She presented her Pakistani passport and was admitted into Suite #211. As in Brussels, there were not many people waiting in line for visas. She was asked what business she had at the consulate and when she stated that she needed to see the scientific attaché she was directed to a small office. A young man, in his early twenties evidently attempting to grow a virginal mustache, was seated at a desk and she saw that he was furiously clicking the mouse and watching the computer screen with such great interest that he didn't seem to notice her. She coughed gently and he looked up with surprise and apprehension. She then realized that he had been playing some computer game and didn't want anyone to see what he was doing. He smiled shyly and asked her in Urdu what she wanted. She answered in English that she had come to pick up her suitcase and said "Do you remember my cousin Junaid?" The young man looked flabbergasted and then a large smile crossed his face and answered "She just married Rahman". She knew that he probably worked for the Pakistani intelligence services but to her he looked just like a highly confused young man and she asked him if he was really the scientific attaché. He laughed and said that the attaché was on vacation and he was a novice administrative assistant that was instructed to sit in the office just in case someone like her turned up with the correct password. He added that the attaché had expected her more than a month earlier and they were all getting concerned that they would be stuck with this strange suitcase, and she explained that there was no reason for concern. He told her to follow him and they took the elevator to the basement of the building where there were several locked storerooms. He entered a code on the panel beside the door and then took a large key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. She saw the suitcase stacked on a low shelf and when she had trouble lifting it the young man helped her. He was dying to ask her what was in the suitcase but knew that he shouldn't. They took the elevator to the ground floor and he offered to load it into her car. She thanked him and when she saw that he was in no rush to leave her she asked if he could help her further with the luggage.
He looked at her and saw a woman a few years older than him. She was by no means good looking but after losing some weight in the last month she was now slim with a nice figure, and she had an intelligent face and pleasant manners. He got the impression that she appeared to be yearning for human contact and as he had nothing better to do he gladly agreed to help her. Alia had not really spoken to anyone, man or woman, since she left Islamabad more than a month earlier and had not gone out or even shared dinner or a drink with another soul. Indeed she wanted some company and the young Pakistani man was very pleasant in his shy way that she found attractive. She was pleased that he agreed to help her and asked him if he had a car. He said that it was undergoing repairs after a fender-bender accident so she invited him to get into her car and join her for the ride to her motel. When they arrived at the motel he helped her carry the suitcase up to her room and place it in the corner of the room. He stood up and looked at her and she looked at him and said "You didn't tell me your name"
He replied "My name is Salim, what's yours?"
Alia said "Please just call me Fatima".
Salim gathered his courage and with a slightly blushed face asked her if she would like to join him for dinner, after sunset of course when the Ramadan daytime fast ended.
She saw how embarrassed he was and smiled "I would like this very much. Could I drive you to pick up your car from the shop?"
He thanked her and asked "Aren't you worried that someone may break into your room and steal the suitcase?"
She shrugged and said "If it is Allah's will it will disappear, but I trust that it will be safe here".
During dinner Salim and Alia shared a bottle of California red wine and talked about themselves. Alia said that she was separated from her husband, a true geographical fact but a complete fallacy from any other aspect, and Salim confided that he was too shy to approach the California girls with their free spirits and was waiting for some good traditional Muslim girl to come on to him as he lost his last shred of self-confidence in the company of women. It was obvious that each yearned for the other's company, although for different reasons. Alia felt that this could well be the last opportunity in her life to spend time with a man while for Salim this would be the first opportunity with a woman in his life. So, they left the restaurant and without any further words, by mutual consent they drove to Alia's motel and quietly entered her room and switched the light on. The first thing they saw was the suitcase and both pointed at it with a sigh of relief and then she took the initiative, switched off the light and put her hands on Salim's shoulders looking up to him and parting her lips. As he had seen in many TV shows he knew what to do and crushed her lips with his with so much force that she recoiled in surprise, and seeing the look on his face, told him to relax and kissed him very gently with their lips barely touching. He was a quick study and when she guided his hand to her breast he caressed it gently while she unbuttoned his shirt and stroked his bare chest. Her hands moved a little lower and he almost stopped breathing. Alia could feel his heart beating a storm and for a moment worried he would pass out when she touched his erection with the back of her hand. She liked the fact that he was so inexperienced and continued to guide him to undress her slowly. By now Salim was trembling with desire and she ordered him to stand still while she finished removing his clothes and let her hands ramble over his body, rubbing her breasts over his chest and abdomen and moving lower making him utter low moaning sounds. It was over before she could get him to lie on the bed. He wanted to run away or bury himself under the shabby carpet but she took a towel from the bathroom and cleaned him telling him that she was proud of him and that the night was still young.
Nagib celebrated the first days of Eid al-Fitr with his hosts in East Jerusalem. He was sure this would be his last chance to rejoice in the festivity and did his utmost to enjoy it. He had collected his suitcase from the bus driver three days earlier and had checked that everything was intact despite the rigors of the trips from Cairo to Amman and then to Jerusalem. He was a bit amazed how easy it was for him and his escort to penetrate the supposedly impenetrable Israeli border and even more surprised by the fact that a nuclear device could be smuggled in broad daylight into the country. He hoped that the final stage of his mission will also go smoothly. He wondered how Alia was doing and if she would be able to stick to the schedule they had arranged but he had no means of contacting her. He regretted that they had not purchased prepaid cellphones for communication as they had done in Europe or enlisted the help of the Pakistani intelligence service to serve as mediator between them. He reckoned that he would hear on the news if she had succeeded and hoped that she would hear of his own accomplishment. He told his hosts that he would be leaving for Tel-Aviv in the next day and thanked them for their help, saying that perhaps one day they will meet under the grace of Allah.
Indeed as the night progressed Alia coaxed Salim to take his time and attend to her needs, so by the time the long weekend was almost over he felt like an accomplished Don Juan and she felt that perhaps she had missed her calling as a teacher. They only got out of bed to have some fast food and she was amused to see that the stupid smile would not leave his face even for a minute. On Monday morning she told Salim that he had to leave because she had some business to attend to. He had a mournful look on his face but without saying anything he helped her carry the suitcase and put it in the trunk of her car and then drove off in his car. She returned to the room, put on an elegant maternity dress and stuffed a pillow under it. She packed spare clothes in her handbag and made sure she had the small set of tools she had prepared.