82.
Taliya’s breaths came in shallow, trembling gasps as she sat bound to the chair, her wrists and ankles chafing against the rough rope. The dark, cold room felt suffocating, its silence weighing heavily on her chest. She was utterly alone, surrounded only by the echoes of her own frightened breathing.
A shudder ran through her, and she squeezed her eyes shut, a tear slipping down her cheek. “Please,” she whispered to herself, “please, Murad… find me.”
Another tear followed, then another, until she couldn’t hold them back. The reality of her situation sank in, and the sobs broke free, each one tearing through her chest.
“Please, Murad,” she choked out, her voice barely above a whisper. "Just… please don’t give up on me."
---
Back at Uncle Hashim’s office, Murad ran a hand through his hair, his frustration boiling just beneath the surface. The laptop screen before him was filled with maps, tracking devices, and encrypted messages, but each lead had ended the same way: nothing.
It was as if Taliya had vanished without a trace.
"How is this even possible?" Murad muttered, his voice strained with desperation. He looked up at Uncle Hashim, who sat across from him, a grim expression on his face.
“I know, Murad,” Uncle Hashim replied, his voice steady but equally strained. “Whoever took her… they know how to cover their tracks.”
“That’s not good enough!” Murad’s voice broke, raw with the fear he was barely keeping under control. “She’s out there somewhere, scared and alone, and we’re just—” He stopped himself, clenching his fists. “I can’t just sit here. There has to be something, anything we’re missing.”
Uncle Hashim placed a firm hand on Murad’s shoulder. “I understand what you’re feeling, son. But if we rush in without a plan, we could make things worse for her. We need to think this through.”
Murad bit back a frustrated retort, taking a shaky breath. “But she… she’s terrified, I can feel it. Every second that passes, I feel like she’s slipping further away.”
Hashim nodded, his gaze intense. “Listen to me, Murad. This isn’t the time to lose control. She needs you focused, level-headed. We’ll go over every detail again if we have to, but we’ll find her.”
Murad’s hands curled into fists. “I’ll never forgive myself if anything happens to her. You know how she is… she won’t be able to hold out on her own.”
Hashim’s eyes softened. “I know. And that’s why we’re going to bring her back. You’ve got a connection to her, Murad. If anyone can find her, it’s you.”
---
Back in the dim room, Taliya felt the weight of despair settling over her like a heavy blanket. Her heart ached with a fear she had never known. She tried to pull against the ropes, feeling the harsh fibers bite into her skin.
She closed her eyes tightly, willing herself to feel Murad’s presence, to imagine him right there with her. “Murad… I know you’re looking for me,” she murmured, her voice a soft plea. “Just… please, hurry.”
---
Hours later, Murad was pacing, his nerves fraying as the silence stretched on. His fists clenched and unclenched, every moment of waiting tearing him apart. “We’re running out of time, Uncle. I can’t just sit here. What if… what if they…”
Hashim cut him off, his voice calm but firm. “Enough, Murad. Thinking like that will only weaken you. We’re getting closer. But if you’re going to lose your mind, we won’t be able to make any progress.”
Murad took a steadying breath, forcing himself to focus. “Alright. Alright. Tell me what we’re missing. There has to be something we haven’t looked into yet.”
Hashim’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he pulled up another map. “We’ve checked every known location, every lead we could find. But what if… she’s somewhere deliberately concealed? Somewhere they think we’d overlook?”
Murad’s jaw tightened. “But where? I feel like I’m going in circles.”
“That’s exactly what they want,” Hashim replied, his tone steely. “They want you disoriented. But I know you, Murad. And I know you’re not going to let them win.”
---
Taliya’s head drooped, exhaustion weighing on her, but she refused to let herself slip away. “Stay strong, Taliya,” she whispered to herself, her voice cracking. “Murad is coming… he has to be.”
As she sat there, her eyes unfocused, she clung to the one hope that kept her going—the image of Murad’s face, of his determination, of the promise in his eyes that he’d always be there for her.
With a renewed sense of strength, she took a deep breath. She would hold on. For him.
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