The night was dark. Rehan was walking on a footpath near his house. There was no one around and there was no light either. Rehan wondered while walking:

What am I doing? Am I playing with my life? Am I putting my life at risk?

He looked behind as he heard a sound. He then turned forward again and continued talking to himself:

This job that you have picked. Do you have any idea what kind of a job is this? Do you realise the dangers associated with this job? I don’t think you do. The team of Crimes at Corners is using you. They are giving you such tasks, so they can risk your life and use you for their purposes.

He stopped walking and asked himself:

Should I quit?

He then changed his standing position and answered himself:

I can’t do that. I just simply can’t. I’m short of money and resources. I need something to make a living.

A question arose in his mind:

But what your life is at risk. What if you die? Then there will simply be no way you can undo your actions. Maria will have no means of survival.

He was kind of worried, therefore his walking speed increased. He wondered while walking:

You can’t. You can’t quit your job. You have no option here. Not unless you find another job.

He kept walking and thought about the past few months of his life. He remembered how Maria was crying on the hospital’s bed. Her upset face after the incident appeared in front of his eyes. He started running now, uttering:

No, I can’t think about it.

Not anymore. That time cannot return.

His eyes got watery. A tear fell from his eye. He increased his speed and ran trying to distract himself. He stopped running as he reached a place with street lights. He looked around at the vacant place and felt amased.

*****************

Next morning, while Rehan was out for work, Maria’s old friend Hina came to meet her.

“It has been more than ten years, I guess,” Maria said

“Yes, that’s true. We are meeting after twelve years.”

“Yeah, so how are you? What’s going on in life?”

“Life’s great, life’s fun. I had been to some foreign countries.”

“Really? That’s interesting. Which countries?”

“Well I’ve been to Turkey, Malaysia and I had a recent trip to Maldives.”

“I see, well that’s amazing.”

“Yeah, and what about your life?”

“My life’s good.” Maria replied in a low voice.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“But you don’t seem confident about it,”

“What?”

“I’m saying that you don’t really look happy or whatever you are telling.”

“Well, I faced a little incident few years back.”

“Oh dear. Is everything alright?”

“Yes, everything is fine now and what happened in the past should not really matter now. And it doesn’t.”

“Would you like to share it with me?”

“I don’t know, are you in the mood to listen?”

“Yes, I am. Please do share it with me,”

“Okay, what happened several months back was that I was expecting a child. Rehan was really happy about it.”

“Rehan, your husband, right?”

“Yes. We were so happy about our child. We had so many expectations from life. But fate had different plans of course. Rehan was returning home quite distressed. Every day he appeared to be a little upset, when he returned from work.”

“Why?”

“When I asked him why, he replied that the company was planning to terminate some staff. And he was in the list. He was probably just afraid about losing his job.”

“Oh, so what happened?”

“One day I was admitted to the hospital. I was feeling pain. I informed him and told him that I was getting admitted. While he was in office, I got admitted in the hospital.”

Maria stopped for a while as her voice was getting tender. She continued trying to stay strong while speaking:

“One day while I was at the hospital, Rehan texted me. He texted that I must leave the hospital immediately. That’s all I was told. Somebody probably must have told him that the hospital was corrupt. But I hadn’t read his text. I had read it next day. But probably it was too late.”

“Too late? How?”

“Next day in the morning or probably afternoon, I was told that the child had passed away. It was a miscarriage. A miscarriage I never understood.”

“Oh my God. Really?”

“Yes, I never understood what really happened. All I know is that my child died. It was the fifth month, and he had passed away only because I was admitted.”

“So, you blame the hospital?”

“Not exactly the hospital. I blame the authorities that were responsible.”

“Oh, so it’s since then you guys are living an uncomfortable life?”

“Yes, but something else happened as well,” Maria answered.

“And what was that?”

“I was waiting for Rehan to come. I had to give him this bad news. I had no idea that he was about to come along with another bad news,”

Hina listened to her impatiently.

“Rehan came to the hospital and before I could tell him, he told me that he was fired,” said maria.

“Fired?”

“Yes fired. Terminated from the job.”

“Oh no, that’s terrible.”

“But anyway, I revealed my news to him. I cried in front of him and he left the room. And it has been since then…”

“That you guys are not talking anymore?”

“Yes, we hardly talk. We don’t go out and living a miserable life. Separate yet together.”

“I see. So, what about his job? I mean is he doing anything? I mean did he find another job?”

“Yes, he did. He found another job. He is hosting this TV show Crimes at Corners.”

“Wow, that’s amazing.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“No seriously, I mean it. He has a great job now I must say.”

“Yeah thanks,”

“So since when has he started this job?”

“Well, it has just been a week. It’s his new job and I just hope that he would get a good salary.”

“He will, he will. Have faith, you guys will live happily again.”

“Yes, I hope so…”

*****************

Next day Rehan was standing outside a police station. He was looking at the address written on a small piece of paper. While looking at the police station, he whispered:

This must be it.

He kept the note in his pocket and walked inside the police station.

The moment he stepped inside, he saw the SHO he had to meet, seated at the desk.

It’s him. He said to himself.

He slowly walked towards him seeing several police constables walking around in the police station.

As Rehan stood right in front of the police officer he asked,

“Are you Mr Wahab Lashari?”

“Yes.”

“I need some information from you. At what time will you be available?”

“What information?”

“It’s about Mujhtaba Illyas. The missing guy you once searched for,”

“Are you related to him?”

“I am not related to him, I’m just a TV show’s host.”

“So, why do you need this information?”

“It’s important for the project I’m working on. I’m shooting this crime investigation episode, on this issue. I’ll do everything myself. But first I need something to start with. I need to know this guy’s background.”

“Oh, so that’s what this is all about. Now you’re talking clearly. Was that so hard to tell me earlier?”

“Okay, now you know why I’m here. Please answer my queries now.”

“Alright kid… What’s your good name?” the SHO answered in a lighter mode.

“Rehan,”

“Okay Rehan, here’s what we’ll do. After half an hour I’m leaving for home. My shift will be over. In the meantime, you have to wait for me outside.”

“Outside?” Rehan asked, tensed.

“Okay I’ll arrange a place for you inside. I’ll stay here for thirty minutes and as I’ll leave we can talk on the way.”

“Oh…So you do know the background of this guy Mujhtaba Illyas?”

“Well I know passively. I’ll help you as much as I can.”

“Thank you. That means a lot.”

“No problem kid.”

Rehan walked away from the desk and sat on a bench nearby.

More than thirty minutes later, Rehan saw the SHO leaving after packing his necessary stuff. Rehan stood up and followed him.

As they both got out of the police station the SHO began,

“This guy Mujhtaba, he lived in a village. He was an educated person but he lived in a rural area. It was somewhere in Sindh. He was the guy who had witnessed a crime. A crime that was meant to be resolved by all means. I was given that case.”

“What was the crime?”

“It was related to a murder,”

“I had to solve that crime and the only way to solve that was by talking to the witnesses. Unfortunately, there was only one witness. It was Mujhtaba. He was willing to testify against the crime,”

“So he had seen the entire act of the crime?”

“Yes, exactly. He had seen the murder with his own eyes. And he was very terrified,”

“So, what happened next?”

“He disappeared. He was lost. He was labeled as missing,”

Rehan seemed to take interest in the case.

“So did he, I mean the murderer. He knew that Mujhtaba was going to testify against him?” Rehan asked.

“I don’t know. We have the profile of that killer but did he know that Mujhtaba was testifying against him at the court, I have no clue about that.”

“No but there’s a chance, isn’t it? The killer must have done something to Mujhtaba.”

“That’s just an assumption kid. You can’t make a judgement on that.”

“Is there any other reason why he disappeared?”

“No, I guess not.”

“Then, why can’t we assume that the killer is involved behind this?”

“I’m not saying that we can’t assume that.”

“And what was the crime exactly?”

“I’ll come to that, first let me clarify that we cannot simply convict someone of kidnapping or disappearing someone just because we have a little assumption

of threat.”

“Okay I understand, but I still think that we can be suspicious about it.”

“We are, I am. The whole department is suspicious of the killer. Just the way you are. But we cannot take any step,”

“Okay I get it. Now can we get to the crime part?”

“I will get to it but first you need to know that if you really want to work on this case and you are sincere about it, then I would recommend you to do something.”

“And that is?”

“Go to the village. Solve this crime over there. Only there you can find the answers,”

“Oh, well that’s something undeniable.”

“Yes, and I would recommend that over any other thing.”

“I understand.”

“Look kid, here’s what we can do.”

Rehan listened to him impatiently. The SHO continued,

“If I like your efforts, then I will support you.”

“How?”

“Now look, financial support is what your TV channel is going to provide you. I believe they will. Once you reach there, stay in touch with me and update me. If I will like your efforts and if it will appear to me that you are sincere and hardworking, then I will come there.”

“You’ll come to the village?”

“Yes, I will. Just prove it to me that you are capable of working on this. Then I will come and then we can do something together.”

“Which village is this? How far is it from here?”

“I don’t seem to remember the name.” the SHO responded trying to recall. “Don’t worry, I’ll let you know Rehan.”

“Can you tell me how far it is, from here?”

“Yeah, it is not more than a five to six hours drive.”

“From here?”

“Yes, from here.”

“Oh, well that’s a bit relieving.”

“Yeah, don’t worry about the travel. You’ll get there easily. What needs to be done further is the real issue.”

“Tell me is there any place to stay? Like a hotel or something?”

“I think there is,” the SHO answered trying to remember. “There is, yeah there is.”

“Is it like, if you know what I mean?”

“Well, it is liveable. I mean the hotels are fine. Tell me are you seriously thinking of going there?”

“Yes I am. I will go there and solve this mystery if it has to be done.”

“Will your channel carry your expenses?”

“I was told by Mr Zakaullah, my instructor, that they will bear all the expenses of this case.”

“Well, that’s great.”

he night was dark. Rehan was walking on a footpath near his house. There was no one around and there was no light either. Rehan wondered while walking:

What am I doing? Am I playing with my life? Am I putting my life at risk?

He looked behind as he heard a sound. He then turned forward again and continued talking to himself:

This job that you have picked. Do you have any idea what kind of a job is this? Do you realise the dangers associated with this job? I don’t think you do. The team of Crimes at Corners is using you. They are giving you such tasks, so they can risk your life and use you for their purposes.

He stopped walking and asked himself:

Should I quit?

He then changed his standing position and answered himself:

I can’t do that. I just simply can’t. I’m short of money and resources. I need something to make a living.

A question arose in his mind:

But what your life is at risk. What if you die? Then there will simply be no way you can undo your actions. Maria will have no means of survival.

He was kind of worried, therefore his walking speed increased. He wondered while walking:

You can’t. You can’t quit your job. You have no option here. Not unless you find another job.

He kept walking and thought about the past few months of his life. He remembered how Maria was crying on the hospital’s bed. Her upset face after the incident appeared in front of his eyes. He started running now, uttering:

No, I can’t think about it.

Not anymore. That time cannot return.

His eyes got watery. A tear fell from his eye. He increased his speed and ran trying to distract himself. He stopped running as he reached a place with street lights. He looked around at the vacant place and felt amased.

*****************

Next morning, while Rehan was out for work, Maria’s old friend Hina came to meet her.

“It has been more than ten years, I guess,” Maria said

“Yes, that’s true. We are meeting after twelve years.”

“Yeah, so how are you? What’s going on in life?”

“Life’s great, life’s fun. I had been to some foreign countries.”

“Really? That’s interesting. Which countries?”

“Well I’ve been to Turkey, Malaysia and I had a recent trip to Maldives.”

“I see, well that’s amazing.”

“Yeah, and what about your life?”

“My life’s good.” Maria replied in a low voice.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“But you don’t seem confident about it,”

“What?”

“I’m saying that you don’t really look happy or whatever you are telling.”

“Well, I faced a little incident few years back.”

“Oh dear. Is everything alright?”

“Yes, everything is fine now and what happened in the past should not really matter now. And it doesn’t.”

“Would you like to share it with me?”

“I don’t know, are you in the mood to listen?”

“Yes, I am. Please do share it with me,”

“Okay, what happened several months back was that I was expecting a child. Rehan was really happy about it.”

“Rehan, your husband, right?”

“Yes. We were so happy about our child. We had so many expectations from life. But fate had different plans of course. Rehan was returning home quite distressed. Every day he appeared to be a little upset, when he returned from work.”

“Why?”

“When I asked him why, he replied that the company was planning to terminate some staff. And he was in the list. He was probably just afraid about losing his job.”

“Oh, so what happened?”

“One day I was admitted to the hospital. I was feeling pain. I informed him and told him that I was getting admitted. While he was in office, I got admitted in the hospital.”

Maria stopped for a while as her voice was getting tender. She continued trying to stay strong while speaking:

“One day while I was at the hospital, Rehan texted me. He texted that I must leave the hospital immediately. That’s all I was told. Somebody probably must have told him that the hospital was corrupt. But I hadn’t read his text. I had read it next day. But probably it was too late.”

“Too late? How?”

“Next day in the morning or probably afternoon, I was told that the child had passed away. It was a miscarriage. A miscarriage I never understood.”

“Oh my God. Really?”

“Yes, I never understood what really happened. All I know is that my child died. It was the fifth month, and he had passed away only because I was admitted.”

“So, you blame the hospital?”

“Not exactly the hospital. I blame the authorities that were responsible.”

“Oh, so it’s since then you guys are living an uncomfortable life?”

“Yes, but something else happened as well,” Maria answered.

“And what was that?”

“I was waiting for Rehan to come. I had to give him this bad news. I had no idea that he was about to come along with another bad news,”

Hina listened to her impatiently.

“Rehan came to the hospital and before I could tell him, he told me that he was fired,” said maria.

“Fired?”

“Yes fired. Terminated from the job.”

“Oh no, that’s terrible.”

“But anyway, I revealed my news to him. I cried in front of him and he left the room. And it has been since then…”

“That you guys are not talking anymore?”

“Yes, we hardly talk. We don’t go out and living a miserable life. Separate yet together.”

“I see. So, what about his job? I mean is he doing anything? I mean did he find another job?”

“Yes, he did. He found another job. He is hosting this TV show Crimes at Corners.”

“Wow, that’s amazing.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“No seriously, I mean it. He has a great job now I must say.”

“Yeah thanks,”

“So since when has he started this job?”

“Well, it has just been a week. It’s his new job and I just hope that he would get a good salary.”

“He will, he will. Have faith, you guys will live happily again.”

“Yes, I hope so…”

v v v

Next day Rehan was standing outside a police station. He was looking at the address written on a small piece of paper. While looking at the police station, he whispered:

This must be it.

He kept the note in his pocket and walked inside the police station.

The moment he stepped inside, he saw the SHO he had to meet, seated at the desk.

It’s him. He said to himself.

He slowly walked towards him seeing several police constables walking around in the police station.

As Rehan stood right in front of the police officer he asked,

“Are you Mr Wahab Lashari?”

“Yes.”

“I need some information from you. At what time will you be available?”

“What information?”

“It’s about Mujhtaba Illyas. The missing guy you once searched for,”

“Are you related to him?”

“I am not related to him, I’m just a TV show’s host.”

“So, why do you need this information?”

“It’s important for the project I’m working on. I’m shooting this crime investigation episode, on this issue. I’ll do everything myself. But first I need something to start with. I need to know this guy’s background.”

“Oh, so that’s what this is all about. Now you’re talking clearly. Was that so hard to tell me earlier?”

“Okay, now you know why I’m here. Please answer my queries now.”

“Alright kid… What’s your good name?” the SHO answered in a lighter mode.

“Rehan,”

“Okay Rehan, here’s what we’ll do. After half an hour I’m leaving for home. My shift will be over. In the meantime, you have to wait for me outside.”

“Outside?” Rehan asked, tensed.

“Okay I’ll arrange a place for you inside. I’ll stay here for thirty minutes and as I’ll leave we can talk on the way.”

“Oh…So you do know the background of this guy Mujhtaba Illyas?”

“Well I know passively. I’ll help you as much as I can.”

“Thank you. That means a lot.”

“No problem kid.”

Rehan walked away from the desk and sat on a bench nearby.

More than thirty minutes later, Rehan saw the SHO leaving after packing his necessary stuff. Rehan stood up and followed him.

As they both got out of the police station the SHO began,

“This guy Mujhtaba, he lived in a village. He was an educated person but he lived in a rural area. It was somewhere in Sindh. He was the guy who had witnessed a crime. A crime that was meant to be resolved by all means. I was given that case.”

“What was the crime?”

“It was related to a murder,”

“I had to solve that crime and the only way to solve that was by talking to the witnesses. Unfortunately, there was only one witness. It was Mujhtaba. He was willing to testify against the crime,”

“So he had seen the entire act of the crime?”

“Yes, exactly. He had seen the murder with his own eyes. And he was very terrified,”

“So, what happened next?”

“He disappeared. He was lost. He was labeled as missing,”

Rehan seemed to take interest in the case.

“So did he, I mean the murderer. He knew that Mujhtaba was going to testify against him?” Rehan asked.

“I don’t know. We have the profile of that killer but did he know that Mujhtaba was testifying against him at the court, I have no clue about that.”

“No but there’s a chance, isn’t it? The killer must have done something to Mujhtaba.”

“That’s just an assumption kid. You can’t make a judgement on that.”

“Is there any other reason why he disappeared?”

“No, I guess not.”

“Then, why can’t we assume that the killer is involved behind this?”

“I’m not saying that we can’t assume that.”

“And what was the crime exactly?”

“I’ll come to that, first let me clarify that we cannot simply convict someone of kidnapping or disappearing someone just because we have a little assumption

of threat.”

“Okay I understand, but I still think that we can be suspicious about it.”

“We are, I am. The whole department is suspicious of the killer. Just the way you are. But we cannot take any step,”

“Okay I get it. Now can we get to the crime part?”

“I will get to it but first you need to know that if you really want to work on this case and you are sincere about it, then I would recommend you to do something.”

“And that is?”

“Go to the village. Solve this crime over there. Only there you can find the answers,”

“Oh, well that’s something undeniable.”

“Yes, and I would recommend that over any other thing.”

“I understand.”

“Look kid, here’s what we can do.”

Rehan listened to him impatiently. The SHO continued,

“If I like your efforts, then I will support you.”

“How?”

“Now look, financial support is what your TV channel is going to provide you. I believe they will. Once you reach there, stay in touch with me and update me. If I will like your efforts and if it will appear to me that you are sincere and hardworking, then I will come there.”

“You’ll come to the village?”

“Yes, I will. Just prove it to me that you are capable of working on this. Then I will come and then we can do something together.”

“Which village is this? How far is it from here?”

“I don’t seem to remember the name.” the SHO responded trying to recall. “Don’t worry, I’ll let you know Rehan.”

“Can you tell me how far it is, from here?”

“Yeah, it is not more than a five to six hours drive.”

“From here?”

“Yes, from here.”

“Oh, well that’s a bit relieving.”

“Yeah, don’t worry about the travel. You’ll get there easily. What needs to be done further is the real issue.”

“Tell me is there any place to stay? Like a hotel or something?”

“I think there is,” the SHO answered trying to remember. “There is, yeah there is.”

“Is it like, if you know what I mean?”

“Well, it is liveable. I mean the hotels are fine. Tell me are you seriously thinking of going there?”

“Yes I am. I will go there and solve this mystery if it has to be done.”

“Will your channel carry your expenses?”

“I was told by Mr Zakaullah, my instructor, that they will bear all the expenses of this case.”

“Well, that’s great.”

to be continued...