Liquidated

Chapter 10

Listen to Alan Walker's 'Faded' for this chapter.

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"Indeed we belong to Allah and, indeed to him we will return."

Death is the universal truth of life. Every soul must experience it. Death as they say is not the opposite of life, but a part of it. Asad Shah did not survive the surgery, and died during it. The doctors tried their best but the tumor had been spread in his brain. He opted for surgery after so many years, hence he was not able to survive.

It was not the first time in Hamza's life that he had lost a loved one, 9 years ago a traumatizing experience in his school changed his life forever. And now, he had lost a father, a guide, his bestest friend. With his heart bursting with excruciating emotional pain, he was still taking care of the arrangements of the funeral. His mother was not even able to speak or do anything. Now it was the time that he had to manage everything.

People were coming to him, offering their deepest condolences and he somehow managed to push back his tears.

After the funeral had been done, he locked himself in his room. His phone had been on voicemail since morning. It was almost a week since he came back to Pakistan. His work, his home, London, everything was being ignored all this time.

He opened his cupboard and in the second drawer was his school album. The memories that he had made with his friends. He took it out and wiped the dust from the cover.

Army Public School Photo Album

The pictures he had with his friends, those beautiful moments he had spent with them. From taking part into the annual play to playing basketball together, that album was a treasure filled with memories. Hamza hands stopped on a picture, it was a photograph of them on the school's back staircase, their bunking spot. He smiled with his eyes pooled with tears. He remebered that day vividly. They were bunking their Chemistry class.

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9 years ago

They were sitting on the stairs, laughing and talking about dreams, and aims they had planned for the life ahead.

"Do you guys ever think about the future?" Zaviyar sounded surprisingly intellectual.

"Only you have the time to think about that Mr. Philosopher." Hamza laughed away.

"Guys, school is ending. We are gonna go to college. Its high time that we think about it, shouldn't we?"

"We've plenty of time to think about it bro." Salaar took part in the conversation, munching on the whole packet of chips.

"Zaviyar is right yaar. If not now, then when? We should have an aim for our lives." Aliyan tried to knock some sense into their minds.

"Are you dying tomorrow or what? We are not bunking to talk like 70 year olds. We have our whole life ahead of us. Come on!" Hamza kept talking, unaware of the future.

"I agree, chill guys. We can plan this some other time." Salaar threw the empty wrapper on the floor.

Then suddenly, they heard footsteps approaching. Somebody was coming downstairs.