3. Dead

The door was knocked once before it opened to reveal Akram, the butler of the haveli (mansion).

"Madam is requesting your presence, Saab (sir)," Akram said in a respectable voice as Hamza sighed. "I'll be there," he said as the butler nodded his head and left his room.

Hamza closed the file he was working on. His documents were still scattered on the bed, he shut his laptop and left his room.

He gently knocked at the door and heard a light come in, he ambled in and a soft gentle smile adorned his lips as soon as he saw his mother opening her arms for him.

He crouched down on the floor beside his mother's chair and the elderly woman caressed his hair, a beautiful smile on her lips as she gazed at her son with pride and love.

"Mera sher, (my tiger)," His mother, Batool Shah patted his shoulder lovingly as the most feared mafia man became soft for his mother. He placed his head on her lap as she caressed his shoulder. He felt peace in his mother's embrace.

"You don't have any time for your mother," Batool complained and the big guy smiled.

"Sorry Ami (mother), but there's a lot on my plate but you need not worry, I'll scoop some time out for you," he smiled gazing up at his mother, his eyes shining with happiness.

"You better give me some time young man, or else I might not talk to you at all," Batool threatened as he let out a deep chuckle shaking his head. He grabbed her hands which were wrinkled and old. Bringing them up he kissed her knuckles. 

Batool smiled as she caressed his hair. "I'm starving son," She complained and he immediately straightened up, his face hardened and he was a second away from calling Akram when Batool spoke up. "I'm dying to hear wedding bells, so when are you fulfilling my wish?" Batool asked sternly and his shoulders slumped. He sighed, rubbing his face.

Grabbing her foot he placed it on his lap and started to massage it gently, avoiding answering her. His phone rang and he checked the caller id. It was Farhan, his right in command. He cut the call, his mother didn't like it when he talked on the phone at the time which was solely for her.

"Who is it?" Batool asked.

"Farhan," Hamza answered and the old woman pouted. "Why don't you marry Farhan? He is always with you 24/7, trust me I will believe you if you say you are already in love with him," Batool scolded him in a teasing manner.

"Ami..." He whined while massaging her other foot when there was a knock at the door. 

Hamza stood up and opened the door to reveal none other than Farhan. Batool scowled as she glared at Hamza and then at Farhan. By the tense look on Farhan's face, it was clear there was something serious.

"Just two minutes Ami Jan (dear mom)," Hamza said softly and stepped out of the room, and just like that his posture and stance changed to that of the most feared mafia Lord.

"Zeeshan," Farhan muttered and Hamza was instantly irritated at the mention of his name.

"What did that bastard do?" Hamza gritted out.

Farhan looked him dead serious in the eyes. "Zeeshan is dead," Farhan dropped the bomb.

Hamza tensed for a brief second. "What the f*ck are you spouting?" He hissed coldly.

Farhan took out his phone and showed him the pictures. In the first picture, Zeeshan was holding a girl's hand as they were walking, the woman's face wasn't visible due to dim lights.

In the second picture, Zeeshan was on the floor with blood all over him. Hamza's hold tightened on the phone. And in the third picture, the girl was running away from the room. The pictures were paused and taken from the CCTV cameras.

"Someone has tried to destroy the CCTV footage but they couldn't do it properly. These are the only snippets we could get," Farhan said as Hamza glared at the phone. His hands were shaking in fury.

"Did Hafsa know?" Hamza asked calmly.

"No one knows except me, you, and Salar. Just like you wanted, I've asked Salar to keep an eye on Zeeshan. Tonight he held a mehfil (gathering) in his farmhouse, after that he bought one of the dancers for the night. And got his place evacuated. The girl he bought was seen by Salar as she ran out of the farmhouse," Hamza was fuming in wrath by now.

That f*cker! 

Zeeshan has been cheating Hafsa for so long and no matter how much he tells his sister about that f*cker's truth, she won't ever believe him. After every shit of his, Hamza had to clean things but he never expected that his enemies would take such a drastic step against him. Killing his brother-in-law just when the elections were on head. No matter what, the f*cker was the whole world for his sister.

"You should come to that place," Farhan said calmly but the seriousness in his voice indicates how deadly the situation was.

Hamza walked back into the room and Batool sighed. By the serious look on his face, she already knew her son had to leave due to certain urgency. 

"If you promise to have breakfast with me tomorrow, then you are off the hook," Batool said calmly and Hamza sighed.

Crouching down he kissed the back of her right hand before grazing it to his eyes one by one. "As you say Ami Jan (dear mom)," He said and left her room.

Hamza and Farhan got into the car and headed for the farmhouse. A few of his men were already there. Farhan guided him to the room as Hamza stalked in and once his eyes fell on the dead body, shock consumed him for a brief second.

Zeeshan lay on the floor in the pool of his blood. His face was intact but his body. It was shredded. It looked as if a wild animal had clawed his insides out. Except for his face; his body was completely ruined and in shambles. 

Hamza had killed gazillions of men and in his world, he was known for giving brutal deaths and tormenting his enemies until they beg for death but the scene in front of him had rattled him as well. Let it be for a brief second but this didn't seem like any normal person had done this.

"F*ck!" He cussed, raking his hand through his hair as glared at the dead body of Zeeshan. What in the world would he say to his sister? How will his mother cope with this news?

"Who did this?" He growled glaring at his men and they all flinched. His mere presence oozes intimidation and power.

"The girl-" Farhan started but Hamza cut him in the middle.

"Don't bullshit me! You expect me to believe that a fragile whore did this monstrosity? Are you f*cking idiot!" Hamza thundered and everyone in the room tensed. The temperature dropped and they all held their breath.

"But she was the only one caught in the footage," Farhan said calmly.

Hamza glared at the dead body. "A girl alone can't handle a man like Zeeshan; the f*cker knew self-defense, there must be someone there with her." Hamza gritted out as he glared around the room. 

The veins in his head were popping in rage and fury that coursed through his form.

Someone killed his brother-in-law. Didn't they know what consequences they had to face for messing with Hamza Shah?

"It was only her, s..she was the only one who ran out of the farmhouse," Salar spoke with mustered-up courage but his bravery flew out of the window when Hamza's cold eyes whipped in his direction.

"Where is the girl?" Hamza asked calmly.

"She's in the brothel," Salar answered and Hamza faced Farhan. Their eyes met and Hamza conveyed his message loud and clear. Farhan nodded his head in affirmation. 

Hamza felt nauseous just by looking at the dead body, he couldn't imagine how Hafsa would react. No matter how big of a douchebag this f*cker was but for Hafsa, he was her whole world.

"I want his post-mortem file first thing in the morning. No cops should be involved in this case, I'll deal with the culprits myself," Hamza spat as he pivoted and stalked out of the place.

He went straight home. His mother was fast asleep and it was still early dawn. He was sure Hafsa would be here first thing in the morning when she won't be able to contact Zeeshan. 

He had already tightened the security of her place a few months back when Zeeshan first got the threats. After hearing the news today he had sent more guards to stay around her mansion. The head of security had informed him that Hafsa was fine and in the house, it was a relief.

Hamza didn't get an ounce of sleep. He stayed awake pacing in his study. Just as he expected, he got the post-mortem file within hours.

He was shocked to read the content. Zeeshan was butchered with a sharp blade but before that, he was raped brutally with a bottle of glass. There were only one person's fingerprints on his whole body and also in the room.

It was difficult for him to believe that a mere whore could do this much but where he was from in this mafia world. He had seen women with innocent faces but they were the cruelest of the assassins. 

His phone rang and he checked the caller. He stabbed his fingers through his hair and stared at the caller id for a long time and then his phone stopped ringing. How can he face Hafsa now?

He dialed a number and Farhan picked up the call within a second. "Where is she?" He asked, enraged.

"In our warehouse number 3 at East," Farhan informed. 

"Did her fingerprints match with the one on file?" Hamza asked on the edge.

"It's being checked, we took her fingerprints when she was unconscious. The result will be out in an hour." Farhan informed and Hamza cut the call.

He heard voices coming from the hall and with each second they became high pitched. Hamza stalked into the hall and there stood Hafsa arguing with Akram. 

"What's the notion?" Hamza asked curtly and Hafsa's glassy eyes met his and she hurried towards him. "Hamza, Zeeshan isn't responding to my calls. He hasn't come back home, even his PA didn't know his whereabouts." Hafsa said, panicking as she clutched her younger brother's hand.

Hamza was a year and a half younger than Hafsa.

He didn't know how to respond to that. What was he supposed to tell her? Dear sister your f*cker of a husband was no more?

"I'll call him," He said and she shook her head. "His phone is switched off, I've tried." She said and he nodded his head.

"You don't look good, Hafsa. You should rest, I'll ask my men to look for Zeeshan," Hamza said calmly.

"How can I rest Hamza? My husband has been missing since last night, I couldn't get in touch with him and you want me to relax?" Her volume raised and he had to remind himself to stay calm. He was glad his mother's room was in the other wing so she couldn't hear all this.

"I'll go look for him. And you can't leave this place alone. If you want to go then take guards with you," Hamza said and trekked out of the mansion.

He reached the warehouse and Farhan was already waiting for him. "What is it?" Hamza asked, pissed.

"The fingerprints matched," Farhan informed and now Hamza was seething. How could just a hired assassin butcher his prey so brutally? This vicious woman didn't know who she had messed with.

He will teach her such a proper lesson that the ones who paid her will also tremble in fear.