Her Encounter | Islamic Story

Chapter 20 ✓

Halfway-opened cabinet door was in my hand when I turned to look back at the screen.

One look at it and I shut the door. I leant against it while closing my eyes. Trying to steady my bursting emotions, I brought my knees close to my chest and placed my head between both the knees and whispered, "Just Uncle. Just Uncle."

If only I hadn't turned back at the right moment, I would have missed him by inches as the lift had already begun descending. All I was able to see of him were his eyes and hair until they disappeared too. Never in a million years could I confuse those eyes for someone else's.

I wondered what would have happened if I hadn't seen him in the right time. The thoughts of running, flying on a plane and living alone took over in a second and my heart jumped a leap. I loved where I lived. I had no desire to go anywhere else where I won't even own my name.

In a span of two minutes, my breathing became steady, but I still couldn't move from my position.

A few minutes passed and I heard the elevator's door open.

"Denae?" Uncle's voice resonated in the room. It was very dark except for a light or two. I must have been invisible to him.

"Denae? Please tell me you're here," his voice sounded freaked out.

When he didn't get a reply from me, he rushed in the washroom while saying my name again and again. He then turned the covers of the bed over. The hopelessness with which he whispered my name after that indicated that he was sure I'd run away.

He hopelessly wandered around for some minutes before turning the lights on.

"Oh my! You're here," he exclaimed and took an audible sigh of relief. I still didn't move from my position. He came rushing towards me.

"You scared me for a minute," he said softly as he sat down beside me.

I lifted my head to look at him and I was sure I looked like hell because of the horrid expression on his face.

"You think it's funny? You think this is funny! You think you own the right to leave me like this without anyone down here? Without a support in the world?" I shouted at him and stood up though my legs were still shaky. He followed suit. "I was alone here! You told me to get the fuck away from here, for my life. Run for a life that's already fucked up enough! I hardly have anything and anyone left and you told me to run away from that even. How could you?"

"Denae, I can explain." He was keeping his calm.

"Explain what? That it really were Kantun's men? So what if they were, let me die at their hands once and for all! I've had enough of them hurting my family. Let me just fucking die so I can rest in peace and so can the rest of the world!" I kept shouting. His face was a few inches from mine and my spit spewed in his direction as I shouted.

"Listen." He was about to begin but I cut him off.

"Shut up with telling me to listen! All I ask for is a normal life. Is that asking for too much? No! Everyone around me is happy and contented. But look at me, I've been running from this Kantun for half of my life, and now you want me to do that again. I'm tired Uncle, tired!" I was panting by that time. My lungs ached for breath.

My vision became blurry and I almost fell down of weakness but Uncle quickly stepped ahead and grabbed me. He picked me up like I were a feather and took me to a sofa and lowered me on it. I kept on pounding on his chest, asking him to let go.

I was half-sitting and half-lying on the sofa due to exhaustion when he spoke finally and firmly, "Fathers can't see their daughters die!"

"My father's already dead!" I countered him and then realised that by father he had meant himself. "Oh. Sorry."