Page 96

Viyan hammered at her metal prison, each blow robbing her of energy and resolve.

The temperature inside the incinerator was intense now, wave after wave of searing hot air ripping over her.

Terrified, desperate, she maintained her assault, but slowly, inexorably, she was running out of power.

Sweat poured from her brow now, stinging her eyes, the salt bitter on her lips.

Her clothes clung to her as if she’d been for a swim, cloying and uncomfortable, impeding her movement, dragging at her arms and pressing down on her chest. Had she imagined hearing shouting outside?

The sound of someone thundering towards the incinerator?

It seemed so for now all she could hear was the triumphant clanking of the deadly machine as it pushed the temperature remorselessly up, up, up.

Her eyes were burning now and Viyan clamped them shut, desperate to find some relief from the assault on her failing body.

It was getting hard to breathe in here and she exhaled heavily, but the air she expelled was hot and unpleasant.

Finally, her resolve deserted her, her desperate hammering petering out in the face of total failure.

Now she simply clawed at the burning metal, her fingertips stinging violently as her skin was seared off, and pulling her hands away, she collapsed to the floor in a cloud of ash.

For a moment, Viyan was transported back to her wedding day, the particles of dirt reminding her of the rose petals that had been thrown over her as she stood with her husband, smiling nervously at him.

Those had been happy times, as had the miraculous joy of giving birth to Salman, Aasmah and Defne, her greatest achievements and perhaps all she would have to show for her short, difficult life.

It seemed incredible, impossible that she should end her days in such an appalling fashion, but Viyan knew in her heart now that there would be no escape.

Even down here on the floor the temperature in the giant metal can was beyond endurance and there was nothing the young mother could do now, but whisper her children’s names and pray for a swift death.