𝐌𝐘 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐑, 𝐅𝐄𝐔𝐃𝐀𝐋 𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐃

FLASHBACK CHAPTER • My Dear Feudal Lord...? • Part : 2

January 2, 1935
British Council Head Office
Lahore Province

2:30 A.M.

The night sky covered the earth. The warm black hugged the pavements, as the mashaan at each corner of the pillars cast the shadow of the building that stood silently near the abandoned All Boys Islamic School. The British Council Head Office, was earlier a senior secondary school, with crust cemented walls and multiple wooden windows. It had open varadahs and wooden doors with name plates and designations respectively.

The low whispers and creaking of shoes invaded the otherwise silent winter night. There were people trespassing the prohibited area of the Government Office, silently entering the office of Sir William Claude.

"Jaldi karo...dekho wo zaruri kagaz isi office mein honge..." Said the man standing near the wooden door, watching outside.
(Be quick. Those important documents would be in this office)

"Adarsh Babu ne kaha tha koi zaruri kagaz Lahore ke baareme hai... Claude, Khans se mila hua hai... Lahore ko humein bachana hoga." Said another man trying to look into the files in the drawer.
(Adarsh sir had told us regarding the important documents of Lahore. Claude favours the Khans. Now we need to save Lahore)

"We need to search the almirah too...and we should make it fast. " The man moved after checking the drawer to the iron almirah. The Godrej Safe Cabinet almirah was the new milestone achieved by the South Asian iron market. It was the first almirah which had a safe cabinet in it. The manufacturers named it locker.

"It's locked...! " Said the man, looking at the one standing near the door.

"Tod do..." The first man replied, looking around the boundary gate.
(Break it)

The clanking sound of iron broke the silence of the night. It was concluded that the locker wouldn't open without the keys. The keys were searched everywhere inside the almirah. After a quest of 20 minutes, the keys were found in the left corner shelf of almirah under the files.

The locker had no valuable items, other than some papers in a brown envelope-marked as confidential in red ink. The two men from the cult were literate enough to understand the importance of the brown envelope. They put the envelope inside their khadi potli bag after wrapping it with newspaper and dispersed in the darkness of the night.

The first day of the year, the new year, was meant for new resolutions, new enthusiasm, new adventure and new beginnings. But, for Lahore it started the era of bloodshed, religious riots, shia-sunni division, Hindu-Muslim war, and political disintegration. Everyone wanted to have a claim.

Lahore was never going to be the same again... Nor the people living there...

••••••••••••••••••

January 2, 1935
Khan Haveli
Lahore Province

4:00 A.M.

Kiss...it was a kiss.. lip to lip synchronised motion... One overlaps the other..while the other completely surrenders. Their lips loved each other. Their tongues had fought a never ending battle of passion. Her breath had hitched when he sucked her lower lips, she might have moaned too. Did she take his name..Her half lidded eyes started to shine...there was a mischievous glint in them as she bit his lips mercilessly, sucking out the blood from them. The goddess had finally claimed her only devotee of years...

Murtasim smiled looking at the chandelier hung at the ceiling. Occasionally rubbing his bitten lip- His gift of love. Hugging the pillow tighter, he sniffed into it... drawing the last ounce of her fragrance... Jasmine..fresh jasmine. "Oh.. Nandani.. tumhe ye nahi karna tha.." he sighed.
(Nandani you shouldn't have done this)