Asking Progress

For a long time, Ayaan was trying the Sikandar number, but he found it switched off every time. Then he has to call Farid.

"Yes sir."

"Farid, are you with Sikandar? Let me talk with him. His phone is coming off." He asked hastily and Farid started telling him everything in detail. While Ayaan felt that the ground slipped under his feet.

Without informing anyone in the home, he went to the Shah palace.

"Farid, where is Sikandar?" Ayaan came inside in running. He found Farid standing in the lounge with a tense face.

"Sir ....he Shah sir....."

"What happened to Shah? Where is he?" After not finding Sikandar in his room, he asked again, running back to Farid. Farid can sense the apparent restlessness for Sikandar in his demeanor.

"Sir he."

"What he....speak up." Ayaan instantly roared at him. Farid getting scared, uttered quickly.

"Sir...sir is upstairs....."

"What?" Without listening to what further he is saying, he hurriedly climbed upstairs by climbing two stairs at a time. After coming to the second floor, he stood in front of a room. As he turned the knob of the door, he found it locked.

"Shah... open the door, please.... open the door, Shah..... Shah please open the door....listen Shah, if you didn't open it, then I swear I will break that damn door." When the door didn't open after knocking on it for a good amount of time, Ayaan has to threaten him.

"Sh...." But before that Ayaan can take a harsh step, the door was unlocked. After opening the door, Sikandar Shah went back to his seat on his specific chair and lightened the cigarette.

As Ayaan came inside, he started coughing badly because of the intoxicated smell of wine and cigarettes. Rushing the smoke with his hand, he came near him. And in extreme rage, he snatched the cigarette, which was near to his mouth, and rubbed it in the ashtray. He can see the ashtray was already filled with ashes of cigarettes.

This is the hidden room of the Shah palace where every kind of expensive wine was present. There was nothing more than bottles of wine and a stylish single couch placed with two chairs. This is Sikandar shelter room where he used to come whenever he felt himself extremely broken from inside.

In an attempt to hide his bruises and grief, he used to sit here devouring the poison inside of himself. This room though looks beautiful from the outside, but seems nothing more than a death zone.

"Shah, why did you do this....?" Ayaan asked, sitting in the chair in front of him. He was asking him about the meeting.

"Shah... leave it....why have you become an enemy of yourself?" Ignoring his question, Sikandar picked up the bottle of wine placed in front of him. But Ayaan also snatched it from him and threw it on the ground.

"Just because of a stupid girl, you incurred yourself with such a big loss. Why.... Shah why? This contract was your dream....then why? You struggled day and night for this one contract...and what came its outcome? That Khan group took the contract... just because of your short tempredness and acting emotionally....." Ayaan was roaming in his room in a restless state, sneering angrily as he stood in front of him. His eyes turned red blood shot because of the extremeness of his furiousness.

Clenching his fists, he was on the verge of losing his patience. The upheaval running inside of him was about to burst any time soon.

"Shah..." In Ayaan's voice, sadness was apparent.

"Don't worry Ayaan....the one who is responsible for it will pay me back for every single ounce of it." Sikandar said in a monotone voice, his voice void of any emotion.

"What do you mean, Shah? You.... that girl....what are your intentions? What is cooking in your mind....?" Ayaan was startled by his words as he questioned him. In response, a mysterious smile appeared on the face of Sikandar.

"That girl.....? Ayaan."

*******

"Zaniya, you are very careless about your health. Today if the wife of the neighbour's uncle didn't inform me, then...do you know what the doctor said. If you don't take medicine for one day, how risky it's for your health .... your BP had shooted quite much...God will not, what if something happened to you....? But no, why do you care about me?"

"Hammad." Zaniya put her weak hand in his mouth, who was speaking continuously with a mixed feelings of anger and sadness.

"No Hammad... don't say like that... you are my son. I don't want to make you worry because of me when your father himself is sick. He is in hospital, so...." Zaniya was speaking in her weak voice when she glanced at Hammad, whose hands were on the steering wheel and he was looking straight to the road. He seemed angry and sad to her.

"In you, I see my so....." Before that Zaniya could complete her words, she abruptly held her tongue between her teeth. Hammad startled on leaving her words in the mid and glanced at her. He saw Zaniya rubbing her palms in a state of worry.

"Aunt Zaniya, who you can see in me?" On Hammad asking , she got startled.

"Wh....who I can see. Y.... you are my son. I .... I only see you." She wiped the sparkling drops of sweat that appeared on her forehead. While Hammad just gives her a silent glance. She started looking outside of the window. She was acting as if a thief was caught.

"Aunt Zaniya...." The prolong moment of silence was interfered by Hammad. But she just responded to him saying..

"Hmmm."

"Aunt Zaniya, where does your family live?"

"Hammad, how is your father? How is his sickness now?" Instead of answering his question, she questioned him after a moment of pause about his father's well-being. Hammad understood that as always today also aunt Zaniya will not like to tell anything about her family.

"Papa is quite sick nowadays...so...we admitted him in the hospital. Now he is doing fine." Hammad stopped his car to the side of the road and held Zaniya by her shoulders, he led her inside her one-room house and made her lie on her bed. After straightening the comforter on her, he instructed her in a little strict voice.

"Aunt Zaniya, you have to take your medicines regularly. Today I will send a maid for you....so you won't face any problem."

"No son... I am fine. And don't need of bringing any maid...."

"Enough Aunt Zaniya, now you will not say anything." He said in a firm voice and Zaniya, lying on the bed, smiled at him. He always takes care of her like that. Somewhere in her heart, she felt a wave of pain. She quickly diverted her eyes to squeeze the tears coming into her eyes as she shut them.

Hammad was talking on the call with his friend to arrange a maid for her. As he turned around, he saw Zaniya sleeping. He walked to her and kissed her on her forehead and after straightening the comforter on her, he walked out. After she was assured of Hammad leaving, her eyes again started pouring with tears. She was crying until it turned into sobbing.

******

Last night after Ayaan left, he kept on fighting with himself for a long time. Meanwhile, sleep engulfed him and he went to sound sleeping. In the morning, he slightly moved in sleep because of the constant ringing of his phone. Ignoring his mobile, he again drifted to sleep.

But the one on the call seems to be hell-bent on waking him up. Unwillingly, Sikandar has to rub his eyes, and get up with the help of his elbows, he picked up his phone from the side table. But after looking at the name of the caller, which was Talal, was enough to make his face turn soar.

He answered the call and laid his head on the crown of the bed when his tiresome voice was echoed in the room.

"Hello...."

"Damn your hello.... where did you die?"

"On my bed."

"Then why were you not picking up my call?"

"I didn't feel it necessary. I'm sleeping. If you have anything important to say, then speak up ... otherwise bye." Listening to Talal's pissed off voice, he replied in a relaxed tone. As if Talal was caught by some fire, he got furious.

"What do you mean? I'm not that free to uselessly call a jerk man like you and waste my time..... I have thousands of work to deal with. But..... anyways it was your work...if you feel it necessary to know it further then come to my office....bye."

"Hey ......hey....listen buddy please." Before that Talal could cut the call, Sikandar had to stop him quickly.

"Yes, speak up...." Talal also said in the same tone as him to make it even. While Sikandar smiled and spoke.

"Wow.... prince got manners."

"It's obvious, after all a jerk like you must have some impact on me...." On his answer, they both laughed in unison.

"What becomes of my work?" After gossiping for a good amount of time, he then asked his actual question and Talal also responded with assurance.

"Your work is done. I have sent you the complete information about Zaman, his bio-data as well as his family pictures."

"Thanks, buddy....Talal, you did such a great job for me. Big thanks."

"Shut up, jerk. I would have done it very soon, but I was busy."

"Ok, you can check it then tell me what's next to do. But..."

"But what?" Sikandar questioned him instantly.

"But....think rationally before you do anything. May it not happen, you harm anyone...." Before that he could complete his saying, Sikandar cut him off in the middle.

"Now the actual fun will begin.... anyways leave it. I will tell you what is next to do....ok, I will contact you pretty soon. Bye."

"Bye." Sikandar put his phone on the table and went to the washroom. After taking a shower, he was feeling himself quite fresh. He took his laptop and settled himself on the sofa.