chap:-8.
1030 Words
Night Love
By - Eva Talukder
Chapter 8: The Weight of the Chains
The sun had finally set, leaving the mansion in a haunting shade of grey. After Nilima and Ayan left, the silence felt even more suffocating. Arura sat by the window, her eyes swollen from crying. Nilima’s hug was the only warmth she had felt in days, but now that she was gone, the coldness of the room seemed to bite into her skin.
She could hear the distant sound of Zayan’s car driving away, then silence, and then, hours later, the sound of his heavy footsteps on the stairs. Each step felt like a heartbeat. Thud. Thud. Thud. The door unlocked. Arura didn't move. She didn't want to look at him. She didn't want to see the man who took pleasure in her misery. Zayan walked into the room, the smell of expensive tobacco and rain clinging to his black coat. He stood in the middle of the room, watching her.
Zayan: "Still sitting in the dark? You really love playing the victim, don't you, Arura?"
Arura didn't answer. She kept her gaze fixed on the dark trees outside.
Zayan: (Walking closer) "Nilima thinks I’m a monster. Ayan thinks I’m making a mistake. They think you are an innocent little doll who got caught in my web. Are you, Arura? Are you really that innocent?"
Arura: (Turning her head slowly) "I don't know what you want from me, Zayan. You have locked me here. You have taken my freedom. What else is left? Do you want my life? Take it. It’s better than being your prisoner."
Zayan’s eyes darkened. He hated it when she talked about giving up. He wanted her to feel the pain, not to escape it. He reached out and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up at him. His grip was firm, but he didn't squeeze hard enough to bruise her.
Zayan: "Don't talk about death. You haven't even begun to pay for what happened. Dying is easy. Living in this hell... that’s the real punishment."
Arura: "Why me? If you hate my mother, go find her! Why are you punishing me for things that happened when I was a child?"
Zayan: (His voice dropping to a dangerous whisper) "Because you are her pride. You are the only thing she loves. And taking you away from her... watching you wither away in this house... that is the only way I can make her feel a fraction of the pain I felt."
Arura: "You are sick! Nilima was right. You are a coward!"
Zayan let go of her chin and let out a dry, bitter laugh. He walked toward the small table where a tray of food sat untouched.
Zayan: "Eat. I don't want you fainting. I need you awake so you can feel every second of this."
Arura: "I’m not eating anything you give me."
Zayan turned around, his expression changing from mockery to pure dominance. He walked back to her, and this time, he sat on the edge of the bed, invading her personal space.
Zayan: "Arura, don't test my patience. I was nice to you while my friends were here. I didn't scold you when you cried on Nilima’s shoulder. But they are gone now. It’s just you and me."
Arura: "I’m not afraid of you anymore."
Zayan: "Liar. Your heart is racing so fast I can almost hear it."
He leaned in closer. Arura could feel the heat radiating from his body. She wanted to push him away, but her hands wouldn't move. She was paralyzed by his presence.
Zayan: "You think I’m a monster now? You have seen nothing yet. In this mansion, I am the king, and you are whatever I want you to be. If I tell you to eat, you eat. If I tell you to sleep, you sleep."
Arura: "And if I say no?"
Zayan: "Then I will make sure you regret it. I can make this stay very, very difficult for you, Arura. Don't make me do things I don't want to do."
He stood up and straightened his suit. He looked down at her one last time before heading toward the door.
Zayan: "The food better be gone by the time I come back in an hour. And don't think about Nilima saving you. She can't enter this house without my permission. You are mine, Arura. Remember that."
He walked out and locked the door with a loud click.
Arura slumped against the window. She felt so helpless. She looked at the food, then at the door. She knew Zayan was serious. He wasn't just a man seeking revenge; he was a man obsessed with control. He wanted to break her spirit until there was nothing left but him.
She began to eat, not because she was hungry, but because she needed the strength to survive. She needed to stay alive to find out the truth. Why did Zayan’s mother leave? Why did her mother lie? The questions were burning in her mind, but the answers were locked away in Zayan’s dark heart.
As the night grew deeper, the mansion became silent again. But for Arura, the silence was louder than any scream. She lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering how much longer she could endure this "Night Love" that felt more like a slow death.
In the room next door, Zayan sat in the dark, a glass of whiskey in his hand. He could hear her moving. He knew she was crying again. A part of him wanted to go in and wipe her tears, to tell her he remembered the night she took care of his fever. But the darkness inside him was stronger. The 12-year-old boy who was abandoned was still screaming for justice, and Arura was the only one who could pay the price.
"Soon, Arura," he whispered to the shadows. "Soon, you will understand why I have to be this way."
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