page 30

.,,,for me   shamin just  having money is not  that much important,   if the man  sincerely cares foryou and you too love him life gets along easily,  darya  spoke  sentimentally ,  ger eyes glued to her mobile screen  as she was scrolling pictures 

What an impractical  approach,  you say that because you already have enough money  , otherwise every hungry person sees round ritus in round moon  because hunger pangs don't let him see straight,  shamin s tone was saturated with sarcasm bitter and  hurting 

And have you never   lived with someone   without being in love with him,  I have seen my mother  lead such a miserable life,  she was never had a moment of happiness with my father who had an ordinary looking personality,  both could never  like each other,  they were  matchless  ,  both were cousins  married to each other and they obediently  stayed together for life to please agha ji, but I won't let that happen to me 

page 87

....Carl was rapidly being recognized in school  as one of the most brilliant students,  he was working  hard on doing hus routines himself,  whatever others did with their arms and hands he used his feet and toes to perform them , doing simplest of daily tasks like changing clothes,  bathing brushing his teeth,  buttoning up his shirts and trousers  and jackets,  combing and grooming,  polishing his shoes  that were easy for normal children  proved an impossible task for carl,  his soul  silently screamed  but he was determined  to overcome his  problem  and  decided to accomplish  every task by using his other limbs 

He was persistent never giving up and finally he mastered the art of doing everything on his own independently,  he could  touch all his body parts with his ties stretching them bending them  , he learnt to pick up soft and heavy things with his toes,  he could lift and balance things , he found it was satisfying  doing his own work by himself 

from previous

....you can become  big and famous man 

You can  become  popular 

People will follow you 

And then he began hearing these  whisperings  every night  in sleep,  during the daytime these whisperings  kept on echoing in his mind,  these whisperings became  his soul mate  and  confidante,  time was passing by,  new experiences  were  surprising every one,  those who saw him first time  always were startled,  he was pitied and sympathized   and then he would  surprise them all by his extraordinary intelligence  his dynamic  attitude and daring acts,  then their surprise would change to love  and love to pride 

Time  passes off and was passing along and carl was making his own achievements,  he would go out and play with children,  every team liked to have him on their side,  he never lost  , his amazing  strategies  always helped his team win 

page 84

,,,,.though..the house was quite small yet so beautiful  and that family was also  compact  consisting of just three  members  Mr farathan Mrs farathan and little carl

Apparently the family looked quite  blessedly happy but it wasn't entirely so,  the deadly silence  in the prayer room was wordlessly  speaking volumes 

Mrs farathan sat with tears in her eyes  and Mr farathan  controlling himself  sat  watching his one year old son  Carl who had a modern  attractive face  bright looks,  intelligent eyes  tiny ringlets in hair  healthy body, this child was their only  child  but he was born without both arms 

It was  unbelievable  shock Mr farathan had got on Carl s birth,  he  couldn't  express himself  so far but he had decided his son Carl wasn't a cripple and he would raise him like a normal person and not pity him his condition,   Mr farathan  didn't like people showing sympathy for carl  

Today  Mr farathan  noticed   tears in his wife's eyes  and one year old crawling  and dragging himself reached the prayer room and managed to get up ton the chair  without his  arms to   support  him  ,  in his  several  earlier attempts he had fallen  , his loving mother  would rush to pick him up  but every time Mr farathan  rebuked Mrs farathan  and stopped her to  let him learn for himself  how to make things happen for him 

from previous

...in the office a new girl shahida  joined as desk officer Ahmed was overheard telling sayyad she is a useless  stupid girl 

You are right buddy she completely ignored me too 

from previous

....a young man packed up his traveling bag  and carrying it on a shoulder he announced  rather sentimentally  before bidding adieu,,,daddy I want to lead my life my way,  riches and fame luxury and lifestyle,  I am leaving in search of my life,  surrounded with beautiful girls,  for heaven's sake don't stop me 

What fool is stopping you  spoke his father getting up

I am coming along 

from previous

...one young boy didn't come home  all night,  next day he told his father he was with a friend at his place 

Father rang up ten of his friends to find out all the ten answered  uncle he was with me  

page 69

...a funeral  was moving forward  lots of crowd followed,  one pathan  joined the end trailing part , someone said kalma shahadat, the pathan said zindabad

Some time later again  someone prompted kalma shahadat, again the pathan said zindabad

Someone explained look  khan sahib this is a funeral 

Oh really  pathan  spoke he thought it was a procession

page 67

.....that night the constable  gave him  a most important news,  Malik sahib sent sheikh Muhammad   to gondlawala  to gather information about  chiraghdin and Bashri  in the village,   , he was to roam around and then bring back the information,  this  task was a secret mission,  he was  instructed  specifically last night in the sahib  s quarters  and now again they were present in the same quarter,  for the staff s knowledge he was upset about his ailing ķhala in gondlawala 

So  what's up sheikh Muhammad  asked the senior looking at the enthusiasm on hus face,   what information do you bring 

Not information but lots of informations  sahib,  his voice was rustling,  hearing my adventures you will be mighty pleased 

Then what are you waiting for 

Malik sahib   asked showing  deep interest 

First thing first  he began 

Bashri has no links in the village,  she used to come from gujarawala

page 31

....did you  ever try to explain it to  him 

No  never,  I don't argue with him,  we are not so close  she quickly   denied  it 

Then you must do it this time,  what you should do is simply show him the newspaper tomorrow  , our company  s advertisement  ask him to apply  without telling him that the company's owner is papa , thereafter leave everything on me I will take care of it all smiled tasmina,  matter us solved shamin was happy  but worried  what if he  comes to know of it

Don't you worry,  he will not know  it because this time papa has appointed me to assist sarmad sahib  for interviews,  it will be easier than you think  tasmina was very confident 

But he knows you 

Yes but he doesn't know I am the daughter of the MD Reza Rehman,  anyway  you just  need not take anymore tension,  prepare for your exams instead,  let me handle this case trust me

from previous

....she had to attend her mamu s party last night,  perhaps she couldn't get up early to reach the university  reminded tasmina  , Iman merely grunted 

Anyway half the day is over the other half also will pass off quickly,  come on let's eat something  Iman git up followed by tasmina 

From next day naming started coming to classes  but she  wasn't her usual cheerful self,  her silence was felt  strongly by both Iman and tasmina  but on asking her her rexcuse  was  to simply  change the topic to approaching exams 

Darya came back  unexpectedly looking very happy,  everyone was surprised because  they had  expected her to get a scolding from agha ji  fir failing  but there wasn't a trace of  regret on her smiling face 

Are you good,  did you find a hidden treasure  darya what makes you give that broad  grin,  they all surrounded her in the campus compound 

page 25

....stop your nonsense,  my daughter isn't any grocer s child like you  just a middle class girl overworked and obediently following instructions,  Reza Rehman  rebuked them  indirectly  dragging their backgrounds  in the  argument,  Sofia s face suddenly changed expression  looking  sorrowful 

She is tasmina Rehman the daughter of famous industrialist Reza Rehman 

His voice  soaked in self prejudice  and pride , Sofia couldn't find anything to say like always 

Aslamalekum daddy,  entered  tasmina into the scene or he was ready to shower sparks  but now his attention was  drawn to her 

Wallekumsalam, his  taut facial  expression quickly relaxed his expression became soft and gentle,  how is my child 

I am fine daddy,  she reclined next to him in the sofa,  fir a while  was at tasmin  s  and dropped her there 

YOU need not  to give anyone any explanation , she us backward  what does she know of upper class lifestyle 

from previous

Hazrat  luqeman  the wise spent all his life  without having a house of his own,   , once he was asked  why didn't he have a house built for himself,  the wise hazrat explained  one who is constantly under watchful  eyes of the almighty  is forever protected  

Khidmat khalaq

....once  emperor sikander was at war with  his own brother,   a  darvesh appeared in the middle of the battle field  , he held the hand of the badshah  and spoke  you shall  be victorious,  irritated the great Alexander  snatched his hand away from the clutch of the darvesh,  darvesh said  I predict good  tidings for you   that  victory  awaits for you  but why did you free your hand 

The sultan explained  when two Islamic  camps war never take sides of any  nor decide  in favor of any instead  pray to almighty for reconciliation and peace  so they could   spend  better life in service of God 

daghabaaz

...staying  away a week from the police station  he found a sensational case waiting for him on his return,  , he  was off duty  granted  leave to attend his daughter's marriage,  being a responsible person he quickly  accomplished his  family   responsibility dutifully and was back on his job professionally,  khudabaksh was  substitute  in charge in his absence,  khuda baksh was  a trusted  police man,  he was not disappointed by khuda baksh  s efforts,  but  it was  a shock to see an old man  kept behind bars in the police station 

He came to sit down  at his office desk and asked khuda baksh   why was he  arrested,  the poor man was so old  ,  he ought to spend time  praying but this man instead 

You are absolutely right Malik sahib, nodded khuda baksh agreeing with him  seriously,  actually  reaching  that point in life  one must  spend the rest of the years  praying  but this man was  trapped by the devil himself,  it is for a reason I have locked him up , when you will hear about his crime you will  definitely get goosebumps,  

Malik sahib   became thoughtful 

tajmahal

...fountains  at tajmahal are significant  for their complex design anesthetical and functional,  copper pots were  used to maintain pressure based  operating system 

from previous

..the lady of the house  angrily   told the new young domestic maid , every time  she came to the kitchen sge saw the maid doing nothing but read magazines 

The maid accusingly  said  she should not walk in  noiseless shoes 

page 51

....a man  reached  the director of health department and complained  they were four brothers  and lived a terrible life in one room  apartment,  one brother  had kept six cats second brother had his eight pet dogs  living with him  the third  lived with his  goats and it was so suffocating  inside  he couldn't breathe  properly , he was   longing to feel the fresh air  and breathe  morning  air so he needed help from the department 

The director asked if there were any windows 

Oh yes of course 

Then just  open the windows  and let the fresh air in 

What !!!screamed the man and let my one dozen pigeons fly away 

page 29

....I know very well what you mean  inspector  spoke up Hamid, everyone knows shumaila was getting  threat mails,  we also know why are we gathered here,  if you want to investigate  further get straight to the point instead of going round in  crooked manner  and  please  be quick 

Thanks Hamid  , I really intended to ask  things  in pretext of playing games  so let me start from you  , now do explain why did you  prepare  fake papers  , what was the purpose behind   it

This is absolutely  untrue,   both sikander and shumaila  signed tge papers 

Inspector sgehaz turned to shumaila  did you sign tge papers 

No

Sge us lying  shouted  Hamid 

Sgehaz asked sikander  what he had to say about the matter 

I never signed those  papers 

Hamid flared up  sikander was  lying too  but why

Perhaps  he was trying to hide his relationship with sonia

Sikander screamed it was   a terrible lie 

What kind of relationship asked shehaz  from Hamid 

Illicit  relationship,,,,one day,,,

Sikander cut hum short  

Don't stop him sikander  spoke shehaz, he gestured Hamid to go on

One day  I reached sikander  s place without telephonically informing him 

page 21

...it's okay,,,you are so tired today,   even otherwise  a long time  that  I didn't see aunty,  come along please sit down with me,  tasmina  s tone was    insisting,  she  took  a long thoughtful moment to decide before sitting down 

Sarlat appi has arrived home too , she spoke sitting by tasmina  s side , the car a c cooled her   temperature  soothingly,  what a blessing ac car is  in such sizzling heat  in summers,  thinking this  she suddenly experienced her self esteem falling low 

That is really good,  appi  has not met ne for several months,  tasmina  turned the car from chaurangi  happily expressing her wish to see aunty and appi

What do you say,  let's  buy cake on the way 

What for,  whose birthday is it today  at my house  , namin  spoke nit understanding 

Fool, we both have passed the exams  so it is imperative we  offered both aunty and appi something sweet and nice to celebrate  laughing happily tasmina explained her point 

Allright then get one 

Coffee cake  ,,,

No she shook her head  because appi loved chocolate cakes 

page 19

....where have you been since morning , you know b .com result has arrived

, she reached college after missing one full period,  tasmina stopped her in the corridor 

What,  really,  this was unexpected 

Of course   miss shamina,  sahiba,  we thought  you were scared to come to college,  in fact   darya should be under great strain fir getting one supplementary, 

Poor soul,  , now she will be court martialed 

Ever since this bad news was received  she is  crying  constantly 

Where is everyone 

In the library 

She slept late last,  in the morning could not get time to see the news paper,  forgot all about the result,  anyway,  we other four folks have cleared all the subjects haven't we

Right,  by the way,  why are your eyes  so unusually red curiosity asked tasmina walking along  with her 

I just told you,  I slept late last night,  all night  I was  sewing  a new suit 

What was this emergency that you had to stay awake all night to stitch your suit,  just look at you 

I have to put it on today,  we are attending  a party at mamu  s  tonight 

sabab

....naved bought a brand new car,  in the evening   he drove off on the highway enjoying himself,  he was thrilled  speeding up,  when he was going over eighty  he noticed a police car chasing him flashing red  blue lights and honking  and  screaming sirens,  he increased his speed,  he thought he would make it and easily escape from the police  but instead the distance between them kept on  closing in  finally  he was stopped on the road side 

The sergeant  quickly  seized his license,  scowling the sergeant  spoke it was a long tiring day  he was doing double shift  , it was a weekend and he didn't want to spoil  it so if naved  gave  him one good excuse for speeding up he would let him go without fining him 

Naved  stroking his chin explained he was well speeding up because last month his wife eloped with a police officer,  thinking it was him chasing him to return him his wife 

The sergeant rolled out with laughter and both happily left to have good weekend 

arzu

...if  desires became horses,  every fool will be a rider , but desires don't become horses  because desire is an elusive butterfly,  to catch it and hold it  one loses way,  desires reside  happily in each person's  captive mind in complete isolation  

From dil darya samunder 

pyar..parvin Shakir in khushbu

....the spring skies

Looked at the  bloom 

Clutched it tight 

To  embrace it

All sorrows of 

The bloom 

Filled the air

Exotic scented

page 17

....shehaz turned to look,  a seventy year old man stood behind him,  whose gaze was fixed on shehaz,  he flung his cigarette and  crushed it beneath his foot,  and said he was  just  stopping by

Is your any known buried here  asked the old man 

No, I was  passing from this place,  the cemetery looked green and silent and clean so I  came to have a look around 

I am the caretaker of this cemetery,  after the demise of my daughter I have  made this my life 

Perhaps you are afzal Sandhu  the watchman  a hotel waiter told me about you  shehaz explained 

For past ten years nobody addressed me as Mr afzal sandhu  , everyone calls me bade Mia here 

page 13

,,, next morning exactly at nine  inspector shehaz was knocking at the door of room number  one zero two  of green hotel,  the door opened and a shaggy man dressed in a sleeping suit  appeared  and looked at him questioningly,  he asked the host if he was Hamid jamrani 

That's right 

Inspector sgehaz here to Asa few questions 

Come in  he clung to the door to give him way

, apparently he was having his breakfast, 

He poured a cup of tea for him and asked him what did he want to know 

Do you know  sonia  the secretary to shumaila was murdered 

Yes he muttered before swallowing the whole  toast 

Sikander informed me at two  at night  and that you would be coming to investigate,  Sikander had come at nine and approximately left at ten thirty,  is that what you want to confirm 

Is Sikander your friend 

Friend and partner  in my next film Sikander and shumaila are in the main lead roles  as hero heroine 

page 11

...when she was dying  she looked at me,   at that moment a pained sigh escaped from her lips,  shehaz read the  lines and  looked at shumaila  , in her eyes  passed  shadows of fright,  her voice  trembled as she spoke  ,,is this some kind of threat,  shehaz didn't reply  on the other piece of paper  received from the second envelope  was written this 

I have   shut off her frightened etes for ever by stabbing her to death 

What unusual  type of writing it is  shumaila thought aloud 

The third letter contained a longer message,,

She will be buried in the cemetery in her native fatahpur,  the spot is reserved for her grave  between  aliza and khawarshah s Graves,  on her tomb will be written  here is buried  shumaila  a once upon a time friend of Anita and shazya,  no bird will  chirp there  only sharing will mourn 

Shehaz turned to ask shumaila if this text meant something to her 

Yes,  these letters have stolen my peace of mind,  all the names in the last letter are real , my birth place is actually fatahpur,  both animals and  shazya were my greatest friends 

page 17

...for a man   importance of a newly wedded wife is exactly the same as it is for a rich boy  on eid getting a new pair of clothes  , the little boy  very carefully  keeps   tge new suit  from the day it is bought  till the  day of eid arrives  , he  takes a peek frequently  to check on his  clothes   and  rejoices  to have it in his possession,  the day arrives  and on eid day he puts on his new clothes  very happily  and proudly shows off   every one around  but the next day  the same  pair 8s thrown  onto the pile of dirty laundry  thereafter  it loses its  importance and  usefulness 

kaatab bakht ke ishare pe

Wao,  amazing 

Tasmina bent over the cell phone,  the three if them quite attentively were watching the screen  on which  a most handsome man's  picture was showing,  first comment  was shot y Darya  , what an amazing looking man,  her comment was absolutely bold frank and straight  the other three  glared  collectively at her in response 

Behave yourself  he us tasmina s would be life companion fiance 

And your expected  brother in law,  reminded shamina  and Iman added a rejoinder  you are always like this  ready to grab  what belongs to others,  tasting laughed and took her cell phone from her hands 

My dear tasmina I am not jealous but an admirer of good things  my taste is far better than you all have  and I am very  sincere  I always speak up my mind 

from previous

....shehzad  himself opened the door on the musical bell,  his assistant  stood there at the door,  shehzad couldn't  control his annoyance,  what kept you away so long 

The vehicle  got a flat tire on the way 

The dead body is lying  by the swimming pool 

Where is the swimming pool 

To escape  answering too many questions shehzad asked him to follow him,  yawar and two photographers  followed shehzad through the three walled room , yawar pointed towards the dead body  so this is shumaila  khatoon 

No , shumaila is this  one  sitting in the sofa and alive 

Impossible,  she is breathing   and nit dead 

Shehzad  asked  yawar to be quiet and listen carefully,  this woman  is shumaila  well and alive  the body is of her secretary sonia  now  go closer to take a proper look at the  scene 

You mean   check out sand and water

Everything of course,  that is how investigation is done  to find out from where did the killer approach 

roposh chehra

....a few years ago it was  a secluded place  , only  sand and shrubs   existed there  but now  a posh colony of multimillionaire had flourished,  nicely made roads,  ornamental palms grew instead of wild  shrubs,  only  the wealthy people  had their bungalows built here  , they  got just less than a fortnight to stay there  annually  otherwise they were kept busy  minting money 

Sikander khan was one such wealthy man,  his villa was  built  in  marble and other precious stones  with mirror work 

Dusk had descended,  sea shore presented a strange  sad scene,  inspector  shehzad  s car was  rapidly  moving forward on the roads,  it was long journey  within next few minutes he reached his destination 

Inspector shehzad stopped his car before  sikander villa  behind a parado  , he got down and pressed the  door bell  on the gate,  it was a musical  bell heard inside,  the porch light was turned on,  the hall door was opened, someone came out,  when  the gate was opened  shehzad was shocked to see  shumaila khatoon standing before him,  who was murdered  at   mukhtyar  shah s

What is it officer 

Is it April fools day today 

Some time ago  someone reported you were murdered  but you are alive and well