Light

Hafsa Repeated?

"Bhai did you report it to the police?!" Mariyam ran up to them as soon as Jehangir and Moazzam entered the house.

"We did, Mariyam, but they are here with us to ask you the exact details too as you both saw her leave." Jehnagir nodded sadly.

"But Moazzam saw her being taken, did he not give the account?" Their mother stood up.

"He did Amma, but the police needs to ask everyone...but don't worry they'll be in and out before you know it."Jehangir patted her shoulder and sat down next to his father.

Both women covered themselves in abaayas and Moazzam went out to call in the policemen.

******

Noor knocked on the door restlessly," Is anyone there?!"

"Ugh, what is wrong?! Who is it?! It is the middle of the night!" A loud voice boomed from the other side of the door and the door opened a crack to reveal a man blinking back his sleep.

"Chacha ji...I..." Noor began but the man cut her off.

"What are you doing here, girl?! You should be in your house, are you not the girl of a respectful house?!" The man scolded her, his forehead was covered with angry wrinkles, his posture stooped and frail looking.

"I am chacha, but I need to get home quick, some people kidnapped me and brought me to the forest a little distance from here and I do not even know where here is..." Noor stuttered through her tears, her black cloak was seemingly purely made of mud now and her feet ached from goodness-knows-how-long she'd been walking.

The man opened his mouth when a soft voice called from behind him," Arey Ravi sahib, stop arguing with the child and help her!" The face of a woman popped up beside the man's.

The woman stepped out of the house and hugged Noor," My daughter don't you worry, Me and my husband will take you home right away." She rubbed her hand on Noor's back soothingly. She was warm,and her embrace motherly, the smile on her face when she looked at Noor held affection.

"But she is a Muslim Geeta..." The man crossed his arms across his chest.

"She is a human girl lost in the outskirts of the city, she belongs to our country as much as we belong to it, do not be mean!" The woman shot her husband a look and turned back to Noor," What is your name darling?"
Noor looked up at her through her tear-filled eyes and said softly," Noor."
"Come on then Noor, let me take you home, Ravi sahib, get your bicycle out." Her voice was now commanding and the man did as he was told.

The woman made Noor sit behind her and hold on tight," Yes darling, where to?"

"I live near the vegetable market parallel to the central masjid, khala." Noor said, she was scared but a sense of security was not amiss.

"Come on ji,what are you waiting for then? You heard her." The woman said and the man started pedalling with a grunt.

*****

"We will try to find your daughter best as we can Jehangir, we just wish you had told us sooner." The constable shook Jehangir's hand.

"Yes sir, I know, but you have daughters, you are well-aware of why I didnot report it sooner." Jehangir hung his head sadly, his young face had aged 10 years in the past 10 hours.

"Don't worry bhai, they will find her In Sha Allah." Omer, who had arrived a little after Jehangir and Moazzam had left for the police station, comforted him.

"In Sha Allah...you should go home now Moazzam beta, it is so late already, your parents will be worried." Jehangir's heart panged as he said it. Where was his Noor?! Who would he worry about if she didn't come back, just like his Hafsa?!