Dawood Banks, HQ.
13:15 pm.

Manha rubbed her temple feeling the back of her head aching.

She hasn't been able to sleep all night and had to rush to the office early in the morning because of a meeting.

Looking at the time she sighed knowing it was lunch break and got up.

She was making her way towards the elevators when her eyes fell on Raheel walking out of the conference room with her father who shook his hand and turned to walk to the other side.

Raheel turned towards her slightly taken aback but pulled a smile on his face.

"Hey, Manha. Haven't seen you around for so long," she took in a deep breath.

"Can we talk?"

"I am actually a little busy right now," he looked down at his watch.

"Maybe tonight," he raised his brows making her nod.

"Text me the address," she murmured seeing a few people walk past them.

He nodded walking into the office and she made her way out and down towards the lobby.

Slipping into the car she reached her apartment. Sadia's mother had not been going any well so Manha had put her on leave and everything was going haywire since then.

"Yes yes okay. I will post it," she hung up after bidding her byes on the call and put on the post about the campaign she did recently in Dubai.

Her head was heavy with lack of sleep but she had a meeting with Kamran, her agency's manager and she had to leave for there.

She had settled into the car after refreshing and changing her clothes when her phone rang once again.

"Hello?" She picked the call putting her earphone on.

"Manha? Where are you?" She sighed at Daniyal's voice.

"In hell!"

"I want to come too," he chuckled.

"At least leave me alone there," she gritted her teeth pressing her feet on the brakes as the traffic lights turned red.

"Sorry, I can't. So where are you again?"

"I am going to the agency. What will you do now?" She asked continuing ahead through the rush of cars.

"Great. Pick me up from there,"

"No! I have to be somewhere else,"

"Where?"

"Why should I tell you?" She was irritated now.

"Manha. Shut up." He hung up making her open her mouth but hit the steering wheel taking the right and parked in front of the building.

"Bloody psycho!"

• • •

"Babe is here," Hamna whistled putting the receiver down.

"Tell him I left," Manha clicked her tongue.

"But he is already coming," Hamna smiled sheepishly.

"Such a great woman you are," Manha rolled her eyes getting up, and picked her bag.

"Thank you, thank you," Hamna cocked her head to the side.

"Hello ladies," Daniyal walked in with a grin.

"Bye," Manha walked past him and heard him follow her.

"What happened now?" He asked fixing his hair in the mirror beside the elevators.

"You happened. Tell me one thing, why are you back?" She turned to him with an agitated face as they stepped into the lift.

"Oh, so you are ready to listen now!" He narrowed his eyes but she looked at him for the answer.

"Don't look at me like this," he bit his inner cheek making Manha groan out loud.

"Go Daniyal! Just go to hell please and leave me the fuck alone!" She walked out as the doors slid open and rushed out to her car.

"Can't babe. This heart just wants you!" He called from across the road before crossing it and got into the passenger seat as she put on the belt around her.

"Where to now?" He asked putting his belt on as well.

"I am not taking you anywhere with me,"

"But I am only going to stick by you," he shrugged pulling his phone out.

"Don't you have any work to do other than this?" She shot him a glare before getting the car on the road.

"Just got done recording another song for you," he smirked.

"Stop it for god's sake,"

"Such a shameless person you are. I am being the romantic hero, singing songs for you and you are being the pain in the ass,"

"I did not ask you to do this,"

"You just wait till I dedicate this one to you and get the whole country screaming," she gave him a weary look.

"Are you in your freaking senses? Don't you dare pull any kind of this shit,"

"For that, you will have to take me wherever you are going," she let out a deep sigh and spoke after a while of silence.

"I am going to meet Raheel," she muttered putting the indicator on for the left turn.

"Then I should definitely come with you,"

"Daniyal, please, no. I don't want further drama in this. I will ask him to decline my father for this proposal. I am sure he will listen,"

"Okay, then I would accompany you and see it myself,"

"Taking you there only means destroying the whole scene. You can not keep your mouth shut,"

"I don't know. I am going with you by hook or by crook,"

Manha shut her eyes for a moment with a scrunched nose.

"I hate you!" She took the right turn next before she could see the restaurant into the view.

"Feels otherwise," he teased making her roll her eyes as they got out.

It was almost dark as the streetlights flickered on and the orangey hues got taken over by the darkness.

"Don't say anything please Daniyal," she begged him as they took the stairs and reached the rooftop and Daniyal rolled his eyes at her.

Manha smiled slightly as she spotted Raheel at the corner table and made her way over.

He stood up giving her a side hug and she found Daniyal frowning before they both shook hands. She could see Raheel getting uncomfortable but she could only sigh.

"Will you take anything?" Raheel asked making her look through the menu.

"I am actually full so I think I am just going to take something sweet," she put an order for an Affogato while Daniyal ordered a cappuccino for himself.

"Raheel, did I not make clear what I wanted that day?" She questioned gulping. He took a deep breath leaning ahead as their orders arrived.

"You did. You don't have anything to do with me because you had someone special in your life who you couldn't move on from," his eyes glanced at Daniyal who was looking around sipping his coffee.

Manha looked down for a moment before nodding at him.

"It's not just about that Raheel. I can not marry. Not you but anyone right now. I am not mentally strong enough to do that," she sighed out finding it absurd to have to explain herself.

She didn't want to marry so she shouldn't. Why did she have to tell him about it? There was anger sparking into her for every little thing nowadays. She was being hot-tempered and everything was hitting her in the head right away. She was not being able to control herself and her emotions. Her heart was already too full and heavy to hold the baggage of more.

"Look, I am not going to beat about the bush here," Raheel put his now empty cup back and it was then that Manha realized how much of a wrong choice of the dessert she made for a moment like that.

Affogato was meant to be devoured just as soon as the shot of hot espresso met the cold vanilla ice cream but hers was melting away.

Manha took a bite finding the bitter taste of espresso fading away into the now melted ice cream.

Daniyal wanted to laugh at the way she was more focused on the ice cream than one of the most important conversations of her life.

He turned to look at Raheel who was also observing her.

"You can finish it first and we can talk after that," he muttered leaning back and Manha looked up biting her lower lip sheepishly.

"I am sorry I just got carried away," she took hurried bites of the remaining chunks of ice cream before starting to sip the melted fusion of coffee and ice cream.

She chugged it down in a second before letting out a deep breath and turned to him attentively.

She couldn't believe how immature she was acting.

"Okay, what is it?"

"Daniyal khan?!" Someone almost screamed as the three of their heads turned to their right.

"Ah fuck," Daniyal grumbled under his breath before passing a small smile to the girl who rushed over to them with two other girls behind him.

"Hey. And Oh my god, Manha!" Her palm flew to her mouth and Manha passed her a gentle smile standing up.

Daniyal stood up too while Manha gave light hugs to them.

"How are you all?" She asked trying to act polite.

"We are fine. We have been streaming your song since it had come out and you both look great together," one of them said with almost tears in her eyes.

"Thank you, we are glad you liked it,"

"Oh, I loved it. Can we get a picture with you please?" The third one of them said before they went on taking a selfie with them first before getting pictures done.

"Thank you for reaching out to meet us," Daniyal sat back down as they walked away.

Manha sighed sitting back down and she looked at Raheel who was massaging his temple.

"I am so sorry about that. You can continue," she muttered embarrassed.

"I have already wasted so much of my time. I told your dad that you are not interested in me and he said you are just being immature, he asked me to ignore it and you didn't even reach out to me after that so I let it go," he shrugged making her shut her eyes for a moment.

"He said that to you?" Daniyal spoke to him and Raheel nodded.

"And you didn't care to tell me,"

"I was confused Manha. I didn't even know what was happening,"

"I will tell you what is happening. You are stepping back from this and telling that- telling her father that you won't be marrying her." Daniyal stood up waiting for Manha to do so as well.

"And why would I do that?" Raheel's voice made his steps halt and Manha frowned looking at him who stood up as well.

"Why wouldn't you do that?" Daniyal cocked his brow.

"I don't have any problem marrying her," he shrugged and Manha sucked in a breath. She didn't want to face another psycho in her life. This much was enough.

"Are you trying to say you are going to marry her even if she doesn't want to?"

"Her father wants me to. I am going to get her and I am going to get into their good books, I am going to get her shares of the bank. Why would I let go of such a great opportunity for myself?" Raheel smirked. Daniyal had taken a step towards him but Manha held his arm. Her eyes fixed on Raheel.

"Don't do anything. He isn't wrong. Why would he let go of this golden opportunity? Everyone finds their profit in everything. He is not different. He is doing the same. Let him do his thing," she looked at him with so much hurt that she could see a flash of guilt pass through his eyes but he masked it away instantly.

She knew he was not like that. She knew Raheel was not that kind of man but she also knew that he had a manly ego and that was where she had managed to hit him and he was not going to rest until he hit her back with it, until he hurt her with it.

"You want to marry me? Fine. Go ahead. I won't stop you."

"Manha," Daniyal turned to look at her as if she was crazy.

"But remember one thing Raheel. You have lost all the respect you had in my heart. You are nothing but one of those monsters I have been warned against all my life. I thought you could do better than this," she walked away making Daniyal look at her retreating back with a slightly parted mouth.

"Kya hua? De diya dhoka us ne tumhein bhi," Raheel chuckled bending down to pick his car keys and the next thing he felt was a blow at his jaw.

"Apni auqat mein raho, samajh aaye?" Daniyal loomed over him with blazing eyes before storming away.

One thing Raheel could swear by after that was Daniyal was that man. He was the man she rejected him for.

Manha shut the door behind putting her head on the steering wheel, her hands clutching it hard.

She heard him getting in breathing in and out to calm himself.

"You did it, didn't you?" She gritted her teeth turning to look at him.

"He deserved it," he continued to look ahead.

Manha took a deep breath opening the dashboard and pulled out her ponytail.

"Get out of my car,"

"I am not going anywhere," her head snapped to him as she pulled her hair up in a messy bun.

"I said get out of my car!" She looked at him angrily.

"And I said I am not getting out!" He turned to her with the same frown as hers.

"Why not?"

"Because I have to talk to you,"

"Daniyal. I am not in a state to talk to you or anyone right now. Get out of my car before I lose my fucking mind," she told him as calmly as she could.

He sat there unbothered and lost in his own thoughts. Manha hit the steering wheel before reversing as the tires screeched before she put the car on the road.

"You are a fucking psycho!"

"You are not any less, why did you say to him to go ahead and marry you? What does that even mean?"

She stayed silent driving as fast as she could to reach her home because she felt like her mind would burst if she kept sitting in his company any longer.

Driving into the parking lot of her apartment Manha got out, handed the keys to the guard taking the elevators, and got it moving before he could make his way over.

She was punching the code when Daniyal came up through the stairs. She tried closing the door but he made his way inside with a deep breath.

Manha shot him a glare before moving to her room.

"I am not going to listen to any of your bullshit today Daniyal!" She threw her bag on the couch but he held her elbow turning her to face him.

"It's enough. I won't let you run away anymore,"

"I am running away? I am?" She pushed him away. Her face flushed with anger. She could feel her heart beating wildly inside her chest because of the sudden adrenalin.

"Why do you keep forgetting that you were the one who left me! You were the one who ran away like a coward. Not me!"

She yelled at him because she felt like if not at that moment then she will die. She will die with the caged emotions inside her. They would choke her to death in the very next instant if she did not let it out.

"Yes, I did! But there was a reason behind it that you are not ready to listen! Did you ever try to ask me that? Did you ever let yourself believe in my love!?"

He yelled back at her for the first time because his own head hurt. He felt like he would go crazy with overthinking. He had to break it to her one day and it had to be today or he was never going to be able to gain enough courage again.

He could use his anger and let it out.

"Love?" She chuckled, "Your love." A bitter smile took over her lips. "Where is your love?" She questioned and he swallowed at the pain in her voice.

"You know I love you. You knew it back then and you know it now as well," his voice turned low.

"But you choose the coward's way out. You ran away because you chose yourself over your love and over me. You chose your freedom over me. I gave you my everything Daniyal. Didn't I? What did I not give you? My heart, my love, my honesty, my loyalty, even my body but what did you do?" Her eyes were shining with tears but she didn't let them slip past her eyes.

"Did I not give you all that as well, Manha?" She shook her head instantly.

"No. You only gave me memories. I don't know if they should be called happy or bitter but you only gave me them. There was nothing else you could give me except pain and wounds. That you gave too much that I am still left bleeding," she felt her lungs protesting for oxygen. She was getting suffocated.

"It's not true Manha. Trust me. I loved you. With all of my heart and I still love you," he tried touching her but she rushed to the terrace sucking in heaps of oxygen.

"You have to listen to me, you can not keep running away from the truth all your life." He followed her out and took a hold of her arms.

"I am not running away from anything, leave me alone."

"Manha I am not going anywhere until you listen to whatever I am going to say or I am telling you I will go crazy," he breathed heavily. His head hurt and it felt like it was going to burst with tension.

"No. I am not listening to-"

"Your father. He is not what you think of him," he sucked in a breath cutting her off.

His words rang in the silence that followed and they both got quite.

"What do you mean by that?" He left her arm and ran a hand through his hair fisting them.

"He was the reason I had to leave you. He made me leave you,"

"What are you trying to say?" She looked at him in confusion.

"I don't know how to tell you but... he threatened my family. He... he got Waniya-" he paused to gulp as his heart squeezed in his chest.

"He got her harassed in school, multiple times. He wanted to threaten me. He wanted me to leave you because according to him we were equal to the dirt of his shoes," he clenched his jaw as all the flashbacks took over his mind.

"But my father didn't even know you, how can he-" Manha frowned as she breathed out.

"He knew me. He knew everything about us. He knew whatever was going on in London, whatever was going on between us. He knew everything. I tried to fight him because I couldn't leave you ever but he started taking things to another level, he got my father fired from his job, he- he used to send threatening letters to my mother," Daniyal swallowed.

Manha felt her mind buzzing. How could that happen? She never thought about her father getting to know about her life in London but she should have expected. She should have known that her father was a psycho and he wouldn't let go of his reins over her. How could he have left her be on her own in the other country? How was she so dumb? Why couldn't she understand earlier? Why couldn't she see things in that light?

"I had to leave you before he would have done serious harm to my family though he had already destroyed us. My parents were scared for their life. Waniya, my baby, tried to... tried to take her life. She didn't want to go to school ever again. She hated school. My mother, she hates you..." He felt his eyes burn as he turned them towards his feet.

"I-" Manha sucked in a breath feeling her body turning cold. Sweat broke out on her face. She didn't know what to say or what to do. Everything was too surprising and too overwhelming.

"I don't know what to say. How can he do that?" She rubbed her face feeling pain shoot through her heart.

"I don't know. I don't know why he is like that and why he did that to us. Why couldn't he see his daughter's happiness? What kind of love was that? Is his money, power, and honor greater than his daughter's happiness, her wishes?" He gritted his teeth.

Manha felt her lower lip wobble. She didn't know how to tell him. She didn't know what his reaction was going to be but she wanted to tell him. She wanted to tell him of all the agony her life was filled with.

"Daniyal..." She called without looking at him.

"I lied to you." She swallowed feeling anger and guilt course through her veins.

"Lied about what?" His voice turned cautious.

"Everything I ever told you about my father. It was all a lie."

"Manha, I don't understand, what do you want to say?" He grabbed her shoulders turning her towards him.

Manha took a deep breath glancing in his awaiting eyes before looking back down at their feet.

"My father... he was not the kind of father I told you about. He is a monster. He... he never loved me, never cared for me. All those things I told you, were a lie. My father used to... abuse me Daniyal. He was not the best father in the world as I told you all of that time. He is the worst father and the worst person to ever exist in this world," she gritted her teeth as tears filled her eyes.

"He... he has anger issues. He would beat me on every little thing I did that he didn't like. He would scream at me, raise his hands on me, lock me in dark places, threaten to kill me. He would go to severe lengths if I dare question his orders or actions or if I try to do anything against him," she shut her eyes in pain as a sob left her mouth.

"I am sorry. I am so sorry I lied to you. I didn't have any other option. I couldn't tell you about this because it was humiliating, because I was too ashamed to admit that I had been abused, mentally and physically that my father was not how every girl in the world had, that I was not a daddy's princess and that my father didn't love me. I am sorry that you and your family had to go through it all because of me. I am sorry for everything. I am sorry." She broke out into sobs and slipped against the wall of the terrace before drawing her knees to her chest.

She felt him sit beside her as she cried and tears fell from her eyes. Why was her life like that? What did she ever do to deserve that? Why couldn't she get a perfect life with a perfect family, a perfect father?

Daniyal's words were ringing in her mind. His sister was harassed because of her. His father lost his job because of her. His family went through everything because of her. He had to go through so much because of her. Only because Manha fell in love with him. Only because she did not deserve to love anyone or be loved. Only because she had a crazy father and because he could not let her be free. Only because she was not strong enough.

"I can not believe this," she heard his hoarse voice and tilted her face to find a few tear marks on the side of his cheek.

Her eyes filled with more tears at the disbelief on his face.

"I was locked in the basement of my house all because I went to Poland albeit him declining me permission for it," she swallowed remembering the days spent in there all dark, dusty, and lonely.

Daniyal sat there speechless. He could not, even in his wildest dreams imagine this all to be this serious. He had an idea that her father was not exactly the great person Manha had told him years back but this was not what he expected.

It was downright cruelty, oppression, and crime.

They both were unable to wrap their head around the revelations.

"Waniya. I remember her being so small and sweet. She had loved me so much when we visited your home. She had made me do her pigtails, she even ate her food in my lap. She made me feel like her elder sister and I was in love with her instantly." Manha spoke with her eyes closed where the tears had stopped streaming down her face.

Daniyal was broken out of his thoughts from her voice which was thick with emotions.

"She wouldn't stop gushing about how excited she was for summer break to end so she could go back to school and see her friends. I had never seen someone this excited to go to school," Manha chuckled as her throat hurt.

"I can not believe her favorite place turned out to be the place she would be terrified of going." Manha felt the bile rising in her throat.

"I can not blame your mother for hating me. I deserve it." A tear rolled down her face once again and she didn't make any effort to wipe it off.

Manha shut her eyes tight as another thing hit her. Her child. Their child. She killed it. She killed it because she thought Daniyal wouldn't ever accept it. She aborted it because she thought he would ask her to do the same.

She choked on her spit as a new intensity of hurt took over her whole body.

Manha felt Daniyal put his arm around her shoulder as he pulled her closer. She felt him put his face on the back of her neck and felt a few of his tears on her skin as she clutched his shirt.

She cried in his embrace letting him provide her with warmth and support and hoped to be able to provide him with even half of it.

• • •