The skies had been calm for too long.

Akif was in the middle of editing his presentation slides when his phone buzzed.

Zoya: “Call me. Urgent.”

His heart skipped. He called her instantly.

“Zoya? Baccha?”

Her voice came out in broken whispers. “They came… my family… they found me.”

Akif froze. “What? Where are you?”

“I’m... I’m in Bokaro. They took me. They just showed up at the apartment when you weren’t there and—”

“WHAT?!”

“I couldn’t fight, Akif. They didn’t listen. My eldest brother… he—he just dragged me. Aarfa tried to stop them but—”

Akif stood up, nearly knocking the chair over. His heart thundered.

“Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

“No,” she whispered, “but they’ve locked me in. Like before. I can’t leave the house. My phone’s hidden. I’m talking to you from the bathroom.”

Akif felt helpless. His fists clenched, jaw tight.

“I’m coming there.”

“No, not yet. They’re watching everything. I don’t want them to hurt you too.”

He paced the room, rage boiling under his skin.

“I’ll burn the whole damn city down if they touch a single hair on your head.”

“Akif,” her voice trembled, “please don’t do anything yet. Just… stay with me. Talk to me. Just talk.”

He sat on the floor, back against the wall, phone pressed to his ear.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here.”

She sniffled. “I miss you so much.”

“I miss you more, Shona. Just hang in there, okay? We’ll figure this out.”

---

Days passed. Zoya’s voice grew softer each night, like the light inside her was dimming. Her family didn’t let her step outside, didn’t allow her to attend college, and refused to hear a word about her dreams.

They made it clear: she was never going back.

Her only link to freedom was Akif.

Every night, at 2 a.m., she’d sneak into the bathroom, press her phone to her ear, and breathe again — only because he was there.

“I feel like I’m drowning,” she told him once.

“I’ll be your lifeline,” he said. “We’ll pull you out.”

She wept silently. “They talk about marrying me off, Akif. To some businessman. Someone I don’t even know.”

He punched the wall beside him.

“You’re mine, Zoya. I don’t care what they say.”

“But I can’t escape again. Not this time.”

“You won’t have to.”

“What do you mean?”

He smiled, a dangerous, determined smile.

“Because this time, I’m coming to get you—with a plan. And I won’t be alone.”

---