The 20-minute long video was uploaded to a famous current affair series "In and Disclose by Akhter Naeem". The video went public almost hours back. For his regular subscribers that weren't anything out of the ordinary. His take on the latest political and national issues. But the caption did make people pause and then hit the play button.

Jahangirs Vs. Jatois: Some unknown facts

He looked into the camera as soon as the video began; a knowing smile was playing on his lips. "Welcome to another video. I know some of you will be rolling your eyes at the title because of how much I cover about this seemingly irrelevant rivalry but it seems to me that truth should always reach the masses in its rawest form. After all, we are talking about powerful political and influential business families. On one hand, Jatois represent their people in the national and provisional assemblies. On the other hand, there are Jahangirs or Jahan, whatever you want to call them. They are one of the most financially influential families in Pakistan right now. So, the question arises, why am I again talking about the rich? The answer is interesting, to me at the least. I recently came across some facts which I found hard to miss. So here's my take on it.

He took a dramatic pause for the impact. "If you follow my channel you'll know I recently conducted an interview with Mr. Pervaiz Jatoi where he wrote off any rivalry between Jahan and Jatois, stating that Jatois was now way ahead. I agree with that, but that's my personal opinion and in no way, do I want it to influence what I'm talking about in this video. So, a few days later, while briefing the media about his latest ACHC venture, Mr. Faseeh Jahangir gave a not-so-fitting reply. I saw some of my colleagues praising the man for bringing up Khizer Jatoi's trial. That was a low move, in my humble opinion. And that got it to answer just yesterday. We all know Khizer Jatoi got acquitted on all charges. All claims against him were proved wrong. It was a long haul for the Jatoi family but they stood strong and were victorious in the end."

He glanced at the notes in front of him and again looked into the camera. "It's easy, talking about others' adversaries. It's not the first time Faseeh Jahangir to do so. He's often quoted Pervaiz and Khizer Jatoi's political scandals while talking to the media. We all know politics in the mud in this country. Nothing's ever entirely black or white. But Mr. Jahangir has made some personal jabs as well, pertaining to Khizer Jatoi's private matters. But is Jahangir family's personals free of any mar?"

He smirked. "I don't think so." With that, he folded his hands on the table and leaned forward as if what he was about to debunk would change everything.

"We all know that Faseeh Jahangir's older son Faran is involved in the working of Jahan and so is his daughter, Adan. But how many of you knew he has another son whom he keeps from the spotlight as much as he can."

Aahil's picture from the latest ACHC event came on the screen. Akhter continued his spiel. "I, for sure, was intrigued to know what the deal here is. Faseeh Jahangir always makes it a point to let everyone know his family is dedicated to Jahan as a whole then where does this," He pointed in the direction of Aahil's picture. "Fella fall? Naturally, I did some digging and what I came across made me a little smug. Don't ever get ahead of yourself if you can't hide your tracks well."

He chuckled; it has a sinister edge to it. "Youngest in the Jahangir clan, the guy's name is Aahil. Some of you must know him, some don't because there's nothing much about him on the internet. He's a travel blogger if you go by his Instagram profile. You'd think he's camera shy or a private person but the truth can't be farther from it."

Picking up a file, he placed his hand on it, as if emphasizing something. "This is the track record of Mr. Aahil Jahangir. Rounds to the police station, fender-benders; drunk or not, who knows, and some other shenanigans, I won't get into the whole list, it's exhausting but one thing that is worth mentioning here is his association with a new woman every other day. With a few of them, things escalated so far that the Jahangir family had to intervene but seems like that taught the miscreant poster child nothing. Even during ACHC, he was seen with his, what did they say? The flavor of the month. They were all over the event, seen hand in hand, leaving the venue together and sometimes, one of the rooms in the massive Jahan hotel as it is."

A picture of two people was shown then, they were in each other's embrace; standing in a room and by the looks of it, it spoke of their intimacy at that moment. The faces weren't completely in focus but those who knew the two people could tell them immediately. That was also an added detail that it was the thumbnail of the video.

"Being a responsible reporter, I won't be disclosing the woman's name. Some of you would say, it's irrelevant but if Mr. Faseeh Jahangir wants to throw dirt on others, he should, at the least, try to cover his own son's dirty laundry first, don't you think? Just because the Jatois, being in the politics, are more exposed to the media's eye, doesn't mean their private matters should be thrown around as national gossip. That can always backfire. For Faseeh Jahangir, I think it has."

He laughed lightly as his own joke. "That's it for today. What do you think about this video; let me know in the comments. See you all in the next video with a new thing to disclose. Till then, Akhter Naeem is signing off."

The video ended.

But the conundrum it brought was about to begin.

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As soon as the video premiered on Akhter's YouTube channel, the social media team of the Jatoi political party came into action. Starting from the big accounts and mouthpieces for the party's narrative, the journalists, the social media personalities; all those who were from the Jatoi camp started a smear campaign. It became a trending topic on Twitter and Instagram. Hashtags were thrown around with no factual basis, and as happens with every new topic, the Twitter world woke up to Pandora's box, and naturally, everyone wanted to know what was going on. The curiosity led to things escalating a notch higher and in no time, it felt like everyone was talking about Jahangirs and their youngest son's private life.

But as it turned around, shit was yet to hit the fan.

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It was the twitter handle of an inside scoop news portal. Two hours after the social media uproar was in full swing, the account released exclusive photos.

Of Aahil Jahangir and the mystery woman, he was with.

More than twenty shots were there on the handle's Instagram account, and the website, and some of those were shared on Twitter as well. Aahil and the woman could be seen cozying up to each other. In the car, coffee shop dates, in each other's embrace from Akhter's video earlier but vivid details so much so that their face were clear as the sky for the masses to see, in Jahan's premises, in the lobby, she leaned into him, both had smiles on their faces.

In the span of mere hours, the reputation of Aahil and the woman with him who, as some people were quick to find out had a name and occupation; Sila Nouraiz, Junior operations manager at AJ events, went up in flames.

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Twitter

"I love how Pakistani elites can't go a day without being on tabloids."

"Rich people disgust me. Like ewww."

"Is it only me who's not enjoying this campaign by Jatois? Geez, if this is how the privacy of rather influential and rich people can be breached then what we common folks are?"

"Useless discourse. Two consenting adults are enjoying each other's company. There's nothing obscene about their interactions in the leaked photos (Tbh I would have no problem if there was). We, as a nation, need to stop being invested in other people's businesses. And all of this was started by Jahan's arch-rivals. Use your brains, people."

"That girl saw an opportunity and said Yolo. And if we say women are gold diggers, we are the bad guys."

"They look good together. Is it too early to say we ship?"

"So much to unpack here, the elites are a bunch of germs that taint our moral values. And don't get me started on the integrity of this woman. She's obviously with him because of his money."

"He doesn't give the fuckboy vibe. I detect a husband's undertone. Maybe, I'm onto something."

"Though, I don't condone such a massive campaign but what a slapback from Jatois though. Nanga kar diya Jahangirs ko."

"She's hot. Can't blame the fella, I'd also do her. No lying."

"That's on Zarrar's Karma."

"Never liked Jahan and Jahangirs. Their rich entitled asses got served. Love to see it."

"THEY ARE CUTE WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO THEM?"

"Need me a rich hot brat as well. So what if he's a-hole. If she can manage so can I."

"Guyyyys? I did some digging because had the suspicion that I had seen the guy somewhere and guess whatttt? He's Vaneeza Khanzada's ex! They dated for years! And now Vaneeza is engaged to Jatois' younger son, Ali. The plot thickens, my friends."

"Fuckety fuck no doubt Jatois are out for his blood. Must be a toxic ass so they had to resort to playing dirty."

"Are we really justifying a legit breach of privacy on the basis of a relationship we know nothing about? Do better, people."

"I hope everything is alright between Ali and Vaneeza. They are my favorite celebrity couple. If they don't sail, that will break my faith in love."

"Why no one's mentioning that Faseeh Jahangir's comments on which Jatois are justifying their whole campaign against Aahil Jahangir was actually a reaction to what Pervaiz said in his interview to the same Akhter Naeem? I'm talking about the IV where Pervaiz gloated that Jatois are way ahead of Jahangirs. You can clearly see his smug smile. 'Faseeh Jahangir is busier taking care of his son's matters.' His exact words. Don't believe me? Check the video. It's high time we stop acting like a herd of goats and actually use our brains. They are feeding a narrative. Shameless."

"What happened? Why's the TL on fire?"

"Never mind, I'm out. I hate this place."

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Faseeh Jahangir sat in his seat, his brows furrowed and eyes fixed on the laptop screen in front of him. Faran covered his face with his hands while Adan paced the length of her father's study, rage filling her aura.

Faseeh lifted his gaze and stared at his son who hadn't said a word since he came here. Aahil's eyes were downcast and his jaw clenched.

"This is the lowest of the low. That scum!" Adan chewed on her words. Faran shook his head. "We should've seen it coming. We really should have!"

"What now?" Adan asked, taking the seat next to Faran. He looked at his father and then at a still-silent Aahil.

"We have to think it through. Rash decisions will mess it all up. Everything is already getting blown out of proportion."

"Exactly! Akhter Naeem and his SMT have done what they are paid for. Damn the Jatois."

Both of them looked expectantly at their father but Faseeh's eyes were still etched on Aahil. Aahil seemed to feel the weight of his gaze on him. He looked up; his face showing worry and anguish. Faseeh's heart softened but his eyes immediately hardened.

"The picture that fucker has shown in his video, I was close to losing it when she found me in the hotel room."

Faseeh, Faran, and Adan didn't have to ask what he was talking about. Aahil shook his head; restless peeked through the well-molded seams. "It happened when he came to the event."

His father and siblings exchanged a worried glance. They knew whom he was talking about. That made everything all the more horrible. The picture Akhter Naeem had thrown around as a victory sign for Aahil and Sila's character assassination was a vulnerable moment for Aahil. Akhter had used something extremely personal to get back at them.

"Baba, I―" Words didn't cooperate with him. This was a glorious mess, one that would take herculean efforts on his family's part to clear. He had vowed to keep a clean record for the time being but life had its own ways of saying fuck you to him.

Faseeh didn't let him, though. Leaving his seat with his phone in his hand and determination shining in his stance, he came to him and patted his arm.

"We will not let it slide." Faseeh's voice was firm. "I'm going to talk to my team. But one thing is for sure, Akhter Naeem and his masters are better prepared for a hefty lawsuit."

Adan and Faran nodded along, their body language shifted from worried to resolute. Aahil could share the sentiment but more than anything he needed to do something else. Getting up from the couch, he made his way outside. When he woke up hours back by Faran's call and told to rush to Jahangir House, he hadn't, even in his wildest dreams thought this would be awaiting him.

His life was a gift that keeps on giving.

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Silence stretched in Rameen and Sila's shared room. No one uttered a word even though the video ended minutes ago. Amal and Haleh shared an alarming look. Rameen pursed her lips in pure agitation. They started at Sila as if that alone would solve anything, if not everything.

She took a shuddering breath, trying to calm her racing heart but it was of no use. There was a buzzing in her ears. The words still reverberated as if they were suspended in the very air.

"I...I didn't..." She began but it came out more like a whimper. Rameen immediately left her place and hugged her, caressing her hair.

"I swear he was on the verge of a breakdown. I don't know―"

Amal's eyes blazed. "Sila Nouraiz, dare you to say a word more to explain yourself."

Haleh nodded along, filling a glass of water for her. "You need to relax. You are about to have a breakdown yourself. Here."

She brought the glass close to Sila's lips. She took a small sip and then emptied it in two gulps. Her throat felt parched and her head was spinning.

What the hell was that? She and Aahil? It was not at all what that Akhter person made it look like but how would she tell that to anyone? And why was it happening in the first place? This can't be real. This can't.

"Sila! Breathe!" Rameen told her, and that seemed to bring her back to her surroundings. She looked around frantically and dropped her head in her palms.

As if right on cue, Rameen's phone pinged. She ignored it, Sila was her priority but when there was a ringing from Amal and Haleh's room, they looked at each other with panic.

"What is going on?" Amal muttered as she rushed to get her phone. Rameen picked up hers making sure it was away from Sila's eyes. She could feel what they had seen just now wasn't the end of it.

It was her sister Ramna's text telling her to check Twitter immediately. With a thudding heart, Rameen opened the app and what she came across on the explore page as well as under 'trending in Pakistan' made her eyes widen.

"Reen? What is it?" Sila asked in a grave voice. By then, Amal had also come back from her room. She and Rameen looked shaken. That added to Sila's apprehension. "What is it, guys?"

By then, Haleh, understanding the enormity of the situation, had seized Sila's phone. But that was least of Sila's concern. She was looking between Amal and Rameen and when both of them refused to answer her, she snatched Rameen's phone from her hand and scrolled it to know what the hell was going on.

With every tweet she came across, every discourse she saw, her heart sank deeper than before. She was all over there, her face planted on the micro-blogging website she had never even used much. That was the moment amidst everything; she knew her life was fucked beyond repair.

"Sila!" The girl's cried when she wobbled on her feet but straightened herself by holding the wall. She placed the phone back in Rameen's hand and closed her eyes. Her body shook with the amount of shock she had sustained in a matter of just minutes.

"I think I'm going to pass out." She mumbled, more to herself than to the people around her. "My life has become a fucking joke!"

She held her head in her palms. Rameen, Haleh, and Amal didn't know what to say to her. This matter was beyond any of their control. As a friend group and as a bunch of women treating each other as family, they had always dealt with any of their matters as their own. That's what family is supposed to do. But this was bigger than any of them.

"Sila―" Rameen's comforting words she wasn't even sure would salvage Sila's ongoing misery were interrupted by the shrill ringtone of Sila's phone. Haleh had ignored all the texts she was getting but this one needed to be conveyed to Sila.

"The Rich Problem" was flashing on her phone screen. Haleh didn't need to be told who he was. She wordlessly brought the device to Sila.

If they expected her to flinch away, that didn't happen. Sila took the call as if she needed just that. Wiping her tears, she stood up on steady feet and went to the window. The girls stepped back to give her privacy.

"Sila?"

Even after picking up, she didn't say anything for a whole minute. That was enough for Aahil to call out her name in worry.

"I'm here."

She whispered dejectedly. He closed his eyes, both relief and pain marring his features, relief because she was fine and pain because she wasn't, at the same time.

"Don't ask me if I'm doing okay." She told him as a tear rolled down her cheek. Aahil nodded, even though she couldn't see him. "Wasn't going to. Feeling that way is something both of us can't do for the coming few days."

"It's not okay, Aahil! It's cruel and it's..." She tried her best but a sob left her lips. Aahil cursed under his breath, the voice grating on his senses, making him hate everything that pushed her to her limits like this.

"Sila, you are not alone in this. I know it sounds like an empty assurance right now but my family and I will take care of everything. I can promise you that."

"Can you do that? Can anyone do that?"

She asked, defeated. Aahil felt his heart squeezing at the mere idea. The woman he had always seen ready to fight all odds was reduced to... this. All thanks to his family's old-age rivalry.

"Listen to me, okay? Take care of yourself. Don't talk to anyone other than your family and friends. Stay close to the girls and Mrs. Wadia, you need them right now. Did you eat? If not, do that right now. Just relax and don't think too much about anything. Leave it all up to me. After all, you are in this ordeal because of us only. I'll see to it, Sila."

"And what about you? It's not just me who's being dragged through the mud, you are also, Aahil."

Her concern made him smile wanly, for the first time day. "I'll be fine. Can you tell the same to me?"

She sighed. Fine? That was a fancy word right now but his assurance hadn't felt like empty words to her. It had ignited a small hope that maybe, things would get better.

"Yeah. I'll be fine, as well. As much as I can be."

"That's it. That's what matters. Stay in touch with me, okay? We will come out of it."

He ended the call. Sila kept on looking at the blank screen absentmindedly. When she could no longer do that, she walked back into her room where a worried Dinbanu was already waiting for her along with the girls.

As soon as her eyes landed on Sila, she wasted no time in embracing her in a hug. Sila closed her eyes. Aahil was right. She needed this most right now.

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Instagram

JustIn Today's hot news doesn't need to be told explicitly. It's all over the internet. Who did see the Jahangir vs. Jatoi coming to this? We aren't complaining, though. But our admins at JustIn wanted to go further and unveil something we saw floating around on the internet and found worth digging deep into.

Aahil Jahangir, everyone knows the name by now (quite a hunk he is, though. Surprised we didn't see him making news to this extent before.) The guy and his alleged "flavor of the month" are trending everywhere but how many of you know that Mr. Jahangir's previous relationship is also nothing short of interesting?

Vaneeza Khanzada, yes the daughter of industrialist Mehmood Khanzada. She got engaged to Ali Jatoi almost two months back and if Asfar Naqvi's wedding showed it right, the couple is happy and thriving in their life. It's just a coincidence (we think not xoxo) that Ali Jatoi happens to be the younger son of Pervaiz Jatoi. Hmmm. Dating a Jahangir and now the fiancée of a Jatoi, is quite a life, we must say.

Coming to the actual thing for which we decided to post, Vaneeza and Aahil dated for almost four years. A long relationship there is. Then what made them break things off? Were there differences they couldn't work on? Was there cheating involved?

Aahil and his mystery woman, Sila have been seen together recently but what are the chances that they were going at it behind Vaneeza's back? It hasn't been long since Aahil and Vaneeza break up. And now the timing of Aahil and Sila's pictures surfacing seems sus to us. All we can say is, what the fuck?

Do let us know what you think of this theory in the comment section.

And people did express their thoughts in the comments; some agreed, some didn't, some told JustIn to shove it, some were of the view that the admins need to get a life and leave people alone and others just laughed and moved along.

But one comment garnered the most attention if the 200 likes on it were any indication.

ViniKhanzada Well, that was...enlightening for sure.

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The iron gates to the massive settlement opened as a land cruiser drove through the entrance and stopped in the shaded parking lot. Guards surrounded the vehicle as a man got out of it. Dressed in his creaseless crisp Shalwar Qamees, hair slicked back and face as fresh as ever; Khizer Jatoi's countenance spoke of his triumphant euphoria. He had won a major case recently. The happiness was his right.

His entourage led him to wooden doors leading inside the mansion. He stopped the guards there and covered the distance between the foyer and the main lounge where he could spot his father and their core team. They all stood up to welcome him; some proceeded to place the garlands around his neck. Khizer grinned through it all as if it was his birthright.

"Baba Jaan." He greeted his father who embraced him in a hug and patted his shoulders, as if he'd come back from the war unscathed but in their playing field, getting acquitted in a case of this complexity, when everything seemed to go against him, was nothing short of a war won.

"Going to be honest, I missed sitting here with you all," Khizer admitted as the servant filled his glass with liquor. He picked up a piece of roasted chicken and placed it in his mouth. Beside him, Pervaiz scowled darkly.

"They should be grateful I'm not keen on avenging the treatment they dished out to you in the beginning."

Khizer laughed as he took a sip of his drink. "Easy there, Baba. I got out, we won the case and you have Jahangirs on their toes since morning. This day is too good to be getting angry on the bygone."

He tipped his glass in Akhter Naeem's direction, aware that their trusted journalist had played the cards as immaculately as they'd expected him to. He man accepted the silent accolade with a smile. A victorious smirk played on Pervaiz's face as well.

"Such a nice day, then why are you guys lounging here?"

Akhter leaned into his seat, looking at Khizer. "We are waiting for the statement from Jahangirs."

"They sure are thinking everything through. It should've been here by now. You got good them good, I'd say. There's no need for a statement. We played our cards well."

Pervaiz shook his head. "That's the thing, son. We played well but we intend to keep on playing. Our sources say that the Jahangirs are in a state of chaos and that gives me immense joy. I wonder what it'll be like to keep them that way for at least a few weeks, if not more. I'm enjoying this downfall."

Khizer was interested. "And how will you do that? The moment a concise and fitting statement comes from their side, the uproar will die down. People will find something new to discuss."

"That's exactly what we don't want. The thing is, the pictures circulating are legit. No Photoshop there. Aahil Jahangir seems to have a nice rapport with the girl. If the Jahangirs choose to use her as a scapegoat, we will reach out and get her on our side. A bit of coaxing and money, she will dance on our tunes and then we will strike."

"And if they protect her?"

Akhter and Pervaiz shared a look. Pervaiz nodded thoughtfully. "Even better, in my opinion. If she's even a tiny bit of importance to the Jahangirs, we have a new pawn to use. They won't go out of their way for a nobody. That leaves her in a vulnerable position no matter the strategy Jahangirs employ. We just have to wait and watch."

Khizer was impressed. It was a wrong move on Faseeh Jahangir's part to mention his judicial trial in his media briefing. Pervaiz was protective of his family and wouldn't hear anything from anyone, least of all from his arch rival.

The door opened once again, interrupting their ongoing conversation. A pissed Ali took hurried steps to where their father was sitting, totally ignoring Khizer. Khizer didn't mind. He knew Ali was unhappy. Vaneeza's name being thrown around would never be liked by him.

"I told you to keep her out of it, Baba!" Ali did nothing but shouted. A scowl appeared on Khizer's face. Of the two brothers, Khizer was the one who always did everything keeping his father's wishes in mind whereas Ali did as he pleased. Both Khizer and Pervaiz weren't in favor of him getting engaged to Vaneeza but Ali had made up his mind. He was in love with Vaneeza and nothing could stop him.

"Sit down, Ali," Pervaiz told him with concealed fury. His key party members and other men working under him were around and he didn't appreciate his son being disrespectful to him in front of them.

"No, I won't. We had a deal, Baba. You will see the Jahangirs and I will handle Vaneeza. You didn't keep your end of it."

"Did you keep yours?" Khizer asked, scathingly. Ali's head whipped in his brother's direction. He narrowed his eyes. Khizer rolled his eyes and reached out for his phone. Once unlocked it, he opened the gallery and stopped at a screenshot. He extended it toward Ali who looked at it with furrowed brows.

"You said you'd contain her if I'm not wrong. Then what she's doing in the comments of this post?"

Ali pursed his lips. He had nothing to add. Khizer nodded. "Love has made you oblivious to everything else, Ali. Your fiancée isn't over her last relationship and she makes it obvious every other day."

"She feels guilty that she broke the relationship. That it was her who called it quits that too by getting engaged to someone else."

Khizer narrowed his eyes. "And you believe her?"

Ali didn't look pleased by his brother's question. "Yes, I do believe her."

Fucking idiot, Khizer wanted to say but didn't. He had just gotten out of prison. He didn't want to start his freedom by arguing with his brother that too, over a woman.

"Then you should be thankful to Baba, instead of bellowing."

"And why I should do that?" Ali asked defiantly. Khizer leaned into his seat. Pervaiz was watching the exchange with inscrutable expressions.

"You said it yourself that she feels guilty. Now that there's a chance that she was, maybe, getting cheated on, she can say goodbye to the guilt."

"But we both know that's not true."

Khizer sighed. Who could say this dunce was running the family business? "But she doesn't, Ali. That's the thing. Now she can pat herself on the back that she dodged a bullet there and maybe, in doing so, she'll start giving you the time of the day?"

Ali became silent. Pervaiz and Khizer's eyes were fixed on him. A few seconds passed. Ali sat down defeated and turned to his father. "Sorry for my outburst earlier, Baba."

Pervaiz patted his arm. "It's alright."

He told his son and he meant it. Khizer was right when he said the family always came first for his father. But they had a long way to consider Vaneeza part of it. If she kept up with her antics, they might never.

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Things got worse in the next couple of hours. Everyone wanted to know what was going on. Sila and the girls followed Aahil's advice and didn't give anything to anyone. Rameen's one text to Ramna that Sila was fine and needs space was enough for her sister to keep her distance. The same went for Sila's other colleagues. Sila took was Ajwa's call who was as devastated by the turn of events as Sila expected her to be. Her company's name was also being circulated and not in a good way. Sila didn't know what to say to the woman. She was sure Ajwa would fire her but Ajwa did no such thing. She just wanted Sila to take some time off for her own good. Getting out of the house and putting herself in any risky situation wasn't the way to go.

Nisha's call was cut by Amal with more force than necessary. No matter whether Sila needed familial support but involving her Uncle meant giving her Mami the chance to spew as much venom about Sila's character as she wanted to and that was what they needed to protect Sila.

Sila had gotten her bearings and was in a much better state than she was in the morning. They knew Aahil's phone call had a crucial role to play in it. If the scale was manageable, she would've never sat silent like this but that was the thing about this whole ordeal, it was bigger than her. Bigger than anything she had dealt with so far. She had to believe Aahil's word and rely on the Jahangirs. If they didn't secure her against something she was in because of her association with them, then she was royally fucked.

But so far, her composure was intact. It only crumbled when she got a call from Murree. As soon as she heard Ammi's voice, she was once again reduced to tears. That was Naheed's cue to leave everything and rush to Karachi. That's what she did. She was right now traveling to get here as soon as she could.

"They really should do something as soon as possible. This ambiguity is giving people more ammunition to get as deranged as they deem fit." Haleh said, throwing her phone away from her. Checking socials at this time wasn't a good idea. They were astonished by the ability of the people to talk about something that didn't concern them at all. Amal's frustration showed on her face so did Rameen's worry. Sila sighed, closing her eyes.

The internet was still rampant with the details they had gotten. The meme industry also wasn't coming slow. As with everything, this situation also turned into a meme galore. From 'me and who' to indecent innuendos and sexual jokes, the internet was filled with everything. Sila had never, even in her wildest dreams thought that one day, she'd be at the center of it but here she was.

"Exactly. I don't know what's taking them so long." Amal seethed. Sila chose to remain silent. What could she possibly say to all this? She had no other choice than to wait for Jahangirs' next step. It was a powerful political mafia against her. She couldn't do anything without Jahangirs' help.

Rameen saw her phone screen lighting up. She excused herself and got up. Once outside of the room, she picked it up.

"Rameen?"

"Yes, Bushra Auntie."

Bushra took a sigh of relief. "Thank God, you picked up. I was trying Sila's number but it's busy."

"She was talking to Naheed Auntie that's why."

"Was she? That's good. In times like these she needs her family. How's she holding up? I want to come and see her but Danish thinks it's not a good idea."

Rameen's eyes narrowed with disdain. They were tangled in a mess since the morning. Rameen was sure the other two and even Sila hadn't felt it but Rameen couldn't stop thinking along those lines. Danish had left a single text asking Sila if she was okay. No calls. Seeing Sila's state of mind, not getting calls would be appreciated by her but Danish wasn't just anybody in Sila's life. He was her freaking boyfriend. That left a bad taste in Rameen's mouth no matter if she tried to push it back.

"She's fine, Auntie, as fine as she can be. Just pray that this issue resolves as soon as possible. It's a toll on her mental well-being."

"I'm already doing that, Beta. I can't tell you how worried I'm for Sila. If it's up to me I'll rush to Wadia House to see her. Danish is on his way, though."

Rameen didn't know what to say to that. Bushra talked for some seconds more. When the call ended, Rameen could hear a car outside the house. A panicked Amal came out of Sila's room.

"Reen, I think someone's here."

"Danish."

Rameen muttered. Amal's face was impassive. She shrugged and went back inside. Rameen squared her shoulders and walked toward the lounge where she could already hear Dinbanu Auntie talking to him.

Danish's eyes fell on her as soon as she crossed the hallway. He nodded her way. Rameen acknowledged it. No smiles were exchanged. If Rameen was agitated, Danish was also serious. The atmosphere in Wadia House warranted that.

"Where's Sila?" He asked. Rameen pointed in the direction of her and Sila's room. Haleh and Amal were also there by then. Their expressions were mild, not hostile as they were the last time he was here. Danish also didn't show any bitterness. Now wasn't the time to stick to such feelings.

When he entered their shared room, he found Sila already standing in the middle of it, looking at him. He managed a waned smile. Sila couldn't even reciprocate it. Her life was all over the place at the moment any sign of normalcy felt alien to her.

"How are you?" Danish asked, stopping at a reasonable distance from her. Sila shrugged. "I've been better."

He looked away from her face. But Sila was noticing his body language well. He wasn't the most talkative person she knew but he shouldn't be the one to be at the loss for words. Did Danish have nothing encouraging he could say to her? Nothing whatsoever? She knew the odds didn't look in her favor but was he more hopeless than her in this situation? Or...

"Do you believe what they're saying about me?"

He immediately shook his head. "No, Sila. That's not it."

"Then why are you...Is it about the pictures? Danish―"

He came closer and held her by her shoulders. "Okay, stop. I'm not going to lie, the pictures came as a shocker to me and they don't seem fabricated but that's not what I'm worried about. Not really."

"Then what?"

"Do you realize, right now, you are in the middle of one of the oldest rivalries in this country? Jatois and Jahangirs, they go way back, Sila. Where do you fit in all this? Both the involved parties can crush you without as much as a second thought. This is more serious than it looks."

Danish waited for her answer. Sila ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know how I'm going to come out of this."

"That's what I'm talking about. Getting involved with the Jahangirs, what were you thinking?"

"Involved? I was working for them, Danish."

He looked away. She could see it in his eyes. The pictures. They didn't look like she was just working for them. She took a staggering step back. "You do not trust me."

"I never implied that. I just feel you should've been a bit more careful. The rich folks can never be trusted."

"Danish..." She shook her head. "Aahil assured me he'll take care of everything."

Danish didn't look convinced. Sila took a shuddering breath. "You think he'll ditch me? And I will be left to navigate my way through this mess on my own."

"I don't think. That's what going to happen. There are crickets from their side, Sila. Not even a statement till now. That doesn't look good. What are they waiting for?"

Sila opened her mouth to contradict him but then closed it. Danish grimaced. "You should've told me you were involved to this extent in this ACHC thing. I would've told you to keep your distance, Sila. I do not like where it has gotten you. But I think it's just me who's obligated to tell you about everything in his life."

He said the last words with a bitter undertone. Sila couldn't believe her ears. Was he really doing this to her right now? Setting score? No matter whether he was looking out for her but that was uncalled for.

She didn't have the strength in her to fight him. She had other things to think through. Danish words resonated in her ears as she pursed her chapped lips. Would Aahil really ditch her? Would he throw her to the literal and proverbial dogs? She wasn't a Jahangir. She wasn't related to them. If the Jahangirs wanted to, they could discard her as if she was nothing and then this would be her whole life. She would always be a laughing stock, a meme on the internet, someone whose character and capability were compromised.

She was about to lose it and she didn't expect the man standing next to her to hold her. Taking a step back, she turned around as her mind ran a mile per second with unfortunate possibilities.

"Sila,"

Danish called her but she refused to look at him. She needed... she needed... what did she need?

Her phone rang the same instance. She came out of her stupor and looked around for it. Once she located it, she was both nervous and relieved to find it was Aahil.

What ifs swirled in her mind when she picked up the call with shaking fingers.

"H...ello."

"Do you guys have a back door to Wadia House?" He asked. Sila was confused.

"W...what?"

"A back door, Sila. I don't want to put you under more scrutiny than you already are. They haven't reached your place yet but I don't want to take any chances."

"Chances about what?"

"Chances of being seen and giving them more content as I sneak you inside my car and take you to Jahan's main office where my father and his team are waiting for you. And why do you sound so shaken? Is everything okay?"

Relief. Sila had never thought today she'd feel such unrestricted relief but she did. She nodded even though he couldn't see her.

"There's a back door. Reach the alley behind the house. I'll meet you there."

"Sounds good to me but you didn't answer my question. Are you okay?"

Sila was already on the move, totally ignoring the clueless Danish. "Yes, I'm. Now, I'm."

"I'll see you in a few minutes then," Aahil told her and ended the call. Sila put on her shoes and picking up her phone and purse almost ran toward the backyard, not even glancing at Danish who stood there confused and frustrated.

𝄞

The last time she came to the power floor of Jahan's building, she had no idea it wouldn't be her first, and that too under such circumstances. Aahil was right beside her, taking long strides to reach his father's office. Behind them was his security detail.

Yes. Bodyguards. Sila was shocked at first when she saw another car behind Aahil's but he told her, with a grimace that he wasn't allowed to leave anywhere without security. It was his father's strict order.

Under normal circumstances, Sila would've laughed it off but she knew this was a good decision, seeing he was all over the media. When you have a political party full of the corrupt mafia as your rivals, that too when they are openly at war with you, you have to act a certain way to avoid any unfortunate circumstances.

When they reached Faseeh's office, Aahil opened the door for her. Sila had a fleeting moment to feel the enormity of it all but she knew it then, her mind screamed at it that everything was going to be changed after this.

The office was in the same scene of cacophony it was the last time she was here. But the contained anticipation was replaced with agitation. In the place of the event coordinators' team were Jahangirs' legal advisor and PR team. Sila found both Adan and Faran. They were looking at her and Aahil with concern on their faces. Nawar was also there and so was Sabah. Both of them were also attentive toward her and Aahil.

They were dealing with this as a family.

"Ah! Finally. I thought you two got kidnapped or something."

The last drawl came from the opposite side of the room. Sila looked in that direction and found a rotund guy dressed in his expensive three-piece suit with a bored expression on his face eyeing them suspiciously. Aahil made a face.

"I'm too occupied to deal with this guy." He muttered under his breath. The other man smiled knowingly. "The kind of mess you've gotten yourself into, you should be thankful I've cleared my schedule to accommodate your sorry ass."

"Aahil!" Faseeh Jahangir threw a warning look his son's way. Aahil raised his hands and took the seat next to Faran. Sila was about to follow suit when the man from earlier stopped her.

"Ahan, I don't think so. Not so quick, missy."

Sila raised an eyebrow at him.

"I just wanted to have a small chat. That's it."

"And may I ask who you are?"

"That's Shamyl Sheikh. Head of Jahan's PR team." Adan said from her seat. The man bent his head as if his mere introduction was praise.

"And Shamyl, that's Sila."

"Oh, I know that. Trust me, everyone knows that."

"It's not funny," Adan told him in a no-nonsense way and giving a tired smile to Sila, got back to her previous task which was talking to someone on the legal team. Shamyl pointed to a somewhat private nook of the office. Sila looked back at Aahil who sighed and gestured to her to go on. That was good enough for her. It wasn't like she was stepping out of the room with this guy she didn't know why was so interested in her.

"What do you want to talk to me about?"

Sila asked. Shamyl raised an eyebrow and gave her a once-over. Sila stood her ground but his sizing her up didn't sit well with her. Shamyl seemed to pick on it. He gave her an apologetic smile which would've been sincere had the glint in his eyes wouldn't be hard to miss.

"Are you friends with Aahil?"

"I won't say―"

"Friends with benefits then?"

"What the hell?"

"No physical relationship. That's news."

Sila looked damn well close to lashing out at him. "What are you trying to say?"

Shamyl shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm trying to say that for a person who's hardly a friend or maybe not even that, he's surely going out of his way to save you."

He saw the surprise on Sila's face and nodded, solemnly. "We have direct orders from Mr. Jahangir that it's not just Aahil we have to save here, it's you as well. That's Aahil's sole demand from his father and us. Honestly, in my years of working with big names in the business industry, I've always seen in a scandal like this, the person who's not from the same social footing is always a liability. Most people will like to use them as scapegoats and when I was trying to come up with damage control strategies for Aahil, I thought here too, the same pattern will follow. He had me with his demand. I was just making sure if there was something I needed to know."

There was a movement behind her and the next thing Sila knew, Aahil stood next to her, glaring at Shamyl. "No, there's nothing to know here. Stop terrorizing her. She's already disturbed."

"I'm not―"

She stopped when Aahil gave her not a smug but a knowing look. Yes, she was disturbed. There was no point in denying that. Aahil slanted his eyes at Shamyl and holding Sila's hand, took her to the chair beside him and made her sit. She did so wordlessly. Shamyl couldn't help his chuckle. It wasn't friendship as he had expected it to be. It wasn't a friend-with-benefits arrangement as well.

It was the secret third thing. He should've seen that coming. A spoiled rich brat going out of his way for a woman, a tale as old as times but it wasn't his job description to label it that way, especially when he could see the involved parties were oblivious.

"Shamyl, get over here!"

Romana, Jahan's head legal advisor called him. It was time to put the plan into action.

As soon as Shamyl took his seat, Romana turned to Faseeh Jahangir. "Mr. Jahangir, we are going to file the defamation case in about an hour. Our homework is done and unlike the regular cases in Pakistan, this one holds sound footing as your security team has found the guy who was hired to take pictures of Mr. Aahil Jahangir and Miss. Nouraiz. We are going ahead with privacy invasion charges as well. That's also covered."

Faseeh Jahangir nodded, paying full attention to what he was being told. Shamyl leaned forward. "The statement from Jahan is also ready. It will also be out in an hour or so. But I wanted to discuss a few elements with you before."

He opened the tablet and in no time, its content showed on the screen in Faseeh's office. Shamyl pointed at it. "The content is increasing with every passing second. It seems like people were waiting for us to slip up."

"It wasn't―" Aahil interjected but Shamyl raised his hand. "I know, Aahil. It wasn't one. My bad."

Aahil grumbled under his breath but it wasn't directed at Shamyl, it was more about the low lives spreading fake propaganda about him and Sila he could see on the screen.

"As I was saying, memes are not really a point of concern for us. After a week at the most, it will all die down but the rumors, especially those as lethal as this one," He pointed at a tweet. "Don't."

It was a small account but the allegations thrown around by them weren't mild by any means. According to them, Aahil was into human trafficking and was an active member of working brothels and Sila was from that part of the society as well.

Another account made the same claim, more or less but for them, Sila was into the business and Aahil was just a spoiled rich brat who indulged in such things.

Sila looked away from the screen. It wasn't easy to witness a smear campaign against yourself. Her hands shook and her face colored with mortification.

She felt a gentle hold on the back of her hand. She looked in her lap and surely, Aahil was making soothing circles there, without taking his eyes off the screen.

"Our social media team is working to get a hold of all these people spreading a false narrative. We have contacted our friends in secret circles as well and I'm sure they will soon get to the bottom of it but no points for guessing for any of us, Jatois are working overtime."

"That they are. They aren't letting anything slip through their hands."

Shamyl agreed with Faran. "Exactly. Aahil's reputation is at stake and so is Sila's. But more than that, the Jatois are also looking forward to what we come up with in our public statement."

"So, they can plan their next move," Sabah added morosely. Shamyl gave her a sad smile. "Again, right, Mrs. Jahangir. If my years of experience have taught me anything, then I'm safe to assume that more than anyone, they have their eyes set on Miss. Nouraiz here."

All eyes went to Sila who looked dazed by the attention she was getting. "Me? How?"

"Yes, you and that's how." Shamyl got up and stood facing them all. "There are two scenarios. In the first one, we can completely ignore Miss. Nouraiz and pretend that we don't even know her. Our focus stays on Aahil and we get him out of this by leaving Sila entangled in this mess. We even come up with a story that puts her under more scrutiny and takes the blame from Aahil."

"That's unacceptable―"

Shamyl once again stopped Aahil. "I know. You made it clear. So, scenario one is totally out of question."

"And will remain so." Aahil was quick to add, firmly. His thumb was no longer making circles on the back of her hand. His fingers were in his, and his hold was full of assurance. Sila looked at him and then around. The rest of the Jahangir family was in complete agreement with him if their affirmative nods were any indication.

Shamyl sighed. "Very well. The next scenario is, as you all know, goes without saying that we save both Aahil and Sila but here's the problem here."

He scrolled on the tablet and the screen loaded with the leaked pictures. "This is the problem."

"How?" Nawar wanted to know.

"These pictures aren't fake. Any kind of digital forensics can prove that, which means we'll have to give a clever statement that can justify these as well. I know it sounds ridiculous; two people are doing very normal things here but our whole point is this only, it has become a social media issue and well, there, sometimes you have to clarify some of the most mundane things. That's the evil of that place. It can be used as a power as well, as Jatois are doing."

"We can tell them that I and Aahil are friends." Sila took her part in the conversation for the first time. Shamyl seemed to be waiting for just that.

"We can. But that will not make a powerful statement. Many people will not even buy it. We've already taken a quite long time to come up with our statement. We need to curb this whole thing in the nub."

"What are you trying to say here, Shamyl?"

He smiled secretly as if he had just reached his favorite part. "Announce that these two," He pointed at Aahil and Sila. "Are in a committed relationship and get them married."

There was unbreakable silence in Faseeh's office after that. Everyone was too stunned to speak. The stun was also of different range, as most people were 'pleasantly' stunned while the others, well not so much.

"WHAT?" Both Aahil and Sila shouted together. Yes, the others.

"Calm down, kids. It's not like I'm forcing you all to go with my plan but it's the best way to get rid of so much drama and to put weight into your case."

"But this can't possibly be the only best solution." Sila couldn't believe the outrageous suggestion. Aahil didn't say anything but he was as shaken as Sila. Both of them didn't even notice the rest of the Jahangir family hadn't shown any reservations about this suggestion.

"You want me to elaborate on that? Okay then. If we go this way, you and Aahil can prevent so much drama. Public opinion will immediately turn in your favor. Our people love a good ol' love story. Our claim of privacy violation will get stronger. I know it should already be strong enough but public opinion will help us a lot here. Your and Aahil's ruined reputations will get restored. The rumor mill will backfire and those who started it all will look like fools."

"But―" Aahil interjected again but Shamyl beat it to him, again.

"Also, if we are pulling Miss. Nouraiz as you want us to, she needs the needed protection as she will be in the middle of the Jatoi and Jahangir rivalry. If we put just the friends card and leave her be, she will be in a vulnerable position. The Jatois will want to reach out to her, either to use her in their propaganda or to harm her because of her affiliation with Jahangirs. Either way, she needs the same protection any Jahangir has, and what better way to ensure it than giving her the Jahangir name and making her part of the family officially?"

Silence again but this time with slight shuffling. Romana turned in her seat and gave Sila a friendly smile. "I usually don't agree with Shamyl's suggestions. They are too outrageous for my liking but this time around, he's onto something, Sila. Just think of yourself for an instant. Aahil is the son of Jahangir family. He will get out of it all without losing much but you are now in a conundrum that might not end well for you. Your life and reputation are at stack. Jatois don't play fair. You need all the protection in the world right now and what better than this? Give it a thought. Our statement can wait for a day more. The defamation case will cover the rest for a while but do think what Shamyl has said just now."

Sila could see Shamyl giving her a knowing look. The Jahangirs were no longer stunned by the suggestion. They hadn't said much but if the secretive looked amongst each other were any indication...

She looked at Aahil, alarmed.

He stared back at Sila, stricken.

They were fucked.

𝄞