WELCOME TO PHASE 1 OF MAFIA INDEBTED.

BRACE YOURSELVES FOR THE DARK WORLD OF THE MAFIA :)

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AWESOME COVER BY @Cyan_senator

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Anissa sniffed and wiped her tears off as she inspected her right shoulder. It was swollen and red. Already her previous wounds hadn't properly healed that he gave her a new one.

What a savage! That bastard! She was furious. She couldn't believe she got subjected to such brutality. And over what? For disobeying him? Or was it for spitting at him? She couldn't be sure.

She inspected the joint further, relieved to know there wasn't any tearing or bruising. The swelling indicated muscles spasm and stretch and the dull pain indicating inflammation and no nerve compression.

He literally dislocated my arm. I never knew it would hurt so badly. Oh I hate him so much. And she truly felt a burning passion of hate for Shehryaar. She had never hated anyone in her life, not even Sherjeel yet here she was, feeling hate towards Shehryaar surge through her body.

She tried to move her arm, wincing upon flexion and extension but she regained movement and tried to rotate her arm, failing miserably.

She washed her face and tried not to cry again.

Why is this happening to me?

She tried her best to calm down but her fear was too overwhelming. She had never dealt with a situation like this before. Now she knew he was capable of anything. And he had only dislocated her arm, maybe next time he might break bones and even go to slice her open.

There was just no telling what he could do.

Now everything was confirmed. He was a psychopath who enjoyed and revelled in her pain.

He was a criminal after all. The Mafia King of the South Asian underworld.

He was not only abusive but violent as well. That was one of the diagnostic criteria for psychopaths: they exhibit episodes of violent social behaviour. Because as she recalled his face when he mercilessly kicked at her arm and his face when she was wailing in pain, the smile was sinister and the look in his was blank yet his expression appeared to be in pleasure.

This all exhibited sighs of impaired cognitive function.

And I have to spend the rest of my life with a monster like him? He's a beast. I want to go home.

Her eyes landed on his name on her skin. She felt sick and wanted to vomit. If she wasn't in so much pain she would've scratched at the disgusting name of the man who caused her so much pain.

She felt the desperate urge to run away and go back to her parents. She wanted to feel their warmth and wanted to have them tell her that everything was going to be alright.

She gasped loudly, her eyes widening.

My parents! He will hurt them too. I need to protect them. I must keep all his attention on myself. I mustn't let him stray from me otherwise he'll hurt them to hurt me more. He knows they're my weakness. And I know that he will break his promise. A man who cannot honour and respect his wife can never honour a promise made. She thought ruefully as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. How much she had wished that she wasn't beautiful then maybe she would never be in this situation. I will die before I even let that bastard look at my parents. And I won't hesitate to kill him if he hurt them.

She composed herself and wished her face again. Her hazel eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

He wants this. He wants to see me weak. I won't let him. He wants to break me but I won't back down so easily. He may physically hurt me but I will not back down.

Even though all this stress was having a toll on her both physically and emotionally, she willed bravery and courage to rise at her heart.

Fear was nothing but a controlling raging emotion and it tended to break a person down so that they could be easily manipulated but Anissa was strong.

She wasn't about to let a tyrant monopolise her. She'd been through hell and back for the sake of her family and she will do that all over again.

Even if she had to suffer.

With a new found determination, she dressed as quickly as she could manage with a painful shoulder and arm.

Shehryaar smiled widely when he saw his wife emerge from the bathroom dressed in the dress of his choice.

But his brows furrowed in dismay when he noticed her red nose and puffy eyes that were shooting daggers at him.

If only he wasn't so beautiful on the outside then the world would see how ugly he is on the inside.

"I'm glad your dressed. This color certainly suits you." he gave her a small smile, his fingers twirling in her damp lower curls. Anissa resisted the urge to slap his hand away.

"Next time you try to disobey me Tara and I will not hesitate to discipline you again." he stated coldly.

Discipline? acting like a savage and almost tearing my arm off was disciplining me? she couldn't believe what kind of a twisted and demented mind Shehryaar possessed.

"Compose yourself, we need to greet Amma in her room before breakfast." He ordered curtly.

Anissa nodded stiffly, too frightened to go against him as the pain in shoulder reminded her to keep quiet.

Amma immediately smiled when she saw Shehryaar and Anissa enter her room.

"Asalam alaikum Amma." Shehryaar greeted wholeheartedly.

Anissa was shocked to see him change moods so fast. He was certainly a bipolar man: at one moment he was a complete savage and now he was beaming as if nothing out of the ordinary was conducted by him a few moments ago.

When Anissa saw how much better Amma was looking upon seeing Shehryaar, she willed herself to composure for Amma's sake. She wasn't about to let her get worried for her sake. Already she was in suffering because of her cancer and if she gave off the feeling that Shehryaar wasn't treating her right then it would surely stress Amma.

How could this man have done what he did to me knowing that his Amma was under the same roof as us? What if she had heard my screams? What would've happened then?

"Ah, mera Chanda!" She exclaimed in delight, stretching her arms out for Shehryaar.

Anissa choked on her breath when she saw a genuine bright smile from Shehryaar.

Oh how deceiving! He's putting on a good front for Amma. How conniving and manipulative.

"How are you feeling today?"

"Oh, better I suppose. But it could be worse."

"Don't say that Amma. Anyways, I wanted to inform you that I will departing for Dubai tonight." He informed.

Anissa felt as if the earth was snatched from under her feet.

Amma also looked gloomy, her eyes turning sad and forlorn . "I thought you would be leaving by the end of this week."

"Yes but so much has come up that it needs my immediate attention."

"Won't you be coming with us Amma?" Anissa blurted out without thinking. Amma looked at Anissa with a tender sad look. "No baita unfortunately it's not safe for me to travel so I cannot leave."

"But, but what if something happens to you?" She whispered, feeling Shehryaar glare at her, his grey eyes warning her to keep quiet.

But Anissa was panicking. She didn't want to live alone with Shehryaar. Fear clenched her heart at knowing what he would do to her when they would be utterly alone.

But what scared her even more was leaving this sweet old lady all alone here and with her worsening condition, anything could happen.

"That isn't a problem. We would be here in a matter of hours if something were to happen." Shehryaar replied.

"But still," Anissa started and gripped Shehryaar's arm without thinking. "We can't leave her alone here. We should stay with her." She proposed.

Shehryaar's brows jumped up as he looked at her. Anissa realised she was touching him and quickly let him go.

"It's alright baita. Shehryaar has more important things to do. I'm dying either way and I would rather not disturb him." Amma said.

Anissa looked at her in disbelief. And then she looked at Shehryaar who looked content with his Amma's decision.

Does he not care if something were to happen to her? Does he not feel any sympathy?

And then she remembered that he was a psychopath: someone incapable of feeling remorse or sympathy.

She didn't bother saying much after that and excused herself to make breakfast.

If she wasn't so scared she would've refused to cook for him but she knew better. She didn't want another attack.

Shehryaar was a ticking time bomb. And she'd rather be cautious then stubborn and obstinate.

She went to the kitchen and prepared omelettes and parathas. The chef was also present who was instructed to prepare Amma's special meals because of her cancer.

She felt the need to add rat poison in his breakfast. Her hatred for her husband was growing tenfold by the second whenever her shoulder would cringe and throb in pain upon every movement.

When the breakfast was ready, a maid took the prepared dishes to the table.

Shehryaar started eating. Anissa didn't start. Shehryaar eyed her sceptically.

"You aren't eating?"

Anissa only stared at him.

"And you are. who's to say i didn't add any poison in the food?" She said.

Shehryaar burst into a fit of laughter.

He looked so mirthfully and sinfully beautiful when he laughed and if Anissa didn't hate him then she might actually admire him.

"Oh God, Anissa I don't think you're capable of doing something like that." He chuckled and started eating again.

"And what if i did?" she questioned.

"You won't. Want to know why?"

Anissa gave him a stiff nod. His eyes gleamed with sincerity. "Because I trust you and i don't trust easily. So if you ever wound up losing my trust, then know that nothing in this world will ever make me trust you again." He stated.

Anissa gulped. she didn't quite care about his trust but the way he was looking at her told her to tread carefully.

"I know you don't care about my trust but i think you should start caring. We have the rest of our lives together and i rather live it with you while trusting you." He claimed. Anissa cringe at that. How am I suppose to live with a man like him? She thought dejectedly and started eating.

"Be ready to leave till midnight."During breakfast, Shehryaar told her to be ready for the flight before midnight.

"But, how am I suppose to go abroad? I don't have a passport or a visa for that matter." Anissa argued.

Shehryaar wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and chuckled dryly.

"Who do you think I am Tara? I'm Shehryaar Ghulari and getting a simple passport is no issue. I already had one prepared for you after our wedding." He claimed.

Anissa gawked at him in disbelief, her eyes widening.

"B-but, I don't want to go anywhere." She whispered, hating herself for sounding so weak.

Shehryaar raised a brow at her at in warning.

"Um, I mean, I don't want to leave Amma behind. Something might happen and I don't,"

"You're coming with me." Shehryaar deadpanned.

Anissa felt anger rush in her blood at his callous behaviour as she fisted her hands t gain control on herself.

"B-but don't you c-care? She is your nanny. She took care of you. How can't you be so cold?" She retorted back and was about to say more when Shehryaar viewed her from under his lashes, his eyes challenging her to say more and the consequences would be detrimental.

"Whatever happens to Amma is none of your business. She's my nanny and thus, she's my responsibility." He asserted sharply.

It was like a whip to Anissa, forcing her into silence. She didn't say anything else, not knowing how to answer to someone who wouldn't understand the humane approach. Even though she had no special or familial bond with Amma, yet she revered her as a motherly figure.

And an unfeeling cognitively impaired person like Shehryaar wouldn't understand.

"I know what you are trying to do and know that it's impossible. Your coming with me and that's the end of it." Shehryaar said and left.

**********

Anissa spent the rest of the day trying to make her shoulder hurt less by engaging in soft activities.

While she also studied psychology and about Psychopathy. Her knowledge was limited and she wanted to gain an upper hand. Because the best way to know the enemy is to know how they function and you use it against them.

All the sighs indicated towards psychopathy yet in her heart, she had prayed that it wouldn't be true. It was very hard and sometimes close to impossible to handle psychopaths since they are so dangerous. And if she was married to one, then the thought itself made her terrified.

How was she suppose to spend the rest of her life with a man like that? The only reason she was still willingly staying with him was because she feared for the safety of her family. If this was a normal marriage and her husband would've displayed such abnormal behaviour then she wouldn't have hesitated to leave him.

But this wasn't your average marriage: it was forced and without her consent.

Her mind and heart were in pain. She spread out the prayer mat and observed her night prayers.

Oh dear God, please help me. I need strength. She prayed. She needed all the strength she could get.

She was frightened of the prospect of leaving the country and that too with a violent abusive man.

And at that time she was too frightened to fight back but now that she had gathered her wits, she thought of ways to elude him. The last thing she wanted was to leave the country.

Shehryaar arrived before midnight and found Anissa wrapped up in a large dupatta as she pressed both her palms on her face in prayer.

Anissa noticed a presence behind herself and quickly passed her hands over her face and looked back to see Shehryaar gawking at her with a vacuous expression. He was leaning against the door frame.

Anissa stood up and neatly folded the prayer mat and removed her dupatta, moving it to cover her chest. Shehryaar looked weary, his tanned skin looked dull and his suit was wrinkled while his dark hair was messy.

Yet he was the epitome of perfection.

If he hadn't hurt her so much just a few hours ago, she would've smiled at him.

But all she felt towards him was bitterness.

"Would you like dinner?" She asked out of courtesy.

Shehryaar only stared at her with blank grey eyes.

She wanted to convince him to stay behind and tried once again.

"Um," she started and began to play with her fingers."I was thinking that I should stay behind. I mean,"

"Come with me." He cut her short and left through the door.

Anissa mustered up all her courage and followed behind him.

He went into his office and faced his desk, not moving to walk across and taking his seat.

Anissa stopped by the door, standing far from him.

"Come to me Tara," Shehryaar called in a firm voice, his back to her. Anissa hesitated and walked towards him with caution, her hazel eyes trained on his strong broad back.

"Close your eyes," he ordered.

"Huh? Why?" She inquired in forethought.

"Do it!" He uttered, his tone void. She couldn't tell what he was trying to do. Dread pooled in her stomach and her blood ran cold at the possibilities of what he was planning on doing and certainly it had to be something bad.

She felt frightened, cold shivers running down her spine as her heart accelerated at an alarming rate.

What the hell is he planning? She thought in panic. And the ache in her swollen shoulder indicated something sinister was coming her way."Are your eyes closed?" He asked.

Anissa sighed and closed her eyes. "Yes," she mumbled and inhaled deeply.

"Do not open them until I tell you to." He ordered. Anissa nodded. "Okay,"

Oh please dear God, don't let him hurt me.

"Are you going to hurt me?" She asked in a hushed tone, her face bowing down slightly.

Instead of answering, he said. "Raise your hands."

Anissa complied and raised her hands. Her body was quivering with fear. Her hands cupped together as she waited. The anticipation and apprehension were driving her crazy. She felt his cold fingers touch her palms. Something dripped at her palms.

Her brows furrowed together in confusion and disarray.

Then something was placed in her hands: it was wet, squishy and soft.

Anissa panicked as her mind tried to guess what it could possibly be. Her fingers tried to palpate the object, her skin sensing at the dorsum that the object was leaking as the liquid dripped down.

"Now, open your eyes." Shehryaar commanded, his voice sounding dark.

She opened her eyes and the moment she did, she felt her heart falling to the pit of her stomach as bile rose up her throat.

There in the palms of her hands laid a human heart.

She froze on shock. This wasn't the first time she was looking at a human heart but it was certainly the first time she saw and held one out side of an operation theatre.

Her eyes viewed the organ. It was the size of her fist.The myocardium was pink. The aorta and other vessels still oozed out blood like it had been taken out of a person's chest just recently since the tissue hadn't died down yet.

Then her mind got out of its daze, her eyes blinking.

She began to pant as a scream ripped through her throat. The situation sank in and she looked at Shehryaar who was observing her reaction with a calculating stare.

With shaking hands, she dropped the heart. The organ landed on the carpeted floor with a squishy thud.

She looked at her bloodied hands and screamed again.

There was someone's blood on her hands. She felt as she was the one who ripped out the organ from the person, causing them to die.

"Wh-wh-what?" She stammered, her breathing to heavy.

"Do you like it? It's my honeymoon present to you." Shehryaar spoke, his lips twitching in a small smile.

Anissa fell sick and began to dry heave, clutching her stomach.

"Wh-who's heart is it?" She asked, her eyes tearing up.

Shehryaar shrugged. "Does it matter?"

"Yes it does!" She shrieked. Her mind instantly went to her family, her heart crying.

Shehryaar's eyes darkened. She should've cowered under his intense glare but she didn't, feeling too sick and revolted.

"Y-your sick!" She screamed. "Now tell me who's heart is it!"

"The heart of the bastard who took your innocence and purity." He stated in monotone.

Anissa felt as if the sky had fallen on top of her.

Sharjee? That's sharjeels heart? Then that means,

"He's dead?" She murmured in disbelief, her eyes popping out of their sockets.

"Yes Tara. He's dead. I disposed of him today." Shehryaar affirmed.

She stared at him. A part of her felt good at hearing about the news that her tormentor was dead but then a part of her recalled the deal she had made with the devil.

"But, you promised that you wouldn't kill him." She said in a low voice.

"I don't recall making any such promise." And he was right. He really didn't make any promise and had merely taken the initiative when Anissa offered her options to him.

"But still, you said you would let him go if I gave myself to you!" Anissa shrieked.

Shehryaar shrugged nonchalantly. "Still that didn't mean that I would actually let him go." He said, looking her straight in the eyes.

"I was going to kill him anyway. That fucker had the audacity to touch what's mine. He got what was coming to him." He explained, his eyes shifting to a strange glint.

"Still, you should be happy. I did this for you after all. You should be thanking me."

Anissa gawked at him in utter incredulity.

"Yo-you're sick." She muttered absentmindedly, not realising what she was saying, her mind clouding over as her panic and fear and sigust took control of her.

"You're mental. You need serious help. You're not normal." She exclaimed. Her feet began to take involuntary steps away from the monster who stood in front of her.

"I need to get away."

Her heart sped up as adrenaline pumped in her blood and she sprinted towards the door.

But Shehryaar was fast and quickly tackled her to the floor before she could even approach the door. She faced the carpet as Shehryaar bound her wrists behind her back.

Her brain bypassed the sharp pain radiating from her shoulder as she thrashed against his hold. Her mind was in a haze as her body went into fight and flight mode. Her only instinct to get away from the person her mind recognised as a threat.

"No! Let me go! You're an animal! You're a beast! You're insane!" She shrieked as she fought against his hold.

"Let go of me you bastard! Don't touch me with your filthy hands!" She screeched, panting heavily.

"I don't want to be with a psychopath like you! Let me go I hate you!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

Shehryaar remained unfazed as he took out a syringe from his pocket. He was prepared for this as he plunged the needle into her neck, causing her to yelp.

Her cries ceased as her body began to fall limp. Turning around to face him, he gave her a gentle smile and leaned down to brush his lips on hers.

"That's it Tara, sleep now." He said to her as he gently stroked her cheek.

Anissa's mind protested and fought to remain conscious but the effect of the drug was strong and she fell into a deep sleep.

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