Captive

Chapter-11

" What the hell!" Rubab tapped her sweaty cheeks and forehead.

It has been months since everything and Rubab's life was never the same as before. Still, she couldn't gather the courage to rejoin where she used to work. Nightmares became her every night companion. Now, she can't even sleep in the dark. She was scared of darkness. The wounds, the terror and the assaults from her abduction were still fresh in her mind. Over the top, she would have nightmares regarding the abortion.

And, that deep brown orbs man was another headache for her. Who was he? What was her relationship with him? She couldn't recall anything. She asked her parents and brothers about that man but did not get any satisfactory answer. They suggested her psychiatrist but she ignored them. What do they think about her? She wasn't insane.

" Why was I behaving so rudely with him? Was I in a relationship with him? But, how? When?" Rubab questioned herself but as usual, there was no response.

Rubab felt her throat dry like a desert. She took the jug in her hand which was empty. She sighed and forwarded her legs to the dining space.

She was crossing her parent's room when some sound caught her attention. Her parents were talking about her. They kept their voice low but the silence was so intense around the surrounding that she heard them.

" They refused our proposal," Selim sighed. Rubab heard her mother sniffling.

She knew what they were talking about. Rubab's parents were trying hard to marry her off but no one agrees to marry her after knowing what happened to Rubab.

" Who is gonna marry her, Selim? Is my only daughter going to stay unmarried forever? Doesn't she deserve a family of her own? It wasn't her fault that someone abducted her," Rubab heard her mother crying.

Tears stung Rubab's eyes. Before they could escape her eyes she wiped them away with the back of her hands.

" I was thinking about what if we send Rubab to the USA? My elder sister lives there. Rubab will receive a heartwarming welcome," Selim suggested. Rubab straightened her ears. He was talking about her aunt.

He continued saying," This society won't let her live in peace. It will be better if she leaves this country."

His voice became heavier. To control his emotions he cleared his throat.

" She is my only daughter," Rubab's mother wailed helplessly.

Her father consoled her mother," For her betterment, we have to send her away from us."

Rubab smiled. A fat drop of tear left her right eye. She thanked the Almighty that He gave her such supportive parents who are ready to do anything for her sake. She had heard stories of a lot of girls whose family left their hands in such situations. She was lucky in this case.

" You are right, Baba. This place is suffocating me. I want to leave," Rubab murmured having a smile of irony.

The Next Day

It was lunchtime. Rubab and her family members were having their lunch except for Zulfikar. He was in the office.

" I talked to your aunt, Rubi. She is excited to meet you," Selim smiled at Rubab.

Rubab only nodded her head. She was happy to leave the toxic neighbourhood but her heart was crying for her parents. She does not know how she is going to live without her parents.

" Mamma, I am gonna miss you," Rubab mumbled keeping her eyes on the plate.

Her mother did not voice out her feelings but her eyes were indicating what she was going through.

Everyone's concentration from Rubab was diverted by a sudden phone call on Selim's phone. Selim creased his brows noticing that it was an inspector from the police station. Since Selim was a former policeman he knew a lot of people from that department.

" Hello, Imran?" he picked up the call.

He put the fork down and stood up. " What?" he sounded shocked.

Rubab's mother stood up too and placed her right hand on her father's shoulder. Rubab and her brother Joheb looked equally stunned by their father's reaction. They wondered what their father heard.

" Ok. I am coming to meet you," he disconnected the call and the next moment a series of questions were thrown at his face.

" What happened?" Rubab's mother questioned. Her voice was heavy with nervousness.

Rubab stood up," Is everything alright, Baba?"

" Why did Mr Imran call you suddenly?" Joheb sounded curious.

Selim's voice shook," Zulfikar....."

" What happened to my son? No. Not again. Rubab's suffering was enough. Don't tell me something happened to my baby," Rubab's mother panicked. She was going to collapse on the floor but Rubab held her.

Selim continued saying," Imran was saying that they arrested Zulfikar."

" For what?" Joheb's voice boomed at Selim.

Rubab couldn't even blink her eyes. Her mother burst into tears.

" He was saying that Zulfikar was arrested for leaking some private information about the company where he works. He also said that Zulfikar is accused of stealing a huge amount of money from the company," Selim sounded baffled.

Rubab shook her head in denial," No. My brother can never do such things. Someone is trying to frame him."

" I am going to the police station," Selim forwarded his legs.

Joheb said loudly," I am coming with you."

" Rubi, take care of Mamma," Joheb followed his father while Rubab hugged her broken mother.

Selim and Joheb reached the police station. Everyone saluted Selim but he wasn't in the state to return the common courtesy. His face was drained out of colour while his eyes showed immense uncertainty.

" What the hell Imran? How could you just arrest my son? You do know that my son can never commit any crime," Selim banged his hands on Inspector Imran's table. His nostrils were flaring like a raging bull.

Imran forwarded a glass of water," Sir, calm down. Let me tell you everything in detail."

Joheb handled his father. He made his anxious father seat on a chair. Selim chugged down the water in one go.

" We did not arrest him without any evidence," Imran started explaining.

Selim and Joheb shared a confused yet suspicious look.

" The person who filed the case against Zulfikar had enough evidence to show us that Zulfikar was guilty," Imran forwarded a file to Selim.

Joheb questioned," Who filed the case?"

" The owner of the company," Imran answered. " Everything is explained in detail in the file."

Joheb sounded stunned," Mr Nawaz Sharfuddin? How could he do that? As per I know he was pretty satisfied with Zulfikar's work. Then, how............"

" It was the new owner," Imran interrupted.

Joheb questioned looking confused," The new owner? Who?"

" Darwish Ibne Yazdani," Imran responded.

Note- We are heading towards the interval.

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