Possession by Laila Ali (best authors to read txt) 📕

'Amman is the traitor' Irtaza's words made Haseeb's mind spirally out of control. His chest growing tight, muscles stiffened and his face pale as he recalled telling Amman to pick Zahra from university. 

His eyes wide in circles as he made a run towards garage, took the first car in his sight and rushed to Zahra’ s University. On reaching there, he found the place desolate. Buses stood empty along the curb, collecting dust.

Haseeb was unsure whether to ask the security guards about Zahra because it was clear that she had left just like other students. His stomach churned into a ball, he ran hither-tither aimlessly but still no din from any student, no noise from cars. He wished that ground would develop a hole and he would willingly let it swallow him.

He tried Zahra's and Amman's phone but it was switched off. This made him more anxious. He scratched the lines on his forehead as if that could pull off the lines of worry. He swallowed dryly unable to wet his parched throat. 

..........

"He is dead" said Amman

'What? No? How? How you do you know?!" uttered Zahra, partly speaking partly howling. Her world ending in front of her eyes, her heart sinking along the icebergs of faith.

"I just got the news, we must hurry" Amman said blatantly feeding her lies.

When they both were at hospital, Amman had gotten a call from Khurram which told him that Irtaza had escaped the Taliban's, who had made a deal with Khurram osmani to turn in Irtaza in exchange of cash. Osmani being the impulsive snooty mafia whose hands itched to get a hold of Irtaza jumped to the deal. He just wanted to kill his sole enemy with his bare hands.

"Ma'am please wait I have to call someone urgently" saying this Amman came out of the car and finally answered the call from osmani

"That bastard escaped and killed all of the terrorist men. Just him and his acquaintance overpowered the army of men whose bellies I have been stuffing all this while just like you. Now you listen to me you piece of shit, get me his head by hook or crook or I will have yours" barked Osmani in full rage, spitting fires.

"I have one thing which can bring him down to his knees" replied Amman coyly eyeing Zahra's miserable state from the window. "i have his precious queen with me"

"Bring her -fucking- highness to me without wasting a sec" Osmani ordered, smirking as if he has already won.

Amman cut the call and plopped inside the car and continued on the road but on a different route.

Zahra was still gulping in reality more like something died inside her, one part sealed in catacombs at a time. She was so immersed in thoughts and on the voices screaming in her head that her eyes failed to register the things happening around her. She sat mute, rigid and felt coldness and feeling of loss enveloping her timid form.

.................

"How did you know that they would listen to you and increase the amount of ransom" asked Moosa while driving and looking at the rare view mirror to find that Shehryaar's search teams have joined them on the national highway.

"When we were taken into the warehouse I was not completely knocked out like you. I overheard one of the terrorist saying that they must keep us alive for Osmani. And I knew about the origins of Talibans. These men worked for D. Order 1 initially but due to internal politics and intrusion from porous borders the order got divided in two prominent barrel of monkeys . One acquired physical control over the headquarters and others dispersed with heavy but less armaments. The ones who attacked belonged to the second as the relied on Khurram osmani for their revival. This gave me their rein. Remember the first lesson of manipulation that money, love and patriotism can change anyone's character. That's what I did' said Irtaza looking outside the window.

Irtaza had questioned his kidnappers about the negotiated value and made them think that they could have asked for more which they obviously needed for their growth. And obviously those fools succumbed to greed and increased the ransom tremendously. Due to which osmani asked for two weeks period to arrange the hefty amount which bought Irtaza and Moosa time to plan and escape. If they didn't escape, today was going to be the last day of them on earth.

Both being the mafia bosses noted each and every detail about them

From the time the six guards in their room would leave to the pair of guards who stood at the gate. And by noon all would gather inside to avoid the eyes of civilians in bright daylight. Irtaza instructed Moosa that they would to have wait and step back before they escape in a language only the two could decode.

(Teettar- is a bird, the following is a famous riddle)

(Teettar ke do aage teetar, teettar ke do andar tettar

Teettar ke do piche tettar, do daye hath main, do bayein hath main. 

Chuhon ko ek sath bori main band karna theek rehta hai)

A pheasant bird has two nestlings in front,

two at back, 

two at right

and two at left

We must entrap all the mice in one sack.

Here the teetar or pheasant meant Irtaza and Moosa. He told Moosa that they were six men in total others come and patrol often and that they both would have to be quick in order to kill them all.

On the tenth day of their abduction, the terrorist group of men received a message that they would be getting the ransom money from Khurram osmani. Two guards present inside the warehouse came towards Irtaza and Moosa to untie ropes that connected to the chair and to transit them to the jeep .

"No funny business" said one of the men and started to untie Irtaza. He being the master of his art didn't take much time and head bumped the man as he bent to unknot the rope caging his ankles. Moosa managed to smash his elbow into other's face. This ignited the mad fight of survival. Both discharged their chains in no time and held the guns they have been hiding in their trouser pockets.