Chapter:14
"Nala"
My eyes once saw Zayden as a mysterious figure, a man shrouded in secrecy. But as the veil of mystery lifted, I discovered a complex individual, forged in the fire of tragedy and hardship. His name, Zayden Fuad, echoed with a sense of melancholy, a reminder of the family he had lost. Fuad, his father's name, was a constant reminder of the happy family they once had, before it was brutally torn apart.
As Zayden shared his story with me , the shadows of his past began to take shape. His family's happiness was short-lived, as his father's business partner, driven by greed, kidnapped them, demanding they sign a contract that would relinquish their rights. Zayden's parents, in a desperate bid to save their children, fought back, but ultimately lost their lives. The memory of that fateful day still haunted Zayden, the pain of losing his parents etched on his face like a scar.
The trauma of that day was compounded by the torture he endured at the hands of Kaiden's men. Zayden's eyes seemed to cloud over as he recalled the agonizing details. "They would burn me with cigarettes, cut me with razors, and beat me until I was on the brink of death," he whispered, his voice trembling with the weight of his memories. "They would hang me from the ceiling, my wrists and ankles bound by chains, and leave me there for hours, even days." My heart ached as I listened to Zayden's words, the torture he had endured leaving an indelible mark on my mind.
As I gazed into Zayden's eyes, I saw a deep-seated pain, a pain that echoed my own. "Looks like we both are broken by those heartless people. These monsters . They are everywhere . They can't see anyone happy . Always, always the innocent one have to pay the price for being innocent. " I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
Zayden's expression was somber, his eyes clouding over with memories. "Well, yes, but with different storylines. You are right . The innocent one can't live in this cruel world . We can't survive if we can't fight with them by being them ," he replied, his voice tinged with a hint of sadness.
I can feel his pain . I can feel the worst he going through but I can't do much against that person .
My curiosity got the better of me, and I asked him a question that had been burning in my mind. "What would you do if you caught your parents' murderer?"
Zayden's eyes seemed to glaze over, his mind lost in thought. After a moment of silence, he spoke, his voice measured. "Well, I don't know what I would do to him. I could simply kill him or torture him to death, but it isn't..... what I -"
"It isnot what you want . Right" I says .
" Well, what I want. I don't know what I would do. We will see when the time comes."
I noticed he said "we," and my curiosity was piqued. Did I hear it right . He says we .
"We?" I asked, my voice questioning.
Zayden's eyes locked onto mine, his gaze intense. "Yes, we, because I'm not going to let you escape. I want you to live here with me. Help me catch that murderer, and after killing him, we will live together."
"You must be out of your mind" I say .
"I'm not it's the truth . After knowing your story and what you have gone throught cause of me . I have to compensate." He say .
"So, it's the sympathy."
"No, it's not . I know it's hard for both of us and we had much but now I don't want anyone to hurt especially you Nala ".
His words were like a ray of hope, a chance to start anew. But I knew I didn't deserve it. I was a broken, damaged soul, and I didn't know if I could ever be whole again.
I can't live with you even if I want .
We aren't meant to be together.
I have to die .
I looked at Zayden, my eyes searching his. "What if I don't want to live together with you?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Zayden's expression was unreadable, but his voice was low and husky. "Well, then I will capture you."
"What .." I ask with shock .
"Yes, it's truth . Now , you know to much and_"
"So, it's all cause I know your secrets"
"No, .."
"Then."
"Well, I don't know Nala . I don't know what happened to me. I....when I was in company I had a dream of your screams . Basically it isn't the first time. I really don't want you to hurt again. I can't see you in pain . I don't know the cause".
"You_" I ask but he cut .
"I wonder what would happen if we met in different circumstances, where we aren't enemies but just friends."
"We are enemies?" I ask but mostly I remind myself.
He remain silent . He open his mouth to say something but then he close it .
I shrugged, my shoulders barely moving. "What happened was going to happen anyway. We can't control destiny, right?"
Zayden's eyes sparkled with a hint of amusement. "Well, yes, we can't control destiny but we can pray for our happiness. I read in somewhere that prayer can change one's fate. It depends on how much we want it, how pure our intentions are."
I was taken aback by his words. I had never expected him to think like that . "Well, I thought you didn't readbooks " I said, my voice came with surprise.
Zayden's expression was serene, his eyes calm. "Why cannot I read . If anything better happens to me, it's just books in my life. I was on the edge of dying, but the books , saved me. Just by listening to it, I got relief. And also the god that says, 'Your God has never left you, and don't cry. My mom used to tell me some stories . When I was a child. I read many books then . More books then my acedamic books".
I was shocked to hear that he also read books It was a beautiful coincidence, a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there was always hope.
"That's great," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
As I look up Zayden's eyes locked onto mine. I couldn't help but wonder about him. Why was he being so kind to me now? Why was he showing me a side of himself that I never knew existed?
"What do you like except this?" he asked, his voice low and gentle.
I felt a surge of confusion. "What do you mean?" I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.
Zayden's eyes never left mine. "Well, means how you wanna live your life?" he asked, his voice filled with a sense of curiosity.
I felt like I was drowning in his eyes. I had never thought about what I wanted out of life. I had never had the luxury of dreaming about a future beyond survival.
"I don't even have time to think about that," I said, my voice laced with a sense of desperation.
Zayden's expression was calm, his eyes never leaving mine. "Well, if you didn't have time then, you can think now. You can take all the time you want," he said, his voice filled with a sense of patience.
I felt like I was trapped in a dream. Was this really happening? Was Zayden really being kind to me?
"But it's already going to be morning," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
Zayden's smile was gentle. "It's okay. I can take off. Today's everyone is on leave, so I can wait for you. Just think," he said, his eyes never leaving mine.
I felt like I was drowning in his eyes. Why was he doing this? Why was he being so kind to me?
"Do I really have to…I mean, I don't think I-" Zayden cut me off, his voice firm but gentle.
"Listen. Right now, for some time, let's leave our past and forget about it. It's just you and me, okay? So tell me about your dream. Just think and tell," he said, his eyes never leaving mine.
I felt like I was trapped in a dream. Was this really happening? Was Zayden really asking me to forget about my past and dream about a future?
But as I looked into his eyes, I saw something there that gave me hope. Maybe, just maybe, I could trust him. Maybe I could let my guard down and dream about a future beyond the pain and suffering of my past.
"Listen, I say think about your dream, not about me," Zayden said, his voice firm but gentle.
I felt like I had been punched in the gut. How did he know I was thinking about him? Did he read my mind? How was that possible?
"How do you know I'm thinking about you?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Zayden's smile was gentle. ". You are staring . So hard that Its hard for me to control myself ," he said, his eyes never leaving mine.
Control . Why was he controlling himself .
Is he going to beat me .
No but his expression are different.somehow I feel like he's comfortable around me .
I look at his eyes .
I felt like I was drowning in his eyes. Why was he doing this? Why was he being so kind to me?
He raised his brow .
Oh yeah I have to think .
"Fine, let me think," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
As I sat there, lost in thought, I couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder at the way Zayden was looking at me. It was as if he was seeing me for the first time, and I couldn't help but feel a flutter in my chest.
"I think about what I like, but I don't even know myself," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I just want to run away into the forest and live there without any humans. Anyone. I will live there without anything."
As I spoke, I realized that Zayden was staring at me, his eyes locked onto mine. I saw his purple eyes, and suddenly, I was transported to a different time and place. I remembered the thunder, the heavy rain, and the feeling of being alive.
"I like thunder," I said, my voice filled with a sense of wonder. "I like heavy rain. No, I like rain, doesn't matter if it's heavy or just drops. I like nature. I want to live somewhere far, far, far away from here. Where no one can find me. Where there's only me, nature, rain, plants, birds chirping, a campfire, and a burden-free life."
As I finished speaking, Zayden's eyes never left mine. He was still.still.stillllllll looking at me like I was the most amazing thing he had ever seen. Like if he blinked, he would lose this beautiful sight. Like the whole world depended on the person he was looking at.
I saw madness in his eyes, mixed with innocence. It was a look that I had never seen before, and it made my heart skip a beat.
"Well, quite well," he said, his voice low and husky.
I looked at him, confused. "What?" I asked.
Zayden's smile was gentle. "I mean, it's amazing to hear about nature, about living alone with nature, from someone in today's world."
I looked at him, feeling like he was trying to read me, trying to admire me, trying to give me hope. That I wasn't weird.
"So, what about you?" I asked, trying to change the subject.
Zayden's eyes sparkled with amusement. "What about me?" he asked, like he didn't know what I was talking about.
I smiled, feeling a sense of curiosity. "Well, your dream life," I asked.
Zayden's expression changed, and he remained silent for a moment. "Well, you may be surprised to hear that I also want to run away from here," he said, his voice low and husky. "But I want to go to the ocean, live there, admire the setting sun. The feeling of letting go . The beauty of the sky when sun set …just like your…"
He suddenly stopped, and I felt a sense of confusion. "Like mine what?" I asked.
Zayden remained silent, and I asked again, my voice filled with curiosity. "Just like mine what?"
He whispered, his voice barely audible. "Like your eyes."
I was shocked, feeling like I had been punched in the gut. My eyes? What did he mean?
"My eyes?" I ask .
"Yeah , your eyes remind me of that moment when someone is being slowly drown into the midst".
"Well, is it my eye color . How's my eyes color? I forget about that," I said, trying to sound nonchalant.
Zayden's expression changed, and he looked at me like I was crazy. "You really…?" he started to say, but I cut him off.
"Yes, I don't remember what my own face looks like. It's been a long time since I've seen myself," I said, feeling a sense of embarrassment.
Zayden's expression softened, and he looked at me with a sense of kindness. "Well, close your eyes, and I will make you see it yourself," he said, his voice low and husky.
I did as he said, closing my eyes and waiting for him to continue.
"Imagine you are at the ocean, and there's a sun setting. With every pain, every wound, the sun keeps it all and then sets. Reddish, orange, yellow, a mixture of these colors. The color I love most after seeing your eyes. It's brown,. Not just brown . It's light brown . It made me think . How amazing your eyes would be when sunlight falls to them " he said, his voice painting a picture in my mind.
Brown. He said my eyes were brown. I felt a sense of wonder, a sense of curiosity. I had never thought about my eye color before. I had never thought about myself before.
"Brown is a common color. Everyone has it. Why are you so…?" I started to say, but Zayden cut me off.
"No, yours is different. Yours tells a story about an innocent girl and about the pain you are enduring," he said, his voice filled with a sense of wonder.
"Now, you are making up to much that it feel to fake." I say .
"I never lie especially about the people's that I .." he stop .
I wanna know the answer people that he what? But I don't wanna take it further .
Still I felt my heart flutter, felt my pulse racing. I had never felt this way before. I didn't know what to say, didn't know how to react. All I knew was that I felt alive, felt seen.
Now my turn " what's favorite color" he say curiouly .
"Well grey I think" I says"reason" he ask again so , causally "because it's the mixture of black and white , hate and love .when both mix they form a new color a new emotion a new element that is me . I hate and loved others . For sometime I think they are best but for other I hate then for being here .
. It's common right . Someone love you sometimes more then anything and with time he started to hate you with time more then anything.It's just law of nature."
"You seem to be interested in nature so much" he ask .
"Yeah I do" I say .
"what element do you like".he says . now this time this question is weird.
"I don't know I never thought about the element . Basically I live all things in nature , all elements " .
"its okay . It's completely fine. Let me choose for you hm.... Water.
..
you are like water …no you can be fire I think. Cause you are strong and patient enough to make people burn in anger ." he says
And I think he's right. I Have gone through hell so maybe I'm fire . "It's ok. I think so I'm fire to" I says
"wait .. wait let me think . Ohh I have never thought it before . Now I got to know why you have unique personality. You are grey flame." He says .
"Wait .. what. " I ask shockingly.
"I mean your favorite color and your element describe your personality and it describe you are grey flame . ' a burning fire which can be love and hatred both . That's why poeples have to carefully around you for saving themselves'" he says .
I think he'sright . But why he is caring about me .I mean why is he asking to many questions.
Is there's a chance He might . No .no noooo it's can'tbe . He will hate me by knowing truth . He can't love me . I'm not even funny person or cute boys never liked me . Or maybe they did by I don't care.
I was jolted back to reality as the door creaked open, and Zayden's maid appeared at the entrance. We both turned to face her, our eyes wide with surprise.
"Sir, your breakfast is ready, and Aidyn sir is also here," she announced, her voice crisp and efficient.
Zayden's expression changed, and he nodded curtly. "Okay, take him to my study. I will be there," he instructed, his voice firm and authoritative.
As he turned to leave, I felt a pang of disappointment. He was leaving again, just like that. After sharing such intimate moments, he was just walking away.
"Yeah, I forget," I thought to myself. I'm not lucky enough to have this all the time. He's still my enemy, and he has to go.
These are just imagination .
He turned like he hear me
"I will be right back after some time," Zayden said, his voice echoing in my mind.
"It's fine," I replied, trying to sound nonchalant.
Zayden turned back to me, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Really?" he asked, his voice laced with skepticism.
I nodded, trying to reassure him. But he just smiled and said, "Listen, don't do anything stupid, okay? I will be back. While I'm gone, you should take some sleep. You haven't slept all night, and it's bad for your health. And I will ask my maid to bring you breakfast and your medicine."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me feeling lost and confused. I watched him go, my eyes fixed on his retreating back. What was happening to me? Why was I feeling this way about my enemy?