•||Ch4: Her Future||•

||Izzah POV||

I combed my hair absentmindedly as my mind went back to dad's behavior. His strange behavior was disturbing me and didn't let me sleep last night. I sighed and looked at my reflection in the mirror and applied foundation under my eyes to hide the dark circles.

"Innaya?" I called her who was sitting on my bed and typing on her laptop.

She hummed quietly without looking away from her laptop. I picked my bangles from the box and slipped my right hand in it then turned around and faced her.

"Did you notice dad's behavior?" I asked her, slowly.

She looked up from her laptop for a second then looked back at her laptop and pressed her lips together before looking back up at me.

"You know after everything he is… disturbed and worried about both of us," She answered with a sad smile.

I nodded my head slowly and walked to the couch where my coat and stethoscope was. I debated whether to tell her about what I saw last night in his office or not.

"What is it, Izzy?" She asked me when I sighed.

I picked my coat and stethoscope along with my bag then turned back to look at her. She was again typing on her laptop; her hands were moving at lightning speed. I rolled my eyes at my workaholic sister and a small smile stretched on my lips but it faded quickly when I answered her question.

"Last night, I saw him with a briefcase full of money and heard him talking to someone that it was too much. Or would you rather say that I caught him. But… maybe. Maybe I am overreacting and… this isn't anything just my stupid thoughts."

I watched her stopped typing and her head jerked up to look at me. She put her laptop aside and looked at me with curiosity.

"What do you think about it?" She asked me carefully.

"Do you think someone sent him money for something in exchange?" I asked her what was in my mind.

She pressed her lips in a thin line and nodded her head. She looked at her lap and drowned in her thoughts deeply before looking back at me.

"Maybe it's nothing, Izzah. But I'll try to find if it is something else," She told me, softly.

I smiled at her and looked at the time before turning my attention back to her.

"Take care, Innaya!"

With that I walked out of my room and walked down the stairs to the hall. I walked to the kitchen and picked an apple before walking out of the house.

"Izzah ma'am!"

I stopped when guard called me from behind. He approached me with his gun in his hand and stood in front of me.

"You can't leave the house without protection, ma'am. It's sir's order," He informed me.

I looked at him in confusion before pulling my phone out of my bag and called dad. I walked away from him and stood at a distance.

.........

"Yes?" There was coldness with something in his voice which I didn't understand.

I could try to get what it was but the problem standing few feet away more important for me.

.........

"Why you left a babysitter to babysit me, dad?" I asked or more like whined.

I hated it since childhood to be put under protection of few men of dad. They all stuck to me and didn't let me use the washroom alone. They all stood outside the door and because of them people didn't come near me.

.........

"After what happened yesterday, you need it, Izzah and don't argue," He said, firmly and putting a full stop on the argument.

.........

"OK!" I mumbled in defeat and climbed in my car.

.........

The armed man climbed into the other car and followed me. I didn't think I had ever seen him here before.

Dad must have appointed new man.

I parked my car on reaching hospital and quickly went inside, wanting to forget about everything while enjoying aiding patients.

The whole day many doctors ignored me or hesitated to talk to me because of the armed bodyguard. Many patients were also feeling uncomfortable with that bodyguard standing outside my cabin. I tried to tell him not to stand there with a gun in his holster or at least try to hide it but he didn't listen to me.

It was also against the hospital rules to bring gun or any type of weapon in hospital but I didn't know how the administrators allowed him.

"I am shocked!" Dr. Ruba whispered looking over my shoulder.

We were both standing in the staff room and my bodyguard was standing outside beside the door. The walls of the staff room were made of glass. You could see from the inside but not from outside.

"No one stopped him from entering in the hospital with that gun in his holster," She added.

"Must be dad's doing," I mumbled with a sigh.

"After yesterday's attack, I thought your dad will lock you in the house for years," She said after taking a sip of tea.

I hummed absentmindedly and stirred the spoon in the cup. Dad's behavior was strange.

First, he was tensed last night when I asked about that money.

Second, when I called him in the morning, his voice was cold. My first thought was he must be in with his clients or lawyers but the more I thought, I felt something must be disturbing him.

• • •

Two days had passed and dad's behavior was still stranger. Innaya also noticed it and when we both tried to talk to him, he just waved it off. We both were worried about him and hoped whatever was disturbing him, solved itself soon.

I took the bowl of my noodles and sat on the stool. I was so busy in eating that I didn't notice dad entering in the kitchen.

"Izzah?"

I looked up at dad in surprise and pressed my lips together when I noticed the distance looking in his eyes. There was something in his voice like fear and pain.

"I want to talk to you. Please meet me in my office after you finish eating," He said and quickly walked away.

I was feeling butterflies of nervousness in my stomach and my heart beat impatiently. I quickly finished my noodles and put the bowl on the counter before making my way to his office.

All the way I thought what he wanted to tell me and many strange thoughts were entering in my mind which were making me crazy.

I knocked on the door before entering and smiled at him. He was sitting on his chair behind his desk and motioned me to sit on the chair in front of his desk, with his hand. I sat on the chair quietly and looked at him who must be feeling troubled in starting a conversation. I watched him who he was tapping his fingers on the arm of the chair, a sign of anxiety and nervousness.

"If you want to talk about marriage, you can," I told him, softly.

It was the only thought that was entering in my mind mostly. What else was there that made him anxious and nervous? I got it he wanted someone in his life and I would be very happy if he found someone to love him and to take care of him.

"How..," —He opened his mouth then closed it. His reaction was full of shock and utter disbelief. His muscles tensed and his eyes held surprise and fear. He cleared his throat then opened his mouth again— "How you know I want to about about this?" He asked me, slowly like he was afraid that I would overreact and shout at him in few seconds.

"Dad, I get it. You are alone and you need someone in your life who loves you and spends the rest of her life with you. It's not like we don't love but we know we can't take that loneliness away from you which you have in your heart. I will not have any problem with you marrying again and I--,"

I was rambling about that topic which cut off soon by dad and left me in the state of shock.

"I didn't call you here to talk about my marriage, Izzah!"

I looked at him with open mouth and quickly pressed my lips together and chewed my bottom lip. My cheeks turned red in embarrassment but I quickly cleared my throat.

"Then whose?" I asked him, quickly.

He closed his eyes and moved his head up towards the ceiling. He looked restless and tensed. He inhaled deeply and moved his head back and opened his eyes.

"Yours," That was his only response.

It left me breathless and snatched the ground beneath my feet. My breath picked up and my hands became clumsy. My hands were sweating and his response repeated in my head again and again.

I stood up with wide eyes quickly and looked at him with my hands shaking.

"No!" I told him, firmly and shook my head at him.

I watched him standing up and looked at me with stern face like he was in court and I was a prisoner who he had to give punishment. I bit my lips and trembled under his firm stare. He wasn't looked like my dad but more of a heartless judge.

"Yes, you will and that is in few days," He told me in his firm voice which meant end of the discussion.

I stepped back in fear and looked at him with wide eyes and shook my head with mumbling no. Slowly by slowly tears fell from my eyes but it didn't melt his heart.

"Please, dad. I don't want to marry right now," I told him and hoped he listened and called it off.

"Don't make me force you, Izzah," He told me, angrily.

"What I already like someone?" I asked him, quietly.

"Then I will have to finish that obstacle," He answered with his eyes narrowing at me.

I gasped at him and wiped my tears. I didn't know what changed him but I didn't this dad any bit. I wanted my old dad back who always listened me.

For crying out loud, I want to marry a man to whom I fall in love and who loves me back.

"You just lost your son, dad. And now you are trying to loss you daughter, too. Just two weeks before, you were mourning over the loss of your only son. If you try to force me then remember, dad, you will loss me, too, forever," I told him with quivering lips and breathed heavily.

Without waiting for his response, I ran out of his office and ran down the stairs with my tears falling down. I opened the door of the house and rushed to my car. Before the guard approached me, I quickly climbed in the car and started it. Security guards at gate quickly opened the door when they noticed my car reaching to the door.

I drove aimlessly on the road and crossed the speed limit. His words were echoing in my head.

“Don't make me force you, Izzah!”

A sobbed escaped from my lips and I wished Taha was alive and be there for me, fought dad, stood for me, hugged me and telling me over and over again that he would never let dad to do this injustice with me. But it was a hopeless wish because he was dead and never came to save me from this misery. I hoped that day I died instead of him then I never had to face this day.

I had been driving my car in the fast speed for few hours aimlessly, and wiped my tears in anger. The clouds were the mixture of dark black and orange as it was night time and there was highly chances of heavy rain.

The roads were clear and there was no traffic on the highway. I didn't know where I was going and what I would do now.

But I didn't expect this from dad. I just lost my brother and all he was worrying about was my sudden wedding. I didn't know from where this thought entered in his brain, specially, when he lost his only son two weeks before.

A car came in front of which made me put my foot on the break in panic. I jerked forward and then back with a great force and pressure.

I looked up with eyes and saw a black shinning car. I breathed out heavily and tried to control the uneven beating of my heart. My heart was like it would jump out of my chest anytime. I unbuckled my seatbelt slowly with my shaking hands and tried to control my heart beat.

The door of the black car opened and a man climbed out of it. He was wearing black color suit with white shirt and black color tie. His face was something which I didn't know how to describe because of how handsome he was.

I observed him carefully and noticed his expressionless and cold handsome face that made him intimidate and dominate. His eyes were darked with danger, rage and anger dancing in it which could make anyone to run away cowardly. I opened the door of my car and climbed out of it slowly, in fear.

He advanced towards me and grabbed my arm painfully. I hissed under his hold and tried to pull my arm away from him but all in vain. My body was trembling under his firm hold and my breath hitched.

"Who are you?" I asked, sacredly.

He squeezed my arm which was causing pain in my arm. It would leave a buries for sure. He chuckled darkly and pulled me towards him which made me hit with chest and I yelped in surprise.

He quickly moved his hand from my arm to my waist and pulled me impossibly close. I looked at him in uncontrollable fear. My breath picked up at the little distance between us. I felt his other hand move on my back making me shiver and felt something pinching on my arm, painfully. I looked at him with wide eyes and tearful eyes which were slowly flowing through my eyes that were closing slowly.

"Your future!"

I heard him answering me in dangerous voice as my eyes were closing without my permission. I tried to open them but failed and let myself sunk in the darkness and fainted in the arms of my handsome kidnapper.