86.

Murad sat in his office, the dim light casting shadows over the room as he stared blankly at the wall. His thoughts were a whirlwind of anxiety and guilt. Taliya was gone—kidnapped right beneath his nose—and he was struggling to find a way to protect her. He had been trying to keep everything under wraps, especially from Haroon, Taliya’s stepbrother and one of his closest friends. But now, with Haroon's impending visit, Murad felt the pressure mounting.

The door swung open, and Haroon stepped inside, his expression a mix of concern and determination. “Murad,” he said, closing the door behind him. “I need to talk to you about Taliya.”

Murad’s heart raced. “What about her?” he replied, trying to keep his voice steady.

“Where is she?” Haroon demanded, crossing his arms over his chest. “I haven’t heard from her all day, and it’s not like her to go off without telling anyone.”

Murad swallowed hard, trying to find the right words. “She’s… busy right now. You know how she can be.”

“Busy?” Haroon scoffed, his voice rising. “You expect me to believe that? Something’s wrong, and you know it! Tell me where she is, Murad!”

Murad clenched his jaw, feeling the weight of Haroon’s gaze. “I can’t, Haroon. You don’t understand.”

“Don’t understand what?” Haroon pressed, stepping closer, his eyes narrowing. “You’re supposed to be looking out for her! If something’s happened to her, I need to know!”

Murad rubbed the back of his neck, frustration boiling over. “I’m doing my best! But right now, it’s not safe to talk about this.”

“Not safe?” Haroon echoed, disbelief etched on his face. “What are you hiding from me? Is she hurt? Has something happened?”

Murad took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. He knew he couldn’t reveal the truth about Taliya’s kidnapping, but the more he held back, the more tense the atmosphere grew. “She’s fine, I swear. She’s just… not here at the moment.”

“Not here? Where the hell is she, then?” Haroon shot back, frustration evident in his tone. “You’re not making any sense. You can’t just brush this off!”

Murad turned away, unable to meet Haroon’s piercing gaze. “I just need you to trust me, okay? I’ll handle this. Just give me some time.”

“Time?” Haroon’s voice cracked with emotion. “Do you even hear yourself? Time is exactly what we don’t have! If she’s in trouble—”

“Stop!” Murad barked, spinning around to face him. “You think I want this? You think I’m not worried sick about her? But I can’t tell you everything right now. It’s complicated!”

“Complicated?” Haroon shouted, his frustration reaching its peak. “What could possibly be so complicated about your girlfriend being missing? She’s my sister, Murad! If she’s in danger, I have every right to know!”

“I know that!” Murad replied, his voice rising in response. “But I can’t just spill everything! It could make things worse for her!”

Haroon stepped back, disbelief written all over his face. “Worse? How could things get worse than her being missing? You think I’ll just sit here while you play secret agent? You’re not telling me the whole story, and I deserve to know what’s going on!”

Murad felt the walls closing in around him. He had to protect Taliya, and the last thing he wanted was for Haroon to get dragged into this mess. “I promise you, I’ll do everything I can to find her. But I need you to trust me to handle it.”

“Trust you?” Haroon laughed bitterly. “How can I trust you when you won’t even tell me the truth? If something happens to her, I will never forgive you!”

Murad took a step closer, his heart racing. “Haroon, please. I can’t lose her. I won’t let anything happen to Taliya. But I need you to back off for now. I’ll figure this out.”

“Back off?” Haroon’s eyes were fierce, and Murad could see the hurt behind his anger. “You’re asking me to ignore my sister’s safety? I can’t do that!”

Just then, Murad’s phone buzzed on the table, and he grabbed it, praying for some good news. But as he looked at the screen, his stomach dropped. It was a message from Laila, detailing the recent findings about Taliya’s disappearance.

“Murad?” Haroon asked, his voice quieter now, almost fearful. “What is it?”

Murad hesitated, knowing that revealing the truth would change everything. But he also knew that if he didn’t tell Haroon, he’d never forgive himself. “It’s… it’s bad,” he admitted, his voice shaky. “She’s been taken.”

Haroon’s face paled, the fight draining from his body as he processed the words. “What? Taken? By who? How? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t know how to!” Murad shouted, the weight of their situation crashing down on him. “I thought I could handle it myself! I thought I could keep you safe!”

“Safe?” Haroon laughed bitterly, the disbelief still evident in his eyes. “You think keeping me in the dark is keeping me safe? I need to help find her! She’s my sister!”

“I know!” Murad ran a hand through his hair, frustration boiling over. “And I want you to help! But we need to be smart about this. We can’t let whoever took her know that we’re on to them.”

Haroon took a deep breath, his expression shifting from anger to determination. “So what’s the plan?”

Murad felt a surge of relief at Haroon’s willingness to cooperate. “We gather our resources, contact everyone we know, and start looking for any leads. We can’t waste any time.”

“Okay,” Haroon replied, his voice steadying. “Let’s do this. For Taliya.”

As they stood united in their purpose, Murad felt a flicker of hope amidst the chaos. He wouldn’t let Taliya down; he would find her, no matter what it took. Together, they would face whatever darkness lay ahead.