Chapter 44: Chapter 44

As soon as Sheharzaad hung up the call, she turned towards Amna with a paled face.

"Amna, we need to be quick. We don't have time in our hands now. We have to run," she said and began to collect things, stuffing them in a bag.

"What happened?" Amna asked with confusion dancing on her face.

"He knows everything. I swear, I swear he knows everything,"

Amna's face paled too. "What? How do you know? Did he tell you anything?"

"My sixth sense says so, he knows everything. He was talking as if he knew everything,"

"Maybe you are being paranoid,"

"First thing he asked me was I planning to run away. Amna, I know him, he first drops hints. He first warns before pouncing. He knows,"

"Sheharzaad, relax. Maybe he doesn't. Maybe you're thinking negatively," Amna tried to sound convincing but her voice even to her own self wasn't sounding convincing.

"I don't know, Amna. Let's pack essentials and get away. I know him,"

"You know, his men are stationed outside. How would we outrun them?"

"Either way we are dead. I swear, Amna, he knows everything. Even... even it could all be a trap. Khaleda herself could be a trap set by him. Everything could be his trap. You never know. Let's try to run away. Atleast we should try," Sheharzaad's voice shivered.

Amna gave her a nod and began packing essentials with her. They had some money which they took, got dressed up. They didn't have much belongings, just some money and some clothes.

The real task at hand was getting out of the house as it was surrounded by men, invincible men. A man would walk past her and she would never know whether he was working for Shehryaar or not. No solution came up on her mind of escaping the house while it was surrounded when the door bell rang.

They both got startled and exchanged glances with each other. Worried glances. Sheharzaad proceeded to open the door and Amna followed behind when she found two women wearing black abayas at their door step.  Their faces were covered with a niqaab. Upon enquiring, she was told, they were selling certain products and wanted her to try them. That's when the bell rung in Sheharzaad's mind and she welcomed them in.

Seated them in the lounge, and walked to the kitchen. She told her plan to Amna who got too surprised. Nevertheless, they decided to act upon it.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

She was now able to understand the meaning of this sentence as she offered both the ladies some juice. They thanked her and drunk it, while telling it's been a while they had been knocking doors of every house in the street and barely managed to get any products sold. Sheharzaad listened them with a smile as they kept on talking.

And as some time elapsed, they both were losing control over their consciousness and atlast drifted into oblivion. She looked at them with guilt and muttered a 'sorry' to them before retrieving a black abaya for her and Amna, wore them, concealed their faces and stepped out.

They both tried to act normal yet their hearts leaped in their mouth as with hurried footsteps, they walked out of the street, kept on walking until her house was far away from her. That was when she called a taxi and ask the driver to drop them at the bus terminal.

Once she reached there, she booked two seats for Multan. The bus was about to leave in half an hour as they both waited in the waiting area.

.....

A feeling of exhilaration coursed through his body as he looked forward to the day. The wedding festivities of his brother, Irtaza and Zahra was done. And it was one hell of a wedding that he won't forget. He remembered warning Irtaza about not completely falling in the charms of his dear wife because in that case betrayal would hurt the most. But his brother was a little too much in love with Zahra that he couldn't see she had been betraying him all the time.

This incident refreshed the memories of his childhood and like a fresh gush of air would elate one's mind, this gush of memory had his resolve become stronger as he began to re-think of the independence his wife would be getting after the marriage.

That was one reason, that he had told Sheharzaad she was free from him until marriage. Because after marriage, this weird obsession of him, which was becoming to bother him too, wouldn't be over, then the four walls of mansion will be the only thing she would have to stare all day and all night.

He won't be giving her the same freedom that his father gave to his mother and his brother gave to his wife.

Today, was Irtaza and Zahra's walima (wedding dinner) And his grandfather had decided to host a small feast at the haveli. He ought to introduce Sheharzaad today to his family members.

He had spent a few days at the haveli because of his brother's wedding. Family gatherings were not his things. He had been private. Always been private throughout his life. Never gave anybody enough authority to question the decision he took in his life. Including his father, his grandmother and the slight margin that Irtaza had given to his grandfather, he excluded that margin too. He didn't let anyone bother him.

Yet he was close to his younger sister, Dua after his elder brother, Irtaza. Dua was too young when their mother had passed away. Everyone in the family was in a state of shock. His father was heartbroken that he forgot he had three children. Irtaza, Shehryaar and Dua were left on their own and as an elder brother, he grew more and more protective of his little sister. He always protected her. He used to take care of her like a father would take care of his daughter after his mother's suicide.

He had noticed Dua the days he spent here. She looked happy, lost in her thoughts, smiling to herself sometimes placing a protective hand on her stomach. His mind was hinting at something, his sixth sense was alarming him of a danger but he pushed these thoughts at the back of his mind.

His sister won't go to such an extreme length.

His thoughts broke when his phone rang and he picked it up.

"Get her ready before I reach there," He answered to someone on the phone.

"Yeah. Pick up her engagement dress," he responded to a question, "she is my secretary,"

"Get it done and inform me," he said, whilst shuffling through the cabinets to find coffee. Due to the minimal time he had spent in the haveli, especially the kitchen he didn't know where the kitchenaids were.

"Okay," he replied and hung up the call while finding the coffee when suddenly he turned around and his face registered realization.

His suspicion had been right.

Folding his arms against his chest, he leaned against the kitchen island.

"How long have you been standing here, Haseeb?" He asked.

Haseeb, who was his younger cousin, the younger son of his paternal uncle. His face looked similar to a deer caught in headlights as with wide eyes he stared at him. Then slowly he parted his lips open and blinked before closing his lips again and then a goofy smile appeared on his lips.

"Hehe," Haseeb took a step back, "hehe," Reiterating, he took another step back, "hehe," And then he dashed away from there leaving him there as he just shook his head at him.

He was such a dramatic piece.

That was when a maid walked in, she hurriedly asked him for what he wanted and he ordered her to make a black coffee and deliver it in the gym as he went to the gym for workout. It was 5 in the morning.

He always had been an early bird. Not compromising on his punctuality. Over the course of years, he had become rigid of the set of rules he had set for himself. Not giving him a break. Not finding time to relax. His life was luxurious. Owning a multi-national chain of hotels, hospitals, restaurants. Import and export of petroleum products, his company was everywhere. The government solely depended on his company when it came to certain essential departments and he had been exploiting  their dependency on him by making them bend according to their whims.

Not only in business, he had a say in politics but those dealing were done behind closed doors. His family was one of the most influential families of the country. Certain decisions always required the approval of the heir of the Syed blood coursing through their veins. Especially the decision that involved the matters of their ancestral and generational pieces of lands. Without the presence of Irtaza, as presently, he was the heir, no decisions could be made. And Irtaza won't take any decision without his younger brother's advice given how close they had been.

Despite all the power he held between the flick of his fingers, all the luxuries he could acquire by just letting the words leave from his lips, despite having the world at his feet, having the success he had always wanted to attain, he couldn't find the peace.

Always there had been a storm going in his mind. A burden on his chest. An emptiness in his heart. And twisted thoughts in his head.

There was no peace for him.

He closed his grey eyes momentarily and someone's eyes flashed infront his lids.

And it was none other than her.

Sheharzaad Qureshi

Who was now going to be, Mrs. Shehryaar.

It was 7 when he had got done with gym and taken a shower already before donning a suit.

Suits had always been his thing.

From different shades of grey to black, he had all the colors. As most of the time he would wear clothes contrasting the darkness within him. They gave him a more broody and darker looking. Breath-hitching, dashing, handsome yet cold.

A Greek god with cold eyes.

Heading towards the breakfast table, he sat left to his grandfather who was sitting on the head chair of the table. Upon not finding him in his casual clothes, yet all dressed up, everybody's brows rosed. Especially his grandmother's.

"Are you going, Shehryaar son?" She asked, grabbing his attention and he gave him a nod while placing the kiwi in his mouth that was stuck on the fork.

"Today? Don't you know, today is Irtaza and Zahra's walima?"

"I'm aware Dadi. I'll come back by evening,"

"Then why are you going?" This time his father asked.

"Some urgent work came up," his response was short and curt yet nobody noticed the subtle exchange of glance between him and his grandfather.

His grandfather was his confidant.

"You always keep us in dark. And you know that son," his father reprimanded.

"I'm aware, Dad. But you will know when the time would time,"

"Let him be, Haider, " his grandfather reprimanded his father and then his father kept quiet.

"I miss, Zahra," It was Haseeb who said it, "It's been two days and I'm missing her already. Oh my god, I'm gonna die," he cleared his fake tears.

"Stop being so dramatic, Haseeb," Dua told him.

"You can be dramatic too if you want. Why are you stopping me? Huh?" He faked a scowl.

"Oh god, Haseeb. Eat your breakfast properly," Dua tried dismissing the topic when her eyes suddenly landed near Haseeb's lips and a frown adored her brows.

Instinctively, she took a tissue and clear the piece of food near his lips. Her eyes focusing on the task and when she was done, she looked at Haseeb's eyes.

"Janwaro ki tarah na khaya karo," she joked, laughing, disposing off the tissue.

(Don't eat like animals)

While Haseeb didn't hit back at her this time, he just moved his eyes down towards the plate and continued eating his breakfast. All the while, he didn't utter anything.

And the subtle warmth that cascaded in Haseeb's hazel eyes wasn't missed by Shehryaar's as with slightly narrowed-focused eyes, he stared at him.

....

Her heart would leap in her chest whenever the bus would stop at any check point. An hour had passed almost since she had started her journey. She had already made a call to Hannan, apprising him of her actions. The customer had to be dealt with a steely hand as he was one stubborn piece. He insisted in exchanging the money only when he would see the house. He agreed to buy it, depending upon its location and price but he was yet to arrive to look at the place.

He was a weird, old, grumpy man. Hannan had told her.

First, Sheharzaad delayed him due to the file she had to deliver but as if he felt it behooved on him to vex her in return without purpose, he kept on delaying her until to this day. And when this day came, she was already running away.

Khaleda had told her, when once she asked for her help to run away, she had assured Sheharzaad that once she would complete the mission entitled to her, she would help her. But she had been trying to contact Khaleda after sending that file but Sheharzaad still didn't receive a response by her side. She had been waiting for her signal as Khaleda had told her to do so. Apart from that, she remember the warning given to her that how her every activity was being monitored to the end so she had to be very careful.

She had decided to live in that apartment in Multan which Hannan had helped her in renting. Hoping, Shehryaar won't find them. She was way too much anxious of what her future would look like from now on.

Her breath hitched when the bus suddenly stopped. Her eyes widened as she looked out of the window. The route was desolated, with fields and bushes on both the sides of road. Occasionally, some cars would pass but the area was quiet as if a perfect spot for the robbers to attack.

Everyone in the bus began to talk when a bullet was fired through the window of the driver and now the driver was taking his last breaths. Gasps and cries were heard as the passengers stood up. Some men began to ahead forward wile the little children ran into their mother's laps.

But it was Sheharzaad who had almost frozen at her spot. Turning cold.

She was dead.

So dead.

Her hand tightened around Amna whose eyes had jutted out.

Fear and panic took over the atmosphere as a group of masked men entered, holding guns, rifles, daggers. They were a bunch. More then five as some were also seated in an SUV parked at some distance. They shouted their commands for everyone to sit down and everyone obeyed as with aptness, sharp eyes, taut posture, guns in hands, they began to walk, eyeing each and every passenger.

Sheharzaad was trying to be as cool as cucumber. Her face was covered, as she moved her eyes left and right in panic.  She remained quiet as two to three men passed by her. They were asking the passengers for their ID's.

"We've other buses to check too. Be fast," One of them shouted, who was supposedly the head and that's when she made the mistake and made an eye contact with him.