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UNEDITED
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"May I come in, sir?" Zahra asked as she opened the door to Mr. Walworth's Office a few days afterwards. "Oh, it's you, Ms. Fatimah. Yes, please do. How are you doing? Fine, I hope," the senior Walworth asked the girl, gesturing her to come inside. "Yes, I'm doing fine, thank you very much. Can I ask why you asked to see me, sir?" "Yeah sure, you can. But, please take a seat first."
"Tell me, are you really okay?" he asked after some time, observing her closely, and her hand instinctively flew to the dark circles beneath her eyes. She hadn't been able to sleep well ever since Avi's reaction to her call that night. She'd tried again the next day, but her phone was not reachable. Nor was her parents'. "You don't look very well. Is something troubling you? Is there anything I can do to help?" "I'm absolutely okay, sir. I assure you. Please don't worry yourself!" Zahra insisted, her tone a little on edge.
"Please, can we proceed?" "Alright, if you insist. Well, I have a few things to convey to you. You see, I'm off to Maldives in a few days or so. I'm not well, or so the doctor says. He's insisted me to take a vacation. I may not come back before two-three months, to say the least. So, I'm handing you some of the responsibilities, although Mr. Hammond will be looking after most of the things, and Mr. Williamson will be assisting him."
"These are the files you'll need, to comprehend what your tasks will be, and this is the key to that bureau." He pointed towards it with one of his frail hands extended leftwards. "But... sir, why can't Mr. David look after these things?! I mean, he's the top authority, isn't he? I...I'm not even trained to do such high-profile jobs, really. It's not in my expertise."
"Nothing will be impossible to do if you'll work dedicatedly. I've consulted everyone concerned. There's nothing you can't do, believe me." The girl realized he'd left the question about his son unanswered. What was the matter? Had he gone loose in the head once again? She felt a powerful tug at her stomach at that thought. She'd a teeny-tiny hope that he'd actually change for her. But, thank Allah she hadn't given in even once. If she had, she'd have become just another one of his never-ending affairs. God! It would've been such a shame! She knew he wasn't the kind of a guy who'd so easily settle down to something in life.
"If you want to ask me anything, work related or anything else, I'd be only a call away, alright," his voice roused her from her thoughts, and she nodded, hoping to get this meeting over with, as soon as possible. Why was this man showing so much concern towards her? Even if he didn't mean any harm, she didn't like these overly sweet gestures. She was more used to the snide ones. "Can I ask you something, Mr. Walworth?" "Surely, you can. Go on."
"Why am I under constant watch of your guards?" There was silence for a while. Michael Walworth clenched his teeth, refusing to meet the girl's eyes. "David told you, didn't he?" he asked... or more like, told her. "So, you were planning to spy on me without asking for my permission?" "Not my idea. My son asked me to arrange security for you. I obliged. You will not be disturbed in any way, I assure you."
"It isn't about being disturbed, sir! It's about personal space and invasion of an individual's privacy. Please try to understand! They'd be snooping into anything and everything I'll do! And I can't let that happen." "If a small invasion of privacy can save your life, why not forego it?" "I can take care of myself! Why don't you both realize that?! Am I the only topic of discussion whenever you meet? I'm afraid, it is so."
The girl had tears in her eyes now. She couldn't comprehend the intentions of these people. "Tell me," she asked, "would you like it, if people followed your every move? Would you like being watched by hawk-eyes all the time?" "I guess you will, because being who you are, you're used to all of that. But, I'm not. I'm an ordinary person, and I don't like it, excuse the tone. So, please remove your people from the watch, or I may be forced to tender my resignation. I earnestly ask you to please let me be. If I'm destined to die soon...... I will, no matter what." The man had no words to voice. He just sat there in the high seat, pondering over the girl's words.
After exposing her vulnerability, Zahra stood up, preparing to leave. She'd just reached the door, when a voice held her back. "I've come to know that you recently took a loan of some thousand dollars." The girl's hands went numb. She hadn't expected him to know! "May I ask why?" She slowly turned around to face him. "I'm afraid I can't tell you, sir." "If you'll keep on taking loans like that, you'll be in a heavy debt, believe me. Why didn't you ask me for it?" "I don't like to ask for favors." "It's not a favor. It's your right... as the company's employee, Ms. Fatimah."
"What if I tell you that I'll remove the guards if you agree to take the money from me instead? I'll give you the money personally, nothing to do with the Office. You can pay me back when I get back from my trip. Positively!" "Will you charge interest, sir?" "If you want that, no, I won't." "I'll think about your offer. Thank you very much." And with that, Zahra strode out the door, sighing in relief. At least, some weight was off her mind now. She knew giving or taking interest wasn't the right thing to do, and it was eating her away. If only, he'd keep his side of the deal.
"Yes, Mr. Walworth?" the man from the detective agency asked the moment he came on the line. It wasn't every day that a big name from the corporate world called you personally. "Yeah, I called to ask...... can you double the guards? And please, don't let the girl recognize your men, at any cost. Or I'll have to cancel the contract." "Surely, it will be as you say. The costs will be double though." "I can manage that. Remember who you're talking to?" "Indeed, I do. Well, Mr. Walworth, you can consider it done."
______
She'd heard it all, and was clearly incensed. The woman had worked for these people for more than a decade, and they had never considered giving her a promotion even once?! And here they were, giving all the major tasks to that ill-mannered newcomer. The girl was too foul-mouthed for her own good. How could she talk back to Michael Walworth?! And, strangely, the man didn't say a thing! If it had been her, or anyone else for that matter, he would've thrown them out of the room in half a minute. First, David Walworth, and now... his old man. What was she injecting into these people that they ran to help her in every which way?
"Needs protection! My foot!" the old secretary, Ms. Andrews, mumbled angrily to herself. "As far as I can see, we need protection before she snatches all our jobs." They never asked her to manage anything. Clearly, she was more experienced than that clout of a girl. Always trying to show how sweet and innocent she is! She hoped to God that the girl would fail. Then, they'll learn not to hand out important tasks to such immature people like her.
She'd have to take revenge. The woman couldn't let things slip past her hands like this. Why did she need protection? Did she have an enemy? If yes, who could it be? And a bulb lighted in her mind. Why, of course, it must be Ms. Torres! After all, her ex-boyfriend held an interest in the girl! Yes, she would tell her. She will tell her all.
"Ms. Torres, is it you? I'm Catherine Andrews speaking, the secretary at the 'Walworth & Co.' Remember me?"
"I have some information to give you. It's about that girl, Zahra Fatimah."
______
Two days had passed, and she'd had no contact with Avi or her parents, either by phone or text. It was getting really fishy now, and Zahra was getting anxious. What was the matter? Had the Jamals made their baneful ways into their life again? Had they all died? No, no, it couldn't be! The thought was too horrific. She'd try calling Avi again. Zahra picked up her phone to do just that, when the screen lit up showing that she was getting a call from her best friend herself!
"God! Avi. Where were you all these days? It's been more than a week since we talked, you know. Why weren't you picking up my calls or answering my texts, hunh?" "Mom wasn't letting me talk to you. I'm so sorry Zee, for everything," Avi replied, and to Zahra, it seemed like her apology meant so much more than she actually let on. It wasn't really her habit to apologize so profusely. "It's fine, dear. But please, don't do it again, okay. I get worried. Is... is everything alright over there?" "Yes. Everything's fine," the girl lied through her teeth, from the other end. She had no other choice.
"Do you know why mum isn't picking up my call?" "Oh! She lost her phone just about a week ago," Avi lied again. "Great! And here I am, going crazy for nothing'! I've told her so many times not to keep her phone in the side pocket of her purse," Zahra began one of her rants. At times, when her mind was at ease, and her best friend was listening, she tended to become talkative. "There are a hundred pickpockets always roaming in the streets, anyone can snatch her things! Aren't I right, Avi?" "Yes, you're always correct, my dear."
"But, she just doesn't listen. By the way, did you ask her about my parents again? I mean, my real parents? Did they spill something?" "No, Zahra. They don't want to talk about it. Chalo (well), I'm going. Mom's about to come. You keep yourself happy and healthy, and------- and stay safe!" The end of her sentence was muffled, as if the phone was at a distance from her mouth. But, as naïve as Zahra was, she didn't care about that. All she had to know that the ones she loved were hale and hearty, and she'd gotten to know that. It was all that was needed to make her happy.
ððð
******SOMEWHERE IN THE WHOLE-WIDE WORLD******
"And---------- and stay safe!" Avi cries out, as the hideous man snatches the phone away from her. Making sure he's cut the call, the man shouts in her ear, "that's enough! Don't try to act smart, girl, or you'll know we mean business when we show the weapon. We won't hesitate to put a few bullets into your brain, for you're just an extra load," the man tells her in a loud voice, clutching a handful of her hair. About ten other ruffians watch the show as it progresses in that dimly lit cellar, very much entertained to see the girl rebel with a man twice her size. "It's just that the girl will worry about you if she doesn't hear your voice," he snarls. "The f***er!"
"Aah! Let go of my hair. You're hurting me!" "I told you to keep it short, and act normal. But you couldn't properly do even that, hunh!" "What did I do wrong? I lied to her about everything, didn't I? I lied to my best friend about her family, for God's sake! What more do you want?!" "Next time, keep it real. Or I'll hurt you even more, do you get that in your f**king useless brain?" The villain holds her in his iron grip. His one hand clutches her hair, while the other clutches her mouth, making her cheeks go red in pain with the force they're squeezed together.
"Let go of the girl, please. She doesn't mean any harm," Zareena screams, unable to see the girl in pain. All the men in the place laugh, whoop and thump the tables at her words. "She did what you told her to do. Now let her go, please!" "Don't you dare interrupt, woman! Or you wouldn't know what hit you." Just then, the cellar door creaks open, and a gruff voice calls down. "The boss's calling the woman, Zeke. I'm warning you, if you touch even a hair of the woman's head, he won't falter in putting a few bullets into your brain either," Mac Leer shouts and the whole room goes silent. "Bring her as fast as you can. He wants to interrogate her. And, bring the girl too."
The two hostages are rounded up and dragged upstairs to see the boss. It is for the first time that they are being taken for questioning. The woman has an idea who her captor would be, but she hasn't told Avi a thing, in case they overhear. The room they are brought into is dark, just like the cellar. A sinister shadow of the man can be seen on the walls due to a small candle burning somewhere in the room. It is so dark that it's hard to comprehend how large the room is... until one of the men speak. "The hostages, sir," Mac Leer tells the mystery man.
"Good that you've brought her. I was wondering how much she'll spill once she knows the danger she's running. Is there somebody else with her too?" "Yes, sir. A friend of the girl. She was there when we captured the woman," Zeke answers, his tone proud. "She had to be brought, or she'd have created trouble." "I don't like unnecessary stuff. Take her away. And remove her once you find she's useless. Right now, I want the woman. Bring her forward, will you?"
"I want her to recognize me." As soon as the face of the mystery man becomes visible to Zareena, a gasp escapes her lips. "You!" she exclaims. She 'd only seen that face in papers, but it struck an unknown fear in her heart every time she saw it. "Well, how does it feel now? Seeing your worst nightmare come true? I've finally found you, haven't I? And it's so sad to think that you believed you'd concealed yourself extremely well over the years. Tsk... tsk."
"What do you from us now? We've got nothing. Nothing is left anymore, it was lost long ago." "No... no. Not that, woman. You want me to believe that. The truth, I only want the truth. I'm positive that you know much more than that. Just tell me the location, and I'll let you walk free." "I don't know anything! Why don't you try to believe that instead?" the woman's blood is beginning to reach high temperatures.
"Tell me, what would persuade you to leak it all?" Daniel calmly asks, his voice just above a whisper. "And oh! I completely forgot to tell you! I know exactly where your girl is." Zareena's eyes widen in astonishment, intermingled with fear. But, in a moment, she checks herself. "It's not my secret to reveal." "So you do know things." "I only know what you already must be aware of." "How do I believe that until I don't hear it myself?" Exasperated, the woman rubs her palms against her face. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into. It won't turn out good, believe me."
Anger flares up in Daniel's eyes. The woman's being impossible! He shakes her by the arm. "Don't make me lose it, woman! I give out the warnings here. Tell me everything, or I'll shoot you down." "Shoot me all you want," Zareena cries through gritted teeth, "but, I won't tell a thing." The mystery man suddenly releases her, and she falls to the ground beneath. "Sir, we've some news on those guards."
"They're still alive?!" Daniel growls angrily. "I told you to terminate them, didn't I? Well, what is it?" Another one of his followers comes forward, a paper tucked in his hand. The mystery man takes one look at Zareena, and says, "I'm done with her. Take her to the dungeons," he says to one of the men. "Halt her meals for a few days. Then only she'll realize her mistake, and know who she's up against. My patience is running out at the moment."
"The number of guards has been increased, as told to Ms. Torres by the secretary at the Company. She was not able to tell you herself." The man pauses for a second, and looks at his boss, half-afraid. "We've found how they look like. But, the masks will take some days to prepare."
"Kill the four morons first."
______
BANGALORE, INDIA.
The woman sat in a corner chair at the Police Station, loudly bawling her eyes out, as a man sat near, consoling her. "What will I do, Mr. Srivastava? She's been gone since a week, and I've no hope of getting her back." "Please don't say so, Mrs. Agarwal. I'm sure Avantika will be found, and she'll be back before you know it," the old man tried to reason. "The police are on it, aren't they?"
"But they're not doing anything! Or they'd have found her by now." A policeman comes towards them and tells the man to control the woman a bit. A sudden fit of rage overtakes her, and she gets up, angrily stomping over to the Head Constable's table. "You, mister. You told me that you'll do everything you can to get my daughter back within a week," she tells him accusingly, repeatedly jabbing her finger near his face. "Well, a week's over. Where is she?"
"Calm down, madam. We're doing everything in our power to find your daughter," the constable assures the woman, trying to tame her out of the anger she's in. "The whole city is getting searched for her. Even the posters have been put up. What more can we do? We can't make her appear out of thin air, can we?" "I didn't ask you to do that, alright! Do you think she'd still be in the city, after a week of her disappearance? Expand the search, you idiot!"
"If it'd been a minister's daughter, you'd have run around on hands and knees to search for her." "Look here madam, there's no need to insult the police force for no fault of ours. You shouldn't have let your daughter go at such time of the night, what with all the cases going round the city." "I only let her go, because she was going nearby, to a friend's place. How could I know that they'll be absconding, along with my daughter?" Mrs. Agarwal told the officer testily. "But, that is beside the point. You do your work, get it? No need to question my daughter's activities."
"Fine. But, please go and take a seat first. Your making me uneasy, madam." To that, the woman gave a loud snort, and reminding him to find the untrustworthy couple once again, she went out of the room, clattering her sandals against the floor.
ððð
A silent bullet zooms down a hundred feet below, and makes its way inside a man's ribs. "Agent I down. I repeat, Agent I down," a mechanical voice reports urgently. "Message received. Lucky he wasn't wearing bulletproof vest. The body will be removed. Proceed to Agent II. He's the one in green tee-shirt near the building," another mechanical voice answers. "Message received. Proceeding towards Agent II."
There is a tensed silence on both sides for a few minutes. And then the first voice shouts jubilantly, "Agent II down. Agent II down." "Good. Proceed to the third. Be careful, he's somewhere in the building." "Message received. Will take him down shortly." The second man agonizingly waits for a report for half an hour, but he gets none.
After he can't take the suspense anymore, he makes his way inside the building, his whole body tensed up and alert. He's just reached the lift, when a man cries out in his ear, "Another down. Another down. Shot in the head. The f***er tried to kill me, my leg's badly injured. I can't move. He must have warned the last one. Nab him before he gets us nabbed."
"Message received. I'm sending someone over to you. What's the location of Agent IV?" "He was on the fourth floor, near 415. The guy's a dangerous one." "Thanks. Will be careful," the second man answers, as he gets into the lift, tightly gripping the revolver in his pocket. Once the lift door opens at the fourth floor, he walks outside casually, trying to hide himself within the crowd. He's about to turn and go left when he spots a man at the end of the gallery. And the moment the man disappears, he breaks into a run.
Shoving the people every which way, the man reaches the building's exit, just in time to see Agent IV dash outside, and into the streets. "Sh*t," he mutters to himself, and begins to run. It is a long chase, but in the end, he's able to capture him. The man stops at a parking lot.
He is just beginning to relax, and catch his breath, when a revolver is pointed at his head. "Don't try to act smart. You're outnumbered," the mystery man's assassin warns. And two more of his men reveal themselves from behind the cars, as they make their way towards their captive.
"Tie him, and put him in the car. I'll be right behind you."
ððð
TRAPEZE, CLYDESVILLE.
It was only after five whole days that Zahra was able to bend herself to her new duties. It felt weird, chairing a meeting. Seeing so many people gawk at you expectantly. Gosh! It was hard, being responsible for everything, even if you only had to look after one specific area. At first, she was completely tongue-tied. She didn't know how to begin, and could only come up with a blank mind. Mr. Hammond kept reminding her to relax, telling her to breathe slowly and gradually reduce the tension she'd built up inside herself.
Today was Saturday, and just the thought of it made her feel glad, for the next day would be Sunday. Thank God! She wouldn't have to deal with so many things at a time. It wasn't that she liked her new duties. In fact, every day carried a new challenge, and it brought her great confidence in her abilities when she was able to overcome them. It was just that... it was too much for her. She knew she wasn't cutout for this. It was a really taxing thing, being the head of a department. Zahra couldn't imagine how those people did it!
And so, with a happy heart and a contented mind, Zahra dressed up for the day. Her curls tamed, and the hijab wrapped over them, she picked up her handbag and went out, locking the door behind her. She was quite early today, so she took her sweet time walking towards her Office. The moment she got in, Nancy greeted her from the reception desk. By now, many of the employees had come to recognize her. Who wouldn't, when there'd be such a young and pretty HR manager?! "Ms. Fatimah!" a girl called her from somewhere. She recognized her from her unit. "What is it, Becky?" "You asked us to advertise the vacancies in the media soon. How soon should it be done?" "Hold your horses, dear. I will discuss it with everyone today, and you'll know. Okay." "Yes, Ms. Fatimah. Thank you for your time." "Oh, you're welcome."
It'd been about a few hours since morning, and Zahra was getting edgy to preside over that meeting she'd talked about with Becky. "Ready to handle that meeting, Ms. Fatimah?" Mr. Hammond asked her, as they got into the lift. "I don't know, sir. I don't really feel well." "You'll be fine, believe me. But, if you're truly not feeling well, you better cancel that meeting." "No, I think I'll pass." "Well, your choice."
As soon as Zahra reached the Conference Room, she saw everyone already seated, and waiting. She paused at the door, but then, with a quiet resolve, she pushed open the double glass doors and went inside. "Good morning, everyone," she began. "I hope you're all in the mood to listen to another episode of my rants today." Everyone laughed at that. "But, on a serious note, we're in one of the very important phases of staffing the Organisation. So, I hope you'll pay attention."
And with that, Zahra divulged her hand into her bag, in order to consult her files for something. But then, she was surprised to not find it there. Strange. Had she forgotten it at home? Probably, she had. "Uh...umm, excuse me for a bit." "Is everything alright, Ms. Fatimah?" a man asked her. "Hunh? Yes... yes. Everything's fine, thank you. I'll be right back. Till then, you're all free to move outta here."
Hurriedly, she ran outside and called a cab. "To Aurora, please. And hurry." The instant the girl reached her apartment, she dashed out of the cab, forgetting to pay the poor cabby. "My fare, ma'am?" "Uh, yeah. Sorry. Here you go." God! How could she be so clumsy? She'd forgotten to take the two most important things with her!
Quickly unlocking the door, she went inside. And the moment she switched on the lights, the girl couldn't believe her eyes. Her place was a mess!! There were papers, papers and more papers scattered everywhere, the tables were overturned, and a vase lay broken on the floor, smashed to bits. Her hands went cold. Who could do this to her? She'd no idea.
Afraid of witnessing the same scenario in her bedroom, Zahra reluctantly opened the door and peaked in. It was an even bigger mess! Ya Allah! What will she do now? What if... she couldn't find the file, or the key? On that thought, her legs moved inside on their own, and she found herself frantically wading into the mess to find the two things. She checked her drawers, her almirah, even her bedside table, but the file and key were nowhere to be found!
She was in the biggest mess now!
--------AUTHOR'S NOTE--------
Well that's it! Hope you guys like it :) If you have any questions about me or the book, please don't hesitate to ask me. And yeah, do tell me how ya all liked it peeps. I'd love to know your reactions :)
So long, LOVELIES <3 <3