آؤگے جب تو حوصلہ لیتے آنا،

جاؤگے جب تو امید چھور جانا۔

مگر ادھار ہم پہ، صرف ایک نزرانہ۔

"Aaoge jab to hosla lete aana,

Jaoge jab to umeed chor jana.

Magar udhar humpe, sirf ek nazrana."

*****

Zaina was at a river. Walking in the shallow water, barefoot. The water felt cold and moist at the same time. Baba was standing there, infront of her but she couldn't reach him. On the other side was Minahil.

Minahil? Where did she come from? She was yelling something at her but it was inaudible, she was unable to hear.

"Uthooo," She was coming closer.

"Zaina uthhh!!!" A mug of cold water was dropped on her face.

"Kya Batameezi hai!", she woke up from her deep sleep instantly.

"Maharani uth jaa! Bohat ho gya Tera protocol."

"Yaar Kya hai? Dafa ho jaa." Zaina pulled her blanket up at her wet face and turned around.

"Oh hello Hassan! Haan Zaina.. Vo to-"

Minahil had said, putting her phone to her ear.

Zaina had quickly got out and dragged her down trying to snatch the phone while Minahil tried to pull away and talk.

"Ahhhhbabzhsjjxakixsjjsksisjxnam", Zaina shouted so that Hassan wouldn't hear what she was saying.

"Mai mazak ker rahi thiiii" Minahil told her while laughing her ass off at her expressions.

*Zaina, on her bed*

Noor and Fahad came into her room.

"Fahad bhai ye nahi uthe gi issey ghaseetein."

Zaina had covered herself in the blanket again. Noor pulled her arms and Fahad pulled both her legs and dragged her off the bed.

"Mamaaaaaaaaaaa" All of them were laughing as she shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Pagal saareyyyy! Allah puche ga jab mei chali jaoungi..." She had said to them fake sobbing while running to the washroom.

"Hum pagal nahi hain bhaiyaaa. Hamara dimag kharab hai..🤪" Noor and Minahil sang.

She took out the suit that Saima tayi had given her to wear for today. It was a ferozi long golden embroidered kurta, one of her favorite colours. While walking down the stairs, she saw Hassan helping out in the kitchen. Even though there were enough people to manage, this man had to be doing something at all times! Just the opposite to her, she thought. At the same time, she recalled last night... the wind, the lights and the guitar in his hands. She couldn't believe Hassan Mirza was starting to impress her.

After all, jodiyan to pehle se hi likh

di jaati hain! Right?

••••

"Ishara kab tak milega?" Anwar asked.

"Waqt par, fikar mat karo" He replied.

"Verification purpose. Building?"

"204, 3rd row, Madni jewellers, outer part."

"Time?"

"Sharp 6:30"

"Date?"

"Today upon signal."

"Illusion?"

"Customer."

"Execution?"

"Enter, Talk, outline, signature, exit. clear cut!"

"Difficulty execution?"

"Weapons, words. In case of complete denial, death. Proceed to plan B"

"Interference in execution?

"Tackle and escape. In case of severity, shoot."

"Approximate exit timing?"

"1 hour."

"In case of Police raid?"

"Remain Undercover or proceed with an encounter-escape."

"Verification noted."

"Agar kisi qism ki chalaki apni taraf se kerne ki koshish ki ya phir contract tora, qeemat bhaari hogi!" He said in his low-pitched, deep voice.

"Nobat nahi ayegi." Anwar replied.

"Good. Delete this number and destroy the

sim card."

**disconnected**

•••••

After breakfast, everyone was free. The arrangements were almost complete and the wait was for Shahvez to arrive tomorow, which was predicted to be a pretty hectic day. Some of the clothes were sent to be stitched and the masjid was to be double checked for the nikah to take place. Saima and Madiha decided to take a walk to a relative's house that lived nearby. The people at home decided to play a round of ludo.

They had also dragged the busiest man of them all, Fahad and his lady capulet in. The never-occupied Minahil Masood was also ready along with the "tired" Zaina, not becoming so tired from making excuses. Hassan, the oh-so-sophisticated prince, also agreed to play this "fuzool" game as he likes to call it. That by the way offended Noor; the ludo champion, a lot.

Midway through the game.

"Hawww iqra bhabhi jeet rahi hain, ye konsa mojza ho gya.." Noor said.

"Kyu bhae meri bv ko underestimate kiya hua hai tum logo ne?" Fahad replied.

They all giggled.

"Zaina tumhari baari hai!" Minahil exclaimed.

"mujhe nahi khelna..." Zaina said, annoyed.

"Basss iski bachpan ki Adat, jahan haare vo cheez isne kerni hi nahi, darpok!" Noor said, playing Zaina's turn.

"Says the one who sleeps with a stuffed giraffe." Zaina replied.

Everyone looked at Noor, trying not to laugh.

Noor had stared at Zaina.

"Wese aapki ping pong collection mei izafa hua?" Hassan had asked Zaina politely.

Zaina had immediately looked at Minahil, about to kill her.

Minahil shaked her head right to left, putting both hands up.

"Yeeeee hui na bhaiyon wali baat!!!" Noor laughed, giving Hassan a high five.

"Hassan tu konsa kam hai? Pata hai issne ek dafa police ko call kerdi pizza order kerne k liye aur baad mei taya se jo chittar parey." Fahad had defended his sister, who was now laughing with everyone else.

Hassan had rolled his eyes and laughed with them.

•••

After Asr, Madiha was in her room when Zaina had come to her.

"Mama, mujhe nervousness ho rahi hai.."

"Kis baat ki?"

"Pata nahi. Ab jab din itna paas hai, mera dil nai ker raha Kuch bhi badalne ko" She had made a sad face and sat beside Madiha.

"Hota hai beta. Lekin apne dil ko mana lo. Jab iss tarah ka dar rakhogi to confidence loose kerdo gi. Meri beti to Bohat samajdhar hai." She hugged her.

"Jee.." Zaina thought something in her mind.

"Allah pak unki madad kerte hain jo khud ki madad kerte hain. Aur "Tawakkul" Bohat bara lafz hai! Yaad rakhna." Madiha explained.

Zaina had listened to her carefully.

‎وَّتَوَكَّلۡ عَلَى اللّٰهِ ؕ وَكَفٰى بِاللّٰهِ وَكِيۡلًا"‏"

And rely upon Allah; and sufficient is Allah

as disposer of affairs.🥀

Surah Al-Ahzab (33:3)

***

They were all sipping chai in the law when Saima had remembered a few things she had ordered which she almost forgot to pick up. Hassan was busy with some work and so Fahad had offered to get that done as he was free at the moment.

"Bhai mujhe aur Minahil ko bhi jana hai!" Noor requested.

"Dekho in dono ne jori bana li hai Zaina." Iqra said.

"Haan bhabhi dekh rahi hoon mai..." Zaina said, eyeing them both.

"Hum bhi jayeinge phir!!" Zaina said to Fahad.

"Lo bhae saara tabbar hi chalo." Fahad grabbed his car keys.

"Naiii ye kyu jayeinge. Inhe koi kaam nai hai, bas gaari mei jagah leinge." Noor protested.

"Hai kaam humei, haina Zaina?" Iqra asked.

"Haan bilkul.." Zaina replied.

Saima and Madiha looked at each other with the "🤦🏻‍♀️" look!!

"Kabhi barey mat hona tum log.." Madiha scolded them.

"Humne apne kapre pick kerne hain!" Minahil said, laughing.

"Aur humne muft ki shopping kerni hai. We're bored!" Zaina said, throwing a cushion at her.

"Ye kya baat hui?" Noor said.

"Acha ji.. twada kutta tommy..sada kutta, kutta?"

"Sab apna kutta billa band karo aur chalo.. nahi to chor ker jaa raha hun mei!" Fahad had walked towards the gate.

Zaina quickly took her abaya and niqab and headed outside with everyone. They were going to the market that was opposite to their house.

Zaina, Minhail and Iqra stopped at a few stores behind the tailor's while Fahad took Noor with him to pick up Saima's stuff. All three of them were looking and comparing things for about half an hour when Fahad called Iqra to tell her that it will take some time because the place was rushy and the items had to be called in from a different place.

Meanwhile, Minahil dragged Zaina to the jewellery shop next door. Iqra had seen them and told them to come back early and stay together.

•••

"Zaina dekh, mene Tera gift yahan se liya tha. I love this shop. And agar tujhe vo bracelet replace kerwana ho to yahan se hi kerwalena." Minahil was telling her.

"Mei kyu replace kerungi bewaqoof? I'll keep it for the rest of my life even if I don't like it. Wese Mene abhi khol ker dekha nai."

"Meri jaan, tune karaya bhi to mujhe pata chal jayega!" Minahil threatened.

"Bhootni kahin ki." Zaina smiled.

Zaina was holding onto Minahil's arm while walking around when someone had slightly pushed her and walked past her. She was about to trip on her own foot but Minahil had caught her.

"Ye kon tha?" Zaina asked and turned to look at him but he had disappeared.

The scent was familiar.

"Pata nai.. chor tu." Minahil said and they went on to the other side.

After a few minutes, there were 4 men that had entered the jewellery store. Zaina had noticed them very irregularly. She tried to point them out to Minahil but she brushed it off and diverted her attention. Three of them had walked in from the back door of the store and into the departmental room, upstairs. One of them had stayed downstairs and stood at the counter quite stiffly.

She couldn't help but notice him every other minute. He was checking his phone for something which felt suspicious. Then, she saw that he was hiding a gun underneath his shirt. Zaina immediately pulled Minahil to the side.

"Mene kaha tha na they're not normal. Look!" Zaina whispered, telling her to look at the gun.

Minahil had seen it and she was now staring at Zaina.

"W..what if they're just police Zaina?" She assumed.

"Tujhe lagta hai the police would look this unusual and HIDE their guns?"

"Chal chalein yahan se Zaina. Call ker bhabhi ko jaldi." Minahil had pulled her arm.

"Lekin.. agar ye chor daaku huey to? Aur yahan kisi ko pata bhi nai hai." Zaina was extremely tense.

"Zaina ki bachi! Please. We need to leave right now.." Minahil became anxious as time passed.

"I know but at least humei kisi ko inform kerna chaheye. Police or the manager.. ese Kese hum-"

"ZAINA! hum apni jaan hi bacha lein bohat hai.. what the hell do you want to do?" Minahil was now annoyed at her concern.

"Tujhe Pakistan k haalat ka pata hai na?" Minahil reminded her.

"Minahil buzdili buri baat hoti hai! Tu soch humei pata tha k yahan Kuch hone wala hai aur hum apni jaan bacha ker in sab logo ki jaan ley gaye to??" Zaina tried to explain her point.

"Ufffff... ker jo kerna hai! Jaldi." Minahil gave up.

Zaina had quickly tried to ask a worker that she wanted to speak to the manager but he took it lightly and asked her to wait. She was trying to think of what to do when she noticed the man who was now looking into her direction. That was when everything seemed real. She tried to act normal and look at some jewellery so that he doesn't suspect them. The other 3 men were now walking down from the stairs and the one on the counter moved to the main door, blocking the way out. She was now sure that these people weren't customers.

She moved to the side of a pole, asking Minahil to stay put and dialed the police as she couldn't leave the store. If she did, they may follow her. Her fingers had just touched a number when someone had snatched the phone from her hand. It was the same man who was looking at her earlier.

"E..excuse me?" She said with a racing heart.

He was tall and his face was crusty. She found it as the most disgusting face she had ever seen.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked with fixed eyes on her.

"Who..are you? And please return my phone!"

She had reached to take it from him.

He put the phone in his pocket.

"Meri baat suno.. tumne ya tumhari uss dost ne yahan hoshiyari dikhayi, to dono marey jao ge.." He whispered and looked around him.

Minahil had seen them. She came running and stood behind Zaina, who now held her hand.

"Khaberdaar jo mujhe dhamki di.." Zaina didn't know when that had left her mouth.

Minahil was shivering as she told Zaina to shut up, continuously pulling her arm.

The man standing infront of them was now smiling and had walked away.

"Zaina bas! chalo yahan se.." Minahil said.

"Minahil tu jaa aur Iqra bhabhi to bhi ley jaa. Ab mei to nahi jaoungi..." The answer was clear.

Minahil had looked at the door but it was already indirectly blocked. She became more stressed.

Iqra had been calling on Zaina's phone non-stop but she wasn't receiving any of the calls. She had come out and checked the store next door as well but the sign said "closed" on it and the shutters were on. She didn't realize when the store closed but thought that they may have gone to another shop anywhere near. Fahad and Noor were going to pick them up any second now and she couldn't reach Zaina nor Minahil.

Fahad's car was now in front of Iqra and Noor was waving at her to come this way.

"Kahan hain vo dono?" Fahad asked her as soon as she sat inside.

"Pata nai abhi iss shop mei gaye the aur ab ye band hai.. mene kaha bhi tha idher udher mat jana." Iqra told him.

"Tumne call ki?"

"Haan Bohat ki.. Zaina utha hi nahi rahi.."

"Shayad ye agey gayi hon dono.. iss area mei aur koi jagah to hai nai.." Noor suggested.

They drove ahead to search for them. Iqra was still calling on her phone.

•••

One of their men had switched the sign of the store to "closed" so that people won't enter from outside. Zaina was waiting for them to lose their concentration from her so that she could inform people and ask them to leave or else they wouldn't let her. Minahil couldn't move from a corner out of fear. Zaina had assured her that everything would be ok and to make dua. One of their men was holding a document in his hand.. There was blood on that paper.

A few more minutes and they were still monitoring Minahil and Zaina. She cared less for her own but couldn't risk Minahil's life just like this. She kept her eyes on the door so that she could send Minahil out as soon as possible but there was no success. she had no choice besides to patiently wait.

It didn't feel right to just sit there and watch. Zaina had gathered the courage to go to the manager herself, who was upstairs somewhere, she had seen. None of the men saw her run upstairs. When she got to the floor, there was only one door which was half open. She knocked at the door but no response. She pushed it a little and what she saw in front of her was terrifying.

It was a dead body, cut right from the throat. There was blood everywhere. Her heart had stopped. That was it, everyone was at risk!

They could harm anyone who came in their way.

Zaina ran downstairs out of panic and before she could comprehend the situation, she yelled across the room that these people were murderers. Everyone in the store had started running towards the gate dropping whatever they were doing. A few had left before one of their men had stopped the rest with his gun.

The other quickly took hold of Minahil. Zaina took a glass stand and hit the man standing at the door from behind. He had lost balance and the people were released from the store. She had run back to Minahil.

"CHORO USKOO!" Zaina shouted, trying to push him.

He had dragged Minahil on one side and put his gun on her forehead.

"Mene mana kiya tha na tujhe?" He shouted at Zaina.

"Ab kisi bhi waqt yahan police aa sakti hai. Chal yahan se.. kaam hogya hai!" Another one of them told him.

"In dono ka Kya kerna hai?" The man at the door came towards Zaina and took her by the arm, twisting it as she tried to free Minahil from his grip.

"Abhi ley k chal saath, time nahi hai aur inko yahan chorna risk hai."

There was chaos outside the store, People outside had also sensed the danger and started evacuating the area. They exited the store from the back door dragging both Zaina and Minahil at gunpoint with them. Minahil was continuously crying while Zaina was completely red with rage for them underneath her niqab.

There was fear in her heart as well and yet she kept telling Minahil to stop crying.

All of them kept walking until they entered a hideout spot at the edge of the market. Both Minahil and Zaina were sat down with their hands tied at a corner. When Zaina tried to resist, she kicked his hands when they touched her. He pushed her towards the wall with a force that she had landed on the floor.

They received a call from someone.

They listened to the person on the phone for a minute. His voice was loud but not clear to them. It seemed like he wasn't happy about their own carelessness. The call was cut.

"Vo kehta hai ley chalo inhe saath jab tak k sabaq nahi seekh jatey." The man who had the phone told the other men.

"Chor do humeii, hum Nahi batayeinge kisi ko pleasee.." Minahil had pleaded to them, sobbing.

Zaina immediately remembered the tape audio that once played on her phone about a week ago... it was very similar.