Chapter Thirty – Back at square one

He took pictures of the police van and the house and he paused to look at the pictures he took. Right at that moment, a woman in an abaya, hijab and a mask walked out of the house towards the van. Zayaan lifted his camera up to take a better picture of the Nigerian police van. Without much thought, he clicked the picture and there was a flash of light. For some unknown reason, his heart skipped a beat at that moment. He looked at the picture he took and saw a woman near the van, looking straight at his camera. He then moved his gaze to the front, while holding his breath as his heart began thumping against his chest.

The woman stared at him, for what felt like an eternity. He looked deep into her eyes, knowing for sure that he knew her, and her eyes recognized him too. He held his breath and he felt like his heart came to a stop as he imagined her without the mask she was wearing. He was about to call her, when a group of 3 men and 1 woman came out of the house.

“Alright! We got all we need from here. Let’s get moving to the next location.” one of the men said and the woman who captured Zayaan’s attention looked away and slid the door of the van to get into it. Zayaan went out of breath in panic when he lost sight of her and involuntarily took a step towards the van.

But just then, Waleed called out to him from behind the others came to enter the van and quickly closed the doors. Before Zayaan knew it, the van came to life and it began to drive away.

“Saba…. Saba!” Zayaan first called out in a whisper and then out loud as he subconsciously started to run after it. But Waleed held on one of his arms before he could proceed further.

“Whoa! Where in the world are you going, sir? Taking pictures of the police van is suspicious. We should get going from here…” Waleed said.

“J..Just now…..who was the woman who looked at me?” Zayaan asked in a shaky voice.

“I don’t know, sir. Must be one from the forensic team. Do you happen to know her?” Waleed asked curiously.

“If I ask you, could you find out who she was?”

“Well yeah I guess she must be from the Lagos State Forensic center so…..”

“Let’s go!”

Zayaan said and proceeded to walk without even giving Waleed a chance to talk.

A little while later, they were both in a taxi driving towards Lagos State Forensic Center. Waleed was talking about how they may not give information about a certain employee but Zayaan was not hearing any of it. He kept remembering the eyes that were looking at him and knew for sure who it was. Every time that realization hit him, he inevitably smiled and couldn’t explain the reason why to Waleed who was asking him about it.

Zayaan’s smile grew wider, as they reached the forensic center and saw its name. It was her. It was surely her. She’s alive! Zayaan kept telling himself as he got out of the taxi and remembered Saba’s passion towards forensics. She was studying even after they got married and she was supposed to graduate in the fateful year that separated them.

Zayaan went walking straight into the center even before Waleed. He went to the reception and spoke even before the female receptionist could greet.

“I would like to ask you about an employee who is out right now in an investigation. She was near this district with 4 other employees. She wore an abaya and hijab and a mask. What’s her name?” Zayaan said, fidgeting and not being able to stay still.

“I’m sorry but a lot of our teams go to different locations and it would be difficult for us…”

“Here….. here is a picture of her. Could you please identify who she is?” Zayaan said, holding out his camera and showing the picture he clicked.

“I’m really sorry, sir. But there are several employees with this attire, and they usually wear masks when they go out to investigate. Besides, we cannot give the personal information of any employee to anyone without their permission.”

“But she…. “

“I… guess we can wait outside until the van comes back. Are we able to do that?” Waleed stepped in and asked the receptionist, while being apprehensive about the fact that Zayaan might cause a seen.

“I guess you can wait outside our building…..but not within our premises.”

“Okay….we will do that.” Zayaan said and began to walk out of there, leaving Waleed flabbergasted.

Waleed was only able to catch up with Zayaan at a restaurant near the forensic center. He sat at the table Zayaan was seated and was even more shocked to see him smiling as he flipped the pages of the menu.

Zayaan looked up at him with bright eyes and spoke at once.

“If I stay seated here, I would be able to see the vehicles entering the forensic center. If I see the van going in, I could go and check on her.” Zayaan said with an unwavering smile.

“Who is that woman sir? That you are so curious about?” Waleed asked. Zayaan looked at him and his smile faded just a little before he spoke.

“She is my wife…” Zayaan said in a calm voice, his smile reappearing and trying his best to hold back his tears.

Up until now he was only hoping that the woman could be Saba. But at this point, he was sure. He wasn’t doubting it even in the tiniest bit. He knows those eyes. And he knows her determination. No matter how many obstacles that may have come her way, she would have achieved her goals by now and she would be living her dream.

Finally this had come. This would be the day his longing will come to an end. He wouldn’t have to cry a single tear after this day. Zayaan thought to himself as he tried hard to ignore the fact that the woman had just left in the van without waiting for him. If it was Saba, why didn’t she wait for him? And why didn’t she try to contact him within the past two years if she was doing well and good? But Zayaan brushed these thoughts off his mind. And began to think about the moment he would be meeting Saba today.

Zayaan stayed at that table in the restaurant, almost the whole day. He only took breaks for prayers and every time he saw a van entering through the gates of the forensic center, he would go and see the employees getting out of it. The clock ticked and the sun almost set without him seeing the woman he was looking for. He died a little inside every time he didn’t see her from within the employees that returned.

“You should really head back to your hotel, sir. It’s getting dark and I think all of the employees have returned by now.” Waleed said to Zayaan, who was now seated at a bench near the restaurant. Zayaan had told his story to Waleed now and he too was sympathetic towards Zayaan.

“I can’t. If I go back now I would be losing hope. And I don’t think I have the strength to survive without the hope of her returning.” Zayaan said, almost in tears. Just then, they both looked towards the center as they saw a van entering through the gates. Zayaan stood up at once and paused a little before he began taking steps towards the center. He ran after some point and entered through the gates. He followed the van until it stopped near the building. The front doors opened and the door on the side slide open. From there, came out a girl in abaya and hijab and a black mask. Zayaan stopped in his tracks when he saw her, and then again began walking towards her. With a heart beating restlessly he went and held her by the arm.

“Saba!” he called out with a smile as he did so. His heart sunk a little as he felt that the woman he was holding was not Saba. Her height was different from the one he saw that morning. Her eyes were different too. They lacked the warmth he saw in the morning. Just as the realization hit him, the woman took off her mask.

“Who is this?” the stranger asked and Zayaan let go off her hand with as he let out a short breath.

“What’s going on?” Zayaan heard a man’s voice like the one he heard that morning and it was the same man he saw near that house. And so were the other employees that got out of the van. Then why was the woman standing in front of him at that moment, not the same one he saw before?

Was he out of his mind? That he was now seeing things that weren’t for real? At any rate he wasn’t seeing Saba that day. And he would have to go back to the miserable reality of thinking whether she was alive.

Zayaan broke down at that realization. He fell on his knees right then and there, bawling in tears not being able to handle himself. Waleed came running to help him.

Zayaan didn’t know that there was in fact a woman near the building in an abaya, hijab and a mask looking at him.

“I’m sorry….” Her eyes were wet with tears as she whispered those words.