A Prayer Heeded

by Samreen Ahsan

  Adam looks at Mike with blank eyes, realizing Mike has no information about Rania, just like him.

  “I will find her, but don’t you dare put your filthy eyes on her ever again.” Mike starts pacing the living room, helpless, raking his fingers through his hair. “You know what, Gibson? You’re even worse than the person who tortured her in the past. He only broke her heart, but you...” He pauses for a moment. “You picked up those broken pieces, mended it beautifully and then tore it again into so many bits and pieces that she will never be able to pick them up by herself. You have given her the deepest wounds, which she can’t heal now. She trusted you and gave you her heart, hoping you would keep it in a safe place, and what did you do?” Mike grabs Adam by his collar. “If anything happens to her, I swear on Rania I will kill you, Adam Gibson. With your bodyguard as a witness, I will kill you.” With that warning, Mike leaves the room, without listening to anything Adam has to say.

  Anyhow, Adam has nothing to say to him. He knows Mike will find her soon, and will make sure she’s doing okay. He knows that Mike will not let Rania suffer, and deep down in his heart, he is contented that Rania has a guardian in the form of Mike. Though he was the one who promised Rania to protect her till his last breath; his envy failed him. He stands here helplessly, hoping that when Mike comes the next time, he will bring some news.

  ***

  Two days have passed since Christmas, but neither Mike, Ali, nor Adam is able to find Rania. Adam has to go back to work on the 27th of December. He hasn’t been there since he met Rania four weeks ago, and his business needs his time too. When he enters his building, the first thing that crosses his mind is Rania, when he looks toward the turnstile and swipes his security card. He recalls his first encounter with her; everything is here at this place—only his heart is missing. He reaches his office and places the picture of their first dance on his desk, in the frame she had given him. He re-reads the engraved words and thinks: she found me once but I lost her myself. His day held what seemed like an unending round of meetings; although he is physically present in all of them, his soul is somewhere else.

  Rania manages to hide herself in her room at the shelter for two days. Martha keeps her presence a secret. Rania knows if she comes out of the room, anyone can see her, and report to Adam where she is. She has not eaten anything since her last dinner with Adam at the party. Martha always brings her food, but she refuses every time. Her appetite is fading.

  She is busy reading a magazine when Martha knocks at her door.

  “I am sorry to disturb you, my child, but there is someone to see you.” She speaks to Rania, but doesn’t look into her eyes.

  “You informed him?”

  “No, my child, I did not.” She moves from the door and Rania sees Ali standing behind her.

  “She didn’t tell anyone, Rania,” Ali says, as he steps into the room and sits at the corner of the bed. He looks at Rania and her pale starved face. “I am glad Adam is not here to see you in this condition. This lady told me you haven’t eaten since you came here.”

  “Why are you here, Ali? You couldn’t keep one promise?” A tear drops from Rania’s eye.

  “I am still keeping my promise. You asked Adam not to chase you. Anyhow, he doesn’t know I am here. He still doesn’t know where you are. He knows you wouldn’t see him. I just came to see how you are doing. Adam has not sent me.” Ali folds his arms over his chest and looks at her with sympathy.

  “How did you find me?” she asks, out of curiosity.

  Ali smiles a bit and scratches his forehead. “You donated all the checks at this place. Adam didn’t donate that amount at the party that night, which left you doing it. And you donated to a place which he owns and supports in other ways.”

  Rania realizes what a big mistake she made with those donations. “Don’t worry, he doesn’t know about it right now. I look at his accounts. But…” Ali picks up her bag from the floor, where he placed it when he sat on the bed. “You might need this. It’s yours. Adam told me, if I ever find you, I should at least return your belongings.” Rania takes her bag from him, looking at Ali with blank eyes. “You remind me of my little sister, Rania, who died ten years ago. I always see her in you. In any case, if you don’t feel like living here...” He takes a card from his pocket. “Feel free to call me. My home is always available, but just to let you know, your apartment will be repaired by New Year’s.”

  He is standing up to leave, when Rania calls to him. “Are you taking care of him?”

  He smiles at her and shakes his head with surprise. “I was worrying for no reason.” He looks at her. “The fire is ignited at both ends.” Rania keeps looking at him, blankly. “Did you read—”

  “Yes, I read it. Tell him I am giving him what he wants. I forgive him, but I won’t see him.” Ali hears her words, but doesn’t say anything. When he reaches the doorway, he turns back and speaks to her.

  “Mike has warned Adam, if he doesn’t find you, he will kill Adam. I hope you know what you need to do.” He exits the room, having bombarded her with enough information.

  Rania has no choice other than contacting Mike. She knows Mike is very strong about keeping his word, and her absence might create many problems. Since she now has her wallet and her credit cards, she decides to go out and buy a few things on her own. She is tired of wearing donated clothes. This is not what she deserves. She knows, anyhow, that Adam will soon learn her whereabouts, but she also knows he won’t try to see her unless she agrees. Her lip is getting better, so she covers it with lipstick. She borrows a winter jacket from Martha and steps out in the cold open air, after two days inside.

  Hope is located behind University Avenue. She looks around the area and gathers her memories, how she has walked on the same street, hand in hand with Adam. She walks for a few minutes till she finds the underground subway station, where there are private shops for clothing and shoes. She purchases a few clothes, and shoes for walking in the cold weather. She encounters trouble at one store that will only accept cash, as she is out of cash. She goes to the bank to pull out some cash with her debit card, but the machine is out of order. She goes to the counter to complain the teller, but the lady informs her that she can also assist her in withdrawing the cash.

  “How much money do you want to take out?” the teller asks with a smile.

  “I have a limit of one thousand; that would be enough I guess.” She punches her pin code while talking to the teller. The lady looks at the monitor, where she can see the account details.

  “Well, you can take out more money. You have quite a large limit. Your account has been upgraded.” The teller smiles again.

  “Oh no, one thousand is fine. I don’t have enough money in my account to take out more.”

  “You mean one million dollars is not enough?” the teller asks Rania with surprise.

  “Excuse me?”

  “You have one million in your account, ma’am.” The teller looks at Rania speculatively. Rania doesn’t know what to say.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, ma’am. The amount was transferred yesterday.”

  “Who transferred it?” Rania is very impatient.

  “I am sorry, that information is not disclosed here.” The teller is surprised that Rania has so much money and she doesn’t even know it.

  “Can you revert the money? I mean, transfer it to the same account it came from?”

  “I’m sorry, ma’am. I am not authorized to do that. I can’t see the sender details here.”

  Rania knows only Adam could have done this. She knows Adam doesn’t go for favors. He is paying me back with his money? “So can I get this money in cash?”

  “Not possible today, ma’am. You need to fill out this form and come in day after tomorrow, on 29th December, and pick up your cash.” The teller hands the form to Rania.

  “I can pick it up on the morning of the 29th ?”

  “Sure, ma’am.”

  After receiving the shocking news of hav
ing so much money in her account, she comes out of the bank and calls Mike from a public telephone booth. Mike requests her to meet him immediately. Rania tells him where she is, and they meet at the closest coffee shop. He shows up within ten minutes and finds Rania sitting in a corner of the coffee house. He hugs her tightly, expecting that she may burst into tears in his arms, but Rania doesn’t shed a single tear from her blank eyes. Mike realizes she may have cried so much in the past two days that her eyes are empty and out of tears.

  “Where were you for two days, Rania?” They sit down, side by side, and he holds her hand. She is expressionless and emotionless, as if her heart has actually been taken out of her body. He tucks her hair behind her ears and looks at her face intently. “What has he done to you? I warned you, he was not—”

  “Can we talk about something else, Mike?” She interrupts in the middle of his sentence. She doesn’t want to talk about Adam with anyone, not even her best friend.

  “Sure.” He takes a deep breath and starts talking about something different. “I have your passport. Dad thought you might not come to the Gibson building from now on. He knew I would see you, so he wanted to know if you are still going in that summit.”

  “Why wouldn’t I come to work, Mike?” she asks confidently. She picks up her passport and a smile appears on her face when she sees her US visa. “Can I talk to Ben right now?”

  At her request, Mike instantly makes a call to his father. Rania informs her boss that she will be back at work the day after tomorrow, and she is very much interested in attending the summit. Ben assures her that she will get her tickets by Friday, in the late afternoon. Rania decides to bring one small trolley bag with her to work and leave for the airport from there. Mike talks to her about everything besides Adam. They spend a few hours together, and then she tells Mike she would like to do some shopping for the summit, since she has nothing to wear. Mike notices a beautiful diamond beaded chain around her neck, but doesn’t say anything to her. She may have forgotten to take it off, so he doesn’t remind her of it or ask who gave it to her. He knows such expensive gifts are only affordable by none other than Adam Gibson. Mike takes the rest of the day off from work and takes Rania shopping. They spend time together like old friends, and he diverts her mind with his funny jokes. She is laughing and listening to him, but he also knows that deep down, she’s still thinking about Adam. She isn’t saying anything with words, but her eyes are pouring out all the pain of her heart. They are blank and hopeless, with no life and sparkle, like they used to have. Adam has taken away everything she had.

  He stays with her till late evening, when she requests him to drop her where she came from. Mike keeps telling her that she doesn’t deserve to live in a shelter home and he wants to take her to his place, but she refuses to take any favors from anyone. Mike realizes that after Adam, she has even stopped trusting him. She is not letting anyone take care of her. Her vulnerability is making her overprotective about herself.

  ***

  Adam is still in his office late at night. Ali comes in to check on him, and asks if he wants to go home.

  “I don’t want to go. It’s not a home anymore.” Adam rests his head on his leather chair back and closes his eyes. “Home is where she is.”

  “I gave Rania her belongings. I mean, her bag and the wallet.” Ali sits on the opposite side of the table.

  Adam opens his eyes instantly. “Where did you see her? When did you see her? How is she?”

  “Please let me keep my promise, Adam. Don’t break her trust in me.” Ali looks at Adam keenly. “She is…” He isn’t sure how to describe her condition. “…living.” Adam closes his eyes again with pain. He knows how much he has hurt her. “Just to make you feel better...she said she has forgiven you but…” Ali pauses for a moment, and continues when Adam opens his eyes again and looks at him. “But she desires that you don’t try to see her. That’s the only favor she wants from you.”

  Adam’s words fail, in response to Ali’s news. What would he say? It was expected she would say something like that, but Adam wonders how long he will have to wait for his punishment to end. How long he will have to live without seeing her.

  “She refused to keep the phone,” Ali says. “She doesn’t want to be tracked, Adam.”

  “How did you know where she was?”

  “I would appreciate it if you don’t ask me. But in case you’re worried, she is in good hands.” Ali’s words comfort Adam a tad, but he wants to see Rania desperately. He wants to tell her how remorseful he is. He wants to spill his true feelings out to her, but he remains quiet, thinking that Rania’s wound is still not healed and he should give her time. But he promises himself that he will never give up.

  ONE BY ONE

  ♀

  I have finally started to adjust to living in a shelter home. I know I can afford to live in a hotel instead, but the idea of living alone, with no one around me, will kill me. I never thought I would find a mother in Martha. She is humble and sweet and extremely caring to me. She is the only one at Hope to whom I talk openly. After that first morning, she didn’t ask me or talk to me once about Adam. I am happy that she has kept my trust and didn’t inform anyone about me. But I know Adam is aware of my being here. It is impossible to believe, if Ali knows where I am, that he didn’t inform Adam too.

  I reach the Gibson building around nine in the morning of 29th December. The noise of the turnstile and security beeps are sending chills down my spine. It was a Friday, almost a month ago, when Adam grabbed me by my waist and pulled me to the other side of the Plexiglas doors. I feel like I’m captive in a time travel story; everything looks like it did then, but it also seems too ancient to remember. It is like a déjà vu. I reach my desk, ignoring all the head-turning gazes at me. I know everyone is looking at me with millions of questions in their minds. Ben comes over to me as I’m placing my hand trolley under my desk. He gives me a tight fatherly hug.

  “Have you eaten anything this morning? You look pale, girl.” He looks at me with concern.

  “I am good, Ben, excited to attend the summit tomorrow.”

  “I’m glad you agreed. It’s a good change for you.” He pats my shoulder. “Please, let me know if you need anything. And yes, when you come back, your apartment will be good to move in.” I remain silent, not sure what to say, so Ben continues. “Your father has been calling me; he wants to send you money—”

  “I don’t need anything, Ben. I can take care of myself, like I have been for the last five years. Tell him not to worry about me.” I look at him blankly.

  I am not even excited to get my apartment back. The place has nothing but memories of Adam. I am better staying at a shelter home then a place which Adam once called his haven. After Ben has left, I open my computer and start checking my emails.

  Since my phone was burned into ashes, I never got a chance to check my official or personal emails. And when Adam gave me the new phone, I never had a chance to configure my email accounts in it. The unread mails seem never-ending. Before I start reading them one by one, I remember suddenly what I have to do first thing this morning. I pick up the phone and dial the extension.

  “Hi, I was just wondering if Mr. Gibson is in his office.”

  “I’m afraid he is busy in a meeting right now, in his office. May I know who is speaking? I can give him a message later.”

  “That’s fine. I’ll call back in an hour.”

  I hang up the phone instantly, not willing to disclose my identity. I take out a leather bag from my hand trolley and head to the top floor. When I reach it, I am surprised to see how many security doors there are. I try my luck and swipe my card at the first glass door. Luckily and surprisingly, I have the authorization on my card. The second security door also works, miraculously, and I find myself in a long hallway with lots of cubicles on both sides.

  At the other end of the long passage, I can see Adam’s name embossed in capital letters outside a big dark wooden door. I ignore all the eyes on me
and rush into the room. I open the door widely when I see him engrossed in his meeting. He stops talking as soon as he sees me. I notice he was busy cracking some million-dollar deal. Ali looks at me with shock.

  “Please excuse us, gentlemen.” Ali speaks to the two men sitting opposite Adam on the other side of the grand desk.

  “No, I am sorry, I won’t take much time.” I walk in, my eyes not leaving Adam’s. I place the leather bag in front of him, but I don’t say anything to him. He is shocked at my sudden appearance; I can see it clearly. I turn around and look at Ali.

  “He couldn’t humiliate me enough? He thought money would compensate me? He thought I wanted his damn fortune? It was his heart I fell for.” With that, I exit the room at full speed, holding back my tears.

  I don’t want anyone to see my pain and feel sorry for me. When I am not sorry for myself, then I don’t want anyone’s pity. I knew the consequences of giving my heart to someone, but still I did. So it is my own punishment.

  I’m back at my desk moments later, and engross myself in reading my emails. The first email I receive is from none other than Ethan Murray. He mentions very professionally that he has checked my LinkedIn profile, and he and his team are interested in arranging an interview to meet them personally, and will also bear the cost to fly to the interview. He had hoped to see me at the summit in New York, but he had to take a colleague’s place at a workshop in Las Vegas this weekend instead. I think about his job offer for a moment; if I join Adobe®, I’ll leave this city, far away from my memories of Adam. This may bring a new life for me. Maybe God is giving me the hint to move on now. Maybe, this is my second chance.

  I reply to Ethan, stating that I feel extremely honored to get an offer like that and I send him my detailed resume, so he can proceed with the interview arrangements. I don’t know what I am thinking. I think for a moment, if Adam was in my life, would I have taken this bold step, without talking to him? But then I thought, he didn’t own me. I don’t need permission from him. Why do I feel so guilty, taking this step without informing him?