Rizwan told his son,

“So, the seventh prophecy is that Tariq’s son would be betrayed by someone who likes to wear gold.”

“Gold? But wait, who would be betrayed?”

“Tariq’s son,” Rizwan answered.

“That would mean you, right?”

“Tariq Yasar had two sons.”

“But, Hannan is not his real son, is he?”

“Look son, there’s a lot that you do not know about our family history.”

“Well, that’s because you never shared.”

“Rahman, the truth is that my past is not a light one. My past is filled with darkness. Your uncle who was my good friend as a brother, who could not tolerate any sort of misbehaviour against our father turned out to be the villain of the family. He was a liar.”

“Wait, let me guess… He saw owls during the night.”

“No Rahman, the prophecy that you read was not exactly like that. It confused all of us initially. The word in place of lying was kind. But since an old man told this prophecy, it appeared to be ‘lying’. In reality, it was kind person.”

“So, who was that kind person who saw the owls?”

“Well, I would never claim that I am a kind hearted person.” Rizwan said with modesty,

“I am a sinful person. But it just turned out that I was that kind person. I was the one who saw owls.”

“Dad,” Rahman said feeling a bit confused.

“Yes?”

“Don’t get me wrong please,” Rahman claimed, “But don’t you think that interpretation of dreams and then, their occurrence has got to do something with… I mean to say that don’t you think that it is all just stories and fantasies.”

“You might now think like this Rahman, but these prophecies turned out to be true. Plenty of them did. You’ll believe them one day.”

“How can you be so sure about this?”

“Do you remember the prophecy: a two faced person would capture a piece of land that belonged to our father once?”

“Yes, yes I do. What about it?”

“It happened. My brother Hannan was the one.

He captured that piece of land, illegally.”

“Really?” Rahman was shocked for a moment.

“Yes, and then he was exiled. Since, it was proved that he was a rebel, we had to exile him, not from the city, but from this family.”

“Oh, dear! That’s all so new to me.”

“And you need to understand the sensitivity of this family matter.”

“But there’s one thing that I need to know, I want to know where your brother Hannan is right now?”

“He’s not my brother?”

“What?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t want to appear harsh, but since he is not related to my blood, therefore I don’t want to accept him as my brother. Not anymore!”

“So, blood relations really matter to you?”

“Yes, you can call it prejudice, but it matters to me.”

“What about Mr Khattab? He is not related to you by blood.”

“Hence it is proved. You are right. I shouldn’t have favoured someone who was not related to me. Blood matters. If only we were related by blood, then this guy wouldn’t have betrayed me.”

“He betrayed you?” Rahman asked getting surprised.

“Yes, he hired someone to crush my father’s grave.”

“Oh, my God!”

“I do not know this for sure, but I will investigate this in detail.”

“Yes Dad, I also don’t think that he would do something like this. He is a nice person. I think you should reconsider.”

“Yes, yes I will. I will. Anyways, coming back to the topic,

I was telling you about the prophecies.”

“Yes, please continue,” Rahman said with respect.

“So, I was saying...”

They heard their phone ringing. Rizwan stood up and said,

“I’ll answer it,”

Rizwan picked up the phone and answered it,

“Hello?”

“Dad,” Zakariya spoke from the other line, “Omama has committed suicide. You need to come here immediately.”

“What? She has committed suicide?”

“Yes, I have called the ambulance. Please come here immediately.”

“Where? Where are you right now?”

“I am at home, I just found her. She cut her wrists and has lost quite a lot of blood.”

“Oh, my God!” Rizwan exclaimed loudly.

Rahman stood up and realised immediately that something had happened to his sister.

Rizwan hung the phone and said to Rahman,

“Omama just cut her wrists. We need to rush to the hospital.”

“Oh, my God!” Rahman held his forehead.

Half an hour later, Rahman and Rizwan reached the hospital. They rushed towards the operation theatre. Rizwan saw his son in law standing outside the room. Rizwan asked him the moment he stopped by

his side,

“How is she? What are the doctors saying?”

“Dad, I am so sorry for all of

this trouble.”

“Answer me, how is she?” Rizwan raised his voice.

“I really don’t know, the doctors haven’t disclosed anything yet.”

“How is Omama?” they heard Rahman’s voice as he joined them.

“Look, all I know is that she has lost a lot of blood.”

“Zakariya!” Rahman said. “Tell me, why she has done this?”

“Yesterday, she was crying. I asked her what was bothering her, so she said that she was very unhappy about her early marriage. She never wanted to quit her education.”

“Oh yes, that has always been the reason behind her grief.”

That moment, the doctor stepped outside and said,

“She has lost a lot of blood. You need to arrange some blood and medicines. She might recover then.”

“Oh, thank goodness!” Rizwan uttered.

Rahman left the spot and walked away. Rizwan asked him,

“Where are you going?”

“I know where to arrange the blood from, I’ll be back within an hour.”

Rizwan was a little hopeful now. He asked the doctor,

“Can I see her?”

“I’m sorry, not now,” doctor said before leaving them.

Zakariya said to Rizwan,

“Look Dad, I think we have made Omama’s life miserable by snatching away the opportunity of education from her. I think we should give her an option here.”

“I know, I’ve been thinking that. But the truth is, that pain and torment is destined for her. She has been admitted to the hospital for the second time this year. We can’t avoid what is destined for her.”

“How do you know that for sure?”

“My father told me. His prophecies were always true, unfortunately.”

“I’ve been told that your father was a good interpreter of dreams. How was he so good at it?”

“He was a saint. He was a God Fearing person unlike us,” Rizwan answered.

There was silence for a moment until Rizwan said,

“I think, I should arrange some blood as well.”

“Why don’t you get some details first?”

“Regarding what?” Rizwan asked.

“Regarding the kind of blood that is needed.”

“Oh, okay I’ll talk to the doctors,” Rizwan said before leaving him.

Hours later, Alia reached the hospital. After searching for a while, she finally found her husband sitting next to her son in law. Rizwan stood up as he saw her. Alia said to him,

“You guys left and didn’t tell me anything.”

“I’m sorry, dear.”

“Where is Omama? How is she? What exactly happened to her?”

“I don’t know, how she is right now. The doctor said she needs blood. Rahman left to arrange some, but hasn’t returned yet.”

“But, what exactly happened?”

Zakariya stood up and answered,

“She attempted suicide. She cut her wrist.”

“Oh, no! Oh, my God! But why?” she started crying.

“Don’t worry,” Rizwan said to her. “The doctors said she’ll

be fine.”

Rizwan hugged his wife and comforted her by saying,

“Everything will be fine. Just let her recover this one time, then we will talk to her and ask her how she wants her life to be.”

“Your father’s prophecies appear to be so true.”

“I know, and I wish they weren’t.”

That very moment the doctor came by their side. The two let go off each other and looked at the doctor. The doctor said to them,

“I would like to congratulate you. Your daughter is fine now.”

“Oh, thank God!” Alia said with relief.

“A mysterious person came,” the doctor said, “he wasn’t revealing his identity. He donated a huge quantity of blood. It matched her blood group and now your daughter has recovered.”

“Yes, but who was this person?” Rizwan asked getting curious.

“I don’t know, he was simply not revealing his identity. But, he did say something.”

“What?”

Alia interrupted their conversation and said,

“Can I see Omama right now?”

“Yes, you can,” the doctor replied.

Alia and Zakariya went to see Omama. Rizwan asked the doctor,

“What did he say?”

The doctor looked at him and asked,

“Sorry what?”

“I’m asking what that person said, the one who donated blood for my daughter.”

“Oh yeah, well he said that Mr Tariq Yasar had several favours on him.”

Rizwan gave these words a thought and then said,

“So, this is it? I mean that’s all he said?”

“Yeah.”

“I see, so therefore he kind of returned the favour?”

“I guess so.”

“Anyways, thanks for letting me know. Now, I’ll go and see my daughter.”

v v v

One Week Later

While Mr Taha was seated at his house, his driver came outside his room and said,

“There’s someone here at our gate, he wants to see you.”

“Did he mention his name?”

“No.”

“Alright, I’m coming outside.”

Next minute, as Mr Taha stepped outside to see who it was, he was really surprised and a bit terrified to see Hannan. Hannan had grown quite older than he remembered him.

“You?” Mr Taha uttered.

“Yes Uncle Taha, please let me talk to you,” Hannan pleaded.

“…Alright,” he said after few seconds of thinking,

“come inside.”

Few minutes later, the two of them were seated at the garden. Mr Taha was expressing a stern look and was waiting for Hannan to begin his conversation. Hannan tried to be polite first,

“So, how are you Uncle Taha? Is everything good?”

“I’m good. Please come to the topic. Why are you here?”

“Look Uncle, I have returned after twenty years. To be very honest, I had no courage.

I couldn’t return.

I couldn’t return back,

I hadtocollect a huge amount

of strength…”

“…Look Hannan,”

Mr Taha interrupted, “please just get to it.”

“Okay, I will. Anyway, the truth is that I came here for reconciliation.”

“Look Hannan, I’m sorry but

I simply cannot trust you. I think that you want to know about your father’s prophecies. I’ll cut the long conversation short, your brother Rizwan is married. He has the diary in which all the prophecies are noted down. You can go to him.”

Hannan was a bit disappointed but he was also curious about the prophecies. Mr Taha tried to control his temper. He said trying to be polite,

“You were the one who captured the piece of land illegally. It was really hurtful for me. I would have never even assumed that Tariq’s own son would backstab him.”

Hannan got angry on this and he stood up angrily.

“Now, you have gone really far!” Hannan said rasing his finger towards him. “I shall not tolerate this kind of blame.”

“Please leave my house, now!” Mr Taha said feeling a bit terrified.

Hannan left the place without spending a single moment there.

Two Months Later

Rizwan and Rahman were at Zakariya’s house. The two of them were seated at the guest room with Omama and Zakariya. Rizwan began the conversation,

“So, after a long period of discussion, we all have agreed that Omama would continue her education, but she will not go there alone. The guard that we have hired will keep a firm eye on everyone who will come closer towards her. Do we all agree?”

Omama and Zakariya both said together,

“Yes.”

“Good. And secondly Omama, you need to let things out. Please do not keep your grief by yourself. Do share it with us, your parents are very supporting.”

“Indeed,” Zakariya added.

“I have told you guys about the prophecy, although there are ten of them but I have shared this one with you so, you can understand the sensitivity of

this matter.”

“Please Dad, no offense,” Omama said, “but I don’t believe in this stuff.”

“That’s up to you, but what my father told us has turned out to be true mostly.”

“By the way Dad,” Rahman said, “you haven’t shared three prophecies with me yet.”

“I know, there was this crisis, we’ll talk about these at home.”

“Father,” Zakariya said as he remembered something,

“I almost forgot to tell you, a man came to our house two days back, he was asking about you.”

“Me?” Rizwan asked.

“Yes, his name was Hannan.”

Rizwan’s eyes opened out wide as he heard his brother’s name.

to be continued...