The windows were long, it covered the area from ceiling to the ground, they were curved from the top and although could be opened vertically, its glass turned into a table and could be held by a stand. Malika knew it was a servant's quarter, although it had all the amenities. She had also seen the young girls chattering outside and they were definitely servants. This was a progress though, from the dungeon, and she wasn't about to complain, she needed sleep and bed was all she required.

As soon as her head touched the mattress, she drifted asleep. Hours passed and when she woke up next she couldn't feel the right half of her face, the headache because of the concussion was gone, but there were no sensations. She pinched her face, slapped herself, nothing. It wasn't numb, her face it didn't feel like it was a part of her face, it didn't ache. Null there was nothing. She had to accept it. She couldn't complain. These were unknown strangers, and Sajjad wasn't here, until he returned she had to endure.

But what if he doesn't accept me... for years she had waited for him and now that she was here, she was kept in a slave's quarter. That meant nobody knew about her being his fiancé and if they did, she wouldn't have been placed in the slave quarters. And Hunaid knew about her position... maybe Khan didn't care? The childish love that had taken root in her heart, remained, a man she had never seen, a man she had never met but had given her the will to live. It was difficult for her to dislike him, 'she hadn't seen him for real', her delusional side made excuses for him.

Where was Saahil?

The door to her room slightly opened and Malika turned towards the door wide eyed, scared, terrified. Her head was aching, she was weak internally. Her movements slow but her instincts made her cover up her head as fast as she could. What if it was the intimidating man from before? The dangerous man had a scar on his face that didn't made his face ugly, but the man made all the wrong signals go off in her brain. He could hold eye contact, she had locked the door for safety after the incident with Ubaid her body and mind were always on high alert. She couldn't take another chance, she couldn't compromise her dignity yet again.

On her broken legs she limped towards the door and asked, "Who's there?"

On the other side she heard a heavy sigh, then a girl's voice, "Open up, fast!"

Malika opened the door and was met by a friendly face, she entered the room quietly, "Close the door, fast" she ordered, Malika gave her a suspicious glance but then relented.

"Gosh, you kept everybody up last night", she said sitting on other bed casually, Malika realised the young woman was ghostly pale , as if she hadn't had a proper meal in a while or any or any sunlight.

"What?"

"You were screaming last night, 'Don't touch me', 'Stay away', all night and when I tried to calm you down you bit me like a freaking dog", she showed her the bitemark on her wrist, and before Malika could apologize held up her hand, "No need to apologize, I was scared to enter your room to be honest, just get rid of this toothiness".

How could she tell her it was a phobia of hers that had turned her rabid? Even in an unconcious state her body was on high alert. All the betrayals she faced, led her to this state, she couldn't trust anyone anymore, because she was always seen as a commodity to be used by others.

"Are you hungry? We can go to the hall to get some food".

She felt the nausea kick in, "No", she immediately as the bile rose up and ran to the nearest sink puking her guts out while the young girl kept on blabbering as if this wasn't a new thing.

"My name is Yasmine but people call me Jasmine. By the way when you are done please clean the sink".

She wiped her mouth and massaged her chest, the heartburn made her want to sit at the sink for a while longer, and she gargled letting the bitter after taste go. The right side of her face that was immobile finally gained back its sensations.

"Why is your face so swollen?" Yasmine commented and that's when Malika realised maybe it was due to falling face down on the grass that led to the temporary face paralysis. This was a reaction, she was allergic to pollens.

Thank god... it wasn't a complete face paralysis, she wasn't completely broken yet.

"Are you a servant?" Malika asked, Yasmine who was drinking water laughed so hard that the water spilled out from her lips, some drops splashing on Malika's face.

"If I was servant, would I be living in this closet?" she pointed around and Malika nodded realising it was smaller than their a closet but larger than her old room so she didn't bother.

"Servants and Khan's mistresses lived up on the top floors, they had large beautiful suites of their own", Yasmine's eyes were disgusted but she was smiling nonetheless as she drank more water.

Mistresses...

It was a punch to her gut, why were things so different here? It was nothing like she imagined, Khan wasn't the man of her dreams.

Why did it hurt so much?

"We ugly slaves live here with the pests", Yasmine's toothy smile as she offered her the water was frightening.

Why was she here? In the slave's quarters.

The confusion and regret were killing her, she had offered to be a servant herself but this was different, she was a slave. Malika never knew slaves existed outside of the silk and tea plantations. And there was a whole hierarchy, Khan, his men, mistresses, servants and then came the slaves and cattle in the same category.

"Am I a slave?"

"You're living here with me, ofcourse you're a slave", her nonchalant attitude bugged Malika, how could someone be so emotionless.

She was a slave...

Malika would have preferred dying over this, but then her thought went to Saahil, was he still in the dungeon?

This was because of her shitty idea, if she hadn't suggested to live here Saahil wouldn't have gotten hurt, they could have escaped, he could have followed his friends and would have already crossed the borders. She felt so stupid.

"Do you know where the soldier is..." she asked her throat clogging up for the second time, "He was with me, like we entered the palace together".

"Was he your husband?" Yasmine asked jumping on the her bed making the entire room shake and Malika realised she was right about the cell part. It was indeed a jail cell. Why did she thought it was a lavish apartment last night? Was it a mirage? Was she that desperate for a roof over her head? She didn't know any more...

"No"

"Then he must be dead", she shrugged it off as if it wasn't a real human. The lights went off.

____

"Malika!" I heard someone scream, in panic I jolted up, standing on my feet, my world shook, I could see everything move in slow motion even my body, and then I fell backwards on the bed, making the weak little thing rattle.

It took me about ten minutes to realise when I was, my eyes went to the little vent, "It's morning already? I don't remember falling asleep".

My head ache was killing me, and I felt as I had chewed shards of glass and they were now stuck to my tonsilitis. I could feel a liquid in my ears everytime I turned my head making me dizzy.

Yasmine who was up came towards me, "You can't wear that", she pointed to the niqab, on instinct I grabbed it.

"No, please!" I screamed, breathing loudly, my ears were ringing, I could hear a voice echo in my head, 'my sweet doll' the bile in my stomach rose and I ran to the basin.

"What are you puking? You hardly ate anything", Yasmine chimed and she was right it was the stomach fluids I was barfing. Washing my face with the water, "Where can I take a bath?"

I was dirty, my breath, my clothes stunk, I was disgusted by my own odour.

"The bath timings are from 2 am to 4 am".

What the actual fuck? This was worse than a jail cell.

"Why such regulations? How do the slaves take a bath?"

Yasmine who was putting on a uniform threw her one, "I figured you were a prude so I brought the largest one for you...", the uniform could be called a maxi at this point, although Yasmine was insensitive with her words, she was considerate as hell, it covered my ankles too, and the plus side was I could use it as a blanket in cold nights. "...and bath well you can always suck a dick for a favours like these".

"What!?"

"Ahhh... I apologize, I forget I am a slut", she sang and I couldn't help but wonder if she was high. What was wrong with her? How could she cuss herself out so cheerfully?

"How long have you been here?" I was curious looking at this humming bird. Why were people around me so damn colourful or dull grey?

How could I accept my fate as a slave? I wasn't about to be a high master's damn slave, after everything I have been through serving a narcissistic tribe of men would be a shame.

_____

Feudal system was a license to plunder, rape and even murder. Sajjad Khan was a feudal lord, the chief minister and considered the lion of Punjab. He had the absolute power and he was exploiting it, at least it seemed so. After the colonial period something both the countries had learnt from their white masters was the slavery system.

Through the feudal system rich got richer and the poor despaired. The women were dragged through the gutters, be it house servants, housemaids or worse slaves, the men would lose their wives and daughters to their overlords due to crop failure, since Sajjad basically owned the lands of Punjab, the slaves occupied the entire basement. These women were kept as collaterals, be it any system the attack was always on the women. Throughout history men always degraded what they considered to be the most sacred areas of their honour. Be it rich or Poor.

As we exited the slave quarters in the garden I had been last caught and imprisoned, the scene in front of me reminded of the words of Rumi, Paradise is surrounded with what we dislike, and hell is surrounded with what we desire. There were beautiful woman chattering, they all seemed so well mannered and reminded of her woman from those high societies she attended as a kid.

A young woman came forward gave my uniform a once over and pushed me towards the cart, "Serve this right now!" she screamed in a hurry, this was a servant, I could tell by her uniform and she had taken a bath unlike me.

I would have talked back but this woman wasn't up for nonsense, I could tell by her physique. She could smash me into pieces.

I started serving in rows, picked up the plates in front of the mistresses that was filled with food to the brim, deposited it in the waste cart and placed a new fresh plate. They weren't even eating the food, they were barely nibbling and placing it back, "I am so full..." one said after taking a bite, wiping her lips with her handkerchief. My stomach grumbled and my mouth was watering, I was hungry. And the food smelled delicious, the aroma of biryani was calling out to me, it wafted to my nose and I just wanted to shove my face into a plate for food. Hunger could drive people crazy and I was starving. It has been two days since I had a proper meal, before all of this I had a chunk of stale bread outside the madrasa.

I counted the numbers and realised there were about seventy two mistresses. I found Yasmine helping a servant so I quickly rushed over to her, "How many servants are there in this castle?" she gave me the side eye for asking her such a question then rolled her eyes, "Don't talk-:", I cut her off.

"Tell me fast".

"I think eighty thousand".

The smallest reward for the people of Paradise is an abode where there are eighty thousand servants and seventy two hoors over which stands a dome decorated with pearls, aquamarine and ruby.

What in the... was this heaven? Did I actually die?

I looked up and couldn't help but laugh this time in hysterics, there was an actual dome.

I was dead...

"Stop laughing", I couldn't control it, my eyes wide, I finally lost it.

What I was actually doing here?

The mistresses were all prim and proper, and here I was wearing a baggy uniform, not a servant but a slave.

Embarrassed and humiliated.

My eyes took in everything as I processed the world. If I was dead, why did I stink? My ankle still ached every time I walked, and the right side of my face was swollen I could feel it.

Or was all of this my human inertia that hasn't worn off yet?

The adrenalin took over and tray I was holding dropped. There was silence... and this was the start of my maniac episode. As I ran straight into the large fountain and dove head first into the water.

There was no logic behind my actions, I shouldn't have felt the water reaching my nostrils and blocking my air passage if I were dead, I wouldn't have felt the cold water on my face and the light headedness that came right after. I struggled to keep my eyes open, I should have gotten out, but a part of me didn't allow it.

I wanted to die...

I wanted to end all of this...

And then a dangerous emotion evoked inside me, calm.

There was stillness, I could hear voices, my mother's, I could hear the radio in my home. I surrendered to it. My hands went limp, my eyes closed and I sunk to the bottom.

When my eyes opened next, I was staring at the dome shaped sky but a handsome face loomed over mine, eyeing me with a hint of irritation in his eyes.

He was too close, so I pushed him off and backed away, the proximity, the touch, his dark black eyes and the scar evoked an involuntary reaction.

"How dare you push K-", the servant was cut off as the man looked over and I heard footsteps retreat. They were too fast, eighty thousand and seventy two woman disappeared like the wind. And the man, Hunaid grabbed me by my arm and pulled me so I could stand up.

"Suicide is haram", he shook me as if drilling some senses into me but I wasn't listening to him.

"So is slavery", I tried to spit back as a look of confusion took over his face, he expected an apology not a smartass reply, his head rolled back and he laughed flashing his canines. And I couldn't help but wonder why was everything about this man so dangerously tempting?

"My dear Malika, slavery isn't condemned...", he was squeezing the dupatta so the water droplets fell, and wrapped it around my head. That's when I realised I wasn't wearing my niqab, I panicked, but I tried to calm myself down, I couldn't embarrass myself in front of him.

"Why did you jump in the pool? You seem fairly religious... seriously are you that desperate to get married?" His words burnt me, I was treated like a rat, thrown in the dungeon, and then into slave quarters.

"Aren't you Khan's right hand? How dare you bully his wife to be?"

He blinked, his lips curving up as he graced me again with his pearly whites but I got distracted by the dimples on either side of his cheeks. I almost forgot I was pissed.

Who the hell was he to even comment on me? He had no rights over me, neither did any of the mistresses or servant. Why did he care if I was trying to expose myself to attract a suitor?

"I am not bullying you my dear...", he stepped closer, inside the fountain making me cower back till my head was on the statue in between, he tilted his head, the fountain started but his eyes remained open as he looked into mine, he was frightening as he loomed over, I could see the warning look in his eyes, "I am just saying I could help you seek out a suitor, no need to lower yourself like that, just say the words".

The audacity of this man, I glared at him that screamed, "Fuck you and fuck all your thirteen generations!"

The rising sun, the cool water and the lights from the pearl fell on his face, his chiselled face glowing, he looked like an angel, like an Adonis. His wet jet black hair dripped water on his straight nose and even the droplets glowed as it kissed his jawline and disappeared under his clothes.

"You know Malika you're a spitfire... your provocative spirit excites me", his hand etched a little closer to my head and I held the slippery fountain so as to not fall over backwards or worse on him, "Be careful", his hands were in the air, but she could feel it hanging in the air, they hadn't grazed her skin. He was warning her, "Women should lower their gaze in front of a male, they shouldn't utter such vulgar words and they shouldn't speak more than what they are asked to, alright? If they don't do so, it makes me want to dominate them, and break them, so they are destroyed for anyone else. I am warning you for your own good. This is my world. You have to follow my rules here".

He stepped backwards and I could finally breath, but I couldn't hold back my tongue, "Why should I listen to you? This is Sajjad Khan's Mansion, you should stop caring about me!"

I didn't wanted to bow down this arrogant man, didn't wanted to acknowledge his authority, I was challenging him.

"Sajjad Khan ki amanat ho tum (You belong to Sajjad Khan)", he tried to scare me again by taking a step closer but this time I stood my ground.

"Exactly, I belong to him. The question is why are getting so angry?" I chirped and his pupils dilated, he stepped closer again and I was back to the statue, pressed on the concrete, his steely arms imprisoning me from either side. He bent so we were at eye level, "Jab tak Khan wapas nhi aatey iss haveli ki har cheez meri hai, tum bhi (Until Khan returns everything in this mansion is mine, including you)".

I was drowning in the water and hate, my wrath took over, his words made me lose focus, his voice was doing something to me, as I blurted out next words. "Mai koi cheez nhi hu, aur tumhari toh bilkul nahi, bhuley mat Sajjad Khan ki mangetar hu (I am not a thing, and especially not yours, don't you forget Sajjad Khan is my fiancé)".

"Nahi bhulunga (I will not forget)", his voice husky, a smug smile taking over at my words. He exited the fountain and left just like that.

____

For early update- 20 comnents and 50 votes.