~Sin and A Sinner.~

"I'm a sinner and you're my favorite sin," ~ Zaid.

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A sigh leaped past Zaid's mouth as he stared at her, silently. Her back was facing him and she was looking specifically nowhere, oblivious of his presence.

After waking up when he didn't find Shravya in her room, he knew she would be outside.

It was one of the tiniest changes that had occurred in her habits. And obviously, it didn't go unnoticed by him.

"What are you looking for?" His voice alerted her as he began approaching her, now stiff foam, with a shawl in his hold, which he had bought for her.

Stopping a few inches away, he draped the shawl around Shravya's shoulders, halting the interaction the cold breeze was having with her.

"The grave." Giving him a fleeting glance, Shravya stared back at the ground, where only a few days ago, Alok's grave was resting. "It's gone."

Footing a bit more closer, he set his index finger under her chin, compelling her gazes to meet his. "It was supposed to be gone."

"Then, why did you keep it here?" Shravya implored, calmly eyeing his equally calm features as her hands pulled the shawl closer to her chest.

"Because I wanted to." He simply shrugged his shoulders, retreating his hand back. "Next time, don't come outside in a nightgown."

In a semblance of a moment, his blank eyes followed the rise and fall of her chest, playing along with her breaths. "Although it's the beginning of spring, but because of the rain in some prior days, it has lately become very cold."

She nodded in response, carefully observing as his arms reached out for her, incircling around her waist. "Not feeling sleepy?"

"No," she mumbled lightly, gaping at his arm. Its hold was troubling her.

"Let's go inside. It's cold in here," he said, his hand upon her back urging her to move.

Nodding, Shravya peeked a glance at him before stepping ahead, having him beside herself, walking side by side.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

They both quietly walked through the similarly quiet hallway. Zaid was comforting himself by Shravya's presence, from the corner of his eyes observing her. Her eyes were on the transparent window, looking at the moon. She was already calm, in no way needing anyone's comfort.

With very slow steps, he kept himself up to her pace as leaving her, his gazes also moved on the window. The moon in the sky was beautiful, but its moonlight appeared more beautiful, with a dreamy light absorbing the darkness.

"Shravya," he called, and just like a fragile snowflake, her name melted on his tongue as he closed his eyes, savoring the intensity of those letters.

"Hmmm." Shravya looked at him. Now, he had her attention.

"You have a beautiful name." A lenient smile uplifted his lips while he kept his eyes straight, fully aware of her gazes, which now, were on him.

"To me, the most beautiful one," he mumbled before looking at her. "What possibly it could mean?"

Okay, the question was unexpected. It took her mind some moment to race through the memories, rummaging for the meaning of her name - a musical tone. That's what it means.

"A musical tone," Zaid spoke, even before she could answer.

"I know."

How he couldn't know?

The name was special because it was hers, her belonging.

"Growth, abundance." These words just left Shravya's mouth, unknowingly, automatically, as her voice halted his movements and he turned to her, whose movements were also dead.

"That's what your name means." Her hazel eyes looked into the pair of his coal-black ones. His eyes were reflecting amusement as he chuckled. "Well, I didn't know."

"But somewhere, the meaning turns out to be quite meaningful." Shrugging, Zaid again proceeded walking, only to stop after a few steps when Shravya showed no sign of moving.

Looking back at her, he tilted his head, hoisting a heavy sign. "I mean till now, whatever I have ever got, they have only increased. Be it opulence or abundant loneliness. They have solely enhanced, never lessening."

"Now, shall we?" He spoke, pointing a finger at her feet, signaling her to move.

Pulling and clutching the shawl closer, Shravya walked up to him, again heading somewhere. And only God knew where that somewhere was.

It wasn't the way to her room, but she was sure that it wasn't the way to his room either.

The ambiance around them, slowly settled into quietude before Zaid thought of speaking, continuing their incomplete conversation. "Maybe my mother knew what my future holds, so she named me Zaid."

"You know she named you?" Shravya asked.

"I guess she did, because I don't think my father would have." With a fleeting glance at her, he again shrugged his shoulders. The gesture showing how uncertain he was about the things of his life. But with everything aside, he was certain of one thing - his hate for his father was reasonable.

"I don't remember what I had actually faced being his illegitimate child, but I know what probably it was. I can only guess how I might have felt during those days."

"From what I have heard from you, I only know one thing about your mother, that she was a strong woman," Shravya let her thoughts out. "She fought with this judgemental society, with the people who judged you. She loved you the most."

Being a complete foreigner to the woman in Shravya's words, Zaid only chose to ponder over the emotions in her words.

"Have you ever visited her grave since after having Amnesia?" 

No, he hadn't.

Something had held him back.

But what something?

He didn't know, or maybe he just didn't want to acknowledge.

"No." Seeming a bit lost, he slightly shook his head. "I don't want to look back at those days." The past is despicable.

Soon both quieted when the sight of two big doors greeted them, a countable steps away.

The room was still a bit away. And that bit compelled Shravya to ask one more thing. "Where does your father live? Is he alright?"

She wanted to ask it for so long.

"What made you so concerned for him?" Zaid went ahead of her, only to cause her body tense in uneasiness."I...I have never seen him around, so just thought of asking."

"He is good." And will be great after dying.

Suddenly, something eerie occurred to be visible in the darkness of his orbs."Why do you look so terrified for him?"

"No, I'm not...."

Shravya was taken aback at the abrupt hurl of interrogation.

"Are you hiding something?"

And it seemed to incite him further.

"Sona, as far as I know you, you can’t fake things especially when it comes to faking something as pure as fear." Slowly, he turned and stepped in front of her, between her way and the door.

His voice and eyes were cold and sharp like a sharpened knife, enough to make the air condensed.

Unexplained insecurities welled up inside Shravya, and anxiety took over her. Her eyes fluttered as she tried to look anywhere but not at him.

He approached her, leaving a fine distance in between. But it was of no use. She knew the more distance he has granted at that moment, the more proximity he was going to bring later on.

"Your eyes. . ." On the spur of the moment, his voice abruptly held her gazes. A playful curve notched at the corner of his mouth as his eyes embraced the familiarity of her hazel orbs.

Her familiarity - something giving him the sense of feeling belonging. The satisfaction of knowing that in this world, he also has someone to call his, someone with whom he can actually feel belonged.

Even amnesia couldn't steal her away from him.

"Your eyes are giving away everything about your inner turmoil, and that's what is making the sight of your troubled self so fascinating to watch," he mumbled, a dark chuckle at last leading the extinction of his words as without causing any farther discomfort, he went to turn the knob of the door, unlocking it.

Shravya was still in her spot, not daring to move, just eyeing him as he pushed the door fully open and glanced at her. "Anyways, can you play this for me?"

Play?

Hesitantly, she moved beside him and peeked a curious glance in the room. The huge room was occupied by a piano.

"You own a piano?" She asked, instantly correcting her words - of course, he could own a piano. That inanimate instrument was no trouble for him when he literally could own humans.

"I do." He held her hand, smoothly pulling her inside with him. "You look surprised?"

"Actually, I didn't know that there is a piano in here." Shravya ought her hand out of his grasp, minding some careful steps, closer to the instrument.

"I bet, there are many things in this mansion you still haven't seen, so if you want you can take a tour, anytime," Zaid said, meticulously discerning the evolution in her aura."This place has a library too. I don't visit it often, but I'm sure you will love that place."

Shravya just nodded in regard to his words. Her whole attention was entirely on the piano.

Trickily, unexplained distress resolved within her. It's been so long since she had played any instrument. Does she still remember the notes?

"I can't play this," a cracked whisper broke out of her mouth as intendedly she reached the piano.

"You think I don't know? I know you love to play this instrument, and that's why it's here," she heard him as her fingers gently ran over the keys, reminiscing the lost movements.

Suddenly, a broken noise sounded from the piano when her finger accidentally touched one of its keys.

Immediately, she flinched away. She was breathing more quickly. Her attraction for the beautiful instrument occurred to send her into a dilemma.

No. She won't play it. It's a part of the past, the part of something which was forever lost.

Her feet stumbled back as she ought to be away from that attraction. But before she could make a neat distance from her emotions, two arms stopped her, holding her restful by the waist.

"Shhh...relax," he whispered near her ear, for some length of a moment, captivating her under the spell of paralysis.

Within the little bits of time, Shravya gradually regained her composure and responded to him with a weak mumble of denial. But the man behind her was in no frame of mind to pay her any heed.

Clasping her palm in his, he leads her resisting body back towards the piano.

The moonlight peeking through the windows was intensifying the instrument's stunning black surface, along with reflecting the complicated aura surrounding two figures.

Unblinking, Shravya stared at the familiar black and white keys as Zaid had her settle down on the stool, intertwining his fingers with hers and putting them on the keys, as if helping a child in playing a chord, for the first time.

"I'm still learning, so please try not to mind the mistakes," he spoke, moving his and her fingers, together upon the keys.

Soulfully, a peaceful harmony filled the room, and Shravya breathed a sigh of relief. She had actually thought that she would have a panic attack if she touched those keys one more time.

But nothing happened.

"You're learning piano. Why?" After a leap of some minutes, Shravya asked, halting his moments a bit.

"Umm. Because you love to play it," he responded, inching closer, having her skin tickle under his breath.

Just because she loves it.

A frown of discontent adorned Shravya's features.

"Tumhe nahi lagta ye... ye fitoor hai." She let her thoughts out again, but her words had him stopped the second they left her mouth.

(Don't you think?...it..it's obsession.)

Zaid breathed deeply, inhaling a whiff of her fragrance before pecking a soft kiss on her head."Nhi, ye toh ishq hai." A curve uplifted his lips into a smile, sharply. "Mera Ishq."

(No, it's love. My love.)

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(Next Day)
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Shravya was settled on the couch, rigid and unmoved, her hands folded in two fists, resting on her lap.

Her eyes were trained on the floor, discerning the dazzling sight of sunlight, succeeding inside from the vast windows and scattering on the marble floor, right before her bare feet.

Feeling the soothing warmth of the rays and the floor's chillness beneath her feet, her toes curled while unblinkingly her eyes shifted to Zaid, her gazes only reaching up to his chest.

He was standing before her, changing the bandages of her head. His frame was engulfed in a black suit with a black collared shirt underneath, his gray tie working as the only contrast in his all-black attire.

All in all, the black color just added more grimness and sharpness to his already influential personality.

Even during the old days, black was one of the most accustomed colors in his wardrobe.

She wasn't surprised to see that he still hadn't stopped wearing black. But what about white and the other colors? It was a bit unsettling. The vestige of those colors could no longer be seen around him.

Now, the time and the person both have changed excluding only some little things here and there.

With collected and mellow movements, Zaid gently draped the bandage around her forehead. After occurring to be finally done, his steps hauled back and he examined her, now, bandaged head as contentment served him with the cues of the bandage being done perfectly.

"Breakfast is ready." He peeked a fleeting glance at his costly wristwatch before looking back at her. "You're also ready, so now, shall we go?" He extended his hand to her.

Improbable, Shravya stared at his hand, not moving just staring, longer than she should have.

Somewhere existing dubious, she didn't want to touch that hand, the same hand that had claimed the lives of innocents, that once had yanked her from her life as if she was the feather of a beautiful peacock, appearing magnificent, attracting him, so he plucked her out.

Awakening from her consciousness, she forced herself to extend her fingers forward, resting them upon his palm as his fingers wrapped around hers tightly, like bars to a cage.

Peering at their hands and their tangled fingers, he gave her a soft tug. "Put on your slippers first."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The dining room was occupied by a restless silence, with servants engaged in setting the table, attempting to work as quietly as possible.

Even if a single spoon fell then the noise would be loud enough to echo throughout the whole dining hall. That's how much quietude Grover estate has inhabited since Zaid took over the business.

The gait of their movements nattily increased just as they sensed the quiet, approaching footsteps of someone.

Merely after a minute, Zaid walked in along with Shravya by his side while the servants moved away from the dining table, their gazes, filled with surprise, lasting on Shravya. It was the first she was going to have a meal with him, together.

Reaching the table Zaid left her hand free and pulled the chair for her, gesturing her to sit. "Take a seat, sona."

Willfully, Shravya settled on the chair while he also acquired his seat beside her, on the head chair.

He wanted everything to be perfect and best in her regards. He couldn't let her take the head chair. It was the same seat that had been used by the heads of the family for ages. Those people, including the great Anil Grover, were sinners, no one was innocent, their existence itself was the epitome of depravity.

Just the mere thought of her using the same items used by those evildoers disgusts him.

That's why he had the whole estate reconstructed, with new household objects.

Everything was new except the head chair. He denied replacing that seat because it felt like a throne - it was used by the sinners and now, is being used by him, again a sinner.

He was evil, and he was willing to commit every sin for her, in her stead. She doesn't have to taint her ethical self with the tag of a sinner.

Soon, the servants began serving while Maria and many others were being inclined only to Shravya.

"Madam, have some more juice. It's good for your health," Maria said, again filling Shravya's glass with some orange juice.

They all just love to adore the woman.

Visibly, Maria's loving gesture was not being ignored by Zaid, who was discerning the whole scene from the corner of his eyes.

"Add more honey and blueberries to her pancake. She loves them," he said, slicing his egg-avocado toast. "Right, honey?" The moment he looked at her, Shravya just again looked back at her plate.

The rest of the breakfast went into silence, and it didn't take Zaid to be finished with his breakfast. But to his surprise, Shravya was still eating. It's not like he mind. Having proper meals was beneficial to her health, so he just left after leaving a goodbye kiss on her forehead, leaving her to resume with her breakfast.

After a handful of some time, Shravya chewed the last bite of her food, and got up from her seat."Roy, please arrange a car for me. I'll be leaving in a few hours."

Roy and Maria who were cleaning off the dining table stopped after hearing her.

"You're going somewhere?" Maria asked, startled. It wasn't long since Zaid left. He surely wasn't there, but still, the thought of letting Shravya leave the mansion without his permission terrified her.

"Yes." With a calm smile, Shravya looked at her as if assuring her to stay calm. "I have an appointment."

An appointment with a doctor.

For him.

If you like the chapter then please do follow me PanchiVerma

Q - So, how was the chapter?

We all can see that someone's becoming a less of a physco here ¯\_( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_/¯

Q - Your thoughts on -

A) Zaid

B) Shravya and her decision of meeting a doctor for Zaid.