Broken trust

chapter twelve

'There's no way in hell'. Najeeb spat angrily at me. I heaved a sigh and walked closer to him, he is seriously starting to get on my nerves, we've been at it for more than an hour now, and his stubbornness is getting frustrating. 'Seriously, Najeeb this is a perfectly good plan, I go in there and get us the information we need about them. We are finally taking a step forward to bringing the assasins down for good, you said you've been after them for yes then here...right now is your chance.

Your golden ticket, to success. I tried to reason. He looked at me intently probably thinking of my foolishness. It is risky quite alright but I believe I can do this, we've been working together for quite some time now and so far we haven't really gotten far.

After our encounter with Sardat five days back, he sent me an invitation card to some event, Maish & sons, annual fundraiser. The tricky thing is that, I have never been invited to this event for the whole seven years I lived with Hameed. Infact I have never met any member of the Maish & sons organization. Hameed told me it was a family business his uncle runs, and he also has a share in it but being him, he chose to stand on his own and work alone. He doesn't really talk about the company much so I never gave it any thought.

How naïve I was.

When I got the invitation, I saw a chance to get my answers and decided to go. I called him and thanked him for the invitation with the promise of not missing the event. Hameed was furious. He asked me to call and cancel, but couldn't give me a reason not attend. We argued a lot and I stood my ground. 'This is an invitation from your uncle Hameed whom I've never met, how on earth will I not go? I had said. 'you will meet him just not now, Amal, just cancel damn it!' he shouted. So the conversation was not pleasant to say the least, and after so many shouting and reasoning, he relented.

Here I was, doing the same thing with Najeeb for the past one hour thirty minutes roughly. 'Amal, you can't do this, I will not let you'. Najeeb said walking away.

I was dumbfounded.

I was shocked.

I was flabbergasted.

Ohh and I was furious.

Let's take a breath and go back a bit, I. will. Not. Let. You. If Najeeb thinks for a bit that he can stop me, then he must be mistaken. I merely told him about the invitation out of mere curtesy for what we've been doing together, this little crusade of bringing the assasins down, but that doesn't mean I needed his permission to save my father, I will save him, even if it means going to this stupid fundraiser, so nobody will stop me, not Hameed and even Najeeb.

I walked as fast as I can and stood right in front of him causing him to halt suddenly, his eyes wide as he set his eyes on me. 'Amal, what the hell?'

'you will not allow me? You said. Ohh Najeeb let me break it to you shall I?. My husband to whom I am married to for seven years turns out to be a highly, ruthless assassin hell bent on killing my father. MY FATHER!!! As if all that is not enough I happen to be pregnant. Impeccable timing might I add. And the unimaginable thing is that I still love him, knowing who he is and what he does, I still love him. I know at the end of this all, I am supposed to choose between my father and the father of my child. So I think you have no right whatsoever to allow me. I highly suggest you re-phrase that statement''. I finally released a breath. Our eyes locked together silently daring the other, for about three minutes when he finally relented.

'I know its difficult Amal...'

'no kidding sharlock'. I cut him off.

'but you have to think rationally, these people are well trained assasins, they smell a threat from a hundred miles radius. Being in their midst and snooping around is asking for a death sentence, you don't stand a chance. You will be at risk and if anything happens to you, that will be on me. I can't go through that again. Not ever'.

'That is not on you, it will be on me'. And with that I left my mind full of thoughts. Whatever he means, with his last statement.

HAMEED

'Alright, your silence is killing me. It can't be that bad, it's just a party Hameed.' Sardat said rubbing the back of his head. He really thinks it was harmless what he just did, inviting Amal to the party, what was he thinking?.

'yeah, just a party. Where it happens to be a cover-up for the operations to take place, are you out of your mind?'. I glared at him. The thought of Amal being there makes my heart leap in fear. Fear, not for me but for her.

'I am just thinking of the various ways to murder you, though I can't seem to decide a more appropriate way to make it slow and painful, tell me how about I pull out your intestines through your mouth and hang you with it? Or why don't I just severe the connection of your head with the rest of your body instead? Does that sound approvable? Brother'. I smiled at him and I saw him shiver.

'don't you think you are overreacting brother?' he asked looking straight into my eyes. Sardat always thinks himself our behaviourist, he looks at you and understands you perfectly even when you yourself don't.

'unless of course you don't, you actually care for her don't you? That explains the anger, the threats you actually care for her dammit! Hameed you aren't supposed to be emotionally involved with the assignment you know that.' Sardat shouted and I winced. Hes right, I wasn't supposed to, but I have. And I am not going to admit that to him. Deep down I hoped denying it will somehow change the circumstances.

'I do not care about anyone, not even her, especially her. I am the most ruthless, merciless, cruel, heartless assassin, my name alone brings fear to many minds. I am not capable of caring, I will eliminate whoever stands in my way without hesitation. If you ever play that stunt with me ever again, I will annihilate you in a blink of an eye. Are we clear? Brother'.

'crystal'.