The Girl In Black [On Hold Till Further Notice]

Life goes on... (Part-II)

PLZ VOTE + COMMENT + PROMOTE

Dedicated to @zzoonikhan for admiring my writing so much.... :* :) 

__________

"Oh...um... I just called to ask, have you checked up on my parents, like I asked you to? How are they doing?" the girl spoke in an anxious tone. But she was met with only an eerie silence from the other end of the line. "Avi? You there? I asked you something..." 

"Your parents are fine, Zahra!" Avi suddenly answered, her tone exasperated. "Stop annoying me with your endless queries, okay! I'm hanging up, now. And don't call me again." "But... Avi, listen..." Zahra tried again, only to hear a long beep indicating that her call had been disconnected. What was the matter with that girl?! She'd never spoken to her like that, ever!! Was something fishy going on? No, she was imagining things a little too much. Avi wouldn't lie to her like that.

And precariously hanging to that thread of hope, Zahra prayed aloud for her parents to be safe, ultimately falling into a deep slumber, and forgetting that walls had ears too.

The next morning, when she got up to go out, it was raining. Ugh! She hated this weather!! Nevertheless, she performed her usual morning ritual, tying her untamed curls into a messy chignon, wrapping a hijab over them, and slipping on her abaya, the girl in black was finally ready to go. As she passed through her doorway, a paper fluttered on the floor and came to a stop right in front of her. Curiously, Zahra picked it up and read. 'FINAL WARNING!'

'The LEASE of your apartment is ending on the fifteenth of this month.' Gosh! She had totally forgotten about that! 'If not renewed on/before that date, your flat, along with all your belongings will be seized. For more details, please check your mail.' 

What would she do now? She had no money to pay for the lease. The sum was huge, and she'd already sent half of her salary to her parents. OH! When was that ill-moment when she'd refused that man's offer?! Well, nothing could be done about that now.

Zahra wasn't seeing her way out from this scrap at any rate. She could ask for a loan from her bank. Its costs will be heavy, she'd have to pay regular interests along with the principle at the end. But, at least, she wouldn't be made to leave this place she'd begun to call home. 

Yes! Taking a loan of some thousand dollars would be best. She may be allowed some concessions if she asked nicely. Keyword: maybe. That is to say, if they didn't take any offence to her attire. With a deep sigh and a heavy heart, she unenthusiastically walked off to see to her duties for the day.

*********

After about an hour or so, the door to No. 415 opened and three men got in. When asked by the receptionist who and what they were here for, they simply answered that they were here to make some repairs about the whole flat, and Ms. Fatimah had sent them. And being terribly busy herself, she'd left her door open to, freely, let them in.

"Now, work as fast as you can, before anyone gets suspicious," one of them said to the other two. And all three of them scurried away into different directions. The next ten minutes were incredibly trying and, not to forget, busy as they went about their work. There were cameras and tape recording devices to be fixed in discreet places, and everything was to be left in its earlier shape. There were no footmarks to be exposed, and the front door to be locked at all costs.