The vehicle was large enough to fit ten people. But at the moment it held only four – Fasih, Rayeek, Abhijat, and the driver. Jehan and Rinisa sat facing each other in the mid-section of the car, with Abhijat at the back and the driver out front. Other, smaller cars carrying security personnel traveled in front of and behind theirs, moving in a single file through the highway.
Despite the flimsy screen separating the sections, Abhijat didn’t have to strain himself to overhear the conversation between Fasih and Rinisa. The heavily cloistered interiors of the armored car didn’t allow for much privacy.
Not that Rinisa could be blamed for not caring what Fasih’s bodyguard thought about her political stance. Or her amorous proclivities, for that matter.
Fasih, for his part, seemed as oblivious as he was enthusiastic. And utterly uninterested in secrecy of any kind. He hummed agreeably to everything his companion said, and beamed at the trees that flew by the windows.
Abhijat wondered what his angle was. Or if he had one at all, besides getting into Rayeek’s pants.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” she said at length, glancing out the window, then back at Jehan. “Qayit, I mean.”
“Very,” Fasih agreed serenely.
“We built it. Zanyars, I mean. Qayit was Zanyar territory…before the unification. Not that that’s a surprise, of course. Everything worth a dime in this country was built by Zanyars; though of course, it’s now politically incorrect to say so.”
“It is?” asked Jehan, sounding vaguely fascinated. Abhijat wondered which part of that speech he was questioning, but decided that Fasih probably didn’t know any more than he did.
“Of course,” Rinisa said, her voice dropping. “Despite being fewer in number, we’ve contributed far more to this country – economically and culturally – than the Birhanis could ever hope to. And look at the thanks we get.
“All they want is to stake a claim on the fruits of our labor. Ever since the civil war ended, the Birhanis have been trying to take away what’s rightfully ours. Equitable distribution my foot! All they want is a free lunch. They want the benefits of innovation without having to innovate. They want to share in the fruits of entrepreneurship, without bearing any of the risks. Leeches – that’s what they are. That’s what they’ve always been.
“I mean, just look at the state of Eraon – corrupt and poverty-stricken. Birhan and Sien aren’t much better either. Anywhere they’re in the majority, they wreak havoc and pull everyone down with them. Zanya and Ishfana would be leagues ahead of where we are now, if we hadn’t been saddled with the Birhani territories, having to drag them out, kicking and screaming, from the holes they’ve dug themselves into.”
“Oh?” Fasih said, sounding quite mesmerized. Abhijat’s nails dug painfully into his palms, leaving crescent marks on the reddened skin.
“The dispute over that bloody dam is just another example of that, isn’t it? Everyone knows Vanya was built by the government in Weritlan long before the unification officially began. It was Ishfana’s treasury that paid for its construction. And yet, they now want a piece of it.
“If they could manage it, they’d want the whole, and kick the rightful owners to the curb. I’d given up any hope of justice,” she purred, her tone saccharine. “Until, of course, you restored order by bringing the Central Government back under Zanyar control. As it should be.
“I understand, of course, why you had to replace poor Badal. Unfortunate, but you can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs. Every great cause requires some sacrifices.
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“But I’m sure that under your…ah, guidance…Ishfana will get the justice that is her due.”
Rinisa exhaled, and a silence descended over the vehicle. For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then, Fasih murmured in a baffled tone, “You know, that’s a strange thing for you to claim, being the Deputy CM of Eraon. I’d say there’s some conflict of interest in there, wouldn’t you?”
Abhijat couldn’t see Rinisa’s expression, but he did hear the sharp intake of her breath, the rustling of her chiffon saree as she fidgeted in her seat. The tension was so palpable you could cut it with a butter knife.
Through the translucent screen, Abhijat saw Rinisa rise from her seat and shuffle over to sit beside Jehan. He could only see their silhouettes, but there was no mistaking the way her fingers slid over his forearm, her touch hesitant at first, but gaining confidence with every passing second.
If Fasih was opposed to this turn of events, he made no effort to extricate himself from her hold. If anything, he leaned into it.
Abhijat wanted, at the same time, to look away and to shoot them both. Caught between competing impulses, he managed to remain seated and relatively quiet. His fingers tightened around the gun at his belt, his muscles stiff with tension. He told himself he needed the information. Told himself there’d be other opportunities.
But God, how easy it would be. How horribly tempting it was...
“My only aim is to stand up for what’s right,” Rinisa said, pulling Abhijat from his thoughts. “I mean, it’s no wonder Rajat Shian willfully ignored Ishfana’s claim to the dam. He’s Birhani. As expected, he supported Eraon, despite all his claims of neutrality. They can never be truly neutral, Birhanis. They try to feign it, some more successfully than others, to further their own agenda. But in the end, they always show their true colors.
“As I’m sure you realized, when you intervened to remove him from a position he was so obviously poised to abuse.” She leaned into him, almost burying her face into the crook of his neck.
Raising a hand, Jehan brushed a stray strand of hair gently from her face. “Well, if he was abusing it, he certainly was being clever about it. ‘Cause I never got any wind of it, and neither did anybody else that I know of.”
This observation seemed to confound Rinisa, and she spent a few minutes in quiet contemplation.
Eventually, persistence overcame doubt, and she smiled brightly at Jehan. “Well, it doesn’t matter anymore. Now that you’re in charge and things are as they should be, I’m sure you’ll let justice take its course. The Vanya dam was constructed by Ishfana, and they have every right to it. Eraon shouldn’t be allowed to use strongarm tactics to take away from them what’s rightfully theirs.
“You, of course, understand the need to resolve this dispute once and for all, as quickly as possible. This ridiculous controversy has hindered trade and commerce in the area for years now. Both the states suffer for it, even if the administration in Eraon is too blinded by their ego to see the harm they’re doing to the economy.”
“As opposed to the government of Ishfana?”
“Well, you can’t blame them for fighting for what is rightfully theirs.”
“Of course not. Well, you’re right about one thing. It’s high time this ridiculous squabbling was put to an end. Eraon and Ishfana need to sort out their issues, and they need to do it speedily. This dispute has gone on for far too long already.”
Rinisa nodded enthusiastically. Abhijat could all but imagine her eyes shining with glee. She took one of Fasih’s hands into both of her own and said, “I know you’ll be a great Prime Minister. Perhaps one of the greatest this country has ever had.” She sighed. “Alas, there are many, particularly among the Birhanis, who still doubt the...legitimacy of your position.”
“With good reason.”
Slightly disconcerted, Rinisa ploughed indomitably ahead. “You’re a brilliant man, Jehan. And I know you have the best of intentions–”
“I do?”
“But intentions alone can’t conquer all, not in politics. You’ll need all the support you can get to consolidate your position in Qayit. Despite everything you’ve done for this country, you weren’t elected to the premiership. That fact alone makes you vulnerable. And it’s a vulnerability many would be happy to exploit.
“Parliament is a den of vipers; they’ll bury you alive if you let them. And your Deputy, Ruqaiya Dehran...that woman’s a snake if ever there was one. She’s probably writing your epitaph as we speak.”
Fasih laughed. “Now that I can believe.”
“Of course, you’re a perceptive man. I don’t mean to imply that you don’t know what you’re doing. But you must realize that you need people on your side, Jehan. People who have your best interests at heart.”
“Such as yourself?”