And all of a sudden, she started panting, as if it became so hard for her to breath.

One look at the white paper had her head spinning and at the same time, a thousand thoughts ran in her head.

Zameer was calm as he assessed her reaction. He knew she wouldn't take it well but perhaps he didn't think that she would overthink the situation for the panicked expression on her face was enough to give her away.

"N-o no, p-p-pl-ease." She stammered, fresh tears lining her eyes as she stared at the paper, feeling utterly doomed.

"It's either your signature on this paper or a slow painful death." Zameer stipulated. Sadia looked at him with a pained expression. Zameer felt his chest tighten when he saw that look and he didn't like it one bit but it didn't matter. The sooner this was over with the better.

"Please just-" Sadia's voice. "Why are you......making me suffer?" She hiccuped, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. "Please just-"

"Don't get the wrong idea though, Dr. Sadia." Zameer cut her short, his demeanor calm as he took the piece of paper and folded it back into his coat pocket.

"This isn't a real marriage. It's all a precaution, a measure for your safety." He informed, his face void of emotions.

Sadia gawked at him in disbelief. "Do-es the.....sanctity of m-marriage...... mean so little to you?" She managed in a whisper.

Zameer smirked as he looked at Sadia and she saw that his eyes were distant and empty. "Trust me darling, where I'm coming from, these morals and values mean nothing at all." He stated.

"B-but-"

"Shhh," Zameer's finger on her lips immediately silenced her. His skin touching her moist teary lips caused goosebumps to rise on her flesh and she immediately cringed away from his touch. Zameer chuckled lowly at her reaction. He found her innocence so charming and amusing but he had to stop himself from indulging too much in it.

Sadia was quiet, making as much distance from Zameer as possible. Zameer saw her apparent discomfort whenever he got too close to her and it irritated him yet he was surprised at himself because he always found himself wanting to touch her, to feel her warmth and to see her more closely. And it baffled him. This wasn't the first time. If he felt this way now, he shuddered to think how he would react around her if she agreed to what he asked of her. It would require an iron will and he knew that he had it. So, he took a step back and widened the distance between them, pushing irrelevant thoughts aside.

"You have tonight to think carefully. But know this, you don't have much of an option. You want to live, that much is clear. However, the only chance you have at life is to sign your name on that paper and become the personal physician to my Boss. Your services will be required whenever." He stopped and observed Sadia's face and sure enough, the devastation in her blue brown eyes was clear.

"I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter. You have no way out of this." He said but he knew that such mild words would have a small effect so he went ahead with a little manipulation. He was certainly surprised at Sadia's emotional banter. He thought that she was an intelligent young woman but sure enough, she was too young and too scared to think clearly.

He needed to give her an incentive.

For all Zameer wanted was her signature on the marriage contract. Maybe his reasons for saving her were selfish, but then again, he was selfish.

He questioned himself on this so many times. Why did he want to save her? Just let her die and be done with it.

But he couldn't. He couldn't bring himself to even when he had to pull the trigger. And he knew why.

It would be such a waste to let a woman like Sadia die. She was one of a kind. And he didn't just think so because of his deep respect for the young lady, he thought so because she was by far the only hope that Anissa had to come out of whatever state she was stuck in.

Emotions had no place in his world. And he didn't need them either. Unlike his boss, he had better control on his emotions.

"Or, you could use this as an opportunity." He muttered. Sadia's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Use this as a chance to get even."

Zameer carefully watched Sadia's face. He knew that she was starting to read between the lines. "But still, don't think that you would get away. There's no escape." He might give her an incentive to take her mind off things but there was no way he was about to let her think that she may have any way out.

A myriad of emotions flashed through Sadia's blue brown eyes and her face relaxed a bit. "Why......are you.....doing this?" She stammered in a broken whisper.

"Because," Zameer straightened up and looked at her with a solemn expression. "I want you to live."

***********

Sadia couldn't stop thinking. One thought bombarded her brain and then another. All of the conclusions to such thoughts were devastating for her.

'I want you to live.'

So, at the cost of what? Her freedom? Her integrity? Her rights?

What the point if such a life.

Sadia was a firm believer in living life for the sake of a purpose. Till now, her purpose in life was to unlock the secrets of the human mind, find the cure to so many incurable diseases and help humanity.

It was too good to be true but this drove her.

And now, where did life bring her to? Towards the path of destruction?

Death was so much better and an easy way out. But it would be a useless death. All she wanted was for her death to mean something. That's why giving up on her life for an honourable death was acceptable.

But dying from an infection? No, that was unacceptable.

Come on, Sadia. She tried to clear her thoughts. You've never been so sentimental as to think like this. Why are you abandoning logic now when you need it most. You need to think straight. No more emotional disparity. Get your thoughts straightened out. She thought to herself as she looked at the IV line that was connected to her hand.

Yes, she wasn't a sentimental girl. But when she came face to face with death, so many times, she realised how cruel reality is and she couldn't help but give into her whirling emotions. And what was more, at the possible prospect of dying, she wanted to just let her emotions be free.

Sometimes she had wished that she had never left her home that day. Maybe then, she would've been safe and away from all of this.

But now things had changed.

She needed to put things into perspective.

As a Muslim, it was wrong of her to take the Nikkah so lightly. The Nikkah was a scared bond, not to be played with.

But Sadia had no choice.

If the circumstances were different and her life wouldn't be in danger, she would never break the sanctity of the Nikkah.

Zameer was right. She should use this an opportunity. It would be difficult but not impossible.

While under his protection, she could take her time to devise a plan to escape. It would be difficult considering her situation and the uncertainty that came with it, but it wasn't impossible.

She could use this opportunity.

As a personal physician, she hoped and anticipated for a certain position. Of course, that would mean that being under Zameer's protection, she might have certain liberties that she could exploit.They wanted her to serve as personal physician to the boss and his wife. Then she would do just that and when the time was right, she would use it and make her escape.

Although, she still held a lot of sympathy for Anissa Ghulari and the thought of helping her wasn't bad but still, she would use anything that she could that would get her her freedom.

She may have forfeited her life for a greater cause but this was her chance. Allah was giving her a second chance. And if signing her name on a mere piece of paper would give her the chance to gain her freedom once again then she would take it. Because logically, this was the only solution.

There was a lot of hope in this compromise.

Allah, please forgive me. She prayed silently, she shed tears of desperation.

***********