“It’s an erotica.” Daniyal grinned.
“What’s erotica, Amaal Aapa?” Maha asked. Samar gaped at Amaal. She was red, her mouth tittering, holding in a laugh or a cry, he couldn’t figure out. But it was a good moment.
“You don’t study your science books but this you know.” Qureshi glared at Daniyal. And the temperature at the table suddenly dipped.
“Water, everyone?” Iram broke it.
“Yes! Cold water!” Amaal chimed.
“You don’t know Fifty Shades?” Adil asked him softly, still laughing. “It’s all over the newspapers nowadays.”
“I read the adults’ sections.”
“Thisisin the adult section.” He guffawed at his own joke.
“Samar,” Atharva called.
“Hmm?”
“Have you heard anything from your Awaami sources lately?”
“About?”
“About anything related to the PoK trip.” Atharva pushed closer, lowering his voice. “Iram’s name.”
“I haven’t kept on top of things since I was in the hospital. Let me ask around. I have to renew payments also. Without money, nobody talks.”
“Can you do that remotely?”
“How urgent is this?”
“As soon as you can manage.”
He nodded. “I’ll make the calls tonight.”
Atharva’s phone buzzed. Samar felt movement in the periphery of his vision. Atharva’s Head of Security — Altaf.
“Hello?” Atharva picked it up, pushed his chair back and walked away, meeting Altaf. Samar glanced at Qureshi, then Adil.
Serious?
Yes.
Yes.
He looked at Amaal. She was on her mobile too. Without a word, she pushed out of her chair and strode to Atharva. Their conversation went on for a minute. And then they were all striding back.
“I am sorry, we will have to take a round of the Secretariat. You guys carry on, we’ll be back,” Atharva tapped Adil’s shoulder, giving Samar a look.No questions asked.
“But why?!” Maha whined. “You stay, Amaal Aapa.”
“We’ll be back in half an hour,” Atharva patted the top of her head. “Don’t eat all the ice cream.”
Amaal’s eyes met his, and she blinked. That’s it.
Before anybody could do or say anything else, the CM’s convoy was pulling out of the second driveway, Amaal with them.
It was three hours later, as Samar was getting ready to board his flight to Shimla, that he got the update.
