A Reunion ✔

Chapter 29: Mastermind is Who, again?

Assalamu alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu!

So, I've completely edited and finished all the things! There's 4 more chapters to go to end things!

Have fun!

Insha Allah!

***

After that fateful meeting with Ibrahim, he continued to provide me with more vital information. We couldn't meet much, because that would have raised some suspicions among MassGyn and also with father.

Not to mention a certain someone who had been constantly aloof with with me, ever since.

He ignored me at every possible moment, like I did something awful. But I pushed away those thoughts for sometime later, and tried to focus on the matter at hand. For, far too many things were at risk.

I'd been running back and forth between places, trying to scrape some evidence. Be it the storage unit of our company, the locker room with the contracts, record room or my cabin. It had become much more hectic. Moreover, I had to juggle with meetings at Ocean Holdings as well. But Mehna helped me out mostly with them, so I was glad.

I had wanted to ask if Mehna had any idea about this, and if she could help us, but Ibrahim had shot the idea down as quickly as it came, refusing to trust anybody.

Seriously, the man enjoyed this matter more than I was comfortable with.

While it was hard to deal with, I got used to Ibrahim's weird change, after a while.

He genuinely wanted to redeem himself through this. And he subtly mentioned that he'd be promoted anyway, so it was worth the while.

That guy!

Stupid as he might be, he was sometimes smart. 'Sometimes' being the keyword.

Smiling lightly, I dialled his number.

"Assalamu alaikum, Ibrahim."

"Wa alaikum salam. Girl! I've got something big!"

He started. I could feel the excitement all the way from the other side of the the phone.

Finally!

"Be quick. I don't have much time to spare. I've got a meeting in fifteen. What is it?"

"Ma'am, don't try to go all busy on me. Might I remind you I have a promotion coming up the line. I'll be the busy one, then!" He replied haughtily.

I rolled my eyes, at his childishness.

I couldn't help but huff. This guy had the time of the world, talking all the unnecessary stuff. One wouldn't believe me if I say, this was the same Ibrahim, who used to bully people, smoke behind buildings and be all shady.

"Anyways, back to business. I emailed you the scanned copy of the contract. Also some other stuff related to the deal. I don't really understand half of it. But this wasn't orchestrated from the beginning, and the company isn't aware of this. It seems like I'll get my promotion! Also, this started few months ago. Which means, it was well after Khan Construction signed the contract with MassGyn. You'll see the details, in the attached file. I can brief you on them, a little."

He rambled off in one breath.

So, he explained, when I told him to continue.

It had started when the Chief was struggling to obtain supplies and materials. He had embezzled quite a sum out of the money and later was struggling to pay up. He initially planned on covering up the incident with low quality materials. But, failed in obtaining them at a low price, in such a short time.

That's when a third person struck the deal. According to the conditions, the Chief had to act helpless, refuse any compromises from our side, inform the higher ups that this was caused due to me overlooking their estimation, ultimately drop out from the project, halfway through. In turn, he would receive the money he embezzled which he could then safely replace.

In the end, he kept his hands clean, while he put the blame on me. Of course he could clear the mess he had made too.

The details seemed upto point. They made sense. Now as it was, the MassGyn were starting to blame me. Once the project dropped, they wouldn't need to necessarily face a loss. Because, since supposedly, I made the mistake, the Khan Construction had to pay for the loss. It seemed to play into their game. MassGyn wouldn't be so much as affected by it. They wouldn't question it or look it into it. They would get their money. So the Chief had nothing to worry about.

But who had made the deal? And why? To weaken Khan Construction? Or was there a big picture behind all this?

"Last but not least, I found the name!"

His voice erupted on the line, breaking me out of my disturbing thoughts.

It took a couple of seconds to process all what he said after that. Because, while I was in thought, he mentioned someone.

Or specifically a name.

What.

"Ibrahim, hold on. Who?"

"It was some girl. Mehna. Mehna Farida Khan. I don't know her though, haven't seen-", his voice cut off in the middle.

Or more like the phone was out of my hand in a moment's notice.

Was it pain I was feeling? Was it hurt? It was like lightening struck right in the middle of my heart. Like your oxygen mask was just ripped off, while you begged to live.

I couldn't really make sense of the situation, nor could I hang on to my feelings of betrayal and heartbreak, because, by that time I realized my phone hadn't fallen down, but had actually been ripped out of my grasp by someone.

And worse.

I was still trying to grasp the turn of events, when someone's hand wound around my waist, and pulled me abruptly, into a niche in the wall.

What more? Ya Allah. What now.

Few moments ago, before ibrahim had dropped the bomb, I was leaning on the wall, beside one of the niches on the long wall, dialling Ibrahim.

(A/N: These niches are an ornamental recess in a wall or like, usually semicircular in plan and arched, for a statue or other decorative object.)

The niches were built as a means of decoration, but they were deep enough to accommodate two people. There were around 12 niches built, with 5 feet gaps in between adjacent niches, along the wall.

And now, I was in one.

What the-?

My phone was in the stranger's hand and I could hear Ibrahim's voice crackling, unclear in the other end, still talking.

He pocketed the phone before resting his free hand on top of his other hand which was currently holding me by my waist, in a vice like grip.

Whoever it was, he had no intention of leaving me before getting his work done.

Atleast I understood that.

***