Part two.

12: 00 a.m.- midnight.

Right at twelve, the door of the bedroom opened and Fatima ma'am came in hastily with a small bag in her hand. 

"Good thing you are awake," she said whilst locking the door silently. 

"Is he asleep?" She demanded, peeping behind me.

Understanding, she was asking about my brother. "He is," I responded.

"Good! I don't want my plan to be foiled by some stupid, senseless kid," she said impudently, sighing.

My baby brother was neither stupid nor some senseless kid. I wanted to articulate that to her, but I couldn't say that because it would be improper when she was only trying to help us out. Hence, I kept mum, gulping.

And Maa always used to say that if someone was rude to you, don't in return be rude to them. It would be pointless and only could make the matter worse. So, try to be extra polite with them. It would lessen the bitterness in return and not increase it.

I blinked back my foggy eyes from the sea of thoughts to clear my mind. Now it was not the time for grief. I chide myself.

"You listen carefully now!" She ordered.

I nodded all too eager to go from here, waiting for her to continue.

"You're on the second floor but you have been granted the first room near the staircase and that is a good thing in your case as well as for me because I will be having less trouble in helping you hide until you reach safely. Okay?" I nodded. "And, at twelve-thirty, you will leave this room and will go straight through the corridor after several steps away— you shall find a staircase and slowly very slowly and steadily make your way down to the front door and make sure no one sees you there. You would do that. Won't you?" I nodded "You understand?" She asked, sombrely. I nodded again.

She paused for some time before continuing with:

"After going across the front door, turn left and go straight till you find a right turn, then go straight through the path towards the main gate where you'll see two guards on either side of the gate. I will be there for your rescue from the guards, but you have to make sure to stay hidden from them until I show up. Alright? And I will help you by sending them away with some sort of excuse for you. However, you don't have to fret about it. I will handle it all. Only when they would leave the gate unguarded would you emerge from wherever you would be hiding, to the front gate. Until then you are to stay hidden somewhere they could not see you. Once they are out of sight, I will immediately launch my handprint to open the main door as it all consists of hi-tech security that needs a password as I have told you. When the gate opens, turn left wherein the corner you will find a cab waiting for you to take you to the railway station from there,” she breathed hard after explaining. "Go anywhere you want from there and you could get tickets too, easily. Don't come back again,” she added after a long pause.

Railway station? Are we outside the city? If not, then why would I be going to the railway station? In the back of my mind, there was a certain voice that was prattling.

I nodded in gratitude, absentmindedly. But, somehow— determined. 

I surely will never come here again. I mulled over staunchly.

"Hmm. And take these you would be needing for travelling though," she stated as thrusting the small bag at me from her hand.

"It's ten thousand rupees; you will need them. So take it and meet me downstairs in fifteen minutes!" She ordered me while reading the time on the wall watch. 

"Ma'am I do- " 

"Take it. You must. You will need it. You can't go anywhere without any money,” she snapped while cutting me off.

I wanted to answer back but I kept mum and nodded.

"Indeed! And get him-" she motioned at my brother. "-Some sleep or whatever just don't let him mess up my plan. Got it? You better understand because if by any chance you happen to get caught, Uzair might have him decapitated into tiny little pieces,” she gushed. "I must proceed now," she said, shrugging her shoulders as if it was not a big deal, before leaving. However, my eyes were wide-opened at her prodigious speculation.

How could she even say that?

Striding up to the door with her hand on the lock, she swivelled around to face me and added, "Don't be late. Be there at twelve-thirty!" Saying, she existed. 

Aghast, I stood there blinking my uncertain tears back at her curtness and unnatural proclamation.

Nothing of that sort will happen. Never! I will only be here for fifteen more minutes. Nothing will go wrong. I convinced myself. As I watched my brother sleep in peace.

I hummed a lullaby to him when he stirred a little on my lap.

"Ssh, go back to sleep, baby. We will be at our own home from tomorrow onwards," stroking his head with a tenderness I said to him in his nap, kissing his head.

However, the unanswered question remained: were we out of town?

We could be for all I know.

But, I hoped against the hope that we were not somewhere else but in the same city.

Oh! God. 

“Please help us succeed,” closing my eyes, I prayed. 

___________________________________

Ahaan!

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