One more time : Where Oblivion meets Obsession

#10 — THE ESCAPE

The next morning, Shahmeer took Myra to her ‘home’, picked up her belongings and headed to Kovai via his private jet. He asked Myra to rest and went to another cabin to talk to Rajat. He knew he didn’t owe them any explanation but still he wanted the disagreement to be over.

Fiza walked to him and started speaking, "Shahmeer I had rescheduled the meeting with Patels once. Can't do that again. So you have to be there tomorrow. I've booked the place, the quotation is ready and Rajat will be going with you." She finished picking up a magazine.

"How many times have I told you to hire a PA Fiza? You need not to worry about these petty things. You already handle a lot." Shahmeer said. He had asked so many times but she did his scheduling, bookings, appointments everything. The point was confidentiality. In the left wing of the house, everything except the conference room was really private. It had all the files, of all their businesses and many other things that had limited access. Only the three and a few trusted subordinates were allowed there.

"Shahmeer I could do it for your father. I can do it for you Okay. And the lawyer work is… less nowadays."

“You sure taking her inside the house is the right thing to do?” Rajat asked sitting on the couch rubbing his temples. The roaring sound mixed with windy vibrations made him go nuts every time they travelled via plane.

“I cannot leave her like this now. It’s all because of me and until I make sure she is safe I have to keep her around me.”

“What if that is a beautiful Trojan horse?” Fiza spoke turning the pages of a magazine. She was a brilliant combination of wits and beauty.

Shahmeer's father, Zamán Khan, crawled unburdened towards his death four years ago entrusting the burden of his home, his p********e, her twin children and all the black and white business in Shahmeer's hands. At first, he couldn’t bring himself to the idea of his father cheating his dead mother. It enraged him to the core but when he saw the faces of those innocent fifteen year-old children, The boy who had a future he couldn’t live with the burden of his disgraced identity… and a girl who would never be respected, or gotten married to a decent man if he didn’t accept them. The world wouldn’t let them live with a tag of bastards on their head. They would always be judged and viewed as a plague to customs, rituals etc. never be viewed as humans but only as their parents’ sin. So, he decided to embrace his father’s mistakes and raised them as their own, provided everything to their mother except his mother’s place.

Fiza was four years older than Shahmeer and helped him get on board with everything and everyone since his newbie days. Like Rajat, she had a sharp expertise at evaluating people and according to her, anything that had this effect on Shahmeer was not healthy for him. She perfectly fit all the criteria for beautiful like fair skinned, pink lips, pointed nose and remarkable virtues but it was all overshadowed by the defect that she had heterochromia, one of her eyes was black and other brown. Though it was only visible from a closer look but for people, it was a flaw. A flaw which overshadowed all her goodness, her perfection. This somehow embittered her heart towards the whole men, matrimony and relationships.

“Rajat, you found anything suspicious?” she turned to Rajat.

“That’s the thing. I cannot find anything. That makes me suspicious. I combed her early life, career, everything. But she is like a ghost. We have only that information that she gave him and no one to verify that. No friends, perfectly clean social media accounts, a family I cannot trust… How can everything be so perfect?” He raised an eyebrow making Shahmeer roll his eyes.

“So you have decided she is some…” Shahmeer trailed off.

“Plotter? Trap? Foe? Yes.” Fiza completed. “But it’s not like that’s going to change your mind. Is it?” she mocked.

“Fiza I really respect you for everything you do. And you people matter a lot. That’s why I have come to talk but looks like anything I say will not change anything so it’s okay. Call home and ask the servants to ready a room right beside mine for her.” And he left without looking at their frown.

***

—Kowai—

Shermon and his team had reached Kovai an hour ago but all he could think of was Myra and her safety. “Everyone… I got Mye’s message. She is soon going to be inside Shahmeer's villa. We need to update our communication system with her.” Shermon commanded rushing into the study where Yousuf and Bryan were already present.

“Didn’t she ask to wait for her lead?” Yousuf asked, sitting up.

“That’s the point. There is no communication further after leaving from Cochin. This is the lead. Also I got report from our active cells in Kovai that Shahmeer Zamán has returned. Now the skimmed layer is over, and the actual mission starts. Bryan, get a way to get in touch with Mye, uncover Shahmeer's ongoing deals-both black and white ones, businesses, people he is in contact with and everything that is suspicious. Dig into anything, any person coming around Shahmeer Zamán and while doing everything make sure to keep Mye’s fake family in touch and in character. Rajat Singh won’t let it go that easily. He’ll keep following everything about Mye like a savage wolf until it reaches blood. And if possible, get updates on B-9, and Rose. That’s it for today.” He said walking away swiftly pulling out a packet of cigarettes from his pocket.

“He’s trying to act calm but he is restless about Myra.” Yousuf said observing Shermon's state.

“Why wouldn’t he be? He knew Myra long before they met at UDF. Long before anyone else. He has some unexplainable bond with her. Something complicated, more than friendship and less than romance.” Bryan said getting up. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to update my counter intelligence to feed Rajat Singh. He is probably still hunting the truth about Myra.”

***

As the car rode inside those iron gates, Myra kept staring outside the car window at this palace admiring its beauty. It was perfect. It was like three huge, different buildings standing beside each other connected by a corridor-bridge on both floors. Fiza lived in the left wing of Shahmeer's mansion, the office and a confidential area for meetings and conferences were handled by her. While the ground floor of the right wing was for security accommodation and the second floor was reserved for special purposes.

The fountain in the middle of the compound illuminated with tiny lights giving water a beautiful golden hue, the lush greenery surrounding the place and the golden sheet placed above by the setting sun, everything made it breath-taking. “I can give you a tour if you want.” Shahmeer said holding the car door open.

“It’s beautiful.” She said looking around.

“I know.” He nodded with a smile and guided her inside.

“Just a minute. Can you walk inside through that side?” Rajat asked walking towards them and pointing towards the huge door threshold laced with a metal detector on all three sides.

“Rajat she is our guest.” Shahmeer snapped.

“It’s okay. Doubt is a termite Shahmeer. I don’t mind. If it makes your ‘security’ feel better, I’ll do it.” She said with a curt nod.

“Myra you don’t have to-“

“I think I do. Not that it’s not humiliating but still… just for you.” She said with a smile and walked towards it.

Yousuf my life in your hands. She repeated in mind and closed her eyes and slowly started walking through with a little self-doubt but it beeped green.

“Is it okay now?” She gave a challenging look to Rajat. Shahmeer stepped forward and shook his head in disappointment looking at Rajat and walked inside.

Rajat placed his hands in either of his pockets and kept staring at her retreating figure. “Man she is good.” He said impressed.

“What?” Fiza asked.

“Didn’t you see the little political thing she did? By doing this, she became his confidante. She acquired his assurance, his respect and by using the word ‘humiliating’ guilt too. Now boss will apologise to her for ‘my’ hostile behaviour and… stressing the word ‘security’, to make me realize my place and a warning that I was going way out of line. Now I doubt her more.”

“Or maybe you think way too much.” She walked inside leaving him standing there

—Shahmeer's Mansion—

“Wow. This is a huge room.” Myra said looking around.

It was like a whole hotel apartment with a huge bedroom on a side and a living area separated by a glass partition on the other. It had more than necessary amenities, luxuries to be precise. A huge TV right in front of his bed, a huge tufted armchair in front of the bed, a tall potted plant in a corner and a curtained glass wall on a side. “Thank you. You’re doing all this for me.”

“No Myra I owe you this much. You have suffered because of me.” He said glancing at her still healing shoulder. “And also I’m sorry for Rajat’s deed. He doesn’t always behave like that but…” he trailed off not knowing what to say.

“You don’t need to apologize. He was doing his job.”

“Okay if you need anything, I’m right beside.” He said and walked outside closing the door behind him. She slumped back on the bed with an exhausted sigh.

From this point, it was going to be harder. The time for only passing on information was over. Now she needed their teamwork, their help. She had to find a way to get in touch with them. While coming in, she saw a landline right in the middle of the hall. She looked around the room she had already left her cell behind knowing how unsafe it is. Better safe than sorry. Was it safe to alert them using the landline? No. She couldn’t afford any mistakes like that. Not when Rajat was waiting for her mistake.

***

Myra began thinking about it while arranging her clothes in the wardrobe. She unpacked her suitcase when she heard some buzzing sound. Her eyes widened at the realization and she ran to the door quickly to bolt it before combing through her clothes. At last she found a small phone buzzing in one of the jeans pockets. But who slipped it in? If it was my team, they would have given a heads up about it. Something’s not right. She thought and thought and then cautiously dialled a number,

“Hello mother?” she said hoping Nisha would get the hint.

“Oh my daughter!” came Nisha’s voice which relieved her. “Did you reach safely? Is everyone taking care of you? You brother was getting worried.”

“Yes mom. I just arrived.”

“Good, did you unpack and do some other stuff?” Nisha asked and Myra knew what she was pointing at.

“Not yet. Listen mother… um…” she scratched her head to remember the code words. She was never good at it. She recollected…

Cosmetics for weapons

Deodorants for transmitters

Maids for foes, brother for allies

Shampoos for communication devices… yes.

“I found this shampoo that I don’t use in my bag. Who put it here?” She asked cautiously.

“Oh I didn’t see your brother bring it, it must be the maids then.” Nisha spoke, her voice getting firmer.

“Oh thank you. I’ll unpack and try to call you again. Tell my brother I said Hi.” She said, hoping for some hint on whether her team has reached or not.

“Oh yes. And don’t worry if you are out of anything, buy it from the nearest mall in the evening.” and hung up. Evening? But it's night already? Tomorrow evening. At the nearest mall. I have to find some way to get there.

Heaving a deep sigh, she recollected the time from leaving her house to here.

Rajat… in the plane or while moving my bags to my room. Too smart for you young man. She smiled at how narrowly she escaped the situation. What if she had recklessly dialled Shermon or someone else? All Yousuf's hard work, their team, their mission, everything would be at stake.

***