Uss ki mehfil main Naseer, Uss ke Tabassum ki qasam
Ham ne dekha hai apney haath se... Jana dil Ka
☽
Faris soltani
IT had been a tiring day, working between a frantic father and an upset brother. Both were at the brink of their tethers and Faris was hoping that their already strained relationship wouldn't be damaged any further. He had managed the company outlooks for the day, as he had been doing so since the past 5 years, ever since he graduated. It would be a funny thing to know, the future CEO of the infamous Soltani co. software Ltd, was barely a graduate in software engineering, let alone a masters or a doctorate. Alas, education wasn't needed in this world, he had understood from a young age. All you need is luck— luck to be born into a rich family.
But whenever he would philosophise this, Serina would always appear in his mind, muttering "and where has that gotten me?", in her poor usual state. He discredited her case to be an anomaly.
That particular day, he was coming home from work when he got a rather weird looking text.
Your lover is here
— Daudzai haveli ;)
The message was suggestive, it was gruesome, and Faris certainly understood who the sender was and whom the sender was chattering about. He sighed ruggedly, not wanting another fiasco in his life. He knew Serina was safe and sound in his home where she should be, and this was probably one of Dawar's ploys to get him to come there, then lure him into whatever dark work he committed. Faris ignored the message as he parked his car within the driveway of his house. Just then his mobile phone vibrated once more, this time a notification of an "image". Faris instantly clicked on it.
The image was loading, had been sent by the same anonymous sender. Who wasn't so anonymous. Once it had loaded Faris clicked onto the file, to view what it was.
To his dismay he wished he hadn't.
It was a picture. Of Serina. In her bed. Surrounded by her cousins. Her eyes were closed? She looked to have a brutal mark on her face. The picture taken was sent from a distanced angle so everything wasn't clear. The sender probably didn't want to disclose their identity or rather didn't want everybody to find out about their gruesome works. Faris grew faint, and he understood Serina was in trouble.
He quickly sat back into his car, and drove to the Daudzai haveli. Whoever was sending the picture knew well enough that Faris would protect Serina, regardless of whatever relation or lack of relation they shared. Their bond was pure and that's all that mattered. And so, the sender definitely had an ulterior motive, but at that point and time Faris didn't care.
Once he had reached his destination, he, haphazardly parked his car, and rushed to the gates of the house. He remembered how he had brought all of their guards, one time before, who now personally worked for him at his office. He noticed they had set up a new pack of guards which was quite amusing but Faris didn't waste time pondering over the fact too much.
"Apney sahab ko bolo, Faris aya hai... Faris soltani", he spoke with a peculiar vibrato. The guards at the gates, stared at him for a few moments before sending the message in. Not moments later emerged Dawar. He looked disheveled. His face had a bruise on It, his collar looked like it was ripped open. Faris feared by the second what had happened in the span of a few hours.
"Faris! To Aah hi gaye merey bachpan ke yaar! Aao andar to ao", Dawar spoke eerily. He had a sinister smirk planted on his face, and Faris felt like he needed to remind him of their last encounter yet again. Never the less he followed Dawar into their house. Dawar guided him to a study. It was empty. Had books.. a table.. a chair and that's it.
"Yahan kyun laya hai mujhe?", Faris demanded. He felt slight anger rise within his veins. "Arey Arey... Abhi se ghussa? Abhi to bohut kuch sunney ko hai mere Bhai", he vivaciously swatted Faris's back, which in turn caused Faris to clench his back muscles within. "Bakwas band karo aur jaldi usko leke ao", he demanded. "Usko? Naam bhi nahin logey uska?",... Dawar snickered. "Serina naam hai... lo... Bol diya", Dawar spoke again, he had said Serina in such a sultry manner Faris couldn't help but plant a strong blow onto his face. Dawar went flying back against the book shelf. He, with a look of shock, held his cheek where he received the blow and looked up at Faris in anger. "Ainda uska naam na Lena", Faris whispered. His voice low yet his expression had forced Dawar to cower back instantly. "Ab bata... kahan hai?!", Faris asked getting closer and closer to Dawar. By the minute Dawar stepped back until he was by the door.
"Bata! Warna Tera woh hashar karunga ke zindagi Bhar yaad rakhega!", Faris howled against Dawar. He noticed how streaks of fear in Dawar's eyes had formulated and he felt slight pity for the cowardly man. "Chali gayi", Dawar lowly said. "Kya?",
"Chali gayi", he repeated. "KAHAN GAYI?", Faris bellowed with certain irritation. His blood boiled at the revelation. "Woh, Kamran usko le gaya. Pata nahin kahan", Dawar spat out and immediately left the room. He had freed himself from the shackles of Faris soltani, but not for long. Faris registered everything revealed to him, before taking long harsh strides outside the secluded study. The house looked empty, bare... no sign of human activity. As per usual. Faris never liked the Daudzai haveli. Always found it cold, and creepy, and only ever came for Serina. Even now, he had once again visited the shackles of his childhood and had come to save his childhood best Friend.
And so he would.
Faris emerged from the study and paced to the end of the corridor. Nobody. He ran along other sections of the house, numerous corridors, stairs cases, rooms, porches. To his avail, he found nobody. Why was it that whenever he would visit this house, he'd always be greeted with nothing?
Dawar had successfully escaped yet again, but not for long. Faris would eventually seek him out. But for now, he had one mission only... to find Serina.
☽
She awoke the next day to the sounds of her Khala waking her up. "Serina meri Jaan. Utho chalo naashta Karlo chalo utho meri gudiya", Nazish ushered in a sweet tone. She opened the curtains which let in the morning rays of light, but it harshly shown upon Serina's face. It instantly got her to get out of bed. "Ye lo naashta," Nazish placed a tray infront of her with paratha omelette and chai. Serina's first thought upon looking at the food was... that looked very unhealthy. "Mhm ye heavy breakfast? Mujh se nahin khaya jaeyga!" She bellowed in a low voice, not wanting to disappoint her aunt. "Kya Matlab heavy? Ab se yehee heavy nasshta! Apni sehat dekhi hai?", Nazish didn't mind one but, rather scolded her for her unhealthy habits.
"Nahin Khala. Please", Nazish stopped in her tracks. Looked up at Serina, hey eyes widened and slightly glassy. "Kya kaha? Khala?", Nazish took baby steps towards Serina and sat beside her. "Phir se bolo!", She requested. Serina looked at her confusedly, but still repeated.. "nahin Khala....... Please?", She said it slower, trying to gauge what her aunt was asking about. Nazish cupped Serina's face, "kitna acha lag raha hai... tumhari zuban se...mujhe Khala kehna", she said, softly. Once again, Serena looked at her aunt confusedly, but remained silent. If this is what relationships are like, then she was happily going to accept it, and she would willingly live her life like this. Her life was a confused mess, a maze, but maybe just maybe there would be chances of redemption for her, chances for her to find the exit of the maze, which was her life.
"Okay, meri Khatir. Aik bite?", Nazish requested, her eyes reeked of Some kind of maternal love Serina hadn't really experienced. Upon persistence, Serina took a bite. The crispy, buttery Paratha, engulfing a piece of the omelette, felt like paradise, as it melted serendipitously in Serina's mouth. She took a sip of her karak tea and it felt like she hadn't had such delicious food in time. An involuntary moan escaped her lips. "Kesa hai?", Nazish asked, knowing too well that it's magic had played upon the girl. "Bohut zyada mazedaar", Serina echoed and took another bite... and another one, and another one, until the plate was completely devoured and not one last sip of the chai was left to drink. All the while Nazish gazed with love at her.
☽
"Ab aise bhi konsey heere jawaharat hain us bachi main, ke Nazish itna bacha ke rakh rahi hai", Aliya snapped bitterly, as her, Kamila bee, Afia and maheen all sat together to have breakfast. "Haan nahin to, yani sahih se dekhne bhi nahin diya", Kamila bee nastily uttered. All four of them already had slight envy against the two sisters Hoora and Nazish, and now this girl. They thought these sisters were too pretty, and would take over the mansion. "Kuch bhi kehlo, lekin iss khotey ko haath se nahin jaaney dungi. Ye hamari wahid kamaney Ka zariya hai. Isko bhi us manhoos pe luta den?? Hargiz nahin". Afia suddenly spoke. She had been quite for some time, merely gauging the situation.
"Arey arey, yahan Konsi zanana round table conference chal rahi hai?", Suddenly a masculine voice emerged from behind. Though very familiar, it wasn't heard a lot. "Arey Arey Walid. Ao na, tumhara hi to intazar tha...", Aliya spoke, as they all made some space for him. Walid was their pimp. He handled their affairs and was their trusted man. "Kya baten chal rahi Hain subah subah. Kyun mirchen chabai jaa rahi Hain?", He asked, as he leaned forward to nuzzle his neck in Aliya's shoulder. "Suna tum ne?? Market main naya maal aya hai", Aliya cunningly muttered, sipping on her tea. "Acha? Kon hai?", Walid's ears always stood when he heard about new girls. They after all, were his source of income. "Nazish ki bhanji", Aliya replied. "Na karo", Walid instantly got up. "Waqai?? Hoora ki Beti", he asked, unsure and most certainly surprised. "Tumhen kaise maloom, hoora ki beti Ka?", Kamila bee asked, confused. "Arey Kamila bee. Aap ye poocho kis ko nahin maloom. Poora khota jaanta hai Hoora ki Beti Ka. Aur ye bhi ke Bari soni hai!", Walid smiled viciously. His smirk was laced with malicious intent. All women present their felt their stomachs churn because all were aware of the Malicious atrocities Walid would commit if he had put his eyes on someone. They all had gone through it. Even though they had started to dislike Serina, they still didn't want anybody let alone Serina to go through what they went through, many many years ago. "Ab choro bhi. Woh yahan zyada der nahin rukegi", Aliya tried to make up for her blunder. But it was too late. "Kya Matlab. Woh yahan hai??", Walid stood up. "Phir to aik minute nahin lagana chahiye. Forun uskey introduction ki tayariyon main lag jao. Aaj raat hi uski numaaish hogi", Walid was elated, beyond excited. New girls meant new customers, and new customers meant new money. "Arey Walid. Choro. Woh aaj raat hi chali jaeygi", Aliya quickly responded. "Aise kaise. Jiska Walid ko pata chal jaye, woh uska hoke hi dum torta hai",
"Walid lekin Nazish usko is sab main shaamil nahin karna chahti", Aliya was scared now.. beyond scared. "Bus itni si baat. Nazish Ka to yun pata saaf karunga", Walid said clicking his fingers. What did that mean, none of them wanted to know.
Walid left soon after. But behind him, all women distastefully glared at Aliya, for what she had done. None wished upon Serina to have this fate.
☽
Faris was in a havoc. He had searched every hospital, care home, Women's centre in the city but Serina was no where. He had even informed a search team to look for her, and by morning they hadn't reported him of anything. He was worried now, because the only alternative was that Dawar wasn't lying and kamran had indeed taken her somewhere. That somewhere was what was making Him worried. Faris had called Kamran several times but Kamran hadn't responded. He even went to their house multiple times yet nobody was their to answer. It had been three days, and no sign of Serina anywhere. Faris was close to insanity. He had barely had any sleep for the past three days, and now, his eyes had gone blood shot and the ability to think straight was slowly seeping out of him.
He had gone home, and had asked everyone about what happened and where did Serina go, but nobody had a clue. Not even Nasrin phupo who seemed to have created a connection with her. Faris liked to believe that it wasn't that nobody had anything to tell him but rather, they did.. they just didn't want to tell him. That frustrated him more.
"Faris beta, yelo chai, teen din se Serina ko dhunde main pagal ho chuke ho, please meri khatir Thora rest karlo", Zarina requested to him, as she brushed his hair lovingly. Faris who was sitting in his study, attending to some very important files from work, looked up at his mother. She looked tired visibly, and Faris understood that His mother was also affected by Serina's absence just as much as him. "Nahin maa, jab main usko is ghar main laya tha, tab hi maine uski muhaafizat apney haath main le li thi, aur usko protect karney Ka wada bhi kar liya tha. Ab jab tak woh nahin milegi mujhe chain nahin parega", he told his mother, who looked at him and nodded. "I understand meri Jaan. We all are so worried. What we saw on the cctv cameras are that she left herself. Nobody came to collect her. Maybe, just maybe she went to Karachi? To her ancestral house?", Zarina had said ancestral as if that brothel was Serina's ancestral place. Faris thought about what she said for a few minutes, before shooting out of his chair. "You are right maa. That's definitely where she is. I recall her even telling me that she would go there soon. But my only question is, why did she go so suddenly? Without informing any of us?", Faris pinched the bridge of his nose, in deep thought. It was unfathomable for him. Why would Serina leave the comfort of this palace and live in a brothel?
"Maybe, she wanted to be closer to her mother?", Zarina suggested. She was being very Derogatory towards Serina yet Faris was so worried he failed to notice. "Maybe. I'm booking a flight to Karachi for tonight.", he took out his phone and called his secretary. Zarina didn't stop him. She wanted to though.
After Faris's conversation with his secretary, he immediately rushed to his room to pack a few things. He would stay in Karachi for a few days. Because he needed to search a few brothels, as he was unaware of the exact location. This wouldn't be too exciting he thought.
//
Hello everybody. So sorry for not updating for a long time. Hope this chapter can compensate 🥺
Nooreh xx