Chapter Twenty Eight – A step towards the truth

Zayaan was busy packing his bag early morning a week after he had covered the crime scene that happened at the luxury building. The criminal was yet to be found and the investigators were still working on the case.

Zayaan was as curious about the criminal as those investigators and the policemen or perhaps even more. He was thinking about how he was lied to by his mother that day when he had asked about the car that he had seen at the crime scene.

“But doesn’t Mariyam have a blue Audi?” his father had asked after his mother’s hesitant answer.

“She does! But you see it was white before. You mustn’t remember since you hadn’t seen it much, Farooq! Hehe…” his mother said, trying her best to cover her nervousness with laughter.

“I see…” his father had said, lost in thoughts and the conversation had ended there.

Zayaan had a lot more to add to that conversation now that he had called Aunt Mariyam and cleared out about any change in the colour of her car. He had wanted to confront his mother a dozen times in the past week but couldn’t bring himself to. Or maybe he was in a rush to prove something even more important to everyone with the trip he was getting ready to go on.

Zayaan was about to close the suitcase on his bed when he heard a knock on the door.

“Come in!” Zayaan said as he closed the suitcase and zipped it up.

“Are you awake Zay….You flying somewhere? Right now?” Zeenath’s tone of voice changed when she noticed the suitcase.

“Yes I am. I’m going on a work trip. Didn’t Dad tell you?” Zayaan asked, a bit taken aback. He clearly remembered telling his father that he was going to Nigeria for work. His father was dumbfounded by the news too. He didn’t say anything and smiled at Zayaan, unlike Zayaan had expected.

“He didn’t tell me…. where are you going so suddenly?” Zeenath asked, arms crossed and evidently upset at both her son and husband for not telling her beforehand.

“It’s not sudden, mom. This was planned over a week ago at work…..I’m going to Nigeria.” Zayaan said the last words in a lowered voice, almost wishing his mother would not be able to hear what he said. Because he knew what was coming. And it was as he had expected. His mother stayed in a shock for a few seconds before she spoke.

“Y…..you can’t be serious right now? You are going to go to that country out of all the places in the world?!!!” Zeenath’s voice raised.

“Mom it wasn’t my plan. Manager James decided to assign me for that project!” Zayaan said, trying to defend himself.

“And you said yes to it without thinking twice? Why in the world would you want to go there?”

“As I’m saying mom it wasn’t my pla-..”

“You should have said no! In fact, call them and refuse to go right in this instant!”

“Mom I can’t bail out on them in the last minute. And what is making you want to stop me from going to that country so desperately? Is there perhaps something I shouldn’t find out from there?”

Zayaan finally asked suspiciously, and he saw his mother stopping herself abruptly as she was about to speak. The silence revealed much more than what he could have gotten from an answer that his mother would have given to the question he asked.

Zayaan felt utterly disgusted at even the thought. The thought that his mother may have hid a truth that he must have known a long time ago. As Zayaan began to nod his head, Zeenath spoke.

“Zayaan it’s not as you thi-…”

“I’m not even going to ask you anymore. Mom I really love and respect you. But what you are doing hurts me so much. I want to listen to you. But I don’t think I can stop myself from going there anymore. I can’t risk my wife being wronged in anyway because of my mother. Even if she…. isn’t around anymore, I will find out everything and ensure that she gets justice In Sha Allah!” Zayaan said, with moisture in his eyes and determination in his voice.

Zeenath kept on looking as Zayaan picked up his suitcase and headed out. Zeenath just stood there, not even being able to look back at Zayaan. She fell to her knees as she heard Zayaan opening the main door of the house and closing it behind him.

**

It was noon in Nigeria when a woman in dark blue abaya, a black shawl and a black mask covering her mouth and nose walked into Lagos State DNA forensic center. People around her kept looking at her as she seemed different with the mask she was wearing unlike the others.

“Who is that?” a new employee whispered to her senior she was working with.

“She is Ms. Cold-Stranger. That’s what we call her. Because she doesn’t really show her face to anyone and neither does she talk much to anyone around here. I think I heard someone call her Aaisha but most of us aren’t sure except for the higher-ups. She tends to ignore anyone who asks her any personal questions. And for some reason she always keeps that mask on, so we aren’t even sure what she looks like. Nonetheless, she is one of the finest forensicist we have here.” the senior lady explained.

“I see….” the new employee looked at ‘Ms. Cold-Stranger’ as she walked into the elevator.