Jabali's Redemption - Episode 17

 

‘Neema we have to report this to the police,’ Lulu said pushing a cup of cold water at her hands, urging her to drink, ‘Majid has been a bully for so long. I didn’t think he would try to do anything after so long,’ Neema didn’t know if she could drink it. Majid had given her a mean backhand, her whole head hurt and her ears were ringing.

‘So, his name is Majid,’ the deep voice of Akila asked and Neema had even forgotten he was still around. He was sitting on the adjacent seat facing her a packet of ice wrapped in a cloth on his hand . He gave it to her and Neema took it, she placed it on her cheek and winced. Majid was a bastard.

‘And what do you mean he attacked you before?’ Akila went on questioning, anger vibrating in his voice.

‘It was a long time ago and it doesn’t matter anymore,’ Neema managed to croak.

‘It doesn’t matter? Neema you were practically hospitalized. If it had not been for Jabali, Majid would have ra…’

‘Lulu!’ Neema shut her friend up before she continued her verbal diarrhea. She could feel Akila’s hard gaze on her.

‘What? I am saying the truth, Majid is scum and he hurt you once, he seems intent on doing it again. Report the bastard,’

‘I can’t,’ Neema whispered defeated.

‘Why?’ Akila asked with suppressed anger,

‘Because Majid is the nephew to officer Mukabi

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. The officer has been so helpful to my family. That is no way to pay back the man who stood with my family through trying times.’

The first time Majid had attacked her, Neema with Jabali’s help had reported the matter to the police but officer Mukabi had come to visit her mama one night and pleaded with her to drop the charges against her nephew who was an orphan. Neema had dropped the charges and Majid had gone scot free. He had disappeared from town for some time but he eventually came back though he kept his distance. He didn’t try anything again because Naiti followed him up and taught him a lesson.

‘That is no excuse,’ Akila softly said, ‘he might be doing this to someone else. He has to be in lock up,’

‘Yes,’ Lulu seconded,

When Akila had managed to take her away from the street, Neema pleaded with him to take her to Lulu’s work place. She couldn’t go home and let her mama see her like this. After the swelling on her cheek had gone down, she would then go home.

‘Thank you, guys, for this,’ Neema appreciated their help. Lulu looked at her friend’s swollen face and frowned,

‘Don’t thank me, I did nothing. Akila here saved you from that maniac,’

Neema turned to Akila, ‘thank you Akila, am fine you. I will not hold you up anymore from your…um…’

Neema didn’t know what Akila was doing in town that time.

‘I was following you,’ he declared and Neema lowered the ice pack from her face, Lulu decided to make herself scarce then.

‘I was at your home and your mama told me that you had gone to town. She gave me the direction of Lulu’s laundromat. So, I followed you here only to miss you by seconds, Lulu told me you had left for home again and suggested I take the route I found you in. if only I got there earlier,’ Akila grinded his teeth angrily, ‘Majid could feel the power of my punch,’ he raised his fisted hand and Neema chuckled but the sharp pain in her jaw had her stop.

‘At least I made you smile,’ Akila grinned at her and Neema gave him a poor semblance of a smile. Her whole face hurt.

‘Why were you looking for me? You could have called. It would be easier,’ Neema placed the improvised icepack back on her jaw.

‘I didn’t want to call. It was important I see you, I had to tell you this face to face,’

‘Tell me what?’

Akila chuckled and stretched to pick her hand from across the table, ‘I wanted to ask you out on a date,’

‘A date?’ Neema exclaimed. Dating was the last thing in her mind. With her life topsy turvy, she didn’t have a chance to date. Akila had portrayed the picture of a flirt and a lady’s man in the office and Neema had heard whispers of his escapades on the few weeks he had been working with the company.

‘Yes, a date. I know this is no the time or place but I can’t wait any longer. Neema go out with me,’ he smiled easily at her and Neema couldn’t help but notice the urgency in his voice.

‘I don’t know Akila, all this seems sudden…I…’

‘I know, how about I give you time to think about it. No pressure,’ he squeezed her fingers and Neema pulled her hand back from his.

‘Yes time, give me time,’ Neema echoed his words she was glad he had found solution to his query for she didn’t know what to tell him.

An awkward silence settled between the two until he asked, ‘so you and Jabali knew each other?’

Neema cleared her throat, ‘it was a long time ago,’ her past with Jabali was better of staying in the past. She didn’t wish to discuss it.

Akila was not going to allow it to go like that since he asked another question, ‘he saved you from the man who was attacking you?’

‘Yes, he broke Majid’s nose and my brother broke his right leg,’ Neema remembered how Jabali had swooped in and saved from Majid like some kind of knight in shining armor. He was punching his to pulp if not for Neema stopping him.

A few days later, Naiti had hunt down Majid from where he was hiding and proceeded to finish what Jabali had started. Neema thought that incident had brought her brother and Jabali together but she was wrong. Naiti and Jabali had never perched things up. If they had Naiti wouldn’t be dead. Jabali wouldn’t have killed him.

……………………………………..

‘What?’ Jabali nearly spit the water he was drink on the lady before him. He should, maybe it would have toned down the make up that had caked her face. She looked like a scarecrow, who told women to put so much on? Neema never needed that much make up. She was as beautiful as they came.

‘Neema was attacked by Majid,’ the curt voice said. ‘Saved by Akila,’

‘Jabali is everything okay?’ Miss. Itare put her long red painted talons on his forearm. Jabali moved his hands before they pierced his skin and drew blood. They were seated in a hotel at the upscale part of town. Miss Itare was an important investor that called on him once in a while for amusement and since the company needed her finance once in a while, he entertained her. But now he could barely keep his anger down. Neema was hurt, she needed him.

Majid was the worst kind of person, a bully, manipulator and schemer. He should have been locked up a long time ago but the power his uncle held over the town was too much. He had stricken Neema again. Jabali wasn’t going to let that pass.

He had promised Naiti that.

First, he had to find a way to escape the woman seated before him.

‘Miss Itare, an emergency has come up,’

‘Please call me Vivian, how many times do I have to tell you that,’ she bashed her fake eye lashes at him rapidly Jabali thought she had seizure.

‘Yes, Vivian. Can we cut the night short?’

‘But why?’ Under the table Jabali could feel her slim hand rising to his thigh and he caught it. Stopping her.

‘Stop, that is not what brought me here,’ he sternly reminded her.

‘What changed darling? I thought we had nice chemistry,’ she now used her legs to caress his thigh and Jabali stood up as if burned by fire.

One time long ago, he had one too many drinks and ended up in the bed of Vivian the seductress. Jabali swore never to repeat the same mistake again but Vivian was relentless she didn’t give up easily. Jabali managed to put her off time and time again. Vivian was simply not Neema.

‘It is in the past,’ and I don’t remember much of it because I was half past out, he wanted to add but decided to spare her ego.

He waved for a waiter to bring their bill and dropped a few notes on the table. Vivian pouted like a child and folded her arms across her chest, glaring at him.

‘I will see you later,’ he briskly answered and walked out. She would fine since she came in her own car. He didn’t turn back.

Now he had someone to teach a lesson.

…………………………………

Majid spit on the ground and moved closer to the dustbins to lit a cigarette. The music from the bar was blaring so loudly that the ground shook where he was standing. He had escaped the hot and sweaty atmosphere not to get some fresh air but to make a very important call.

He was engrossed in his call he didn’t see the tall silhouette of a man watching him in the darkness. As soon as the phone was ringing, the dark figure pounced on him and throwing him down in the muddy ground. He landed with a loud thud, the sickening sound of bone breaking. He let out a scream but the loud club music swallowed it.

‘Majid, how does it feel when someone corners you and attacks?’ the dark figure rained blows on him and Majid tried to protect his head from the blows but they kept coming like rain drops.

‘Answer me you coward,’ the deep voice commanded before he was hauled up and held against the wall.

Majid could now identify his attacker, Jabali Kasri.

He released a cruel laugh, ‘Jabali. I should have expected you,’

Jabali shook him, tightening his hand on Majid’s scrawny throat, ‘why did you attack Neema again, I warned you never to go anywhere near her,’

‘Neema…’ Majid whizzed, ‘Neema and I had unfinished business. She owes me,’

‘She owes you nothing but you owe her everything. Her life was turned upside down because of you and she is trying to recover. Why would you attack her now?’ Jabali was furious, he punched Majid on the stomach and Majid collapsed down.

Despite the obvious pain he laughed again, making Jabali angrier, ‘wait Jabali,’ he spit out blood and leaned against the wall, ‘why are you attacking me? You two are no longer an item. She dumped you and left for the city after her brother’s death,’

‘A murder that you obviously caused, Naiti might have died before naming his attacker but he mentioned you, you have something to do with his death,’

‘Don’t get it twisted Jabali, I didn’t kill Naiti, I was not around then but you on the other hand can’t prove yourself,’ a cough caught Majid and he spit more blood on the ground. Jabali was sure he could see a broken tooth. He smiled satisfyingly.

‘The court found me innocent. I am innocent, I didn’t kill Naiti everybody knows that,’

‘But then the person you need most to believe you doesn’t trust you. Neema is convinced you killed her brother,’

‘Not for long, I will prove to her otherwise,’ Jabali finished the last sentence to himself.

‘How? By beating me to pulp and forcing out a confession?”

‘Don’t give me that idea. I might just act on it.’ Jabali crouched in front of Majid and lowered his hood, ‘if I hear that you came near Neema again, or you sniffed your dirty nose around her vicinity whether in the office, at home or even in the streets, I will come for you and deal with you. Do you understand?’

Majid could only nod his head and Jabali stood up

‘Jabali listen up, it is not me you have to be worried about. Someone else has caught her eye and you will lose. Just like the way you lost her all those years ago. She will end up in another man’s arms…’ a heavy punch from Jabali knocked Majid out.

‘You talk too much,’ Jabali pocketed his hands and walked out of the dark alley to where he had parked his car.

………………………………………..

‘Thank you for the ride Akila you didn’t have to,’ Neema unwrapped coat Akila had wrapped on her shoulders. He took it and lay it on the back seat of his vehicle.

‘This is the hundredth time you are thanking me Neema,’ Akila chuckled and stopped the car before Neema’s home. He had offered to drop her home. It was night time and they had spent the day together. In the hospital where Akila insisted that she should be thoroughly checked. Neema didn’t argue. She didn’t have any broken bones but the doctors ordered her to take it easy for the next few days.

‘I only hope I am winning points here.

Read " The Dancing Bride And Her Spirit Warrior " by the same author ( Razia Iminza )

. I really like you Neema and wish we could be more than friends,’ Akila said leaning towards her and Neema knew instinctively he was going to kiss her and she panicked.

A loud hoot from a car ahead of them had them springing apart and Neema shielded her eyes from the bright headlights.

‘Who is that?’ Akila asked and opened the car door to face the owner of the other car who stood in front of his car.

‘Akila wait,’ Neema didn’t want Akila to confront anyone who was out there. He might be dangerous. Judging from his stoic stand in front of the headlights.

‘Wait in here Neema,’ Akila locked the door and walked ahead, Neema followed suit.

The night air was cool and she hurried towards Akila who was talking with…Jabali?

What was Jabali doing here? He was dressed down casually in sweat pants and a hooded sweatshirt. His sleeves were bare and Neema could see his bunched muscles, she bit her lower lip. His legs were planted apart and he had on white snickers but it appeared he had walked through mad, as they had stains on them.

‘…Neema are you okay?’ Jabali was asking

‘She is fine. What are you doing here?’ Akila answered for her but Jabali completely ignored him, his attention fully focused on her.

‘I am fine, it was nothing.’ Neema wondered how Jabali knew of her altercation with Majid. Was that why he came to see her? Was he concerned? Why did her heart enjoy the thought of him being worried for her?

‘He hit you,’ Jabali observed coming closer to her and touching her tender jaw,’ he will not do it again,’ his voice had conviction and tender.

Neema wondered why he was pretending to be concerned, a few days ago he had been cruel to her in his office. Now he was standing in front her his gaze sincere and concerned over her injury. What was he trying to do? This cold and hot behavior would cause her a whiplash if he didn’t stop. What was the difference between him and Majid? At least Majid openly hit her but Jabali targeted her heart. He was going to be the death of her.

………………………………………

Hey two updates guys.

Much love and i hope you enjoy.

Can you guess what will happen next? Your predictions really ligh up my day.