Chapter 5: Shadows and Secrets
524 Words
The air in the Aziz Khan estate had changed. Wareesha could feel it. It wasn’t visible. It wasn’t loud. But it was there. A shift in the way her parents spoke, the way they watched her too carefully, the way conversations stopped the moment she entered a room.
For years, she had believed in the illusion of her perfect family. Now, she wasn’t so sure.
And then there was Zaraar.
He was watching her. Not in a way that was obvious, but in a way that made her feel cornered.
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The First Sign
Wareesha was walking through the eastern wing of the estate when she heard her father’s voice.
“I want everything handled discreetly.”
She stilled.
From the half-open study door, she could see her father speaking on the phone, his face unusually tense.
“She must never know the truth,” he continued, his voice low and sharp. “Do you understand?”
Wareesha’s stomach twisted.
She didn’t hear the rest. She forced herself to walk away before she was caught.
But the words echoed in her mind.
What truth?
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A Warning from Zaraar
That night, Wareesha found herself on the balcony, staring at the moonlit gardens, trying to piece things together. She had always trusted her father. Her mother. Their love had been unquestionable.
But something was wrong.
“You’ve been thinking too much lately.”
The deep voice behind her made her stiffen. She turned to see Zaraar leaning against the doorframe, watching her like a predator studying its prey.
She crossed her arms. “What do you want?”
He stepped forward, his presence suffocating. Too close. Too calm. Too knowing.
“I want to know what’s going on in that overthinking mind of yours,” he said smoothly.
Wareesha scoffed. “Worried about me, are you?”
His smirk didn’t fade, but his eyes darkened. “No. Just making sure you don’t do something reckless.”
She frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?”
He tilted his head. “It means... sometimes, the truth is worse than the lie.”
Her pulse quickened. Was he warning her? Or was he trying to manipulate her?
“I don’t play mind games, Zaraar.”
He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to something more dangerous. “You don’t have to. You’re already in one.”
And just like that, he walked away, leaving her in suffocating silence.
Wareesha gritted her teeth.
She would find out what was happening—no matter what it took.
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The Second Crack
The next morning, Wareesha was walking past the guest wing when she overheard her mother and grandmother speaking in hushed voices.
“She will have everything that belongs to her,” her grandmother was saying firmly. “I won’t let anyone take it from her.”
Her mother sounded hesitant. “But Ammi, is this really necessary?”
Dadi’s voice was sharp. “I know what I’m doing.”
Wareesha’s hands clenched into fists.
Who was trying to take what from her?
And why did it feel like Dadi was protecting her from her own mother?
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