Taken As Reward (The war of politics and love BOOK 2 )

48. Barbadi 2.0

And a failure has I become. Yet again.

"Three days," I told him and he shook his head. There was a public bathroom I had been going to, which was not inside the arc, but rather a kilometre from there.

I couldn't bring myself to walk to that distance, thinking what if the moment of bravery that hit me, would be when I am away from this arc?

The man went to his shop and came back with a steel lunchbox and opened it keeping it beside me,

“Mahri Lugai-” he started but my mind froze on those two words. What he said after was barely audible but his last words suggested something that he was appreciating his wife's cooking. He offered his luncheon towards me.

"She sent for you too?" he asked me, and I shook my head.

"No," I told him and went over the arc, and stood before it. I can feel my skin being coated with at least three layers of dust. When I scratch my arm with my nail, a layer of dirt shifts on my skin, I was extremely dirty.

Standing near the gate, they spoke the words out loud. I tried to stop myself further on. But I couldn't move myself, the images turned clearer. The images of my torture the last time I crossed the arc.

The same way for last month, every morning I try and pass this arc, but I end up falling on the ground after a sudden attack on my body. I closed my eyes and thought of not thinking. To not put my past before me never to think of that which has happened.

Irony,

I say things like this, to me. I have created a monologue to tell Zehra to not let the past rule her.
And yet here I am struggling to reach her because I couldn't act on it myself.

I thought not to think. Never to think again.

But here I was standing and the images became clear in my head.

~

PAST (8 months ago) -:-

I heard the phone buzz in my hand, but I was listening to what my boss, Abhiraj was talking about.

My attention was directly on his orders, and I heard notification bells on my phone. And he heard them too when he turned around and looked at me.

"Pick up," he said aggressively.

"I don't need to, Babasaheb!" I was well aware that it was Dev and he had done something with what he needed from my accompany.

Babasaheb sat down on the desk of his study, and he gestured his hand towards me, "Take it!" he ordered and I nodded taking the phone, the caller ID was unknown.

I haven't yet, won over this man before me completely. He is very keen in his senses and well aware of what is going on in the opposite person's head.

I picked it up when he made me keep my hand low, pointing out, “Speaker!” he asked me.

I blinked staring at him, but put it on anyway, I owe him my loyalty after he helped the case of me cutting those men's hands.

“Daiwik where are you?" I heard a familiar voice, Arti.
Where did she get my number? And why is she panicked?

I met Abhiraj's eyes who looked at me with bare curiosity. "Is everything okay? Whose number is this?" I asked her.

"Daiwik, Zehra is getting married today. I was locked in my house because Dad was afraid I would go to the wedding so I sneaked out, this is the neighbour's phone. Come and save her, she is messed up. That man is messed up! He is paying Murshad money to take Zehra,"