We were waiting with our car parked at the side when Ismail counted each second steadily with his fingers. Now for what purpose was that, God knew! I didn't even bother thinking until,

"Put your seat belt on. It's time for gameplay!" He said, sounding somewhat excited and correcting the rear mirror to his eye.

"Excuse me? I want to go out. Don't you get that I'm phobic to your driving-"

I was panicking but he didn't let me finish and unbuckled his seat belt, turning to my side.

My breathing almost stopped from under my niqab as he leaned in and extended his arm to grab the other edge of my belt, then secured it. I became as still as a rock while he normally returned to his position.

"Mera naseeb kab itna kharab hua k mai iss aadmi se gila bhi na ker saki.. "

Far behind us were about two cars coming right into this direction and beaming us with lights.

We were in trouble, I got to realize as I was sitting straight up, tied with a seat belt when he pushed on the accelerator with full force.

This just couldn't be happening with me! I only saw this in movies or those 4D theatre rooms with live screen effects on the chair.

The tires of the car screeched on the road because of the sudden push of speed and my whole life flashed in front of me. I quickly left an internally spoken note to Allah.

****

Omar's eyes traced the black car which was also racing far ahead at its fullest, crossing several intersections in the way. All the exits were blocked by their men.

"He's going out of sight, Sir." Omar told Ejaz.

"How? He was just here a minute ago." He asked.

"I have no idea. I think he has turned to the main road."

"Take the chance."

****

Ismail knew Zaina didn't like this and it was pure horror for her but as for him, he quite enjoyed these run-ons. The only difference was that it would've been more fun on a bike rather than a car for him.

He ran the car over the footpath downhill towards a deep pond due to the lack of any other path.

Zaina saw the water which overflowed far below but because of the car's speed, it seemed like it was getting closer rapidly.

"ISMAILLLLLLL... STOPPP!!! STOP THE CAR! WE WILL DROWN!!!" She was now shouting at the top of her lungs being unable to do anything about it.

"Calm down, nothing will happen." He said and raised the momentum even higher.

She slammed her eyes shut just when they had gotten very close to the water and turned her face to Ismail, attached to the head rest.

Coincidently, his gaze stopped to look to his right at the sight of her squinting her eyes with uneven breathing. The car slowed down on its own as the driver watched silently the woman suffer in quiet panic attacks. He suddenly turned left into a narrow path for her to finally relax and for him to enjoy a new, paranoid expression.

The wide road began shortly after which tracked the rough mountains ahead. Just a minute later, he saw Omar's car unexpectedly emerge behind him.

So he took the car back to its highest and the race just became fierce!

Each time Ismail would build distance, it would be broken by Omar, yet he wasn't able to get completely parallel.

There came a turn which was situated right at a borderless ditch. There was empty space left in the corner where they stacked large petrol-filled cylinders.

When Ismail approached the turn, he lowered his window and pointed his gun out, shooting continuous bullets straight at those cylinders.

They rolled down from on top of each other one by one on the road. Omar's car was entirely blocked as they came crashing into it and he pushed on sudden breaks.

"This rascal... how does he do that?!" Ejaz banged the dashboard with his hand.

They couldn't follow them anymore.

••••••

That was close! Thanks to my beloved gun.

I got off the highway when they vanished and drove down to merge between other traffic.

"Tum zinda hi ho..." I told her and she finally blinked.

"Meherbani, menu tey pata e nai sii!!" She snapped at me.

I couldn't help but be amazed at her sudden punjabi outcome while she was busy rubbing her dried hands. Flattering, I would say.

For a minute and a half, she tried her level best to open the door while I watched the struggle quietly. Finally, she took a deep breath, giving up.

We were nearly behind the Gilgit central train station when the car stopped and I had to pull over. A gas refill would take a long time from where we were standing so I decided that we walk up to the local metro from here.

I got off and opened her door from the other side. She threw a tantrum and wouldn't move.

"Fine then." I bent and extended my hand towards her seat belt again.

"No!!" She quickly unbuckled it herself and jumped out.

The satisfaction this gave me, I can't explain!

I was walking fast when I noticed that she stopped in the way, looking at a set of books displayed on a window.

"We're in the middle of a crisis! This isn't the time to look at books..." I told her.

She didn't reply but her eyes were damp, I could tell.

"Do I have to provide you with an invitation to walk?" I was irritated.

"This was her favorite book... You took her away from me...I'll never forgive you." Tears now rolled down her eyes. There was this agitation they always caused me which I disliked.

"I didn't kill-"

"Stop saying that! It makes me hate you even more." She looked me in the eye.

"You are no one to whom I owe a damn explanation. Go think whatever you want to." I was harsh.

She didn't say anything and started walking ahead of me on her own this time. I intended to hold on to patience with her but it looked like I couldn't.

When we were almost at the metro, I saw Ejaz standing right at the entrance.

I went forwards and quickly pulled her back behind a wall, she fidgeted.

"He's there. We will cross from the back side..." I whispered, still not letting her go.

"Only you...I'm innocent." She said.

"If you want to stay as my wife then sure, you can leave. I will not follow you to get rid of this relation!"

I got a feeling that she temporarily had forgotten about it and I just reminded her.

When those stupid sirens went off again, I knew that they had spotted us. I left her wrist, took her by the hand properly to avoid wasting time and ran to the opposite direction that opened to the train station.

(Change of perspective)

"There they are!! Come on, MOVE." Ejaz shouted to all the others.

They all left towards different ways to surround the station but they weren't found anywhere. Each man loaded his gun and stood at every level of the intervals.

Ismail and Zaina were both hiding behind the stable where the train crossed from.

"This man is done for once I regain my control." Ismail closed his fists and spoke ferociously.

"You're saying as if something is holding you back right now." Zaina couldn't digest.

He looked at her intensely after hearing that, then lifted up her hand which he was holding tightly. It was for her to see who held him back.

She stole her eye from his just like he had done at the lady's house.

The train was about to move and the situation was that if he got out, it would take less than a second for Ejaz to catch him.

Upon thinking something, he looked behind at the train that would pass beside them any second now.

"We have to get on the train." He told her.

"W..What? But why?" She creased her face.

"Because there's no other way out. When I say, you have to quickly get on it from the first door behind me."

"I won't be able to do that so quickly."

It was the first ever time she spoke softly but unknowingly.

"Just trust me..." He was sure.

She was nervous. The bells rang when the door slowly came beside them.

"3.. 2... 1... JUMP!" Ismail said.

He lept to the top directly while she could only get on the first step behind him on the running track. He pulled her up instantly with a single arm.

•••• •••• ••••

"Who is he?" Shahvez asked Ejaz, his fluctuation quite evident.

"We have only got his appearance on record." Ejaz told him.

"Are you saying he fooled everyone and vanished with my daughter right from there? Hard to believe!" He was more bothered about how they missed being this close.

"Shahvez sahab, it's like a maze. This man is a rider through it, not a solver."

"I have won many missions against such riders, everytime with their heads over my flag." Shahvez held up the cup of tea in his hand.

"Without a doubt, but the difference is, none of them had your daughter in their left hand!" Ejaz pointed out.

Shahvez's confidence took a break.

"How was she? I mean did she look okay..? Was she h..hurt-" Shahvez stuttered only this time.

"She was covered from head to toe and wouldn't even look my way. But a girl who was tormented physically wouldn't be sitting like she did."

Shahvez was brought to a subtle relief regarding her physical situation.

"But... I really am confused with why she didn't try to save herself. I mean.. she knew that we were there to carry out a check.." Ejaz said.

Shahvez sat back, thinking.

"Whatever it is, I now want him ALIVE Ejaz! He will die at my own hands." Shahvez Mirza was very clear.

As soon as I got on, my arm was left with a pinch of pain. I turned to look outside the door which was half open. The wind rushed past my face and forced my heavy eyes to unfocus.

After staring blankly into the passing station, I came back to my senses. I looked inside, assuming this was the back of the train since there were no people around. Where did he go now? I wondered.

I didn't know where to go or what to do. Did he leave me here for good? The thought made me cry my eyes out... not because I wanted him to be with me but because I was all alone on an unknown road.

I decided to sit down on the floor at the edge just before I heard loud voices of some men from the other side of the cabin, I held on my knees tightly.

After a brief minute, the door was banging loudly and I suddenly twitched from my place and stood up in front of it.

"Ander koi hai???" A voice yelled while continuously banging the door.

I stood there paralyzed.

"If there's anyone inside, open the door." He said and then began to unlock the door from outside.

"Please come back...." My lips said but without the words coming out.

The door was pushed open.

"Aap yahan kya ker rahi hain? You should be at the front.." He was talking to me but I still didn't reply.

"Bibi.. mei aap se baat ker raha hoon, mere paas pura din nai hai!" He was the typical ticket collector.

Without having anything to say, I took little steps backwards. I paused when my shoulders slightly crashed into someone's chest, and I finally let my heart function again.

"Naam kya hai Banday tumhara?" He pulled out a paper and a pencil, looking past me.

"Ismail Sherzai." I heard his domineer voice from right above me but very close to me.

As soon as the collector heard his name, his face went colourless as if someone had ripped off its natural outline from it. He instantly dropped the pen down and turned to dash out the cabin without another word.

The very first time I liked what his name did to people.

At that moment, I turned around to face the buttoned outline of his black kameez. He was quite tall, I realized. My height, despite being a good number for my age, naturally would stop right below his collarbone. Just as I was about to take some interest in the 'width' part of the measurement, he snapped his fingers in my face.

I blinked when he brought his gaze down to match mine. Then I creased my forehead at him unhappily, more so at thinking that he must be thinking if I was a dumbass.

Well I wasn't! Ok? I was always terrified of such train rides and the vehshi type of people it contained. It was completely Noor's fuzool horror movie's fault.

"Goongi ho tum?" He asked.

Did I mention I hated his sarcastic questions?

"Haan! Tumhe taqleef?" I said, suddenly moving away from him.

"If maybe it was permanent..." He turned away as well.

I rolled my eyes.

We both stood at the opposite sides of the wall, trying not to look at each other. I wanted to know what was going to happen next but I didn't want to get into a conversation again.

He took out a phone and dialed someone.

"Hi, this is your local boss and you're on duty again." He spoke.

It could only be the one and only Ali.

"Hukum janab!!!" Ali laughed with satisfaction.

The surety everyone had of Sherzai was unmatchable. It would make me wonder about their past, specifically his.. but I shouldn't be concerned!

"How's the situation?"

"Under control! Bas doctor ventilator per hai," Ali was saying.

"Kyu?"

"Jinney eda dil luteya..." Ali replied.

"Kinney enu maar suteya?" Ismail asked.

These two were by far the most serious criminal clowns I've seen. The only difference was that Ismail only tolerated this stuff from Ali and I had known that by now.

"Aap ki shaadi ka sun k khushi se pagal ho gayi, saath ek adad panic attack bhi agaya to..."

"Ali!!" He took his name sternly this time.

I would've actually said "Oho!!" after each of them if this "shaadi" wasn't mutual.

"Sorry sorry, dukhti rag." Ali cleared his throat.

Ismail then gave him a few instructions before disconnecting the call.

••••••

An hour, a minute and a second, all were the same for her. Subtle glaciers covered the ragged hills, green land and tall oak trees. They were all playing a game of hide and seek within the fog of the setting sun. It was getting colder.

Clenching her arms with both palms, she sat still looking at those dark and silent hills passing by, standing as tall as she was on the height of the bridge.

Destination is fate, home is far and I am lost as a traveller without a map. The only guidance I have is the sun, which happens to be disloyal to me and my heedless night.

Her thoughts disassembled when she heard a click on the bench. A hand that kept something beside her.

"Eat something." He said, without looking at her.

Before she could reply, he turned to walk away from the same empty hallway he came from. She was looking in his direction as someone looked at water leaving the shore.

At the time its wave paused to return, he paused. Ismail turned around quite calculatively and walked back to her.

"Are you going to eat..?" He now looked at her.

Zaina gently shook her head into a 'no'.

"As I thought. You actually think I like having to use my gun for everything?" He sat on the bench where she was sitting.

"Yes. Because you like suppressing others, it makes you feel empowered." She gave him her honest answer.

"If I suppressed you, you would've been in a very different state right now."

"Tum ache nahi ho Ismail. Bilkul bhi nahi ho.." She was saying, in an emotion she wasn't aware of.

"Mene achey achon ko keechar mei lada hua paya hai, mei bura hi sahi." He said with the same certainty as her.

Zaina couldn't look away from his eye, there was this ignite in those fire-like rings that only became visible when he talked calmly.

Her sight diverted towards the cuts on his skin that she could now see clearly. One on his forehead, half covered with thick strands of his dark hair. She felt sensitive whenever she examined him up close.

"Take this after you finish." He held out a tablet wrapped in a slip.

"Tum...mujhe talaaq do gay na?" She asked with somewhat of a hope.

His voice and expressions broke the rest they were in after hearing her question. It made him come back to his normal.

"Nahi, mei to train mei valima rakhwane laga tha." He said, throwing the slip on her lap.

"Mere uper ehsaan nahi ker rahe!"

"Ye moo khana khaney mei chalao, mera waqt faltu nahi hai."

"Aur mei to ye pura ek mahina jahez mei utha k layi thi na?" She almost shouted.

He inched his face close to her and twisted her wrist in his hand.

"I'm not your dad that would tolerate this pitch, I can and I will teach you a lesson! Remember that." He had lost his patience again.

"Ahh..." She tried to break her wrist free.

He let go of it right after it started to hurt her.

"You can never be what my dad is, even if you tried." There was a tear in her eye.

*****

It was around 10 p.m when the train stopped at a station to move people around.