"I want to meet Moosa." Kanwal said stepping inside the main house of Black Eagles and the guard responsible to escort her to Mahnoor stopped instantly.
"But Ahad Bhai told me that you have come to see Mahnoor Bhabi." He said with a confused look.
"I will meet her too, but for now take me to Moosa."
"Ah... Um."
"What? Am I not allowed?"
"Ah, no.... actually he doesn't meet anyone without an appointment."
"Show her the way." A familiar voice came from behind Kanwal and both abruptly turned towards it. "Since when Ahad Bhai's wife need an appointment to meet MB?" Yawar asked gazing at her guard.
"But Ahad Bhai-"
"Inform him that I took her to MB."He said to the guard and turn to Kanwal, "Come Bhabi, I will show you the way."
Kanwal silently starts to follow him but as soon as her escort was out of ear reach she asked, "Are you in college?"
Yawar turns and gazed her before answering, "Yes."
"What are you studying?"
"Engineering."
"Nice, in which college?"
"Why ask so many questions? You can directly come to the point." Yawar said in a lazy voice.
"I, actually I want to apologize for that day, ... I didn't mean to hurt Shahina and ... thank you for being friends with Mahnoor. She told me about you." Kanwal said with honestly looking into his eyes.
"... You are quite unpredictable, more then your husband ... and I am not the person whom you should apologize for that day." He knocks the door and opened it saying, "MB, Kanwal Bhabi wanted to meet you."
With a curt nod, Yawar stepped aside and tilt his head mentioning Kanwal to go in.
"Assalam o Alaikum, what brings you here today?" Moosa said getting up from his seat from behind work table. This room has a look of an office, somewhat similar to Ahad's at home.
"I came to meet Mano, but there are a few things I want to discuss with you too."
"Sure, have a seat." He said pointing towards the sofa and asked Yawar to send tea for both of them before leaving. Taking the hint, he silently walks out and closed the door behind him.
"Make yourself comfortable." Moosa said taking a seat opposite of Kanwal.
"Mahnoor will be waiting for me, so I will cut it short. What is Ahad to you? ... I mean, is he a friend, a companion or a subordinate?"
"What sort of question is that?"
"A very simple one." She said in a confident voice.
With a small frown on Moosa's face, he stares into empty space like searching for the answer. Kanwal gaze was set on him while recalling the expression of Ahad when she talked about the same topic with him and coincidently, both of them has the same expression. Sure, yet confused.
"...we... aren't friends," He continues after a pause, "We are more like partners or as you say, companions."
"Means both of you are working together because of mutual interest?"
"Yes,... you can put it that way."
"Can I ask, what is the interest of Ahad in working with you?"
Moosa exhaled a deep breath and say, "Kanwal, you can ask the same question to him."
"He won't answer."
"Then how can I tell you?" Kanwal went silent after hearing his question and after a while, she got up.
"Both you and Ahad are the two side of the same coin. Just like you keep Mano in the dark, Ahad is the same too. But both of you don't understand one single point. This secrecy will suffocate us to death." Kanwal didn't stay there anymore to hear Moosa's response.
~*~
After meeting Mahnoor, when Kanwal was about to leave, she finds Yawar waiting while leaning against her car.
"I can help you with finding some answers." He continued pointing at his car, "and also drop you home."
Without uttering a word Kanwal start walking over to Yawar's car and Yawar copied her movements after waving his hand to her driver.
"I will start with the introduction." Yawar said as soon as he starts the car, "Ahad Murtaza, the public face of Black Eagles. To the world, he is a successful businessman, got his wealth from a distant relative and make his way to the cream of society with the help of his cousin Natasha. He is the owner of a private security agency working nationwide and along with her cousin and her brother Moosa Khan. They have the reputation of best partnership in the country with other companies and are major shareholders in a private telecommunication company. He is a man who is well-known among people because of his charity and ... not to forgets his looks. In short, he holds the legal side of our gang. But on the other side, he works as the brain of Black Eagles, his foresight is way better from an average person. I am sure you are not interested in knowing how Ahad Bhai get to this post ... and what he really is, I have told you. What else you want to know?" Yawar asked keeping his eyes on the road before him. He offered Kanwal to drop her home and on their way back he will answer her questions about Ahad. Since then, he was running his car unnecessarily on the roads of Shareefabad.
"Why he joined Black Eagles?" Asked Kanwal from the back seat of Yawar's car.
"Accept Ahad Bhai, only MB knows the reason."
"If I am not wrong, you are ranked just after Ahad right?"
"Ture!"
"And you are saying you don't know it?"
"I wasn't in this position when he joined us. In fact, it was he who brought me to this position."
"Ahad did this?" Kanwal eyes widened for a moment.
"Yes, it was his suggestion. Surprising, isn't it?"
"It's unfathomable. What was he thinking to involve such a young boy like you in this mess."
"What do you mean by mess?"
"I mean.... all the stuff about.... human trafficking and things." Kanwal hesitated while mentioning. She was still unable to believe that such people really exist.
".... I hope you have heard the saying that maturity comes from experience, not from age... people like me who have opened their eyes in such places and suffered from the barbaric deeds, maturity comes earlier than others. If I put in simple words, I have more insight into this compare to Ahad Bhai."
Kanwal stared at Yawar's eyes from the back view mirror, the sound of his voice and the look in his gaze was deeper than Kanwal's reach. His response was enough to make her silent. She didn't have the courage to ask him the meaning of what he just said.
'Maturity comes from experience, not from age... but what he had is suffering, not experience...' Thought Kanwal looking outside to the car window.
Suddenly she jumped hearing the ringtone of Yawar's phone. He glanced at the name appearing on the screen and take the call on speaker.
"Assalam o Alaikum Ahad Bhai." A small smirk crept on his face.
"Wallaikum Asalam, when are you planning to give my wife back?"
"Do you need her for something?"
"No, at least not for now. I am still in the office."
"Then why it bothers you if she hangs out with me?"
"Because I am sure that you will fill her ears with unnecessary stuff."
"That unnecessary stuff might be useful to her."
"If you have told her already then it is useless to ask you anything. But let me remind you, each one of us has secrets."
Yawar chuckled and said, "Don't threaten me so openly Ahad Bhai. Someone might hear you."
"I am aware of that, she is listening. I know you more then you realize Yawar."
"I have never challenged your greatness brother." His smirk widened.
"A better way to keep your way clean." Ahad said in an amused voice and continue, "Leave her home when you have done talking. Allah Hafiz." With that Ahad hung up, leaving Kanwal confused.
He doesn't sound displeased about Yawar telling me the things he kept secret... but if it wasn't the issue in the first place then why he hides from me...?
~*~
"Amma-bi, give me something to eat." Yawar said coming into the kitchen.
"What you want to eat?"
"Anything."
"I am making Chai (milk tea) for Natasha. Would you like to have something with it?"
"Nats Api is here?"
"Yes, she is in her room."
"Okay, send my chai there. I am going." He said rushing out of the kitchen.
Natasha was a motherly figure to Yawar, whom he loves and respect from the bottom of his heart. The only figure person who saved him from the cruelty of life.
"Nats Api, Assalam o Alaikum." Yawar enters Natasha's room after knocking the room and halted the second moment. Shahina was sitting on the bed searching for something in Natasha's bag.
"Yawar, you are right on time. I am going out of the town tomorrow and my stay there will be longer. So I thought to meet you before going." She said giving him a side hug.
"I see, then I really came at the right time."
"Tell me, how is everything going here? Shahina told me that Mahnoor is getting along with you well."
Yawar's gaze darted to Shahina and come back to Natasha, "Yes Api, I thought it might help her to open up a bit."
"Any progress?"
"Ask this question to MB." He slumped down on the couch.
"Oye, Chupkali (lizard)," Yawar said looking at Shahina, "Bring me a glass of water."
"Yawar, stop calling her that." Natasha scolded him.
"What? I call a chupkali by her name. What's wrong with that?" He said leaning back on the couch.
"Yawar." Natasha threatened him but he only shrugged and look away.
As soon as he noticed Shahina's absence in the room, he sits properly, "Api, Kanwal Bhabi came today to meet MB."
"Moosa? Why?"
"She wanted to know why Ahad Bhai joined us."
"I see... means he didn't tell her."
"Yes."
"Both Moosa and Ahad doing the same mistake... and now I am worried about Kanwal. She is alone there, with her questions and assumptions. I think it will be better if we ask Shahina to go there for a few days."
"What?"
"Listen Yawar, unlike Kanwal, Mahnoor is living in a place full of people and now she has a friend like you. But Kanwal is alone there, fighting with herself and the memories of Ahad's Auntie. She needs someone beside Ahad."
"But why her? Send Amma-bi."
"Yawar, her exams are almost near and I doubt she can study properly here, especially after Moosa's marriage."
"What do you mean?"
"You can't understand how this marriage effect Shahina, she always thought Moosa as her brother, a kind person who will not do unjust with innocent people but watching Mahnoor in pain before her eyes. Her believes will start to waver, she will see him as a villain who is forcing Mahnoor. In the end, she will eventually come on the stage where she was before coming here. Something, I cannot allow. She barely starting to live like a normal person."
Yawar opened his mouth to say something but stayed silent because Shahina just came in holding a glass of water.
Annoying chupkali...
Yawar thought, taking the glass of water from Shahina's hand.
________________________
Salam and hello everyone!
Here I posted the chapter today as promised. Before I published this chapter with the link of Inkitt, lots of readers asked me why I did this and got disappointed. Therefore, I thought it will be better to explain to you as you guys have the right.
Actually, I didn't go to Inkitt on my own, their team has asked me to join it and simply wanted to explore that community. If anyone of you has read my interview in NaemNoufer book (sorry if there is a spelling mistake in the name), I have already said that all my best work and experiments will be for Wattpad readers first. So, if you guys think that I am trying to make money here, then it isn't my intention or else I would never say to publish the chapter here later. According to Inkitt policies, I need to update the chapter there at least a week before publishing here. So I have to follow the rule, don't want to leave in a midway. Exactly the reason I am trying to complete all three of my work before starting another one, although the other ideas in my head keep bugging me all the time. :/
Anyways, sorry for the inconvenience and please bear with it only for 'You Will Always be Mine' and "My Four Eyed Husband'. I hope you understand my point now.
Follow me on Instagram 'laila_mehtaab' for news about updates. You can also follow me on Inkitt 'Laila Mehtaab' to read the chapter before publishing here.
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Take Care :)