Chapter 5: The Price of Trust

Since returning from the hospital, Ariyan hadn’t uttered a single word. He sat on the penthouse balcony for hours, motionless. A cup of coffee sat before him, long since grown cold. He would light a cigarette, let it burn out, and light another. Raisa checked on him periodically, but she remained silent. She knew that when Ariyan retreated into these shadows, it was best to leave him to his own demons.

As evening fell and the city lights flickered to life, Ariyan remained on the balcony. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed behind him. It was Jarif.

"We need to talk," Jarif said.

Without turning, Ariyan replied, "Speak."

Jarif stood beside him, holding an envelope. "I found this at the campus gate today. It has your name on it."

Ariyan took the envelope and opened it. Inside was a photograph—an old picture of his father’s car, taken the day before the bombing. On the back, a message was scrawled: *"I know who planted the bomb. And I know you don't know the whole truth. If you want to meet, be behind the old Town Hall tomorrow at 9 PM. Come alone."*

Ariyan’s grip tightened, his knuckles turning white. He handed the envelope to Jarif. Jarif’s eyes widened as he read it.

"Is it a trap?"

"I don't know," Ariyan muttered. "But I have to go."

"I’m coming with you."

"No. It said to come alone."

"Ariyan, this is the only chance to learn the truth about your father’s accident. You can't let this slip away."

Ariyan stood up. The exhaustion had vanished from his face, replaced by a haunting, cold resolve. "I’m going. You take care of Raisa."

"She’s going to ask where you went."

"Tell her it’s a business meeting."

Ariyan walked inside. Raisa was in the kitchen, preparing pasta. He wrapped his arms around her from behind. Raisa froze.

"You’re trembling," she whispered.

"Because I can't imagine being without you."

Raisa turned around, her eyes searching his. "Where are you going?"

"Nowhere. Tonight, I just want to be with you."

Raisa said nothing. She knew he was lying, but she chose to believe the lie. Perhaps that is what love is—learning to play along with the pretenses.

That night, they were closer than ever. Raisa held him as if he might disappear. Their lips met repeatedly; their hands mapped each other’s skin. Raisa’s nails left marks on Ariyan’s back as his lips traced a path from her neck to her chest. Her breath grew heavy, her fingers tangling in his hair.

"You’re different tonight," Raisa whispered.

"Why?"

"Tonight, you didn't just want my body. You wanted my soul."

Ariyan paused, looking deep into her eyes. "I’ve always wanted that. I just didn't know how to say it."

Raisa cupped his cheek. "I know you’re going somewhere tomorrow. I won’t ask where. Just tell me... will you come back?"

"I'll come back. I’ll always come back to you."

They spent the rest of the night lost in one another. Raisa etched every touch into her memory, fearing it might be their last night together. But she pushed the fear away. Love, after all, is incomplete without the courage to face loss.

**The Following Day, 10:00 AM – Campus**

When Ariyan entered the classroom, the atmosphere shifted instantly. Whispers filled the air. The scandal of the video hadn’t faded; instead, it grew more twisted every day. Some said he had blackmailed dozens of girls. Others claimed he was a drug lord. Some even whispered that his father had committed murder to become Prime Minister.

As Ariyan took his seat, a student named Sajid stood up from the back row. He was twenty, with a face full of defiance. He marched toward Ariyan.

"I have something to say to you," Sajid declared.

Without looking up, Ariyan said, "Go ahead."

"You are a disgrace to this campus. You should leave."

The room went deathly silent. No one dared to speak to Ariyan like that. Sajid likely expected a wave of support, but his classmates remained hushed, paralyzed by the fear that Ariyan commanded.

Ariyan stood up slowly, turning to face him. The air in the room grew heavy, suffocating.

"Do you know who I am?" Ariyan asked softly.

"I do. You’re a monster. A beast."

Ariyan let out a terrifying, low laugh. He stepped toward Sajid, who instinctively recoiled.

"If I am a beast, what does that make you? You can't even stand your ground in front of me."

Sajid’s legs began to shake. He looked around for support, but everyone had their heads bowed.

Ariyan placed a heavy hand on Sajid’s shoulder, leaning in. "Sit down. Class is starting. And don't speak of this again. If you do, I’ll make sure your father loses his job. He’s a government officer, isn't he?"

Sajid turned pale, his body trembling. Ariyan patted his shoulder mockingly and returned to his seat.

Raisa watched it all. Her expression was blank, but something inside her was dying. She had hoped the incident with Ananya at the hospital had softened him. Now she saw the truth: Ariyan hadn't changed. He had only swapped masks.

After class, Raisa confronted him in the corridor. "Why did you threaten Sajid?"

"He insulted me."

"He told the truth. You *are* a disgrace to this campus."

Ariyan froze, staring at her. "Is that what you believe too?"

"I don't think anything anymore. I just see. And what I see hurts me."

Before Ariyan could respond, Tasnim appeared, a coffee in hand and a smirk on her face.

"What’s this? A lover's spat?"

Raisa glared at her. "Why are you here?"

"I’m a student here. I have every right to be anywhere I want."

Ariyan grabbed Raisa’s hand and pulled her away. Behind them, Tasnim smiled. She knew Ariyan’s greatest weakness was Raisa—and that was exactly where she would strike.

**3:00 PM – Penthouse**

Raisa retreated to her room and locked the door. Ariyan stood outside. Jarif approached him. "Give her time."

"I don't have time. Tonight, I have to find the truth about my father."

Jarif looked concerned. "Reconcile with her before you go."

"She won't talk to me."

"Try harder. You might not come back from this."

Ariyan looked at Jarif. "What do you know?"

"Nothing specific. But I feel it—this meeting is a trap. But you have to go. It’s the only way to find the truth."

Ariyan knocked on Raisa’s door. "Raisa, open the door."

Silence.

"I’m going out tonight. It’s important. I’ll explain everything when I return."

The door swung open. Raisa stood there, her eyes red. "Will you come back?"

"I will."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Raisa hugged him with a desperate strength, as if he might vanish if she let go. "I trust you. But trust has a price. Can you pay it?"

"What price?"

"Never threaten anyone in front of me again. Not even a little."

Ariyan closed his eyes. "I’ll try."

"No. Promise me you will."

"I will."

Raisa kissed him—a long, deep lingering kiss. Then she stepped back. "Go. Come back to me."

**9:00 PM – Old Town Hall**

The old Town Hall sat on the outskirts of the city, a crumbling relic of brick and overgrown grass. Ariyan parked his car and stepped out. The silence was absolute.

Suddenly, a voice came from the shadows. "Ariyan."

He turned to see an elderly man, nearly seventy. He had white hair, a beard, and wore thick-rimmed glasses and a simple panjabi.

"Who are you?"

"I am an old friend of your father’s. My name is Mirza."

Ariyan’s heart skipped a beat. *Mirza.* The name synonymous with the bombing. "You’re *that* Mirza?"

"Yes. The man you believe blew up your father’s legs. But the truth is far different."

"What truth?"

Mirza stepped forward, holding an old file. "Take this. Inside are the proofs. Who planted the bomb, why, and who was the architect behind it."

Ariyan opened the file. Photos, documents, bank statements. His hands began to shake. "Is this real?"

"It is. And do you want to know the best part? That bombing... it was staged."

The world seemed to tilt. "What are you saying?"

"Your father planted that bomb himself. He blew off his own legs. He wanted the public’s sympathy to win the election. And he won. He became Prime Minister. And he turned you into a monster to do his dirty work."

Ariyan’s legs gave way. He leaned against a wall, tears stinging his eyes. "You’re lying."

"Look at the evidence. The bank statements show exactly when the money was transferred to build the bomb. It’s all there."

Ariyan closed the file, wiping his eyes. "Why now? Why tell me after all these years?"

"Because of my daughter, Ananya. You broke her. You destroyed her life. Now, it’s time for a different kind of payment."

Ariyan gasped. "You’re... Tasnim’s father?"

"Yes. And Ananya’s. You ruined one daughter; the other is here to dismantle your empire. I only came to open your eyes."

Mirza disappeared into the darkness, leaving Ariyan alone with a truth that shattered his world. The man he idolized, the man he had become a "beast" for, was the true monster. And Ariyan? He was nothing but a tool.

He got into his car and sat in silence before starting the engine. He didn't head for the penthouse. He headed for his father's house.

**11:00 PM – The Prime Minister’s Residence**

The house was a fortress. Ariyan stormed past the armed guards and into the drawing-room. His father sat there in his wheelchair, watching the news.

Ariyan threw the file onto his lap.

"What is this?" his father asked calmly.

"Your real face."

The father scanned the file, his expression shifting only slightly. He closed it. "Who gave this to you?"

"Mirza. The man you framed. He acted on your orders."

His father remained silent for a moment. "Do you want to understand, Ariyan?"

"I want to know *why*."

"Power. You still don't understand the color of power. To gain it, blood must be shed. Sometimes your own, sometimes others'. I gave my legs. You gave Ananya’s sanity. We are cut from the same cloth, Ariyan."

Ariyan looked at his father with a cocktail of hatred and grief. "You made me a monster. I thought I was the bad one. But you... you are much worse."

"I am your father. Whatever you think, I did it for us. A father does whatever is necessary."

Ariyan walked out. In the car, he broke down. For the first time, he didn't cry like a man; he sobbed like a lost child. His entire life was a lie.

His phone buzzed. It was Raisa.

"Where are you?"

"At my father's."

"What's wrong? Your voice..."

"Raisa... I... I might not come back tonight."

"What are you saying? Come home. Right now."

"I need time. I need to fight myself first."

Ariyan hung up and drove. He didn't know where he was going. He just drove—away from the city, away from the lies, and away from himself.