If his heart had been troubled before, it was certainly more perturbed now. Like Asadullah had said, they had left exactly an hour later with his brother now somewhat more sober and mellow. There was a kicked puppy look on his face as he kept sending side glances towards the girl who had chosen to walk beside Asadullah.

Imad never thought he would see the day when the girl would willingly walk beside the man she was so frightened of. Not that she was not wary - she walked behind them - looking cautious and making sure to keep herself a good few feet away.

In front of them all, an injured Khalid trudged. Sometimes he would stop and fall to his feet in pain causing Asadullah to shove him forward. Usually, Fahad wouldn't spare the opportunity to manhandle Khalid, but after their man-to-man discussion, he was in low spirits. Not to mention, he also sported a black eye courtesy of Imad.

And this was the reason for Imad's distress. Never before had he struck his older brother and Allah knows how many times Fahad would have deserved it. Yet, this time was different. Seeing Fahad drunk and aggressive only foreshadowed how similar he was to their father. He too would get drunk and strike their mother resulting in her eloping with the first man who had showed her some basic respect. Imad didn't blame her, yet Fahad always did.

But he would be a liar if he was to say that was all there was. He couldn't forget the vulnerability of the girl - first at the hands of Khalid and then his own mirror image. Did she now see him on the same level as Fahad and Khalid? Would she remember his face and now only see Fahad's monstrous glare? For the first time, Imad wished that he didn't have an identical twin.

"Have mercy, bhai! (brother!)" Khalid suddenly wheezed out, collapsing to the ground on his face.

Behind him, Asadullah rolled his eyes before pulling him up from the back of his collar. "You showed no mercy so why should I?"

Khalid moaned in pain and then fixed the girl with his wild eyes. Escaping the clutches of Asadullah, he crawled like a crazed scorpion towards her. She jumped back, fear and pity in her green orbs at the sight of him. "Say you forgive me now! Otherwise you'll wish you had."

Nazli shivered at the threat in his voice. Even in his sorry state, he did not lose the look of authority in his eyes. Maybe it was a family trait - and perhaps the reason why Asadullah too never cracked or showed any weakness.

But she also felt completely sorry for him. No one deserved the agony he was clearly suffering from, so she nodded - her green eyes large with the mercy that Baba Zaman had instilled within her. Nazli, remember my words. Mercy and forgiveness are greater than revenge.

Khalid glared, his eyes hardening on her even more than before. "Say the words, you stupid girl! Say you forgive me!"

Her eyes widened in shock. Say the words? How could she when she hadn't said a word in so many years? Not that she didn't want to - how many times had she tried speaking? Even Shahrazad had left no stone unturned in her quest to regain Nazli's voice. One time, Shahrazad had pretended that she was dying and even that had not unlocked her tongue.

Khalid moved again, this time very aggressive. "You little-!"

"She's mute." Imad interjected, stepping between them and kicking the man back towards the ground.

Suddenly three pairs of eyes were scrutinising her and she couldn't help but feel that she'd rather faced Khalid's wrath. Anything would be better than exposing her vulnerability to the whole world. But something other than a mix of frustration and gratitude was blooming in her heart. The sight of Imad standing between her and Khalid made her heart skip in ways it had never before. It was a strange feeling - it made her sick and elated at the same time. She couldn't wait to get back home and forget about everything. But maybe . . . just maybe she would have to try very hard to forget him.

"What?" Asadullah whispered uncharacteristically. All this time he had thought that she had been so terrified of him that she had been unable to even say a word. But she was a mute?

Imad stared at his leader who suddenly seemed out of place. He had seldom seen such an expression on his face and he wondered why this revelation had shaken him so much. "Well have you ever heard her speak?"

His brother looked extremely sheepish. "Well . . . shit. This makes me feel like an asshole even more than before." When he suddenly rubbed his purple bulging eye, Nazli's own eyes almost bulged out from the realization. Someone . . . had hit him. Perhaps for what he had done to her. And she wanted to believe in all her heart that it was Imad.

Fahad turned to her with huge brown eyes. "Um . . . about earlier . . . I err . . . I was a little drunk and kind of . . . out of it."

But before she even had time to register his apology, Khalid snorted loudly, cutting the tension in the air, but adding more to it. "A mute? That's so pathetic, isn't it? Man - I could have done so much more and she wouldn't have been able to say one-!"

Suddenly a knife slashed Khalid's lips resulting in an outpouring of blood. Nazli stepped back, repulsed and pale at the sight of it, but also from the severity of his words. What more could he have done to her? She had almost forgiven him, but of course his apology had not been sincere. If he had the chance he would probably kill her this time.

For a few moments, only painful screams and roars disturbed the peace of the valley. Finally, Asadullah bent before him - wiping his dagger on the grass without a care. "Your tongue gets you in so much trouble, Khalid. After everything that has happened, you still don't learn."

"Go . . . to hell." He wheezed out, painfully holding his mouth. His brother merely smirked before grabbing him by the collar and lifting him to his feet.

"Oh, but it's you who is going to hell." He gestured to the path behind him. "This girl almost saved your ass, but you just had to go and fuck it all up."

The remaining journey continued with only an occasional groan from Khalid. Nazli walked behind them - making sure to keep away from them as much as possible. Khalid was a psychopath, Fahad was a violent drunk, Imad was hot and cold and Asadullah . . . he was the only consistent in his behavior. But where she had once seen him as cruel, she now saw him just. He had a strong sense of justice which borderlined on cruelty and that somewhat eased the fear from her heart.

The twinkling of the lake before her village almost swooped Nazli off her feet. Hamza and Shahrazad were at work - planting rice into the lake while Palwasha and Bakhtawara swooned and giggled over the young man. Off the side, old women worked tirelessly at stitching and sewing traditional Gilgit rugs - the meticulous patterns so distinct to Nazli's eyes even at her distance.

She was home. But the ongoing routine as if nothing had happened frightened Nazli. Had they simply accepted that she was gone? Had they even bothered to look for her? Shahrazad - her fiersome cousin barely looked troubled at her disappearance. She chatted merrily with Hamza and shot glares at the two girls as she had always done. Hamza, the only man she had seen a protector in had given up on her too? Had . . . she mattered so little to them all that they didn't even care that she had been missing for the past few hours?

Asadullah watched the mixture of emotions on the girl's face. Rejection, confusion and dismay. Before he had only been doubtful of his observation, but now after seeing the normality of the village he was sure of it. This girl held little value to the villagers - even to those who she obviously had expected some sort of concern from.

His eyebrows furrowed with involuntary concern. Why should he care? It shouldn't matter to him what position this girl held in the village - only that she got the message across to Shah Zaman. That he, Asadullah Sikandar Khan had saved her life and had brought the perpetrator, Khalid to justice. Somehow, saying that to himself was easier than actually believing it.

"You are free." He said steadily, avoiding her dejected eyes as if they were a plague. "But you owe me, Nazli. I saved your life."

She turned to him, having not missed the emphasis on the word I. "You will speak to Shah Zaman and explain everything that happened. I am not asking you to lie - only to tell the truth."

With a strange lurching of his heart, he stepped closer to her and narrowed his eyes. "I wait here without any weapons. You will make Shah Zaman come and meet me. Alone, no weapons. If that does not happen, Nazli, your people will pay. I may be defenceless right now and your sarbarah (leader) may succeed in killing us today, but remember this - my father is a vengeful man. He will come here with a hundred men and weapons so grand that they will wipe your village off the face of this Earth. That can happen - only if you do not do what I say. Do you understand, Nazli?"

She nodded so hurriedly and with large doe like eyes that he almost retracted the threat. Since when had a small girl's trembling fazed him so much, he thought watching her disappear into the village. And having taken his threat to heart, she cleverly avoided being seen by other villagers until she sneaked into the small building that was shaded by colorful rugs.

A strange loneliness set itself within him. That girl - he had barely interacted with her, but she had definitely been the focus of his mind for several hours now. Everything about her - from the start up until this cold farewell had called him to her. She was a mystery - quiet with eyes that spoke volumes about her hidden emotions and actions that were completely opposite to his. She had shown Khalid mercy even after everything he had done to her. Asadullah only knew one other woman who had a heart as forgiving as hers. His own mother's.

"How dare you?" A quivering voice growled from the side of the hill at which they stood. Asadullah turned expectingly until a small man emerged - the white trademark turban and long greying beard glistening in the sunlight. "The guts of you to come here after you ripped our living off our hands!"

Asadullah smirked, finding himself incapable of even pretending to be appeasing with this man. "Don't forget about the missing girl."

Shah Zaman pulled out his dagger. "Don't even mention her with your filthy tongue!" Asadullah almost wanted to chortle - he seemed angry over her mention from his mouth, yet had no problem shoving her to the side like a second citizen. What a munafiq (hypocrite).

Asadullah kicked a frozen Khalid who seemed suddenly frightened at the old man's appearance. "This waste of space here acted on his own desires. I have nothing to do with him."

"I wasn't born yesterday, fool! You two look alike like your scum of a father! You planned all of this, I know you did! Nazli is a foolish girl - she may have fallen for your tricks, but I certainly will not!" With that, he began to turn to leave, but not before throwing a promising glare towards Khalid. He would pay for what he had done to their village.

"Shah Zaman, before you leave, you should hear my proposal." Asadullah offered, with a touch of warning in his deep voice should the man refuse. He wasn't playing anymore - his father had sent him here to accomplish a task. He would not leave till he had done it.

"To hell with your proposal! Tell your father what I told him before - this land is not for sale! He has tried before and failed. You, boy will fail as well!"

Fahad blocked the old man's path with a mischievous grin. "Come on gramps! All he said was to listen to his proposal! And it's not that kind of proposal, don't worry! It's a good proposal - one that will see your people safe and merry and happy. I promise, trust me."

Shah Zaman swiped at him angrily with his dagger. The boy, dextrous as ever jumped back and couldn't help, but giggle at the growing redness in the man's face. "Seriously, gramps, chill - I know now where your crazy daughter gets her temper from!"

With a roar Shah Zaman charged towards Fahad, but his brother delivered a precise kick to the old man's knee sending him sprawling to the ground. His dagger rolled in the mud away from him and it was then he realised that they had cornered him. Damn, he should have never listened to Nazli when she had explained to him with her broken handwriting about this monster.

"I guess you are more willing to listen now, Shah Zaman." He crouched beside him, picking up his dagger and stabbing it in the mud in irregular patterns. Shah Zaman glared back fiercely, not fazed by the murderous message he was trying to convey to him.

"Khalid has done a great evil. It is why I am being so generous. I will buy your land for triple its worth. I will also return your livestock - once again, triple the amount and much better quality of animals that was taken from you." Asadullah turned to face the sky, an old habit of his when he was about to say something threatening. "You have two options, Zaman. Accept my offer and your people can leave - no harm will come to them, in fact I will make sure that they are given a safe passage to wherever you may wish to take them. If you refuse, tomorrow I will come and take this village. And anyone who stands in my way will be shown no mercy."

He knew it was working when the old man's glare turned to something thoughtful. Then his blue eyes hardened rebelliously and Asadullah almost felt respect for him. Almost.

"What about Nazli?"

His eyebrows shot up in confusion. This . . . was not what he had expected him to ask. "What about her?"

"Her honor, you halfwit! She is defamed in the entire village! No man will marry her because of this . . . this . . ." He crawled towards the sunken man - who despite his injuries scrambled back on all fours very quickly.

"I didn't touch her, I swear!" Khalid moaned when Asadullah connected his enraged black eyes with him. "I couldn't even try - she bit me, that crazy bitch and nearly scratched my face off! I swear, wallahi!'

"LIES!" He bellowed, his voice echoing from one tree to another silencing any birds that dared to chirp. "She is in different clothes! She won't tell me the truth, but I know! I know you soiled her and for that I will drink your blood!"

Shah Zaman's dagger fell before his face. "Be my guest." Asadullah was stepping back and gesturing to his two wary companions to do the same. When Shah Zaman looked at him suspiciously, the eldest son of Sikandar Khan shrugged casually. "I mean it, Shah Zaman. Finish him and then hold true to your words. Restore the honor of the girl and then agree to my deal."

Khalid roared in anguish. "NO! NO! I didn't! Fuck you, Asadullah! You selfish bastard - you can even sacrifice your brother for this?! You wanna be different from Baba, but the truth is that you are both the same! Heartless, cruel and-!"

"Finish him, Zaman or I will. And do it slow!" Asadullah growled, stalking away from Khalid before something primal took hold of him. He didn't want to kill him, but he was so close. Before he had hoped that Shah Zaman would be more forgiving, but now he sincerely wished that the man ended his life. How dare he compare him with Baba? How dare he?

The old man had been watching the whole ordeal quietly. Rage had almost taken hold of him when he had seen Nazli enter his room, dishevelled and in foreign clothes that were not custom to their tribe. And then he had known - his little brother's precious daughter had fallen prey to a man's savagery like her mother had. But he was not a fool - he knew when a man who had been beaten down like this monster Khalid was lying. And this time he wasn't. Maybe . . . his Nazli was as pure as she had always been. If there was even a slightest chance of this, Shah Zaman swore he would protect the girl against the wrath of his tribal folk.

"Son of Sikandar Shah." They all startled at the strength in his voice except Asadullah. He merely looked at him with an upturned eyebrow. "I accept your proposal. I will sell my land to you on all the conditions that you have put forward. You will give us time of ten days to leave. Till then you are not welcome here."

"Why are you sparing him?"

Shah Zaman smiled arrogantly. "Nazli tells me that you saved her. This is my favor to you, son of Sikandar Shah. I spare your brother because you spared my Nazli." He smiled even more widely at the stunned expression on the man's face. "We are better than you. Our forgiveness is better than any revenge. Our mercy is better than your cruelty. Begone and never show your face again to me."

With those parting words the old man staggered down the hill. Asadullah watched him with wide eyes, his mouth slightly agape at what had just happened. Even after everything they had lost, he had still spared Khalid. Such mercy and kindness were something Asadullah had never seen before. Were these people foolish? Were they insane to give up their rights like this? Nazli too had forgiven Khalid . . . where did they find such power within them to forgive?

Green eyes connected with Asadullah's for just a brief second. Had he blinked or turned away he would have missed it. And just before she disappeared into the crowd, he saw a small upturn of her lips - she was smiling at him. Thanking him. Forgiving him . . .

And standing just behind him, Imad allowed himself to return the smile that the girl had passed to him. There was no doubt - she had been looking at him . . .