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I wait some time but he doesn’t come back around the corner. I think I’ve lost him. Happy with that I head out of the market and towards my destination. The merchants hawk their wares but I do not have time for them. I’ve already wasted more time than I intended losing my pursuit.
The crowds thin the further from the center of the city I get making my progress faster. I’m moving right along when I see him. Somehow he found me. Again. How, I do not know. Maybe he saw me leaving? Did I miss him coming back around the last corner?
It doesn’t matter because he is once again on my tail. Losing him without the crowds is going to be harder than ever. I pick up my pace and move faster. He matches my pace though staying far enough behind he clearly doesn’t know that I’ve spotted him.
I turn a corner then immediately turn again. A rundown hovel is on my right and I push my way into it. Inside it is dark. I shut the door quickly, leaving only enough of an opening that I can watch the street.
My pursuer rushes around the corner and stops. He’s looking all around clearly confused. A smile spreads over my face. He turns in a circle with a clear look of consternation on his face. I hear him growl then he rushes down the street.
Good. I’ve lost him. I move back to the door and reach for it.
“Wait, Bhoja,” someone says.
25
NIYAH
The knock on the door comes again. Louder.
I stare at the door frozen in place. I’m too scared to even breathe. The knock repeats. Loud. Hard. So hard the door shakes.
This is it. They’ve come for me. What am I going to do? Where are you Bhoja? I need you.
The knock repeats. Insistent. Maybe they’ll go away. I’ll wait them out and it will all be okay. As long as I don’t move, don’t breathe, they won’t know I’m here. Clenching my hands into fists I hold my breath and hope.
It doesn’t help. The knock comes again. The handle turns and the door rattles. Whoever it is they are determined to get in here. I look around, my eyes stopping on the couch. Thank everything that Bhoja had the presence of mind to take the body upstairs.
What if it’s a Maulavi? What if they know? They must know. I’m about to be arrested, taken away, tortured and killed.
I let out my held breath then draw in a fresh one even if it is shaky. There is no win condition here. If they know, that’s it. There is literally nothing I can do about it. There is always a chance, however small, that they don’t. Or that it’s not even the Maulavi at the door. It could be anyone. Maybe Bhoja has friends, one of whom is stopping by for a visit.
And on that visit decides beating down his door rather than knocking and leaving is a grand idea? It’s not a friend.
Okay, right. It’s not a friend. My heart hammers as my stomach continues to flip and flop. But this isn’t going to end if I don’t make it stop. As I come to this conclusion everything comes into focus.
Good, bad, or ugly, I can’t sit here hiding. Whoever is at the door is yelling in Urr’ki. It’s clear they’re not happy. As if I needed any help figuring that out by the way they were beating on the door.
Grab the bull by the horns, right?
Right. Let’s do this. One last breath, hopefully not really one last, but it could be, then I force my hands to unclench. I roll my neck and shoulders to loosen them then stride over to the door. The yelling continues and I jump involuntarily when they beat on the door again.
I’m fine. It’s fine. I’ve got this.
I turn the lock and open the door.
Two Maulavi fill the opening and an even larger one looms behind them. My stomach hits the floor.
26
BHOJA
Ispin and grab. Wrapping my hands in the shirt of the shadowy shape I rush forward until crashing into a wall. The body I’ve got in my grip slams against it and whoever it is breath comes out in a rush, blasting across my face. I lift them off their feet, pulling my free hand back and cocking my fist to smash their face.
“Wait!” he yelps, breathless.
I recognize that voice. Someone unhoods a lantern. Orange light dances over a face I know but it doesn’t make sense.
“Raso?”
