Back in the village in Interior Sindh, Rehan and his camera man had finally reached the location. Rehan knocked the door. After a while, the door was answered. It was Sarim Saud himself. Rehan greeted him and shook hands with him.

“How are you?” Rehan asked him.

“I’m good,” Sarim replied with an expression of unfamiliarity, “Who are you?”

“My name is Rehan. I need some information regarding Mujhtaba.”

“Mujhtaba?”

“Mujhtaba Illyas.”

“Oh yeah, Mujhtaba Illyas.”

“Yes, can you help us please?”

“Well I guess so. But who are you? I mean why do you want to know about him? How do you guys know him?”

“We are investigating his case,” the camera man replied. “We want to bring justice to whatever happened.”

“I don’t think you can,” Sarim answered.

“Why not?” Rehan asked.

“Truth be told, I think it’s too late. But I will help you by giving you the information you need.”

“Thanks.”

“I would have invited you inside but there’s no food. How about we take this outside?”

“Okay, as you wish.”

After a while, they were seated at a cafe that was under construction. They were having tea. Rehan began the conversation,

“Thank you for your hospitality.”

“No problem,” Sarim replied.

“So, let’s come to the topic of discussion. How did Mujhtaba disappear? Where is he now?”

“No, let me start from the beginning. In order to understand how he disappeared, one must know the background first.”

“Right.”

Sarim began,

“Mujhtaba’s life was a bit tragic. When I look back at his life, I get a bit emotional…Mujhtaba was twenty years old when he met Abram. Abram was a negative character in his life. You can call him a bully. He used to bully Mujhtaba, even though they both were adults, young adults. That is why Mujhtaba never really liked him. He was jealous as well as hostile towards him.”

“Who was jealous and hostile?” Rehan asked.

“Mujhtaba was jealous of Abram. Abram was a rich, educated guy unlike Mujhtaba. He wanted to be like Abram deep down but he couldn’t.”

Sarim stopped speaking for a while and then continued with a heavy breath:

“Mujhtaba’s mother passed away, it was unexpected. Anyway, after his mother’s death he was very heartbroken and helpless. He couldn’t even talk to anyone. But what was worse, Abram teased him regarding his mother. He was very disrespectful. He used to taunt him constantly and helpless Mujhtaba couldn’t do anything.”

Sarim stopped and took a sip of coffee. Rehan looked at his camera guy for a second with disappointment. Sarim continued from where he left,

“Mujhtaba became insane. I’ll tell you honestly, he had become so weak and mentally disturbed that he hardly spoke to anyone after that.”

“What about his father and siblings?” Rehan asked.

“His father passed away when he was only two years old. He had an elder sister who left Sindh years before their mother’s death.”

“I see, so he was all alone.”

“Yes, the poor guy had no friends either.”

“That’s sad.”

“Yes,” Sarim agreed. “And secondly he earned through his lands. His monthly income was enough to fulfill his household expenses.”

“Okay, so what happened then?”

“Abram had teased him so much that he wanted nothing less than destroying Abram.”

Sarim took out his phone and said,

“Let me show you Abram’s picture.”

“Sure.”

Sarim kept on looking for Abram’s picture for a while until he found it. He handed over his phone to Rehan and said,

“This is him.”

“Let me see,” Rehan said while taking the phone from him.

Rehan and his camera man looked at the picture for a while. Rehan commented after a moment,

“Well, he doesn’t look harmful from his appearance.”

“You can’t judge a person from his picture,” Sarim responded.

“I know.”

Rehan returned the phone back to him and said,

“What happened further?”

“Years later, Mujhtaba the hopeless guy found some hope in life. Despite all the hatred, there was a part of him that was willing to give love.”

“Oh, well that’s nice.”

“I know. I felt the same when I realised that. I was glad that he found some happiness in his miserable life.”

“So, what exactly was it? Did he meet someone?”

“Yes, there was this girl same as his age. Her name was Tahira. She was a nice woman from a respectable family.”

“Tahira?”

“Yes, she was probably Mujhtaba’s only friend. She considered Mujhtaba as her friend, just a friend nothing more.”

“I see, but Mujhtaba was expecting more?”

“No, a lot more!”

“That’s understandable,” Rehan replied nodding his head.

“He had fallen in love with this girl.”

“How old were they?”

“They both were not more than twenty-four. I don’t know the exact age difference.”

“Okay fine. What happened next?”

“Mujhtaba was so madly in love with her.”

Sarim got a little upset while saying,

“That poor guy was willing to do anything to make her happy. Even sacrifice his life for her.”

“Oh,” Rehan also got a little upset as he knew the story was about to become a tragic one.

“One day, he was planning to propose her. After quite a long time I saw him wearing new and clean clothes. But what happened was not so delightful. She kind of refused.”

“Kind of refused?”

“I mean she didn’t straight away refuse. She said she needed some time to think. But she was actually simply refusing her proposal.”

“I see.”

“Yes and the sad guy left. She didn’t even meet him for a few days. Mujhtaba was all alone and disturbed.”

Sarim took a deep breath and then continued,

“One day Mujhtaba saw her with you know who?”

“Abram?” Rehan guessed.

“That’s right.”

“Oh, my God!”

“Mujhtaba was very upset. In fact he was heartbroken the first time he saw her with Abram. Believe me I saw tears in his eyes. He was walking towards his house weeping.”

“What happened after that?”

“One day, in front of many people he met Tahira. He asked her politely to not meet Abram since he was not a good person. Tahira, the cruel lady lost her temper. She scolded him in front of everybody. She spoke to him very harshly.”

“What were her words?”

“I don’t remember her exact words. But she just said that he has no right to instruct her regarding whom she can meet and whom she cannot.”

“Oh God, I see.”

“Mujhtaba was shocked and shattered. Everybody was staring at him. He left the place and went back home… After a week, Tahira went to his house and she apologised.”

“Really, she apologised?”

“Well, that’s what I was told. And helpless Mujhtaba forgave her. They both were together again.”

“Oh, well that’s good.”

“No, it was just for two days. On the third day, she was with Abram again. Mujhtaba was so confused. He had no idea what was going on. He was being played. Whatever happening with him, it was clear that he was jealous. He was burning deep inside.”

“Of course.”

“And that was not it, I saw his wrists bleeding the other day.”

“He attempted suicide?”

“Not exactly suicide but he wanted to distract his pain.”

“The story is too painful to hear completely. Can you just come to the end?”

“Well, what happened eventually was that Tahira got married to Abram. But before that Abram bullied him again twice. Not in front of her but in front of the village’s public.”

“Oh dear,” Rehan uttered.

“Yeah, it was painful.”

“But why didn’t he do anything? I mean was he so helpless that he couldn’t even speak a word against him?”

“Yes, that’s true. He couldn’t even utter a word in front of Abram. He was actually a coward.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Rehan said.

“Anyway, Mujhtaba’s hatred for Abram intensified. He was so filled up with rage that he even used to punch walls at his home.”

“You mean he lost his sanity, right?”

“Yes, temporarily. But after a few days, when he heard through people of the village that the girl had accepted Abram’s marriage proposal, he got heartbroken. He became a living dead body.”

“Living dead body?”

“He spent most of his days on his bed. He only used to get up for food, water and for toilet. Other than that, he used to be on his bed all day. He used to sleep ten hours a day.”

“For how many days?” Rehan asked.

“For at least a week, I saw this happening. I used to pay him visits. That is what I observed.”

“Tell me something, did he personally ask Tahir about her marriage plan? Or about whom she really loved?”

“He didn’t have the courage, I mean he wanted to but he couldn’t. He couldn’t hear rejection from her. Nor could he listen to her talking about someone else in his presence, especially Abram.”

“Yeah, that’s agreeable.”

“One day, he was told that the girl he loved had decided to marry Abram. And there was nothing he could do about it.”

“He didn’t commit suicide or anything, did he?”

“No, he didn’t. Thank God but one day things changed forever.”

“Why? What happened?”

“Somebody was murdered in the village. You know that.”

“Oh yeah, of course.”

“Abram was the murderer. That’s what the police said.”

“And was he?”

“Nobody saw that except for Mujhtaba. Mujhtaba Illyas was the only witness.”

“Did he testify against him to the police?”

“Yes, he did once. But when he was told to testify in court, he did not reply affirmatively.”

“Was he afraid of Abram?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what it was. He was also threatened by him.”

“And where was Tahira during all this?”

“I don’t know exactly. She was probably married to Abram but she wasn’t around in the village.”

“I see, so what happened further?” Rehan asked curiously.

“Well it’s been since then, I haven’t heard from anyone of them. All three of them have disappeared since and I haven’t heard from them for over more than two years.”

“Two years?”

“Yes, well that’s all I can share.”

“No, you have shared quite a lot. This was really helpful.”

“So, what are you going to do with all this information?”

“I’m going to present this in my episode. I’ll provide this information to the police and let’s see what happens.”

“Yes, please do involve the city’s police in this matter as I’m really worried about my friend Mujhtaba.”

“I understand. Anyway, thanks for your cooperation.”

“Anytime brother,” he said.

They shook hands and Rehan prepared to leave.

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

Next morning at the police station, SHO Lashari heard his cell phone ringing. He answered the call,

“Yes?”

“Mr Lashari, this is Rehan here.” Rehan said from the other side.

“Yes Rehan, how are you?”

“I’m good sir. I have a news for you. I have figured out about Mujhtaba’s history.”

“Oh yes, what is the progress?”

“Well, it’s not something I can tell over the phone. But I have found something that’s interesting to share.”

“What is it? Tell me.”

“Well, it’s a long story I will have to share that in detail. But before that, I want you to know that nobody in the village has heard from Mujhtaba since two years.”

“I know that. That’s what we’ve all been claiming. Hold on, let me think.”

He paused for a moment. After a while, SHO Lashari said,

“Call me after one hour, can you?”

“For the details?”

“Yes, for Mujhtaba’s case.”

“Okay, I’ll call you.”

“Thank you, bye.”

The call got disconnected.

Rehan while standing outside the hotel he was staying at kept his phone in his pocket. As he looked up, he got shocked.

Kevin Rollins was standing in front of him.

to be continued...