Asking Progress

For a long Ayaan was trying his number but he found it switched off constantly. Then he has to call Farid.

"Yes sir."

"Farid, are you with Sikandar? Talk me with him. His phone is coming off." On his asking, Farid started telling him everything in detail. And Ayaan felt that the ground slipped under his feet.

Without informing anyone in the home he went to the Shah palace.

"Farid, where is Sikandar?" Ayaan came inside in running. He found Farid standing in the lounge with a tense look.

"Sir ....he Shah sir....."

"What happened to Shah? Where is he?" After not finding Sikandar in his room, he said again running back to Farid. Farid can sense the apparent restlessness in his posture.

"Sir he."

"What he....speak up." Ayaan instantly roared at him. Then Farid getting scared said to him.

"Sir...sir is upstairs."

"What?" Without listening to his further saying, he hurriedly climbed upstairs by climbing two stairs at a time. After coming to the second floor, he stood in front of one room. As he turned the knob of the door, he found it locked.

"Shah... open the door please.... open the door, Shah..... Shah please open the door....listen Shah if you didn't open the door then I swear I will break that damn door." When the door didn't open after knocking on it for a good amount of time, then Ayaan has to threaten him.

"Sh...." But before that Ayaan can take a harsh step, the door was opened. After opening the door, Sikandar Shah went back to his seat on his specified chair and lightened the cigarette.

As Ayaan came inside he started badly coughing on the intoxicated smell of wine and cigarettes. Rushing the smoke with his hand he came near him. And in extreme rage, he snatched the cigarette going near to his mouth and rubbed it in the ashtray. He can see the ashtray was already filled with ashes.

This is the hidden room of the Shah palace where every kind of expensive wine was present. There was nothing more than bottles of wine and a stylish single couch placed with two chairs. This is Sikandar shelter room where he used to come whenever he felt himself extremely broken from the inside.

In an attempt to hide his bruises and grief, he used to sit here devouring the poison inside of himself. This room though looks beautiful from the outside and seems nothing more than a death zone.

"Shah why you did do this....?" Ayaan asked him sitting in the chair in front of him. He was asking him about the meeting.

"Shah... leave it....why have you become an enemy of yourself?" Ignoring his question, Sikandar picked up the bottle of wine placed in front of him. But Ayaan snatched him and hit it on the ground.

"Just because of a stupid girl you incurred yourself with such a big loss. Why.... Shah why? This contract was your dream....then why? You struggled day and night for this one contract...and what came its outcome? That Khan group took the contract... just because of your short tempredness and acting emotionally....." Ayaan was roaming in his room in a restless state while saying angrily as he stood in front of him. His eyes turned red shot because of the extremeness of his tempredness.

Clenching his fists he was on the verge of losing patience. The upheaval running inside of him was about to burst out any time soon.

"Shah..." In Ayaan's voice, there was apparent grief.

"Don't worry Ayaan....the one who is responsible for it will pay me back for every single ounce," Sikandar said in a monotone voice.

"What do you mean, Shah? You.... that girl....what are your intentions? What is cooking in your mind....?" Ayaan got startled by his saying, so he asked him. On that, a smile came to the face of Sikandar.

"That girl.....? Ayaan."

*******

"Zaniya you are very careless about your health. Today if the neighbor's uncle's wife didn't inform me, then...do you know what the doctor said. If you didn't take medicine for one day how much harm it's going to cost.... your BP has shooted quite much...God will not, what if something happened to you....? But no, why do you care about me?"

"Hammad." Zaniya put her weak hand on Hammad's mouth who was continuously speaking with a mixed feelings of anger and sadness.

"No Hammad... don't say like that... you are my son. I don't want to make you worry because of me when your father himself is sick. He is in hospital, so...." Zaniya was saying in her weak voice when she glanced at Hammad whose hands were on the steering wheel and looking straight to the road. To her, he seemed angry and sad.

"In you, I see my so....." But before that Zaniya complete her saying she abruptly held her tongue between her teeth. Hammad startled on leaving her talk in the mid and glanced at her. He saw Zaniya rubbing her palms in a state of worridness.

"Aunt Zaniya, in me who you can see?" When Hammad asked her she got confounded.

"W....who I can see. Y.... you are my son. I .... I only see you." Zaniya was wiping the sparkling drops of sweat that appeared on her forehead. On that, Hammad just gives her a silent glance. She then started looking outside of the window. She was acting as if a thief was caught.

"Aunt Zaniya...." The long moment of silence was interfered by Hammad. But Zaniya just responded to him in her...

"Hmmm."

"Aunt Zaniya where does your family live?"

"Hammad, how is your father? How he is sick?" After a long pause instead of answering Hammad's question she asked Hammad about his father well being then Hammad understood that as always today also aunt Zaniya will not like to tell anything about her family.

"Papa is remaining quite sick, nowadays...so...we admitted him to the hospital. Now he is doing fine." Hammad stopped his car to the one side and holding Zaniya by her shoulders he led her inside her one-room house and made her lie on her bed. After straightening the comforter on her, he instructed her.

"Aunt Zaniya you have to take your medicines regularly. Today I will send a maid for you....so you don't have to face any problems."

"No son... I am fine. And don't need of bringing any maid...."

"Enough Aunt Zaniya, now you will not say anything." He got strict now. On that, Zaniya lying on the bed smiled at him. He always takes care of her like that. Somewhere in her heart, she felt a wave of pain. Then she diverted her eyes to squeeze the tears coming into her eyes she shut them.

Hammad was talking on the call with his friend to arrange a maid for her. As he turned around he saw Zaniya sleeping. He walked to her and kissed her on her forehead and after straightening the comforter on her he walked out. After she was assured of Hammad going out Zaniya's eyes started pouring with tears. She was crying until her crying turned into sobbing.

******

Last night after Ayaan leave he kept on fighting with himself for a long. Meanwhile, sleep engulfed him and he went to sound sleeping. In the morning, he slightly moved in sleep because of the constant ringing of his phone. Ignoring his phone, he again drifted to sleep.

But the one on the call seems to be hell-bent on waking him up. Forcefully, Sikandar has to rub his eyes, and getting up with the help of his elbows he picked up his phone from the side table. But looking at the name of the caller, which was Talal, was enough to make his mood off.

After receiving the call he lied his head on the crown of the bed when asked in a tiresome tone.

"Hello...."

"Damn your hello.... where did you die?"

"On my bed."

"Then why were you not picking up my call."

"I didn't feel it necessary. I'm sleeping. If you have anything to say then speak up ... otherwise bye." On Talal's envious way of asking he said in relaxation. As if Talal was caught by some fire. He got furious.

"What do you mean? I'm not that free to uselessly call a jerk man like you and waste my time..... I have thousands of work to deal with. But..... anyways it was your work...if you feel it necessary then come to my office....bye."

"Hey ......hey....listen buddy please." Before that Talal cut the call Sikandar has to say quickly.

"Yes, speak up...." Talal also said now in his tone to make it even with him. On that Sikandar smiled and said.

"Wow.... prince got manners."

"It's obvious, after all a jerk like you must have some impact on me...." On that, they both laughed in unison.

"What becomes of my work?" He asked him his actual question later after gossiping for a good amount of time. Talal also responded with assurance.

"Your work is done. I have sent you the complete information about Zaman his bio-data as well as his family pictures."

"Thanks, buddy....Talal, you did such a great job for me. Big thanks."

"Shut up, jerk. I would have done it very soon but I was busy."

"Ok, you check it then tell me what's next to do. But..."

"But what?" On his saying, Sikandar asked him instantly.

"But....think wisely before you do anything. May it not happen you harm anyone...." Before that he completes his saying, Sikandar cut him off in the middle.

"Now the fun will begin.... anyways leave it. I will tell you what is next to do....ok, I will contact you pretty soon. Bye."

"Bye." Sikandar put his phone and went to the washroom. After taking shower he was feeling himself quite fresh. He took his laptop and settled himself on the sofa.