A Promise and a Pain

The Power of Betrayal and Love: Echoes of Retribution

CHAPTER EIGHT:

Azlan POV

Azlan emerged from his room, noticing several missed calls from Elizabeth on his mobile. Glancing at the time, he saw it was just past nine, while Elizabeth had been trying to reach him for an appointment at eight. He knocked on her door, stepping back as it opened.

"Did you see your mobile? How long have you been trying to call me?" Elizabeth's tone was tinged with annoyance as she spoke in English.

"I was tired and fell asleep early yesterday. I just woke up," Azlan explained, running a hand through his hair. Despite his apology, Elizabeth still seemed upset. "Okay, I'm sorry. I'll be more mindful next time," he added, holding out his hand, which caused Elizabeth to smile involuntarily.

As they walked towards the garden, house seems so empty then Azlan remembered that Sabtain and Mehr-un-Nisa, along with Saad and Mahnoor, had left for the city yesterday for the start of saad and mahnoor's university. It made sense for them to be there. He made a mental note to check in with them later.

"Would you like some tea?" Elizabeth accepted his offer with a smile. "Let's go. I'll ask the servant to prepare it, and we can have it in the garden," he suggested, leading the way.

"Can we have it in the room?" Elizabeth's voice came from behind him as they walked.

"Why? The weather is perfect for tea in the garden," Azlan replied, turning to look at her. Elizabeth hesitated but followed him as they made their way outside. Azlan instructed the servant to bring tea.

"Your house staff seems to stare at me like I'm from another planet," Elizabeth remarked, smiling.

"Well, that's your fault," Azlan teased as they walked.

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked, slightly flushed.

"I mean, don't give them reason to think you're an alien," he joked, causing Elizabeth to stop in her tracks. Azlan turned to her with a smile. "Come on, don't worry. They're just simple villagers who haven't seen many foreigners before. I'm sorry if you feel uncomfortable," he apologized, his smile reassuring.

"Idiot," Elizabeth muttered as she sat down on a bench in the garden. Azlan chuckled and took a seat across from her.

"How do you find my family?" Azlan's question caught Elizabeth off guard.

"They're all very nice. Shouldn't you be asking your family about me instead of me?" Elizabeth replied, referring to the first night when Azlan had introduced her as a friend, not his lover.

"I did that because the atmosphere wasn't right. I'm sorry," Azlan explained. "Before I leave for Australia, I'll tell Tayya and Tai Jaan about us." After that, a silence fell between them. Eventually, Elizabeth started talking.

"Did they like me?" she asked, looking at him. "Because, you know, before coming here, I had already decided to stay with you no matter what. And what about you? Do you love me that much?" she inquired again.

"Yes, I do, and I'll be with you no matter what," Azlan replied immediately.

"I hope everything works out," Elizabeth said, sipping her tea. "Do you want to fulfill your father's dream here?" she asked as the maid brought the tea for them.

"Yes, absolutely. It will take a lot of hard work, but I want to make it happen," Azlan said, taking a sip of tea.

"Building a hospital in a village is challenging, but I want to help you achieve your dream. When your dream comes true, I want to be by your side," Elizabeth expressed her commitment to him.

"My father sacrificed a lot for this dream. I wish he were alive to see it. I think I'll build it on the land my grandfather gifted to him," Azlan said with heartfelt sincerity. Silence followed, and then Elizabeth replied.

"Azlan, are you talking about the land that caused your father's murder?" Elizabeth's question was met with silence from him as he continued to look at her. Then he spoke.

"Yes." It was just one word, but it piqued her worries.

"What are you saying? The people who hurt your father could still cause trouble. Can't you buy another piece of land or consider other options?" Elizabeth was about to continue when Azlan interrupted her.

"It won't happen. After everything that happened, my grandfather legally secured the land. It's ours, and there's no need to worry," Azlan assured her solemnly. He didn't want the conversation to escalate and bring up painful memories for her. It was a peculiar habit of humans to fear remembering past pain from a distance."

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Mohid pov 

mohid was leaving Sadia Kolsoom's office with Dilawar when he bumped into Sabtain. Both of them were shocked, as they didn't expect to see each other here. Dilawar didn't pay attention and continued walking. It was an awkward moment for Mohid and Sabtain. Mohid excused himself and left , feeling Sabtain's burning eyes on his back. As they were about to leave the building, Dilawar paused for a moment and glanced at Subtain Chaudhry before moving ahead.

The car journey was silent until Dilawar's voice caught Mohid's attention.

"Did you know that guy?" Dilawar asked, noticing Mohid's changed mood.

"Yes, he's Usman Chaudhry's older son," Mohid answered without any emotion, causing Dilawar to feel awkward. After a few minutes of silence, Dilawar spoke again.

Certainly! Here's a re-written version of your scene, improvised:

"I have a question for you, if you don't mind," Dilawar said, glancing at Mohid as they sat in the car.

Mohid kept his eyes on the road ahead. "Go ahead."

"Why would you do it now? Like Sadia said, if there are a lot of evidences against Hamid, it's going to be difficult for her," Dilawar asked, studying Mohid's expression.

Mohid glanced at Dilawar, his gaze intense. "Do you really want to know what I'm thinking?"

Dilawar hesitated, then nodded. "Just curious. Do you have another plan?"

As their car stopped at a signal, a beggar child approached them. Mohid took out a big note from his pocket and handed it to the child, but the child said there were no open notes. Mohid smiled and patted his head, then drove off as soon as the signal turned green. Dilawar observed silently.

"People don't think twice before shedding blood for a piece of paper, precious fabric, or a small piece of land. In this field of law, I've seen a lot of this," Mohid said, his voice low and contemplative.

Dilawar looked at him, puzzled. "Can you explain, please?"

Mohid took a deep breath. "Betrayal never comes from a stranger. Even if I cleared hamad 's name and took him away from all this, Saad won't rest in peace. So, I was thinking of reopening the Wajdan Chaudhry murder case," he said, his tone tinged with sarcasm.

"What? Reopen the case?" Dilawar asked, surprised.

Mohid corrected himself, "No, I mean re-investigate. You need to shut those bickering mouths one way or another, right?"

After a moment of silence, Mohid continued, "Reopening means they need to inform Wajdan's family first, and I don't want that. Don't worry; it will reopen soon."

"What?" Dilawar was confused.

"Your professor probably knows how cases are typically reopened for re-investigation due to new evidence coming to light, the discovery of errors or misconduct in the original investigation, a change in circumstances, or if there is reason to believe that the original outcome was incorrect or unjust. You don't need to be a law officer to understand this simple thing," Mohid explained, his expression serious.

Dilawar expressed concern, "You know this may cause a lot of tension in both families."

"Let's see where things go from here," Mohid said, looking out of the window with a heavy heart, lost in his thoughts. The scars of the past ran deep, and healing would take time and understanding. As he was lost in the past, his mobile rang with a familiar number.

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Sabrain POV

Certainly! Here's a rewritten version of your scene, with some adjustments for clarity and flow:

In the quiet of his study, he sat before his laptop, the screen displaying text he wasn't really reading. His mind wandered elsewhere, back to that unexpected encounter at his friend's law firm. There, in the corridors, he had seen Mohid Dawar Chaudhry, the son of their family's long-standing foes. It was a surprise for both, but they maintained their composure. Mohid, also the ASP of a major city, could have had official business with the renowned criminal lawyer, Sadia Kolsoom, his friend's partner.

His friend, Raza, noticing their reaction, inquired. Sabtain quickly explained, "He's a distant relative. I was just a bit shocked to see him here."

"But if he's a relative, shouldn't you have greeted each other?" Raza pressed, unconvinced.

"Well, he's a distant relative," Sabtain reiterated, trying to brush off the topic.

As they conversed, a familiar voice interrupted. It was Sadia Kolsoom, offering her congratulations on his recent wedding. "Thank you," he replied, exchanging pleasantries.

"Have you sorted out your case?" she casually inquired.

"It's a work in progress," he replied with a smile.

"Looks like your specialized LLB is finally paying off," she joked, referring to his bi-specialized LLB degree. Raza chimed in, "You know, Sadia, that handsome policeman who just left your office is Attorney Sabtain's distant relative."

Sadia, with a slight blush, retorted, "Oh, you know him? Looks like beauty runs in the family." Her comment caught Sabtain off guard, Sadia's comment was unexpected. Sabtain heard Raza laugh.

"Shut up Raza!" Sadia yelled at Raza, her face turning red. "It's not like that. He was here because of his personal case."

Her words surprised him. He had been so preoccupied with Mehr-un-Nisa that he had let Saad do as he pleased. As a lawyer, there were limits to what he could ask, and Sadia was no naive lawyer. In a few moments,

"sabtain, can I see a picture of the bride?" sadia asked so the topic could change becuse raza was getting on her nerve. Sabtain saw an opportunity and an idea struck him. He showed them a family picture and said they could swipe right for other reception pictures. After the couple's picture, there was a wedding reception board picture that mentioned family names. Following that, there was a family picture where Saad was also present. If his suspicions were correct, Sadia should know Saad's name and face as well. Observing Sadia's reaction, he noticed a brief moment of shock followed by a smirk. She knew what he was up to. he knows it was ill-mannered but he was desperate to know 

"i hope you have amazing married life attorney sabtain usman chaudhry, and you have amazing family and siblings " sarcastically she said while passing his cell to him " your marriage treat is due , so we will meet each other soon, ohh i have to go for lunch bye talk to you guys later" sadia kolsoom left , raza was also confused by sadia annoyed tone 

After a few minutes, Sadia looked at him and threw a sarcastic remark, "I hope you have an amazing married life, Attorney Sabtain Usman Chaudhry, and that you have an amazing family and siblings. Your marriage treat is due, so we'll meet each other soon. Oh, I have to go for lunch. Bye, talk to you guys later," she said before leaving.

As the flashback of the afternoon passed, Sabtain pondered the implications. Saad and Dawar's elder son were now involved. He needed to stop Saad before he did something that would tear the family apart. What would happen if anyone found out about this turmoil? How would Azlan Baba Jan and Amma Jan react? And what about Mehr-un-Nisa?

"Mohid Dawar Chaudhry, this is getting more complicated," he muttered aloud, not realizing Mehr-un-Nisa had just entered his study with coffee.

"Did you just say Mohid Dawar Chaudhry?" Her voice startled him. He turned, seeing the concern on her face. He knew she had heard his name.