Make Me Your Villain

Chapter Forty Seven

"I'll try hard enough when Akhtar Malik himself comes here to ask for my help."

My words froze in the air as my mother's eyes widened in incredulity.

"Hayat—" she began.

"Please, ammi," I stopped her. "Let me handle this."

Gulbano saheba's face twisted in anger. "Is this how you raised your daughter?" she spat, turning to my mother. "No respect for her elders!"

I clenched my fists. "My mother raised me to stand up for what's right, no matter who's in front of me," I replied, defending her. "Being older doesn't make you immune to being wrong. Akhtar Malik has wronged me and my family. If you want my help, he can come ask for it himself."

I shifted my focus to my mother. "Ammi, please take care of our guests."

Then, addressing the women, I added, "Guests are welcome as long as they show respect."

Without another word, I left the veranda. Behind me, I could hear my mother assuring them she'd speak to me but it wouldn't make a difference.

Just because they were powerful didn't mean they had a right to demand my help after everything they'd done.

When they were gone, my mother came to talk to me, telling me not to be stubborn. She said expecting Akhtar Malik to show up at our door was unreasonable. But I wasn't budging. If they truly wanted my help, they knew what to do.

Later that night as I laid on the charpai beneath the open sky, staring up at the stars, I found myself confused once again.

It was almost laughable—the people who had once made it clear I wasn't worth their time had now come to ask for mine.

How had it come to this?

Could it be that... Shazain Sardar was behind all of this? Had he somehow been looking out for me? Who else could have told Sameer the truth about his father's death?

I let out a sigh, closing my eyes. Why couldn't I stop thinking about him—this man I barely knew? What was it that I felt for him, anyway?

I should leave it all behind—for the sake of my future. My future with Sameer.

The mattress dipped slightly and the familiar scent of him settled beside me. Without looking, I knew it was Sameer. Our shoes touched lightly on the ground and his voice broke the silence.

"I heard dadi and mom stopped by today."

I opened my eyes to find him lying beside me, looking up at the same sky.

I nodded. "They did."

"And you called for Abbu Jaan?" There was no anger in his voice, just curiosity.

I winced slightly. "Sorry. I should've discussed it with you first. I didn't mean to decide anything for you."

He gave a slight shake of his head. "No, I'm glad you had that much faith in me." His brow furrowed a little as he continued. "But I am curious. Just a while ago, you were worried my family might harm yours. And now you're challenging my grandfather?"

I gave him a sidelong glance. "Even Sania noticed the new people around."

He raised an eyebrow, pretending not to understand. "New people?"

"You put men around our house to keep an eye on things, didn't you? It reassured me we'd be okay."

That made him grin. "Sharp eyes, both of you."

I shifted a bit, turning to face him more directly. "Do you think he'll come? Your grandfather?"

His gaze lifted to the stars again and he let go of a sigh. "I wouldn't get your hopes up."