The sky was now bright, and the sun had come out. The security guard had returned to duty. They both had gone to sleep after Fajr.
Meanwhile, Mehr sat in her room, but her heart was restless. She got up, took steady steps, and slowly made her way out of the room and down the stairs.
Just then, Areeba noticed her.
"Api, wait—let me help you,"
She rushed to Mehr and held her arm. Now both were walking slowly together. At Mehr's request, Areeba brought her outside into the lawn.
"Thank you, Areeba," Mehr said with a soft, genuine smile.
"Don't be silly, Api. If you need anything else, just call me. I'll be in the kitchen,"
She turned to leave, but Mehr asked,
"Where's Yusuf chacha?"
Areeba thought for a moment and replied,
"I asked Nazia. He might've gone to buy some plants,"
With that, she left.
Mehr sat in the sunlight streaming across her face. The marks on her face had started to heal, though the bruises still lingered. She let her hair loose and closed her eyes, soaking in the warmth of the sun.
Meanwhile, Nawaf had entered through the main gate and was walking into the house when Hakim's eyes fell on Mehr—she was sitting with her hair down, her face turned toward the sky.
"What are you doing out here, Mehr Sultan?"
Mehr flinched, opened her eyes, and saw Nawaf behind her.
"I was bored in the room, so I thought I'd sit outside for a bit,"
she said, standing up slowly.
Hakim looked at her face, where the pain was clearly visible.
"Now people will stop tying their hair, you know..."
he said with a crooked smile.
"You're crazy, Hakim. And now don't talk to me. Let's go inside,"
she said and began walking back inside, step by step. Nawaf walked alongside her.
But Hakim's heart had started to pound. His blood rushed faster. Today, seeing Mehr with her hair down… when sunlight touched her strands, she looked even more beautiful.
Hakim placed his hand over his heart and murmured like a madman,
"She let her hair down… and all the problems disappeared.
She told me—are you crazy? And then the world saw that I really had gone crazy."
After breakfast, they brought Mehr to the place where Fateh was being held.
"Your Highness, please sit here,"
Zoran pulled out a chair for her.
Mehr sat down. Hakim and Nawaf sat beside her, while Zoran and Shehryam were on the other side.
Azlan brought in Fateh, whose eyes were still blindfolded.
Azlan made him kneel on the ground before Mehr.
Fateh now sat directly in front of her. The moment Mehr saw him, she froze for a few seconds. Time seemed to stop.
She had never imagined she would face something like this, but fate brings people to unimaginable places.
Zoran stepped forward and removed the tape from Fateh's mouth.
As soon as it was off, Fateh screamed,
"I swear I'll kill all of you! Just untie me once!"
He was raging, fury pulsing through his chest.
"Zoran, our Sultanm wants to speak with you,"
someone said, stepping aside and looking toward Mehr.
"Fateh, listen to her,"
they told him.
Fateh quieted down for a second, then barked,
"Who? Sultanm? I don't know anyone!"
He was still furious.
Mehr stood up and walked directly in front of him.
Everyone's eyes were now on her. She was about to speak, but before she could, Fateh sniffed the air and suddenly said:
"This scent… it's Mehr's!"
And then he screamed,
"Mehr?! Is that you?!"
It was as if Mehr's soul had been jolted.
The pain wasn't just hers—it pierced through Hakim, too.
Mehr staggered. Her head spun.
Hakim quickly stepped forward and caught her by the arm. Holding her tightly, he helped her outside. The others followed.
"I only ever wanted to be close to you so that none of this would ever happen,"
Hakim said anxiously, looking into Mehr's face.
"But… I didn't say anything…"
Her throat was dry. She parted her lips and whispered,
"Water… I need water…"
She was short of breath. Nawaf ran to the car and brought back a bottle of water and handed it to her.
Zoran placed a hand on Hakim's shoulder and said,
"Take our Sultanm home."
But at that, she quietly said,
"No. I want to speak with him."