"How did you know that they would listen to you and increase the amount of ransom" asked Moosa while driving and looking at the rare view mirror to find that Shehryaar's search teams have joined them on the national highway.
"When we were taken into the warehouse I was not completely knocked out like you. I overheard one of the terrorist saying that they must keep us alive for Osmani. And I knew about the origins of Talibans. These men worked for D. Order 1 initially but due to internal politics and intrusion from porous borders the order got divided in two prominent barrel of monkeys . One acquired physical control over the headquarters and others dispersed with heavy but less armaments. The ones who attacked belonged to the second as the relied on Khurram osmani for their revival. This gave me their rein. Remember the first lesson of manipulation that money, love and patriotism can change anyone's character. That's what I did' said Irtaza looking outside the window.
Irtaza had questioned his kidnappers about the negotiated value and made them think that they could have asked for more which they obviously needed for their growth. And obviously those fools succumbed to greed and increased the ransom tremendously. Due to which osmani asked for two weeks period to arrange the hefty amount which bought Irtaza and Moosa time to plan and escape. If they didn't escape, today was going to be the last day of them on earth.
Both being the mafia bosses noted each and every detail about them
From the time the six guards in their room would leave to the pair of guards who stood at the gate. And by noon all would gather inside to avoid the eyes of civilians in bright daylight. Irtaza instructed Moosa that they would to have wait and step back before they escape in a language only the two could decode.
(Teettar- is a bird, the following is a famous riddle)
(Teettar ke do aage teetar, teettar ke do andar tettar
Teettar ke do piche tettar, do daye hath main, do bayein hath main.
Chuhon ko ek sath bori main band karna theek rehta hai)
A pheasant bird has two nestlings in front,
two at back,
two at right
and two at left
We must entrap all the mice in one sack.
Here the teetar or pheasant meant Irtaza and Moosa. He told Moosa that they were six men in total others come and patrol often and that they both would have to be quick in order to kill them all.
On the tenth day of their abduction, the terrorist group of men received a message that they would be getting the ransom money from Khurram osmani. Two guards present inside the warehouse came towards Irtaza and Moosa to untie ropes that connected to the chair and to transit them to the jeep .
"No funny business" said one of the men and started to untie Irtaza. He being the master of his art didn't take much time and head bumped the man as he bent to unknot the rope caging his ankles. Moosa managed to smash his elbow into other's face. This ignited the mad fight of survival. Both discharged their chains in no time and held the guns they have been hiding in their trouser pockets.
Then aligned themselves behind the stray boxes that were kept on either corners of the room. Hearing the noise lament that echoed of their dead comrades, other guards entered swiftly inside the warehouse and were showered with bullets from Irtaza and Moosa who used the terrorist's ammunition against them.
Moments later all were gone.
Cut to present, Irtaza and Moosa reached the haveli and were greeted heartily by everyone . All were relieved to see them fit as fiddle, though the bloodied shirts made their genuine smiles contort for a second but as long as they looked fine then all is left unsaid.
"Dua stop crying otherwise I'll leave again" Irtaza teased her, nudging his sister who was not ready to leave his arms .
"Never say that. I was so worried for you. If anything happened to you I would have killed myself." Dua said with teary eyes.
"Shh. Kiddo, you look, see I'm good" Irtaza said and turned around, his gaze moving towards everyone but he didn't find the one who he was looking for.
"B..Bhai" spoke Haseeb making all heads turn to his direction.
As soon as Irtaza's eyes met his, he snapped his fingers ordering him to get to his office and he ran there.
Moosa and Irtaza followed behind into the office where Shehryaar was already sitting.
"We can't find Amman" Shehryaar informed as soon as they entered.
"Knew it" he said and then looked towards Haseeb, "You fucking had the audacity to eavesdrop on me. And you know what even that is forgivable but you blabbered it all to Amman without paying any heed. The fuck had you though Haseeb?"roared in menacing tone and pounced at the innocent fool.
He held the back of his neck tightly.
"Explain" he muttered to him.
"Bhai I didn't think enough. I believed he was my friend and just to prove something to him, to myself I did what did. I swear I didn't know he was a traitor and that my actions would have such drastic consequences." said Haseeb facing Irtaza like a man and owning to his mistake.
"This can't erase the fact that you betrayed me just like Amman, though ignorantly but still you are a culprit and backstabber in my eyes as much as he is" replied Irtaza in cold tone.
'Bhai I am so-'
"Where is Zahra?" he asked him as he remember he had given him the duty to pick and drop from her university. Haseeb's face torn with pallor .
"Didn't you pick her up from university?"
Haseeb couldn't meet Irtaza's eyes, his lips twitched, sweat trickling from his forehead.
"Haseeb where is she?" he now asked seriouslu, his demeanor changed into a cold one.
'I..I ..I ..I asked Amm..an to pick Zahra from university today" There, he dropped the bomb. . His eyes widened like saucers.
"I have tried her phone multiple times but it's switched off" said Haseeb guilt-stricken and it was then Irtaza left his neck from his tight hold and gave him a punch.
"How many times did I tell you to fucking think before act. Give me the car keys. I'm going to find her myself." said Irtaza and shoved Haseeb to a wall. His heart utterly and completely crushed to hear that Zahra's life could be at stake.
................
"This is not the right route" mumbled Zahra coming out of her oblivion and her bubble of grief. "I think you have made a mistake. Take a U-turn at the coming intersection." she told.
"Well, well I am, perhaps, rectifying some mistakes. Look Irtaza might be dead but I need you to come with me" replied Amman and passed Zahra a disgusting smirk which made a cold sweat go down her spine.
"What do you mean? Take me home ? I am not coming with you"
'Nah, Nah I think you don't understand that you have no choice here darling. Now be quite like a good girl" spoke Amman and pointed a gun towards Zahra's direction .
Zahra scooted back and tried to unlock the door, tried turning down the window to cry for help. But everything remained bolted shut.
"No! Leave me! You bastard! leave me!" she screamed.
"Okay. I'll" he said and stopped the car at certain point where another car was waiting for them along with some men and they got Zahra out with alot struggle. At last her struggle died down when they placed the chloroform filled cloth on her mother and she drifted to oblivion. Amman left the car there as it was from haveli and it might had some GPS installed there and then got into the other car, which he ad asked Osmani to sent to a certain spot.
Zahra's lifeless head rested on the window of the car. Her eyes closed. She was peaceful.
But he just kept searching for her, here and there, like a mad man.