Ayesha At Last(86)



The phone rang, Sheila’s assistant on the line. “I’m calling to remind you about your meeting with Ms. Watts. You’re already five minutes late.”

Mystified, Khalid hurried up to Sheila’s office. She was waiting with a smirk on her face, Clara beside her looking stricken.

“Late again, Khalid,” Sheila said.

“I seem to be locked out of my workstation,” he said. “I apologize. I did not know about this meeting in advance.”

“You always have an excuse, don’t you?” Sheila walked around to the other side of the desk and perched in front of Khalid. “There is no excuse for your behaviour this time.”

Khalid was confused. “I’m sorry?”

“Khalid Mirza, you have been found in violation of the employee code of conduct. Effective immediately, you are no longer an employee of Livetech Solutions. Please hand in your badge and security clearance, and clear out your personal effects immediately,” Sheila said.

Shocked, Khalid gaped at Sheila. “What did I do?” he asked.

Sheila looked at Clara, who was sitting up very straight and trying not to cry. “We found pornography on your personal workstation. Does the website Unveiled Hotties mean anything to you?” she asked, not meeting his eyes.

Khalid’s momentary confusion cleared. That stupid matrimonial service Amir had found! “It’s not mine.”

“It is a subscription service, and it was accessed several times last week,” Sheila said. “What you do in your personal time is your own business, but to spend company time trolling the internet for exploited brides is truly disgusting.”

Clara handed Khalid a form detailing the terms of his termination. “I’m sorry, Khalid, but there really are no other options in these situations.” Her voice was shaky.

Khalid’s face reddened in anger. “I would never use such a service. This is all a grave misunderstanding.”

Sheila’s mouth curled in disdain, but Clara motioned for her to keep quiet. “Please just sign the form, Khalid. You’ll get some severance.”

Khalid bowed his head, as if in prayer. The only sound in the office was the steady tick of an ornate desk clock. He thought about the five years he had worked at Livetech, happy ones until Sheila showed up and launched her campaign against him. The only reason he’d wanted to keep this job was to send money to Zareena. But his sister was here now, and eager for independence. He picked up the pen and signed.

Khalid returned to his office trailed by two security guards.

“What’s going on, bro?” Amir asked. His hair was still wet from his morning shower.

Khalid didn’t pause, emptying drawers into his backpack. “I’ve been fired. They found porn on my computer. A website called Unveiled Hotties. Perhaps you’ve heard of it?”

Amir reared back as if slapped. “No, no, no,” he whispered under his breath. He leaned over Khalid’s desk, punching in a code to override the lockout window, and clicked on an icon at the bottom of the screen.

The website, filled with nude or half-clothed women draped in some form of hijab or traditional clothing, popped up. Amir looked at Khalid with a stricken expression. “I logged on one night and paid for a subscription. It was a joke, a gag engagement gift,” he said. “I must have forgotten to cancel it.”

“You were probably drunk,” Khalid said.

The images scrolled past at a leisurely pace. “You were so bummed about your girl problems, I thought this might help.”

Khalid gently placed his hand on Amir’s shoulder. “I don’t find mistreating young women the least bit helpful,” he said.

He finished throwing his possessions into his bag, then removed his security badge. “I was supposed to present my website to WomenFirst Design today. I feel bad I am letting them down.”

Amir looked puzzled. “What are you talking about, bro? They came here yesterday. Sheila showed them everything you’ve done so far and they seemed really happy.”

Khalid closed his eyes. This wasn’t about pornography on his workstation. It was about the very lucrative WomenFirst Design account. Sheila wanted to take all the credit and leave him with nothing but a lousy severance.

Amir looked guilty and unhappy. “This is all my fault,” he said. “If they fire you, they’ll have to fire me too. I’ll tell the Shark I paid for the subscription.”

Khalid shook his head. “There’s no point. I was on my way out anyway. Sheila made sure of that.”

Amir straightened, staring down at the computer. He clicked on a picture. “Is that Hafsa?”

The picture featured a young woman in a pink floral hijab and long gown. She was smiling brightly into the camera, looking young and vulnerable. Our Latest Unveiled Hottie! the banner ad screamed underneath. Local Girl Bares All! $19.99 for a Sneak Preview!

Khalid stared at the familiar face, horrified. “It can’t be. How did those pictures even get there?” But he recognized that dress. She had been wearing it the last time he had seen her, at the mosque conference. Somehow, Tarek was involved in all of this.

“It looks like there’s some kind of auction for the pictures,” Amir said, clicking on the link. He looked up at Khalid. “I wonder if she even knows.”

Khalid lifted his bulging backpack and nodded at the security guards, who were watching his every move. “Take care of yourself.”

Uzma Jalaluddin's Books