MURDERS AT THE ORPHANAGE

  • 11 Aug - 17 Aug, 2018
  • Salaar Laghari
  • Fiction


Days later at the orphanage, Shahzaib was sitting in his office. He was looking at his laptop and drinking coffee. As he kept his coffee cup aside and got distracted, he looked aside. He then opened a folder in his laptop and clicked at a few images. They were the pictures of the murdered victims.

He left the room and kept walking in the corridor, and then stopped outside another room, peeked inside and entered it. Three kids were sleeping there. Without making any noise, he walked towards the wall. It had red stains on it. Those were actually blood stains. He looked closely at the stains then touched them. After satisfaction, he left the room, shutting the door behind him unlike before.

Then he walked towards another room and saw blood stains on the carpet. He went inside and knelt down to get a clearer look. Then he spoke to himself, “They need to be cleaned properly. The kids here might be horrified at the sight.”

He stood up and then left the room.

While walking to check the other rooms he wondered, these events were necessary but the way it happened, I regret that. I know these kids are not going to be the same after what they have witnessed. Am I to blame for it? Maybe yes, maybe not.

He kept on walking until he saw other kids still awake and playing in their room. Seeing them, he realised that the horrifying events were easily forgettable for some of the kids. He smiled looking at them and then left the spot talking to himself, “Maybe it is not that difficult for them to move on.”

He suddenly stopped opposite to a mirror and wondered, would I be able to look at myself in the mirror? I guess yes, I would.

While he was smiling and looking at himself in the mirror, he took out his cell phone and dialed a number. As his call got answered, he spoke, “I want you to come here tomorrow afternoon.”

********

Next day in the garden of the orphanage, Shahzaib and Taha were sitting opposite to each other on chairs. “So, we’ve finally accomplished our goal,” Shahzaib declared.

“Yup, quite successfully,” Taha answered.

“Thanks to you, Mr Mute.”

They both laughed on Shahzaib’s last comment. Then Taha spoke, “It wasn’t easy though.”

“Tell me how did you do all of this?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean to ask, how did you plant this on Mr Jahangir?”

“Oh that,” Taha started explaining, “well, the most important thing for you to know is that how I acquired his hand prints.”

“Exactly… ”

“See that bench over there?”

Shahzaib turned to see where Taha was pointing then after seeing the object, he asked, “Yes, what about it?”

“On a specific spot of the arm rest, I had attached a polythene sheet-like paper. I knew Jahangir would hold it.”

“So you’re talking about that day when he came to the orphanage and blackmailed?”

“Yes, that day he held the sheet and through that, I acquired his hand prints.”

“Wow, you’ve been working really hard on it.”

“Yes, I even had to bear that slap from him!”

Shahzaib chuckled and then spoke, “Well I must admit that you have a devil’s mind. And I admire this about you.”

“Thanks, but it was all about my mother. Vengeance was in my blood.”

Shahzaib got silent for a while, seeing him getting emotional.

“What about you?” Taha asked. “You also played an important part.”

“Yeah, hiring those killers and investing a great amount of money on them.”

“So tell me about them. I want to know how you hired them.”

“Well, it wasn’t as difficult as much as it was risky. I surveyed some criminals with a little help from the police. I had to find out those criminals who were actually murderers and were free of any charge. I made a list of few of them. First, I acquired their contact information then I emailed them about this job. I told them that they would get a salary of about fifty thousand or above.”

“Wow, and they all agreed to do the job?”

“Yes, I hired them later then left the country. But I have no remorse for what I did. Those killers, they were killed out of your hands. That’s what they deserved. I’m not at all upset about what I did.”

“Oh of course, just move on. Let’s just forget it.”

“Yeah yeah, that’s right. Absolutely.”

There was a moment of awkward silence until Taha smiled and Shahzaib smiled back at him. Shahzaib looked to his left and got surprised. Taha followed him from thereon and was also surprised, as well as slightly terrified after what they just saw.

Babar was standing and looking at both of them. Shahzaib panicked but tried to calm himself down. Babar furiously started to walk towards them and spoke, controlling his anger, “So this is what you people really are?”

“Listen Babar… ” Taha spoke standing up.

“And you, Mr 25 years old…”

Taha looked down at his feet and remained silent. Babar asked, “Do you have any idea what I’ve gone through because of you two?”

“Let me handle this,” Shahzaib spoke. “Look Babar, I understand what you’ve been through but you need to understand that this was really important.”

“Oh no, I’m never going to believe you liars. I’m going to inform the cops right now!”

Babar left the spot immediately after saying this then took out his cell phone in order to make a phone call. Shahzaib tried to stop him, “Babar! Stop!”

“Don’t worry Shahzaib,” Taha spoke smartly, “what does he have against us? Nothing! No proof to convince the cops that I am twenty above and that you planned this conspiracy. I have planted enough evidences already. The cops are not going to believe him, no matter how hard he tries.”

Shahzaib realized that he was absolutely right. “You’re right, there’s absolutely nothing to be afraid of.”

They both looked at each other and shook hands, exchanging a look of being bad guys with evil minds. •

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