𝐌𝐘 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐑, 𝐅𝐄𝐔𝐃𝐀𝐋 𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐃

CHAPTER ➊ • The Final Announcement

August 13, 1947
Lahore Province

"We are heading towards partition. This has been announced 3 months prior by Lord Macaulay the last viceroy of British India . Tomorrow, there will be the division of territories, rivers, villages, cattle, fields, crops and properties. You have been informed earlier to choose staying or moving. Once you have chosen tge side, there will be no going back.Accumulate your goods and necessities. The 'British India' will now cease to exist."

He clenched his fists and threw the radio on the floor, the Robert Radio 1930 London model, which Murtasim had bought while graduating from Medical College London had a lot of bitter sweet memories, hit the floor with a thud and broke into pieces, alarming Dilawar Khan who was out for an early morning walk. It was a humid morning, the sun was up shining with all glory. It had rained the whole night, making the grass of the garden damp and wet. This morning in Lahore was not the same as it used to be. There was a certain ery to the way the wind blew. The tension in the air couldn't go unnoticed.

Dilawar walked towards the room from where the sound came. The door was slightly ajar, as he entered soon his eyes fell on the broken radio. "Murtasim, radio todne se kya hoga?" (Murtasim, what will happen if you break the radio.?)

Murtasim Khan the young brooding Feudal Lord in his white pathani resembling the serenity and peace was standing near the open window, trying to calm his nerves down after hearing the final announcement. "Bade Baba Sahab, aap jaante hain, ye batwara humein mehenga padega. Baba Sahab gumshuda hain, aur inn sabke baad kahan dhunduga main unhe." (Bade Baba Sahab, you know this partition will cost us a lot, also Baba Sahab is missing and after all this how will i find him) said Murtasim with a hint of regret and guilt.

"My son, why don't you accept that Shahnawaz is no more..? There is a reason why we couldn't find him after 8 years of relentless searching." Dilawar was trying to reason with Murtasim and his obsession of finding Shahnawaz.

Shahnawaz Khan, the younger brother of Dilawar Khan and father of Murtasim Khan, went missing in one winter night of 1939, along with his companion and close friend Surya Kamal Shashtri while visiting their property godown. There were no traces of both of them after that. Khans being the prominent figure and of great influence in Lahore Province used all their power to find both of them. But all went in vain.

"I can't stop my search. I can't lose him. I hadn't seen my mother, I don't wish to live along with the fact that i don't have a father too." Said Murtasim with a noticeable gulp in his throat. Since years he has kept himself intact. He isn't someone whose emotions would surface up easily. He has maintained the stoic emotionless image within his clan and family, but today it was different. Today he seemed to be losing it. For the first time the fear of being alone is haunting him. Not letting him sleep.

"If you wish, we can try to have a talk with Singhs." Said Dilawar with a hint of hesitation in his voice. "No..! I will slit my tongue before talking to those Gaddars." Said Murtasim fuming in anger.

The Singhs and The Khans were Business partners in trading opium overseas in British India and had close family ties since many generations. But over the period of time when the dynasty business came in hands of the next generation the ties of faith started to loosen. And today they stand as ardent enemies of eachother. It is believed that Singhs had something to do with the missing of Shahnawaz Khan. If the gossip mongers are to be believed, they have already killed Shahnawaz and Surya Kamal Shashtri was an ally of Singhs. This has ignited the already volatile communal tensions between the two religious groups. Now this partition seems to be the only undesired solution to it.

"They have already moved their business to Amritsar and are planning to move tomorrow forever, leaving Lahore." Said Dilawar. That 'forever' hit like an iron to Murtasim's chest. So she will be leaving Lahore forever. Leaving behind everything , leaving behind 'Us'. His trance of thoughts broke when there was a knock on the door, Dai Amma was standing with morning tea tray.