The next day
6pm at a particular warehouse

When Asma opened her eyes, she found herself sitting and bound up in a chair. A bucket of ice and water that had been poured over her head had jolted her awake so rudely and suddenly that her entire face was still dripping from the ice-cold water.

Shocked at receiving such treatment that she had only thought happened in the movies, Asma belatedly struggled to free herself from the chains, but of course to no avail. The chains did not even budge one bit. Whoever was it that had captured her had done a great job in making sure her restraints were perfect.

"Stop struggling, little lady. Your efforts will all be futile." A cold voice echoed out from somewhere in front of her.

She lifted her eyes and saw a man. He was not wearing a hoodie anymore, but she could tell this was the same man who had kidnapped her and brought her here. She looked at the small window and saw it was already evening as the sun was setting,so she was knocked out for the whole night and day.

"Who... who are you?"Asma asked, not sure why this was happening to her right now. She did not remember offending anyone dangerous. Ever.

He squatted before her, smiling. "Young lady, I don't want to hurt you. So be a good girl and stay here till my Master come, okay?"

"Who is your master?,what I am doing here?". She looked around trying to recollect how she got here.

"My master will soon be here and you will get to know why you're here when you meet him." The man stood up from his squatted position and walk around the dark room.

"Please let me go,let me get back to my family,my husband." She jacked her hands again but the action only hurt her wrist.

"Don't worry you will have new family and a new husband."

"What?" She horrifiedly asked the man,but the man didn't get to answer her when a cheerful voice echoed

"Hy wife to be!" Khalid made his appearance inside the room and suddenly light eliminated the room revealing his face.

"Khalid?" Asma surprisingly asked

"Are you surprised to see me ?" He smiled and find a chairs to sit opposite her crossing his legs.

"What are you doing here and what do you mean by those words." She shivered at the end of her words and Khalid turned to look at the man that he assigned to capture her.

"Why did you pour cold water on her?" He icily asked and the man answered,fear swirling in his eyes.

"I don't know how to wake her up."

"Hmm go and receive your punishment for hurting my future wife." The guy dejectedly walked away. After that Khalid turned to look at Asma.

"Why are you doing this Khalid?,you're never the one to hurt someone." Asma tried to reason out. Khalid's face suddenly lost it composedness

"You caused it Asma,you made me do this. I've loved you for years but you saw me as nothing."

"Not even a friend talk less of loving me."
Asma didn't say anything to comfort him or regard his words. It was after some minutes she asked.

"Then why did you kidnapped me?."

"What do you mean?" He confusedly asked

"If you love me why did you kidnap me.?"

"To have you,to make you mine." Asma blinked and then stared at him.

"Don't forget that I am a married woman Khalid. I can never be someone's else except my husband's."

"You don't even love him ,then why are you so adamant about him?." He sneered and banged his fist on the table

"I love him now." She admitted honestly

"And I don't plan to back out from loving him,
not now, not forever "She declared again and that made Khalid to lose it. He suddenly kicked the tablet beside him

"You're a lunatic." She glared at him with disgust.

When Khalid heard her words he laughed it out
"Hahaha Of course I am,if I can't have you then nobody can."

After his laughter died down he expression darkened and turned to a serious one.
"Asma don't get your hopes high.Today in the night,your husband will be here with your divorce papers."

Asma found his words amusing and she slowly chuckled.

"Hameed will never divorce me and I won't let such thing."

"I rather die than to be divorced by my husband."

"Ahh love in the air. How I wish to receive this kind of love from you." He walked to her seat and bent towards her with his raised hands that went to touch her face.

"You're such a beaut Asma. How I wish to make you mine." He whispered and Asma looked side ways avoiding his hand.

"D-don't touch me!" Her voice pitched higher as she tried moving her chair away.

"Relax" he retrieved his hands to his pocket and went back to his seat.

The room plummeted to a deep sense of quietness. Asma slowly but calculatedly looked around the room. 'Where am I?' She thought and looked back to Khalid whose gaze was still fixed on her. 'I should teach him some lessons,but how?hmm'.

"I am hungry" she suddenly declared

"Oh I forget to feed you,you must be hungry right?" He asked with a smile but all that he received was a deadly glare from her.

His smile flattened and he turned to the bodyguard beside him
"Lisa quickly bring her food."

When the food was brought,Lisa kept it beside Asma on a table
"How could I eat the food with bounded hands." Asma emotionlessly said and raised her bounded hands forward.

"Oh I really forgot about that also and I thought I was the one going to feed you."

"Don't you dare."

"Not yet wife to be. Lisa untie her." He ordered and leaned back to his seat. When Lisa finished untying her ,in a swift motion that no one expected Asma stood to her feet and all that was heard was the sound of a punch as the friction of two force collided together.

"Take this you asshole!for kidnapping me and for worrying my husband!"

"Ahh!!" Khalid groaned and raised his head to look at her. But before he could utter a word another punch came right to his nose

"And this for thinking that my husband will divorce me."

"Ha!In your dreams." She went to punch him again when

"Hey what are you waiting for?Restrain her now!,you!" He shouted and the female bodyguard quickly held Asma and bounded her to the chair again.

"Try releasing me again and I will make sure to punch you black and blue." Her voice dropped dangerously as she said those words.

"Ahh" he groaned as he touched his bloody nose

"Your punches hurt more than I expected. Ah you have powerful fists. I love that,but you've crossed your limits and you shall be punished".

He hissed in pain and pulled a kerchief from his pocket to clear the mess she did to his nose.
"Lisa take her to the cargo loading area and lock her inside the refrigerated container,Shut the door and no lights. She will come to her sense later".

Asma's voice echoed around the room as she was dragged away by the female bodyguard
"Your punishment won't faze me Khalid! And just keep in mind my husband is going to rescue me."

|||~
8pm at the station.

"Inspector Azan! Inspector Azan!" Cello hastily called as she entered the conference room with her laptop in her hands and her school stuck at her back.

"My acquaintance just sent me the address of the burner phone." Yasmeen collected the laptop from Cello to read the address. Her perfectly shaped brows frowned and she asked

"Hameed May I see your phone please." Hameed passed his phone to her and she quietly read the address the kidnapper sent yesterday night.

"So my speculation was not right. The burner phone's location and the address the kidnapper sent to Hameed are the same."

"He made it easier for us." Nadia commented from the side and Asim added,reading his thoughts out.

"Yeah,I believe this is not an expert kidnapper,what I mean is that he may be new to the system,if not he won't be this reckless."

"I agree with Asim.But there's no time to loose! So I'll keep it short"

"We have prepared a fake divorce papers incase the kidnapper asked before we retrieve Asma.
We will divide ourselves into two.Hameed together with Asim and other officers to meet the kidnapper." Her voice busted around the room as she addressed them.

"I and others officers will secretly find our way in. Cello and Nadia will operate from outside."

She loaded her pistol and clicked it closed before stuck it inside her belt.
"We are going to surround them and them attack together,use silencer when shooting. Understood!"

"Roger!"

"Roman and Ahmad you guys will stay here at the station and send reinforcements to us if something goes unplanned okay?" Ahmad and Roman nodded their heads and Yasmeen turned to the officers inside the room

"I want you to all show me how capable you're!"

"Roger Madam!

"We got no time to waste. Let's get moving".

The officers all prepared their duty belts and protective vests. Hameed also wore a protective vest and a small weapon to protect himself. His eyes no longer held the look of fear of losing his wife but the determination to rescue her.

"Just wait for me wifey, I am coming for you".

||~~
8pm also at the other side.

It was about 2hours now since when Asma was locked inside the refrigerated container. She was freezing to death but all she was doing was praying to Allah to ease the situation for her. She sadly hugged herself and laid on the floor her teeth clattering together and her body shivering from cold.

She closed her eyes to get some relief but it felt like she slipped into a deep hole surrounded by darkness and all that she can saw now was a dark room with little light and all sort of weapons hung up on the wall.

"Please uncle don't hurt me more. I am so sorry for getting into this room. I am so sorry for what father did to you." A voice echoed around and Asma turned to find herself shackled to the wall. She tried freeing herself but in vain.

"Oh!c'mon don't be such a scaredy-cat,I will just slice it a bit" and Nameez slowly placed the sharp knife and dragged it from her mid thigh to her knee. An ear piercing cry abruptly escaped Asma's chapped lips when she felt her muscles tearing apart in the most painful way.

"Young Lady!. Young Lady." Asma felt a nudge at her shoulder and she suddenly gasped fluttering her eyes wide.

"No!.no.. don't hurt me more." She shivered and backed away from the person that squatted in front her.

"Hey relax it is me Lisa,you're having a nightmare." Asma's misty eyes looked down to her thigh and touched it when she felt no pain and saw nothing,no trace of blood she released a sigh of relief.

"So it was a dream." She obviously assured herself.

"Yes,I heard you muttering words so I came in and I brought your dinner." Lisa said and dropped the package of food and a hot cup of coffee.

"And I snuck in with this." She raised a blanket to Asma's view before she gently placed it on Asma's shoulders

"Thank you Lisa." Asma thanked her and sunk her body more into the blanket to find warmth.

"Hmm I wanted to say something" Lisa stated and found a seat opposite Asma ,shivering a little from the cold.

"You did a great job earlier,punching that arrogant boy."

Asma picked the coffee and sipped a little
"He deserved that and more."

"Why are you helping me.?" Asma asked and opened the food package lid. She felt so hungry all sudden,was it because she haven't eaten for a day and half.

"I am doing this job because I need the money for my sister's surgery, not because I wanted to. She's around your age " Lisa shared and Asma took a bite of the casserole.

"Oh You could have looked for a better job not this." Asma said after she swallowed her bite.

"Hmm but this pay better than the rest. I want her to undergo the surgery as soon as possible because her time is ticking away." Lisa leaned her head back at wall and Asma silently watched her

"That's so hard for you,I pray you find a way out and your sister too."

"Thanks". She curtly answered and then asked

"What is it about your husband and that boy."

Asma sadly sigh and leaned her back to the the wall.

"I don't really know what Khalid want,He sounded like a sociopath."

"No he's not,I've worked for his father for years. He's just a spoilt brat."

"Hmm I am just worried about my husband." Asma said,she looked so worried,fear flashing in her hazel eyes as she looked up to Lisa.

"I just discovered my feelings for him.."

"What if I never get to go out,what if all my efforts were in vain if I don't get to confess my love to him."

Lisa cleared her throat but she didn't say anything
"I regretted not saying those words to him yesterday."

"I wish I could see him again before I die." She sniffed trying to hold back her tears.

"Wishful thinking is the look that fear puts on the prison gate. Fear let's you indulge yourself for a while in flights of wishful thinking." Lisa's voice came and Asma raised her head where she saw her tucking a strand of blonde hair to the back of her ear.

"Somehow you think,something will happen to make the problem go away. By the time you wake up it's too late. What you feared has happened and fear has defeated you. The only way to escape the prison of fear is action. You cannot wish your way out,you can only work your way out. Every time you escape the prison of fear, you grow stronger."

"So now Asma how about you work to see him again not only wish".

"But how?.."

"This no time to be dazzled do what you have to do. Take this key it will lead you out."Lisa threw the key at Asma's direction
Asma caught the key and stared at it

"Thank you so much Lisa."

"You're welcome,do you believe that you will see your husband again?" Lisa asked and stood by the door

"Yes. Insha Allah." Asma clenched her fists and nodded her head with determination

"Hmm that's the sprite I want, show me how gusty you're! and fight for what you believe in". With that Lisa walked out leaving the door open.

Asma stood to her feet and cleared the remnant tears away from her eyes.

"Just wait for me Hameed I'll get out of here."

Ahh 😱 Asma on the move!!. So how will this go. Will our couple reunite peacefully or there will be some mishaps. Follow me to find out and please and please don't forget to vote and support this writer. Creation is really hard.
Thank you and bye 😘

Coming soon!

A new book? Yes a new book . Actually I myself don't want to start another new book without finishing this one and the criminal's detective. But this is one in a million masterpieces that I couldn't resist but have to write it down here. I'll publish it anytime soon and you'll get to witness the beautiful and roller coaster journey of Azeem and Layla.