Captive- Veiled Desires (9 page)

“There’s a lot of space,” Adam joked. “You could have just thrown your mat alongside mine.”

Basel snorted. “You think the other guys are gonna be okay with that? Sleeping beside the head of Darul-Ilhaam?  They’d say I was sucking up to the boss again. That will completely ruin my life.”

Adam shrugged, grinning. “If that’s how you want to look at it, that’s your choice. Otherwise, you could have screwed the lot of them and had a better night’s sleep.”

“You know, I’ve always liked that about you. You don’t give a damn about what people think of you. I don’t know if it’s because you weren’t born here…” Basel quieted. “Keeping our face, honor. It’s a part of the reason why we’re all so fucked up.”

“They’re proud qualities to have, Basel.”

“Not when they hinder us from progress. We send our young people to jail, should they god-forbid fall in love. If they had pre-marital sex, then the sentence is greater. Because the mothers are in jail, our children are born in jail. Fathers are ashamed of their daughters because they muddied their honor. They’d willingly put a bullet in her rather than face society. And why? Because of what their neighbor down the road will think of them?  It’s a cruel cycle that wheels round and round until it puts everyone in a spin, dizzying them with madness. And the only way out of it is to throw ourselves under that wheel. It’s the only way out of this misery.”

Adam put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “If you manage to part a little of those principles to your children, you will have done your share in achieving some progress for our country.”

Basel spurted a chuckle, shaking his head.

“Oh come on,” Adam encouraged. “You have what- seven kids. That’s more than half an Afghan football team.” He stood up and began folding his mat away. “Basel.” His tone changed to a serious and concerned one. “Just don’t repeat those words to anyone else, okay? You never can trust who might sell you out for treason.”

Basel stood up and stretched himself. “I won’t. But here’s another that might put me into prison. Why are you here when you got that beautiful woman sitting in your bedroom?”

Adam twisted his mouth in deep thought. How could he answer that one without sounding frigid? “We aren’t married yet.”

Basel sneered. “It’s never stopped you from having a woman in your bed when you wanted one. What’s different with this one?”

“Uh…” Adam scratched his head. “She’s feisty. It would be better if I waited until we’re married.”

“Where’d you find her?”

Adam glanced about uncomfortably. Of everyone in this damned house, Basel was the last person he’d wanted to tell that Nora was the result of a kidnapping and not love. The man thought too highly of women, making him completely unpredictable as to how he would react once he did learn she was held against her will. “Paktika.”

“There are rumors she is a white woman. I heard the women talking. And unmistakably, that was she screaming all day yesterday. No one here speaks English that fucking good. Well, other than you. Did you kidnap her?”

“There are reasons, Basel. I just can’t discuss it.”

“I figured. I never knew you to have a fetish for forced marriages.” He looked in the direction of Adam’s bedroom. “I don’t like them too, Adam. And the only reason I’m not playing knight in shining armor is because I trust you.” He grew quiet, thinking deeply for a while. “I think I’ll go wash up and catch some breakfast before it’s all gone.”

Adam watched him closely as the man strolled out of the room. Basel was one of his loyal few who would gladly sacrifice his life for him. He wasn’t at all surprised that he had stood up for Nora. He had done so more often than he could remember for other women too. 

He sighed. He silently prayed that no one else would bring up the subject of Nora. This was getting more precarious than it already was. Nora had better be worth the breath he was risking for her.

He glanced down at his watch. It was almost eleven in the morning. How much longer was he going to avoid facing her? Sooner or later, he had to do it today.

He braced his neck and let out a puff of breath as he paced the length of the garage. Was there another way? There must be a goddamned alternative. Maybe if he thought real hard… But that was all he was doing these past few days. If there had been one, he would have discovered it by now.

He gathered up his courage and marched up to the house. He could hear the ramblings of the women as they busied themselves with the little banquet they were preparing for him. The delicious aroma of the food cooking in their wood fireplaces, drifted to his nose. He swallowed. The woman had better shape-up by the evening or he’d be the laughing stock of every criminal ring in Afghanistan and beyond.

He rattled the door before opening it. He wanted to give her enough notice before leaping in on her. He stepped in cautiously.

She was tidying up the mess she had created yesterday. She barely glanced at him as she strode past to tidy his bed. She wore her dress without her pants. And as she stepped around him, he couldn’t help looking down at her naked feet.  They were slim and beautiful. His cock stirred in his pants. Since when did he have a foot fetish?

“Leave it,” he said, shaking himself out of his sudden strange fantasy. “I’ll get one of the women to tidy up the room.”

She ignored him as she continued to straighten-up the bedspreads.

“Nora…” He moved to pull her away but she slapped him away and then rushed off to the end of the room. Her eyes darted about the room, scared and wary. His heart clenched. He didn’t want to see her in such pain. “I won’t hurt you.” He spoke to her softly as he inched slowly towards her.

“Let me go,” she begged. “Please, let me go.”

“I can’t, Nora.”

She bit her lips and closed her eyes.

“Nora,” he said. “We’re getting married, today.”

She didn’t say anything. She didn’t react at all.

“The women will dress you for the wedding ceremony. It’s going to be held this evening at about seven o’clock,” he continued. “They will then lead you down to the common room after the
nikkah
has taken place. And when the mullah will ask you if you’re agreeing to the marriage during the
nikkah
, you
will
say “I do”.”

She lifted her eyes up harshly at him. Her defiance had seeped back into them. His entire body tensed. Those eyes were going to be the cause of his death one day.

“No,” she said.

His lips thinned. He didn’t do well when people challenged him. “I’m not asking you, Nora.”

“I won’t do it.”

He stepped threateningly towards her, his shoulders bulking. His fears were coming alive. She was going to humiliate him before everyone.

“What?” she dared. “You’re gonna hit me again? You might as well kill me now because I
will
not
do it.”

“No, I won’t kill you.” He gritted his teeth menacingly. “I will have you alive. I will, however, be compelled to kill those who are close to you. You and solely, you will be the reason for their fates.”

She widened her eyes in shock. “I don’t believe you,” she muttered. “You know nothing about me.”

“Is that so?” He smirked. “Nora Jennings. Age, twenty-eight. Was the photographer for the
Chicago Herald
until a month ago when she decided she wanted to travel and see the world outside of Chicago, a city in which she had spent her entire life. Studied at Lincoln Park High School and then moved on to get her photography degree from the University of Illinois. Your parents separated as a child. You haven’t been in contact with your father for the last ten years and you most possibly do not even know where he is. Your mother died six years ago in a freak car accident. Two cars collided; one slid away and hit your mother who was an innocent pedestrian on a crossing. Life couldn’t have been more unfair to you, Nora. I thought I had cashed in all my chips. There was no one who was really looking out for your return.”  He placed his hands against the wall, on either side of her head, blocking her exits. But there was really no need to worry about her escaping. He had caught her attention and he was going to make sure that was how it stayed. He leaned into her, his voice dropping to almost a whisper. “But there is one, is there, Nora? No, not a boyfriend. You haven’t had one for years after that bastard Gary Fischer two-timed you with that bitch he used to work with. No, no, no. I’m talking about Amy Jacobsen. Age- twenty seven. Occupation- nurse at the Chicago General Hospital. Boyfriend- Jake Fraser, journalist and your former colleague from the
Chicago Herald.
Do you want more?” he whispered into her ear. “I know your social security number, where you live and who you’ve been in contact with in the last month. I know everything there is to know about you.”

“Who… are you?” she mumbled breathlessly.

“Your husband.”

HAPTER
7

His eyes raked over her face until it stopped at her lips, mesmerized by its shape. She evoked illicit images of them together- of how he’d take her, push into her, until she moaned and begged to relieve her of his pleasured torture to her body.

The mere touch of her hands on his chest aroused him to the brink of unbearable hardness. His eyes didn’t lift off her lips. He leaned in closer to her. But she folded her arms between them and gave him a hard push, jolting him out of his trance.

“Stay away from me!” she shouted.

He stumbled back with a startle. Had he been leaning in to kiss her? He combed his hair with his fingers, trying to calm the rush of adrenaline through his nerves. If could do this to him now, what would happen later? In a matter of a few hours, she would be bearing his name. She was going to be rightfully his. Would he have the will to resist his desires then?

She’s a project, Adam. Get a fucking grip on yourself.

He turned away from her, not because of the shame for wanting her. But in case she saw how much he wanted her. His cock was straining against his pants and he had lost all common sense by wearing jeans around her rather than the traditional
tunbaan
.

“I leave it to you, Nora,” he let out more roughly than he had wanted to. “I will not be held responsible for what happens to Amy and Jake should you decide to not agree to our marriage.”

“How do you know all that about me? How could you possibly know?!” She stamped her foot hard in frustration.

“What does it matter how? The safety and welfare of your friends is what should concern you for now. Unless… they’re not as important to you as I think they are?” He frowned. He couldn’t possibly be wrong. She and that nurse did everything together. The woman had even enquired about Nora’s disappearance in Kashmir.

“Why do we need to be married?” she whispered. “You could have me without it. Mateen certainly proved it was possible.”

His temples pulsed angrily. “I’m not Mateen.”

“But why marriage?” she insisted. “It’s not like it’s even going to be valid. You’re forcing consent out of me. It wouldn’t even be registered in court. No judge in their right mind is going to validate such insanity.”

He smiled. Was she that naïve? Was she discussing logics with a lawless warlord? He braced his elbow against the window sill and cocked his head at her. “Have you considered that I could possibly have a fetish for brides?”She paled at the realization and he relished the discomfort washing over her. “As for the validity, eighty percent of marriages in Afghanistan are not registered in a legal courtroom. Why would ours make it any different? Though, once our
nikkah
is completed, the mullah will issue a
nikkah khat
, a document certifying our marriage. I anticipate that it will suffice my admission into your bed.”

She didn’t speak, instead standing frozen to her spot.

He frowned. Had he been too harsh? He straightened-up and began to walk towards the door.  Perhaps, he should leave her to sink it all in. Obviously, she hadn’t expected him to follow through his threat of marriage.

Initially, he hadn’t wanted to marry her. But the more he came to know her, the more he came into contact with her, he wanted to believe there was no other alternative for her. He had spent all these years roaming alone through the deserts and he had unsurprisingly, grown tired of his own company. If he could just have her for a little while longer…

“I hold an esteemed standing amongst my men, Nora” he said, stalling by the door. “You should consider the dire circumstances you’re in at present when you’re making your decision. I have my men watching over your friend. Don’t force me into taking that path. It’s one that can’t be undone.”

“And what if I refuse?” she uttered. “What if I say no? Who else will you kill?”

He fiddled with the door knob. “It seems you know very little of how we conduct our business. I’m not going to kill Amy. Far from it in fact. Every refusal you make will equate with every finger, every limb of her body. I’m sorry, but that’s how it is going to be. Considering you don’t have many people close to you, you leave me in a very precarious position.”

“You’re worse than Mateen,” she spat out. “At least with him I knew he was a bastard. You, on the other hand, are nothing more than a charlatan, a fraud. You’re kind and gentle one minute and an asshole the next. I hate you! I will always hate you!”

He closed the door behind him. Her harsh words remained with him, echoing in his mind. Why did he allow them to impale his heart? They should mean nothing to him. But no matter how much he tried to brush them away, he had let her hurt him. Clearly, he was growing weak each time he came to know her better. He couldn’t permit this to continue. He had to prove to himself that it was he and not her who ruled his heart.

He had been shaving when one of the younger boys of Darul-Ilhaam came running to him bearing news of the mullah’s arrival.

“The mullah said he will carry out the marriage vows this evening,” the boy said, barely able to resist the smile on his face.

Adam pat dried his jaw with a clean towel. The mullah’s arrival made the impending marriage seem all too surreal. Now he had to wait on whether Nora would consent to the marriage. He didn’t think she would refuse though. Not after his last threat on ripping her dearest friend apart. He hadn’t wanted to go down that route but the woman left him no choice. She could be annoyingly stubborn if she wanted to.

“Thanks,” he said. He pulled a handful of notes from his pocket and handed it to the boy. He had brought him good news after all, hadn’t he?

The boy accepted it happily.

Basel watched him curiously from a chair. He waited until the boy skipped out of the room excitedly and then strolled up to him.

“She hasn’t screamed at all today. Looks as if she’s also crazy for you,” he said. “Or are you holding something against her?”

“Aren’t you happy I’m getting married, Basel?”

“Of course, I am. But it certainly strikes me strange how you’re going about it.”

“What’s so strange about it? I like her. I want her.”

“Yeah, I suppose.” Basel shrugged off. He rubbed his forehead with the pad of his thumb. “Congratulations.” He put out his hand to shake his.

Adam took it, slightly eased. He needed Basel on his side. If his closest friend believed in this marriage, then so would the others in Darul-Ilhaam. “Thanks, Basel.”

“I was hoping we could have had more fanfare than this on your first marriage.” Basel sighed.

“What’s wrong with this? I like small and quiet weddings. Besides, with the reputation I hold in the country, I don’t think I’d be able to have one without worrying.  I’d have every American military spy cam scouting it.” He glanced around. “I like this. A marriage with only my special people in attendance.”

“Perhaps, the next one, then.” Basel grinned.

Adam laughed. “Perhaps.”

Husna and Saba returned, bustling into the room along with two older women.

Nora nodded dazedly as they explained the ceremony of the
nikkah
. She just wanted it to be all over. Sometimes, she felt she was caught in a nightmare. How could this be real? So much had happened in a matter of a week, it seemed anything but normal.

Husna tilted her sad chin up to her. “You no happy to marry?”

Nora bit her trembling lips.

“I know. I know. I also no happy to marry. And she no. She no. She no.” She pointed at each of the women.

She spurted a chuckle out of the women. Nora glanced up at them. Their smiles lit their faces. It didn’t seem they had unhappy marriages at all. Perhaps, they had reconciled with their doomed fates.

But she wasn’t one of them. She didn’t belong here. She couldn’t sit back and plaster on a fake smile while living with a man she detested to her core. Bile rose in her throat and she almost retched. She ran to the bathroom, spewing in disgust.

The women stared after her in disbelief. Husna peeked into the bathroom.
“Umeed-warr.”
Nora heard the phrase fly about the room. What were they saying now?

The oldest woman scolded the rest and they hushed up immediately.

Nora wiped her mouth and returned to her chair. Husna rubbed her back with sympathy.

“It will be okay,” the young woman soothed. “No problems. We here.”

The sun began to set in the distance and she grew even more nervous. She was getting married. Her hands sweat, her color paled. Could she pull through this farce?

You have to survive this, Nora. None of this is real.
She closed her eyes, chanting the words like a mantra in her mind.

She was decked in an exquisite white wedding gown. Where had they got it from? It clearly was something she could never have afforded on her small salary.

She glanced at herself in the mirror. She had imagined they would get her married in a beautiful
perahaan
like she had worn earlier. But a white wedding gown? Her eyes welled. The bastard had ripped away another of her dreams. Her first time in a white wedding dress was going to be forever tattooed in her memory as the one she had shared with him.