The Master and The Maiden

Chapter 10

*

"This is absolute rubbish." Aliyu threw the parchment aside upon reading it. "How can we be sure that this is Kabeer's writing and not some fabricated nonsense?"

"Do you deny that you wrote this letter?" Fareed turned slowly to face Kabeer, who was still being restrained by Fareed's men. Aliyu turned to face him as well, as did all the men behind him who had been watching the exchange with keen interest. The ones who had searched the house were shaking their heads sadly; no one could have believed that Kabeer would be capable of stealing.

"Speak up." Fareed commanded, his lips twitching for a brief second. Silent tears of hatred were pouring down Kabeer's cheeks. It wasn't the humiliation that was getting to him. It was the sickening look of satisfaction that was plastered on his face which intensified the hatred in Kabeer.

"Kabeer, did you write this letter?" Aliyu asked.

"Yes." Kabeer said simply.

Aliyu swore fiercely under his breath. This was exactly what he has advised them against. How many times had he warned them never to put down their plans in writing? Written words were more deadly than spoken ones.

"Can you see for yourself? He confessed." Fareed exclaimed. "Are you still going to defend him now?" he turned to Aliyu. The old man shook his head slowly, walking towards Kabeer.

"I'm... disappointed in you, Kabeer. Highly disappointed." Aliyu said slowly. Kabeer looked into his eyes and saw the remorse behind his words. In spite of himself, he felt sorry for Aliyu being stuck in this position.

"Take him." Aliyu said quietly.

With a jerk of their heads in Aliyu's direction, both men dragged Kabeer out of the compound. The latter didn't struggle; he simply walked between them with his head bowed.

"He should be detained in the cells, Fareed." Aliyu said. "Your men are not to take him anywhere else."

"Of course." Fareed bowed in a mocking manner. He looked up at Aliyu while he was still bowing, "We wouldn't want to do anything irrational now, would we?"

"Of course not." Aliyu hesitated slightly before replying.

Fareed straightened up, his expression turning sour once again.

"I shall expect the council to pass a judgement as soon as possible?" he asked, though it sounded more like a command than a question.

"Of course." Aliyu said, shaking his head slightly. "Right away."

"Then my work here is done." Fareed announced, nodding at the rest of his men who filed out of the compound. Fareed however, stopped just a few inches beside Aliyu, inclining his head ever so slowly towards the old man.

"You remember what I told you the last time we spoke?" Fareed whispered.

"How could I forget?" Aliyu said icily.

"And?" Fareed raised an eyebrow.

"My answer still remains the same." Aliyu replied.

Fareed shook his head sadly.

"Then today is just the beginning." he whispered in a voice that made Aliyu jump slightly. "We shall continue this game until you give me what I want."

"That will be over my dead body." Aliyu growled, moving away from Fareed. The image he had seen previously flickered through Fareed's eyes as he looked at him.

"All in due time." Fareed said quietly, bowing once again before he whisked out of the compound as well.

*

"Have they gone?" Safiya asked, craning her neck to catch a sound. Everywhere had become extremely quiet.

"I'll go and check." Noor said, standing up. Safiya bit her fingernails as her daughter unhinged the door and poked her head out. She paused for a second before she spoke. "They've gone."

"Thank God." Safiya said, standing up as well. Together, both of them went downstairs. Noor glanced around at the courtyard, wondering where her father was. A few slaves were huddled together in front of their room, talking in excited tones. Ummayma was leaning against the wall, her eyes puffy from crying. Aisha was sitting beside her on a low stool, her head bowed between her knees.

"What's going on?" Safiya asked, looking between Ummayma and Aisha. No one answered her. Ummayma was shaking quietly, her sobs muffled by the scarf in her hands. Aisha merely grunted.

"Where is father?" Noor asked, glancing at the door of the study which was ajar.

"He is gone." Ummayma half-whispered, half-sobbed.

"Gone?" both Safiya and Noor asked simultaneously.

"They took him." Ummayma added.

"What do you mean?" Safiya asked.

"The man who came, he, he..." she began to stammer. Safiya suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her violently.

"ANSWER ME! WHERE IS MY HUSBAND?" she yelled. Noor rushed over to her side and tried to pry her fingers from Ummayma's shoulder.

"He was accused of stealing." Aisha said, looking up at them. Her eyes were swimming with tears as well.

"Accused of what?" they both asked.

"A necklace. They said he ordered someone to steal a necklace from the Al-ghala mansion." Ummayma cried.

"That is a lie." Noor yelled. "My father would never do such a thing. He is not a thief."

"They found the necklace in his bedroom. And they also found a letter he'd written to the man." Aisha said.

"You remember that man we saw yesterday at the market being dragged?" Ummayma asked Noor. She nodded silently, her heart racing.

Her father was an honest man. He could never steal anything from anyone. This was all a lie; a conspiracy cooked up by his enemies.

But even as she wanted to believe that, another voice was echoing in her head; the voice of reason.

The man who whom they had seen being dragged through the market was Zaid. She had seen him several times right here at their home. He and Kabeer had been having secret meetings behind closed doors every time he visited. And the necklace had been found in his bedroom, with a handwritten letter to the thief. Could it be?

"Things are finally looking up for us."

"...things are going to get better from now on. There's something I've been planning for a very long time now. If my plans are successful, then everything will be perfect for us from now on."

Was it possible that her father was indeed a thief? Was that the secret he'd been keeping from them? That he was a criminal and he had even joined a group of like-minded people as well?

Secrets and lies. Her father had concealed so much from them. But why?

"Where did they take him?" Safiya asked.

"I don't know. I think they said they were going to lock him up before judgement is passed on him." Ummayma said.

"This cannot be happening." Safiya sank to the ground, fighting back the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes. What had she ever done to deserve this? Why was this misfortune befalling her family? Her husband wasn't a thief. It couldn't be possible. He was merely being framed.

"Did you say the necklace was stolen from the Al-ghala mansion?" Noor asked, wiping the tears on her face. This was no time to cry.

"Yes." Ummayma nodded slowly.

"So that means, the man that was here?" she raised an eyebrow.

"It must have been Fareed." Aisha said. "I do not know his face, but then it couldn't be anyone else."

Ummayma glanced sideways at Aisha, but she said nothing.

Noor stood up suddenly, causing Safiya to jump.

"Mother, I'm going to see Abba." she announced.

"No, you can't!" Safiya held her hand. "Are you insane?"

"Mother, I need to know that he is alright. I need to know he's fine." she said.

"And what will you do if you find out? Can you prove his innocence before the council?" Safiya yelled. "You are not going anywhere. I forbid it."

"But mother," Noor began to argue, but Safiya jumped to her feet as well. Suddenly, she grasped the side of her head as she swayed slightly. Noor rushed to her side.

"Mother, are you alright?" she asked.

"Yes I am." Safiya said weakly, just as she fainted right into her daughter's arms.

*

"She'll be fine." Rahma, the wife of Kabeer's neighbour announced, placing a damp cloth on Safiya's forehead. "She just needs to rest."

"Thank you." Noor said, wiping the tears from her eyes. Rahma nodded silently, feeling sorry for her neighbours. The news had already spread like wildfire: Kabeer, a reputable and highly respectable member of society had been arrested for theft. A few people were still gathered at the gates of his house, conversing in hushed tones.

"I always knew there was something dodgy about him." one of the young men standing outside said to his friends. "Haven't you always wondered why he stays so late at night while everyone else has gone home? Or how he avoids people most of the time? I'm sure he has been planning this theft for a very long time."

"Such a shame." his friend replied. "I always thought he was such a nice man. Do you remember how he gave those poor children money for food when he saw them at the mosque the other day?"

"It's always the bad ones who appear good in our eyes before they are exposed." the first man replied.

"What's going to happen to him now?" his friend asked.

"Well his fingers will have to be cut off, right?" he laughed. "It's obvious, isn't it?"

"But he's not the one who did the stealing, is he?"

"Do you really think that would matter in the eyes of the law? He'll suffer the same fate as the thief himself."

"Unless he finds a way to bend the law. He's a wealthy man after all. If he knows the right people to bribe, then I'm sure he'll not be charged."

"Shut up! Both of you." the older man who had been listening in on their conversation snapped. "Do you have any idea who he stole from?"

Both of them shook their head.

"Fareed Al-ghala." he said slowly. "Kabeer is as good as dead. Knowing the kind of man Fareed is, he would never let this go easily."

The two men stared at him in stark disbelief, as did several other people surrounding them. The man was right. If indeed it was Fareed whom Kabeer had tried to steal from, then he was as good as dead. Slowly, they began to disperse, eager to spread the news to those who still hadn't heard.

Meanwhile, back inside the house, Noor was just coming down the stairs when Aisha rushed after her.

"Where are you going to?" she asked.

"I'm going to see my father, of course." she said without looking at her.

"But your mother said you're not to go outside." Aisha said.

"In case you haven't noticed, my mother is presently unconscious because of what happened here today. I will not sit down and watch as everything unfolds in front of me. I'm going to see him and that's final." Noor snapped.

"But,"

"Enough!" she raised her hand. "You are in no position to stop me, Aisha. Now leave me at once."

"As you wish." Aisha bowed coldly, keeping her eyes glued to the ground as Noor stepped into the room and grabbed her veil. Aisha still didn't look up as Noor came out, wrapping her veil around her. She looked up however, when she heard the sound of the gates being closed. And when she did, there was a cold smile on her face.

*

"How could you let this happen, Kabeer? How could you be so foolish?" Aliyu yelled at Kabeer, making sure to keep his voice low so their conversation wouldn't be overheard.

"Please, my family." Kabeer cried. "I want to know they are safe."

"Don't worry." Aliyu said. "I've instructed some members of the Order to watch over them. They are safe, Kabeer. Right now let's focus on the task at hand, which is getting you out of the city safely. I'm sure you do not wish to spend the rest of your life in this cell, or do you?"

"What about my..."

"I shall arrange for them to be transported out of the city as soon as possible. They shall come with you. But we must do this quickly. We have a very small window of opportunity here."

Straightening up, Aliyu turned around and walked towards the exit. He paused however, turning to face Kabeer.

"Time and time again, I have cautioned you all to watch your back. Our enemies are numerous and they are always watching, like hawks circling their prey. It was very foolish of you to even think of writing that letter. Now look at the mess you've landed yourself in."

He paused, sucking in a breath.

"I'm getting too old for this. My ability to help you all is dwindling by the day. I'm not the same man I used to be, Kabeer. But yet you people still manage to make mistakes which I wouldn't expect you to make.

"I have seen many honourable men join us, Kabeer. And I have seen even more die a very painful death while they were carrying out their duties. It will be a shame if you were to join their ranks.

"I think it will be best if you severe all ties with the Order. Not permanently, of course." he added quickly, seeing the look of horror on Kabeer's face. "Just for a short while, so we can throw Fareed off your scent."

"Please, I beg of you. I know what I did was foolish." Kabeer begged, crawling towards Aliyu's fest. "But please do not humiliate me even further by ousting me from the Order."

"Didn't you hear what I said? I want you to be safe. It's only temporary after all." Aliyu said, raising his head so he could stare down at Kabeer over his nose.

"I..." Kabeer started to speak, but both men were interrupted by one of the guards, who stopped just outside the cell.

"You have a visitor." he announced, unlocking the chains which were fastened around the door of the cell. Kabeer felt joy beyond words as he saw his beautiful daughter rushing into the cell, falling at his feet.

"Abba," she cried, tears streaming from her eyes.

"I shall return shortly, Kabeer." Aliyu announced, stalking out of the cell.

"Abba, please tell me it is a lie." Noor cried. "Tell me you didn't steal anything."

"My child," Kabeer stroked her head fondly. "Do you honestly think I would steal anything?"

"No father!" she exclaimed. "Of course not. They are trying to frame you."

"I know, my child. I know." he said. "But we must not let them dampen our spirits. Everything is being taken care of."

"Abba?"

"Yes, Noor?"

"I want the truth."

Her words hung thick in the air, emphasizing the silence which surrounded them. It was a silence of contemplation.

"The truth, my child?" Kabeer asked.

"Yes, father. I want the truth about everything." she said.

"The truth is sometimes more painful than we can imagine, Noor. Sometimes, it is better if we simply do not know."

"I want to know, father. I want to know what secrets you've been keeping from Umma and I. Please." she begged.

Kabeer sighed deeply, staring down at his fingers. Here in front of him was the person whom he cared about more than anything else in this world, whose happiness he cared about more than anything else, and yet he couldn't tell her.

"Noor," he sighed again, cupping her cheek. "I wish I could tell you. I wish I could explain everything to you. But I have taken an oath. And I cannot break my oath."

"Not even for me?" she asked.

"Especially." he sighed, forcing a smile to his face.

*

Meanwhile, not very far away from the place where Kabeer was being held, another woman was silently hurrying towards an abandoned looking house. She paused at the door, glancing up and down the street to make sure she wasn't followed. Satisfied, she pushed the door open and stepped into the darkness, pausing to allow her eyes adjust to the darkness.

Blinking furiously, her eyes finally settled on the man standing at the far end of the room, facing the window silently in thought. His hands were folded behind his back, which was a rigid as a solid wall.

"Are you sure you weren't followed?" he asked.

"Yes, master." Aisha said, sinking to her knees.

"Adequate." Fareed said, turning slowly to face her. He narrowed his eyes upon looking at her. "Might I ask why there are tears in your eyes?"

"To convince them that I am truly on their side. I have to keep up this act, Master; as you commanded." she said.

"You did good, Aisha." Fareed said. "You have served me well all these years. And I want to believe you will continue to carry out your services dutifully."

"As long as I live." Aisha said, still keeping her eyes on the ground.

"Is the Order planning anything?" he asked.

"I believe they are planning to move him out of the city before you arrive." Aisha said. "I heard Aliyu went to visit him in his cell."

"Is that so?" Fareed said icily. "Then I must act immediately."

"Here." he threw down a small bag at her feet, which clinked softly. "That will be your p*****t for what you did last night. Expect more if you continue to serve me well."

"Thank you, Master." she bowed, grabbing the bag greedily. "Has the master considered my earlier request?"

"My answer remains the same, Aisha. I am afraid I cannot grant you freedom while there is still work to be done." Fareed said, turning away from her.

"Please master, I beg only of this. I want to return to my people." Aisha croaked, genuine tears beginning to appear in her eyes.

"You shall have your freedom, Aisha. But that will be when I command it." he said.

"But master, Kabeer already set me free earlier today. He... "

"Do not argue with me." Fareed raised his hand, silencing her at once. "Might I ask who your true master is? That thieving scoundrel, or I?"

"You, master Fareed." she said. "It has always been you."

"Exactly. You may leave now. I shall contact you when I need you again."

"As you wish, master." she said, rising to her feet slowly. Fareed didn't turn to look at her as she shut the door behind her. He had other things on his mind.

*

"Go." Kabeer said. "Someone will come and fetch you and your mother, Noor. You must follow him and go to wherever he takes you. I shall join you shortly."

"But why, father?" she cried.

"You ask too many questions, Noor. Please just do as I say, and everything will be fine." Kabeer said.

"As you wish, father." she said, staring down at her feet. "But father, what will happen if you don't make it?"

Kabeer raised her head slowly, kissing her forehead. "Trust me, my child. Everything will be fine."

But everything was not fine. For just as Kabeer was trying to console his daughter, they suddenly heard a huge commotion right outside the cell.

"What's going on?" Noor asked, standing up. Kabeer struggled to stand up as well, as both his hands were tied together in front of him. The guard who had been standing in front of the cell rushed outside at once, drawing his sabre. A minute later, there was a bang, and the clattering of hurried feet. Noor and her father backed away as another man returned, brandishing a dagger before him.

"Step away from the door." he barked. They hastily obeyed as he shoved the keys into the lock and turned. The chains clattered down to his feet. Wordlessly, he grabbed Kabeer by the elbow and shoved him unceremoniously toward the door.

"No!" Noor yelled, rushing for her father. The man turned, pointing the dagger straight at her.

"Try anything funny and I'll run this through your pretty little throat." he laughed evilly. Noor froze, her eyes following the dagger slowly. The man chuckled to himself, turning around and shoving Kabeer in front of him. "Move." he barked.

Both men exited the cell, leaving the door wide open behind them. Noor waited for a few seconds before dashing out after her father.

*

"Unhand me this instant." Aliyu struggled against the men holding him, but they didn't relinquish their grip.

"Silence." Fareed thundered. "I have given you more respect than you deserve, old man. How dare you plan to smuggle this thief out of the city, right under my nose?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Aliyu said, glaring daggers at the back of Fareed's head, who was still watching the entrance of the cells. A muscle in his jaw twitched as his slave returned, throwing Kabeer down at his feet.

"Did you think you could escape me so easily?" Fareed whispered, crouching before him. Kabeer looked up at him, mustering all the hatred he could into his gaze. But his eyes landed on someone else. The man was dressed in a black robe and was standing behind Fareed, with a black mask over his face and a tall blade glistening ominously by his side.

"Now you know the fate that awaits you." Fareed smiled, his eyes following Kabeer's. He straightened up slowly, taking a step back from Kabeer. The executioner stepped forward, raising his sword.

"Fareed, you cannot..." Aliyu began to speak, but Fareed cut him off.

"I shall do whatever I want. No one steals from me." he said.

"No!" a woman yelled from inside the cell, rushing out to her father's side. Momentarily dazed, all eyes turned towards her as she fell beside her father and wrapped her arms around him.

Fareed turned sharply, curious to see who dared to defy him. He froze when his eyes landed on Noor. She was sobbing beside her father, whose head was bowed as if in prayer.

It happened so quickly that Fareed couldn't explain what exactly it was. But something clicked at the back of his mind. He felt something surge through his chest; an emotion he'd never experienced before. It was an unwelcome feeling, spreading from the tip of his head down to his toes. The air around him seemed to soften suddenly, and he was suddenly aware of how foolish his hands must look dangling beside him. Quickly, he folded them behind him and averted his gaze.

"Please, spare my father." Noor cried, not looking up at him.

"No! He shall not be pardoned. No one steals from me and lives to tell the tale." Fareed replied, turning away from her, a stoic and hardened expression on his face. His back was turned to her, wide and rigid, like the back of a warrior in the face of war. The sands swept across her face; the Arabian desert was beginning to stir.

The sun was already setting in the west horizon, stretching their shadows to the east. Tallest among them was the executioner's blade, raised above her father's head; poised and ready to strike at the master's command.

"Please! I beg of you." she sobbed, bowing her head. She was aware of the numerous eyes staring down at her with their breaths held. Never had a woman stood up to master Fareed.

Never.

"I'll do anything you ask me to. Please spare my father." she begged. "Anything."

"Anything?" master Fareed turned to her, a single eyebrow raised sharply.

"Anything." Noor replied, looking up into his eyes for the first time. She gasped, momentarily surprised by who she was looking at.

Noor had imagined Fareed to be ugly. The mental image of Fareed which she had come up with was that of an overweight man with several black spots on his face and a large amount of facial hair.

Fareed was the opposite of what she had pictured. But when he spoke, the chill which ran down her spine was such that she had never experienced before.

"Are you ready to give up your life for his?" he asked.

*