The Murmurs of Destiny

The Power of Betrayal and Love: Echoes of Retribution

CHAPTER SEVEN:

sabtain POV

In the midst of his frustration, Sabtain paced back and forth in his room, his mind consumed by anger and anticipation. He knew that a call from the other side was imminent, and his emotions were on edge. Just as he was about to utter a word, the phone rang abruptly, catching him off guard. Hesitating for a moment, he contemplated whether to pick up or not.

Reluctantly, Sabtain answered the call, only to be bombarded with joyous congratulations from Adnan Alam. Adnan's tone was filled with exuberance, as if he had just won a lottery. Sabtain struggled to keep his composure and took deep breaths to calm himself down.

"Messrs. Alam! What on earth gave you the impression that I wanted any of this?" Sabtain's voice quivered, frustration and restraint evident in his tone.

Adnan, however, seemed oblivious to Sabtain's distress. There was a complete lack of understanding on the other end of the line, as if he didn't grasp the meaning behind Sabtain's words.

"Didn't I understand your question?" Adnan's response dripped with ignorance, further fueling Sabtain's anger.

"Are you deliberately ignoring what I'm saying?" Sabtain's anger resurfaced, bubbling up in that one sentence.

Adnan, with his playful nature, continued to speak, seemingly oblivious to the impact of his words. "I've sent these gifts as a token of celebration for your wedding. The set is specifically for Bhabi Sahiba, as it appeals to the delicate sensibilities of every woman. As for your preferences, I have no clue, so once you come to the city, you can choose a gift that suits your taste." His words were accompanied by a hearty laugh.

Sabtain's frustration reached its peak. "My wife has no need for such things, and I certainly don't require your forgiveness," he exclaimed, his voice growing louder without his conscious realization. Meanwhile, Mehr-un-nisa, his wife, entered the room, her gaze fixated on him. However, Sabtain remained oblivious to her presence, consumed by his emotions. Unbeknownst to him, Mehr-un-nisa's eyes fell upon the gifts scattered on the bed, a silent witness to the turmoil unraveling before her.

"Oh, let Bhabi have a look at the gifts first. Perhaps she will find something she likes, and maybe, just maybe, your perspective might change," Adnan Alam's words pierced through Sabtain's patience, pushing him further towards the edge.

"It is my responsibility to fulfill my wife's wishes, and send back your man back so i can return these,or you'll face trouble " Saibtain said, upon which Adnan Alam's laughter was heard.

"No, no, I didn't find any trouble before, nor do I find any now. Even if there was, it would have been easily taken care of. I never worried about it. , congratulations on the wedding and take care of yourself," the other end spoke again in the same tone.

"Tell your man to take these back," before hearing more from the other end, he disconnected the call. He had just turned his mobile over when he saw Mehr-un-nisa standing there. She had seen the box in her hand. he hurriedly walked towards it and threw it back on the bed. This move of his was unexpected for Mehr-un-nisa. Then she turned to look at Saibtain with widened eyes.

"Did I tell you to touch them?" he said sharply.

"No, I..." Mehr-un-nisa's voice got stuck in her throat. Saibtain's face was turning red with anger.

"What did you... there's nothing in it, and now there shouldn't be any mention of it or any questions about them. I request you," they both kept staring at the boxes, and then Saibtain sat on the sofa, putting his head in his hands. He couldn't find peace. It wasn't the first time someone had refused to pay him to halt his case; it was a common thing, but every time, it hurt his self-esteem. A bribe seemed like begging, like asking a beggar for a few coins to spare one's life... the only difference was in the value and the urgency of the times.

"Water," Mehr-un-nisa's voice had made him open his eyes. She was standing in front of him with a glass of water in her hand. He silently took the glass from her and drank the water. After drinking, he handed her the glass, and she gave him a smile. Some tension had eased.

"If you have any worries, you can tell me. Maybe I can help you," he had looked at Mehr-un-nisa again upon hearing her words.

"It's my case. Do you want to fight my case with me?" he had said with a smile. Upon hearing his words, Mehr-un-nisa had opened her mouth to say something but then remained silent. "you leave this case to me, but in future all the cases that come next, you'll have to fight them with me ," he had said with a smile.

"If you are troubled by taking this case, then don't fight this case," he heard her suggestion carefully. Then he had held Mehr-un-nisa's hand Mehr-un-nisa flinched suddenly, and he too felt her flinch but she sat in-front of him

 "Mehr! Don't fear challenges, for they are our teachers in life. Embracing them is a profound blessing. Through challenges, we stumble and learn to rise, enriching our lives with resilience and wisdom. If all troubles were removed, people might become numb to the depth and beauty of living." his hand was holding Mehr-un-nisa's hand according to his instructions.

"Tai Amma was worried; she saw you suddenly angry and sent me. I'll let her know, she'll be worried," Mehr-un-nisa said as she stood up. She had started to leave but stopped, she noticed Saibtain's face seemed somewhat restless, as if he wanted to say something or ask something.

"What happened Mehr?" he asked , Mehr-un-nisa, who was looking at him, came out of her thoughts with a sigh.

"Nothing, nothing," she said and headed towards the door of the room. She had also felt what she wanted to say to him, but why didn't she say it? She had turned off the mobile after thinking for a while and had also left the room. She didn't think it was necessary to send a message. Today was a special day, and he didn't want it to go wrong. He also knew that he couldn't trust this person to call again.

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mohid pov 

Compulsion is terrifying. It leads people to actions they never imagined. He had seen many such cases in his profession. Today, he faced a middle-aged man with intense anger and fear. What could one say to such a person? The man wept quietly. He sent him back to jail silently. The man had resorted to crime due to poverty, ruining lives for his own gain. When caught, he accepted his fate. His son's downfall mirrored his own. His wife had left, and now his son was gone too. The once fearsome man was now trembling himself. This world operates on principles of give and take, returning actions with interest. The day started one way but ended ordinarily. He tried calling Hammad, but received no response. Finally, Sadia Kalsoom, the lawyer, called him at eleven. She was the same lawyer who was helping with bail matters. He answered the phone.

"Hello," he greeted when answering the call, responding to the other end's greeting.

"Hello is this Mr. Mohid Dawar Chaudhry?" the other end sought confirmation of his identity.

"Yes, I am speaking," he confirmed.

"I am Sadia Kalsoom. Your brother, Mr. Hammad, contacted me regarding his friend Hamid Ali's bail," she said, her words falling on silent ears as he listened.

"May I know the reason for your call?" he asked, holding the phone to his ear with his right hand, running his left hand through his hair, glancing at the clock.

"There was a delay in Hamid Ali's bail. I apologize for the inconvenience, but I am making every effort to expedite the bail," she said before falling silent on the other end.

"You should have apologized to my brother for not completing your task. Why did you call me?" he asked without any hint of reprimand.

"Look, I didn't really need to apologize in the first place because sometimes it takes time. But I am apologizing to Mr. Hammad because Dilawar had recommend me for this case, Hammad was quite upset. After that, when I tried to talk to them, they cut me off, and yes, I tried to call Mr. Hammad but he's not picking up the call, that's why I asked Dilawar to give me your number. You should tell your brother that I did not deceive him, and I am telling you this too, Mr. Mohid Dawar Chaudhry." On the other end, a calm voice was heard saying, but it was felt that his words were taken negatively on the other side.

"Oh, okay," he replied in two words.

"After saying goodbye," the call was disconnected. After disconnecting the call, he remained silent for a few moments. Later, Mohid messaged on another number:

MESSAGE: "Hey, can you please let me know who's the ASP in my village? That'll be a lot of help. I urgently need this information."

Shortly after, a message with the confirmation arrived, to which Mohid replied, "OKAY SIR." He then sighed, a mix of resignation and resolve in his expression. "Saad, you really want to know who murdered Wajdan Chaudhry? So be it," he muttered to himself, steeling his resolve. thoughtfully dialed Dilawar's number. On the other end, the call was received on the third or fourth ring. 

"I have some work with you, Dilawar," he said upon hearing Dilawar's voice.

"Why do both of you brothers always bother me with your stupid ideas?" Dilawar's tone was slightly angry on the other side.

"I need to meet Sadia Kalsoom. Come with me," Mohid said, ignoring Dilawar's words and emphasizing his own.

"Why?" Dilawar asked seriously.

"I have some work, and you are coming with me," he said, ignoring Dilawar's question., looking at the picture of Hammad and Dawar Chaudhry.

"I knew today or tomorrow the elder brother would want to be his wingman," Dilawar said with a sly tone .

"Those who speak nonsense are counted among the foolish," Mohid replied in a similar manner.

"And being friends with you seems to be a seal of approval for me that I am a fool. Alright, then, until we meet again. By the way, these days I am meeting you so frequently that it seems like I don't even have time to meet my fiancée... sooner or later, she'll accuse me that I am cheating on her," he said before the call was cut off. Perhaps today people were bidding farewell in this manner. As he looked at the phone, he thought about it, then placed it on the table. Dilawar was such a friend that even after knowing everything about him, he had never left his side. Throughout his academic career, he had only considered Dilawar his friend. Dilawar was quite a cheerful and creative guy. He had many friends, but one thing he's good at creating boundaries that's why Mohid and Dilawar were friends even though they were a classic extrovert and introvert duo, but they do have many similarities.

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mehr-un-nisa pov

The dawn was bidding farewell to the darkness of the night, and the environment was filled with serene stillness. Despite having prayed, a sense of unease lingered. Yesterday, all the arrangements for the wedding with Sabtain had been completed, and today she had to go to the city with him. She stood by the window, looking outside. She had seen Sabtain sleeping deeply on the bed with a single glance. She was still angry with herself from yesterday, if she saw Sabtain upset. She should talk to him, but seeing the troubled look on Sabtain's face, she lost her courage. What could she do but feel helpless? She had given Sabtain some foolish advice that had embarrassed him. Turning away from Sabtain, she gazed at the lightly blue-tinted sky outside the window, then left. Lost in thought, she picked up her bag, which she had packed yesterday. Sabtain had already prepared his belongings. However, her bag had been packed yesterday. She took out a photo album, a very special one for her. It contained memories of her past. Sitting back on the sofa, she opened it. The first picture was of her parents' wedding, where her mother and father stood together. The next pictures were of her parents, but the only difference was that behind them stood Azlan, her brother. Her parents used to live in Sydney because her father shifted to Australia after completing his study there. Her father, Wajdan, was also a cardiologist and her mother used to work as a nurse at the same hospital. Looking at this picture, she saw more pictures. In one, Muqdas Chaudhry and Usman Chaudhry were there, Sabtain's pictures were there too, but one picture made her lips tremble involuntarily. It was a picture of her, six months old, being held by her father, while seven-year-old Azlan held his hand. There was a big flaw in this picture. , she noticed that her mother, Saba Wajdan Chaudhry, was not in the picture. , she closed the album.

"What happened? Won't you look at the rest of the pictures?" Sabtain's voice made her jump, and she raised her head. He must have just woken up; there was still drowsiness in his eyes.

"Nothing, I've seen enough," she replied, looking away.

"Show me," he said, taking the album. She handed it to him, and he sat on the other sofa, flipping through the pictures in silence. Eventually, he stopped at the same photo that had made her close the album.

"Mehr, do you know, we often make mistakes in life?" Sabtain asked, his gaze fixed on the image before him.

"Sometimes, in our search for something irreplaceable, we find ourselves lost and hesitant to move forward. If ever you feel this way, take a moment to turn around, not to dwell on what's behind or what's been lost, but to appreciate what accompanied you yesterday. What you possess today, among those who remain in your life, holds immense value for your journey. It's simply a matter of reflection. While not all losses can be recovered, focusing on the present can ease your sorrow." he said, lifting the album and placing it in her lap before going towards the wardrobe. After a while, he returned with a jogging suit in his hand, which he had not packed. Sabtain looked at her again and then headed towards the washroom.

"While it's true that certain shortcomings can never be remedied, there are those that seem destined to linger in our memories, making them incredibly challenging to forget," she thought, looking at her father's picture, tracing her hand over it. She took a deep breath, then glanced at the closed door of the washroom. Only ten minutes had passed when Sabtain emerged.

"Sabtain!" she called out softly. He looked towards her, stopping near her.

"What happened?" he asked, approaching her.

"We have to leave for the city by one o'clock," she replied. Sabtain looked at her with surprise.

"You're ready to go with me," Sabtain's words sounded bitter to her. "I don't understand what has happened. Mehr-un-nisa, who had declared that now the decision would be hers, is now present in my room as my wife so easily. Not only that, she is also ready to go to the city with me," she heard Sabtain's sarcastic laughter.

"You're not the only one who feels forced," she replied, looking away.

"You're talking nonsense. No one has ever forced you," Sabtain said after a moment of silence. "And one thing, dispel your misunderstanding that anyone has ever forced me on any of my decisions," he added before walking out. His voice was normal; she didn't sense anger from him, but his words were sharp. She had been afraid of him since childhood and used to talk to him less because of that, so why did she say this to him? She had never been stubborn with Sabtain. Then what was this...