Chapter 6: The Morning After
230 Words
The night felt like a hundred years.
Zara didn’t sleep. She sat on the cold floor, hugging her knees, listening to the silence of the big, empty house. Every sound made her jump.
When the first ray of sunlight came through the window, she wiped her tears and stood up. Her eyes were red, but her jaw was set.
"I’m not a slave," she whispered to herself.
There was a knock on the door. Soft. Not Orhaan’s knock.
A maid’s voice came from outside. "Bibi, Sahab ne kaha hai. Nashta 8 baje. Aur phir safai shuru karni hai."
Zara didn’t answer.
Ten minutes later, the door opened. Orhaan stood there.
He looked different. No anger. No cold smile. Just tired. His shirt sleeves were rolled up and there were dark circles under his eyes. Like he didn’t sleep either.
He looked at her red eyes, at her sitting on the floor. For one second, something flickered in his eyes. Regret?
But then it was gone.
"Breakfast," he said, his voice flat. "Kitchen. Now. If you don’t want to work, then starve."
He turned and walked away without waiting for an answer.
Zara stared at his back. Her heart was beating fast. Not from fear.
From something else.
Because behind his anger... she had seen it last night too.
And now she had seen it again.
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[End of Chapter 6]
- Writer
