What do you want to talk about?" Kanwal asked, looking back at the crowd. She starts getting worried about Mahnoor and the others. They might possibly be searching for her.
"Marry me, Kanwal... Upcoming Saturday." Kanwal's head snapped towards Ahad as her mind registered the words he said.
Not a single word came out of her mouth, as she stared at him in utter disbelieve.
Ahad sighed, before stepping closer to Kanwal and called her, "Kanwal?"
She snapped out of her daze on hearing her name and abruptly took a step back to create distance, which didn't go unnoticed by Ahad. A scowl formed on his face but he refrained himself from commenting. He may have forgotten within these past months of how much distance he should be maintaining with women, as he was continuously being surrounded by women who don't share the same cultural values as him. But surely Kanwal is different from those girls and Ahad shouldn't be expecting anything less from her, yet he didn't like it even a bit. He didn't like the fact that she stepped away, nor does he like the fact that he is still a stranger to her.
"Kanwal,... I know it's too much to ask. You might think I'm hasting and that we shouldn't be going against our parents, but we don't have other choices. I often leave the country for work and it will take days, weeks or sometimes mont-"
"What work?" Kanwal didn't let him complete his sentence.
"My business... I own a huge business and it is spread within various countries of the world."
"Is it legal?" Kanwal asked, looking into his eyes.
"What?" The question caught Ahad off guard. He never thought that the shy Kanwal he was engaged to could be so bold.
"Tell me that your business is legal, that your money is Halal, and that it has nothing to do with the Black Eagles." Kanwal said in a single breath. She is about to hear the truth from his own mouth, on which her whole life is depended on.
Their relationship depends on it...
Ahad didn't reply instantly. He averted his gaze from Kanwal's face and looked the other way, as though he is gathering his thought on something.
"I... am a part of the Black Eagles, Kanwal. In fact, I am the second in command." After a sigh, he broke this news to Kanwal. Her face paled, and once again, she felt the loss of words. Being a part of the Black Eagles is understandable, doing illegal business is understandable, but being second in command is something she never thought of, even in her dreams... and then it suddenly hit her.
Ahad...
Second in command...
He is the second in command...
Means all the killings, kidnappings, and everything; it happens under his watch.
He is aware of it. He must be... Means he... also approved the law by which they take Shareefabad's graduate students. Kanwal's head starts spinning. It was too much to take in. Suddenly, she feels disgusted with the man standing before her. She tried to take several steps back but was dragged back in place by her sleeve which is still in Ahad's hand.
"Leave me." Kanwal barely manages to choke.
"Kanwal, you don't have -"
"I said leave me, Mr Ahad Murtaza." This time her voice was firm, it even startled Ahad for a moment but he quickly regained his composure.
"I won't. Not until you say yes."
"Yes? To what? About marrying you?" Kanwal frowned. She was losing her calm, "Never, Mr Ahad. I will never marry a criminal. I will never marry you."
The scowl on Ahad's face deepened, "You realize what you are saying?"
"Yes, our engagement is broken off by my parents. Finally, I am able to understand the reason behind it." A tear rushed down from her eye, "And... now I accept it wholeheartedly."
"What do you mean?" Ahad's voice becomes deadly, as he stepped closer.
Kanwal gulped and say, "I will not go against my parents," She paused before saying, "I trusted you because my heart convinced me that you are not such a person. That's why I refused to believe others, but now... It's clear. I won't disobey my parents for you... for a person who abandoned his morals and humanity for power." Her voice may have come out monotonous, but her body is badly shivering from fear, unable to make eye contact with him.
Ahad never came this close to her. He stared into her face for a while, before leaning in, "You were mine, and you will always be mine, Kanwal. Keep this in your head... Do whatever your parents say until I get my hands on you." He whispered before leaving her sleeve and disappearing into the darkness.
Kanwal stared into space where he stood seconds ago. His voice made her tremble with fear. It wasn't the voice of Ahad she knew.
She breathed out loudly and turns to the direction where he went, hoping to see him one last time before they go their separate ways. But he was long gone.
"Allah Hafiz." A whimper escaped her lips and she made her way back to Mahnoor.
