20-09-2025, 08:56 AM
(This post was last modified: 20-09-2025, 08:57 AM by matiba2025213. Edited 1 time in total. Edited 1 time in total.)
Chapter 36: The return (Act 11)
The air in the bedroom was still and heavy, much like the weight pressing down on Lina’s chest. She jolted awake, a silent scream caught in her throat, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. The sheets were tangled around her legs, damp with the cold sweat that clung to her skin.
Not again.
She focused on the steady rhythm of Rahim’s breathing beside her, a grounding force in the disorienting darkness. The digital clock on the bedside table glowed a soft 3:17 AM. The dream was always the same, a chaotic blur of shouting, the metallic tang of blood in the air, and the feeling of rough hands that weren’t Rahim’s. But the worst part was the silence that followed, the terrifying, accusing silence of two men whose lives ended because of her.
She placed a hand on her stomach, feeling the robust, insistent kick of her eight-month-old baby. A life she had fought for. A life that might not be her husband’s.
“Lina?” Rahim’s voice was thick with sleep, but his arm was instantly around her, pulling her close. His body was a furnace against her chilled skin. “The dream?”
She could only nod, burying her face in the crook of his neck, inhaling his familiar, safe scent of sandalwood and soap. “It was so real,” she whispered, her voice cracking.
“Shhh, it’s over. They’re gone. They can’t hurt you anymore,” he murmured, his lips moving against her temple. His hand stroked her back in slow, comforting circles. “You’re safe here with me. Both of you are.”
But are we? The question screamed inside her head. Are you safe from the truth?
“The doctor said the stress isn’t good for the baby,” Rahim continued, his voice laced with concern. “You have to try to let it go, my love. What those monsters tried to do… it’s in the past. We have to focus on the future.” His palm slid from her back to cradle the immense curve of her belly, his touch impossibly gentle. “Our future.”
“I’m trying, Rahim. I really am.” She closed her eyes, guilt curdling in her stomach. His faith in her was a shield she felt utterly unworthy of holding. “Sometimes it feels like the walls of this flat are closing in on me. I just want to feel normal again.”
“This is what’s normal for now. For your safety. Our safety,” he said, his tone firm yet loving. He shifted, propping himself up on one elbow to look down at her. The moonlight filtering through the window caught the determined set of his jaw. “The shop is doing well. Everyone asks about you. They all send their prayers.”
“Do they?” she asked, her voice small. “Or do they whisper? Do they wonder what really happened in that back room?”
“No one wonders anything,” he stated, though a flicker of something uncertain doubt, perhaps...passed behind his eyes so quickly she almost missed it. “The security officer closed the case. It was a terrible tragedy. That’s all.”
He leaned down, his lips finding hers in a kiss that was meant to be reassuring, a soft pressure meant to quiet her fears. But for Lina, it ignited a different kind of panic. She kissed him back, pouring all her fear and desperate love into it, her hands coming up to frame his face.
His response was immediate, the kiss deepening from one of comfort to something warmer, hungrier. His thumb stroked her cheek as his other hand remained splayed possessively over their child. The sheer size of her stomach was a palpable barrier between them, a constant reminder of the life they’d created and the secrets she kept.
When they finally broke apart, both were breathing a little heavier. Rahim’s eyes were dark with a desire of protectiveness.
“I miss you,” he breathed, his forehead resting against hers. “I miss us. The way we were.”
Lina leaned into Rahim, her whisper trembling with a mix of desperation and longing. "I’m right here," she said, her voice soft but insistent, though she knew exactly what he meant. Their intimacy had become careful, cautious, governed by doctor’s orders and the ghost of her trauma. But tonight, she needed him to see her not just as the woman carrying his child, but as the woman who still yearned for his touch.
Rahim’s response was hesitant, his hand rubbing her back in slow circles. "Lina, I… I’m not comfortable right now," he admitted, his voice thick with restraint. "You’re heavily pregnant, and I don’t want to risk hurting you or the baby. My priority is protecting you. That’s all that matters to me."
His words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken tension. He pulled her closer, letting her rest her head on his chest, hoping the steady beat of his heart would offer her some comfort. But deep down, he thought, I’m suppressing my own desires for her. It’s been months since we’ve been intimate, and I’ve been selfish to hold back under the guise of protecting her.
Lina’s fingers clutched at his shirt, her voice breaking as she pleaded, "Rahim, please. I need this. I need to forget everything that happened. Just let me feel close to you again." Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, her vulnerability laid bare before him.
Rahim’s chest tightened at her plea. He could hear the pain in her voice, the weight of the past six months pressing down on her. She’s right, he thought. I’ve been so focused on safeguarding her that I’ve neglected what she truly needs.
But then, unbidden thoughts crept into his mind...rumors he’d overheard in the flat corridors, whispered tales of Lina and the two men who were now gone. Did she really seduce Ravi and Kumar? Did they…? He shook his head sharply, trying to dispel the images forming in his mind.
One rumor claimed Lina had been caught in a wild three-way session by sucking one man while being taken from behind.
Another insisted she’d pleasured both men simultaneously, her breasts pressed against them as they thrust into her. The most graphic version detailed a double penetration, both men claiming her at once, their release spilling inside her.
Rahim’s jaw clenched, his body reacting to the anger and arousal stirred by these invasive thoughts. No, he told himself firmly. Those are just rumors. Lina would never do such things. She’s always been faithful, always been mine. He remembered how she’d expressed discomfort around Ravi and Kumar, how she’d distanced herself from them. It doesn’t make sense. She wouldn’t betray me like that.
But the heat of his anger lingered, a fire he couldn’t extinguish. His cock throbbed involuntarily, a mix of rage and desire he didn’t want to acknowledge. He swallowed hard, pushing those dark thoughts aside, focusing instead on the woman in his arms, the mother of his child, the woman he loved more than anything.
"Let me protect you," he murmured, his voice firm but gentle. "That’s all I can offer right now. Please understand, Lina." She sighed deeply, her body trembling against his. "I understand," she whispered, though the ache in her voice told him she didn’t. Not entirely.
Rahim held her tighter, letting her drift into sleep on his chest, his mind a whirlwind of doubt, desire, and devotion.
The air in the bedroom was still and heavy, much like the weight pressing down on Lina’s chest. She jolted awake, a silent scream caught in her throat, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. The sheets were tangled around her legs, damp with the cold sweat that clung to her skin.
Not again.
She focused on the steady rhythm of Rahim’s breathing beside her, a grounding force in the disorienting darkness. The digital clock on the bedside table glowed a soft 3:17 AM. The dream was always the same, a chaotic blur of shouting, the metallic tang of blood in the air, and the feeling of rough hands that weren’t Rahim’s. But the worst part was the silence that followed, the terrifying, accusing silence of two men whose lives ended because of her.
She placed a hand on her stomach, feeling the robust, insistent kick of her eight-month-old baby. A life she had fought for. A life that might not be her husband’s.
“Lina?” Rahim’s voice was thick with sleep, but his arm was instantly around her, pulling her close. His body was a furnace against her chilled skin. “The dream?”
She could only nod, burying her face in the crook of his neck, inhaling his familiar, safe scent of sandalwood and soap. “It was so real,” she whispered, her voice cracking.
“Shhh, it’s over. They’re gone. They can’t hurt you anymore,” he murmured, his lips moving against her temple. His hand stroked her back in slow, comforting circles. “You’re safe here with me. Both of you are.”
But are we? The question screamed inside her head. Are you safe from the truth?
“The doctor said the stress isn’t good for the baby,” Rahim continued, his voice laced with concern. “You have to try to let it go, my love. What those monsters tried to do… it’s in the past. We have to focus on the future.” His palm slid from her back to cradle the immense curve of her belly, his touch impossibly gentle. “Our future.”
“I’m trying, Rahim. I really am.” She closed her eyes, guilt curdling in her stomach. His faith in her was a shield she felt utterly unworthy of holding. “Sometimes it feels like the walls of this flat are closing in on me. I just want to feel normal again.”
“This is what’s normal for now. For your safety. Our safety,” he said, his tone firm yet loving. He shifted, propping himself up on one elbow to look down at her. The moonlight filtering through the window caught the determined set of his jaw. “The shop is doing well. Everyone asks about you. They all send their prayers.”
“Do they?” she asked, her voice small. “Or do they whisper? Do they wonder what really happened in that back room?”
“No one wonders anything,” he stated, though a flicker of something uncertain doubt, perhaps...passed behind his eyes so quickly she almost missed it. “The security officer closed the case. It was a terrible tragedy. That’s all.”
He leaned down, his lips finding hers in a kiss that was meant to be reassuring, a soft pressure meant to quiet her fears. But for Lina, it ignited a different kind of panic. She kissed him back, pouring all her fear and desperate love into it, her hands coming up to frame his face.
His response was immediate, the kiss deepening from one of comfort to something warmer, hungrier. His thumb stroked her cheek as his other hand remained splayed possessively over their child. The sheer size of her stomach was a palpable barrier between them, a constant reminder of the life they’d created and the secrets she kept.
When they finally broke apart, both were breathing a little heavier. Rahim’s eyes were dark with a desire of protectiveness.
“I miss you,” he breathed, his forehead resting against hers. “I miss us. The way we were.”
Lina leaned into Rahim, her whisper trembling with a mix of desperation and longing. "I’m right here," she said, her voice soft but insistent, though she knew exactly what he meant. Their intimacy had become careful, cautious, governed by doctor’s orders and the ghost of her trauma. But tonight, she needed him to see her not just as the woman carrying his child, but as the woman who still yearned for his touch.
Rahim’s response was hesitant, his hand rubbing her back in slow circles. "Lina, I… I’m not comfortable right now," he admitted, his voice thick with restraint. "You’re heavily pregnant, and I don’t want to risk hurting you or the baby. My priority is protecting you. That’s all that matters to me."
His words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken tension. He pulled her closer, letting her rest her head on his chest, hoping the steady beat of his heart would offer her some comfort. But deep down, he thought, I’m suppressing my own desires for her. It’s been months since we’ve been intimate, and I’ve been selfish to hold back under the guise of protecting her.
Lina’s fingers clutched at his shirt, her voice breaking as she pleaded, "Rahim, please. I need this. I need to forget everything that happened. Just let me feel close to you again." Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, her vulnerability laid bare before him.
Rahim’s chest tightened at her plea. He could hear the pain in her voice, the weight of the past six months pressing down on her. She’s right, he thought. I’ve been so focused on safeguarding her that I’ve neglected what she truly needs.
But then, unbidden thoughts crept into his mind...rumors he’d overheard in the flat corridors, whispered tales of Lina and the two men who were now gone. Did she really seduce Ravi and Kumar? Did they…? He shook his head sharply, trying to dispel the images forming in his mind.
One rumor claimed Lina had been caught in a wild three-way session by sucking one man while being taken from behind.
Another insisted she’d pleasured both men simultaneously, her breasts pressed against them as they thrust into her. The most graphic version detailed a double penetration, both men claiming her at once, their release spilling inside her.
Rahim’s jaw clenched, his body reacting to the anger and arousal stirred by these invasive thoughts. No, he told himself firmly. Those are just rumors. Lina would never do such things. She’s always been faithful, always been mine. He remembered how she’d expressed discomfort around Ravi and Kumar, how she’d distanced herself from them. It doesn’t make sense. She wouldn’t betray me like that.
But the heat of his anger lingered, a fire he couldn’t extinguish. His cock throbbed involuntarily, a mix of rage and desire he didn’t want to acknowledge. He swallowed hard, pushing those dark thoughts aside, focusing instead on the woman in his arms, the mother of his child, the woman he loved more than anything.
"Let me protect you," he murmured, his voice firm but gentle. "That’s all I can offer right now. Please understand, Lina." She sighed deeply, her body trembling against his. "I understand," she whispered, though the ache in her voice told him she didn’t. Not entirely.
Rahim held her tighter, letting her drift into sleep on his chest, his mind a whirlwind of doubt, desire, and devotion.
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