Chapter 70: Warm Words $ Memories

"Let's have you eat first, then I'll leave and ask them to bring her over." It was such a lovely time for him. And even though this was his first time regarding to Ya Girema as a mother, it felt so right and amazing on both his lips and heart.
But he missed Maryam. He didn't know if she had known about the accident or not, but if she did, she would have been devastated, he knew. From the words they shared while Mammi fed him and Abba sat while they nattered, Na'im knew he had missed the father he once had and just now did he realized how terribly hard his life would have been if Abba hadn't been back. And when he caught a glimpse of her earring on the bed, he knew it, one way or the other, Maryam had been there.
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Ya Girema's chamber had been their meeting point since when they felt as though they were being spied on, in their chamber. Saima placed down the tray she had prepared some snacks and drinks for them before she found a space on the other sofa and sat down. It was Amjad that went to Ya Gumsu's chamber and ordered one of her maids to get her clothes and Saima knew if it hadn't been for him, it would have been so hard.
"I don't know how to go about this. It's obvious in his eyes that he doesn't trust me, I can't even be so close to him in a way I'd get us a clue. I've had his whole chamber searched when he was in the barrack but she wasn't there. He doesn't speak in the phone while I'm there. The worse thing happened yesterday, he asked his guards to stop me from going into his chamber, if I give him more reasons to suspect me, it wouldn't look good." Adeel said as he sighed.
They had been thinking of a way out and Ya Girema had just called and told them that Na'im had woken up and she furthered to ask how about Maryam? If they had any clue of where to find her. They had to beg her before she agreed that she wasn't going to say a word for those two days they had spent together with Alan Gubro in the hospital even though it was hard. And now that Na'im was awake, they knew it meant something and they'd want to bring his wife safely to him before anything else.
They kept on talking and they had even tried to stalk him wherever he went to, but he disappeared whenever he went into the barrack. They couldn't keep up with who went in and out of the barrack and Hafiz wasn't much of a help, either. He was working in something he said he had been assigned by Na'im and would want everything to be done by the time he woke up. But everything was messed and Sadeeq was getting even more difficult to predict.
"Should I try and do something then?" Saima asked, after their voices died down and still, there was no single solution. She spoke to them of her plans and they agreed with her, but they all were wary knowing so well just because she was his sister didn't mean he wouldn't try to hurt her if she got in way with his plans, but she wanted to do it, and she would.
They all got set and ready and Saima walked out of the chamber first, lest someone saw them together and report it to him. She first went to Ya Gumsu's chamber as they planned, crying as she begged for her forgiveness, but Ya Gumsu threatened to kill her if she didn't get away from her. Lastly, she had her guards to throw Saima outside and Saima walked to his chamber in tears.
He was in his living room, even though he seemed to be in a relaxed position, he had something going wrong in his eyes. He was restless and seemed ruminative but she didn't spare him another curious glance when she broke into tears and fell on the floor. At first, he was surprised to see her in his chamber, but the way she was crying with nothing but sheer anguish pushed away all sorts of thoughts he had in his mind before walked to her and lifted her to her feet.
"What's wrong, Saima? Is it Umma again?" He had always known about her feud with Umma that seemed endless, even though he knew Umma had finally thrown her out of her chamber and news had got to them that she was now staying in Ya Girema's chamber. He had been hurt about that and wanted to go and bring her out of here himself, but she stopped him. Saying she would just have to do something that would make everyone hate her and Saima would have no where to go but to them.
"Can you please beg her for me, Yarima Sadeeq? Umma isn't willing to forgive me and I have no where to stay in now. Ya Girema is being so hard to deal with, she hates my mother, how can I stay under the same roof with her? I don't want to talk to Alan Gubro about this, because Umma might be in trouble if I do."
It took time before he was able to console her and Saima knew it was time to stop her tears so long as she wanted to get something out of this. She gulped down the water he had brought for her and laid on the three sitter to get some rest. She closed her eyes and acted like she was asleep when she heard him over the phone.
"She did what?!" And then he gave an enigmatic laugh, "I guess it's time I eliminate the only proof she has, which is her life. I'll be there in a few minutes. Don't hurt her until I come, she's going to die, after all." Saima felt her heart wavering with fear, she knew it was no one but Maryam and there was nothing she could do now. She had to wait, even though she knew she might be late but she had to.
"Take her to the address I'll send to you now. I'll take a quick shower and be there in less than thirty minutes." She heard him ended the call, and then the bathroom door of his room opened and closed behind him. Saima knew he had went in to shower and if she wanted to save Maryam, she had to risk her life and walk into that room to check his phone, which she did.
She was glad that the door was left open by him, he would have noticed that she was in by the sound the door would make. She found his phone on the mirror and with her heart pounding against her ribcage, Saima quickly put in the password she had caught him hitting the day he came to tell Umma that he had found out about Maryam and he opened the phone to show her her picture.
Beads of sweat rolled down on her forehead when she unlocked the door and saw the message, Saima quickly forwarded the message to herself and deleted it before she ran out of the room, her heart in her throat. She quickly forwarded the message to Amjad and sent a quick note about what she heard him say before she laid back on the sofa and closed her eyes, making sure she was in the same position he had left her when he went in to shower.
She heard him moving quickly in his room, she knew she left no sign for him to know that she was there, because the shower was running when she was in the room but she still couldn't help being afraid that he might find some clue. She heard him rushed to the door and it took him only a minute after he had walked out of the door before she heard the rustling sound of his car's engine and she sat upright after she made sure he had walked out.
She called Areef and told him that he had just left if there was something they wanted else and Areef told her they would be on their way to their said location, but they were unarmed and it was useless to think that Sadeeq wouldn't have a gun there and they all knew he wouldn't hesitate to shoot them. She should try and contact Hafiz, they have been trying to do that but to no avail.
She was still in his chamber, facing to and fro in the living room as she dialed his number and waited to see if he'd pick the call. But it kept going to the voicemail. She had sent him numerous messages, but there was no response. Saima silently prayed that none of her brother's would be harmed, not Maryam and not even the villain which happens to be the only full brother she had.
She didn't know how many times she had been calling Hafiz and before he picked the car, she was already in tears. Anxious about Maryam and her three brothers. She sighed when she heard his voice boomed through her phone, "Ah, thank god. You're needed urgently, Soldier."
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Maryam saw the pitch blackness that had engulfed her eyes after she had been blindfolded by one of the huge men that threatened her life with each passing second. She was even terrified to cry, because, Captain Bolori had made it clear to her that if she cried again, he'd kill her and kill the sister she wanted back badly. She had to be obedient if she wanted her sister alive, but Maryam didn't believe him.
Na'im had told her that so long as Intisar was alive somewhere, he'd make sure he saved her and brought her back home for her. But even after knowing Na'im would be there to save them both, she knew he was more likely died by now, or still unconscious to come to her rescue. No one will notice if she was absent, no one would care even if they did.
Saima would cry, but she couldn't do anything about it. She couldn't tell her parents about it and even if she did, they both didn't care to try and rescue her. She had cried tirelessly but when the tears were too much, they'd come in and threaten to kill her with her head at a gun point until she had silenced her tears.
She was in a car, but she didn't know where they were going. She could feel them driving as fast as she had never drove in a car and wondered if they meant to have an accident with her, that way, it would be said that her death was natural and no one would be suspected. There were lies that could be told for the reason she had gotten away from the palace.
The car came to an abrupt stop and she jerked forward and then backward which made her winced. She was yanked out of the car and it reminded her of how he had thrown Intisar into the back of his van. She thought that maybe he was going to have her where he had been hiding Intisar, if that was what was going to happen, she was glad. Even though she knew her heart would be in constant ache for Na'im.
She was dragged somewhere, everywhere was pitch black and she couldn't notice where they were going. She was thrown over into something that felt like a carpet and there was no one beside her for her to think that she was together with other captives as well. Then she heard his voice, the voice of the man that brought the first searing pain she had ever felt in her life. The clothe that was used in blinding her eyes was taken off and she could see his face clearly. "It's good to see you again, lady." She winced in pain and agony. She hated this man and hated everything that he had gotten. She hated that he shared the same name with her husband; Captain Bolori.