Dropping the phone, Shahid madly rushed towards the central jail. It was a solemn calm there. All the prisoners and jail staff were waiting for Shahid. As he entered the jail premises, one of the staff led him to the prison cell where his dad had been undergoing life sentence for the past fourteen years for murder. True , human being as just like puppets in the hands of what is called fate ! The tenure of his 14 year sentence was ending next week-but instead of waiting for his freedom from prison, the poor man had opted for freedom from life!
Jailer had informed Shahid that his dad was serious. He had called Shahid so that he could be with the old man during his last moments, but this was not to be . Shahid’s home is a mile away from the jail, and by the time he reached the place, his dad had breathed his last. Shahid had forever longed for his dad’s freedom from jail, so that he would go and bring him home. But it didn’t happen. Carrying his dad’s dead body in arms, Shahid was walking out of the jail’s main gate.
Shahid was eight years old when his father was sentenced for life on murder charges. Within a year or so, his mother also passed away. This was the beginning of a very hard life for Shahid. However, he somehow managed to brave rough winds and owing to his sheer courage and hard work, he was now running a successful business. He had everything-all the wealth and all luxuries that wealth could buy. But for the past fourteen years he was badly missing on that unremitting parental love and care, which is far more previous that every luxury and all wealth.
Whenever he had asked his mother about his dad’s crime, she chose not to tell him anything. When Shahid grew up, he would visit his dad in jail and ask him about it. But dad too would not tell him anything; instead he always counseled him to forget about it. But Shahid couldn’t. In fact dad’s complete silence about the issue was a cause of constant unease for Shahid. Over the years, he had come to believe that someone is behind all the troubles of his family.
After spending over a month in London, Shahid was back visiting his dad in the jail. Again he wanted his dad to tell him everything about what had brought all the trouble to their family. He even asked his dad about the witness who had deposed in the court against him, and owing to which he had been sentenced . But again dad told him that he should forget about it. “This is what is good for everyone,” he told him. Although Shahid didn’t say much afterwards, but he was seething with rage and revenge. He wanted to know who was responsible for their sufferings, so that he could settle the scores now. So he managed to get the case file of his dad from police and court records.
The murder case against Shahid’s dad was recorded in it. According to the police and court records, Shahid’s dad Naseeruddin Khan came from the city’s well-to-do family. On Nov 24, 1968 evening, g, he went to the house of his neighbour Ghulam Ishaq to enquire about his health. Ghulam Ishaq’s daughter Khalida and Naseeruddin had been college mates and friends. Nine years back, Naseerucidin’s dad had got him married against his (Naseer’s) wishes and after a year his wife gave birth to a son.
Since their college days, Khalida and Naseer had been in love and wanted to marry. But since Khalida came from a poor family, her dream of marrying Naseer couldn’t materialize. However, even after Naseer’s marriage to someone else, not much changed with his love for Khalida. He continued to help her dad financially. Khalida too loved Naseer so much. Owing to his financial hardships, Khalida’s dad couldn’t marry her off and his health started deteriorating – perhaps way too quickly owing to his worries.
On Nov 29, Ghulam Ishaq met Naseer and asked him to come home in the evening as he wanted to discuss something about Khalida’s marriage. In the evening Naseeruddin went to Khalida’s place. Her father was not home; he had gone out to see doctor. As per Khalida’s deposition, she asked Naseer to come in wait for his dad who was going to be back soon. Finding her alone at home, Naseer started misbehaving with her. Khalida resisted, but Naseer was in no mood to relent. He pounced on her and tried to rape her. Right then Khalida’s cousin walked in. On seeing what Naseer was up to, he entered into a brawl with him. During the scuffle, Naseer grabbed a knife from the nearby table and stabbed Khalida’s cousin Usman several time. Then he dragged him upstairs and threw him from the window on to the main road, killing him on the spot. Later on people of the area called the police and Naseer was arrested. This is what Khalida had deposed before the court. Shammed like he was, Naseer chose not to defend himself and simply confessed his crime following which court sentenced him for life.
After reading the case file, Shahid could faintly recollect his childhood days –his dad, his mother, as also the area they lived in. But he was greatly disturbed now, much more than before for he was not able to come in terms with the fact that his father could have committed murder after trying to rape someone. This was certainly not what he had known his dad to be like. His lawyer suggested that if he really wanted to know what exactly had happened, then he should meet the lone eye-witness of the case – Khalida Banu, daughter of Mohammad Ishaq, resident of Gole Chowk, Nai Mandi, Hoshangabad.
Now that the case history had portrayed his father’s character in very bad light, Shahid was seething with anger. On the same night he headed for his ancestral town – the locality where the murder had taken place. The place where he had lived his childhood, the one which his mother had left after her husband was sentenced for murder. Though Shahid was born with proverbial silver spoon, but the fate had within no time brought him to a bed of thorns. But he faced all hardships with unmatched fortitude and soon carved a future for himself.
However, when he reached the place he was looking for, he was shocked to find that everything had changed there in past fourteen years. The little houses of the area had made way for huge buildings and shopping malls – which were as if suggesting that he should go back and not try to fiddle with the past trying to scratch any muck any further. Let bygones be bygones – this is what is good for everyone.
Shahid decided to return. As he was driving back in his car, he could feel the dusty road he was leaving behind as if sucking at his painful memories, until he came to a cross-road where his loneliness was staring right into his eyes. Now he needed a companion, someone he could relate with, share his pain with, someone he could love and who would love him so as to detach him from the haunting memories of his painful past. So he started looking for someone who could help him cast away his agony and free him off that unbearable burden which he had shouldered for too long now.
One day Shahid went to see the general manager of a trade firm in connection with some business. As he entered the office of that firm, he told the manager’s secretary that he wanted to meet her boss and passed on his business card to her. Looking at him and then at his business card, the secretary asked Shahid to wait for a while citing that manager was busy with something. As Shahid took a seat, he felt that this girl, the secretary was very pleasant to look at. Staring at her, he could feel strange attraction in her, and wanted the time to stop ticking. After a while, secretary offered him a glass of water, which he took while stealing a close look of hers, Shahid could feel that she seemed like an artist’s imagination — too beautiful to be real. As she went back to her typewriter, Shahid was day dreaming about her. After a while she went inside the manager’s chamber with his business card and Shahid started feeling something was gravely amiss – he had fallen for her and was not ready to bear her absence.
Suddenly the manager came out from his chamber with the secretary following him. He walked up to Shahid and apologized for his secretary had made him to wait. Turning to his secretary, the manager admonished her for not having allowed Shahid to walk right into his chamber. “Miss Nyla don’t you know, he is one of the biggest businessmen around. People like me always long to see and meet him and you made him to wait,” he told the secretary. Then he turned to Shahid to apologize once again saying that Nyla was new at job. Nyla also apologized: “I am sorry sir, won’t happen again!”
After a few days, Nyla was busy typing, and telephone rang. She picked up the receiver – it was Shahid on the other side. As Shahid introduced himself, word ‘Sir’ with utmost respect automatically slipped off her lips. Shahid said something,she smiled, and then very seriously looking around said: “Yes sir, the cigarette case you had left on the sofa on that day is with me. I didn’t know it was yours, in fact today morning only I was thinking of giving it to the manager. Good, you told me it’s yours…”
After a few more moments of silence, she replied: “I leave office at 6 O’clock and walk to the main road-where I take bus for home.” Again after a brief pause, “OK sir, manager sir is gone out for a meeting; once he returns I will tell him that he shall talk with you over phone. Thank you. Good day sir.”
Some days later, Nyla was waiting for the bus at bus stop and Shahid passed by. He stopped his car and offered Nyla ride to her home.
After few more days, Shahid again caught up with Nyla at the bus stop and again offered her ride to home. It continued like this for a while and soon Shahid and Nyla were friends. one day Shahid invited her for tea at his home. On the same evening, Nyla came over along with her younger brother to Shahid’s place. Looking at the wealth and luxuries at Shahid’s place, Nyla was amazed. As they sat for tea, he narrated his life history to her, telling her everything about himself, how he had struggled with life after his mother’s death and father’s sentence. And then as they were chatting, Shahid told her that he was interested in her and wanted to marry her. Nyla couldn’t say a word. She only opened her purse, took out that beautiful cigarette case from it and returned it to Shahid. But as soon as her brother saw it, he took it away and sitting in Shshid’s lap said with all childhood innocence: “Uncle, this thing has music in it. My sister would play it every day as I would go to bed…” Nyla blushed at this. Shahid kept staring at her and after a while both burst into laughter. Shahid told Nyla that since she liked the cigarette case she could keep it. “In a few days I will come and meet your family to formally ask for your hand.” Nyla blushed again which was her approval of Shahid’s proposal. She left in a while. And Shahid was happy – he had found his dream girl.
After few days Shahid went to meet Nyla’s mother. They were sitting and chatting in the drawing room. Shahid’s mannerisms impressed Nyla’s mother so much so that she couldn’t believe her stars — that one of the richest businessmen of the city was wanting to marry her daughter. She told Shahid that she had always dreamt of fulfilling her daughter’s wishes. With tearful eyes, she told him that she had never really let Nyla feel that her dad was dead. Shahid told her that Nyla had been like a cool breeze in his otherwise parched life, and that he loved her more than his life and would do whatever it takes to keep her happy. Some days later, Shahid and Nyla got formally engaged. Shahid gifted her a beautiful very expensive diamond ring. Now Nyla was all set to marry Shahid.
Today is the first night for new-weds. The marriage of the city’s richest businessman is the talk of the town. Sitting on flower-laden bed, Nyla, the bride is waiting for Shahid. After a while Shahid walked into the room. Happily walking towards Nyla, he took a chair besides the bed. Then he took out a cigarette from case and lit it to smoke. His love Nyla is right in front of him. Now he had a reason to believe that he had reached his goal. He closed the cigarette case with a bang and breaking through the silence of the room, thundered: “At last I have got you.”
Nyla turned around to look at him. Shahid took a file from the table and tossing it towards Nyla said: “Khalida’s daughter, here in this file is the entire life history of your mom!”
Amazed at this, Nyla picked up the file and saw a few pictures in it, besides the Photostat copies of some depositions.
Shahid came near and said: “This is the tale of murder which happened some fourteen years back for your mother. My lawyers say that your mom had illicit relationships with her cousin Usman. Since your mom wanted to take revenge on my father whom she had known since college days, she hatched a conspiracy with Usman. On Nov 29, 1968, she called my father to her home. And she had called Usman as well. As my father reached there, your mother started behaving like a typical bitch. My dad tried to calm her down but she wouldn’t. Right then her cousin Usman came in. Your mom accused my dad of having tried to rape her. There was a big fight between my dad and your mom’s cousin during which Usman died. Your mom’s conspiracy paid off and on the basis of her deposition; count pronounced my dad guilty of murder and sentenced him for life.
“Nyla your mom’s revenge ended with my dad’s death; it is my turn now. You don’t know how much I have toiled to locate you people. Your mom had come here from Hoshangabad some ten years back. I was not in the country at that time. I met the manager of your firm once and right then my secretary gave me a report about your whereabouts and I came to know that you had taken to secretary’s job in that office only few days back. I came to you, deliberately let my cigarette case in your office, then talked with you on phone, offered your rides and then wooed you and your mom to trap you in the shackles of marriage.
A huge mountain of grief came crushing down on Nyla as she was listening to Shahid. She was crying hard, her tears destroying her bridal make-up. It was proverbial darkness at noon for her. All she could say was that Shahid was mistaken about her mom. Enraged at this Shahid started hurling choicest abuses and invectives at her mother, asking Nyla that she was responsible for all the troubles his family had faced – “she destroyed my dad, she killed my mom, she snatched away my childhood; now I will make hell of her life. I will demolish her. I will torture and torment you so that she cried in pain and dies a slow death. This will be my revenge which will calm my dad’s soul. And you get the hell out of here, or else I don’t know how I will react.”
Three days after their marriage, Shahid sat on the dining table to eat. With complete submission, Nyla started serving him. But all of a sudden Shahid grabbed a plate and threw it away. “For the past two days I have been telling you that you must add a pinch of salt to the soup – one pinch, neither less nor more – but you don’t seem to understand. Next time you falter, I will teach you a lesson of life.
Nyla was stunned. Right then her mother and little brother walked in. Seeing Shahid eating, Nyla’s mother said: “Hey how come are you eating here; I was waiting for you people at home. Come on move up, we are going to our house…” But there was no reply from either Shahid or Nyla. So she turned to Nyla and asked: “what happened; is everything alright?
Nyla again kept quiet.
At this Shahid got up and came to near his mother-in-law.
Khalida asked: “Dear son Shahid, what is the matter, is everything alright? Shahid was mad with rage, as he shouted back: “You bitch, I am not your son. I am the son of that Naseeruddin, who fell prey to your conspiracy. Get out from here or I will kill you!”
Nyla’s mother was stunned. Her little son as so afraid that he clung on to her. Frozen like a corpse, she steadily moved towards the door to leave. Nyla’s eyes just followed her. While reaching the main door, she just fainted and fell down like a parched leaf. Nyla rushed towards her.
Shahid shouted: “This bitch has always been like this – this is all fake. Just check her well, she is not the one to die so easily.” Hurling abuses at her she turned towards his bedroom.
Two weeks later Shahid was checking his mail in the office when his secretary gave him an envelope which was addressed to him with ‘Personal Mail’ written in bold letters. Shahid opened the letter and started reading it. This was a letter from Nyla’s mother and she had described the murder episode on Nov 24, 1968 at her home involving Shahid’s dad Naseeruddin and her cousin. She had written that actually it was her cousin Usmam who had attempted to rape her. “While trying to save myself, I picked up the knife from the table and stabbed him to death. Right then your dad walked in. He took away the blood-drenched knife from my hand and wipe off Khalida’s fingerprints from it with a bed-sheet, dragged Usman’s body up stars and threw it out of the window on to the main road. Then he came out with that knife in his hand on the road and was arrested. When I went to see him in jail, he made me swear that I will never ever tell anyone what had happened.”
There was another letter accompanying the letter Khalida had written to Shahid. It was a letter Naseeruddin had written to Khalida. Shahid could see that it was a letter from his dad. He had written it from jail just a few days ahead of his final trial in the court and somehow managed to get it delivered to Khalida. In this letter Naseeruddin had once again insisted that Khalida must think of her future and that of his sick dad and that she should not divulge truth in the court and instead stick to saying what he had told her to say when she had come to meet him in jail.
Reading this letter from his dad, Shahid was aghast. He dialed his home, but there was no response. Madly he rushed towards home and there he saw Nyla weeping in a corner in the main lobby. He grabbed her hand and started running towards the main gate. They reached Khalida’s home. Feeling bad for his follies, Shahid entered the house with remorse written all over his repentant face. But there was somber silence in theroom. Khalida’s little son jumped towards Shahid and cried loudly while hugging him. Khalida was dead. Shahid’s eyes well up. He turned to the wall and began weeping. Right then someone touched his shoulder with tenderness of love and respect. He turned to see Nyla was starring him with all innocence. She was neither complaining, nor accusing or seeking any answers. She was only assuring her husband that the hearts that love are never shy of sacrifices!
Syed Zeeshan Fazil is a renowned writer and author of several books. The story is an excerpt from his book “STRANGER ON BLACK HIGHWAY” ( A collection of short stories)
