Namal | English Version

Part.9

"Despite being troubled, I hadn't lost hope."

It was a sunny afternoon in Islamabad, with intense sunlight pouring down. Amidst this,  stepped out of a small house with a garden onto the main road, where a row of shops began. At the corner of the row, the last shop was a small restaurant called "Foodily Everafter" - a playful twist on the fairy tale phrase "happily ever after". The restaurant's veranda had empty chairs, and a young Pathan boy was sitting at a nearby flower stall. The restaurant's front wall was made of glass, and looking inside, everything seemed golden. It wasn't lunchtime yet, so except for the waiters busy with their work, there was no one else around. All the tables were empty, except for one near the glass wall, where a laptop was set up with an open file and two mousepads beside it, along with a coffee mug that the person occasionally sipped from while staring at the laptop screen. He seemed engrossed. He was wearing a white shirt with rolled-up sleeves, and his dark brown eyes were fixed on the screen. His hair was brushed back, straight from the front but slightly wavy from the back. His overall personality had a clean, pleasant impression. Occasionally, he would glance at the nearby phone. "Saadi bhai?" the waiter addressed him. "Hmm?" He continued reading. "Has the owner of this mobile come yet?" "Kiraad has informed his father, he'll come," he replied without looking up, his voice deep and clear, with no regional accent. "Someone's left such an expensive mobile on the table. If I hadn't seen it, someone would have stolen it by now." A faint smile appeared on Saadi's lips as he looked up at the waiter without moving his head. "No customers have come after him, and even if I weren't here, you two would still be around. Who would steal it then?"

"The waiter became flustered. 'I could have dropped it, I could have broken it. Thankfully, you saw it. You're very honest with Madam too, brother.' He said with a slight smile and gentle warning while typing. 'Keep some butter and cream for the soup, Junaid!' Junaid grumbled and left.

*****

Suddenly, he picked up his mobile and made a call. 'This is Saadi Yusuf, I'm at Thar Coal.' 'Yes, I've seen the report, but what I asked you for is not complete. I'm emailing you my demands. We have to go to the field next week, so...' He spoke in a calm but firm tone for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, the young Pathan flower seller came and sat down in front of him. 'How are you, Gul Khan?' he asked after ending the call and continuing to type. 'Brother Saadi, the people from your city are very bad.' Gul Khan said, crossing his legs and waving his hand dismissively. 'What have the people from my city done now?'

Saadi looked towards the other side of the road, where another flower stall was set up, run by a slightly older boy. 'That kid is a troublemaker, always stealing our flowers.' 'So you've come here to make it easier for him to steal?' Saadi understood and nodded. 'Brother Saadi, don't joke with us, he's in our sights.' Gul Khan said, leaning forward. 'Brother, your name is Saad, right? People call you Saadi with love?' 'No, everyone calls me Saadi, even in anger.' 'Not Saad, but Saadi, like Sheikh Saadi.' He said without looking up. 'How's your father?' 'He's a bit like us, can't wake up at the first call for prayer.' 'Yes And then he comes to the mosque and falls asleep during prostration.' I was looking at you today."

Gul Khan made a sour face and stood up straight. "Brother, you have an eye on the back of your head too. Sometimes forgive us, your long face puts us to sleep.'' He said, changing his tone to one of interest. 'Brother, where did you learn to recite the Quran so well?' Saadi replied, 'From a qari at my school.' He looked up and called Junaid. 'Is the school order ready?' He glanced at the wall clock. 'What order, brother?' Junaid and Sufyan rushed over. Saadi looked at them in surprise. 'Didn't Fahim tell you? I was here yesterday when the phone call came. It was a picnic order. I told Fahim, but he didn't mention it to you.' Fahim is a dear friend, but he didn't come today.'

Saadi started packing up, intending to leave. The two waiters panicked. 'Brother, let us handle it, you stay!' Saadi looked at Junaid seriously. 'I answered their call yesterday, took the order, and gave them the name Saadi Yusuf. I told them to come at 3 pm, and I'll have the cake and flour ready.' He closed his laptop and stepped out from behind the table. Gul Khan picked up Saadi's cup and took a sip of coffee. Saadi smiled and patted him on the back. 'We can't even drink water from someone else's house, but you're like a brother.'

Just then, the young flower seller from across the street came running, carrying a bouquet of flowers. Gul Khan chased after him. The three of them turned to look. A white car was approaching. Saadi's eyes widened as he turned back to the register. A white Rolls-Royce? He knew only two such cars existed in Pakistan until recently - one owned by a private news channel owner and the other by a housing scheme billionaire. But now, he saw another one, and he knew its owner well. "Nushirwan Kardar!" Saadi stood up, his eyes fixed on the car.

"Wait, you two! Both boys came running onto the street, one after the other. The Rolls-Royce suddenly braked, its tires screeching. Gul Khan sat down on the street, holding his head in his hands, while the other boy ran away. Nushirwan Kardar got out of the car, his face red with anger. 'Are you blind? Can't you see where you're going? If my car had hit this boy, how would you have compensated for the damage? By selling your parents?' He slapped the boy twice. Saadi, with his hands in his jeans pockets, walked calmly towards them, crossing the greenery of the restaurant and reaching the edge of the street. 'And if your car had hit this boy, who would have compensated for the loss? You?'

Nushirwan, who was walking towards his car with a scowl, stopped and looked at Saadi with a mix of anger and surprise. 'I see. So this is your business. You beat up stray boys and then collect money from car owners.' Saadi looked at him with cold, narrowed eyes. 'You know my real business very well. If you're not in a bad mood, I can tell you about the project I'm working on.'

Nushirwan's face turned red again, and he barely controlled his temper. 'I don't have time to listen to your office gossip, Saadi. I have a company to run, and I'm already late because of your stunt.' He looked at the boy standing behind Saadi with contempt. 'You're going to the office, very good. But if my geography is correct, my restaurant isn't on your way home or to the office. So my sixth sense tells me that someone must have mentioned me to you today, and you've come to check on me in your usual angry state.' Saadi shrugged slightly and said calmly, 'You've seen that I'm the same Saadi.'

The waiters, Junaid, Sufyan, Gul Khan's father, and a passerby had gathered to watch the scene. Nushirwan's eyes turned red with restrained anger. 'I know exactly who you are.''

"I also know who I am. I'm a middle-class boy who grew up in an orphanage. My mother runs this small restaurant, and my home is even smaller. I went to England to study on a scholarship, and I've seen days when we had to eat bread from Chalni due to lack of money. Today, I'm a chemical engineer, a scientist, and even today, my salary isn't very high. I have no hesitation in telling the truth about my family, my home, my financial situation. I am Saadi Yousuf Khan, and everyone here knows me. Now, can you introduce yourself in this gathering?"

Nushirwan's anger had cooled down, but the spark in his eyes had intensified. He remained silent, so Saadi took two steps back and said, "If not, then it's better that you learn to drive your precious car properly, because this isn't the first time you've driven incorrectly. And if you don't intend to stay here, then move your car forward or backward so that our customers don't face any trouble." Saying this, he turned around and walked back inside with his hands in his pockets. Nushirwan was starting his car outside. Gul Khan had also come inside with him and was now standing firmly. "Not even, Saadi bhai... how much would his car be worth, on which he was so angry?" Saadi smiled slightly and looked at him. "Not much, just around 4.5 crores."

Gul Khan's mouth opened in shock. Saadi folded his sleeves again and came to the counter. But his phone rang. He saw the number and quickly answered the call. "Advocate Khalji calling, ji Khalji bhai, what happened? Did the hearing take place?" A mixed expression of fear and hope appeared on his face for a moment, then he smiled as he heard the answer. "Reeki uncle has been acquitted? From all charges? Great!" He hung up the phone and immediately looked outside. Nushirwan's car was gone, and there was no sign of it. Saadi smiled resolutely and looked up at the sky. "I want to see your face when you hear this news, Hashim bhai."

"And then he turned towards the staff. 'Let's move, guys... We still have two hours.'"

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