A flame in the Storm

Chapter 40

"Rizwan" I mumbled again, not believing my eyes. The devil in his heart had come to life on his face. It was covered with dust and there was no hair on his head. With dirty, torn clothes and smell of alcohol reeking from him, he looked like a mad man lost on the streets. The only thing which remained the same was his eyes. Though they too seemed darker than I remembered, they had the same poison.

He took a sip from the liquor bottle in his hand and smashed it on the ground in between us. "This time I will make sure no one saves you" saying this he lunged forward. I moved back and started running with everything I got. I knew if this time he managed to nab me, even if I was saved I would not be able to survive it.

But he was faster than me. He grabbed me from behind, both his arms locking mine. His smell was clouding my senses wanting me to puke. "How can I leave you to live in peace after you destroyed my life?" he cooed in my ear in a menacing way. His entire body was touching mine. This is not the time to panic I said to myself. I dropped on my knees and kicked on his crotch with my heel freeing myself.

He winced in pain falling on the ground and I used the time to make the distance between us by running. I had no idea where to go. All the shops were closed, there was streetlight on the road but no soul could be seen around. "Shit" I shrieked as sweat beads formed on my forehead and  I began panting. My lungs felt as if they were inhaling acid. Nonetheless, I kept running without looking back. There was a hard push from behind and I fell on my face scraping my cheek and forehead. He pulled me up by clutching my hair through the scarf, making me cry out in pain.

"How can you say I destroyed you when you left me to die?" I asked as he pushed me forward.

"By not dying," he said cornering me at a tree on the bus stop. "If you had, no one would have known I was behind your kidnapping. I would now be at home sleeping, not wandering like a beggar. Do you know how much I have gone through in these five years?" He said grabbing my throat and making my head hit the tree. "I have been running from the police. There wasn't a single night I slept peacefully or with any girl. There were so many before you. But you had to ruin it all. And do you know what else you did? You showed my face on television." He said tightening the grip around my throat. I struggled to get his hands off it but couldn't.

"I lost my daughter because of it. Do you know how much it hurts? You would not know" he sneered "and you never will" he raised me from the ground with both his hands around my throat. Everything around me started to spin, my eyes turned up, I wasn't left with any energy to struggle against him. Even drunk he was strong. My body became numb. I read La ilaaha illallah (There is only one god) in my mind as I thought my end had come.

Before the last breath left me the iron grip on my throat was gone and I dropped down. I began taking deep breaths to refill my lungs and bring back the sensation. There were noises coming from around me and with an effort I opened my eyes to see what was happening. I looked back to see Raafay holding Rizwan down and punching his face. Rizwan's face covered in blood as Raafay gave another punch to his nose. Then he got up and picked a large stone from the pavement and moved towards Rizwan. I realized if I didn't stop him, he would kill Rizwan and it would destroy his life.

I made my way towards him stumbling and pushed him away from Rizwan making him drop the stone on the road.

"What the hell are you doing?" I shouted at Raafay. His t-shirt was torn and his cheek was red and swollen with a cut at the corner of his lip. I could see another cut which bled on his arm as if done by a knife.

"Maria" he breathed as if he was brought back from another world and took me in a tight embrace. With his arms wrapped around me, I didn't know how to react but they felt warm and safe. I hesitated to put my arms around his back but finally did as he started muttering "thank god, thank god." The relief that washed me in his protective embrace couldn't be described in words. He didn't let me go for a long time, as if he was afraid that if he did I would disappear. I stood there in his arms, inhaling his familiar scent as warmth radiating from his body brought me back to life.

We heard police sirens and he let me go but didn't leave my hand. Rizwan had passed out. The patrol police stopped at the scene. A police officer got down from the car, followed by the other two of them.

"What happened here?" A policeman asked looking at Rizwan.

I explained to him everything. The other two men lifted Rizwan and laid him in their car.

"You need to file an FIR," he said. "Come to the police station tomorrow."

"Okay" I replied holding Raafay's hand.

As the police officers left, I punched Raafay lightly on his shoulder. "What the hell were you thinking when you lifted that granite." I shrieked.

"To dump on his face and end it all at once." He said casually.

"Are you mad?" I shouted. "Do you realize what would have happened to you then?"

"I only knew that he tried to hurt you again," he said clenching his fists. "If anything would have happened to you I would have chased him till the ends of the earth."

"But I am alive Raafay" I cooed running my hand on his arm. "We are safe."

He threw his arm around me and pulling me close, kissed my forehead. "I love you, Maria. I wouldn't have survived if I had failed to save you tonight."

Hearing those words made my blood freeze. I staggered back looking at him.

"Raafay" I whispered looking at him. "Of all the people, how could you?"

"Who else then?" He asked taking my hands in his. "We have known each other all our lives and I want to spend the rest with you."

Staring at him, I couldn't form any words to reply. That girl was right. I felt betrayed. I hadn't thought Rafay would look me in that way. I guess we could never trust any guy no matter how long we have known them.

"You don't have to reply now," he said seeing my unending silence. "You have all your life to decide. I will wait for you."

"You don't need to," I said looking in his brown eyes, "My answer will always be no and this time I will not succumb to any kind of blackmail."

A/N: Do you think Maria would change her mind regarding Raafay?

Let me know in comments.

I would like to extend my special thanks to @BoluAkins and @Randomthingslover for making my day by voting and giving generous comments, boosting my confidence in this book. Thank you, everyone. You are awesome :)