seated across from her. She had spent hours preparing for this presentation, and now it was time to deliver.
“Each design has been meticulously crafted to enhance your brand’s identity,” she explained, pointing to the sleek, elegant sketches laid before them.
Most of the men nodded in approval, their expressions neutral, professional. Except one.
Aamir Qureshi.
A man in his late forties with slicked-back hair and a predatory smile. From the moment he walked in, his gaze had lingered on Musfira for far too long, trailing over her like she was something to be owned rather than respected.
He leaned back in his chair, smirking. “I must say, Miss Musfira, I didn’t expect such beauty to come with such talent.”
Musfira’s jaw clenched, but she forced a polite smile. “I believe we should focus on the designs, Mr. Qureshi.”
His smile widened, as if enjoying her discomfort. “Of course, of course.” He waved a hand lazily before adding, “But talent like yours deserves more than just appreciation—it deserves… protection.”
A shiver ran down her spine. She tightened her grip on her pen and pressed forward with the meeting, ignoring the unsettling way his eyes never left her.
By the end of the presentation, the other clients were thoroughly impressed, nodding in approval as they signed off on the deal.
Aamir, however, leaned in closer as she gathered her files. His voice dropped to a whisper, just loud enough for her to hear.
“If you ever want to work in a place where your talents are… truly valued, let me know.”
Musfira stiffened, swallowing her disgust. She straightened and met his gaze, her black eyes cold. “I work where I’m respected, Mr. Qureshi. Not where I’m admired for the wrong reasons.”
With that, she turned and walked away.
She didn’t know it then, but this one conversation would seal Aamir Qureshi’s fate.
The Next Day: A Fatal Mistake
Zaviyar sat behind his sleek black desk, reviewing a contract, when his secretary’s voice crackled through the intercom.
“Sir, Aamir Qureshi is here to see you.”
His brow furrowed. The name was familiar—one of the clients Musfira had met yesterday.
“Send him in.”
Aamir entered with an air of arrogance, dressed in an expensive suit, his expression smug. Zaviyar didn’t offer him a seat.
“To what do I owe this visit?” Zaviyar asked coolly, his light brown eyes scanning Aamir with quiet calculation.
Aamir smirked. “I must say, you’ve got a real gem working for you, Mr. Shah. That Musfira… she’s something else.”
Zaviyar’s eyes darkened. Dangerous territory.
Aamir chuckled, completely oblivious to the shift in Zaviyar’s posture. “She’s got the looks and the brains. If you ever decide to let her go, send her my way. I could use a woman like her in my—”
The room turned ice-cold.
Zaviyar stood.
The energy in the office shifted so suddenly, Aamir faltered mid-sentence. Zaviyar’s face remained unreadable, but his voice dropped to something lethal.
“Choose your next words carefully, Qureshi.”
Aamir, still thinking this was a game, smirked. “Relax, Shah. I was only complimenting her. No need to get possessive. Unless… she means more to you than just an employee?”
Silence.
Then—
A single nod from Zaviyar.
Within seconds, two of his men appeared at the doorway. Aamir barely had time to react before strong hands grabbed him, dragging him backward.
“W-What the hell is this? Shah?!”
Zaviyar adjusted the cuffs of his sleeves, stepping around his desk with a predatory calm.
“I don’t tolerate men who look at what’s mine.”
Aamir’s eyes widened. “Y-Yours? She—she’s just an employee!”
Zaviyar tilted his head. “And yet, you thought you could speak about her so freely?” He leaned in, his voice a whisper of death. “You made a mistake, Qureshi. One you won’t get to make again.”
Aamir thrashed. “You’re insane! You can’t do this!”
Zaviyar only smiled. “Watch me.”
The Forest: A Predator Becomes Prey
The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and pine as Zaviyar’s men dragged Aamir into the depths of the desolate forest. His shouts had turned to panicked whimpers, his tailored suit now torn and dirt-streaked.
They tied him to a thick tree, securing the ropes tight enough to cut into his skin.
Zaviyar stood a few feet away, his expression impassive as the moonlight cast eerie shadows across his sharp features.
“P-Please, Shah,” Aamir stammered, sweat dripping down his forehead. “I won’t say anything again. I swear!”
Zaviyar pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lighting it with a flick of his wrist. He took a slow drag before exhaling, his eyes never leaving Aamir’s.
“That’s the thing about men like you,” he mused. “You never stop. You just find someone else to prey on.”
A sound rustled in the distance.
Aamir stilled, his breath coming in shallow gasps.
Zaviyar’s lips curled. “But not this time.”
Low, guttural growls echoed through the trees.
Aamir’s body jerked violently against the ropes. “What—what is that?!”
Zaviyar turned, glancing into the darkness as the first pair of glowing eyes appeared between the trees. Then another. And another.
Wild dogs. Hungry. Drawn by the scent of fear.
Aamir’s screams split the night air as Zaviyar exhaled another puff of smoke, his expression utterly indifferent.
He turned, walking back to his car. Behind him, the growls became snarls, then a frenzy of tearing flesh and agonized screams.
By the time Zaviyar reached the road, silence had fallen.
He slid into his car, unbothered, as if nothing had happened.
As if Aamir Qureshi had never existed at all.
- Writer
