Chapter Twenty Nine – Unforeseen revenge

Raphael’s POV

Raphael sighed, as he stepped out onto the pouch of that small house. The cloud of breath vapour that he made him realize how cold it was getting as the night fell deeper. But he felt a warmth, deep inside his heart as he remembered the words that he’d heard just now. The words that came from a person he held dear to his heart for all his life. More so since those words depicted what he had wanted to hear so desperately for long 10 years that passed. Those words were not direct but they were enough for him to know that what he yearned to hear was in fact true. The fact that he had someone who loved him back.

A pain emerged in his chest as he began to walk away and thought about his ‘love life’ that was on the verge of being cease to exist. Or he wasn’t sure it ever existed. Until tonight. When he heard those words.

“Well maybe you don’t get to do that because you never told them you wanted to be with them. And even when they came back you pushed them away.”

Raphael paused near his car, holding the door knob as those words echoed in his head. He looked up at the house right in front of him that he’d just left behind. How he wanted to walk back right into it and tell her that he loved her too. That he never stopped. That he never was able to stop though he tried every single way he could. That it always came back though he might forget for a few moments. That he had sleepless nights missing those few conversations he’d had with her.

But he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t be able to say any of it. Raphael had a hard time letting out the breath he had been holding as he thought of it. He opened the door of his car and got into it. He did not want to wait any longer and hence build up the determination to not look back. But he couldn’t. He put his key in the ignition and then again looked back at that house. At that moment, he started remembering every memory that led him to this day.

He was living a normal life like every young man would. And he could probably have been living that life if not for the money that Allah had blessed him with. Little had he known when he started earning that kind of money that it will get him in trouble.

“Raphael! Hussain turned out to be a cheat! He fled with the money.” the day he heard those lines while he was peacefully sitting in his cabin was the day his life took a turn towards a dark chapter.

“What?! He couldn’t have done such a thing. We trusted him for 3 years!” Raphael stood to his feet as his voice echoed in his cabin. But his utter disbelief in the situation did not help him in the least bit. His closest shareholder had cheated on him. He tried to contact Hussain, who had become one of his closest friends too. It was however, of no use. The number he called was not responding and neither did Hussain tried to call him or any of the other employees. Except for a message that he left for Raphael’s personal assistant.

“He said he did it for someone who would help him with his mother’s surgery, sir.” Raphael heard his assistant say.

“But weren’t we already sending him money to help him?” Raphael said, trying to digest what was happening in his company.

“I told him so but he said he did not receive any money.” Raphael heard that and he paused. He realized at that moment that he was being cheated on. Not by Hussain. But by someone who was trying to take over his company. He’d received messages some months ago from an unknown number blackmailing him that he’d have to give up everything he had or his father and he would suffer a great deal. He’d tracked the owner of the number.

“We won’t harm you in anyway. Just tell us why you sent those messages honestly and you would be safe. You may get a reward for telling the truth too.” Raphael told the middle aged man once his personal assistant, Maanih took him to his home. The man looked rather poor and too naïve to send such a message.

“I’m telling you sir I did not do such a thing. I am too busy driving my cab all day I barely get to message my own family.” the man replied in a begging tone. And it turned out to be so, when Raphael found out more about him with the help of Maanih.

Just as Raphael concluded that the man was innocent, he received a message from another number saying that he won’t be able to find his enemy just yet. But he will find soon. Raphael tracked down the owner of that number as well but he too turned out to be an innocent man.

Few days later, another trusted shareholder of Raphael’s said that he would like to cancel all the contracts he’d signed with him.

“I’m sorry Raphael but after what you did to Hussain, you don’t have such a good rapport with the other employees either. They doubt your kindness and humility and I’m afraid I have the same concerns. And so I am making this decision.” Zaid had told him. And that was the last day he saw Zaid from any part of his company.

What Zaid said turned out to be true. Each of his shareholders was backing away from him one by one. Rumours filled the air first within his employees and soon it made its way into the media. When his whole business’s image was at stake, Maanih recommended him to get a lawyer.

“We could get help from the police to track down the person who blackmails you every once in a while. And then fight against him in court. I think lawyer Ahmed Saleem would do a great job for us. He is Egyptian too so don’t you think you too will get along, sir.” Maanih said. Raphael thought about the idea and gave him a nod. Both of them failed to realize that they were just heading towards a cage made by their enemy. That Maanih’s ears were filled by some of his friends about the lawyer just that night to get a hold of Raphael.

Raphael arranged an appointment with Ahmed just the next night. After a short and pleasant conversation with Ahmed on the phone, he had invited Raphael to visit his house. So Raphael wore his suit and got in his car to go meet his lawyer. After a half an hour drive, he reached a luxurious mansion that he’d thought would be impossible for a non-citizen to have in New York. But there he was, looking at the mansion that overlooked a pathway with greenery on both sides. He parked his car in a small parking zone made on the side of the mansion and got out of the car. The security guards stood by as he walked in. He rang the doorbell once and no one opened. With the second ring, he heard footsteps from inside. When the man who walked towards the door from the inside finally opened the door, Raphael’s breath caught in his throat.

“We meet again, cowboy!” it was none other than Layaan who stood right in front of him. The boy who bullied him and encouraged others to do the same in the most disgusting ways. Raphael was taken aback at first, seeing his face after so many years. But he gained courage, when he realized what he’d accomplished after all that he had done to him.

“Move away! I came to meet the lawyer who lives in this house.” Raphael said, being oblivious to the fact that the lawyer might be related to Layaan.

“Oh so you came for an important meeting? With a very important person I suppose?” Layaan said, refusing to budge from his position.

“I said move!” Raphael said, pushing on his shoulder and barging into the house.

“You that desperate to meet my father?” Layaan asked in a mocking tone and Raphael stopped in his tracks.

“He is, son. We made him do so, Alas!” said Ahmed, who was walking down the spiral stairs. It took Raphael by horror, as he saw the same kind of smile on both Ahmed and Layaan’s face and it took him a second to realize who his real enemy was.

“What do you both want from me?” Raphael asked, looking from Ahmed and Layaan.

“Huh! Piece of my mind I must say. You really don’t know what you did do you? Or are you just pretending?” Layaan asked, with an anger building up in his voice.

“What exactly did I do?” Raphael asked, genuinely wanting to know.

“Well all I’m interested in is your money Raphael. I usually end my conning acts with a few court cases but I took this one a little far when I came to know the role you played in my son’s life.” Ahmed said calmly as if it was a daily conversation. Raphael was more confused when he heard those words so he was about to say something to Layaan. But he was paused when Layaan screamed.

“ALAYA!!!” Raphael’s heart stopped when he heard that name after so many years.