The Girl In Black [On Hold Till Further Notice]

The nightmare begins

Dedicated to @satrangi for being such a dear :)

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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."