They looked. Two towering, heavily built men stood in the doorway... They were terrifying. Their hearts sank... Amidst this, Kaka's screeching voice was heard:
"Aha! You have arrived, my friends... Now the fun begins..."
"W-what do you mean...?" Farooq looked at him, startled.
"Meaning... these are my companions, and they have come to break every bone in your body." He laughed.
"Oh... but...?"
"Now where did this 'but' drop from...?" Gaami asked with a smile.
"I don't know where it dropped from... however, it is entirely valid." Farooq smiled.
"Valid... So can a 'but' be invalid too?"
"Yes... some 'buts' are invalid as well..."
"Leave the invalid one aside... Just clarify the valid 'but'." Farhana said, laughing.
"The valid 'but' is that Kaka also wanted to break our bones, but what happened? He is lying here helpless... and the funny thing is... Hamood, Farooq, and Farhana had no hand in his thrashing..." Farooq said.
"Farooq... you said it right... We are still watching the oil and the way it flows..." Farhana smiled.
"You people are forgetting us...!" A voice came from the direction of the door.
"Oh... We truly forgot about you."
"Baaja... Baba... Beware... Don't fall for their chatter. They entangle others in talks to serve their own ends..." Kaka shouted loudly.
"He isn't speaking the truth... Our ends are already well served... and what wisdom is there in straightening something that is already straight?" Farooq rattled off rapidly.
"This is the limit... You never change...!!" Hamood laughed.
"Don't you worry, Kaka... Baaja and Baba will make them dance to their tune..."
"And I am certain, Baba... you will surely do that."
"Who reduced you to this condition?" Baaja said. Then he turned back, closed the door, and bolted the latch.
"Hamood... What are you doing lying on the floor...? Get up already." Farhana made a face, so he quickly got up and came over to them.
"You didn't tell us, Kaka... Who did this to you?"
Kaka pointed toward Gaami.
"Oh... Who is this...? He doesn't look like an associate of Inspector Junaid..." Baba asked in surprise.
"Yes... He isn't their associate... When I arrived here, he stepped forward defiantly to face me... and began saying... while I am here, you cannot even cast a dirty eye toward Farhana... Finally, he clashed with me... and I..." Kaka went quiet.
"Oh... So that is the story..."
"Enough talking... Now let's get to work."
"Work... Which work...?"
"The work of beating you people up... Brace yourselves... We are about to strike." Baba said, and then they watched the spectacle of spinning on one leg like a top all over again. Baba and Baaja were spinning rapidly... Then they advanced toward them...
"Everyone form a circle...!" Farhana yelled.
Everyone swiftly positioned themselves into a circle. Before both could crash into them... Hamood, Shazi, and Gaami lunged into them... Everyone got entangled together and fell to the ground... Then a peculiar sight unfolded... All five sprang to their feet at once.
"Splendid... Truly splendid, my friends..." Farooq smiled.
"Splendid, your foot...!! Why didn't you leap onto Baba and Baaja?" Farhana said angrily.
"Th-that... you know that already." He muttered.
"What do I know...?"
"Precisely this: that I am terrified of spinning things, which is why in childhood I used to run away from spinning tops."
"Farooq! You... you are such a coward... You run from a fight... while your tongue runs faster than a pair of scissors..." Farhana made a face.
"This is an unwarranted accusation against me... a slander... and Farhana... slandering is not a good thing... you know this very well... Since to me you are very good... therefore you ought to... always speak good things... it keeps one's health good too... and did you see... how many good things I am saying... When Father comes home, you must praise me nicely in front of him... and make sure... none of my good points are missed... You understood well, right...?" Farooq went on talking.
"Good heavens, spare me from you... How thoroughly you have disgraced the word 'good'... What would the poor word think... into what kind of fellow's clutches have I fallen..." Gaami said, laughing.
"Which poor girl...?" Begum Junaid asked absentmindedly.
"The word 'good'... who else?"
"Oh... Are you crazy like Farooq too?" She smiled.
"Thank you for the praise..." Gaami smiled.
"Kaka... You were right... We came to grind them into dust, and they are busy concocting absurd tales... Does this make any sense...?" Baba made a face.
"Indeed there is no sense, Baba Ji... By the way, if you say so, we can concoct even wilder tales... We are quite expert at spinning stories anyway... Right, Hamood?" Farooq looked toward Hamood.
"Keep me away from your nonsensical chatter, Farooq..." Hamood said, burning with annoyance.
"Fine, but there is no reason to burn over it." Farooq said with a smile, causing Hamood to make ugly faces. Seeing this, everyone burst into laughter.
"Kaka... Hearing this kid Farooq's delightful chatter, I am thinking... Let's leave Farhana and take him along with us instead... He will keep us thoroughly entertained." Baba said with a laugh.
"Not a bad idea." Kaka smiled.
"Good grief... I am doomed then... Their intentions are turning dangerous... Oof..." Farooq shuddered.
"Dangerous intentions... You mean to say... their first intention wasn't dangerous? Meaning, kidnapping me isn't a dangerous intention of theirs?" Farhana growled.
"I... I... didn't say that... Fine, here I say it... Their first intention is far more dangerous than the second... and O Baba, Baaja, Kaka... you three must stick to your first intention..." Farooq looked toward Baba and Baaja at the end of his sentence.
"You mean... we should kidnap Farhana?" Baaja laughed loudly.
"Farooq... Have you lost your mind...? You are telling them to kidnap your own sister..." Farhana smiled.
"Oh... Th-then... what else should I say...?" He got flustered.
"Don't say anything... Just stay quiet." Farhana said, exasperated.
"Everyone can fight, everyone can talk, and only I should remain quiet—won't that be sheer injustice to me?" Farooq looked at everyone helplessly.
"Oof... What on earth are you made of...? You talk so much... Don't you get tired...?"
"Hahaha... You are quite something... Wah..." Baba laughed loudly.
"Look, Farhana... Baba answered your question." Farooq smiled.
"Which question...?" She was taken aback.
"The one about what on earth I am made of..."
"I am convinced... You are truly insane...!!" She spoke furiously.
"Yes... I am insane... and I know how to cure insane people." Farooq said and went to stand right before Baba and Baaja.
"What are your intentions...?" They laughed.
"My hands have been itching for a long time... I want to get rid of that itch..." Farooq said and lunged at Baba and Baaja. Caught off guard, they took the hit and tumbled down...
"Bullseye...!!!" Hamood yelled.
"Not yet..." Farooq said and kicked Baba in the face... A scream broke from his mouth... Then both sprang up.
"You people took us for a joke!" Farooq ground his teeth and charged to headbutt Baaja... but Baaja had regained his balance... He quickly moved aside, and Farooq carried on with his own momentum toward the exterior door... Suddenly, he steadied himself and calmly unbolted the door latch... At the same time, his voice rang out:
"You handle them, I will bring help!" He darted out of the house and latched the door from the outside...
"Bullseye...! Long live Farooq...!" Farhana cheered.
"This is too much, Farhana... Just a moment ago you were glaring at Farooq, and now...?" Hamood said quickly.
"Now he has used his brain correctly... Earlier he was just spouting nonsense..." She smiled.
"That kid Farooq was very cunning..." Kaka made a face.
"He wasn't a kid... He was Farooq himself... my lion-hearted brother." Farhana laughed.
"No need to be overjoyed... Before help arrives, we will crush you all into paste and carry Farhana's paste away in a sack..." Baba said, smiling.
"Seems like... Farooq's humor has rubbed off on you." Baaja said, laughing.
"Yes... He talks with great amusement..."
"Now we will attack together and relentlessly; we have very little time... No telling when Farooq might return with help."
"You're right..."
"Come on, clever people, get ready...!" Baaja said, and then both attacked them... A fierce battle ensued... The large courtyard of Inspector Junaid's house turned into a battlefield. Begum Junaid retreated into a corner.
They traded relentless blows, but none could overpower the other.
Since Kaka was tied up... he could not take part in the fight... He watched helplessly as everyone fought... Gaami, Shazi, Hamood, and Farhana moved their hands and feet with blazing speed. Baba and Baaja were two... while they were four... so their side had the upper hand.
"Baba... Baaja... Untie me somehow so I can assist you!" Kaka suddenly shouted loudly.
"We will try... If we find a chance, we will untie you... For now, enjoy the fight...!" Baba said while flipping Farhana over his shoulder. At that moment, Hamood tried to tackle him, but he wriggled like a fish and slipped away.
"Friends... Even though we are four and they are two... they are slipping from our grasp...!!" Hamood threw a punch at Baaja's face... but missed his mark...
"Surround them in a circle... Our plan won't work like this...!" Farhana had rolled across the ground to evade Baba's strike.
"But Farhana... we aren't here to cook lentils... We must beat them to a pulp." Gaami said, spinning on one foot. His attacker, Baaja, skidded far away from his own momentum.
Then suddenly, the four of them encircled Baba and Baaja.
"Now turning them into paste is inevitable." Farhana laughed.
"Let's see... who turns whom into paste." Baaja lunged angrily toward her, so Farhana quickly stepped aside and he broke out of the circle... Right in front of him lay Kaka. Without a second thought... he bent down and began untying Kaka's ropes. Farhana kicked him in the back, but he didn't budge... Seeing this, Hamood leaped onto him... As soon as he collided with Baaja... Kaka sprang to his feet. At the same time, he roared:
"Wah, my friend...!" Right then, Farhana kicked him hard in the stomach. Clutching his belly, he bent over... then stood upright, fuming, glaring at Farhana with ferocious eyes:
"D-did the collision hit too hard...?"
"I'll show you right now..." he snarled and lunged at Farhana. She was ready for it... She twisted aside instantly... Undoubtedly, both sides were remarkably agile.
"Why are you wasting your time...? If you truly want to take Farhana for money, take it from us and leave us alone...!" Hamood suddenly yelled.
"What did you say... Take money from you?" Baba and Baaja froze, forgetting to fight.
"Friends! Don't fall for their trick... Keep fighting...!" Kaka said, seeing them standing still. But they didn't budge.
"Don't listen to them... They tempted me too, but..." Kaka tried to punch Gaami in the face, but Gaami dodged it.
"You rejected our offer and said... you couldn't do it... and that you gave your word to someone." Hamood said with a smile.
"Oh... oh..." slipped out of Baba and Baaja's mouths simultaneously.
Their faces turned red.
"Are you telling the truth, boy...?" Baba asked.
"Well... I am indeed telling the truth..." He got flustered. Suddenly a thought seized him: if they demanded a large sum, where would he get it from? Inspector Junaid wasn't there either... Khan Rehman could certainly arrange a large sum, but... he was left completely perplexed.
"'Indeed telling the truth'... What does that mean?" Baaja glared at him.
"It means... I will think and let you know." Hamood said quickly.
"See, didn't I tell you...? He surely wants to play some game... and why have you forgotten Farooq? He could bring someone here at any moment." Kaka said. He looked concerned.
"No matter what happens... we will not return empty-handed from here..." Baba said, smiling.
"Oh..." escaped Kaka's mouth involuntarily.
"Tell the truth... Will you give us money...? If you promise to pay, we won't kidnap Farhana." Baaja said to Hamood.
"Money isn't better than Farhana; had I possessed it, I would have certainly given it." Hamood said.
"That means... you lied to me!" His eyes bulged.
"Well... th-that... I... I..." Hamood stammered.
"Hamood... You aren't a goat to keep bleating 'I... I'... Say it plainly... We will not give money... We don't have it at all..." Farhana said, making a face.
"Oh... Come on, Kaka... Get going... No mercy on them now..." Baba said angrily.
"Oh... So were you showing us mercy earlier?" Hamood was startled.
"Yes... We were indeed showing mercy... The real, life-and-death fight will happen now... You will see for yourself..." Baba laughed.
Then their hands and feet truly began moving faster than before... It took everything they had just to defend themselves.
"Shazi... We must defeat them at all costs... Understand!" Gaami said while leaping onto Baba.
"This is the limit... You people keep chatting even while fighting... Can't you fight in silence?" Begum Junaid said with irritation. She stood clinging to a wall at some distance from them.
"We can... but there would be no fun in such a fight." Hamood said.
"In what kind of fight will there be no fun...?" Farhana said, dodging Kaka's strike.
"In a silent fight..." Hamood said while leaping in mid-air to evade Baaja's blow.
"A silent fight... Oh... Th-this could be the title of some novel." Gaami said, landing a powerful punch on Kaka's shoulder. Taking the blow, Kaka shrieked loudly.
"Gaami... Why are you copying Farooq?" Farhana said while dodging Baba's attack.
"Because he isn't here, and someone has to do his share of the work." Gaami laughed.
"Kaka... Baaja... Can you escape this house without opening the door?" Baba's voice was heard suddenly.
"Yes...!" they answered together. They ceased fighting and stepped aside. Baba had already separated from them. The four of them were feeling exhausted as well. They too wanted to catch their breath, so they held back their hands.
"What are your intentions, Baba Ji...?" Hamood asked.
"I think... we should drop the thought of kidnapping Farhana from our hearts." Baba was smiling.
"Thank goodness... A good thought crossed your mind." Hamood smiled too.
"Baba! What are you saying...? What answer will we give to those waiting for her?" Kaka asked in shock.
"You're right... but my friend! Better to drop the thought from our hearts than end up in prison." Baba had turned abruptly serious.
"Prison... What do you mean...?!!" Kaka jumped.
"I smell danger; you forgot about Farooq... My sixth sense announces... he is just about to arrive..."
"Oh... So that's the matter... Well, I'm off then." Kaka said, springing into the air like a coil... and the very next moment he stood on top of the parapet wall... Then, before they could do anything... Baba and Baaja also leaped vigorously and stood beside Kaka...
"Catch them...!" Farhana shouted loudly. Hamood, Gaami, and Shazi ran toward the staircase and dashed up, but returned crestfallen...
"They jumped down from the roof into the alley... We couldn't do anything, Farhana..." Gaami said.
"Oh... It doesn't matter." She smiled.
At that very instant, the front exterior door burst open with a sudden jerk!
(To be continued)
