Junoon 8

DISCLAIMER: This story is an absolute work of fiction which means I am NOT promoting anything that I write. This story is solely based on random imaginations of mine and they are WILD. I DON'T mean to offend anyone.

Author's POV

Fast forward to 3 days later..

It had been 3 days since the night at the cabin. Something had changed in Zara and Salaar. There was something there that wasn't there before. It was noticed by everyone.

The older house helps were always teasing Zara and passing her teasing looks knowing something had happened. Likewise, Salaar was getting all sorts of back pats and smirks from his fellow friends that he lived up to unlike Zara who always shied away.

Today was just another similar day, Zara was drying her hair when Salaar walked into the room. He was struggling to tie his tie. Zara saw his struggle and got up to help him.

Salaar was looking down, focusing on the stupid tie that he did not see his jaan approaching him till she grabbed his tie from his hands, making him look up. Their eyes met for a brief moment until Zara looked towards the tie to tie it.

Unlike Zara, Salaar's eyes remained down on Zara's face. As soon as Zara was done with the piece of fabric, Salaar grabbed her cheek, smashing his lips onto hers. He pushed her back till her back hit the wall, kissing her senselessly.

Zara kissed back with equal passion, putting her hands on to his arms that were holding her cheeks. They both pulled back after a while and Salaar's eyes were clearly saying that he wanted more but Zara just shook her head in negative saying, "No we cannot, go get ready."

"We can just ditch our plans today my love." Salaar said, clearly being the devil between both of them.

Zara laughed before saying, "No we can't. Go get ready.".

With a dejected sigh, he moved away from her, going and getting ready. They both went downstairs to have breakfast and were met with the whole family there.

Salaar and Zara took their seats while saying their Salaam. The guys started talking about business while Raha and Zara started talking about the latest show they were binging together.

The helpers soon came in with the food and Zara helped serve it like always. It had almost become a habit of hers by now. As soon as the food was served, they all started eating.

"Bhai, Akbar aaya hai. Usse niche wali study mein rakha he." Huzaifa said. (Brother, Akbar is here. He's in the downstairs study.)

"Akbar kon he?" Zara asked, wanting to know who this man they were talking about was. (Who is Akbar?)

"Koi nahi, mera aik shagird he." Salaar replied not looking up to her. (No one, he's an acquaintance of mine.)

"Wo itni jaldi kyun aaya hai? Khairiyat?" Zara asked once again. She found it hard to believe that someone would be here this early. (Why is he here so early? Is everything ok?)

"Jee sab theek hai meri jaan. Mene usse kuch baat karni thi." Salaar replied once again, still looking at his food. (Yes everything is fine my love. I just wanted to talk about some matters with him.)

The others could now sense the tension in the room. Zara was still not satisfied so she pressed on, "Ap pehle batate, usse nashte ke liye bula lete." Zara said, concerned about the certain Akbar. (You should've told me before, we could've invited him for breakfast.)

Salaar's fists tightened as he looked up and gave Zara a tight lipped smile, "I'm sure wo kha ke hi aya ho ga." (I'm sure he already had breakfast.)

Before the atmosphere could turn even more heavy, Raha cut in, "Zara Api, ap inki fazool business ki baatein chorein, aap mujhe bataye ke aap ko mehndi lgani aati he?" (Zara sister, leave their boring and useless business talk. Can you tell me if you can do henna?)

This seemed to help and Zara turned towards Raha, "Jee mujhe lagani aati he, ghar men parhi howi he kia?" (Yes I can. Is there some available in the house?)

"Oh My God YESS. Jee parhi he. Aap mujhe aaj lagayein gi?" Raha excitedly asked. (Yes there are some. Can you do some for me?)

"Han bilkul kyun nahi" Zara replied lovingly. (Yes of course, why not.)

Zara then focused on eating and Raha got a text. She opened her phone to see who it was and it was none other than Huzaifa, 'Thank you for handling the situation mano billi.' (A/N: Mano billi is a loving way to say cat. Huzaifa is Salaar's younger brother. Raha is Rayan's younger sister and Rayan is one of Salaar's 2 best friends.)

Raha looked up to see Huzaifa already looking at her, causing her face to turn red. Huzaifa smirked at her until Rayan slammed his cup down on the table rather harshly, startling everyone.

He muttered an apology and glared at Huzaifa who looked like he was about to piss his pants.

After that interesting exchange of events, Salaar along with Rayan and Mikael disappeared somewhere in the mansion while Huzaifa went to handle his business. Raha and Zara went to the living room with a bunch of henna cones, searching for designs online that they could use.

After a long time of searching for the perfect design, Zara began applying it on Raha's hands all the while gossiping. Just then, Zara mentioned, "Tumhare aur Huzaifa ke darmiyaan kya chal raha he?" (What is going on between you and Huzaifa?)

"Uhm..K..kuch nahi Api." Raha shyly tried to hide it. (Uhm..N..nothing sister.)

Zara stopped putting henna on her hand and looked up with the care of a sister, "Raha, meri baat suno, agar tumhe Huzaifa acha lagta hai to mujhe bata do, men tumhare liye Salaar se ya phir Rayan se baat karti hoon." (Raha, listen to me, if you like Huzaifa then tell me. I will talk to Salaar or Rayan about this issue.)

"Api thank you so much magar mujhe dar lagta he ke Rayan bhai bohut naraz hon ge mere se aur Salaar bhai Huzaifa se khafa hon ge." Raha replied earnestly. (Zara, thank you so much but I'm scared that brother Rayan would be angry with me and brother Salaar would be upset with Huzaifa.)

"Salaar ko to Huzaifa pe naraz hone ka bilkul bhi haq nahi akhir khud bhi to pasand ki shadi ki he. Aur jahan tak Rayan ki baat he to I'm sure ke wo naraz nahi ho ga. Huzaifa aik acha larka he aur Rayan usse jaanta bhi he." Zara said. (Salaar has no right to be mad with Huzaifa, after all he married for love too. And as far as Rayan goes, he won't be mad. Huzaifa is a good guy and Rayan has known him for so long.)

"Api aapki baat to theek he but humne ek dusre ko pasand kia he, thora awkward lagta he." Raha said, blushing red. (Zara you're right but we like each other, it will be a little awkward.)

"Dekho Raha, kisi insaan ko pasand karna gunah nahi he. Pasand karne ke bahane se wahiyat kism ki baatein yan harkatein karna mana he. Kisi ko pasand karna qudrati cheez he." Zara said. (Raha, see, liking someone isn't a sin. But taking the excuse of liking someone to have bad conversations or do bad things is a sin. Liking someone is natural.)

(A/N: This is regarding what I wrote above. When I mention sin, I don't mean it in a religious way rather in a way where it is meant to be prohibited. Also, I cannot fully say that the above written excerpt is according to religion but then again I am not writing this story to be religious so I apologize if it offended anyone.)

"Thank you so much Api! Apko koi andaza nahi hai ke aap se baat kar ke mera kitna dil halka howa he." Raha said. (Thank you so much Zara! You have no clue how better I feel after talking to you.)

"Aur han, wese to men kahoon gi ke Huzaifa aa ke baat kare Rayan aur Salaar se magar agar usne nhi karni to phir men karoon gi." Zara finally said and went back to doing Raha's henna. (And yes, I would say that it's better if Huzaifa talks to Salaar and Rayan but if he won't then I will.)

"Theek he bhabhi" Raha said in a teasing manner. (Ok sister-in-law)

Zara just looked at her with widened eyes and lightly slapped her shoulder in playfulness after noticing her teasing smile. The two then continued doing henna on each other with random conservations.

After they were done, it was almost lunch time but Salaar and the rest were nowhere to be found. Zara got up to look around the house to find him.

She looked everywhere she could but he was nowhere to be seen. She went looking for the head house help to ask her. When she found the lady in the kitchen, she asked, "Apko pata hai ke Salaar kidhar hai?" (Do you know where Salaar is?)

"Nahi bibi, mere khayal se wo basement men hon ge. Aap idhar intezar kar len, wo thodi der tak upar aa jayenge." The head help replied respectfully and continued doing her work. (No Ma'am, I think they are in the basement. You should wait here, they will be back soon.)

'We had a basement?' Zara thought. She was never told that they had one. "Shukriya aunty. Wese aap ko pata he ke ye basement kidher hai?" Zara said and left the kitchen. (Thank you Aunty. By the way, do you know where this basement is?)

"Jee bibi. Basement ka darwaza Salaar baba ke study se he." The house help replied, oblivious to what she might be abetting to. (Yes Ma'am. The basement's door is from Master Salaar's study.)

She had now made it her mission to find the basement which she was not told of. She went straight to Salaar's study in search of the secret door. As soon as she entered, it was as if some people were talking in the distance.

She tried locating the voices and they were definitely higher on one end of the study than the other. However, there was no visible door anywhere in sight. She looked around for a bit until she came across things on the floor that looked a lot like hinges.

Upon closer inspection, they definitely were hinges on one side and not the other. And it was a square sort of shape. Zara bent down to see if she could pry the door like structure open and to her surprise she could.

After the door opened, she came face to face with stairs and she could definitely hear the voices down there. Contemplating whether she should go there, she decided to go ahead.

As she took one step after the other, she came face to face with a very dim-lit hallway with something like cells on either side of it. This looked less like a basement and more like a dungeon.

She walked down the hallway as quietly as possible and she could've sworn she saw some movement in one of the cells. The voices grew louder as she went further. She could now hear Salaar's voice and he sounded angry, no scratch that, he sounded as if he was in a rage.

The scene she was met with was horrifying, something she never thought she would be witnessing. A guy beaten up so badly that he was unrecognizable tied up with chains and Salaar standing in front of him with a dark look on his face and a bloodied hand, Mikael and Rayyan behind him. They were talking and Zara just hid in the shadows watching it unfold.

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In the cold, oppressive atmosphere of the basement, Akbar, bound by unforgiving chains, begged for mercy from Salaar. The air reeked of fear, and Salaar's icy stare penetrated Akbar's very soul.

"Salaar, bhai, mujhe maaf kar den. Men apko dhoka nahi dena chahta tha." Akbar pleaded, sweat streaming down his face. (Salaar, brother, please forgive me. I didn't mean to betray you.)

Salaar, a looming figure in the shadows, showed no sign of empathy. "Dhoka?" Tumne hamari raah mein rukawat daali hai, Akbar. Esa kia tha jo mene tumhe nahi diya? Sab diya, khane ke liye khana, rehne ke liye jaga, pehne ke liye kapre." (Betrayal? You put an obstacle in my path, Akbar. What was it that I didn't give you? I gave you everything, food to eat, a place to live, clothes to wear.)

Akbar remained quiet, his head hanging low as he awaited his fate.

"Mujhe choro, tumne to apni biwi ko bhi dokha diya he. Jo mard apni biwi se bewafayi karta hai wo mere se wafadar kese hoga? Ab to tumhe ye bhugatna padega." Salaar said with distaste. (Forget about me, you even betrayed your wife. A man that is disloyal to his wife, how will he be loyal to me? Now you have to face the consequences.)

As Akbar's desperate pleas grew louder, Salaar's responses became increasingly sinister, painting a macabre picture in the dismal basement. Zara watched this with a heavy heart that was beating out of her chest.

"Meri jaan cheen li gayi hai, Salaar bhai. Main... main maafi chahta hoon." Akbar's voice quivered, his eyes wide with terror. (My life was snatched away from me. Please...please forgive me.)

Salaar leaned in, his tone dripping with cruelty. "Maafi? Tumhari saza yahi hai ki tum dard ko suno, dekho aur mehsoos karo. Tumhara dard meri taqat hai." (Forgive? Your punishment that you hear, see and feel pain. Your pain is my power.)

The room felt suffocating as Salaar's ruthlessness hung in the air. In the cruel twist, Salaar whispered a false promise, a glimmer of hope before the impending darkness.

"Shayad tumhari maut se pehle ek aakhri mauka milna chahiye." Salaar suggested, a sinister smile playing on his lips. (Maybe before your death, I should give you one last chance.)

Akbar, momentarily relieved, stammered, "Salaar bhai, agar aap chahein toh men sudhar jaunga. Mein kuch bhi karne ko tayar hoon. Main apni ghaltiyon ka ehsaas kar chuka hoon." (Brother Salaar, if you want I will improve. I will do anything. I have learned from my mistakes.)

Salaar's eyes gleamed with deceit as he raised his gun, dismissing Akbar's pleas. "Sudhar? Tumhare liye rasta band hai, Akbar. Jahannum mein milte hen." (Improve? That path's closed for you, Akbar. Let's meet in hell.)

The gunshot echoed through the basement, and Akbar's body crumpled to the ground, the grotesque scene sealing his doom. Zara, hidden in the shadows, couldn't suppress a scream at the brutality before her. The metallic tang of blood and the haunting echoes of Akbar's final moments lingered in the basement, a testament to Salaar's feared and merciless reign.

Zara's scream reached Salaar's ears and he turned towards the source, surprise etched on his face as he saw Zara, a witness to the brutality.

"Salaar!" Zara's voice trembled with fear as she staggered backwards, her eyes wide with terror.

Salaar's eyes met Zara's as he cursed under his breath, a flicker of surprise crossing his face before a cold, unyielding mask settled in. The dim light revealed his menacing presence as he took a step towards her.

"Zara, yeh tumhe nahi dekhna chahiye tha." Salaar said, his voice low and devoid of motion. (Zara, you shouldn't have seen any of this.)

But Zara, consumed by fear and betrayal, couldn't comprehend the reality before her. Ignoring Salaar's words, she turned to flee, her footsteps echoing in the basement. Salaar, with a swift, predatory grace, followed, the shadows enveloping him like a malevolent force.

"Salaar, door raho mujhse!" Zara's desperate plea filled the air, but Salaar, driven by a relentless pursuit, closed the distance. (Salaar, stay away from me!)

"Zara, maine jo bhi kiya, woh zaroori tha. Tumhe pareshan hone ki zarurat nahi hai," Salaar's voice, though seemingly reassuring, only fueled Zara's fear. (Zara, what I did was necessary. You don't have to worry at all.)

As Zara reached the top of the basement stairs, Salaar caught up, his hand reaching out to stop her. "Zara, suno toh sahi. Tumhe sab samjhane ka mauka do." (Zara, listen to me. Let me explain.)

Zara stepped away quickly, not letting her hands come in contact as he reached out. Her heart was ramming in her chest and the fear was overwhelming.

Salaar, driven by an inexplicable force, closed the gap swiftly. In an abrupt motion, he caught Zara by the waist, his grip firm and unrelenting. Zara's attempts to break free were met with Salaar's overpowering strength, as he held her in place, a cold, unnerving calm in his eyes.

"Zara, tumhe sunna hoga. Tum yahan nahi thi." Salaar's voice, though steady, held a tone that sent shivers down Zara's spine. (Zara you will have to listen. You were not here.)

Desperation painted Zara's face as she screamed, "Salaar, mujhe choro! TUM KHOONI HO, MUJHE MAAR DO GE" (Salaar, let me go! YOU ARE A MURDERER, YOU WILL KILL ME.)

Salaar, sensing the intensity of Zara's fear and desperation, softens his tone in an attempt to reassure her.

"Zara, main tumse mohabbat karta hoon. Main tumhe kabhi bhi nuksan nahi pahuncha sakta," Salaar states, his voice carrying a mix of sincerity and the weight of his actions. (Zara, I love you. I would never hurt you.)

"Jhoot bol rahe ho mere se. Tumne us aadmi ko umeed di aur...aur.. Itni berahmi se maar diya." Zara said, still scared, trying to get away from him. (You are lying to me. You gave that man hope and ... .and...killed him so mercilessly.)

"Tum uss aadmi se bahut alag ho. Mere liye bohut khaas ho Zara." Salaar tried to tell her. He made her face him and lifted his hand to brush away the hair from her face. (You are very different from that man. You are very precious to me.)

Zara, fueled by a surge of fear from seeing the hand that was the cause of someone's death, wrenched herself free from Salaar's grip. As she sprinted through the cold corridors, the dim light flickered, casting haunting shadows that seemed to dance with her panicked footsteps.

Zara stumbled into a random room, her trembling hands fumbling to lock the door behind her. The ominous sound of Salaar's pursuit echoed through the narrow hallways, his determined footsteps drawing closer.

"Salaar, door raho mujhse!" Zara's desperate plea filled the room as she secured the lock. Her heart pounded, the confined space now offering a momentary sanctuary. (Salaar, stay away from me!)

On the other side of the door, Salaar, fueled by an unyielding rage, approached. Without a word, he began to force the door open, the creaking sound of wood bending under the pressure filling the room.

Zara, huddled in the corner, could feel her breath catching in her throat. The rhythmic thuds of Salaar's attempts to break in intensified her fear, each blow resonating with the echoes of the basement horrors.

"Salaar, please! Main kisi ko kuch nahi batayon gi. Mere se please door raho. Mujhe tumse darr lagta he." Zara's voice trembled, her attempt at negotiation a desperate plea for mercy. (Salaar, please! I won't tell anyone anything. Please stay away from me. I am scared of you.)

But Salaar, driven by a relentless pursuit to maintain control, continued to batter the door. The wood splintered, a metaphorical breach of the fortress Zara had sought refuge in. Zara, cornered and defenseless, sank further into the shadows.

Her eyes, wide with terror, tracked Salaar's every move. The room seemed to close in on her as Salaar's form emerged through the broken door. "Zara, tumhe samajhna hoga. Main yeh sab tumhare liye kar raha hoon," Salaar's voice, though masked in a semblance of reason, failed to alleviate the paralyzing fear that had gripped Zara.

As Salaar advanced, Zara, in a silent surrender to her fear, sat in the corner, her body trembling. The once-random room now bore witness to an intimate confrontation between darkness and the shattered remnants of Zara's sense of security.

Salaar quietly sat down next to Zara, not getting closer to her. He just needed for her to listen to him. "Jab men Turkey gaya tha to mujhe laga tha ke mera baap mujhe further studies ke liye bhej raha he." Salaar started to say, as he saw Zara look at him with tear-filled eyes. (When I went to Turkey, I thought my father was sending me for further studies.)

"Mera admission to howa hoa tha udher magar aur koi rehne ka intazam nahi tha." He continued, staring into nothingness as if recalling the past. (I was in one of the universities but that was it. There was nothing else, not even a place to stay.)

"University walon se poocha ke rehne ka intezam kaise karein to unhon ne kaha ke hum khud sochein. Hostels ke bhi paise nahi the. Wo aik raat humne university ke piche wali sarak pe guzari." (We asked the university administration and they said we should figure it out on our own. We didn't have enough money for a hostel/dorm. That one night we spent on the street at the back of the college) (A/N: Fyi I have no clue how unis in Turkey are so I apologize if I make them seem bad. I am making this up lol)

Zara heard this and felt bad for Salaar. He went from having almost everything to sleeping on the streets. She let him continue, the fear of him slowly forgotten.

"Agle din hum kaam dhondne pe lag gaye. Sirf mazdoori ka kaam hi milta tha aur usse bhi sirf khane ka kharcha nikalta tha. Kaafi der hum uss sarak pe sotey the. Aik din ussi sarak pe mujhe aur Mikael ko ek choti bachi nazar ayi thi, kuch aadmi usse tang kar rahe the. Humne jaa ke dekha to larai shuru ho gai." (The next day we tried looking for work. The only work we were able to find was labor and the money earned from that was spent on food. We spent a lot of nights on that street. One day, Mikael and I saw a little girl on the street surrounded by guys. When we went to check, a fight started.)

Salaar turned his head towards Zara and continued. "Wo usse rape karne ki koshish kar rahe the. Zara, wo 8 saal ki bachi thi. Wo larki ka father by chance, ek anti-human trafficking organization ka head tha." (They were trying to rape her. Zara, she was 8 years old. The girl's father by chance, was the head of an anti-human trafficking organization)

"Uss aadmi ke liye hum kaam karne lag gaye. Hum aik family ki tarah the. Usne mujhe sikhaya ke jo log dhoka dete hain aur jo log apne fayde ke liye insaniyat ko bech dete hain, unke khilaf humein larna padta hai." Salaar paused, his voice carrying the weight of the lessons life had forced upon him. (We started working for that man. We were like a family. He taught me that we have to fight against those who deceive and those who sell humanity for their own gains.)

Zara, now fully engrossed in Salaar's narrative, listened attentively, her empathy growing.

"Usne mujhe sikhaya ke kamzor ki madad karna zaroori hai, magar kamzor banne se bachna bhi utna hi zaroori hai." Salaar's gaze softened as he spoke, recalling the invaluable mentorship that had shaped his worldview. (He taught me that helping the weak is crucial, but it's equally important to avoid becoming weak.)

Salaar's eyes, glistening with the traces of past pain, met Zara's. "Zara, maine phir yeh faisla kiya ke main sirf apne liye nahi, balki doosron ke liye bhi zindagi sawaar karunga. Magar yeh duniya aisay logon se bhari hui hai jo insaniyat ko bechte hain, aur inke khilaf ladna padta hai." (Zara, I decided then that I would not only live for myself but also strive to make life better for others. But this world is filled with people who sell humanity, and we have to fight against them.)

The room, now draped in the heaviness of Salaar's journey, felt like a sanctuary of shared pain and the resilience born from it.

"Wo uncle aur unki beti ka kia howa?" Zara asked in a small voice, scared to be too loud. (What happened to that uncle and his daughter?)

"Wo dono aunty ki kabar pe gaye the aur human trafficking walon ne unhein goli maar di. That was the first time I killed someone out of pure vengeance." Salaar replied. (They went to Aunty's grave and the human trafficking organization shot them there. That was the first time I killed someone out of pure vengeance.)

"Marne ke baad Uncle ne apni organization mere naam chori howi thi. Tab se men hi control karta hon aur yehi mera kaam he. Mene Hussain group banaya jo ke aik cover he aur jo log ye kaam nahi karna chahte to wo kaam kar lein." Salaar said. (After his death, it was found that he left the organization to me in his will. Since then I have been in control and this is what I do. I created Hussain group as a cover and to let people that didn't want to do this work get office work.)

Salaar, his eyes reflecting a mixture of understanding and regret, took a deep breath. "Zara, main samajh sakta hoon ke tumhare liye yeh sab bohot mushkil hai," Salaar admitted, his voice tinged with a touch of sorrow. (Zara, I understand that this is all very hard for you.)

Zara, still grappling with her emotions, finally found the strength to voice her thoughts. "Salaar, main tumhe samajhti hoon. Tumhara dil saaf hai, lekin yeh raasta jo tum chun rahe ho, wo sahi nahi hai." (Salaar, I understand you. Your intentions are right, but the path you are walking down on isn't)

Salaar, his gaze fixed on Zara, felt a heavy weight in his chest. He pondered her words carefully, realizing that the path he had chosen might be tearing them apart. The silence lingered, punctuated only by the soft cadence of their breaths.

"Salaar," Zara spoke softly, "tumhe logon ko marna nahi chahiye. There must be another way." (You shouldn't kill people.)

Salaar, his love for Zara outweighing his allegiance to the shadows, nodded slowly. "Zara, main tumhari baat samajhta hoon. Agar tum chahti ho ke main kuch badalun, to main koshish karunga." (Zara, I understand what you're saying. If you want me to change something, I will try.)

Zara's eyes, filled with a mix of relief and gratitude, met Salaar's. "Salaar, mein chahti hoon ke hum ek dusre ke liye behtar banain. Tum apne maqsad mein kamyab ho sakte ho bina kisi ko nuksan pahunchaye." (Salaar, I want us to become better for each other. You can achieve your goals without causing harm.)

Salaar, moved by Zara's compassion, gently held her hand and placed a small kiss of gratitude. "Zara, agar tum mere sath ho, to main har mumkin koshish karunga ki hamara mustaqbil saath mein ho. Agar tum chahti ho ke main kuch badlu, to main badalunga." (Zara, if you're with me, I will make every possible effort to have our future together. If you want me to change, I will change.)

As they sat in the quiet room, the promise of a new beginning hung in the air, a fragile thread connecting their hearts amidst the shadows of Salaar's past. The room, once a witness to pain, now held the potential for redemption, and Zara's presence became the beacon of hope that Salaar yearned for.

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Assalamualaikum Everyone!!!

I am extremely sorry for the long wait. I really outdid myself this time lol. But at least its a longer chapter and it has A LOT of context. We now know loads about Salaar.

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See you in the next chapter, till then Allah Hafiz/Byee lovely people!!!! <3