Night Love

chap:10

Night Love

​By - Eva Talukder

​Chapter 9: The Calm Before the Storm

​The mansion felt different tonight. There was a strange tension in the air, a stillness that felt dangerous. Arura had spent the entire day locked in her room. She had stopped crying; her eyes were now dry and dull. She felt like a doll whose strings were being pulled by a merciless master. Every time she heard a sound in the hallway, she flinched, wondering what Zayan had planned for her next.

​Zayan, on the other hand, was unusually quiet. He hadn't come to her room all morning. But Arura knew him well enough to know that his silence was never a good sign. It was the calm before a storm—a storm that would soon sweep her away.

​Late in the evening, the door finally opened. Zayan walked in, but he wasn't wearing his usual office suit. He was dressed in a casual black shirt, but his eyes were sharper than ever. He stood by the bed, looking down at Arura, who was huddled in a corner.

​Zayan: "Get up, Arura. We need to talk."

​Arura: (Without looking at him) "I have nothing to say to you, Zayan. Just leave me alone."

​Zayan: (Voice dropping) "I didn't ask if you wanted to talk. I said we need to. Now, stand up."

​Arura slowly stood up, her legs feeling weak. She looked at him with a mix of fear and defiance. Zayan stepped closer, his presence overwhelming her. He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His touch was cold, yet it sent a shiver through her body.

​Zayan: "Do you remember the garden at the back of this mansion? The one where we used to play when we were kids?"

​Arura’s heart skipped a beat. Why was he mentioning the past now? "I... I remember."

​Zayan: "I hated that garden. I hated it because it was the only place where I felt happy, and happiness is a weakness. My mother left me, your mother lied about me... and that garden was destroyed just like my life."

​Arura: "Why are you telling me this now? What do you want?"

​Zayan: "I want you to realize that there is no escape. Not for me, and not for you. You think Nilima or Ayan can save you? They can't. You think the world outside cares about you? They don't. In this world, you only belong to me."

​Arura: "I will never belong to a monster like you! You can keep me here, but you can't own my soul."

​Zayan laughed, a dark and hollow sound that echoed through the room. He grabbed her waist and pulled her flush against his chest. Arura gasped, her hands instinctively pushing against his shoulders, but he was like a mountain—unmovable.

​Zayan: "Your soul? I don't need your soul yet, Arura. I need your presence. I need you to be here, right where I can see you, every single day. Tomorrow... tomorrow everything is going to change."

​Arura: (Trembling) "What do you mean? What are you going to do tomorrow?"

​Zayan leaned down, his lips almost touching hers. She could feel his warm breath, and for a second, she forgot how to breathe.

​Zayan: "You’ll see. Tonight is the last night you will sleep as a free woman. From tomorrow, you will be bound to me in a way you never imagined."

​Arura: "No... Zayan, please! Don't do this!"

​Zayan: "It’s too late for 'please,' Arura. The game has already started. Now, go to sleep. You’ll need your strength for tomorrow."

​He let go of her abruptly and walked toward the door. Just before leaving, he turned back.

​Zayan: "And Arura... don't try anything stupid tonight. My guards are outside your door. Don't make me lose my temper. You wouldn't like me when I’m truly angry."

​The door slammed shut, and the lock clicked into place. Arura sank to the floor, her heart hammering against her ribs. What did he mean by 'bound to him'? Was he going to kill her? Or was it something even worse?

​She spent the night staring at the ceiling, the shadows of the room morphing into terrifying shapes. She thought about her mother, about Nilima’s hug, and about the 12-year-old boy Zayan used to be. How did that boy turn into this predator?

​Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Zayan’s dark, obsessive gaze. She realized that she was no longer just a victim of his revenge. She was a victim of his obsession. A dark, twisted love was blooming in the shadows of the mansion, and she was caught right in the middle of it.

​As the first rays of dawn began to peek through the curtains, Arura felt a sense of dread. The night was over, but her nightmare was just beginning. She didn't know that in just a few hours, Zayan would force her into a marriage that would change her life forever. She didn't know about the tears, the ring, or the coldness of the ceremony that awaited her in Chapter 10.

​All she knew was that she was trapped, and the man who held the key was never going to let her go.