Duplus

Chapter 9

Amaani's POV:

The loud knock on the door startled me. I had just gotten out of the bathroom and was getting ready for zuhur prayer when the knock caught my attention. I quickly grabbed the shawl spread out on the bed and wrapped it around me. Using a little piece of it to cover my face, I walked to the door and opened it. 

"Yes?" I asked, fixing the veil on my face properly. Seeing that it was just Saira, my hands let go of the veil and it fell down, revealing my face to her. "Room 3. We have arrangements for Zuhur Salah there. You should be there by 10 minutes exact." she explained briefly without stopping to even greet me or to say a simple hello at the very least. "Wow. You even have arrangements for Prayer here. Sure, I'll be there." I dismissed her unbothered attitude towards me and said in a polite way. 

"Good," Saira said simply and turned to leave. I was just going to close the door and go back into my room when Saira's voice stopped me in my tracks. "Wait." She said. I snapped my head towards her and gave her a "hm?". 

"Sir Jaber said he was going to call your brother soon. Maybe today or tomorrow. He said he was going to try his best." She told me. A smile spread on my face at the mention of Sufiyaan. "Really?" I beamed, my eyes twinkling with joy and excitement. Seeing me light up at that, Saira's lips rolled up into a small, reassuring smile. It was barely noticeable but I saw it. 

"Yeah. Well then, see you at the congregational prayer. Salam." With a swift wave of her hand, Saira walked away. Her words made my day and for a while, I actually forgot about the meeting I happened to eavesdrop on in the morning. The only thing on my mind was this, 

Sufiyaan was coming.

I rushed to get ready for prayer. I quickly threw my cloak on myself and buckled all the belts, securing it. Then I put on my hood and pinned up my niqab over my face. Admiring myself in the mirror, I smiled at no one in particular. Though my attire was quite different than what the typical Burmese woman wore, I liked my style. Saira's was different too but it was a more modern and Kazefandrian style of attire. 

Recalling what Saira had instructed, I glanced at the clock. It had been 6 minutes since Saira left me to get ready for Salah. I picked up my pace and rushed out of my room towards my destination.

…

Room number 3 was the perfect place you'd want to offer your prayer and be close to your Lord. It was homey, cozy, and warm. There was a little dampness in the air and I realized that it was because of the coolers there. There were white sheets spread out on the floor and the walls were filled with beautiful calligraphy of Quran verses. How I missed a prayer room like that!

When I first entered the room, I saw that there were a lot of women surprisingly. I didn't know a single one of them. I thought I knew our community so well but it turned out I was wrong. Weirdly, most of these women were nothing like me. They had light skin and different facial features. Spotting Saira from the near distance, I breathed a sigh of relief. I strolled up to her and tried to stay close.

It was then that I noticed that big curtains were draped in front of us. It was a sort of barrier. "Allah u Akbar Allah u Akbar! Ashhadu Alla ilaaha illa Allah!" The first two sentences of the takbeer were enough to make me understand that there were men on the other side. The room was separated by the curtains for the observation of the hijab from both sides.

I smiled unconsciously. These people were Muslims after all. No matter how mean Broad shoulders was or how dry Saira was, they were good people. And they were doing whatever they were doing because it had to be done. 

After the prayer finished, I headed out of the room to get my boots. Saira joined me. "We have to leave for Sir Jaber's office now. Come on, let's not waste any time." She stated. I just looked at her. "I have to come too?" I questioned in disbelief. Saira nodded. 

"Well, there is a reason why we're keeping you here in the guest room. It's so that Sir Jaber can keep a close eye and call you whenever he needs to." She clarified. I cocked an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean? Where would I stay if not the guest room?" I followed Saira to the office as we talked. 

"The camp of course. That's where other people who are under investigation stay. The guest room is for guests. But Sir Jaber has ordered that room for you because you might be someone suspicious. And he can't take the risk." Saira went on. "The spotting of 'mystery girl' was something big that shocked everyone who got to know about it. It isn't one of our daily mysteries that involve stealing or pickpocketing." 

With every word Saira said, I seemed to get caught up in more confusion. "So there are other captives here? But why haven't I seen them? Is there another police office around here?" I threw a barrel of questions at Saira but it looked like she was in the mood to spill some information so I availed my opportunity. She nodded. 

"Yes, there are other captives. But they stay at the camp just a few meters from here. Other officers are appointed to watch over them. In fact, the women you saw in the prayer room were some of them. Well. The trusted ones of course." She replied. I nodded my head knowingly, my mouth forming an 'o'. "So, am I going to live in the guest room until my stay here?" I asked. 

Saira shrugged. "I think that's why Sir Jaber called you. Maybe he'll send you to camp if he thinks it's fine. Or maybe he'll just keep you here." 

Both of us took a turn and then the hallway looked very familiar. I recalled walking those halls in the morning and the events of the meeting flashed to my mind again. It compelled me to think about why I was there in the first place. The issue of 'mystery girl' was something I had no clue about until I arrived there. 

Thinking about Sumayyah's death which was also why I was brought there initially, I had a weird feeling. No one even mentioned Sumayyah. Heck, no one even asked about her well being. Was she taken to the hospital? Was she officially dead? Was I the killer?

I glanced at Saira, who looked so calm and relaxed. In no way could anyone guess that her sister had died. I figured that if I needed answers from Saira, I needed to ask her then and there. Because it could be the first and last time Saira opened up to me. 

"What about Sumayyah?" 

Saira froze. 

"What?" She asked. "Sumayyah. Your sister." I pointed out the obvious, stopping as well. The color faded from Saira's face and she suddenly started to look very uncomfortable. "What about her? She passed away. I got a call from the hospital." Saira regained her posture and was now speaking confidently and not a hint of discomfort was there in her voice. 

My head fell. "Inna lillahi was Inna ilaihi raajioon," I whispered. Even though I was certain that I was not responsible for her death, the way Saira had accused me, in the beginning, made me feel a little guilty anyway. "Indeed." Was what Saira said. 

I looked up at her. "Aren't you angry at me?" I asked her hesitantly. I didn't know what kind of reaction to expect from her so I just imagined the worst. "Am I supposed to be angry?" Those words stunned me for a second. "Umm… like you said, I killed your sister soo, " I trailed off. "Naturally, you would be angry at me." I finished. 

Saira took a deep breath. "Let's just say this matter is yet to be shed light upon. Sir Jaber will sort it out once 'mystery girl' comes out of hiding." Saira was calm but after mentioning 'mystery girl', her tone got harsh. She looked at me a little suspiciously. 

"If she's not standing in front of us, " with that, Saira knocked on the office door for permission to enter. 

Oh boy. What a mess.