One more time : Where Oblivion meets Obsession

#14 — HER STUBBORNNESS

Myra opened her eyes hoping to see the same colorless stone walls but to her shock she was in the bedroom she was before. She sat up and looked around. A drip of glucose was connected to the back of her palm.

“Feeling better?” Shahmeer asked walking in with a plate of sandwiches.

She eyed him venomously. He behaved like nothing happened. His blank face neither held anger, smile, pain, questions, nothing at all.

“Tell me Mr Khan, Do you have some bipolar disorder?” She asked as he placed the sandwiches on the nightstand and sat back on the sofa in front.

“No. I think of myself as a good person but when someone cheats me or tries to fool me, it changes very quickly. Like it has now.” He replied intensely. “And now I realize two things- first, you were not there to kill me but to save me from getting killed and second, I only get answers to my questions if you want me to.”

There was a few minutes of thick silence when Shahmeer said, “why don’t you eat while we talk?”

She pretended she didn’t hear him. “What do you want now?”

“I don’t want to be more lost and confused than I already am. Why don’t you just tell me the truth?” he asked helplessly.

“It's not something you can't do. You have all the power, money and brains to do that. If you want to hook me up to a polygraph, do that too.” She smirked with a hint of challenge in her tone.

“I know that won't help because a woman who can cheat a truth serum can surely cheat a polygraph too.” he replied.

“Well in any case I can't tell you anything more than what you know. I have my reasons too.”

“Fine, be my guest. Don’t try to step out of the room. I have my eyes everywhere.” He said walking away.

“You have to let me go.” She spoke in a confident voice making his steps halt.

“Is that an order?” he asked.

“Not sure. But surely it's not a ‘request’.” she said.

He sighed, putting his hands in his pockets. “What if I don't?”

“Then I must let you know, the people I work for are powerful and quite tough. And if you don't let me go, one of the two things will happen. One- My department will assume that I broke down in front of you and feel cheated. And for that, they’ll kill me. And second, if there are more important tasks awaiting and they need me for their own selfish reasons, they have full discretion to do anything they want to get me back. Both ways you can't keep me forever.” She shrugged simply. She talked so bravely about being killed, like she was least worried about it.

“I’ll take my chances.” His voice as steady and confident as hers.

***

Myra was left thinking. It’s been two days.

According to the rules of UDF, 'If captured agents weren’t recovered in five days, the department would label them ‘Rogue’ and disclaim and deny their existence. It was for security and prevention of spies from entering the group.'

Was her team doing any efforts to find her? Were they trying hard enough?

For once the question did come to her mind, ‘Do they care enough to worry about bringing me back? Or would they just forget me and move on?’ she leaned back sadly thinking about the sacrifices she had made, the hardships she had endured, the medals she had won to reach this point.

***

Shahmeer was restlessly pacing in his room after the conversation with Myra. She wouldn't keep quiet. Her confidence had him thinking.

“You should have let her go Boss.” Rajat said walking in.

“If she goes away, my questions will always remain unanswered.”

“Are you afraid that your questions will be left unanswered or that you will never see her again?”

“Don't get started with that again.” He sure had developed some strange and alien feelings for her but he would never let them overpower his decision making or come in the way of his work.

“Even if she stays here, she is not going to answer any of your questions. she’ll just be the cause of your anxiety and desperation.”

“I just need some time to think about this Rajat.” He said, placing his hands on his head.

Rajat nodded and left. Since he came to know the truth, his hatred and doubt for Myra had melted to fiery respect. “What the hell are you talking about?” He heard Rajat hiss at someone right outside his room. He quickly walked outside to see the cause of the commotion and saw Rajat yelling at someone over the phone. Myra walked to the door after hearing him in the corridor.

“What happened?” Shahmeer asked. Rajat furiously threw the phone breaking it to pieces. As his eyes found Myra, they turned red in disgust and he found Shahmeer holding him back from doing anything stupid.

“Boss, her men got Fiza.” He said looking at Myra with the same rage and Myra was relieved. “They want her back in six hours or... ”

“Or...” Shahmeer prepared himself to hear the worst.

“Or it would be...” His voice getting furious, “F… Fiza’s video on some porηo website.” He completed and Myra retreated back to her room, closing the door.

She leaned by the door and breathed a sigh of victory and relief. She knew Shermon would never do that. but the threat would do its work. Shahmeer wasn't afraid of death, nor was Fiza. but for a woman like her, an atrocious attack on honour and esteem would be far worse than a murder. And Shahmeer understood the intensity of it.

She walked inside her room only to be yanked around by her arm. “Easy.” She said holding Shahmeer's wrist and removing his hand from her arm. Again, his eyes again widened at her strength.

“I really thought you would play by the rules. respect the fair way.” He snapped.

“Really? You talk about respect? and rules? and fair way? I passed out in that velvety gown and woke up in a pant shirt.” She said, feeling deeply humiliated about it.

“It was the maids. not men.” He snapped sharply. “But let me tell you if anything happens to Fiza-”

“Nothing would happen to her if you make the trade. Her life for mine. sounds fair doesn't it? This is good for everyone Mr Shahmeer. There is nothing else that I can reveal to you. anyways I have already made it clear that you cannot keep me forever. Let this happen peacefully and don't try to create any mess or your little friend would have to pay for it." She said in an undaunted voice holding the door open for him.

"What makes you think I will trust you people huh?"

"Ok don't trust them but you can trust me. I saved your life more times than you know."

"No Myra Grey. Not so easily. This isn't over yet." He replied in a confident, dark tone slamming the door shut.

Somehow Shahmeer knew his helplessness but his ego wouldn't allow him to let this go that easily. Rajat had already accepted their defeat and tried to convince Shahmeer that they could not let Fiza pay for anything. She had nothing to do with the girl. She only handled legal matters, whatever they shared with her was as a friend.

Shahmeer had his men spread like wind in every nook and corner of the city but that wouldn't help. Myra's people were straight out of shadows. What would they do if he knew nothing about these people? How they looked? Where they belonged? Who was their boss?

After a few hours of thinking, trying various ways, even talking to Myra, who only gave a victorious smirk in return, atlast they decided to give in.

Myra was contemplating on all the sides of the plan looking for any setbacks but found nothing. But still the important thing was did they make Shahmeer helpless enough to give in? Did that girl matter that much or she was insignificant?

After about 5 hours, Rajat walked into her room and said, "Okay let's go." With those words, he pulled her hands back engaging them in metal cuffs, tied blindfold around her eyes. She didn't even argue with that because even with those, she was as good as with her eyes. Her other senses and instincts were sharper than ordinary people. He started driving and another car with six more guards was following them. As he led her to the car, she could hear everything that gave away their location. She knew Shahmeer wasn't around or she would have felt his cologne. The starting of the engine, the low traffic area for a few kilometres and then the high traffic one, Masjid on the way, everything was heard by her and exactly where they were going. The car stopped at a windy, isolated point and Rajat got a phone call. "We are here." He replied.

"No you can't do this." He snapped back when someone from the other end said something. "I want Fiza just in front of my eyes right now." He sighed irritably and in anger as someone said something from the other side. "What happened Sir?" Suraj, his sub of security asked.

"They want me to leave her here and get in that car which will drive me to Fiza." He said pointing to a taxi standing at a distance

"Sir we had no other option but to trust them. Let's gamble this one more time."

Rajat looked at Myra for a moment and turned to Suraj, "I'll call when I find Fiza. Till then don't take your eyes off this girl."

"Ok." The guard nodded. With those words, Rajat slipped inside the taxi. And the car with the guards followed. The key was already in the keyhole. He ignited the engine and started driving. As he took off, after a while, someone hit Suraj on his head from behind knocking him unconscious. Myra shuffled feeling the commotion when someone pulled Her blindfold making her eyes prick a little and she saw Yousuf standing there. "Where is the girl?" Was the first thing She asked him.

"As soon as we are out of the city, he will find the girl." He said slipping her hands out of the cuffs. "Come."

"Wait. Scan me first." She said cautiously.

***

Rajat kept driving for more than 20 minutes and he was starting to get irritated and worried. As he was about to cross the range of the city, he felt something which made him slow down. He turned off the engine to hear it properly and it was coming from the trunk. His eyes went wide at the realisation and he moved out of the car and quickly opened the trunk. Sure enough, Fiza was lying there breathing heavily, in a dishevelled state, cuffed hands, gagged mouth and blindfolded eyes. His rage, fury, regret knew no bounds. How could he be so stupid? He sighed in relief pulling her out of the trunk and called Shahmeer to inform him whatever happened and drove back home. He was not going to forget this insult ever. That girl went on breaking the barriers, first mocking his instincts, insulting his security and now questioning his intelligence. He called Suraj again and again but wasn't received on the other end. After a while he received a message from Suraj too saying she had escaped infuriating him more.

***

Shahmeer just kept staring at the retreating figure as she was leaving with Rajat. He may never see her again. He kept looking at her lips twitching in nervousness and took in her entire appearance and just wanted to hold her in his arms right now not caring about the consequences. maybe this was how it was meant to be. He lost her despite all the power and money he owned, he couldn't keep her. He kept staring from the railing as they descended from stairs till they disappeared outside the house.

Maybe whatever happened was for the best. Maybe he was losing control of his emotions because of Her. Maybe she was making him weak. Maybe now he could focus better.

Then why did he plant a chip on her before she left? Why did he want to keep track of her? Why was he obsessed with getting her back? Why did he want to keep her here despite knowing she didn't mean any harm to him? Maybe because now he couldn't fathom living in a world where she didn't exist. He kept walking through the Lonely, silent corridors and thinking about the recent events when he got a call from Rajat reporting him whatever happened. He wasn't really pleased after hearing all that.

***

"The tracker says she's still moving." Shahmeer said while looking at the tab.

"Ok I am following." Rajat said on the other side of call while driving the car as swiftly as he could. After sending Fiza back, he continued going after the tracker inside Myra's sandal. He kept on call with Shahmeer who was desperately waiting for the news he expected. After almost an hour, Rajat finally reached a small house around the market and walked inside to find some unknown girl wearing those sandals. Rajat asked her about those and she replied that a girl gifted it to her. 'How smart'. He Thought in mind. Had she thrown them somewhere, her location would not be moving and he would have realised that she knew about the tracker but she neither disabled it nor let it's movements stop. He came back home defeated. The good thing was he was never going to see her again. Never was someone going to challenge him again.

***