"No, madam. Don't do this," I cried out of deep concern.
I knew if she answered he was not going to hesitate killing her. What made things worse was the fact she was ready to die.
"My name is Fajrah," She told me.
"Okay, okay, Fajrah. Relax," I was not relaxed myself. My voice trembled and came out with gasps of air, "We can do this. You heard him this is not going to last forever. There's a definite end. And it is closer than anytime before."
"I—I—" She stammered, shaking her head and wearing a lemon face.
"It's okay, It's fine." I assured her, "I feel you, this is hell. But it is going to be over soon. You and I are going to talk about this day on a beach in Havana. Perhaps you want Abu Dhabi?"
I forced out a smile, "I will go with you to the holy city of Mecca and you will go with me to Afghanistan."
Her breathe slowed down, the undeniable fruits of my efforts.
However, in the next moment she rushed towards me and threw herself at me. I shuddered and shallowed hard as I received her into my arms, letting her lie on my chest. She embraced me tightly as if she wanted to mix her body with mine. What I felt I had no desire to share. I had never ever felt anything close to that before.
She looked deeply in my eyes and said, "I love you,"
that intensified the feeling to the point that it displaced the very presence of the world.
I didn't hear the gunshot, i only saw a thing layer of blood trickling down her forehead.
The thug had to take a special position at the left section in order to execute such a precise and clean strike. At least, he knew she deserved to die with dignity. I recalled feeling her body trembling once and for all. I closed her eyes and rested her head on my left shoulder. Then I raised up my head and shut my eyes. Tears streamed down my face. I wept in silence. Such immense grief had never struck me before in the short twenty-two years of my life.
It had been tormenting me knowing that in life I yet had to face extreme pain and grief. By that time, I had not lost anyone very close. However, I knew very well that like anyone else, it was going to happen at some point in my life. i was going to lose at least a sibling or a parent or perhaps a wife or a child. Facing that fact frightened me so much. Sometimes, I wished to die first. You may have realized I'm a freak to be having all these kind of thoughts. In fact, I naturally care and think about many awful things.
"Rule number five has been reinstated," the thug announced. His voice came from behind me. He certainly sat on Fajrah's chair. It was a ritual I had come to understand.
I abruptly opened my wet eyes and found myself eye to eye with Mah. Although, exhausted and wearied out, I had absolutely no doubt that he ranked among the strongest and bravest men in the world if not that he was the securer of the top spot.
"What's the purpose of life?" I asked, my wet and bloodshot eyes fixed on his.