Six
We waited patiently for her to come back. Ayesha slammed the door open making us both jump up 'Bhopal, the bus went to Bhopal...that's where Zoya is, we need to go now...Zack, we will use the same get ups as we did to get here...We will meet at the train station...hopefully we can get there before she does' 'Ayesha the bus can't have got far...we can catch it why do we need to go to Bhopal?' Zack asked 'because that is where we will find our answers, whatever this is, whatever is going on it ends there, if we take Zoya out now we will never get to the bottom of it and I know Zoya will never tell us' 'Zack, Ayesha is right...lets get ready and get out of here'.
Leaving separately we met at the train station, sitting a few seats apart we waited for our journey to come to an end. It was the longest 8 hours of my life, we had reached early the coach was going to take another 3 to 4 hours to reach.
In the meantime we checked into a hotel near Taj Ul Masjid 'Zack, I am going to the mosque, you coming?' 'Yeah, one sec'.
I entered the mosque, I knew it was the only place I was going to be able to calm myself down, I needed guidance, help and there was no one who was going to help me, help us than Allah. As I bowed down in prostration I felt relief wash over me, a sense of calm, something I had not felt for so long 'Ya Allah, only You have the answers, only You can help us...please help us, guide us to what is right, let us fight what it is that is tearing us all apart...if Zoya is innocent then please protect her, let us unite as one'
As we walked out Zack stopped and looked at me 'the coach, we don't know where it was going to go...I mean Bhopal isn't a small place Asad' 'I know...but Ayesha will find out, she always does...with a group of women in veils I can only think that Zoya jumped on with people who were coming here for this place, it's one of the biggest mosques...hundreds of people come to visit it' 'I guess...I hope you are right'.
Ayesha spent the next few hours hovering around the mosque, dressed as an elderly lady she sat outside waiting, praying that the coach was going to alight here. Her prayer didn't go in vein just as the Adhan for Maghrib started she saw the coach park. Closing her eyes she sent a silent pray thanking her Khuda for helping her, them.
Ayesha went and sat opposite the coach doors, one by one the veiled women stepped out. Ayesha fixated her eyes on the step, the only way she was going to recognise Zoya was by her footwear.
And it didn't take long to single her out, who else would be wearing silver buckled boots. Keeping very still Ayesha's eyes followed her every step. Ayesha saw her inch away from the group and the quickly go and hide behind a door. Ayesha stood up but before she reached she saw Zoya step back out dressed as herself.
Ayesha was conscious of the darkness that started surrounding them as the sun set. Taking out her phone she sent Zack and Asad a text letting them know where she was.
Whilst she waited for them to reach her Ayesha tailed Zoya from a short distance. Ayesha stopped seeing Zoya talk to an elderly man 'it has been so long beta, how have you been?' Zoya took his hand in to hers 'I am well baba...tired of all this running around, when will it stop?' 'It will soon...please take care of yourself' 'I will baba, Allah Hafiz' Ayesha wondered if Zoya really was from Bhopal, was she based here?
Following her through one street after another Ayesha had totally lost her bearings 'where are you going Zoya?' She whispered to herself. Just then her phone started to ring, it was Zack 'Ayesha, where are you?' 'I have no idea...this girl hasn't stopped walking since I last spoke to you' 'she doesn't suspect anything does she?' 'No, I am certain of that...Zack wait...she has just gone into a building...some kind of warehouse' 'what is it called?' He asked with urgency 'Ramlal Cloth House...it's an old derelict building' 'stay there we are on our way'
'Ayesha' Zack called out as he saw her, running up to him she hugged him dearly 'there has been no movement since she went in, no one going in or coming out' Ayesha looked towards me 'I think we should go in' 'no...I should go in...you two stay here, cover me...in case someone else comes in' Zack placed his hand over my shoulder 'will you be ok' 'yes...I need to do this Zack'. As I stepped forwards Zack stopped me again 'take this' I looked down to the gun he was holding out 'I am not going to need that...you keep hold of it'
Leaving them behind I walked towards my fate, I didn't know what awaited me all I knew that it was Zoya.
I walked inside, the building was hollow with broken windows and an an iron frame that reached up high. There was complete darkness apart from a dim light that illuminated the far corner, just then my sixth sense kicked in, I stopped as I realised I was no longer alone, and it wasn't just Zoya. I fisted my hands, my body tensed as I awaited for them to show their faces.
I felt a presence behind me but before I could turn around I felt a sharp pain spread across my head as I was hit with something blunt, my eyes blurred and before I knew it I hit the floor.
'Tie him up...and bring the other two in, if he is here they can't be far' Tariq shouted out throwing the stick to the floor. Zoya looked at him 'you just can't help yourself can you?' Tariq gave her a wicked smile 'you don't know how long I have waited to do that'.
Ayesha and Zack were brought in at gun point, with their moths gagged they were tied up. Asad was sat on a chair with his hands and feet securely tied, the side of his face had a dried blood stain, blood that had spurt when he was hit unconscious.
'Look who is waking up' Tariq said mockingly, Ayesha and Zack looked towards Asad who started to stir.
I felt my head throb with excruciating pain as I opened my eyes, as soon as I did I saw Ayesha and Zack tied up in front of me, I tried to move but couldn't.
I looked from side to side to see all those I saw in Delhi along with Tariq who sat leaning against a wooden table smiling like there was no tomorrow.
'If it were up to me I would have killed you a long time back...but you see there are some orders I just can't refuse to follow...and what my Zoya says goes'
'My Zoya' the words sickened me, I felt my insides twist as rage started to build within me.
'You just couldn't keep away...you just had to come following'
Looking ahead I saw her appear, wearing her leather trousers and black jacket she certainly did look like femme fatale. She stood in front of Ayesha 'you always were the smart one...but not smart enough' I saw Ayesha look at her intently, her eyes widened for a split second before the softened, I never could understand her.
Zoya turned around to face me, her eyes, her face was emotionless. Walking toward me she pulled out her gun, I didn't know whether to laugh or scream out with disgust.
In her new bold self Zoya kept hold of my gaze, she placed her hand over my shoulder and then sat across my legs. Holding the gun she brushed the tip of it against the side of my face 'did that hurt?' She asked, her voice sounded like venom.
I looked away not wanting to see her but she pulled my face back '24 hours...that all I need Asad, I don't want to kill...stay out of my way'. Zoya leaned in closer, her lips merely and inch away. I tried to move away from her but she held on that much tighter 'oh come on...one last one...after this everything will disappear, vanish'
'Zoya, stop wasting time...just get on with it' Tariq called out
Zoya looked back at me 'sorry, I have to go' releasing her hold on my face a little she placed her lips over mine and kissed me.
Ayesha and Zack looked away in disgust, my eyes widened in pure shock at her audacity. As she kissed me further I moved my head away at which point she grabbed the back of my head. Leaning towards me she rubbed her cheek against mine and then I heard it, at first I thought it was my imagination but it wasn't.
Stepping off of me she gave me a wink and then walked off 'Tariq, lock them in the back room...by the time they manage to get out or if someone finds them we will have completed our mission'
As her men huddled us together she turned around to give us one last look, she glanced at all of us but she looked directly at Ayesha as if she was saying something to her, with Ayesha nodding her head slightly Zoya's eyes smiled.
'Lets get out of here' she said and walked away.
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