Basma likes Fendi

24 | Jinx

•Rayyan

I stand behind my closed door and take a deep breath. A burp flew out of my throat and I laughed, feeling embarrassed even if there was no one to see me.

My ribs hurt in succession to the sneeze I just halted with the tips of my index and thumb to my nose. That led me to wonder who was talking about me.

I stared at my room in shock and tried to remember the last time I'd been there. Five years ago? Three? It was terribly hot and all the windows were locked making the room stuffy.

Apart from that the curtains made it all look dark and cozy in a way. All I needed was to turn on the air conditioner and my blanket would be the next best thing.

I reached for my phone and the paper with which had the phone number on it and I dialed while stretching my other arm above my head to turn on the AC.

Immediately I rushed to the bed and layed underneath my furry, silk blanket and adjusted to the middle where my most comfortable pillow was stationed.

The number I'd found on my hospital bed happened to be for the infamous Bashir I and the police were looking for.

Here's a recollection of how this foreign encounter went.

My eyes drooped. I was almost ready to sleep when he answered. "Salamu Alaykum." I'd said.

"Wa Alaykumusalam, who am I speaking to?"

"Uhh Rayyan Abdullah."

"Rayyan?" He sounded elated.

"Yes, have we, maybe, met before?"

"I'm not sure but I'd like us to meet if you don't mind."

Trust me, weird, strange, alien, unusual, all don't begin to explain the kind of introduction and reasoning behind the both of us, men, agreeing to meet for the first time without even knowing who the other really was.

"Ok.." I paused, unsure if it was safe to meet with the human being that tried to assassinante me, "Sure, when?"

Maybe it wasn't pure fortuity that he was waiting for my call...

If I was doing this it'd be in an open place that was crowded so the men I hired to protect me could come to my rescue if things went south.

I didn't trust this man one bit but I was convinced that finding that note with his number wasn't a coincidence.

And now the part we've all been waiting for— how I found out he was the one I've been searching for all this while. Everything is believed was based on assumption, I couldn't be too sure but I was willing to have this meeting just to see if he was really the one.

"I'm sure you already know but for the sake of a proper introduction I'll tell you my name." He assumed. Boy, was he wrong, "I'm Bashir Hussein."

If he's introducing himself then that means he doesn't know me at all but is also looking for me. Joke or prank I wasn't finding this funny again and was ready to get to the bottom of things especially if he is really who I've been searching for.

"Thanks. We can schedule a meeting for four thirty tomorrow at clubhouse."

"That's ok, goodbye."

I took a shower immediately after even if I did in the hospital just to get the hospital smell off my body before slipping onto my bed for a slumber that led everyone in the house to think I was dead.

Repeated knocking forced me to open the door—only for me to meet three worried looking faces of my mother, the house help and her subordinate.

"Naam, yes?" I looked at their scared faces in confusion as all of them turned to leave, only leaving my mother who stayed to scold me.