The Widow's Keeper

by Kishan Paul

  She pulled at the hem of her shirt. “You wanted me and now you have me. You have no use for them anymore.”

  “Not entirely true.” He tapped his fingers against his chin. “Do you know what the going rate is for an attractive twenty-one-year-old widow? Let’s not even mention the price tag for an adorable, newborn baby.” He leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms behind his head. “I’m Shariff, by the way.”

  Her pulse spiked every second she faced him. Ally walked past him to her stack of clothes and gripped the dresser for support. She needed to stay calm and think. A white binder sat on the table beside her garments. Printed in big script on the cover was a note welcoming guests to the hotel and to Karachi. Acid burned up her chest to her throat. She swallowed it down. “Why are you doing this?”

  “Which part exactly?”

  She ran her fingers over the binder. “All of it.”

  “Well, I never got a chance to meet you. And when I finally could, for some reason, I and everyone else was made to believe you and my brother perished in the bombing. And yet, here you are. In the flesh.”

  Ally wandered to the draped panels and pushed them aside. She counted nine rows of windows between them and the manicured hotel grounds below. Courtyards, ponds, and pools littered the property. Beyond the cement fences were highways and dozens of buildings, some taller than others, as far as she could see. She pressed her hand against the glass. Somewhere out there was Farah and the baby. “Why did you want to meet me?”

  “Why wouldn’t I? We’re family.”

  Ally looked over her shoulder and watched him type into his cell phone. With his high cheekbones and long, thick neck, the man was handsome. Shariff looked up at her. He cleared his throat, amusement still present on his face. “I take it my big brother never mentioned his good-looking younger brother.”

  She didn’t answer.

  The smile faltered. “Of course he didn’t. Sayeed was the jealous type, you know. Probably worried you’d love me more.”

  Sayeed. Chills rocked through her at his name. Ally turned to face him and leaned her back against the window, trying to hide the terror brewing within. “Your brother kidnapped, raped, and tortured me. I wouldn’t describe my feelings for him as even remotely connected to love.” She hugged her arms around her waist and dug her nails into the heel of her palms. “Are you planning on doing the same?”

  She scanned him for weapons but found no telltale lumps under his clothes. His pecs flexed under her scrutiny. “Eyes up here, love.” When she met his amused gaze, he winked. “I want answers.”

  “Let them go and I will give you all the answers you want.”

  Shariff pressed his hands behind his head and crossed one socked foot over the other. “Again with the let them go request. This is getting boring. So let’s start with a simple question first. Why does everyone think you’re dead?”

  Ally turned back to the window and stared out at the gardens below. Eddie and the Agency had cautioned her to never tell the truth. They trained her to parrot the story they created, and as much as she hated being away from Farah and the boys, she now understood why. It wasn’t about Farah and the baby anymore. There were fourteen boys whose lives rested on the responses she gave. “I don’t know.”

  “Not a good answer. Let’s try another. What happened to my brother?”

  His words were rushed, impatience seeping into his tone. She rested her hands on the windowpane and counted to ten before responding. “Sayeed never mentioned your existence.”

  “We have already established that.”

  Sibling issues. “How do I know if you really are his brother, seeing as how he never talked about you?”

  “I don’t really care if you believe me or not.” His feet thudded when they dropped to the floor. She sucked in a breath and tightened her hold on the pane as she watched him approach through the reflection on the window.

  Shariff leaned his back against the glass and looked over at her. The smile had disappeared. “You forget. I have someone of yours. Which means my answering your questions are not nearly as important as you answering mine. So tell me, what happened to your husband?” He nudged her with his elbow. “Let me clarify, considering you had two. What happened to my brother?”

  Ally met his gaze. “I only had one husband, and he was not the man you call your brother.”

  Shariff crossed his arms and nodded. “The American you ran away with while my poor brother lay taking his last breath.” He waved his index finger at her. “Well, supposed last breath.”

  “My husband rescued me from hell and took me home. He helped me heal…”

  Shariff raised his brow and interrupted her. “And helped you to forget all about my brother.”

  “I will never forget Sayeed or the things he did to me.” She kept her voice even and low.

  He waved his hand. “Yes, the kidnapping, rape, and torture.”

  Rather than answering, she stared at the armed security men in blue uniforms who converged together at the edge of the courtyard below.

  “He was a bit of an arsehole, wasn’t he?” Shariff chuckled. “So, tell me about the day the great arsehole Sayeed died. Is he dead, by the way?”

  His eyes burned into her, scrutinizing her every word and expression. “Yes.”

  “Who had the honor of killing him?”

  Cars flew across the highway in the distance, disappearing behind the buildings that blocked the view of the overpass. She kept her face stoic as she watched them escape. “Ibrahim Ayoub. The leader of the As-Sirat.”

  His lips tightened. “Did you see the killing?”

  She shook her head. “Sayeed slammed my head into the wall a few too many times and I blacked out. But when I woke up in Germany, I saw the pictures of his body.”

  “Ahh, hence the reason you have no memory of what happened.”

  Her muscles stiffened as he laughed.

  He pressed a hand to his chest and stared at the ceiling. “Thank God. The bastard needs to be dead and stay dead. But tell me something. How is it, contrary to what everyone believes, you are still alive?”

  He clearly knew something. It was the what that scared her.

  “They worried the As-Sirat might come looking for me so they announced Sara Irfani died with her husband.”

  He tapped his finger against his lip. “The organization fell apart a year after Ayoub died. Why would the Americans have continued the charade? What possible value do you still possess?”

  “I wondered the same.” She shot him a look. “Clearly they had reason to worry because here I am…with you.”

  Shariff smiled. “Good point.” He walked back to his chair and leaned over to get something from the duffle bag beside it. Foil and plastic rustled when he pulled out a packet of chips and waved it at her.

  She shook her head and stared at the world outside while he crunched on a mouthful of the contents.

  “Want to know my theory?”

  She didn’t respond.

  “Maybe your death wasn’t the only lie to come out of the explosion.”

  Goosebumps pebbled her skin. She stayed rooted to the floor. “What do you mean?”

  The bag rustled when he grabbed a second serving. “Granted, I do think Sayeed has met his maker. There is no way my arrogant brother would have stayed hidden all these years otherwise. But the rest of them, I’m not so sure. What if everyone else is as dead as you and the widow?”

  Her heart skipped a beat. She swallowed and looked over her shoulder at him. “The widow?”

  He waved a chip in the air. “The widow and her baby from the videos I sent you.”

  Ally’s face heated. “You mean the wife you made into a widow.”

  He shrugged and popped the chip in his mouth.

  Her brain buzzed with questions. What did he know? What game was he playing? Ally stared out the window and sniffled. “I miss them and think about them every day. Sometimes I imagine what our lives would have been like if we’d all survived
Sayeed.” She glanced at him, allowing a tear to slip down her cheek. “Are they alive? Did you take them, too?”

  He scowled. The sound of the foil bag crumbling filled the room. “Since we’re talking about lies from the past, here’s another one. Let’s say, yes, big brother was killed. But how do you know for sure Ayoub was to blame?”

  She watched as he tossed the empty bag into the trash. “Who do you think killed him?”

  Shariff wiped his hands on his jeans. “So many possibilities, including my beautiful resurrected-from-the-dead Bhaabi.”

  “Stop calling me that. I am not your sister-in-law.”

  His lip curved up. “According to signed wedding documents, you are.” In two steps, Shariff stood in front of her, his face inches from her own. “Now stop deflecting the fucking question or people will die.”

  Silence filled the space. Ally’s pulse raced. She released the breath she held and cleared her throat. “What do you want?”

  He closed his eyes. “The truth.”

  “I don’t remember anything from the day of the explosion,” she whispered.

  By the time he opened his lids, the smile had returned. He scrunched his nose. “You really need a shower.”

  Her back to the window, Ally didn’t move. “I want to see them.”

  He leaned in closer. “Who?”

  “The widow and her baby.” She itched to rip the smile off his face.

  “You’ve seen her.”

  Ally clenched her fists and held his gaze. “In person. I won’t help you until I see for myself they are alive.”

  He quirked a brow. “If you don’t remember, you clearly can’t help me. Now can you? Did I mention the going rate for a twenty-year-old moderately attractive woman is very high? That’s not even considering how much childless couples would pay for a one-month-old orphaned baby. Oh, then there’s you.” He pressed his finger against the side of her neck and traced a line across her skin.

  Goosebumps rose along the path he traced.

  “The man who brought you to me. Bashar. He’s eagerly waiting to slit your throat.”

  Ally didn’t move and worked to keep the terror out of her voice. “You’re a lot like your brother.”

  His face darkened. “Really?”

  “Threats. Blackmail. He had no respect for human lives and used people as pawns for his games.”

  He nodded. “I can see why you think that.” Shariff scrunched his nose and backed away from her. “But aside from those reasons, I am very different from him.” He pointed at the open door to his right. “If you want the reunion, you should hurry and take a shower.” His smiled widened. “Also, there are some additions to your attire. We’ll discuss the rest after you’re bathed and dressed.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  BLAME

  ONE MONTH POST-DAVID

  Ally stood along the edge of the riverbank, admiring the mountain looming ahead in the distance. From the edge of its cliff, she noticed a waterfall flowing down into the river below. She sucked in a lungful of cedar and pine and smiled. This had been her favorite spot in the Rocky Mountain forest when she lived in Denver. Every weekend, she’d find herself right here at this spot, making her way to the base of the cliff. Beautiful greens and browns surrounded her while the most perfect blue sky hung above. Birds chirped happy songs. A family of deer wandered by, undeterred by her presence. All of nature seemed to come together here. The world hovered in perfect peaceful balance.

  She looked down at her bare feet, in awe at how the rocks didn’t dig into her heels. A cool breeze blew past her; it brushed through her hair and made the bottom of her white cotton dress ripple and flow as she walked.

  She approached the base of the mountain, noticing a figure standing by the waterfall. She tilted her head and gazed at it as she approached. Her breath caught in her throat. It was a boy. She didn’t need to ask; she already knew he was twelve-years-old. He would always be twelve. Tall and thin, he wore a white cotton, short-sleeve shirt, and his navy shorts hung over his bony knees. Her smile turned into an excited giggle. Umber.

  He didn’t move, just watched her advance. Ally’s heart raced and her leisurely walk turned into a sprint. Losing Umber had cut her deep. She blamed herself for the loss. It shouldn’t have taken his death to finally propel her into action and go up against Sayeed. In the end, the monster was killed, but so many lives were lost in the process— guilt hung heavy on her conscience.

  She pushed the thought away and stretched out her arms, eager to hold him once more.

  Umber shook his head. “Nay, Sara Mommy.”

  Sara. Hearing the name again made her stumble over her own feet. Ally fell to her knees. She got up and worked to reach him, but no matter how hard she tried, he remained out of her grasp.

  Umber took a step back. The sadness in his gaze poured into her, the weight of it leaving her breathless.

  “You can’t come here, Sara Mommy.”

  Although she understood the words he spoke in Urdu, she couldn’t understand why he spoke them and shook her head.

  “Because you are the reason I am here.”

  Ally froze, waiting for him to finish. “If you hadn’t loved me, I would still be alive.”

  Emotion dampened her face. “Nay, Umber. Sayeed sent you into the mall. Don’t you remember? He gave you the bag of explosives, not me. He told you there was a surprise in the bag for me and said I was in there waiting for you. I didn’t know. I would have never let you go in there.”

  “It’s okay, Umber, the bomb wasn’t her fault.”

  She looked over to see an older man, bald with thick-rimmed glasses. The sight of him weakened her knees. The brown suit he wore fit perfectly. He wandered up to Umber, placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder. The man who gave his life to protect hers smiled when their eyes locked.

  “Nasif, please tell him what really happened.”

  The old man nodded. “Sara Mommy is right, she would never hurt the people she loves. Not intentionally. But they do all die. It’s not her fault she’s cursed.”

  His words ripped through Ally, making the trees around her spin. She grabbed hold of the trunk nearby and steadied herself as she listened to his explanation.

  “If I hadn’t loved you, I would have never gone after Sayeed for you. He would have never killed me.”

  She shook her head. “I never asked you…”

  He nodded. “No, you didn’t. Your heart is too good, but this is what happens when someone loves you as their own. No?”

  His words pierced her but she didn’t refute them. How could she argue with what she herself believed? “I’m so sorry.”

  “It is what it is.” Nassif and Umber turned their backs to her and began to walk away.

  Ally shook in terror. “No! Don’t leave me. Please.”

  “It’s time for them to go, Ally.” The voice calmed her as soon as it floated into her ears. She sucked in a breath, searching for the source, and when her gaze landed on him, she leaned against the tree to steady herself. Ally watched him approach. In a long cotton shirt and jeans, David walked to Nasif and Umber. His skin glowed with life and his eyes sparkled. She filled her mind with the sight, trying to memorize every part of him because deep down she knew he would leave again.

  Ally’s heart thudded against her chest as if trying to leave her body and take its rightful place with his. She grabbed fistfuls of her skirt, hiked it up, and rushed to him.

  When she tripped on a fallen log, she steadied herself, and returned to her goal—David’s arms. But as hard as she ran, she never seemed to get any closer. He stood there, in the distance, staring at her. He didn’t smile nor did he appear angry…just sad. A gust of wind shoved against her, forcing her to fall backwards.

  “Ally, you can’t come here, baby.”

  She gazed at him, her face drenched and white dress stained. “Please, don’t leave me alone.”

  He shook his head. “It was inevitable.”

  Ally climbed to her feet. �
�Your death was my fault, wasn’t it?”

  He stared at her, not answering, but flashed her a sad smile.

  When he turned his back and walked in the direction of Nasif and Umber, Ally shook in terror, and she sprinted. Everything she wanted was by the mountain. Her life, her soul. No matter how hard she pumped her legs, she couldn’t reach them. She screamed their names, pleading with them to return, but no one turned back.

  “It’s your fault, baby. All of this is because of you.” David’s words echoed through the breeze, growing louder each time. Her tears turned to sobs and the ache in her chest worsened each time he spoke them.

  “David, I’m sorry. Don’t leave me. Please, don’t leave!” she screamed.

  In spite of her pleas, the three disappeared into the base of the waterfall. Ally fell to her knees. “Please! Don’t leave me!”

  As if in a tunnel, she watched the mountain and the waterfall move farther away, the circle growing smaller. She couldn’t climb to her feet. She couldn’t move. Thick chains wrapped tight around her chest, immobilizing her arms. Ally clawed at them, but the links refused to move until the small circle in which David, Umber, and Nasif existed turned black.

  “David,” she screamed. “I need you!”

  “Di, you’re having a bad dream. Please wake up.” Her sister’s voice floated through the darkness. A voice she didn’t want to hear. She fought the chains and screamed for him, ignoring Reya’s pleas.

  The terror in her sister’s words pulled at her, growing louder, and no matter how hard Ally clawed at the chains, she was being dragged in the other direction.

  Panting and drenched in sweat, Ally laid there, refusing to open her eyes. If she did, she’d be in her bed. It wouldn’t be heavy chains confining her but her baby sister’s arms clinging tightly around her.

  Reya’s lips pressed against her skin as her sister cried for her. “Didi, please open your eyes,” she sobbed.

  Ally forced her lids open. She blinked a few times as her vision adjusted to the halogen lights in her bedroom. Their bedroom. The one she and David shared until a month ago.