“A dark period?” Rizwan asked.

“Yes, that’s your father’s prediction” Mr. Taha answered.

“Did he mention that it would come over us?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact he did state that?”

“What were his exact words?” Hannan asked curiously.

“I don’t know exactly but the diary must have it and I would ask you two to attain that diary”

“What good the diary will do?”

“It will help you guys find out about your father’s prophecies”

“That’s one thing” Rizwan answered, “would we be able to prevent those prophecies”

“No, I don’t think so” Hannan answered spontaneously. “Our father’s legacy cannot be easily challenged”

“No one is challenging his prophecies Hannan” Rizwan replied to his comment.

“What I’m saying is that we cannot prevent what has to happen?”

“Yeah I agree” Mr. Taha said to him.

“That is one thing” Rizwan added, “but isn’t there any way we can prove him wrong”

“What?” Hannan asked angrily. “What did you just say?”

“I said that there must be some way we can prove our father’s prophecies to be wrong”

“Shut up!” Hannan spoke pointing his finger at Rizwan. “Just shut up”

“What is wrong with you?”

“Take back what you just said”

“What is wrong with you man, I just said…”

Hannan stood up getting furious and said:

“I’m asking you for the last time, take it back whatever you said about our father. It was demeaning, it was disrespectful, take it back or I’m leaving”

“Hannan” Mr. Taha spoke trying to hold his hand, “just calm down”

Hannan snatched his hand from him and spoke:

“Don’t…Don’t try to defend him. He has disrespected our father”

Rizwan held his forehead and said:

“Hannan, you’re over reacting. You always do that. Stop it, don’t make a mess of everything”

Hannan turned his direction and started walking angrily.

“Hannan!” Mr. Taha called him out.

“Hang on Uncle Taha” Rizwan stopped him, “it doesn’t matter, it has never mattered to me”

“What is it with you two?”

“This guy is over reactive and extra sensitive about our father. You cannot reason with him, just let him be”

“Look guys, what you need to do is that you need to find that diary, its not too far away from us, we just need to ask a few people and we will attain it”

“You really think we will?”

“Sooner or later, we will”

Rizwan remained silent for a while and spoke:

“But my question remains, will we or will we not be able to prevent the dark prophesies”

“I seriously don’t know, but I personally think that we can’t”

“We can’t?”

“I’m sorry I can’t explain this but I believe that it is not possible”

Rizwan remained silent for a while and then spoke:

“Well anyways thanks for your time, I think it’s time for me to go now”

They both stood up. Mr. Taha spoke as they both shook hands:

“Don’t think that your brother hates you, he is reacting like this because he loves your father”

“I understand”

“He might have but I would advise you to remove all the grudges that might come in your heart”

“You’re right; we can’t have any grudges, although we never had any”

“Great, that’s what your father wanted, he would never want you guys to fight and end up as rivals”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure nothing like that would happen”

Two hours later, Hannan was sitting in the small garden of their house; he saw one of his servants walking towards the gate of the house, so he called him out:

“Sartaj!”

The servant stopped walking and after turning his direction, he came walking towards Hannan. As he was standing close to Hannan, Hannan asked him:

“What exactly happened with our father?”

“What do you mean? We all know that he died of suffocation…”

“…That’s what we’ve been told by the doctors. I want to know the real cause”

“Oh come on, how can you suspect the doctor?”

“I’m just asking, you were the first one who entered inside the house. Isn’t that true?”

“Look sir, your father was already sick, we all know that”

“So?” Hannan asked looking up at him.

“So we also know that he wasn’t taking good care of himself. He was not taking his medicines properly”

Getting furious once again, Hannan stood up and looked at him straight in the eyes. The frightened servant moved backwards and before he could say anything, Hannan raised his finger and said to him:

“You take your words back, right now”

“I’m sorry” Sartaj replied fearfully, “I take all of my words back”

Hannan got a bit relieved and then spoke:

“Now tell me what you know about that night”

“The night your father passed away?”

“Yes”

“Ok, well I remember that you were outside and the other members of the family were also outside”

“What about the servants?”

“Mr. Rizwan had ordered them to leave the house, so they weren’t here”

“Rizwan ordered them?”

“Yes”

“But he was outside with his wife, wasn’t he?”

“No, that’s not true”

“Then where was he? At the house?” Hannan asked angrily.

“Yes, he was inside the house, I saw him with my own eyes”

“Oh my God, and he lied to me that he was outside with Sidra”

Sartaj remained silent. Angry Hannan looked at the house’ gate and spoke:

“Has he returned yet?”

“No I don’t think so. I mean I haven’t seen him coming”

Hannan held his clenched hand in his mouth and wondered:

Could it be him?

He spoke out aloud trying to refute the thoughts:

“No it can’t be”

“Sorry?” Sartaj uttered after listening to him.

“I wasn’t talking to you, I’m sorry, some thoughts are disturbing me”

“I know where you are going with these thoughts, but trust me, its nothing like that”

“I know but I can’t take my father’s death lightly”

“I know, I agree and you shouldn’t, but I’m just saying that you shouldn’t suspect your brother. Your father would never want anything like that between you two”

“I’m not suspecting Rizwan, who told you that I’m suspecting my brother”

“It appears so, I’m sorry but it does”

Hannan looked away trying to hide his face away from him.

“Alright, you may go” Hannan said to Sartaj.

Sartaj left the spot and started walking towards the opposite direction.

Hannan looked at him go and then gave a deep thought to what he had just learned about his father.

“Rizwan, he was at this home. I didn’t know that”

He then folded his arms and gave a little thought to which he replied:

No he can’t be harmful, the only question that remains is that why did he lie to me. Why did he state that he was with his wife?

Hannan got a bit furious but he closed his eyes trying to calm himself and spoke out aloud:

No Hannan, don’t think like. Please don’t, don’t think like that.

But all of sudden he heard his father’s words:

I said that there must be some way we can prove our father’s prophecies to be wrong.

Hannan’s eyes opened out wide and he spoke:

That was disrespect. Yes, he dared to disrespect our father, so he can dare enough to do more than that.

Hannan stretched out his hands and gave his body a little exercise and spoke:

I’m going to talk to him, I’m going to ask him, why he lied to me, if he gives me a good reason then I might forgive him, but if he won’t then he and I have a serious matter that he needs to be settled.

Next day’s morning, Rizwan was sleeping in his room. His brother was standing outside the room’s door. Hannan thought of knocking the door but he stopped before he could really do it because he was a bit confused.

Should I or should I not enquire about this?

He however moved back and after getting an interesting idea, he spoke:

Well you know what, I’m going to leave this matter here and wait for the right time to enquire about this issue.

He turned back and walked to his own room.

Inside his room, he saw his father’s blanket on his bed. He went closer to it and spoke:

I’m not going to let injustice happen to you. I’m going to take revenge even if I have to take the matters into my own hands. I know you loved me more than anyone and no one could bear this, and this is probably why I should blame myself.

For a moment there, he realized himself that he was getting too illogical and he need to come out of his emotions and think analytically.

Few minutes later, Rizwan who was still sleeping in his room felt his bed moving. He opened his eyes and saw that it was Hannan who was shaking his bed. He however went back to sleep.

Hannan wondered while looking at him:

I’m going to ask this question straight, if his eyes open out widely then he is to blame and if he doesn’t react and stays like this then it would mean that he is not the suspect.

Hannan spoke up:

“Rizwan, there is something I need to ask you”

“What is it?” Rizwan spoke with his eyes closed.

“I was told that you were in the house when our father passed away” Hannan spoke spontaneously.

Rizwan did not respond at all, he kept on lying the way he was. Hannan rephrased his question:

“Tell me, were you or were you not at the house when our father passed away?”

“I wasn’t, I was outside with Sidra”

Hannan was a bit surprised on his reaction and he spoke to himself:

This is not the reaction I was expecting.

Rizwan appeared quite tired, Hannan asked him:

“When are you going to get up?”

“…Not anytime soon” Rizwan spoke after few seconds, “I slept late last night. Just let me sleep, please”

“Ok” Hannan spoke moving backwards. “I’m leaving the room, now”

Hannan slowly walked outside the room feeling unsatisfied. He uttered:

This is not a proper way to enquire. I need to cross question him.

He kept on walking until he reached the garden.

Two days passed, the two brothers had a complicated communication as Rizwan was upset about his brother’s disrespectful and over reactive behavior and Hannan was suspicious over his brother regarding where he was during their father’s last breath.

The two brothers weren’t really talking and the only means of communication between the two were their servants or paper notes. The brothers didn’t like sitting next to each other and discussing the family matters.

However with passage of time, their differences reduced and one day the two were seated at the dining table having lunch. Rizwan was eating normally but Hannan was feeling a bit uncomfortable as usual and he spoke up:

“So did you talk to Mr. Taha again?”

“Nope”

One of their servants who was standing at the same room spoke up:

“Oh my God, I almost forgot. Mr. Taha called here”

“When?” Rizwan asked turning back and looking at him.

“Yesterday, I’m sorry I literally forgot”

“It’s ok, I understand, did he say anything?”

“He said he wants to talk regarding the diary”

“Our father’s diary?” Hannan asked.

“Yes”

“What about it?”

“I don’t know, it’s something important I guess”

After a brief moment of silence, Rizwan spoke:

“Ok, let me speak to him. I’ll give him a call and let you know Hannan”

Hannan didn’t reply as he didn’t feel like trusting him.

One hour later, Rizwan picked up the phone and dialed Mr. Taha’s number. Hannan came from behind and hid behind a wall to hear him speaking. He was trying to secretly overhear the conversation. Rizwan’s call was answered by Mr. Taha:

“Hello?”

“Hello, it’s me Rizwan” Rizwan spoke recognizing the voice.

“Oh Rizwan, there is something very important I need to tell you”

“What is it?” Rizwan asked curiously.

to be continued...