Echoes of Agony

Chapter Eleven

Zaytun's mind spun as she watched AbdulJalal leave the house without saying where he was going to. She tried calling and texting him, but he didn't answer. She was left wondering where he had gone and who the person on the other end of the line was. Lost in her thoughts, she sat on the couch, staring at her phone still clutched in her hands. The sound of the TV playing in the background seemed like mere noise. She had been waiting for him to call for hours, but there was no sign of any call or message. As the clock struck 1 AM, her anxiety and fear escalated, and she began to worry about the worst-case scenarios.

What if AbdulJalal had encountered trouble or an accident while she waited? The fear of the unknown gnawed at her mind, making her feel helpless and alone in that moment. She considered calling Zahra or Usman. She dialled Usman's number but hesitated. However, her concern for her safety prevailed, and she hit the call button. After a few moments, Usman answered the phone, greeting her enthusiastically.

"Assalamu alaikum, Zaytun, how are you?"

"I- I'm fine, Yaya."

"Zaytun, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Yaya. It's just Abdu-"

"What did AbdulJalal do to you? Should I come?"

"No, no, Yaya, he didn't do anything to me. It's just I- Yaya, did, did he mention anything to you? He left home, and I- I don't know where he is right now. He was in a hurry and-"

Usman could sense the urgency in Zaytun's voice. "Okay, okay, calm down so that I can understand the situation better."

"Okay, I'm calm now."

"Since when has AbdulJalal left home?"

"He left around 10 PM after receiving a call, and he hasn't returned yet. I'm so afraid something must have happened to him."

Usman asked if she knew who had called AbdulJalal. She replied that she didn't know. Usman assured her that he would try to locate AbdulJalal and call her back shortly.

Zaytun thanked Usman profusely for his help and felt relieved that she had reached out to him.

~

AbdulJalal was in a state of madness and disbelief. He couldn't believe how low the abuser could be and how relentlessly he aimed to provoke him every time. He was determined to kill him and throw him into the river. The thought of his loved one being in danger had sent him into a frenzy, causing him to rush out without thinking straight. As he drove at breakneck speed, a police car tried to pull him over for breaking the law, but he ignored it, knowing that they would recognize his car and let him go soon enough.

Frustration got the better of him as he beeped at someone in front of him and yelled, "Get out of the way if you don't know how to drive!"

Although he knew the person could never hear him, he passed the car and continued his journey. Finally, he reached his destination after a hair-raising race. As soon as he got out of the car, he saw two guards standing with their heads down, clearly ashamed that they had failed to protect the person they were paid to keep safe.

AbdulJalal growled at them, "Were you sleeping? Where were you when that man got in and out as if he owned this property?" He kicked them in the face.

"Speak, you idiots. I'm not paying you thousands a month to sleep and be defenseless. I will kill you." He was about to hit them again when he heard a voice interrupting,

"Darling, please."

He turned to see the face he loved so much. Her eyes were filled with fear, and tears streamed down her already red face. Her eyes held a lot of love for him and looked at him as if they had witnessed the most terrible thing in the world. All his anger disappeared instantly. He quickly reached out and hugged her tightly against his chest, bringing her small, fragile body close to him. He inhaled her hair softly and kissed the top of her head.