The sun rises in the city of Azamgarh, and Saad Nawab Khan finally wakes up from his coma. He finds himself in the ward, iv attached to his nerves, his grey eyes go to the heartbeat machine, and a sense of dejavu hit him. He blinks now and finds himself standing in front of himself.

"Miscarriage"

The doctor said. Saad sighed it didn't affect him in the least. Why would it? He never wanted a kid from her, so it didn't matter it died. Three months, not even a fully formed baby, anyway Seher hated him so she wouldn't care. It was her fault, she shouldn't have fought back, she shouldn't have rebelled against him.

Yes it was her fault. That the baby died.

They didn't need a baby, Jahangir Shaikh's lineage can't be his heir. Politically it would make Saad weaker. So Saad was content as he caressed her forehead, he didn't want a son, he wanted a daughter... just like her.

Strong minded, rebellious. It was a pity that Seher was Jahangir Shaikh's daughter, because a son from her would have made a powerful leader. Hell if Seher would have been a girl, she would have given him a hell of a competition.

He was thankful, that she was a woman and his. His wife.  Maybe that's how he wanted it all along... he loved the way she challenged him, he loved to break her fight, to break her spirit. He loved to remind her, that... he was a man.

Saad blinked as the thoughts that were his echoed in his mind, and he saw Ayesha standing infront of him, heard him speak up and heard the word he spoke, the name he called.

"Seher"

Ayesha, with her heart twisted in knots of anger and hate, watched over Saad. When he called out for Seher, Ayesha's composure shattered. "I am your wife too!" she cried out, her voice breaking. "Why is it always her? Why am I invisible to you?"

"Why can't you see me, Saad? Why do Musa and I fade away in her shadow?"

But the dazed man was lost in his own thoughts and the past to consider her feelings.

It took him three days to recover from the poison, to regain conciousness. More than the poison, there was something else twisting his guts, haunting him. His own words, he couldn't understand why was all of this coming back to him.

"Do you still hate me?"

Seher's eyes, once filled with the fire of loathing, now softened. "I hated you more than anything," she admitted. "But now, I pity you. And in that pity, I find a strange kind of peace."

His eyes softened a little, he was relieved. She didn't hate him anymore, did poisoning him remove the anger?

She couldn't stop herself, the guilt, the self hatred was crushing her.

"I feel... nothing," Seher whispered, her voice trembling. "I thought that seeing you suffer would bring me peace, but it hasn't. It has only made me realize how much I've lost of myself in this pursuit of revenge."

Saad's eyes, once filled with cruelty, now looked at her with a glimmer of understanding, or perhaps it was just a reflection of his own pain. "I never meant for things to go this far, I wanted to break you.." he said weakly. "I thought I was untouchable."

Seher's mind drifted back to the countless nights she had spent in fear, the memories of her child's lifeless body, the betrayal of Saad's second marriage. The agony she had endured was unimaginable. Yet, standing here now, she couldn't find the strength to hate him anymore. The fire that had fueled her rage had burnt out, leaving only ashes of regret and sorrow.

"I'm not like you," she said finally. "I never wanted to be like you or my father".

Saad closed his eyes, a tear escaping down his cheek. "I'm sorry, Seher. Not for my actions, but for hurting you in the process. I never realized how much I loved you until now. And maybe now you will realize that everything I did was for you. You can fall in love with me now. I am a changed man."

Seher's laugh was bitter, a hollow sound that echoed in the sterile room. "Love? You think I can love you now?" She shook her head, her eyes cold and distant.

"What you did wasn't love, Saad. It was control. It was power. You broke me, piece by piece, and now you expect me to love you?"

He opened his mouth to protest, but she silenced him with a sharp glance. "You can't rebuild what you've destroyed with empty apologies and false promises. I don't hate you anymore, but I don't love you either. What I feel for you now is something far worse—indifference."

Saad's heart clenched at her words, the finality of them hitting him harder than any physical blow. He had spent momths believing that breaking her would bind her to him, that her spirit would yield to his. But he had been wrong. He hadn't tamed her; he had lost her completely.

"I will leave now," Seher said, her voice steady. "I won't be part of this toxic cycle anymore. You will live your life, and I will live mine. Far away from you."

Seher turned away, the weight of his words pressing down on her. She didn't know if she could ever forgive him, but she knew she couldn't carry the burden of hatred any longer. It was a poison that had nearly destroyed her, and she needed to let it go.

"And where will you go?"

She smiled, "To my father", her father had used her well enough now it was her turn to use him like a pawn. Now she knew how to play the game, she was no longer the naive girl and now she had nothing left to lose.

As she walked out of the room, she bumped into Ayesha. The woman's eyes were red with tears, her face twisted in anger. "He called for you," Ayesha spat. "Even after everything, he called for you."

Seher looked at her, the pain in her eyes reflecting her own. "I'm sorry, Ayesha. I never wanted any of this."

"Sorry?" Ayesha's voice rose. "You tried to kill him! How could you?"

"I am sorry," Seher admitted. "I wasn't thinking ..."

Ayesha shook her head, disbelief etched on her face. "You almost ruined everything. Our lives, our happiness... my son's future."

Seher didn't have the words to make it right. She could only nod, accepting the truth of Ayesha's accusations. "I know. And I'll have to live with that"

Ayesha's anger seemed to deflate, leaving her looking weary and broken. "Then live with it," she said softly. "And stay out of our lives."

Ayesha loved him, she had a son with him, they could live a perfect live together. And she could be free again, be the person she wanted to be all along.

In the rickshaw as she sat, she saw the scenery outside, she was leaving everything behind.

Amongst the crowded streets, she remained an island of introspection, her gaze fixed on the passing scenery outside. Laughter and camaraderie swirled around her, a stark contrast to the turbulence in her mind. She could hear the joy, but it couldn't penetrate the drowsy cloud that enveloped her consciousness. The mirthful families around her, oblivious to her turmoil, made her feel like an outsider to happiness.

She wished for the tiny bit of happiness, of a normal family. But it was all dreams, in this village, a woman couldn't live until she suffocated.

Then she was face to face with her father.

"Dead?"

Seher shook her head.

He clenched his jaw. "Incompetent," he spat out, the word laced with venom. He had never wanted a daughter, and Seher's actions only fueled his disdain. She was a living reminder of his unfulfilled desires for a son, a successor for his lands.

"You are weak just like your mother",her head ached as the childhood memory resurfaced, her father wanted her to have a stonger mind so he would make her watch the stoning. But she wouldn't be able to, every single time she would collapse.

This.. she was weak.

Jahangir Shaikh didn't wanted to get his hands dirty and eliminate Seher on the side. She failed to follow his orders and or produce a heir.

"I should have buried you alive that day. You are a failure."

Her lips twisted, but she kept it in, "I am sorry father, I failed".

"Sorry is not enough," he retorted sharply, stopping in front of her with a piercing gaze. "You must do better. We have alliances to secure. You are my daughter, and you will fulfill your role."

"Yes, father," Seher replied quietly, her voice betraying none of the turmoil brewing within her. She knew her father's world well—its intricacies, its dangers. And she knew that outward compliance was often the safest path.

Jahangir narrowed his eyes, studying her carefully. "Do you understand what is at stake, Seher? Our family's legacy depends on our ability to navigate these treacherous waters."

"I understand, father," Seher replied evenly, her hands clasped in front of her.

"And yet," Jahangir continued, his tone softening slightly with a hint of frustration, "you seem to lack the resolve to assert yourself when it matters most. Do you not see the consequences of your hesitation?"

Seher hesitated for a moment, then spoke carefully. "I will not hesitate anymore, father. I will do whatever is necessary to uphold our family's honor."

Jahangir regarded her for a long moment, weighing her words. "Very well. You will accompany me to the estate tomorrow. We have an alliance to solidify, and I expect you to conduct yourself with the grace and poise befitting a Shaikh."

"Yes, father," Seher replied, her mind already racing with plans of her own. As Jahangir turned to leave the room, she added quietly, "Thank you for your guidance. I will make you proud."

As the door closed behind him, Seher leaned against the wall, her facade crumbling. She knew that to survive in her father's world, she had to play the submissive role outwardly while quietly laying the groundwork for her own ambitions.

Later that evening, in the solitude of her chambers, Seher allowed herself a moment of reflection. She knew the path ahead would be fraught with challenges and sacrifices, but she was determined to navigate it with cunning and resilience.

"I will play his game," she whispered to herself, her voice tinged with determination.

With renewed resolve, Seher began to strategize. She would use her father's expectations as a shield and a weapon, maneuvering through the intricate web of alliances and rivalries with caution and cunning.

In the days that followed, Seher maintained her outward role as the obedient daughter.

Her father, unaware of the brewing storm beneath the surface, continued to believe he held sway over her every move. But Seher knew better.

Adapt, manipulate, and survive.

Her father took her to Iqbal Khan's daughter's valimah, Maheen was her childhood friend. Seeing someone from her childhood made her happy, but when she heard how her father had forced the poor girl into this situation she felt resentment.

"My father ruined your life too."

Maheen was a jolly girl, Iqbal Khan was a better father compared to Jahangir, he had treated her like a princess.

"Not just mine, he ruined the life of every girl in this village. Half of them are dead, and the other half of us are surviving."

Looking at the young girl, her eyes tinged with sadness, she could find her past self.

"Maheen... do you want to runaway?"

Maheen didn't hesitate to say yes.

This was it, she finally found her purpose, helping woman escape the village. But where would they go?

The answer to that arrived that evening, Saahil.

"Khan has called you back", he was here with Saad's car, "No", she replied assertively, here she had some power. She couldn't be locked in Saad's golden cage once again.

"Saahil..."

She called his name, he turned to look at her, "Whose side are you in?"

She didn't wanted to put him in danger but at the same time, she didn't want him to become one of Saad's man.

"Whose side do you me to be in?" He asked directly, she wanted him for her. "Mine".

His dimpled smile greeted her and her eyes glistened, "I was waiting for you to seek my help. But you never did and you left without informing me..."

"I can't use you".

"Use me, just don't leave me", This wasn't a man pleading her, this was the child in him, who was abandoned on the footsteps of gurudwara, this was the orphan who grew up on his own, a soldier who had no one waiting for him at his home.

____

The story will be extremely fast paced from next chapter onwards.