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Chapter 10

Amaani's POV:

The atmosphere in the room was creepy. The lights were dim and the curtains were draped over the window, blocking the sunshine. Broad shoulders, in his usual uptight posture and officer uniform, stood there as if he was waiting for me. He was standing behind his desk, arms folded over his chest.

My gaze shifted to his side.

My eyes met with a man with a fair complexion and a gentle look on his face. His hair color seemed dark brown in the dim lighting and his eyes as well. Narrowing my eyes at him, I strained my brain to remember where I've seen him before.

My body froze at its spot. It was the guy who nearly caught me eavesdropping at the meeting! I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down and act casual.

"Sorry, we got caught up on the way. You can start immediately, Sir." Saira apologized and stepped towards the two men, closing the door behind her. I awkwardly looked at the people in the room, wondering if Saira had made a mistake. Maybe I wasn't needed there and she brought me there as a result of a misunderstanding.

"Well, since Ms. Sohail is here now, we should probably start the meeting." The guy at broad shoulders' left spoke up. His tone was soft, unlike most people there. I realized by the grim looks on everyone's faces, I wasn't really welcome there. They didn't trust me. They thought I was the 'mystery girl' even then.

I followed Saira and walked up closer as well. "Ms. Sohail, " Broad shoulders addressed. "I'm aware that we came to a mutual understanding that you are probably not the suspicious person I met. But, considering these circumstances, we need your assistance." At the end of his sentence, he unfolded his arms and put them on the table.

It was then that I noticed a big map spread out on the desk. A few areas were marked red and others were marked green. A few markers lay lifelessly at the side.

"What kind of assistance?" I asked, looking up again. Broad shoulders shifted his eyes to Saira and motioned for her to say something. "Since you look exactly like her, Amaani. We need you to track her down." Saira spoke up immediately. I gave her a surprised look.

"What? Me?" I pointed at myself, gaping at her with widened eyes. She nodded. "Actually, if we conduct a search out of the Muslim community boundaries, people will get suspicious. Not only the Muslims but the Kazefandrians as well. And we want to keep low for the time being." She explained calmly. My mouth formed an 'o' as I nodded my head slowly, understanding the situation.

"Yes, but what does my face have to do with all this? I mean I'm sure you guys can do it better than me." I argued. The guy on the left opened his mouth. "We think the girl was from Kazefandria. If you pose as her and go search for her, no one will suspect you. The Kazefandrians don't like others poking their nose into their business. If you remember the 'temples case', then you know what I'm talking about." He deciphered. At the mention of the 'temples' case, I got attentive.

"Yes, I do remember that."

"Then you know what kind of trouble we may get ourselves into if we make an official search. Apart from this, according to sources, we found out that she came from this part of Kazefandria, which is a deserted area. That raises more heads. She might not be a native. But she isn't one of us either." the man's voice had gotten serious and stern by now. His finger was placed on one of the red marked areas on the map. I looked closer at it.

The place was a desert. Literally. It looked so scary on the map, I wondered how scary it would be in real life.

I looked at all three of them, one by one. Silence fell over us as I went into deep thought. Should I really get involved in all this? Knowing Sufiyaan, he would never approve.