Widow

33. ATTACK IN THEIR LINES!

Zain was sleeping in his bed. He had been awoken late at night at the villa as everybody was present there. His head was very heavy and he was not feeling very well. He wanted to sleep a little more. His phone was ringing continuously but he was ignoring it. When it started to ring for the third time, he reached for it.
"Oh! What the hell! Someone is trying to sleep!!" He groaned and without opening his eyes he picked up the call.
"Hello!" He said in a sleepy voice. His eyes were still closed but the voice over the phone made him sat upright. It was Moona.
"Great!! You are still asleep and everybody is waiting here for you on the breakfast table." She screamed in his ears. Zain pulled the mobile further from his ears at her scream then putting it back and leaning down again he asked her,
"What time is it?"
"It's 8 in the morning, Mr. Zain!" She said.
"What??!!!" Zain jumped out of the bed. "8 in the morning? Oh God my FAJAR prayer!!" He yelled.
"And our breakfast too!!" Moona yelled back.
"I am coming," Zain said and hung up. He then quickly went to the washroom. After fifteen minutes he was coming out of his apartment. He stopped at a shop on his way to buy the naans (salty bread eaten with meat or vegetables) for breakfast. Soon he was entering the villa. When he was about to open the door of the lounge, he heard Yumna's voice.
"Where is our James Bond? How much more?"
"Here I am. Good morning!!" Zain entered and gave the naans to Salma.
"You are late." Yumna mocked him.
"Okay, I am sorry." Zain joined his hands in front of her and sat down on the chair beside her.
"Not here, Zain," Khalil said. Everyone looked at him.
"What?" Zain asked.
"You are not sitting here." Khalil smiled and gestured him to the chair across him. The leading chair at the other end of the table. Everybody looked at Khalil in shock.
"Are you sure?" Zain asked.
"Yes, I am. You are a very important person in this family from now." He smiled softly. Zain stood up and went to sit across him.
"Now tell me, why you are late today?" Khalil asked starting the breakfast. Everybody followed him happily.
"I was tired and couldn't sleep properly last night. I think that's why." He replied taking the bowl of meat from Salma.
"Yeah, everyone is tired." Humna smiled at him. She and her husband had stayed at the villa and after the breakfast, they were leaving.
"Where are the others?" Zain asked as he noticed the empty chairs. Only he was on the table outside the villa. Hashim, Shanzay and Usman were absent.
"Maybe they all are tired just like you." Saadia smiled at him.
"Wow. One day I came late and no one here is willing to forgive me." Zain mocked.
"We will always remember this," Humna said. "Breakfast in our honour, everyone is absent and the only one present arrived an hour late." 
"Finish your breakfast. You talk too much." Zain gestured to her plate. Khalil laughed at his reaction and turned to Sadia.
"So you are also leaving today?" He asked.
"Yes." She nodded.
"Why are you leaving?" Yumna asked.
"Because my own house needs attention. Moreover, the wedding is over." Saadia replied.
"As you wish. Maybe you will have to come back soon for another wedding." Zain smiled.
"What? Whom wedding now?" Yumna said excitedly.
"Yours" Zain shrugged.
"That will not be soon," Yumna replied, all the eagerness and excitement disappeared. They all smiled.
After breakfast, Humna had gone to her house with her husband. Everybody was tired because of the wedding and now they all wanted to rest for some time. Zain was sitting on the couch. No one was present in the lounge. Khalil was outside in the lawn while the rest were in their respective rooms. Zain stood up and went to the kitchen where Salma was washing the dishes.
"What is it Zain?" She asked as he reached to help her.
"Nothing. I was just bored." He said picking up the dishtowel.
"You should go home and rest." Salma smiled.
"I don't want to be alone." He sighed.
"Is everything okay, Zain?" Salma stopped in her place.
"I don't know. I just don't feel something's right. Something is about to happen." He said wiping the dishes and piling them on the shelf beside them.
"How can you say that?" Salma asked continuing the washing.
"There was no incident at the wedding and this is not something normal. We all had expected something." He said.
"So, you think they will attack now?" Salma asked.
"I don't know whether they will attack or not but definitely they will do something," Zain said.
"What do you think?" Salma asked.
"I don't know. Let's just finish this. Then I will go to headquarters." Zain said pointing the dishes. Salma just nodded.
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That night when Zain parked his car in the villa, he saw Khalil's and Moona's cars already parked there in the yard. He glanced at his wristwatch. It was 10 pm. Maybe they are asleep, he thought but then he caught a glimpse of Salma in the kitchen. He came out of his car. The window was open so Salma looked out in the yard upon hearing the noise of the car door being closed. She saw Zain coming towards the lounge. When Zain entered the lounge, he saw Khalil sitting there with Khadija talking about something. They both stopped talking immediately as he reached to sit with them.
"Come, Zain." Khalil smiled making a place for him.
"Thank you," Zain sighed and sat with him. He looked around in search of Moona but couldn't find her. Khadija smiled at his desperation. Khalil had opened a file in front of him. Salma came out of the kitchen with a glass of water. Zain smiled and took the glass.
"You look devasted," Khadija said.
"I am," Zain said.
"Did you have dinner?" Salma asked.
"No, although I am very hungry."
"Alright Let me fix you something to eat," Salma said and went inside the kitchen.
"Where is everybody?" Zain asked.
"Children are in their rooms and Moona is outside in the lounge," Khadija told him. Zain stared at her for a moment. Salma came out with a tray in her hands.
"Eat, Zain." She smiled. Zayn stood up and went towards the kitchen to wash his hands. While he was washing his hands, he heard a blast. Zain ran out in the lounge. Khalil had run towards his room to take his gun. It was an attack.
"Stay down," Zain said quickly reaching Khadija and Salma who were laying down on the floor. Khalil came out from his room with his gun.
"Hold that window Bhai." Zain pointed towards the window that opened in the yard. Later, he quickly started giving orders on his phone. Khalil reached the window and peeked out.
"I don't think I can do this, Zain." He said.
"You have to. I am going outside." Zain said.
"It's dangerous Zain." Khalil said.
"Moona is there. That's dangerous." Zain replied.
"Backup will be here soon. You must wait here." Khalil said.
"You sit here and wait for help. I am going out. If anything, bad happens to her what word of consolation you will say to others?" Zain yelled angrily and went to open the door of the lounge. He was not able to open it properly when a burst of fires came his way. He quickly closed the door.
"Zain, It's not safe." Khalil insisted. Zain didn't reply. He ran upstairs and opened the door of the balcony. Looking down in the yard he spotted two of the gunmen. He aimed the target and shot them. Then he climbed down the stairs and came out in the lawn. The scenario in front of him made him freeze in his place. Moona was sitting down on the grass with her eyes squeezed. A gunman was standing beside her aiming at her head. Tears were coming out of her eyes. Zain quickly hid behind some bushes and fired at the man. Moona screamed but when she didn't feel any pain she opened her eyes. She looked around frantically and then her gaze stopped at the corpse placed beside her. Blood was coming out of the hole in his forehead. She stared at him with horror and fright. Zain went towards her. Upon hearing the footsteps, she looked up and stood up. 
'Are you okay?" Zain asked with concern. Moona just nodded. She was too scared to make any noise. Bullets were continuously being fired. But Zain could feel that it was not only from the guns of their enemies now but also from the police who had surrounded the villa.
"The police is here." He smiled at her.
"What about others inside?" Moona whisperred.
"They are safe," Zain assured her. "Just stay there, they need me outside." He gestered towards a spot behind the bushes where she could hide and went out of the lawn. Moona sat in the corner behind the bushes away from the corpse.
When Zain came outside in the front yard, he saw Usman coming towards him with a bulletproof jacket in his hands. He was wearing one also.
"Tell me about the situation," Zain said as Usman pulled the jacket down his body and buckled up.
"They are seven." He told him.
"I got three. which means a total of ten!" Zain nodded. "Take some of your men inside the villa and Moona is in the lawn, take her inside," Zain instructed and ran outwards.
"Where are you going?" Usman yelled.
"Hunting!!" Zain replied and disappeared behind the main gate. Usman took five of his men and went inside. Khalil had been firing continuously from inside but he was not able to take down any of them.
"Khaqan," Usman turned to the snipper. "Find yourself a good spot." He said. They all took positions behind different windows. Khaqan had gone upstairs.
"There is a woman in the lawn. Try to take her inside the building safely." Usman spoke in his earpiece. They had started firing. Zain was behind the enemy as usual so with him and Khaqan upstairs, they got control of the situation very soon. Moona had been rescued from the lawn.
"What 's the situation?" Zain asked in the earpiece.
"No survivors. They didn't surrender." Usman said coming out in the lawn. Khalil had gone upstairs as the children were there.
"What now?" Zain asked, reaching him.
"It needs reconstruction," Usman said looking around.
"What?" Zain asked confused.
"The villa. It needs reconstruction." Usman answered.
"We are fighting with death here and you got to say is the villa needs re-making." Zain gritted. Moona and Khadija came outside.
"What was that?" Khadija asked.
"I don't know." Zain shrugged.
"I found this outside the gate, Mr Zain." A policeman came near them. He had a bouquet of white flowers clutched in his hands. Zain took it from his hands and examined it.
"What does this mean?" Moona asked. She was still shaken about the incident. Zain didn't reply. He was opening the wrapping. The flowers were wrapped in white cloth. When he opened them, they fall making Usman quickly reach down to pick them up. Zain examined the cloth and then placed it in front of them. There were some words written on it.
"You are a very remarkable opponent, Zain Abdullah!!
M."
"What the hell?" Zain had gritted after reading the note.
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