Dil kahan, karb e dil azari kahan?

Zalzalon ki zad mein hai kacha makaan

What about heart, what about the ache of heartbreak?

My mud house is in the midst of earth quacks

Lamha bhar kay hijar ne phela diya

Ek zamana tere mere darmiyan

A small separation

And it has caused the distance of eons between us

There comes a point in life when every known becomes bleak with the fog of uncertainty. What has happened and what is about to happen covers everything with a blanket of unsure haze. The people you've spent a lifetime with, you no longer know how to take a simple conversation with them forward. May be it is transitory or may be it stays but you really don't know how to broach something which will only open a box of agony like opening up a wound which will only bring immense pain.

Harram sat down after the call made to Hamail had ended. She was constantly playing with her fingers. There was so much they both needed to tell each other, ask from each other but the fear of breaking down into pieces while going through the memories was holding her back. She was afraid and he was also, may be. That's why he had become all silent after the beep on the phone announced the call was over.

But for how long?

He glanced at her profile and sighing, extended his palm to interlace their fingers. Harram closed her eyes at the contact. She was in a better state of mind than yesterday and the impending conversation was arriving sooner than she wanted to.

"How are feeling now?"

He asked tracing the side of her face. His touch was feather like. The same old. The tales of togetherness danced across Harram's vision.

"Better. You?"

He just smiled not retracting his hand at all and Harram didn't want him to either. The sense of familiarity had resurfaced claiming its mark on her. The feeling of strange agony was fading slowly. She was finally coming to terms with the fact that, this had actually happened. He was here. He had reached her. They were together now.

Zaviyar let his eyes wander to her whole form. From the dark circles beneath her eyes to the weight lose she must have suffered. The bump shouldn't haven been this prominent given the fact that it was her fifth month only but it was showing owning to her fragile state. These were just the physical signs. The inner pieces she must've been broken into again and again were not evident but he could see through her like always.

If he was busy in his own calculations about the time gone, she was busy doing the same. Raising her hand she ran it through his beard feeling the panes of his face underneath.

"You need to shave."

The slight mirth in her voice made his smile lightly. He himself was so used to his always trimmed look that if he'd look in a mirror he might not recognize himself.

"Your toe needs to be checked."

"I'm fine, Major. More than fine now."

It was just a mere word but the impact had uncoiled something within him. Something he was hiding for so long,the desperation, the longing, the disbelief and the euphoria of finally getting what he had wanted for so long. His freedom and his salvation, and he had gotten both together.

He cupped her face not being able to lose the contact of her touch on his fingers.

"I was always sure you'd get the hint in the letter. I didn't want to write it you know, but then I thought this was the only way I could reach you. I had to be very discreet but knowing that you actually got it was everything I needed caged in that dungeon."

Harram looked up in his eyes but her own were filling up with that stupid moisture she had begun to hate.

"You were there won't you? In the basement."

Zaviyar nodded with those days filled with darkness and drowsiness flashed right in front of him.

"I saw you, from that keyhole, heard your voice from the lawn and then as I was being taken away I saw you on the terrace."

"We were so close."

"Yet we couldn't reach out."

Both leaned towards each other some more.

"When I got to know about the key I tried protecting it but I never knew what it was all about. I just wanted to help you in whatever you were doing. The moment I came to know what you were doing actually, I was ready to burn everything. Everything which I'd always seen and believed in became a lie, Zaviyar."

Zaviyar didn't say anything. His own thoughts weren't different when he had gotten the name of master behind the whole thing.

"But all thanks to Waleed who was keeping an eye on me. He was finding a lead. Colonel Bukhari had sensed something was wrong right after the news of you....you know. I caught Waleed and that was the point where he disclosed to me that may be there was more to this than we were believing it to be. And that started our search for he truth."

"I'm glad you all did. Otherwise the way they were keeping me, if you guys wouldn't be as vigilant to find me as you were, I'd possibly be in the same hell I've just escaped from."

"Where were you?"

"From Duraid house basement to a remote area on the outskirts of Islamabad and when I tried escaping from there as well, they sent me to....mountain ranges area. I was there in a small valley where black market is operating in full swing. Palwisha auntie was already there and somehow that was comforting."

Harram nodded but then something clicked in her mind.

"Do you know about..."

"Sultan Bakht and my father's friendship? How Yahya Duraid betrayed his own son, killed his best friend and kidnapped Palwisha auntie to be his first hostage? I know."

"She's the reason Nano was always so wry of me. Because she knew what Yahya Duraid had done with her daughter's family. Twenty five years, Zaviyar. Palwisha auntie doesn't even know her sister had gotten married and now lives here. She didn't know if her mother was still alive. She was totally detached from her own world. Just like ...you. The same fate which was tried on you. Just you didn't accept it. What if...What if a twenty five year separation was awaiting us as well?"

"It could never. I was always coming to you. And look here. You came to me as well. So how can you say that a decision of the evil was our destiny. We are each other's destiny, Harram. Haven't we always been?"

Harram could totally conform to this. The way they both had reached each other was a painful tale in itself but they were going to live to tell it.

"Who else knows?"

"Other than Hamail and Meeral? No one. Colonel said we couldn't take any risk. So we had to keep it a secret. Yahya Duraid and his oldie clan couldn't pin point anything for a long time but the attack on me last night tells that..."

"They've come to know about your involvement and with my escape; they'll be in action now."

She had increased her force on his hand. Her fear was not hidden from Zaviyar. The turmoil she had gone through last night had taken a toll on her. What else she must've gone through during his absence from her life?

"I'm here now and I'm not going to let anything even come near you. If it were up to me I would've never involved you in this mess. You don't deserve this. This is the life I always wanted to save you from but only wanting is never enough. When it came to trusting someone with my life and death, I trusted you only. The old me would've started regretting getting you in my life but after all that we've been through, I will regret anything but us together. So, let's face everything like before but now, together."

The contrast from the scared to love Zaviyar to this confident one was evident and Harram couldn't feel more relieved. Hearing the car horn from outside they both froze for a second. No points for guessing who was there. Hand in hand, with a determination surging through them they made their way outside.

____________________

The cigar smoke permeated in the air around making the eerie silence more unbearable. Honadir leaned into his chair while Yahya paced in front of the table. The information from their sources wasn't good. No one had spotted Zaviyar and Palwisha escaping the compound. Ghiyas hadn't contacted them again and others were also unavailable. The whole situation was looking sketchy and without any lead they were just relying on their men to forward them what had actually happened.

"Things have become more twisted."

"And whose fault it is?"

Honadir left the half burn cigar in the ash tray and folded his arms on his chest.

"Don't give me this look. You know I can handle it."

"You can't handle your grandson, Yahya. This much is confirmed now."

"He will not be far from the compound!"

"And why you are so sure? He's escaped and it's common sense that the first thing he'd have done would be getting far away from that area lest he should be spotted and recaptured. Dwelling on that isn't our concern now, finding and finishing him is! He knows way too much and now that his wife is also involves who happens to be on the run too, we should tread very carefully. One misstep and here we go, right into our own destruction!"

Yahya had nothing to counter argue.

"This is the reason I wanted him gone! I knew he was dangerous but your so called family love ruined everything. What it gave you so far? The guy hates you, his wife must hate you as well and if she tells this to your other family members, they'll hate you too! Go and chant family love in the streets of Pindi because you did an excellent job showing that."

He got up running his hand over his coat.

"You don't do this out of love, Yahya. You do this out of your sense of control. You love it when you can play with people's lives and turn those the way you want to. But enough of your silly satisfaction. Zaviyar Ali is now upon me. I'll take care of him and if it comes to killing him I'll gladly do because that what we should've done the moment you had come to know about his involvement in disclosing your dirty laundry!"

Honadir wasn't easy to frazzle. Always in control of the situation but here he was losing his composure. Their lives were at stake and desperate times call for desperate measures.

Yahya shouldn't have let his grandfatherly love come in between this. Pathetic!

________________

When they had come to the living room of Haveli the first person who had entered through the door was Zara. Her frantic eyes got fixed to Harram and behind her, Zaviyar. It was a moment of disbelief but she brushed it pass and taking long steps reached their side. The way she was looking between them was enough to tell she had already been told what she was going to find here. Her glassy eyes and trembling lips were showing how overwhelmed she was. Holding Harram by her side and cupping Zaviyar's face, Zara tried holding on to her tears but they had a mind of their own.

Hamail had a sense of dread even before entering into the Haveli premises. It still felt like a dream he'd soon wake up from. The phone call in the morning would still look to him like wishful thinking. He had checked the call log so many times just to make sure he wasn't making things up. But now, standing behind Zara he had eyes focused just on his brother who was also looking at him. Zaviyar raised his arm and that was the moment Hamail had known this was the reality and he was far from a lunatic. Covering the distance between them, Hamail embraced his brother in a warm hug which spoke of distance, longing, the cracks in their family portrait and the shattered trust in their own lineage.

Waleed was the next person who had come to Zaviyar. A friendship which had proven right among all the wrongs. Who would've thought this team of two totally opposite people would some day come to this where Waleed had proven how sincere he was with Zaviyar. Thank yous wouldn't do any justice to the gratitude Zaviyar was feeling towards his friend so he didn't try saying anything.

It was after Waleed had turned to Harram asking for her well being, Zaviyar noticed no one else had come through the door. He craned his neck towards the door some more when Hamail nudged him.

"She wouldn't come inside. Thinks it's all going to fade. Go to her, Bhai."

Zaviyar already felt his eyes getting misty but one look at Harram and he had crossed the living room and went outside in the open lawn.

________________________

What Hamail had told her in the car hadn't been registered in her mind. How could life be this cruel yet generous towards her? She had come here all numb, not even one question asked. What was the point? This was all a dream which was going to fade sooner or later. Hamail was just making things up. There was no truth in anything he had said. She had come here without any reason and she won't go inside. She won't. She just won't.

Zaviyar stood there looking at her tensed form and the way she was continuously shaking her head. The state broke his heart for the second time in these few hours. The first was when Harram hadn't put her hand on his side. How much these two women he always called his world must have suffered after he was taken away from them? He heaved a sigh, a shuddering breath. The sun peaking behind the clouds was casting a shadow over Khadija. Zaviyar slowly took calculated steps and stood behind her.

"I shouldn't have come here! There's nothing! Hamail doesn't know anything!"

She was mumbling to herself when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

A crying baby can recognize his mother's touch right away then how can a mother, who has nurtured a part of her for months inside of her only, couldn't?

"Maa.."

This wasn't just a call for her too look at him. It had pain of months into it. The only yelp a kid can make his mother understand. Khadija closed her eyes and the tears she was trying to hold on to for so long just pushed away every barricade.

She held his face in her palms still finding it hard to believe this. Her fingers were tracing every feature of his with desperation. As if he was just here for sometime and then he'd fade away like he had all those months back.

"You are actually here, Zaviyar?"

The broken question had met with him hugging her like he would when he was justa kid and anything would go wrong in his life.

"I'm, Maa. I'm."

Khadija inhaled her son's familiar scent and tried refreshing her every memory that had him.

"What should I call it? A miracle or a twisted game someone played with me? How could any enemy be this cruel? Snatching someone's world and not even actually snatching it?"

Zaviyar broke their embrace and wiped her tears. She hadn't let go of her hold on him. He didn't even ask her to. She would get all he time she needed to come to terms with this reality.

"What to do when the enemy was someone you had never thought could be called your enemy?"

Khadija looked on with baited breaths. Her mind was hinting whatever Zaviyar was going tell her will change things forever.

"Want to know who is behind this tragic tear fest our lives have become?"

"Who?"

"Yahya Duraid, aka my grandfather."

And that was the moment Khadija knew what it actually feel like when Karma hits you.

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The living room of Haveli was filled with just silence that particular morning. Obaid Dastagir was looking between his daughter and son in law to finally tell him what was happening here. Aalee, Saad and Hassan were by their mother's side. Zara and Khadija were also looking on with tensed expressions while Waleed and and Hamail were solemn. Only Durdana Khanum and Palwisha were in Khanum's room and Harram thought it was the best because the face off between Palwisha and Khadija was not needed at this time.

"Almost six months back, I was given a top secret mission from Colonel Bukhari. He had gotten to know from his sources that there was a big guns wing kind of setting was operating in the political scene which has been giving birth to many terrorist mishaps our country faced over the decade. I was on it the moment it was assigned to me. Due to the sensitivity of the mission, I was told that I'd be working on it alone. Two months into the investigation and I started getting the inkling that something life changing was going unravel soon because the evidences and the facts were hinting in that direction only. My suspicion was right. I got to the on of the head of this wing after the continuous struggle of two months. None other than Yahya Duraid, my beloved grandfather."

He paused to take a breath. Harram held his arm trying to give him the needed support. He just smiled reassuringly at her. He needed this support anyway.

"I was shook, no denying but then I decided that this isn't going to stop me. It was my duty to bring this forth and also find out about his other partners as well. But if I was quick he was quicker. He got to know that I'm the pest who'd been meddling into his otherwise hidden and very much underground work. I was expecting a straight death sentence when I got to know that I was no longer the secret agent. I was very well known. I had to act fast. I had to meet Bukhari. The moment I stepped inside the GHQ to look for Colonel and give him the evidences I had collected I was told by a trusted person of him that things were going to change soon. Colonel wasn't around and wouldn't be for few hours. I had to do something. I straight went to Duraid house. Yahya Duraid wasn't home and this was the chance I was looking for. No matter what but you can't ignore the blood that flows through you. I chose a place to hide the evidences Yahya Duraid would never look through, my old room and the locker in it. I secured the file there and after hugging and saying a goodbye to Maa came back to colonel's office. I had to at least warm him who was doing this. But my posting orders came like a summons to hell. Something was so sketchy about those. This was the starting of my downfall and I couldn't do much about it. I called Harram and told her about it. The last time I talked to her. I knew behind this simple posting letter, there was something deeper about this. The only thing left to do was to hide the key and that to somewhere no one would find out. The tea cabinet in our house served the purpose. When I had reached Pindi cantt. Harram was gone already. Maa had taken her with her. But I didn't want her to stay at Duraid house. After knowing what this was all about I knew her staying there wasn't going to turn out well. I made the last call from my phone after securing the key. To you, Obaid uncle. I didn't explicitly asked you to take Harram away from Duraid house because I didn't want to disclose much. It was dangerous if you'd come to know anything. So I had to be ambiguous. I just asked you to take Harram away from here. I now know that it didn't quite turn out the way I wanted to but if she hadn't been there, she'd never know where I was or that I was alive."

Reminiscing that time wasn't easy for him. Every person in this room could tell. Khadija was statued at her place. All this was new to her and coming to terms which the face of truth would definitely get some time.

"It was from our Pindi residence only where they had captured me. 5 people in total for just one person. I was hauled into a jeep and it was way past midnight when they had thrown me in the basement of Duraid house only. My grandfather played the same trick I had played while hiding the evidence. Got me imprisoned at such a place where no will ever get any inkling I was. No one would even think that way in the first place because for the outside world I was dead but even if someone did suspect anything, Duraid house would be the last place to look for me just like Yahya Duraid must've raked all other places where I could possibly left the evidence file but he'd never look in his own house where the file actually was. The first thing they made me do in the basement was asking me to write a letter addressed to my family. I refused at first but then I thought about it being the only way I could reach out to anyone from my trusted people. Harram was the only person who came to my mind because she'd catch the clue right away. The plan was set. I did write the letter but not without adding the hint to it which I was hoping Harram would see. The next two days were of my death and then funeral. I was mostly drugged through those days by Safina. She would come in and inject me with the drug almost three times a day. I think it was a good decision or hearing people mourning on your own funeral would be enough for the life time scars and mental trauma."

"Safina knew?"

Hamail took his part for the first time in this conversation with his eyes narrowing showing how angry he was.

"She must've known. When I had gone there towards the basement she was the one who stopped me and to think about it now she looked pretty agitated. I should've known she was hiding something but I was way too indulged in my own grief."

Harram mumbled but everyone heard it. Zaviyar held her hand without any hesitation and continued.

"It was after a week I was taken from there. More than a week. I don't exactly remember. I was shifted to a dungeon I still don't know where is situated. Sheraz day and night tried to make me blurt the truth about the evidences and my car keys which were nowhere to be found. I had mixed the locker key with the those and hid them under the tea compartment in our kitchen. It was only for Harram to find out if she ever tried and find out she did. Sheraz showed me the picture of the key the moment Yahya Duraid had sent him that. The main key wasn't in there. I had immediately known Harram had saved it. That was pretty clever."

"I didn't know why Dada was so curious about your car keys. I was the one who had given those to him but now when I think back to that moment I realized what was actually happening. Glad that everything was covered already."

Hamail nodded in Harram's way who just smiled at him. Zaviyar was glad to see the same vibe between the two.

"They shifted me to a posh area. It was a well furnished house where I was then kept. But it had come with running away opportunities and I took advantage of those. I dodged Sheraz and all his warnings and actually managed to escape. But too bad I was captured once again and that was day I had met Ismail Chachu after so long."

Hamail shifted in his seat uncomfortably. He still found it hard to believe that his father was a part of such a disgusting ploy. He still needed answers from his old man who had disappointed him so badly.

"This was the last nail in the coffin and it was decided I'd be going to the mountain ranges where the only important hostages of Yahya Duraid went. Sheraz himself drove me to there. I'd punch him straight in the face if I ever run into him."

"You won't."

Waleed leaned forward getting everyone's attention.

"Sheraz is dead. Yahya Duraid himself sent his men to kill him."

"Why?"

Zaviyar looked on confusedly. Why would his grandfather kill off such a loyal employee of his?

"He was compromised. We had somehow gotten the truth about your being hostage out of him."

"You did? How?"

"That's the story for some other time."

Waleed ensured but Zaviyar was eyeing him warily. He wanted to know straight away but had to let go.

"This was the place I found escaping from the hardest. There were men always there on the security. The area was remote with only a neighboring tribe at some distance. Drug hub and black market dealings were common and I was always tied to the chair they had specially made for me. The hopes of me getting out of there were nil. But that's when I found a cell mate you can say. Someone who had been there longer than me and could be a real help if I managed to convince her. Plawisha Sultan."

Harram's head whipped in Khadija's direction who was just staring at Zaviyar. The way he was talking about Palwisha with so much respect. She felt a pang of guilt hitting her straight in the heart.

"How long had she been there?"

Sana's puffy eyes were a tell tale sign of how devastated she was on coming to know what a long ordeal her sister had gone through.

"Twenty five years. I'm so sorry, Sana auntie. You, Nano and Palwisha auntie didn't deserve this. Sultan Bakht didn't deserve what had happened to him. My father didn't deserve what was made of his friendship. I'm really sorry about everything."

Sana shook her head looking at him with gratitude filled eyes. Waleed was curious to know the back story here but Zaviyar just shot him a shrug. He wasn't the only one who was not knowing things.

"Yahya Duraid came there to meet me. To show me the pictures of you all from a prayer meet you guys had organized for me. But what he didn't know he was also bring a validation to me that my trust and my intuition which had prompted me to leave Harram with the clue of the keys was so right. He had showed me a video where Harram was talking about moving on with life. It was meant to hurt me but it didn't. She had cleverly given me the hint that she knew everything and the file was with her. I understood it right away."

Zara and Obaid were the silent ones in the room. Both were coming to the terms that their daughter and son in law had literally gone through hell and back. Aalee, Saad and Hassan were eyeing both Harram and Zaviyar with so much respect and adoration. They were proving to be the exact definition of goals.

"I knew he was filming it. It was after I had gotten to know the whole truth. I had to give you something so that you'll know that I was here managing things the best I could."

"I was sure you'd burn the whole house down."

"She did better than that. With calm mind and strategy she unveiled more things all on her own."

Hamail's pride wasn't hidden from anyone.

"It was after the few days I got my hands of Ghiyas's map of the area. I also tried forming a friendship with Palwisha auntie and was successful to some extent. But the jackpot came to me the moment I came to new there are territorial disputes Ghiyas and his men are facing with Gardezi tribe. I needed a diversion because escaping wasn't a problem. Problem were the men who wouldn't let me get away from their sight for even a second. I needed to distract them and Gardezi's drug trade came like a boon. Palwisha auntie and I planned and worked on it. She lit fire to the drugs by going towards Gardezi's repository last night and within an hour they were at Ghiyas's doorstep with armed and laced. This was the diversion I was talking about. We escaped but not before knocking Ghiyas out cold. A truck driver came to us like a blessing and I immediately knew where I should go and who could help me. Haveli was the destination I wanted to get to but had no clue I wasn't only coming to Haveli. I was coming to my home."

Everyone smiled at the way he was looking at Harram. Obaid Dastagir got up and coming close embraced both Harram and Zaviyar in a fatherly hug.

"I'm sorry my kids, this could've been so easy if we elders were a bit more receptive of our surroundings. But you don't worry. Yahya Duraid is going down no matter what. I'm with you both in this and I'll help you in anyway I can."

"We as well."

Aalee and the other two would never stay behind when it came to side by their sister and brother in law. Sana was alongside Obaid and she didn't need words to show how she was in total support of whatever the next course of action would be.

But the only person in the room who stood up on shaky legs and went outside was Khadija. Harram saw Zaviyar talking to Hamail asking about Soha, Mrs. Aneesa and Gull auntie. She silently followed Khadija knowing she'd be blaming no one but herself right now.

___________________

"Auntie!"

As expected Harram found Khadija distressed and almost on the verge of a break down.

"Harram....Palwisha..."

Khadija's voice was coming out in puffs with the way she was suppressing her sobs.

"I know but please don't do this to yourself, Auntie."

"The woman I did so bad to, she was there with my son during the tough times. How would Zaviyar react when he'd know the woman he found as his friend during his hostage was there because of his mother?"

"Auntie, No! You are blaming yourself more than you should. Please don't! Please!"

Harram held her from her shoulders and let her cry. She was patting Khadija's back soothingly when an confused and troubled Zaviyar looked right into her eyes. Harram's worst fear had come true. Zaviyar took determined steps towards them. His stance was telling he;d accept nothing but truth from them.

It was the time he'd know.

_________________

He was sitting on the bed lost in his thoughts. After coming the know the truth from Khadija about her knowing Yahya Duraid was planning Sultan Bakht's murder and her being mum about it to his father, he hadn't said anything to Khadija or Harram. Just left the place. Harram hadn't approached him. He needed some time to process everything.

But it had been almost an hour now. Khadija needed to get back to Duraid house. It was risky keeping her here but sending her back with Hamail without Zaviyar clearing things with her was not right. Both mother and son had just gotten each other back and Harram would hate it if they'd let the past come between them.

She silently took the seat next to him. He had acknowledged her presence but didn't say anything to her yet.

"Dado had many objections with the way I was performing my Iddah."

She started looking at nothing in particular.

"She didn't like my frequent trips to Pindi, my talking to other na mehram men as in Waleed. She even suspected that I was moving on from you and once the baby is born I'll settle down once again and forget you or even worse never introduce the baby to the idea of you and the family."

Zaviyar glanced at her with pain etched on his face.

"That was a very difficult time for me. You wren't there, I was in the initial stages of my pregnancy, my mental peace was a thing of the past, I was conflicted, and everyday a new revelation was coming to me. In such crucial times, Dado and Yahya Duraid came with the idea of marrying me with Hamail once the baby is born just to keep me bound to your family and having the baby around. I don't have to tell you what my condition must be that time. Khadija auntie was the person who had sided with me without asking me any questions. She is my mother in law. She could ask me thousand questions and could also taunt me of not sitting down quietly during my Iddah. But she didn't. She understood that I was doing this for just the fun of it. But she didn't prod me for answers as well. You have gotten this understanding from your mother, you know that? She's a wonderful person, Zaviyar but the most wonderful persons can also make mistakes. Hiding the truth from Zaigham uncle was a mistake she still regrets. You know whatever happened to you, at one point she was blaming herself for it that may be her own Karma hit you. Don't go hard on her."

"I'm not mad at her."

"Then?"

"I'm just shocked I guess. A bit disappointed too but I'm not angry with her. I can't be. But she should clear it up with Palwisha Auntie."

Harram knew he was conflicted from within. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"You should also talk to Khadija auntie. She needs to get back."

"Does she have to?"

"If she stays here, that;s only going to mess things up."

Zaviyar leaned on her head.

"Then I should really go and talk to her."

"What are you waiting for then? Go. "

He planted a chaste kiss on top of her head and was out of the room taking hurried steps. Harram wasn't worried about the two solving this. They would. They weren't just mother son duo; they were each others friends as well.

And she was right. When fifteen minutes later she had come to the living room, Khadija was wiping her tears leaning on his chest and he was running his hand on her head trying to sooth her. Harram smiled and prayed for this bonding to stay the same.

"I should go and meet Plawisha before going."

Khadija announced and getting up patted Zaviyar's cheek. She gave Harram a motherly hug full of warmth and was out of the room. Zaviyar got up and came to her.

"What now?"

Zaviyar turned to the window and looked at the range of flowers in the garden of Haveli.

"No we plan and then we attack. It's a war."

Harram gave him a stare which matched his determination.

Far away in the heart of Islamabad Yahya Duraid sitting in his office still trying to get any leads on Zaviyar wiped away a tickling bead of sweat off his forehead even though the air condition was working fine.

__________________