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When Life Begins --------- ---------
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When Life Begins ---------
“Okay, let’s stop this pointless discussion! Let’s go downstairs. Dad
is waiting for us.”
===============
Saleh signalled again and the scene came to a stop. As it
disappeared, any faint hope Huma might have had disappeared with it.
Saleh spoke again in the same brutal and deadly tone:
“Did you see that? Every single word that came out of your mouth
has been recorded. So go Madam, go and find your dad’s Peer who had
the power to have you spared, the one in front of whom even God
could not…”
Saleh left the sentence incomplete but the anger that exuded from
his voice while he repeated Huma’s words shook me with its intensity.
Huma turned pale with fear. Before Saleh could say anything else, she
ran away, screaming.
After seeing Jamshaid in that scene, my condition had again
become unstable. Obviously, like Huma, he would have also been
wandering in this plane suffering all the hardships. I wondered what I
would do if Jamshaid appeared in front of me in this state. I was still
thinking about it when Saleh patted me on the back and said:
“Come on Abdullah, let’s go.”
I do not know what was in his touch but as soon as he touched me,
the level of anxiety that had overtaken me was suddenly reduced. I
started to walk with him quite relaxed and fresh. Around us, it was the
same commotion of worried and horrified people. We had gone ahead
only a little more when I saw Mr. Chaudhary Mukhtar. He had probably
seen me and was heading in my direction. Mr. Mukhtar was the
business partner of Jamshaid’s father-in-law. He was my acquaintance
only in that capacity. As he came closer, he tried to embrace me but
Saleh stopped him with the movement of his hand and said:
“Keep your distance and speak.”
Saleh’s tone was so harsh that he seemed like a stranger to me.
Despite this insult, Mr. Mukhtar’s enthusiasm did not fade. He said:
“I was certain Mr. Abdullah that you would come looking for me. Do
you remember that I had a mosque constructed and you used to pray in
that mosque? In addition, I also used to help the poor.”
“I remember Mr. Mukhtar”, I replied in a low voice.
“Then please put in a word for me. I have been roaming around in
misery for a long time. Whoever you see over here is only concerned
with himself. No one talks properly, nor gives any advice.”
As he said this, he involuntarily looked at Saleh. I also turned my
head to look at him. Saleh looked at me for an instance, and then
started to talk while staring at Mr. Mukhtar’s face:
“You certainly had a mosque built but it was not for the sake of
God, rather you wanted a good name for yourself. When one donates
money for the sake of God, one’s head is bowed, hands are fastened,
and the voice and the heart are full of humility and fear of God.
However, you were not like that when you made donations. You
wanted to be recognised by others as a pious person. Therefore, you
had your wish granted during your life. Now, you will have to explain
how you earned all that money.
Moreover, it was not often that you spent money on a good cause.
Would you like to tell us how you spent millions in order to get close to
a famous movie star? You are guilty of fornication. You indulged in it not
once, but repeatedly. You fornicated with many different women. You
had illicit relations with famous actresses and fashion models. Even if
we leave aside how you spent your money, the way you earned the
money included various prohibited and forbidden means. You were
involved in adulteration. You hoarded stuff illegally. You sold goods at
exorbitant rates. The fundamental principles of your business were to
underpay utility charges, commit fraud, and deprive employees of their
rights. At the peak of your career, you formed a media group. On one of
the TV channels belonging to your group, you used to show religious
programmes to keep the public happy, whereas on another one, you
used to promote immoral attitudes and vulgarity in the society, all in
the name of art and entertainment.”
Saleh was speaking non-stop and words were flowing out of his
mouth like arrows heading straight for their target. It was not possible
for Mr. Mukhtar to respond to these but he had nowhere to run. He
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