BISMIL

Chapter 5

SOMEWHERE IN KATHUA
INT. AN OLD HOUSE

With its windows covered with sheets that have blood stains and wooden flooring that makes cracking sound on every step, the old house have a haunted effect.

Shafeek has been tied to a chair inside a room on the first floor. A cloth has been stuffed into his mouth and his eyes are covered with a black cloth. Gurdeep and Dibakar comes to the room in their civilian cloths. There is a small 4 × 4 table in front of Shafeek. Gurdeep removes the blindfold. Dibakar keeps few photos of the blast and Amir, the suicide bomber on the table.

Dibakar
"You know this boy?"

Shafeek nods. Though he is trying to speak something to the officers, his voice is muted by the cloth stuffed into his mouth.

Gurdeep signs Dibakar to remove the cloth. Dibakar walks to Shafeek and as he pulled out the cloth from Shafeek's mouth, he started screaming.

Dibakar hits a punch on his face. A left side of his face turned red and the screams got muted.

Dibakar
"Don't play smart with us."

Dibakar cont'd
"You know this boy?"

Shafeek
"Amir. He's Amir."

Dibakar nods.

Dibakar
"He was that suicide bomber. And the phone which he used to blast the bomb had received a call from your phone just an hour before that blast."

Shafeek (confused)
"My phone?"

Shafeek cont'd
"I'm sorry. But, I don't know...I didn't call him."

Gurdeep applies a hold on Shafeek's left shoulder. Shafeek starts to scream in pain. Dibakar punches him again.

Footsteps approches. Gurdeep, Dibakar and Shafeek looks at the door as Abdul Wahab enters the room.

Abdul Wahab
"Did he say something?"

Dibakar and Gurdeep salutes him.

Gurdeep
"No sir."

Abdul Wahab takes out his handkerchief and wipes blood off Shafeek's face.

Abdul Wahab
"You are a kid. Do you really want to follow your father's footsteps and make this place hell?"

Shafeek
"You don't know him."

Abdul Wahab laughs.

Abdul Wahab
"Sakeeb -Al Hassan, leader of Al-Amaniyat. The terrorists organisation who gets funded by Taliban to disrupt the peace in India, especially Kashmir."

Abdul Wahab cont'd
"Is that enough or do you want more ?"

Shafeek
"My father is protecting our people from you."

Abdul Wahab keeps his foot over Shafeek's and puts pressure. The police boots pressure was too painful for Shafeek but, he bites his tongue to control the pain.

Abdul Wahab
"See, I don't want you or anybody who works for your father. I want him."

Abdul Wahab looks at Dibakar and Gurdeep.

Abdul Wahab
"You guys think he'll corporate with us?"

Gurdeep
"No."

Abdul Wahab
"Then let's not waste our time."

Gurdeep nods. He pulls Shafeek head while Dibakar stuffs the cloth back into his mouth.

INT. SAKEEB -AL HASSAN'S HOUSE - NOON

Missiaha and her mother, Hafeeza comes to meet Rumaniya. As they entered the bedroom, they see Rumaniya lying on the bed, exhausted after crying.

Hafeeza sits next to Rumaniya. She puts her hand over Rumaniya.

Hafeeza
"Rumi, he'll be alright. Don't worry."

Rumaniya gets up and sits. She hugs Hafeeza.

Rumaniya (crying)
"I want to see my son."

Missiaha
"Aunty, what's the point in crying now?"

Hafeeza and Rumaniya looks at Missiaha.

Missiaha
"I am sorry aunty. But, you are also partially responsible for what has happened now with Shafeek."

Hafeeza mouths her to keep shut.

Missiaha
"No mom. Let me speak."

Missiaha cont'd
"Aunty, we all know what Sakeeb uncle is doing. You know it's bad and still you let Shafeek join him."

The words from Missiaha mouth pierced into Rumaniya's heart like arrows. But, she was all number to react.

Missiaha
"If you had stopped Shafeek. He would still be here."

Missiaha cont'd
"He could have been a good engineer. But, you and uncle....you guys pushed him into the wrong path."

Hafeeza (scolds)
"Missiaha enough!"

Rumaniya (sobbing)
"No Hafeeza, she's right. I failed as a mother."

Rumaniya cont'd
"I couldn't even protect my own child."

Rumaniya starts crying.

The house help comes into the room with porridge.

House help
"Hafeeza aunty, she hasn't eaten anything."

House help gives the bowl of porridge to Hafeeza.

Hafeeza
"Rumi, eat this."

Rumaniya
"I can't. I don't even know if Shafeek has eaten anything."

Hafeeza
"He'll be alright. What if he returns and see you like this ? This will break his heart."

Hafeeza forces Rumaniya to eat porridge.

EXT. AN OLD HOUSE

Abdul Wahab walks out of the house for a smoke. Gurdeep follows him.

Abdul Wahab
"He's of no use to us."

Gurdeep
"What should we do then?"

Abdul Wahab
"Get rid of him."

Gurdeep nods.

______________

THE BRIDGE - NIGHT

The bridge is highly guarded by the police. Hence, there are rarely any Vehicles passing by at night.

A van stops at the center of the bridge. Abdul Wahab, Gurdeep and Dibakar along with Shafeek gets out of the van. Shafeek's hands are tied to his back and is blindfolded.

Dibakar makes him walk towards the edge of the bridge. He makes him turn around and look at them.

Abdul Wahab
"Remove the blindfold."

Dibakar removes the blindfold.
Shafeek opens his eyes to see himself standing at the edge of the bridge. In front of him, he see Abdul Wahab standing with a pistol pointed at him.

Shafeek
"Sir!!"

Shafeek turns around. Abdul Wahab pulls the trigger and the bullets hits on Shafeek's back, pushing him down the bridge.

As Shafeek falls down the bridge into the river, his mind plays a poem he wrote few years ago.

'Aasma ki jo safeedi hai
Baadalo ne barsa diya
Par Aaj na woh bhi  rang paaya
iss nadiyo mein mili khoon ki laali

Jo sapne the aaj ghul Gayi
Laashe thi jo dafna Gayi
Iss toote sapno ke bhaar mein
Nadiya raah pe tehar gayi

Naa jaaye samundar tak bhi woh
Na vaap bane woh nikal paaye
Bin sapno ke insaan ke jaisa
Laash samaan woh bhi tehar Gaye

Waqt bhi aaj tham gayi
Roz yeh hi daura rahi
Jo sapne the woh bikar Gaye
Abb sapne dekhne se darr gaye '

Shafeek's body falls into the river. Abdul Wahab, Dibakar and Gurdeep comes to the edge of the bridge to see Shafeek's body being carried by the flow of the river.