Chapter 51 #6
"I can't hide my reality from you, Safiya. You know I'm a dangerous man." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Are you really so scared that you'd even hold a gun against me?"
"No... I was.", aquiet chuckle escaped him.
"Was what? Trying to learn how to pull the trigger?", He dragged the barrel slowly from the column of her throat, down the centre of her body, until it reached her navel.
Safiya's breath hitched.
"I thought you were very skilled with that.", Her eyes widened when he pressed the cold muzzle against her stomach.
"Tell me. Were you scared?", He moved the gun in a slow circle, watching every flicker of emotion cross her face.
"Did you also think that I'm cruel?", Safiya shook her head.
"No.", Her voice was barely audible.
"No. That was too much for me. The sight of blood... the ambush..."
For a moment, something in Zaviyar's expression softened.He lifted his free hand and gently patted her cheek.
Then he leaned closer. His lips pressed against hers.
"If you're scared, then that's okay. But don't hate me. Whatever I'm doing is to protect you," he said quietly, placing the gun in her trembling hands.
His gaze remained fixed on hers as he added, "And pull the trigger if you ever feel like I'm going to harm you. You don't need to be taught how to wield a gun."
Safiya stared at the weapon for a moment before abruptly throwing it aside. The next second, she was in his arms, burying her face against his chest as though she needed to make sure he was truly there.
"I thought we died. I thought I was about to die and lose you." Her arms tightened around him, her voice breaking beneath the weight of everything she had just endured. "I didn't want to kill that driver, but he was... I was just so-"
"Shhh. It's okay, sweetheart. I'm very sorry you had to witness all that."
, Zaviyar's hand moved slowly over her back, soothing the tremors that still lingered in her body, while his other hand caressed her hair.
Yet, despite his gentle touch, his eyes briefly drifted towards the gun lying discarded on the floor.
"Drive," he commanded through the partition, his voice once again carrying the cold authority of the Nawab.
The SUV continued through the winding roads, the dense forest passing beyond the tinted windows in a blur of dark green. Safiya remained curled against him, tucked securely in his lap, her head resting against his chest while his arms stayed wrapped around her.
For a while, neither of them spoke. The silence between them was no longer uncomfortable; it was simply the quiet that came after surviving something neither of them wanted to remember.
After some time, Safiya lifted her face and looked at him through her lashes. "Zaviyar, is this all necessary? You getting so involved in this bloodshed?"
His expression hardened for a moment, his gaze settling somewhere beyond the window. "If I don't, then it would simply mean I'm too weak to protect the people important to me. I failed once, Safiya. Not again."
Her brows knitted together. "What do you mean?"
"Grandfather died because he took a bullet for me." His voice lowered, the memory carrying a weight he rarely allowed anyone to see. "He was a strong man, Safiya. A man who carried the entire family on his shoulders."
His arms tightened around her as if the mere thought of losing her was enough to make his chest ache. He lowered his face, resting his nose against the curve of her neck and breathing in her familiar scent, the one thing that seemed capable of quieting the chaos inside him.
"I can't lose you too."
For the remainder of the journey, they stayed tangled together, drawing comfort from each other's warmth while the forest slowly gave way to the familiar roads of Azamgarh. Nearly an hour later, the black SUV finally approached the enormous iron gates of Khan Haveli.
The moment the vehicle passed through them, the atmosphere seemed to change.
Rows of staff stood in perfect formation along either side of the long stone pathway, dressed in crisp uniforms and waiting patiently beneath the imposing fa?ade of the ancestral estate.
Word of the Nawab and Begum Sahiba's return had reached the haveli nearly an hour ago, and almost everyone had gathered to welcome them.
The SUV rolled to a stop beneath the grand portico, its tires coming to rest against the polished stone. Before Zaviyar could reach for the handle, the head steward hurried forward and opened his door.
"Assalamu Alaikum, Sahab."
Zaviyar stepped out with a restrained nod. "Wa Alaikum Assalam."
Instead of walking ahead, however, he moved around the vehicle and opened the passenger door himself. Safiya looked at him for a moment, still caught between confusion and exhaustion, before noticing the hand he silently extended towards her.
She placed her hand in his, settling her self softly over the courtyard.
Safiya barely had time to comprehend what was happening when a unified voice rose from every corner of the haveli.
"Welcome home."
Safiya froze where she stood, her eyes widening as she slowly took in the scene before her. Dozens of people stood gathered around the courtyard, smiles illuminating their faces as they welcomed her home. Some bowed respectfully.
A few elderly women stood with their palms raised, quietly offering duas for the couple. There was no pretence in their expressions, no forced obedience or empty courtesy. The respect shining in their eyes was genuine, and somehow, that affected Safiya more than the grand haveli itself ever could.
Without even realizing it, her fingers tightened around Zaviyar's hand. He noticed immediately. He didn't look at her or say anything, he simply turned his hand beneath hers and gently intertwined their fingers, offering her a silent reassurance that he was there.
A little distance away, Riffat had been pacing restlessly across the courtyard, while Nauman stood nearby, his expression taut with worry. The moment she saw them, Riffat's heart nearly stopped at the sight of them.
Her children looked battered, dishevelled and exhausted, and the sight was enough to shatter whatever composure she had managed to maintain.
She rushed towards them. Her hands immediately went to Safiya, cupping her face before she leaned forward and pressed a loving kiss against her forehead. "You've come home."
Safiya's throat tightened at the words. Something about them felt strangely comforting, almost like she had been given permission to finally let herself breathe.
"Tayi Ammi..." Riffat gave her a reassuring smile before turning towards Zaviyar. Her expression changed instantly, becoming stern as she looked him up and down.
"And you." Her eyes narrowed before she gestured towards the entrance. "Come. Inside."
None of them dared argue.
They immediately made their way into the haveli, the heavy wooden doors closing behind them soon after. The moment they entered the inner courtyard, Riffat's attention returned entirely to Safiya. She began examining her from head to toe, searching for even the slightest injury.
"Chot toh nahi aayi na tumhe kahin?" , Safiya shook her head, but before she could answer properly, Riffat was already checking her arms and shoulders.
Zaviyar was accustomed to his mother's fussing, but Safiya clearly wasn't.
He could see the tension gathering in her posture as Riffat continued inspecting her, and his expression softened for a brief moment.
(You haven't been hurt anywhere, have you?)
Riffat immediately noticed how cold Safiya's hands were.
She gestured towards one of the maids, who hurried away and returned with a shawl.
Without wasting another second, Riffat wrapped it securely around Safiya's shoulders, tucking it around her as though she were protecting her from the slightest chill.
Zaviyar watched for a moment before stepping forward, knowing his wife was becoming increasingly overwhelmed.
"Bhai..." Kabir began hesitantly.
Before anyone could understand what was happening, Zaviyar's hand struck across his face.
The sharp crack of the slap echoed through the courtyard.
Kabir staggered slightly, his hand instinctively rising to his cheek as stunned silence descended upon everyone.
"Is this how you handle business when I'm not there?" Zaviyar's voice thundered through the courtyard.
Kabir stared at him, stunned. "What are you-"
"Do you take me for a fool, Kabir?" Zaviyar cut him off, his voice low but far more frightening than a shout.
"You knew how important those shipments were to us. I had entrusted you with that responsibility, and where were you when the ambush happened? How were you not informed? ", Kabir's eyes dropped to the floor.
Zaviyar took one step towards him. "WHERE WERE YOU?"
Kabir flinched beneath his brother's gaze. Safiya immediately, held his arm.
"I had completed the paperwork and went away t-to meet my friends."
The disappointment that crossed Zaviyar's face was colder than his anger.
"It was because of your negligence that the shipments were half destroyed. They were able to attack us because you didn't even care enough to check whether our men had been planted there. You were too busy playing around to do the one thing I had trusted you to do."
"What are you saying, Zaviyar?" nauman interrupted, confusion evident in their voice. Zaviyar's jaw tightened.
"If Safiya hadn't suspected something today, I would have been dead for good."
Kabir's face paled. "Sorry, Bhai... Sorry, Bhabhi, I-"
"Zaviyar, how can you be so sure that-"
"The shipments were important, but so was the security of the forest area." Zaviyar's gaze swept across the people gathered around him. "In my absence, the security there weakened because there was no proper authority."
He paused, allowing the words to settle.