Khaani Reboot

No one wins against His will

Sanam's screams reverberate throughout the halls to the gallows and Hadi opens his eyes, also realising the commotion around him. Police constables find Sanam and take her back to the main hall, away from the gallows.

"Sanam, Sanam? Hadi kahan hai? Kya hua andar?" Momina asks with breathlessness.

"Pata nahi. Mujhe nahi pata woh chala gaya hai yaa abhi uski saansein chal rahi hain. Momina main jee nahi paaungi yeh jurm ke tale." Sanam lets out another scream.

Momina holds Sanam as she collapses on the floor, and she hears commotion from the main gate. She looks through the crowd and policemen to find Hamza, striding his drunken self through a bunch of people, his guards pushing everyone away. He has the darkest sunglasses on along with a black kurta.

He comes straight to one of the constables and asks him," Mujhe mere bhai ka marra hua chehra dikhayein aik dafaa. Aur iss mohtarma ko giraftar karein, Mir Hadi ke qatal ki sazish karne ke jurm mein." Hamza remove his sunglasses to uncover his swollen, red eyes."

"Hamza yeh kya bakwas kar rahe ho?" Momina gets up and goes to him.

"Mujhe- mujhe pata hai, mera bhai nahi raha. Lekin mujhe uska chehra dekhna hai, jis chehre mein meri jaan basti thi. Main yeh dekhna chahta hun ke woh agar chala gaya iss dunia se toh main kaise jee raha hun, woh toh meri jaan thi na, uske saath saath meri jaan kyun nahi chali gayi. Shayd ussey dekh kar hi mera dil ruk jaye." Hamza 's eyes fill up with tears.

"Ahmed saab kuchh nahi hone denge ussey."

"Waqt nikal gaya, aur Mir Hamza jo aadha Pakistan control karta tha woh apne bhai ko nahi bacha sakaa."

"Hamza please."

"Nahi. Ji Constable saab, dikhayiye mujhe mere bhai ka chehra. Main uske saath hi jahannum mein jana chahta hun. Chhota bhai hai na mera, main nahi chahta ke woh akela ho."

Momina pulls Hamza away from the police.

"Hosh mein aao Hamza, kya baki ja rahe ho. Hadi InshAllah theek hoga."

"Hmm." Hamza keeps swerving in one place and his eyes land on Sanam, sobbing on the floor lifelessly.

"Sanam ko sazaa mil kar rahegi. Agar police kuchh nahi karegi toh main issey khud marunga."

"Tumhara dimag kharaab ho chuka hai Hamza. Sanam ki koi galti nahi hai. Un logo'n ko sazaa dilvao jinhein Hadi par jhoothe ilzaam lagaye."

"Tumhein lagta hai ke woh kal ka din dekh payenge? Nasal khatam kardunga unki main." Anger replaces sadness in Hamza's eyes, but guilt remains.

"Police apna kaam khud kar legi tum koi bhi aisa kadam nahi utthaoge jissey aunty uncle ko aur nuksan pahonche."

Hamza glances at Momina and scoffs, while laughing and shaking his head.

"Ahmed Saab! Ahmed saab, Hadi? Hadi kahan hai? Batayein, kuchh toh bolein." Momina and Hamza hear Sanam shouting in her cracked voice.

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Time seems to slow down as Momina and Hamza's eyes travel to the defeated Detective Ahmed's face, as he removes his glasses and pinches his eyes to wipe tears and stop them at the same time. His body language feels like he could collapse on the floor any time now. Hamza feels like his heart has slowed down to the point where his chest feels hollow inside. Momina, who always had a thought for future, the next steps, damage control, seems frozen in time.

"Is he gone? Really gone? Saans khatam ho gayi uski? Aankhon ki chamak, chali gayi? Main ussey milunga toh mujhe gale nahi lagayega? 'Bhai farmhouse pe chalein?'  nahi poochhega?" Hamza's thoughts feel like heavy sets of bricks.