Chpt 8: Contract

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"Yeh khain waqt ki kuch be-diyanat saatein hongi jab main apne andar qaid ho gaya tha, lekin zindan ka andhera intehai bara tha!

Woh waqt bilkul la-abali tha.

Jo hua ek gusse se bharay bachay ki tarah tha!

Mujhe zindan mein qaid kar ke, chaabi qaus-e-quzah mein fank di gayi thi, shayad aflaq ki vasti mein fank di gayi thi.

Woh chaabi ab nahi milti!

Maqfool dar nahi khulta!

Mujhe to khud se milna tha...

Main kab tak aflaq ki vasti ko talash karunga?

Kahan tak dhund mein khoe huye aafaq ko talash karunga?"

— Syed Nasir Shah

"It must have been some dishonest hours of time when I was imprisoned within myself, but the prison's darkness was immense!

It was a time of utter recklessness.

What happened was like an angry child!

Locking me in the prison, the key was thrown somewhere into the vastness of the heavens, perhaps into the expanse of the skies.

That key can no longer be found!

The locked door won’t open!

I needed to meet myself...

How long will I search the vastness of the heavens?

How far will I go, searching through the fog for the lost horizons?"**

— Syed Nasir Shah

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In the garden, Marie was still talking to Saadi. As Jawaharat, with her arm across her chest, approached closer, the conversation became audible. "I believe, based on my research into your son's cancer, that he will recover well after the surgery. Don’t worry."

"Early detection of illness is a good thing," she reassured him, then turned to see Jawaharat and Sheru walking towards them. Saadi smiled warmly and bowed his head in greeting.

"Mrs.Kardar, I’m pleased to see you looking better."

"Given how many times you’ve seen me these days, you must have noticed the difference," she replied, smiling faintly, and directly approached Saadi. Saadi felt something.

Jawaharat's eyes shifted over Saadi’s shoulder to Sheru, who was glaring at him with disdain.

"May I ask what my maid was discussing?" she inquired, still smiling, but her eyes were burning with anger.

"Marie had told me about her son's cancer. I searched it on the internet and... are these the issues you're discussing with Hashim or every other person coming to the house?" Jawaharat glared at Marie with a burning gaze, though she was smiling. Her face turned pale. Apologizing, Marie lowered her head in shame and walked away. Saadi looked at Jawaharat in surprise.

Namal (English Translation) By Nimra AhmedWhere stories live. Discover now