WORD COUNT ∹ 1700+
PUBLISHED ON ∹ Apr 14, 2024
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TRIGGER WARNING
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• PHYSICAL VIOLENCE ⚠️
• CHARACTER ASSASSINATION
• FALSE ALLEGATIONS
• SENSITIVITY
•❃°•°❀°•°❃•
N E X T D A Y
"Sofia!!!"
Sana's voice reverberated through the living room. She hadn't slept all night, consumed by her plot against Sofia.
"Sana! Why are you shouting like this?" Her mom appeared, followed by Armaan.
"You should also be aware of the drama unfolding behind your back" Sana retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.
"What are you talking about?" Armaan inquired, noticing her change in behaviour.
"Sof--"
Sana halted when she saw Sofia entering the room, unaware of the brewing storm.
"What happened?" Sofia asked politely, oblivious to Sana's intentions to question her character.
"Look, who's here! The girl who ruined our reputation. You didn't even think twice about our protocol?" Sana stood in front of her, pointing fingers accusingly.
Sofia could sense the storm about to brew after this confrontation.
"Are you even realizing what you're saying?" Armaan intervened, grabbing Sana's elbow, showing his trust and faith towards Sofia, who was now trembling with fear.
"Wait, Armaan! If she's claiming that boldly, then I'm sure she isn't lying" Ruksana supported her daughter and signaled her to continue.
Meanwhile, Sofia's legs were on the verge of giving up, her lips drying as she struggled to catch her breath.
"She has spent the whole night outside!"
"She wasn't at home the entire day and night yesterday."
For a moment, I felt like my soul had left my body. I looked up into her eyes with shock evident in my widened eyes because she was lying.
I stepped back in front of her then--
*Slap*
"MOM!!"
Armaan bhai rushed to support me as my body nearly collided with the floor due to the force of the tight slap her mom delivered to my cheeks, causing them to burn bright red.
My heart pounded as if it would burst, yet my inner self couldn't grasp what was truly happening.
I felt like a lifeless body
Unaware that tears streamed down my face, wiped away by Armaan bhai. When he made me look into his eyes,
I felt an urgent need to defend myself.
"I-I didn't do that."
"I am not... that type of girl."
"Believe me... please." Sobbing, I found myself struggling to breathe, hiccups overtaking me in a matter of seconds.
"Leave her, Armaan!" His mom's voice rang out, but he held onto me firmly.
When he refused to let go, Sana stepped in, gripping my jaw tightly.
"Sana! MOVE AWAY RIGHT NOW!"
He yelled so loudly that I flinched and instinctively clutched his shirt, feeling like they might attack me at any moment if he let go even for a second.
"Don't you feel shame while saying such things about your elder sister?"
"Huh, I should feel shame? Ask her! Didn't she feel any shame while sleeping outside? Or is it something casual in our family?" Sana scoffed, throwing dirt on my character. With each word,
it felt like my heart was cracking, wounds that would never heal.
"Say nah! Why are you quite?" Sana gritted her teeth, but before I could respond, I heard footsteps and a familiar voice coming from behind.
"What's going on here?" Baba's voice echoed through the room.
I didn't know where I found the courage, but I ran to him and hugged him tightly.
My hiccups were relentless, and I was sure my entire face was red.
"Sofi, what happened? Why are you crying, hmm? Look here" Baba said, cupping my face.
My tears flowed even more at the care in his eyes.
I cried even harder because I didn't want my baba to hate me because of those false allegations.
His self-respect meant everything to me.
I would sacrifice myself, but I never wanted to bring a single stain on his name.
"Baba-"
I called him even when he was all ears. Words refused to come, so I hold his hands with my miserably trembling fingers.
Slowly shooked my head sideways which made a tear fallen between our interlocked fingers
With those wobbly, trembling lips I uttered
"I didn't do anything which will hurt your pride.
"I'm pure like your self respect"
"Mom, I haven't even said that she did sleep outside, and also she lied to uncle, saying that she's going to Esha's house, but she actually was organizing an event" Sana continued her accusations, her words cutting through the tense air.
"And with the same guy who hired her, offered her for a one-night stand–"
"Sana! Are you in your senses? Stop talking rubbish!" Baba's voice thundered with anger, his eyes blazing red as he defended me against Sana's baseless allegations.
"Why are you screaming at her? Ask your daughter! Where was she yesterday?" Ruksana chachi intervened, joining the fray as Baba's anger boiled over.
"Sofia, I believe you, but tell them. They are wrong" Baba implored, his gaze filled with fear as he looked into my eyes.
I swallowed hard, summoning all my courage to speak up and defend my purity.
"I swear to God, I-I didn't do anything wrong. I came back yesterday. She saw me coming back" pointing towards Sana, who continued to glare at me with anger.
"Tauba tauba" Sana dismissed my words.
(Shame, shame)
"God won't forgive you" she added, maintaining her stance that I was lying. I felt utterly helpless, unable to prove myself, resorting to swearing for the first time in my life.
"Did you get hired as an event manager?" She questioned, while baba seeked an explanation
I struggled to find words to defend myself.
"What will she say now? I'll prove it to you" Sana declared, storming off to her room. Anxiety gripped me tightly as she returned, scrolling through her phone.
"Look, uncle" she handed the phone to Baba, who glanced at me before examining the pictures.
"See, uncle, this is the guy! The one who's making her wear gajras"
Sana was continuously adding fuel to the fire and I stood there, defenseless, with no evidence to counter.
"Is this masked girl you?" Baba's question pierced through me, his tone tinged with sorrow.
I felt a sharp pain in my chest, on the verge of fainting. In that momen
I wished for death
wished I would never wake up if I fainted right then.
•❃°•°❀°•°❃•
"Sherkhan, are you alright? What's with all this sweat on your forehead?" His mom checked his temperature as he appeared anxious.
"Ammi Ji" Sherkhan struggled to articulate his emotions verbally. Seeking comfort, he held her palms tightly and took deep breaths.
"I feel like something bad is going to happen."
"I want to see her, please" he pleaded as Ayesha gently caressed his cheeks. She helped him relax and instructed him to take some deep breaths, which Sherkhan obediently followed.
"You are missing her, that's why the craving is causing those negative thoughts in your mind" she gently explained to him.
"I don't even know if she made it back safely or not. I just want some way to find out about her, whether she's safe or not" he expressed his concern.
"Please, Ammi Ji" he pleaded once more.
"Yese mat karo, Sherkhan. Agar mujhe pata hota toh mai aapko yese tadapne deti?" she replied, her voice filled with emotion
(Don't do this, Sherkhan. If I had known, would I let you suffer like this?)
Feeling emotional after witnessing his anxious state, she suggested calling Fiya's best friend, whose number was in Bilal's phone.
"Hello, are you Fiya's friend?" Sherkhan asked the person on the other end of the call, his tone brimming with hope.
"Fiya?"
Esha questioned, unaware that Sofia had referred to herself as 'Fiya'
"Yesterday, there was an event in Pathan Mansion. She was the event manager. She called you using my friend's number" Sherkhan quickly recounted the details to jog her memory.
"Oh, right. I'm her friend" Esha bit her tongue, realizing he was talking about Sofia.
Letting out a deep sigh of relief, Sherkhan made his request "Can I get her number, please?"
"Look, it's really important! Her payment is also due, and there's another function that we would like her to supervise" he emphasized, underlining the urgency of the situation.
"He sounds so desperate! But I've seen him, he isn't one of those cheap guys" Esha thought internally without responding to him.
"Ahm, I can't just give you her number" Esha said, mindful of her privacy concerns.
"Please, I'm requesting you" he pleaded, desperation evident in his tone as he refused to let go of the hope slipping through his fingers.
"Please" he begged, his sincerity shining through the tone
"Okay, I'll send it to you" Esha relented, trusting that Sherkhan wouldn't do anything to violate her privacy.
She end up trusting him
"Thank you. Thank you so much! I'll forever remember your favour" his voice quickly shifted, overwhelmed with gratitude.
•❃°•°❀°•°❃•
SOFIA'S POV
"Sofia, you're my pride. My whole universe" Baba's words carried a weight of hope and desperation.
"Just tell me once that you aren't that girl, I promise I won't let a single person raise their finger on you" he pleaded, his touch gentle against my tear-stained cheeks.
God, just let me die already.
I brought tears to his eyes.
I don't deserve to live anymore.
"You aren't, right?" Baba's question hung heavy in the air, and I couldn't bring myself to meet his gaze.
With a heavy heart, I nodded, silently admitting to being the girl in that mask.
I felt baba's hands slowly withdraw from my cheeks, and my head hung low in shame.
But then, I mustered the courage to raise my head and meet his tear-filled eyes.
"Baba, I did take that job, but I didn't sleep with anyone. I just wanted to make you proud..." My voice trailed off, choked with emotion.
"By breaking my trust?" He distanced himself from me, each step further tearing my heart apart with his question.
I knelt at his feet, feeling like the unluckiest girl alive, having broken my father's heart.
"Aapke laad pyaar ne hi isse sir par chada rakha hai" Ruksana chachi taunted with a chuckle beneath her breath.
(Your love and affection have placed her on a pedestal)
"Aur kisi par jayada bharosa Karo toh anjaam yahi hota hai" she added, her words cutting deeper into my wounded heart.
(And when you trust someone more than necessary, this is the result)
_______________________
Cmt box is open for your prediction about next chapter
Will Sherkhan protect her image?
Or she'll distance herself?
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