Her Soulmate Chapter 17

 

"I like stories where women save themselves"

-Neil Gaiman

Start of January

Sohail entered the house with red eyes, shattered and grief filled heart. Each and every word of Salma was echoing in his mind. Karma had stuck him. The cruel society, whom he once was also the part, had crushed his daughter's mind. Voices and flashes from the past started roaming into his mind. 

"I promise I will come back"he was saying this to Salma. 

"Real man is one who protects his family from evil. He is the person who supports his family and makes compromises for them." His mentor was saying to him. 

"She was a characterless girl," His mother said to him. 

"Please Sohil, don't do that. Please listen to me. Please! I really love you" Salma's weeping voice echoed in his mind and then, those three dreadful words echoed in his mind. 

"Divorce, divorce, divorce" 

And after it, everything finishes. 

Sohail's eyes again became moist on remembering those moments. He felt pity and anger on himself. 

"That's why anger is Haram in Islam. This feeling makes you to take those decisions which you will regret in future. I have also taken the divorce decision in anger and everything finishes in my life." He thought. 

He entered his room and decided to take shower, so that he could calm his nerves. He opened his wardrobe, and then the picture of Salma came in front of him. 

The picture was of their wedding in which he was smiling at the camera and Salma's eyes were casted down. Shades of shyness were evident in her posture. Sohail gazed at the picture and emptiness took over him. 

"I was a weak man who was not able to protect and help his wife. But, I will not repeat my mistakes. I will protect my daughter from this society. I will do anything for her."

Determination was evident in his eyes.
And, only fate knew how he was going to fulfil his promise. 

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

Silence was in Faris's house as one was ignoring the other and the other was trying to muster up his courage to speak to her. 

Faris felt grateful to her that she was with him in this situation. He wanted to say thank you for her support and also wanted to say sorry for his rudeness. From the very first day, he knew that his rudeness was pointless, but still he was rude with her. He doubted her character, or at least made her feel like that. At this moment, he was biting his lips and pondering over the ways how he could express his feelings? Or how to repair his relationship? Managing relations is also an art, a skill; and unfortunately Faris had forgotten this skill due to the bitterness of his life. In prison, He had forgotten how to manage a family life. And there, all the problems lie. 

Daneen did feel affection and love towards him last night. But, now she had composed herself, and had decided to maintain the distance between them. Self Respect is heavier than love. And her self respect was stopping her to remain polite to Faris. 

She finished making breakfast and started setting the table. Faris, who was standing near the table, took the plates from her. He put it on the table and took Daneen's hands in his. Daneen remained quiet.

"Please take the seat" he beseeched. 

She stared at him and then sat on a chair. He also took the chair and sat near her.

"Thank you so much for yesterday, " he said to her, gratefully. Daneen saw his expressions and gave a tight smile but said nothing. Faris started getting nervous about what to say. Nevertheless, he continued:

"When the police came at home, firstly, I thought that I'm alone in the world. And I was afraid of this feeling. But then, you came in front of me and saved me. That moment, I came to know that I'm not alone, you are with me and this realization gave me strength. Thank you so much to be on my side. Thank you" Emotions, sincerity and love was shimmering in his eyes. Daneen's heart melted at this sight and she gave a warm smile to him. 

"You are always welcome Faris" she said with sincerity. And stood from the chair to bring breakfast. 

"Wait! I have to say something else" Faris stopped her. She again sat on the chair with confused expressions. 

"Umm... I don't know how to proceed it" he said. He scratched the nape of his neck and took a deep sigh. 

"Daneen! I want to say sorry to you for my behaviour"

 A bitter smile came on Daneen's face upon listening to it. "I have no right to doubt your character, to make judgments on it, but still I do it. I'm sorry. I was just furious on listening that you and Ahmad.... " he shook his head with disgust and leave the sentence in mid. 

"I love you and when I listened to the story of Daneen and Ahmad, I felt betrayed and hurt. And in those feelings, I just....  become rude with you. I'm sorry" he said and saw her face which had a bitter smile on it. 

"Listening this feels so heroic and romantic for a girl"

Daneen said it with a strange smile. Faris's eyebrows furrowed at her words. 

"What? "

"That a person likes you. He starts loving you in first sight. He starts dreaming about you and he can't bear that his lover, can love or get attached to any other person. He becomes overprotective for you. And become hurtful when he feels or think that his lover doesn't love him. He marries her just to conceal her from the society. What a heroic and attractive story! A girl starts dreaming for such person, she wants such lover in her life. But let me tell you, in reality, such situation suffocates you. It hurts you. It is painful for you" In the end, her voice became moist. 

"Men think that they have the right to control his wife. If they are tired, they have the right to let out their anger on her. If they are suffering from something bitter, they have the right to make her suffer. If they are going through a hard situation, they have the right to make the girl's life a hell. They think that they are strong and that girl's life depends on them. They think they have the right to point out the faults of a girl and then tease her due to those faults. They think they have the right to pass judgment on a girl's character and then they can make decisions about her life. But let me tell you Faris Shahnawaz Khan, this thinking is wrong. We girls have a heart and mind. We can control our life" she stopped for some seconds. Faris was seeing her bewildered expressions. Her every word was right, he accepted it. 

"But, this thinking is not the fault of man," she continued. 

"Our society imposes these thoughts in man's mind. Have you ever analyzed different fairy tales?" she asked him, on which he shook his head.

"Our fairy tales are also filled with stories of male controlling and female submitting him. For example in Cinderella, she is suffering and only a prince can save her from the cruel society. She is poor and powerless and the prince is everything. In Sleeping Beauty, the Princess is waiting for a prince's kiss, which can save her. In Rapunzel, she is also bound in a castle and only a prince can save her from the cruel society. In twelve dancing princesses, they get their destination only when a man comes and helps them. In fairy tales, we are getting the message that a girl is helpless and man can only help her.  From our childhood, we are getting this lesson. So, when men grow up, they start thinking of women as their own property" she said this with remorse. Faris was tongue tied at her observation

Daneen stood from the chair and started serving breakfast with an expressionless face. When she finished her task, Faris spoke. 

"Have you ever analyzed Beauty and the beast? " he asked. 

Daneen stared at him with confused expressions. 

"In it, a beautiful girl accepts a cruel and ugly beast. She loves the beast despite of his ugliness, his weird life and his rudeness. She gets ready to marry the beast because she senses the beauty of his inner self. And due to the marriage, beast recovers from the cruelty and spell of bitch. Girl rescues him from the witch by loving him and rescuing him." he says it while taking her hands in his hands. Daneen remains quiet. 

"Please rescue me just like the beauty in the fairy tale"

Her heart skipped a beat at his words. 
"Please Daneen, it is a request"

 And here Daneen's vision blurred due to tears. She composed herself and just nodded her head. She needed time in consoling her broken self respect. But still, his words watered the love plant present in her heart. 

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

It was 10.30 am  when Dilawar's car stopped in front of Faris's house. He was also sitting in his car, but seeing Dilawar's car, he came near him. 

Dilawar came out of his car and met him. 

"Someone was telling me that the police came yesterday to your house. Why did they come? What happened? " Tension was evident in every line of his face.

"They are doubting me for the famous rape cases that has been occurring in Shaheenabad." he replied with anger and irritation. 

"What! How they can do that? " he was bewildered at his comment. 

"Someone is my enemy and he is trapping me. Allah knows when my hand will be on that enemy, he will not remain alive anymore." he said with anger. 

"Calm down Faris! And be relaxed dude! Do remember I will always be with you through every thick and thin. Be brave! " he said while patting his shoulder. Faris gave a weak smile to him

"I know it, dude!"

"Where are you going? " 

 "I'm just going around. I want some time alone " Faris said in a vague tone. 
"Call me if you need me" he said with a sincere smile and turned back. 

"Sure"

When Dilawar left the place, Faris sat in his car and drove away. 

At 11.05 am, Faris was standing outside a lavish house, present in a posh area. Faris knocked at the door and after some time, a servant opened it. 

"Assalam o Alaikum sir" Servant said to him and got aside. 

"Walikum Aslaam Naseer. How are you?" he replied with a warm smile. 

"I'm fine sir. Please, come" Naseer said with happiness evident on face and tone. Faris nodded his head and moved toward the drawing room of the house. This room contained black wallpapers on four sides and beautiful decoration pieces. 

After some minutes of waiting, a man in his fifties came into the room with pleasant expressions. The person had a dominating personality but Faris seemed unaffected by it. Nevertheless, he stood from the seat. 

"Assalam o Alaikum sir" Faris said to him. 

"Walaikum Aslaam Faris." The person also had an authoritative tone. He replied to Faris and sat on his chair. After he got seated, Faris took his seat. There was respect in Faris's posture. 

"How are you gentleman? " Major General Faseeh Bukhari asked him. 

Faris smiled at the man's question. At this moment, he was sitting in his mentor's drawing room. 

"I'm not fine sir. I'm heart broken. My enemies are again planning against me. And I think I will soon be in jail" he said with remorse.

"Major Faris! You have got the strict military training. You have a post in one of the famous intelligence agencies of Pakistan. And still you are talking like that. Young gentleman, situations shouldn't make you weak. They should make you strong. Face the situation bravely. Am I understood? " Major General Faseeh Bukhari said to him. He is one the teacher and trainer of Faris in military academy. They both shared a strong bond with each other. 

"Yes, sir!" Faris said dutifully. Faseeh Bukhari sometime enter into his trainer's tone and Faris, in these situations, always adopt a student's and a trainee's tone. 

"Ok! Now tell me what is the problem? " Faseeh Bukhari asked while putting his one leg onto the other. 

In the answer, Faris told him all about yesterday's events. 

"Hmm. Don't get worry Faris. I trust you and I will support you as much I can. But, you should geared up to find the murderer of Momin and Anaya and also the rapist and murderer of Shaheenabad's girls. You should use your intelligent mind and training" Faseeh Bukhari said to him. He nodded. 

"Tell me what you have done with the corruption case which you have been appointed. Have you completed the task? " He asks to Faris. 

"Yes sir. Jalal Khan will soon be in jail. I have provided all evidence to NAB. They will soon arrest him." Faris said while smiling. 

"That's good".

            .........................

ASP Hassan had been sitting in his office, when Salma came to him. She told him about Ayesha's words, which said that Faris's voice and murderer's voice were the same. A.S.P assured her that he will take the action. After she left, Sohail entered into his office. 

"Sir, I have to tell you something "

"Yes Sohail"

"Sir, I have found out Majeed" Majeed is the person who had raped Dilawar's daughter. 

"Then tell me" Hassan said while straightening up on chair

"Sir, Sarghoda's police is saying that they found that person's dead body in the railway station. It seemed that the person has committed suicide. It happened two years and three months back." Sohail informed him. 

"Means that after raping Zainab, he should have gone to Sarghoda, and there he committed suicide" Hassan said with uncertainty laced in his tone. 

"Maybe, sir. And his wife is in hospital, she is in coma. And their daughter is missing." Soahil informed him. 

"The case is complicated. Ask Dilawar to visit our office" He says. 

"Sir, there is one thing more" Soahil says impatiently. 

"What? " he asks. 

"Sir, Faris blood samples have been matched with the blood present on Sana's clothes. And also, his fingerprints matches with the fingerprints present on Hooriya's neck." Sohail informed him. 

Hassan's eyes widened at this. Till this moment, his inner voice was telling him that Faris is not a murderer. But now, all evidence was against him. He was now a criminal and they had to arrest him. Daneen's worried and helpless face came in front of Hassan's eyes. But, he had to complete his duty, whether he liked it or not. 

"Prepared the force. We have to go and arrest Faris Shahnawaz Khan" Hassan said while standing. 

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So, how is the update? 

What are your thinking and analysis about Daneen's and Faris's conversation on fairy tales? 

What are your feelings on meeting Major Faris? 😁