Dangerous Territory [Completed]

The Porch

When I told her, I couldn't hear my own voice, I didn't know what I said, and I saw her hand went up to her mouth, eyes wide. She didn't have the right words to say, there was nothing to say. What could she have said, that it was going to be okay? Because no it wasn't. Nothing was going to be okay, it would only get worse. Because I was alone in this. 

And then it occured to me.

I looked up at Ramsha. "Adil." My mouth worked on its own accord. "Adil." I found myself repeating, and then I got up from the bed. My feet took me to the door, leaving Rmasha in the room, I ran out of the lounge where everybody sat chatting and eating snacks. Out on the porch, I scanned the front garden, but Adil wasn't there. The path at the left took me to the swimming area. There were some fifth year boys reclined on chaise lounges laughing and drinking, among which I recognized one face as the one who Adil had crashed our night session with. Ignoring the fact that all the boys were shirtless, I went up to them and looking the guy in the eye I asked if he knew where Adil was.

"Oh," he quirked an eyebrow. "Want to have a swim with him again?" The other boys snickered.

Had it been any other occasion, I knew I would have flushed, would have been affected by the comment. There was only one emotion I felt pulsating in my veins right now - helplessness. "Where is he?" I repeated my question. 

"I'm sure he wouldn't want to see you, Mashal Niazi, why not just leave?" He shrugged, taking a sip of what seemed to me like beer from the glass he'd been holding. 

I didn't want to know how he knew my name, I only felt the urge to smash that glass on his head. "Do you know where he is or not?" 

He opened his mouth to respond but before he could have replied, I heard him behind me. "What do you want?" 

I whipped around only to find him equally naked as the others. I inhaled deeply and said with the best possible calm voice I could manage – I didn't want to cry in front of him, "Can we talk?" 

He didn't make an effort to hide his disdain. His features contorted into an expression of annoyance. "Now what do you want? Did he tell you something else that-" 

I glanced back at the others. "Not here ... please. It's urgent."

"For heaven's sake, Mashal, spare me." My jaw clenched.  "I want nothing to do with you or your entire freaking family, okay?"

I tucked my lower lip between my teeth to stop it from wobbling. Clenching and unclenching my fingers in an effort to repress the bursting emotions, I gave a small nod. "I get it. I do. But please, Adil, hear me out just this once." I had never ever implored to anyone in my life before, but drastic moments bring out the most vulnerable parts of you.

Nothing on his face changed. "What?" He said with the same frustration. 

"Not here." I shook my head.

His lips thinned, he breathed heavily through his nose and started to his right. I followed him to the side of the bungalow where he stopped and turned to face me. "Yes?"

I didn't know where to start, what to say. Averting my gaze, I raked my mind searching for the right words.

"For God's sake, I don't have all day." He snapped, his eyebrows drawn in a frown. 

I bit my lower lip and said, "Some people took Bisma. She wasn't even here. She had gone to the northern area for a trip with her friends. Those people called Father and demanded 10 million. I don't-"

"It wasn't me." He interrupted. 

"I know! I just- Adil, Father had an heart attack and-"

"Why are you telling me this?" Regarding me with a cold look, he asked, his tone flat.