Blood

The Mischief Ends - Season: 3
  • 03 Oct - 09 Oct, 2020
  • Mag The Weekly
  • Fiction

As Rizwan opened the door, Rahman right away said,

“I had a conversation with Mahnoor. She said the case can be made easier.”

“Really? How come?”

“I’ll tell you inside, come.”

Next minute, the two of them were seated inside the kitchen at the dining table. Rahman was speaking,

“Mahnoor told me that all those papers or whatever we need, they are at their relative’s house. She can ask that relative to bring that stuff over to her place.”

“Oh…Well that’s very convenient.”

“Yes, I said the same thing to her.”

“Yeah, so what did she say?”

“Sorry?” Rahman got confused for a moment.

“I mean to ask how she responded further. Did she or did she not agree on bringing that stuff over?”

“Oh, well yes she did.”

“She did?” Rizwan got excited.

“She said that it wasn’t quite difficult. There can be a postman or courier service that can help us.”

“So, instead of getting it delivered at her place, can it be delivered straight here?”

“Well, it can be. I don’t see a reason why it can’t be, but I think we should ask her first.”

“Sure.”

Rahman took out his phone and said,

“Alright, I’ll make a call to her.”

“Great!”

“I can talk to her myself, but I would suggest that talking to you would emphasise better.”

“Oh…Well, okay,” Rizwan said a bit reluctantly.

Rahman kept the phone next to his ear and asked,

“Should I ask her to talk to you?”

“Okay, okay I will talk.”

As Mahnoor answered the call, she said,

“Hello?”

“Hello Mahnoor, regarding your father’s stuff, can you talk to my father?”

“Okay.”

Rahman handed over the phone to Rizwan who said on the phone,

“Yes, talk to me dear.”

“Well, Uncle Rizwan, my father’s stuff is at our relative’s home. I can ask them to send it here.”

“Well, that’s great! If there’s no trouble for you.”

“No, there’s no trouble at all, I’ll just have to make one

phone call.”

“Thank you, I would be really pleased if you make it easy for us like this.”

“No problem, I’ll give them a call and then, I’ll let Rahman know about it.”

“Thank you dear,

God bless you.”

Rizwan handed over the phone back to his son. Rahman talked to her for a minute thanking her for making things easier for them, and then ended the call.

After a moment, Rahman asked his father,

“Are you satisfied?”

“I am, yes I am,” Rizwan answered with a dull expression.

“You don’t seem so.”

“No, I’m just a little upset with my friend Khattab.”

“Come on, let go.”

“For twenty years, he remained silent on something, and now he’s not even speaking on it.”

“Well, at least, he has tried to atone for his crime.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“You know you should

forgive him.”

“I will, once I know that what he has hidden was not quite dangerously secret.”

Rahman had no words for him, so he thought of changing the conversation.

*************

At some distance inside a welfare foundation, Hannan was seated all alone and was looking at people of his age walking around. He wondered,

I think I’m going to spend my remaining time here and die here all alone.

He remembered his father and said,

He was a real saint. He was a man of patience and endurance. I wasn’t his real son, which was why I couldn’t inherit this from him.

He was then quite upset about the fact that he messed up everything in his family.

These thoughts are killing me. I’ve been a prisoner of my guilt since twenty years.

Tears came to his eyes as usual. He gave his last comment,

I just pray that I die as soon as possible.

He then got distracted by the conversation of an old woman who was talking to a young caretaker.

“My sons they dropped me off here,” she said.

“It happens a lot ma’am,” the caretaker replied. “You will find several people here who have the same tragedy as yours.”

“My sons, I gave them everything I could. I gave them proper education, I gave them a roof to sleep under and yet they threw me away like this.”

“I understand, it’s very tragic. But you will definitely find someone here who shares the same thoughts as yours. There are such mothers here, they will understand you and you both will have a lot to share.”

The old woman started weeping.

Hannan stood up seeing this and whispered,

This place is full of tragedies. I might find peace of death sooner than I’m expecting.

He slowly started walking so he could move towards another room of the place.

*************

One Week Later

Rizwan opened his house’ door, as he just heard the doorbell. After opening the door, he allowed his son Rahman to enter inside. He had been expecting him. Rahman was carrying a small cardboard box while he was entering inside.

Rizwan asked him,

“So, this is all you received?”

“Yes, this came to my house. So, I came straight here.”

“So, inside this box we’ll find that letter?”

“Well, I hope we would because Mahnoor told me so.”

“Alright, let’s open it,” Rizwan suggested.

“Well, I have already opened the hard part.”

Rahman kept the box on the kitchen’s dining table.

Rizwan went towards the box and said,

“Rahman you have to be patient with me here. I am really impatient about it.”

“I understand.”

“Can I see it?”

“Yeah, why not? Go ahead.”

Rizwan took off his glasses to clean them with his shirt but as he did, one of the glasses came out of the frame while he was cleaning them.

“Oops,” he uttered.

“What happened?”

“I think I broke my spectacles.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Doesn’t matter, I’ll find it.”

Rahman opened the box and looked for the letter. He found one note and said,

“Well, here’s one note only.”

“Great, why don’t you read it?”

“Okay.”

“What else is inside the box?”

“I don’t know, some old stuff like key chains and pens.”

“I see. Anyways, can you read it out?”

“Okay.”

While, Rahman was holding the piece of paper, he commented on it,

“It seems like more than forty years old.”

“No, it wouldn’t be older than twenty years.”

Rahman unfolded the paper anyway and asked,

“Should I read it out loud?”

“Yes, please.”

Rahman started reading it in his heart first. As he had read half of it, he looked back at his father and said,

“This is not what you were looking for?”

“It’s not?”

“It is not Hannan’s letter. There seems to be some kind of misplacement.”

“Oh, what should we do now?”

“Don’t worry; I’ll talk to Mahnoor myself.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll tell her that this is not what her father wanted to deliver.”

“I think we shouldn’t give her anymore trouble.”

“What do you mean?”

Rahman asked.

“I mean we shouldn’t bother her. I should go and talk to Khattab myself; I’ll be firm this time. I’ll ask him to cut the unnecessary stuff and get straight to the point.”

“No Dad, I think I can talk to Mahnoor. She will be fine with it.”

“No, this Khattab guy is really irritating me.”

“Dad, you have never talked about your friend this way. Your tone has really changed.”

“I know.”

Saying this Rizwan angrily left the kitchen.

Rahman looked at him go and then looked back at the paper that he was holding. He read the entire note once again.

After he was done with it, he uttered with shock,

Oh, my God! This is way more serious than what my father is looking for.

He folded the paper again and kept it inside his pocket and said,

Maybe, I should keep it secret. I will reveal this when the time would be appropriate.

He shut the box again and thought of sending it back completely except for the note he just found.

*************

Next morning, Rahman was seated in a taxi. He heard his cell phone ringing and he saw that it was his wife’s call. He answered the call,

“Yes Anum, I have delivered the box back. However, the note is still with me. I will be back around seven.”

He disconnected the call trying to avoid any further conversation.

Next hour, Rahman was walking in the vacant streets of the city where he was looking for a place to get some water.

Rahman felt that someone was touching his shoulder from behind. Rahman got vigilante and looked behind himself immediately. A thin guy was standing behind him. Rahman asked him,

“What do you want?”

“Do you know where you are standing?”

Rahman looked around a bit and then said,

“Look, whoever you are, just let me buy some water and then I’ll be out of here.”

“This is our leader’s territory. We do not tolerate any outsider over here. If you want to leave peacefully, then you’ll have to pay some extortion money.”

“What? Extortion money?” Rahman asked with sarcasm.

“Yes!”

“Look kid,” Rahman said after chuckling a bit, “do whatever you can, okay? I have squished spiders like you long before you were born.”

This man got seriously angry and he attempted punching Rahman on the face but Rahman held his hand tightly and hit him back with his own forehead. This man fell backwards.

“Don’t you dare cross my way again!” Rahman warned him.

That moment, a young adult came as if trying to attack Rahman but he pushed him back with both hands causing this young man to fall backwards. While, this young man was on the ground, Rahman looked into his eyes and saw that one of his eyes was black and the other was light green in colour.

Rahman felt a bit disgusted and then walked away.

I better leave this place he suggested himself.

As he was walking away, the two guys stood up and held him from behind, he did his best to wrestle and jump out of the situation. He even succeeded in pushing them again and making them fall down over each other, but they were quite determined to get hold of him which was why they kept on standing again and holding him tightly.

Rahman however, managed to leave them and flee away but he knew that they would keep coming back, so he said,

I think I should end this tale once and for all.

While, he was running he accidentally hit a masked man.

The two goons who were chasing him stopped running after him and the younger

one said,

“Master’s here.”

“Yeah, now he will handle him.”

The masked man whom Rahman had hit, said to him,

“You seem to be in quite

a hurry.”

“Get out of my way!” Rahman said angrily.

“I will, but first I want you to hear me out saying,

1. A dark period will come to this family.

2. Tariq Yasar’s grave would be crushed.

3. Rizwan’s daughter will see a lot of pain and torment in her life.

4. A two–faced person will illegally capture the land that belonged to us once.

Rahman gained some interest and got very curious. The man continued,

5. The first phase of the mischief would be different than the last phase.

6. A kind person will see several owls in a single night.

7. A guy wearing gold would betray one of the brothers.

8. Presumed dead will return and make situations worse.

9. One among the two brothers will get imprisoned for life.

10. Rizwan’s son will bring an end to the mischief.

Once he was done, Rahman uttered,

“Oh, my God! Who are you? How do you know all of this?”

The masked man took off his mask and revealed his face; it was none other than Jafar the trouble maker.

At first, Rahman was not able to recognise him but as he got a clear glance, then he quickly recognised him at once and said,

“Oh, my God! You?

You’re alive?”

to be continued...

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