A Prayer Heeded

by Samreen Ahsan

  I rub my forehead in frustration. God! Help me! I feel so powerless right now. “Just ask him to stop hitting her. She is my wife, dammit.”

  “Oh really? Two men claiming one woman to be their wife. How sensational!” He laughs monstrously.

  “How could you marry an atheist, Rania? Your Nikah never happened with him. You are his bloody whore, you bitch.” He slaps her one more time. I see shock on her face. “How much does he pay you for a night?”

  “He is a believer. I married God’s believer and even if he is not, he is a better human being than you.”

  “Fuck! You are the same old bitch.” He hits her hard again. This time, blood comes out of her mouth.

  “Stop this, Ethan. I’m going to kill you both.” Bloody hell! I can’t even move from here.

  “If you hit me one more time, Jibran, and if Adam finds out what you are doing to me, you have no idea what he is going to do to you. I am his life, and he will do anything in order to save me.” Her words comfort me. I scribble on a piece of paper, without taking my eyes off the screen, so that Ali and Mike can read what I’m thinking. ‘Find out the location where the call is from. I need both of them DEAD.’ They both get up immediately and leave the room.

  “Oh, my beautiful woman has so much trust in her rich lover.” Jibran pulls her hair and roughly tilts her head up. “Didn’t he ever tell you I was alive all the time? He knew I was alive when he married you. Your father knew I was alive when he gave your hand to that billionaire. And then your ostentatious lover paid me ten million dollars to stay away from you. He thinks he could buy me?” She takes a deep breath. I see tears soaking her blindfold; she exhales low whimpers.

  “No, he doesn’t lie to me. He loves me.” Fuck! She is denying the damn truth. There is no doubt that I love her deeply, but what I did was to protect her. The prick is playing mind games with her. He’s breaking her down mentally. “Yes, Rania, he paid me in his own office. You want to hear this from him?”

  “Time for you to speak the truth, Gibson.” Ethan’s voice interrupts.

  “Speak up, Rania. Your lover can see you as well as hear you, but there is nothing he can do about it. He is going to watch the love scene between us, my beautiful slut.”

  “Move your fucking hands from her, Jibran. I swear I’ll kill you.” I yell in rage.

  “Adam!” She acknowledges my voice.

  “Baby, I love you. Stay strong, okay? I’ll come and get you. Just don’t break down in front of him. You know he’s a bloody asshole.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me he was alive? You lied to me. Baba lied to me.” I can see her falling apart emotionally.

  “No, baby. I didn’t lie. I’m sorry I hid it from you, but I was trying to protect what is mine.” My words are not even reaching her heart.

  “You knew he was alive when we got married?” She is almost choking.

  “Rania, listen. Your father said he tried every possible way to find him, but when he didn’t, he showed you his death certificate so you could move on. We all love you, Rania. Please, be strong.” I can’t hold my tears back now.

  A river of affliction also flows from her eyes, and she doesn’t even try to restrain it.

  Jibran holds her jaw tightly and lifts her mouth with his filthy hands. “You are my wife, you bitch. This rich lover of yours paid me ten million dollars to sign the divorce papers. But till the divorce is finalized, I’m legally allowed to make love to my wife.”

  “Fuck off, you bastard. You lay your lands on her and I’ll cut your throat, Jibran.” I shout at him in hatred. I have never felt such repugnance in my life.

  “Oh yeah, Gibson? Come on and get her. Use all your bloody wealth and find out where she is. I know you cannot, so sit there wherever you are and watch her orgasm at my hands.” He chuckles in disgust.

  “Adam…” Her words trail off in the air. “Help me.” That’s all she could say. He picks her up by her hair and throws her to the couch like a bag of dirty laundry. I can see now how he treated her in the past. If I find him, he’ll beg for death. I swear he will beg for death and nothing else.

  She falls awkwardly over the couch, as her hands are tied with a rough rope. Since she entered my life, I’ve treated her like a precious jewel, always keeping her safe and secure, and this bastard has no fear of God. Can’t he see God is watching him? Doesn’t he have to go to his grave someday, and face God’s judgment? I swear I’m going to dig it for him myself today.

  “Oh, my beautiful wife went shopping today.” He picks up a paper bag beside the couch, and shuffles through the belongings in it. “Let’s see what we have here.” He pulls out black lace lingerie. “Oh! How sexy.” He looks at the garment in disgust. “You never wore anything to seduce me? I married you with all my heart.”

  “You never understood me, Jibran.”

  “Oh yeah? So he understands you? Do you make love to him, Rania? Do you allow him to touch you inside? Tell me, you bitch!” He pushes her legs apart with his strong hands, and tries to sneak his hand in between them. “Does he make you come? Tell me, dammit…do you get wet at his touch?” He rips off her jersey dress in an instant. “Ah! What a treat we have here.” She’s wearing new undergarments. These are different than what she had on this morning. She must have bought them for me when we planned to meet in my office.

  “What a beautiful woman you have, Gibson.” I hear Ethan’s voice, drunk with complete lust and avidity.

  “Stop it right there, you bastards. Show some mercy,” I shout again. Rania shudders at my temper.

  “Show mercy? Did you show mercy to me, Gibson, when you ripped away my honor, raped my pride and dignity?” Ethan pours his venom on me.

  Rania is almost naked, just covered with the red lace bra and panties and wearing her white sandals. She is lying, utterly helpless, waiting for me to rescue her.

  “You will always find my body cold, Jibran. You can never reach my soul like Adam did. I’ll die, but I will never give you that warmth you craved.” She is crying in pain, but her love for me is still endless. “You can use my body however you want, but my heart and soul belong to Adam and no one else.”

  He hits her hard in the face one more time, and throws her viciously on the floor. Her pretty face hits the ground. I’m certain her shoulder must be broken by now. Despite her deeply painful injuries, she picks her head up with pride and smiles. “You can never find me, Jibran. You can never watch my orgasm. I’ll always be dead meat to you.”

  He slaps her again. “Do you think I care about this fucking heart and soul thing? You are my avenue to see Bari crushed. I had to leave my career because he made my life miserable in the whole damn Middle East. He drew a line across my life. Anywhere I went, I was named as dead. He made me dead, you bitch, and now I will show him how death is, when he will carry his own daughter’s dead body in his arms to put her in her own grave.” She winces at his words. “My wife and kids suffered due to his hatred. Now he will see what suffering is.”

  “Jibran, please, I’ll give you more money, I’ll settle you and your whole family for the rest of your life, but please leave her alone.” I never thought I would beg that asshole for anything.

  “And what about the past five years, Gibson? Who will pay for those sufferings?”

  “Listen, there’s no way you can turn the wheels back, but I promise I can secure your future. She’s not just Bari’s daughter; she’s my wife now.” He doesn’t even listen to my words. My threats, my temper, nothing is having any effect on him.

  He slides the red strap of her bra down from her bare shoulder. “You know how to seduce other men, and you never warmed the bed of your own husband, you whore.” He throws her again and her head hits the hardwood with agonizing force. “You always found unrealistic reasons to stay away from me. Did you tell Adam a fucking Jinni watches you?”

  She moans in pain. I wonder what she will say to that. “He knows everything. He has seen that Jinni himself.” Her love and faith in me is bringing me power.<
br />
  “Oh yeah? Is that Jinni going to come now if I fuck you? Call him, you bitch. I wanna see your stupid reason for running to the other men, always pushing me away.”

  “A what?” Ethan laughs like a boisterous monster, interrupting their conversation. Right now, he is no better than a Jinni. “You saw a Jinni, Gibson?” I can hear how sarcastic his voice is. Rania was right, no one would ever believe it. “What are we watching here? Arabian Nights?” His excitement is pissing me off.

  “Rania,” I yell out her name. “Call Fadil for help. Show them he can come. Ask for his help, baby.” She takes a deep breath and tries to move her body away from Jibran’s possession.

  “Where the hell do you think you are running to, you slut? I’m not done with you.” He throws her bra away and bites her breast aggressively. She cries out in pain, and more tears pour from her eyes. It is the worst day of my life. My wife is being raped by two men, and I’m just sitting here as a spectator, doing nothing. Suddenly I hear the cracking of windows and doors on the other side of the screen and all of a sudden, the power shuts off. I’m disconnected from the video conference.

  “Oh fuck, Rania…no…” I can’t call them back—the number is blocked. I don’t know what they’re going to do with her. Will they spare her life, or beat her to death, or do something so abusive that she will pray for death herself? No, she is strong. I know she will overcome this pain. I walk toward the windows and fall on my knees instantly, with no energy to fight anymore. I look up at the sky and try my best to articulate my feelings. “Why are You doing this to us? I told You to leave her alone. This is how You do it? That’s it? That is all You can do?” This time I don’t stop myself from shedding tears.

  Suddenly, I feel a hand being placed on my shoulder to comfort me. I turn around and am surprised to see Fadil behind me. I don’t need to tell him that she is in trouble. He can read my mind. “They both are dead, Adam. They killed each other, for conquering the beauty, and none of them could get her. Just go and take her out of that place.” I gape in surprise when he hands me the address. I look down at the paper and as I look up, he disappears in a blink.

  Without wasting any more time, I scoot out of the office to where Mike and Ali are busy talking over the phone. “Let’s go. I know where she is.” She is almost an hour drive from my office. I go to my helicopter, as it will be the fastest way to reach her.

  “How did you get the address?” Ali asks me out of curiosity, while we get seated in the helicopter.

  “That’s a really long story. If they’re alive, I‘ll make sure they beg for death.” Ali doesn’t say anything.

  When I reach the room where Rania was being held, I see both Jibran and Ethan Murray lying dead on the floor, blood pouring from their chests. Beside them, I find my wife naked, crumpled on the hardwood. I instantly toss off my jacket and cover her body with it. Inhaling a mouthful of air, I position my fingers against her carotid artery to confirm she still has a pulse. She does, but it feels very weak. Thank God she’s alive. Her body is contorted in pain, her face deluged by blood. “Call emergency.” I say loudly.

  “I already have. The paramedics and police are on their way,” Ali responds.

  ***

  Almost eight hours have passed and there is no news from the doctors that took her to the ICU. Mike, Ali, Mother, Eva—they are all here to comfort me, but nothing is helping to soothe my mind. Unless I talk to the doctor, unless I know what is going on inside, I won’t be able to breathe.

  “Mr. Gibson?” A lady in her fifties comes out of the private ICU and calls my name.

  “Yes?” I respond immediately, hoping to hear good news.

  “I am Dr. Steele, your wife’s emergency doctor. I need to speak to you in private.” She walks toward a private room and I follow her blindly. I shut the door behind us and she asks me to sit.

  “Is she okay, Doctor?”

  “Okay would not be the right word, perhaps, Mr. Gibson. I won’t give you any false hope. Your wife is in very critical condition. Right now, we can’t say if she is going to survive or not.” I gulp her bitter truth. She continues, “She has been badly injured. Her left shoulder is fractured. Her rib is broken, causing one lung to collapse. We have kept her breathing with a ventilator.” She takes a deep breath. “But this all can be healed, if only…” She looks around everywhere. Why is she struggling for words? “How was your relationship with her?”

  “We are madly in love, Doctor. Tell me, how will she recover? What do you need?”

  “Mr. Gibson, your wife is not fighting for her life. I have been treating patients for almost twenty years, and I see patients fighting for their lives. People come out of comas, even after years, but your wife is not responding to any of our treatment. I don’t know how long she is going to stay in a coma, but seeing her like this, I think she is not willing to live anymore. She is in a state of shock.”

  I sink more deeply into the chair. No words have ever hurt me more than these. “It’s a common belief that people can wake up from this deep unconscious state by hearing their lover’s voice. If you can talk to her, make her believe that she needs to live, then maybe there is a chance she could open her eyes.” She stands up from her seat. “Possibly your words or prayers can bring her back. I know it sounds surreal, but prayers can bring a person back from death. Just ask God to show His mercy.” She places a comforting hand on my shoulder. “The good news is, she is still carrying the baby. It’s still viable.” She smiles at me.

  I look at her, agape. “Baby?”

  “Didn’t you know your wife is pregnant, Mr. Gibson?” I look at her in shock. “It’s almost nine weeks.”

  “Are you sure, Doctor?”

  “That is not the question to ask, Mr. Gibson. You are asking a doctor if she knows whether the patient is pregnant or not. Didn’t she tell you?”

  “She would have told me if she knew herself. I don’t think she knows about it.” I speak flatly, talking to myself. Rania is pregnant. She is going to have my baby? Oh hell! She will have to fight for us, for our baby. I will make her fight for us. “Can I see her now?” I look at her pleadingly.

  “Sure.” She gives me a motherly smile.

  As soon as I step out of her office, Mom takes me by the shoulder. “Is she okay, Adam?”

  I watch my mother’s concerned face for a while, trying to think what to say. “She’s going to have my baby, Mom. She’ll have to wake up. She needs to fight for her life. I’ll make her fight for it, and come out of the coma.”

  Mother hugs me tightly, comforting me in her arms. “Oh, Adam. I’m sure she’s going to be fine. We are all praying for her.” She wipes tears from my face, her own face drenched in sorrow.

  I enter the private ICU, where I see my love lying on the hospital bed, helpless and nearly lifeless. Wires leading from her body connect to several machines that create an ominous cacophony and an eerie, yellowish glow in the small room. It looks like a scene from a movie under the fluorescent lights; her skin is pallid, except around her eyes, which are swollen and puffy, with splotches of crimson. I can see she is not willing to fight.

  Oh God! Please help me. Give her back to me. I swear I will never hurt anyone, even if I hold a grudge against that person. I will do my best to forgive my enemy. I will never create a demon in anyone. Please, return her to me.

  I sink into the seat, praying. I keep looking at her, wondering what it would be like if we hadn’t met at all. Is she here because of me? If I hadn’t done anything to Ethan Murray, he wouldn’t have plotted against her. I was the reason for his vengeance. I created a demon in him, like I did with Khaldun. My hatred and wrath made them devils. They were not monsters by birth. But what about Jibran? I never harmed him. He had issues with Bari. No one treats his woman like he did. Was he the counter effect of Khaldun’s or Murray’s revenge? Did they make him a devil?

  Suddenly, I feel the air shifting in the room. I can feel him. He is here, sitting next to me. I don’t move my head to make sure
; I just know he is.

  “I am sorry, Adam.” I hear his voice filling up the room. He is also watching her, perhaps mourning her condition.

  “Did you kill both of them?” I ask without any emotion. It’s good that those bastards are dead, but I wanted them to beg me for death. How could they die so easily?

  I hear him chuckle. “Not really. Your angels came to her rescue. They just asked my assistance to manipulate their demonic minds, as angels are not capable of ruling a human’s mind. Since we possess this power, they asked me if I would help so they would kill each other for the money and the woman.”

  “Why did you want to help?” I’m still looking at Rania.

  “God didn’t want you to wash your hands with their filthy blood. He knew you would be cruel to them, and make them beg.” He sighs. “Also, I wanted to repent for my sin. I want you to forgive me. I’m sorry. I never wanted her to die like this.” He speaks quietly.

  “She is not dying. She’s going to live. She is going to live for me,” I say flatly. No emotion is taking me over. The only thing I feel right now is pain.

  “I don’t want to keep you in any delusion, Adam. An angel of death is hovering around her, waiting for God’s approval to take her soul out of her lifeless body.” He places his cold hand on my shoulder. “I didn’t want it to end that way. I’m sorry.”

  “Your apology is not helping me, Khaldun. Please go. I want to be alone with my wife.” My cold words make him shudder. “Why are you here? To watch her soul taken away? You are still not done with her?” My hatred against him has hollowed my soul.

  “I’m here to apologize. I want you to forgive me…please.” I hear the plea in his voice. I turn my face and look into his eyes, wondering if he is putting on a truly despicable act, but damn, his eyes say he is apologetic. I can see the truth in them. “Please forgive me, Adam.”

  I look back toward Rania. “Why do you need my forgiveness?”

  “Your curse, that you afflicted me with that night when I tricked your wife, has left me no place to go, Adam. There is no place in the entire universe where I can go and breathe. Hell has broken over me since then. My own people have abandoned me. I’m stifled from all sides.” I keep listening to him. His plea doesn’t move my heart. “The curse is not letting me die. Please take your words back. Let me die.”