Dedicated to @saraakhtar9699
_____________
There comes a time in everyone's life when all emotions evaporate and indifference takes their place. Pain, fear, humiliation, loneliness, and... love, you could name them all and you would find that you feel nothing, except maybe a void where those feelings once resided in your heart. You would no longer care what came next, or what threatening problem life conspired to throw your way. It wouldn't matter a deuce to you as to whoever the heck died or who lived, who made-up or who broke away, or who went and who came back. Zahra had reached a point in her life...where she no longer cared. Her heart had turned to a stone. She felt nothing in there. When you have to tackle with so many things in life at once, you can't afford to get away with your emotions. That, she had learnt the hard way.
Invisible, she couldn't become, unfeeling would have to do. It was Saturday night. Her first weekend in total solitude ever since Laura had gone to France. She was typing away at her laptop, completely immersed in her work to notice a shadow pass through her window. She had come back on her usual routine after the deadly accident with the chandelier, and she was glad to resume her work after so long a gap. She almost felt happy to feel the familiar keys of her laptop beneath her fingers. Her boss had briefed her on whatever she had missed, simultaneously setting her some tasks to do, and Zahra had immediately jumped to it. But she was still not allowed to strain herself too much.
Working even on weekends was never unusual to her. In fact, if she sat idle on a Saturday, it considerably irked her. If she wasn't working, either she was washing her clothes or cooking something special on Laura's request. It pleased her greatly when her friend licked the plate clean on her making some Indian dish that Laura loved.
She had been staring at her screen to work out how to write the tricky part of her presentation when her phone rang, startling her out of her skin. It was Laura. "God! You scared me, you idiot," Zahra squealed, irritated. "Ha-ha, I'm so glad I did something worthwhile in the whole day. How are you? Feeling scared without me?" "Nah. I feel extremely relieved that nobody is hovering over my head, bossing me around as to what I should do on such a glorious Saturday night."
"Really! That is so unfair of you when I was actually wasting my time missing you. I never thought you would get over me so soon," Laura whined on the other end. "At least you could lie. But you're no good at that, so it would've been no use." "Okay-okay, I did feel a bit lonely and all that, but I don't know how to mope about something so trivial, so don't worry. You are and will always be missed, alright," Zahra replied in order to pacify her friend. "Aw you are too sweet."
"So, how are you feeling now?" Laura asked, trying to hide it when her voice cracked. She couldn't help feeling worried for her. "I'm all in one piece, and that too without any internal damage, so I think you could sum it up as fine," Zahra told her smilingly. "Ha-ha not funny, okay. Has anybody else taken my room yet?" "No, not yet. And honestly, I can't bear to put up with another girl after you, so I'm planning to buy your part." "Are you insulting me by indicating that I was a handful for you, hmm?" "I'm complimenting you, you loser! I'm indicating that I could only put up with you and nobody else. How's your work, by the way?" "Exciting! Paris is like heaven for fashion. I couldn't ask for anything better than this." "I'm glad you love your job. Mine is just fine. But the good thing is that I'm finally back on track."
"Do you see David anymore?" Laura asked suddenly.
There was complete silence from the other side at the question. It seemed as if Zahra had cut the call, so Laura repeated her question, "Hello Zahra? Can you hear me? Do you see David now?" "Why does it matter to you so much?" Zahra replied with a question of her own after a while. "But for your information, no I don't. He comes to the Office and stays working in his chamber the whole day. We don't talk or acknowledge each other's presence, okay. I don't care about him and nor should you." "Sheesh, somebody's angry. I pulled the wrong chord, didn't I? Let's just drop it, okay. No fighting on the phone. I won't bother you anymore about that. What about your parents though? How is your father, any better?"
"Yeah, he's just...fine. He can't walk anymore, he's become paralyzed," Zahra replied as her voice cracked at the end of the sentence. "Oh! God," was all Laura could say at this unfortunate news. "I kind of knew it was coming. He'd had a similar attack once before, but it hadn't been this severe. And my mum is pretty worried about my marriage. She fears that she and dad might die before they find a suitable groom for me. But, I've told her firmly that I need a break. I don't want to go through hell all over again, Laura."
She finally broke down, sobbing into the phone. She had been bottling it all up inside ever since her mother had broken the news to her, but she couldn't keep it in any longer. It was too heavy a burden. Laura's heart wrenched at this sudden outbreak of emotion. She longed to put a comforting arm around her friend and tell her that it would be fine, but she felt helpless. She was contemplating on saying something when Zahra spoke again, "Our conversation is mostly along those lines. I want to tell her to stop, but I...I can't, because she only means well. It feels like she wants to say something else too, but then she hangs up, leaving my thoughts horribly disordered. I fear that if he died, she would try to keep it from me as long as she could."
"Don't think like that, Zee. Everything will be okay, really." Laura knew it sounded lousy right now, but she had to say something to tell her she understood what she was going through. "You just need to have faith in your Lord, and He'll pull you through this." "Well, maybe you're right. I think...I should go to sleep now. I'm sorry for cutting so abruptly on you dear, but I feel too tired to talk anymore. It was great talking to you. Bye for now." "Yeah, bye. Take care, alright. I'll call again to check up on you soon," Laura replied, and hung up.
ðððððððððð
******A BILLIONAIRES MANSION******
"What pleasure to see you after so many years, my friend!" the mystery man exclaims, his eyes shining with glee. He heartily shakes hands with the man called Conan. "It certainly is a pleasure. How you doing Dan? You called me out of nowhere, so I thought it must be really urgent. And I came right away. I have never forgotten what you did for me and I am not in the habit of breaking my promises. Well, what did you need me for? Is it about the task your granddad told you to do on his death bed? Got any luck with the girl's case so far?"
"So far, I didn't have a problem. But now, I have. You should have a seat and I'll explain in detail. What would you take by the way? Something from my vintage collection would do?" Daniel asked his friend as he closed all doors and windows of the large hall. "You can be a real gentleman when you feel like it, don't you? What great favor do you need from me that you are offering me a glass from your vintage collection? It is related to the girl, right? She has become a real problem for you, I gather from your furrowed brows. Nothing else can make you this desperate to call for me."
"You've hit the right chord, man! She is a real pain in the ass for me. I can't kill her, and kidnapping is not in my blood. You do know I like to do things in a bit more style, so that no one can get his dirty finger to point on me. And this one is far too precious for me to be done simply. Just the thought of it feels like an insult to grandfather. Thrice! Three is the number of times I've sent my trusted assassins after her and she has skirted them all those times."
"Well, they did hit the mark once, but this young Mr. Prince Charming whisked her away to safety before my men could vanish with the injured body. You must be knowing about the Walworth guy, right?" the mystery man asked his friend, and he nodded in affirmative. "That's the Prince f**king Charming I'm talking about. He's getting on my nerves. He's the number one man on my 'To Be Removed' list......after the girl, of course."
"He manages to save her somehow every time I attack. Also, she might take off if she gets the hint of what I'm after. The people whose filthy blood she's got running in her veins knew very well how to go underground, and once they did, they were never seen by a soul on earth, let alone their enemies. I don't think my men would be able to find her if she goes into hiding. They can't do a thing properly and that would be near to impossible for them. All they like is my money. I'm afraid I'm losing my hold on them. And to sum it up, I'm getting desperate to catch that woman and get her to do what I want from her, before she decides to wipe herself from the face of the earth."
"You know what, you really need to relax and take a deep breath," Conan says, amused. "You think it's a jesting matter! After everything I have told you about, all you have got to say to me is that I should take a deep breath and relax?! Humbug! If you came just for the sake of my wine, you can take half of it and leave," the mystery man snorts in disgust.
"I'm seriously taking you up on that offer after I settle everything with you and do what I came for. You really need to understand that your getting desperate wouldn't do a might of good to the matter. Have you thought about her parents? Wouldn't they create a hullabaloo when they find you've killed their daughter and taken over her...well, things?"
"Her adoptive parents, you mean? I'll take care of silencing those two. But I'll need to have their location first." "And what about the authorities of that country? They are a lot of trouble, I've heard." "That won't be a problem. They are a lousy bunch. A bit of money would be enough to get them to speak in my favor. The only problem is the girl herself."
"I have a brilliant idea in my mind to deal with your situation. It's my usual thing, and it's something me and my men do best. It'll bring some excitement to the game too." "Don't keep me waiting, man. Spill it out of your mouth. If you're thinking that killing her would solve the problem, you're wrong. I want her specifically in a half-dead state. I have come to know of a new development in the story. Without her signatures, those things wouldn't just fall into my lap. And if she dies, I'm done for. It will never come to me," Daniel tells him irritated, patience running out of his system.
"Why? I thought you had told me once that you had to kill a girl and your family's lost pride will be finally gained back by you, the only surviving member of your family. And you'll become a hero." "I know. But, it isn't as easy as I thought it would be, and that's why you're here," Daniel replies, his jaw tightening in anger. "If you've really got something worthy of telling me, tell me before I throw you out of the window." Conan lets out a low chuckle, his features broadening to form a devilish smile.
"Alright, how much will you give me if I slowly but surely make the girl frightened out of her wits, and when she tries to run away or get clever and call for help, you can nab her there and then?!" "That would be just great. I will......" "I'm not finished yet," Conan says, raising his hand to silence the mystery man.
Daniel's grey eyes are shining triumphantly. He smiles fully for the first time in all these years, his thin lips growing thinner, as he runs a hand through his long black hairs. "Not just that, I'll take care of the Indian side of the business for you too." "Whatever you ask for will be fine with me," Daniel, replies haughtily. "In that case, I want half the loot, since the riches don't matter to you much, right?" his friend replies, and the fact of his being English is very much apparent due to his accent.
"How will you find out about the parents?" Daniel asks, puzzled. "That, you should leave to me to decide. All you have to do is relax, and not send your assassins after her. If she is clever, she'll get it on her own. And when she tries to hide, we'll catch her well and quick. But, if she is an ignorant little idiot, it would be even easier for you to get hold of her. It would take all the excitement out of the game though."
"You have removed a considerable part of my worries. In return of that, I present to you half of my vintage wine collection right here right now. But, be sure that I can be as nasty as I am being nice if you fail me, Conan. I won't think even for a second before shooting you down. My family's pride is at stake here, and no friendship means a damn to me when it comes to my family." "Conan Graham never fails, you just mark these words."
"Yeah, I'll mark it alright."
ðððððð
Bangalore, India.
Zahra's mother, Zareena, was crying hysterically in her room. Oh! What would happen now? How would she get her dear child married when everyone will refuse to take her like these people were doing? She couldn't see hope anywhere near in sight. She was very much afraid they would have to leave their daughter alone in this world, unmarried and unprotected. And the mere thought of it broke her heart.
So this was why no one called on them now! No neighbor wanted to be seen talking to them. Heads turned away from them wherever they went. There was only this little working boy, Venkat, who cared to help her buy the usual household things and dust the rooms every once in a while.
The boy had been with them ever since he had been a five-year old kid. He was a stolid twelve-year old now. Zahra had been a great favorite with Venkat from the very beginning. She used to play with him and help him learn a few things. And it was only for her sake that he stayed put as all the others deserted them, leaving them isolated in the middle of an extremely populated city. What irony!
Zareena kept sobbing into her dupatta for a good half-hours, moping about their cursed fate. For a second, she felt selfishly angry as to why they had agreed to keep the girl on that fateful day, but then she realized that that girl had been the only sunshine in their life, ever since they had taken her up twenty three years ago. Zahra was functioning selflessly day and night in a faraway land just to keep her family from starving. Their savings were only enough to keep them in this two-roomed flat and her income was an ample addition to their large but fast disappearing savings.
And then this sudden disastrous discovery. No, it couldn't possibly be true. Why was she believing in what they said about her daughter? She was her daughter and she knew her more than they did. Zahra would never hide such a big thing as that from them. If she would've liked somebody, she'd have told them before taking any step further. But, why was she so reluctant to get married? Oh! What had the world come to? She was suspecting her own daughter! No this couldn't be possible. Fresh tears leaked out of her eyes, and she sobbed once again.
"Zareena? Zareena, what happened? Are you crying?" Zahra's father called out from his room, as he heard someone sob loudly. He was pretty sure it was his wife crying. What could make her cry so? "Zareena! Come here and tell me what the matter is," he shouted impatiently. About five minutes later, his wife reluctantly entered his room. "Come, sit here, and tell me what's bothering you." He pointed to the chair beside his bed. "Your eyes are so red, it hurts me to see you like this. Tell me why you were crying." "I...it's just nothing, really."
"Let me tell you that you suck at lying, my dear lady," Arif told his wife, shaking his head. "I tell you...it's nothing." "Then, I would like to know what that nothing is," Arif replied, gazing at his wife with pleading eyes. "It would worry you and break your heart. I don't want to see that happen. So, let's not talk about it, shall we?" "If you are worried over something, I don't want you to suffer alone."
And then, placing his own hands over his wife's, Arif implored Zareena to speak whatever that was smiting her heart. "We took the oath once that we'll stay friends for life. Now, tell me my dear, do friends hide things from each other, or let the other suffer alone?" The care-worn woman cried silently with her eyes tightly shut on this fresh, moving attack of words from her spouse.
"It's about Zahra. I've come to know that...that she's hiding a very serious truth from us. She...she has a child from someone we don't even know about. And it is very much probable that it is not legitimate."
"WHAT?!" "Who told you that?" "Mrs. Jamal came a few hours ago to take back the dress Zahra had worn on her engagement. She told me all about it," Zareena replied, shakily. "And you believed her??!! Those misers aren't letting us alone, are they? After all these years Zareena, you are still so naïve as to suspect your own daughter of such grave treachery! Unbelievable! You doubt her character and not the words of that double-crossing woman?! I'm ashamed of you."
"Then, why is she so reluctant to get married?" the pale and gaunt middle-aged woman reasoned impatiently. "It isn't just that woman, every other person is avoiding us like a disease in this place. Even the maid, Kanta, has refused to come here anymore. She told me yesterday that she wouldn't work for people like us. I didn't get what she meant then, but now...I do."
"It's all their game, through and through. I tell you Zareena, they are a cowardly bunch, and they would never attack from the front." "Still, you should check if she's hiding anything from us or not." "Who......Zahra? I would never insult my daughter like that on her face," Arif replied, his face red with rage. "It is very important to get the rumour cleared, Arif. If she is innocent, of which I'm quite sure, it will be the end of the matter. We won't pursue it any further. But, if she is really guilty, she would know that nothing is hidden from us anymore. There are times when even the best of us do something stupid, facing pressure from the strange surroundings we find ourselves in, and then we realize that we have gone horribly wrong. Maybe she was forced to choose the wrong path. We need to find out the truth or we'll be restless in distrust of not knowing what to believe."
"You...not me. You will be restless in doubt of not knowing what to believe. I have complete faith in my daughter that she wouldn't do such a thing, even if somebody threatened to kill her." "Please, I implore you to call her for my sake, Arif. I wouldn't be able to live with this allegation like a noose around my family's neck. I want to know. Please, I want to know," Zareena pleaded to her husband in a weak voice.
**************
"What......what do you mean Abba? Are you really saying that? How did this weird thought come to you out of nowhere?" Zahra exclaimed on the other end of the line, when her father asked her the dreaded question. "I'm really very sorry, dear. Your mother was waylaid by that witch, Jamal's wife. And she, unfortunately, believed her. Just tell me once, have you been meeting anyone? I seriously don't want to ask you such things child, but I have no choice. That woman is spreading offensive rumors about you, and I want to have your word upon the subject once and for all."
"Besides, your mother is worrying herself to death." "What am I to say Abba when I haven't done anything? How can she place such baseless allegations upon me? Does she have any grounds for those rumors? I would really like that backbiting woman to give me a concrete proof, and then she can say all that she wants about me to the whole world."
"Do give the phone to mum. I'll talk to her myself and put her worries to rest," Zahra said, anger seeping from her voice. "Amma, you there?" "Yes, child," Zareena replied, sobbing into the phone. "You've hurt me, mom, you really have. How could you even believe her without thinking twice?" Zahra's voice cracked at the end of the sentence.
"Allah is watching over me, you and all of us. He sees all and hears all that is being said or done. He also knows the secrets that reside in the depths of our hearts. He knows the past, the future, and the present. Knowing all this, I tell you that I am pure, I was pure, and I will be pure In sha Allah, until He legally binds me to someone He thinks best for me."
"That's all I've got to say. And if you think that my being reluctant to marry is suspicious, then let me tell you, I don't want to be with any man until I'm satisfied that there really is someone out there who will love me for who I actually am. Besides, I was a bit ill these last few months. I'd had a small accident, but I'm fine now. Tell Abba that I miss him a lot." And saying thus, she hung up.
Trapeze, Clydesville.
The next few hours were very stressful for Zahra. 'What strange thoughts come to their minds?' she thought about her parents, very much shocked by the strange question they had put to her. She was still stunned by the conversation she'd had with them not many hours ago. It was crazy! How could those Jamals act with such villainy?! The misers!! What had dad said? That his mother had come to take back the dress she had worn on her engagement. How disgraceful for such wealthy people to act this way! That ring they had given her, it seemed as if it had been used before. And, the jewels on it looked fake too! Shame on them!
But, she had to live her life. Those weird allegations had lowered down her confidence still a notch or two more, but she was determined to only go up from here, instead of going down. Sighing, she shrugged the thought at the back of her mind where she kept the other bad memories of her life, and tried to forget all about it.
David observed the girl the next day from his Office, wondering what could trouble her so much that she had with a permanent frown on her face. Nor was she liking to get into any verbal discourse with anyone in the whole workplace. And, she particularly avoided him. What could go wrong now? Worry was eating at his heart, and it itched to ease Zahra's troubles. But she had made herself almost unapproachable. She had built this protective wall around herself that nobody could break into. And he reluctantly had to let it pass, in spite of whatever agony he felt inside. Maybe time will reveal everything. Thinking along those lines, he told himself to be patient and not meddle into her business.
David was very much worried about Zahra, and he saw a strange thing happen later that day. The girl had come out of the Walworth Tower at precisely 5 o'clock, her usual time. David was right behind her. He had to go to a friend's place to celebrate his son's first birthday with him. And since he was the special guest, he had to be there really early. Or else, his old pal would get pissed off with him.
As he was getting out of the Tower, David tripped upon something lying on the ground. It was a notebook. A mixture of surprise and confusion was etched over his face as he opened the first page after picking it up. 'Zahra Fatimah' was written on the top right corner of the page in a neat and small handwriting. He flicked to the last pages of the notebook and found it filled it notes taken during meetings. Besides that, there was something else that caught his attention. Whatever he had said to her on the day of her accident, the exact words were written in there with quotation marks from beginning to end of the dialogue. Oh God! She remembered his words so vividly! He told himself to peel his eyes from that page, guilt riding through his heart.
David had to give it back to her. So, he too decided to wrap up his work for the day, and take off after the girl to return her precious notebook, and maybe stay on for a while if she let him. She wouldn't have gone that far yet. He ran to get his Aston from the parking area, hastily putting the key into the locked door of his car when he reached it. He had driven only up to the next lane when he found her trudging alone on the heavily crowded sidewalk. Wait. Was she really alone?
Because as she walked along the road, David noticed a man behind her, closely following her wherever she went. Leaving his car parked in a safe place, David began to walk on the path the two had taken earlier, determined to find out if the man would go all the way to her apartment or leave her alone somewhere on the way.
Until now, the man hadn't budged from his position behind the girl, keeping his pace in sync with hers. He was not wavering for even a second. There were a lot of people moving around, but the man had surprisingly followed her this far, never losing her among the sea of Office-going people departing for their homes. David had occasionally lost them only to find them a few seconds later quite far away from where he had initially stopped to look for the pair. But the man never left her side even once. Did she plan to walk the whole way? If she did, she was being crazy. No......she definitely didn't. Because a few minutes later, Zahra paused at the next turning and hailed a cab.
The man came nearer to stand in front of the taxi where Zahra had stood not many seconds ago without her suspecting a thing. And when he saw it drive safely out of sight, he melted into the crowd before David could take a closer look at him. Thinking it as a futile chase, he went back to his car and drove off to the Aurora, where Zahra lived."
*********
The sudden ring of the doorbell made Zahra jump out of her skin with fear. Oh God! She had never been good with things happening all of a sudden. The apartment had become even scarier ever since Laura had moved out. She felt weird things lurking from every corner of the apartment, lying in wait to capture her and ship her off to some no-man's land.
Wiping her floured hands clean on her apron, she went towards the door to open it, wondering who would call on her at this time of the day. And to her utter surprise and dismay, the person she never wanted to see in her life again, was standing outside with a self-satisfied smirk on his face. Adel Jamal!
"Shocked to see me, love?!" he asked her, smiling devilishly. "Thought you'd never see me again, didn't you? Well, here I am. And let me tell you that I'm not through with you yet. We have some scores that are yet to be settled." He had a menacing edge to his voice. "If you don't want to let me in, I'll invite myself in on my own." And saying that, he came inside and closed the door behind him. "You never had any manners." He came closer towards her, and Zahra backed off, sucking her breath. She had pure terror creeping around her eyes, and her tongue was stuck in her throat.
"What have you been doing behind my back, hunh? I got to know you were keeping a bas*ard in here. Pretended to be so pure, didn't you?" "I have no child with me. I've never touched a man in my life. Just, leave me alone, you creep," Zahra replied, mustering her courage to get back her lost voice. "Everything is just a rumour, and you know that as well as I." "Well then, let's just say, I've come to prove them correct. Or better yet, make them true," Adel snickered, advancing towards the girl.
"No. Don't you dare touch me, you villain. Get away from me," Zahra shouted with all her might, hoping someone from the nearby apartments would hear her calls for help. Adel laughed menacingly shaking his head. "You've still not learned your lesson, love?!" With that, he took hold of both her shoulders and dragged her towards the wall.
"Leave her alone, you piece-of-sh*t," somebody thundered from behind them. Zahra craned her head to look towards the source of the voice, and was surprised to hear that familiar, but totally welcome, voice again. What was David doing here? Before she could process that fact in her mind, he had ruthlessly peeled the man away from her, throwing him upon the ground with full force. "Ah! The all-famous Walworth! Why didn't I think of it before? I knew she was not as pure as she pretended to be. You've got a boyfriend if I'm not mistaken," Adel accused her sarcastically as he wiped the blood from his now-wounded face.
He lunged towards David but he was already prepared for him. Where David was extremely agile, he was painfully slow, and was no match to the famous billionaire. "She is not my girlfriend, you idiot," David replied, clenching his teeth and threw him away like a toy once again. "Got no manners to talk with a lady, have you?" And saying that, he grabbed his throat, pushing him into the wall. Adel tried to loosen hold of that death grip by kicking his legs, but he was rapidly passing out, and his eyes fluttered up and down repeatedly.
"No, David stop, please! Don't kill him," Zahra found herself shouting hoarse with tears in her eyes. What was she doing? Taking that creep's side? Unfortunately yes. Not because she cared for him or anything, but because she didn't want her boss to dirty his hands by killing that filthy man. It was just not worth taking so much trouble. "Then call the police, and get him arrested, or he will come again. I gather that you both know each other," David said, still holding him tightly with his hands and legs. "Yes, we do. He...he was my ex-fiancé. But we never got married." "Then why is he still pursuing you?"
And slowly, hesitantly Zahra recounted the horrors she'd had to suffer by the hands of the man as they waited for the police to arrive. They had gagged him securely so that he wouldn't try any tricks. "I want you to give a full statement against him, and not hide anything, alright. You are far too gone to think of any escape, my friend," David addressed the man once again, as he tried to wriggle out of his ties.
"He won't bother you anymore, Ms. Fatimah. I've taken care of that," David told Zahra, as he dropped her at her apartment later in the night. "How many times will you come to my rescue, sir? But, thanks all the same," the girl replied, refusing to meet his gaze. "As long as I can, I guess. Please call me Dave. And you're totally welcome," he told her smiling. He had wanted to say, 'as long as I live', but he refrained from giving away too much of his feelings for her. She was not ready for this. Not yet.
âââââ-Author's Noteâââââ
i am super sorry for the super late update... but i really hope you'll forgive me. i had two tests to take, and then my hunger for reading kept me away from writing anything ;) :/
by the way, that's Daniel a.k.a Mystery man up there.....