Widow

32. THE IDENTITY REVEALED!

"You!" it was the only word that came out of his mouth as he dropped down his hand carrying a pistol.
"We can sort this out, Zain. Come here, sit down." Najeeb smiled at him. Zain stared at them for a while. His face was still pale with a shock when he turned to the couch. Usman quickly filled a glass of water for him.
"This is a very big shock. I can understand." Usman said giving him the glass. Zain took the glass quietly and drank all the water in it.
"I cannot understand this." He said after some time.
"I am investigating this case myself Zain," Najeeb said. He had placed his hat on the table now.
"Why didn't you tell me before?"
"Because I thought with me staying at your back it will be easier for you to investigate," Najeeb replied.
"How?" Zain asked.
"You could investigate the case on your own. Wherever you made a mistake I got the information from Usman. Don't get me wrong Zain but I want them behind the bars as much as you do." Najeeb was speaking in a low and soft voice.
"Usman, all this time, you betrayed me?" Zain turned to Usman.
"He was doing his job, Zain. I ordered him to do this." Najeeb defended him.
"I cannot solve the case like this." Zain shook his head.
"Then do this with me. I'll help you solve the case." Najeeb said.
"No, Mr. Najeeb. I want to catch them at any cost, whether legally or illegally!! And you cannot help me in the later." Zain sighed.
"Try me. If you will catch them illegally. I'll defend you wherever you will need me to be. Because I know you are right. I know they have killed Taimoor. God knows why, but they have." Najeeb assured him. Zain remained silent. He was staring at his locked hands in his lap. After some time, he raised his head and looked at them. There were tears in his eyes.
"I know why." He said, biting his lip.
"What?" Najeeb yelled. Zain nodded.
"Taimoor was investigating against them. He had found some strong evidence against them. He asked me to come to Lahore. He wanted to discuss that evidence with me."
"What evidence?" Usman asked.
"I don't know. I came here too late. The night I arrived was his murder night. I came to Lahore and he said that we will meet the next morning at his place. We did meet but not the next morning, I met him the same night and he was hanging by the pole on a street." Zain sighed. His voice was wet.
"We will get through this together. Inshallah!" Najeeb placed his hand on Zain's knee. Zain just nodded.
"What do we do now?" Usman asked.
"Nothing. Just keep doing what we were doing before. but from now on I'll be taking orders from the boss." Zain sniffled.
"No. You'll not be taking orders from me. You will be doing everything on your own. I'll just point out your mistakes." Najeeb smiled.
"Your position has ruined in the family, Usman," Zain said.
"How?" Usman frowned.
"Hashim always had his doubts about you. Recently Moona saw a message on your mobile and told me." He said.
"And that made you came after me here." Usman nodded, understanding the situation.
"We will clear that mess. Don't worry." Najeeb smiled. Just then Zain's mobile started to ring. He took out the phone and picked up the call.
"Yes, bhai?"
"Zain, are you coming to the villa tonight?" It was Khalil. Zain sighed. he had completely forgotten that he had left from the Walima.
"Yes, I am coming with Usman in some time," Zain replied.
"Alright, we are just leaving the marque. We will be there in half an hour." Khalil told him.
"Okay." Zain nodded and hung up.
"It's a twenty-minute ride to the villa, right?" He asked looking at his wristwatch.
"Yes," Najeeb said.
"We are leaving in ten minutes then," Zain said.
"To the villa? With me." Usman put his index finger on his chest.
"Yes, with you," Zain said.
"But you said that..."
"Only Moona, Hashim and Assad are suspicious. I can handle them all. Don't worry." Zain said. Usman just nodded at his calmness. He was so much composed as compared to earlier when he had arrived there.
........................
When Zain and Usman arrived at the villa, they saw Hashim and Shanzay standing there on the lawn.
"Hey, guys." They both turned and waved towards them.
"I thought you will not come to the villa because of your sister," Shanzay said. Zain and Usman looked at each other realizing the mistake they had made.
"She is quite well now so I came here," Usman replied.
"And where did you go?" Hashim asked.
"I'll tell you later." Zain smiled.
"It's too cold outside here. What are you guys doing here?" Usman asked. Zain glared at him and went inside. In the lounge, he saw the family sitting there. He smiled at them.
"Come here Zain bhai." Yumna smiled at him.
"I'll be upstairs on the balcony." Zain smiled and went upstairs. He came out on the balcony and took a deep breath. The door opened behind him and Khadija entered.
"Hey." She greeted. She was wearing a big shawl because of the cold weather.
"Hey." Zain greeted back.
"Why didn't you sit down with everybody?" Khadija asked, standing beside him.
"I just wanted some me-time and this is my favorite spot," Zain said.
"Oh, I have ruined your privacy then," Khadija said turning back.
"No, no it's okay. You can say whatever you have to." Zain smiled.
"So, you know I have to say something."
"Otherwise you'll never have come here." Zain smiled.
"Right!" Khadija nodded. Zain remained silent so she continued.
"You'll make a very good father, you know that?" She said.
"How could you say that?" Zain asked.
"The way you got Haniya to sleep in your lap. Only a good father can do that." Khadija smiled.
"Well, that was nothing. I just can't see her cry."
"You love Moona, right?" She asked again. Zain nodded.
"And you told her about your feelings?"
"She rejected," Zain said.
"And you gave up and didn't try again," Khadija said looking out on the street.
"I can't Khadija. It's too hard." Zain sighed.
"It's love, Zain. How can you give up so easily?" Khadija asked turning to him.
"Time will come when she will agree with my feelings. I just have to wait for that time." He said.
"You should propose to her," Khadija suggested.
"Are you mad?" Zain turned to her abruptly.
"What's wrong in this?" Khadija asked.
"She will merely say no again! I just told you that I am waiting for the time when she will agree with me and give me a positive answer." Zain declared.
"Alright, then I'll talk to her about this and I'll try to make her agree on this marriage," Khadija said.
"Can you do that?" Zain asked.
"Someone has to. Khalil Bhai has said that this is her own choice. But she needs guidance just like every other person." Khadija said.
"That will be a great favor." Zain smiled.
"I'll give you good news soon. But you will have to pretend that nothing happened between us. Here on this balcony." Khadija said.
"Deal," Zain said.
"I'll talk to her tonight." Khadija smiled and turned back. When she had reached the door Zain's voice came behind her.
"Khadija?" He had called her.
"Yes?" She turned. He was smiling at her.
"Thank you." He said.
"Anytime Mr. Zain." She smiled back and disappeared behind the door. Zain turned back.
"Oh, Allah thank you so much for helping me and as always you have not let me go astray." He smiled staring at the beautiful sky upon his head. There were tears in his eyes as he kept staring at the stars.
...............
"So, what did you observe?" Mazhar asked Aasim. They both were sitting in Aasim's car in a deserted street.
"I can give you the information about the family members. The rest is up to you. I want Zain to suffer for what he had done." Aasim replied.
"He will," Mazhar assured him.
"There you go." Aasim smiled and pulled out a file from the briefcase placed beside him. "Every minor detail you need is in this file." Mazhar nodded opening the file.
"One more thing," Aasim said raising his index finger.
"What?" Mazhar asked.
"My problem is only Zain, not any of his family member. You will not do anything bad to the women and children." He said.
"Let me read this file thoroughly then I will be able to act accordingly," Mazhar said. Aasim just nodded.
"You will hear from me soon." He said and got out of the car.
"Okay drop me at my house," Aasim said to the driver once Mazhar had gone. The car started and swiftly moved towards its destination.
...............
Moona was in her room pacing in the floor when Khadija entered.
"Hey!" They both had changed into casual clothes.
"Come on, sit." Moona gestured her towards the bed. Haniya was sleeping soundly in her cot.
"I need to talk to you," Khadija said.
"What?" Moona asked, sitting beside her on the bed.
"About your future."
"Oh, come on!! I've made my point very clear about this. I am not going to marry anyone again." Moona said, irritated.
"What about Zain?" Khadija asked casually.
"What? Did he send you to talk to me?" Moona asked.
"No. He didn't."
"Then why did you come here to talk to me about him?"
"Because I am your elder sister and I am observing things that no one is," Khadija said.
"What things?" Moona raised her brow.
"Have you seen Haniya? Have you seen the bond she shares with Zain? Have you seen her smile whenever he is around? Moona, don't be so blind!!" Khadija knocked her head with her fingers.
"She loves him like she does everybody in the family." Moona shrugged.
"You are being so blind Moona. If not for yourself, marry him for your daughter. The girl needs a father. Don't do this to her."
"Her father is dead. Even if I marry him, make him the father of my child. and when my child will grow up to find out that the man she had always praised as a father is not her father, what then?" Moona asked.
"Zain is not like that! He will never make her feel like that. Moona believe me, he loves you and he will do anything to please you. Moreover, you need him too." Khadija said in a soft voice.
"I don't need him. I have my relatives who will always be with me."
"But you do need him, as your husband, as your partner," Khadija said.
"You are wrong in this aspect." Moona sighed.
"We will see. Time will come when you will understand my point. Let's just pray that it may not be too late then." Khadija smiled and placed a small kiss on her forehead.
"Just promise me that you will think about this." She got up, leaving Moona behind with her thoughts. After a while Moona rose to her feet and pulled Haniya in her arms, tears were forming in her eyes as she closed them and placed an affectionate kiss on her daughter's golden hair.
........................