Episode 14
One Minute
"Who… whose phone is ringing at this hour?" slipped out of Farooq’s mouth.
"You fool! If the mobile belongs to Begum Shirazi, then the call must be for her as well," Hamood said, making a face.
"Fine, but what was the need to make such a face?" Farooq smiled.
"And here they go again… Take the mobile quickly to Begum Shirazi and thank her on my behalf too," Inspector Junaid said with a smile. Farhana took the mobile and left, but came running right back. The mobile was in her hand, and her face was beaming with excitement.
"What happened? Why did you bring the mobile back?" Inspector Junaid looked surprised.
"Father! It’s a call from Pagal Jee!"
"Completely wrong… it belongs to Begum Shirazi," Farooq said hastily.
"Stupid man… the call is from Pagal Jee… he wants to speak to Father!" Farhana blurted out.
"Bingo! He must be giving some useful information!"
"Farooq! Can't you stay quiet?" Inspector Junaid glared at him.
"Of course I can… here you go…" Farooq said quickly, pressing his lips tightly together.
"Assalamu Alaikum, Pagal Jee!" Inspector Junaid spoke.
"Wa Alaikum Assalam, Inspector Junaid Sahib! Reach here immediately!" Pagal Jee’s excited voice came from the other side.
"B-but where? Where are you right now?"
"I am in Achha Garden… come quickly!"
"What did you say? In Achha Garden?" he shouted.
"Yes… w-what happened, Inspector Junaid Sahib?"
"Where in Achha Garden?"
"55 Achha Garden…" As soon as Pagal Jee said this, he jumped with surprise.
"We are coming…" Inspector Junaid pressed the end call button.
"Pagal Jee has called us to 55 Achha Garden!"
"Oh… my friend Irum Akhtar lives there!" Farhana gasped.
"Oh… that means we have to go to 55 Achha Garden now."
"Father! Have we really put our trust in Pagal Jee?" Hamood asked in a thoughtful tone.
"Under these circumstances, we have to…" he smiled.
"Gami! You stay here… we will be right back."
"Okay…" Gami smiled.
Hamood, Farooq, Farhana, and Inspector Junaid went to their rooms for a short while. When they returned, they were ready to leave.
"Khan Rehman, Professor Sahib! You two rest at home… have dinner, etc."
"As you wish," they replied together; after all, they too were feeling exhausted.
"Gami and Shazi… what is your plan? Will you come with us?"
"We will certainly come, Inspector Sahib!" they said together.
"Okay…"
"Junaid! Keep Begum Shirazi’s mobile with you… it might come in handy," Khan Rehman advised.
"Good advice. Begum! Tell your friend that her mobile is with me."
"Alright, I'll tell her. You go ahead," she called out from the kitchen.
"All of you go outside and sit in the cars; I am coming," Inspector Junaid said.
"Inspector Sahib! Once you are free, we will all step out together," Gami said, prompting Junaid to cast a curious glance toward him.
"You go on… I need to speak to my wife," he said, and Gami stepped outside with the others. Suddenly a thought crossed Junaid’s mind. Smiling, he dialed the number of the secret force in-charge. He gave him certain instructions, then left the house. The cars sped along rapidly. Finally, they arrived at the outer gate of Achha Garden.
Inspector Junaid sent an SMS to Pagal Jee asking: Can I call you?
An immediate reply came: Call.
He dialed, and Pagal Jee spoke:
"Inspector Junaid Sahib! Have you arrived?"
"We are a short distance away from Achha Garden…"
"I am inside Bungalow No. 55… right in front of the gate stands a room isolated from the rest of the building. In the lane to its left, there is a small storeroom. I am currently inside that dust-filled storeroom. Come here…"
"What are you doing here, Pagal Jee?" he inquired.
"Once you get here, I’ll tell you the details."
"Come outside…"
"Inspector Junaid Sahib! Don’t waste time… come here quickly. I would have come out myself, but a guard is sitting right in front of the gate."
"Alright… I’m coming," he said, and proceeded toward the gate of Achha Garden along with his companions, leaving their cars parked behind.
"Where are you heading?" A guard suddenly stood before them with his chest puffed out.
"Bungalow No. 55."
"Okay… everyone write your name and ID card number in this register." He promptly pushed a thick register in front of them.
"Uncle, what should those who don't remember their ID numbers do?" Farooq asked with a grin.
"They should write their mobile numbers," the guard said, glaring at Farooq.
"Thank you…"
Upon entering Achha Garden, they were astonished. It was undeniably a beautiful garden estate. The bungalows and mansions were worth admiring. The lighting arrangement was magnificent, turning night into day. Walking ahead, they soon arrived in front of Bungalow No. 55.
"Yes! Whom do you wish to meet?" A guard was seated in front of the gate.
"My name is Farhana… I want to meet Irum Akhtar. Tell her Farhana has come to see her," Farhana stepped forward quickly. Inspector Junaid smiled.
"Alright… but who are they?"
"They are my companions… actually, the thing is…" Farhana was explaining when Farooq chimed in:
"We were passing by… our sister became stubborn about meeting her friend. We tried our best to explain to her: 'Silly girl! Your friend will be scared seeing all of us, so meet her some other time.' But uncle, she insisted and dragged everyone here… that's not nice of her, right?" Farooq continued rambling. The guard glared at him, then cracked a smile:
"No problem… my younger sister is very stubborn too. I will inform the young madam. Please wait here. If she agrees, I’ll send you all inside; otherwise, you’ll have to head back."
"Alright, please inform her, we’ll wait right here," Farhana said quickly. The guard opened the small side gate and went inside, while they exchanged looks.
"What do you think, Farhana? Will she call us in?" Inspector Junaid asked.
"Fifty-fifty… she might call, or she might refuse… Oh… wait!" She suddenly gasped. "Father! If the wish to kidnap me was hers, then… she will certainly be startled!"
"Alright… I understand. You all wait here; Ikram and I will sneak inside," Inspector Junaid said.
"Okay… if permission is granted, great; otherwise… you’ll already be inside, handle it accordingly," Farhana said.
Inspector Junaid and Ikram entered swiftly and walked straight ahead. Inside, dim lights were scattered. Ahead of them stood an isolated room—detached completely from the rest of the building. To the right of the gate, slightly ahead, lay a garage, beside which was a large, grand doorway leading inside the mansion. At that moment, that door was slightly ajar. They took everything in within seconds. Then they moved toward the lane to the left of the isolated room. Soon, they were standing before the storeroom.
"Pagal Jee! Come out… we have arrived," Inspector Junaid whispered.
Pagal Jee stepped out.
"What are you doing here, Pagal Jee?"
"Inspector Junaid Sahib! The owner of this bungalow, Parvez Akhtar, used to meet those suspicious people. Today, finding an opportunity, I slipped into the trunk of his car and came here. I love my motherland dearly; my ancestors nourished its foundations with their blood. I cannot tolerate its enemies," he said.
"You love your country and yet beg instead of doing any real work?" Ikram smiled.
"Oh… that is work too! Begging is an art, and not everyone knows this art," he grinned. A faint light lit the lane outside the store.
"Anyway! Go on…" they made a face.
"I eavesdropped on his conversations… he was talking to a man named Khurram. From their discussion, I realized Khurram was made in-charge of some operation."
"Operation…?" Inspector Junaid was startled.
"Yes! And this operation will take place tomorrow morning at ten o'clock… Inspector Junaid Sahib! Parvez was laughing as he spoke on the phone."
"Pagal Jee! If you're telling the truth, fine; if you're lying, you will face consequences," Ikram remarked.
"If you don't believe me, then sorry… I step aside."
"Oh no, it’s not like that… Did you hear anything else?" Inspector Junaid asked.
"Parvez was talking to Khurram about the first phase of some game… saying that it had failed, and now they must be extremely cautious."
"Oh… oh… you are telling the truth, Pagal Jee… well done!" he smiled. "The first part did indeed fail. Where is Parvez Akhtar now?"
"He is not in the mansion, he went out somewhere… I wanted to come to your house to explain everything, but hesitated due to the guard and called you instead… Did I do right, Inspector Junaid Sahib?"
"Well done! If these prove to be the conspirators, I will have the government reward you… Insha'Allah."
"Oh… thank you, Inspector Sahib!" Pagal Jee beamed with joy.
Just then, Farhana’s voice reached their ears:
"You are so kind, Irum… I needlessly thought ill of you. Please forgive me…"
"I am the one who should ask for forgiveness… I made an inappropriate wish to my father, and he felt compelled," Irum’s voice came.
"I have already forgiven you… and please, never ask your father about me, or he will feel ashamed."
"Don't worry… I will never mention a word about this to him," came Irum Akhtar's smiling voice.
"Okay, I'll take your leave now. Take care of yourself…" Farhana said.
"You too… Allah Hafiz…"
After that, silence fell. Farhana had likely walked out of the mansion.
"Oh… so the wish to kidnap Farhana came from Irum Akhtar herself, and Farhana has handled the matter," Inspector Junaid said.
"That means, Sir, Parvez Akhtar is also involved in this racket… and perhaps he is the accomplice of the Fat Boss too," Ikram noted.
"It seems so…" he smiled.
"Sir! What do we do now?"
"What else… let's get out of here."
"Alright… let's go."
"Pagal Jee! You are relieved from our end."
"Alright, Sir…" he smiled.
When they reached the gate, the guard blinked in surprise.
"What are you looking at, guard brother? We are Farhana's companions," Ikram smiled.
"But her companions never went inside… Madam Irum had only summoned Farhana."
"Come on, friend! So what if we looked at the mansion from the inside? After all, we are the companions of Madam Irum’s friend."
"Oh! Fine, you may go." He moved aside, and they quickly exited.
"There they are… our people," Ikram said.
"Yes… quicken your pace."
They all exited through the main gate of Achha Garden onto the main road. A short distance away, their cars were parked just as they had left them. They silently climbed inside.
Pagal Jee slipped away in another direction.
"So, what happened?"
"Father! Irum did express her wish to kidnap me to her father, but it has nothing to do with the Boss’s affair. When I told her that her father had arranged my kidnapping, she was shocked, and then felt ashamed. I forgave her and told her never to bring me up to her father, lest he feel ashamed of his deed. I also asked her not to mention my visit here, as it would cause him more distress," Farhana explained.
"Bravo… excellent," Inspector Junaid praised.
"What if her guard tells Parvez Akhtar?" Hamood asked.
"She will forbid him too," she smiled.
"Wow… you did wonders!" Farooq chirped, then blinked:
"Hey! Where did Gami and Shazi go?"
They looked around and spotted them standing far from the cars in the darkness.
"Wow, you really did wonders!" Farooq chirped, then jumped startled:
Just then, Inspector Junaid's phone rang. The call was from Number One of the secret force. He reported:
"Sir! We have located Parvez Akhtar. He looks troubled."
"Is he alone?"
"Yes, Sir… he is completely alone."
"Then snatch his mobile from him somehow… in other words, take it into your custody," Inspector Junaid instructed.
"Okay…"
"I assigned you another task as well…"
"Sir! Our eyes are everywhere… even you people are not hidden from us," he chuckled.
"Oh, splendid! Well done," Inspector Junaid said and hung up.
"He must have received the news of the Fat Boss's arrest, which explains his agitation. I fear he might signal the operation prematurely," Inspector Junaid remarked.
"Whom will he signal, Father?" Hamood asked.
"He isn't alone… there are others in this plot besides the Boss," he shared Pagal Jee's information with them.
"Oh, then you did very well by ordering Number One to snatch his mobile. He won't be able to contact anyone in his state of panic."
"And a major advantage will be that we can track down Khurram… Once we reach him, the whole game will truly meet its demise," Hamood said.
"Oh… w-what did you say? 'The Demise of the Game'… that sounds like the title of a novel!" Farooq stammered.
"Oh, good grief! You always start thinking of novel titles in every situation!" Hamood slapped his thigh in annoyance.
"Ouch! I'm dead!" Farooq screamed.
"What do you mean, you're dead?!" Farhana turned in disbelief.
"I'm dead… as in, I died!" he groaned.
"How did you die? You're sitting there completely fine!" Farhana snapped.
"Hamood didn't slap his own thigh; he slapped mine! And I swear, he hit it extremely hard!" Farooq's expression was so comical that everyone burst out laughing.
"God help you…"
"Father! Are we going to keep standing here? What will people say if they see us? Have you thought of that?" Farooq asked.
"When have I ever cared about people? Sit comfortably," he smiled.
Shortly after, the mobile rang again:
"Yes, Number One, what's the report? What did you say? The mobile is in your operative's pocket and Parvez Akhtar has no clue? Wonderful! That's the way! Deliver the phone to me," Inspector Junaid said. Then he looked toward Gami and Shazi, who seemed engaged in conversation. He called them over:
"Inspector Sahib! What happened? What did Pagal Jee tell you?" Gami asked.
"The owner of Bungalow No. 55, Parvez Akhtar, is an accomplice of the Fat Boss. It was on his orders that the Fat Boss was after Farhana," he said, looking straight into Gami's eyes.
"Oh… that means the strings of the Fat Boss were held by Parvez Akhtar…"
"It appears so."
"And where did Pagal Jee go?" Shazi looked around the cars, surprised.
"We have sent him back."
"So now by arresting Parvez Akhtar and Khurram, you will reach the real game," Gami said in a distant tone.
"The real game… does that mean there's a fake game too?" Farooq asked inquisitively.
"In this world, real games are rare; fake games are played more often. I believe two games were played with us as well. One has been uncovered; the other will soon come to light, Insha'Allah."
"Insha'Allah… so it shall be," everyone echoed together.
"Does that mean we may leave now?" Shazi asked with a smile.
"Of course you may… I never stopped you; you were with us of your own accord," Inspector Junaid smiled back.
"Alright, Inspector Junaid Sahib! We take our leave. If life permits, we shall meet again."
"Insha'Allah, very soon," he replied. Then they departed.
"Oh… Gami and Shazi left," slipped from Farooq's mouth.
"Gami was quite interesting… just like Farooq! May Allah grant him the discovery of his enemy, Faqeer Parinda, soon so he can make soup out of him! He had caused him so much grief," Hamood rattled on.
"Yes, he was a good man… he helped us a lot," Farhana added. Just then, an operative of the secret force arrived:
"Here you are, Sir…"
"Okay, you may leave," Inspector Junaid said, and the operative went back the way he had come.
After he left, Inspector Junaid dialed the secret force in-charge and said:
"Keep an eye out…" and hung up.
"We have no further business here… let's go home."
They reached home. They had already examined the phone on the way; Khurram's number was saved. Junaid handed the mobile to Ikram and said:
"Find his address from the mobile company. There will be many other numbers in it; I want details on all of them."
"You will get them, Sir," Ikram replied with a smile.
"But Father… what if Parvez blocks the SIM? What if he locks the phone?" Hamood asked.
"Let him do whatever he wants… I don't care. Ikram, go and fetch all the details as soon as possible," Inspector Junaid ordered.
Ikram left. About half an hour later, he returned, highly enthusiastic:
"Sir! Khurram’s house is not far from here."
"Khan Rehman, Professor Sahib! Will you come with us or do you wish to rest?"
"I'll come along, Junaid," Khan Rehman said.
"And I will stay here… I am not feeling very well," Professor Dawood said, lying on the drawing room sofa.
"Okay…"
It was a charming house situated on a wide, clean street. In response to their knock, a young teenager opened the door. Seeing so many people before him, he looked bewildered at first, then said quickly:
"Who… who are you and whom do you wish to meet?"
"We want to meet Khurram… is he home?"
"Yes, he is at home… I will open the drawing room door," the teenager said. A few moments later, they were seated in the drawing room.
"Please take a seat… I will call brother Khurram; he returned home a little while ago," the boy said and went inside. Shortly after, a young man entered the drawing room:
"Yes, please tell me! I am Khurram… Ah! You?!" The moment his eyes fell on Inspector Junaid, he jumped back in shock. Fear rushed into his eyes. He tried to turn and bolt, but Farooq stuck his leg out; he tripped and tumbled down.
"That’s what you call an official government trip!" Farooq grinned.
"Khurram! Trying to run is pointless…" Inspector Junaid smiled.
"Why have you come here, Inspector Junaid?" Khurram asked, the color draining and returning to his face repeatedly.
"You'd better ask your own face for the answer," Khan Rehman smiled.
"My face…?" He quickly touched his face, then let out a heavy sigh.
Inspector Junaid gestured to Ikram, who pulled Parvez Akhtar's phone from his pocket and dialed Khurram's number. Instantly, the mobile in Khurram's side pocket began ringing. He hurriedly pulled it out and panicked.
"Khurram! You are trapped… in other words, you are defeated."
"Where did you get the Boss's mobile?" he asked in astonishment.
"Well done… now that's the spirit!" Professor Dawood would have said.
"This is the handiwork of our secret force… and your boss must be in their custody by now as well," Inspector Junaid said.
"Oh…! That means the game is over." His body slumped.
"You guessed correctly… now hand over your mobile to me."
Khurram handed over his mobile. Then something extraordinary happened—their hearts skipped a beat. Khurram abruptly bent down and grasped Inspector Junaid's feet.
"Sir! For years I wandered around holding my degrees, begging for a job, but never got one. When despair grew beyond limits, I broke down one day. Courage and patience abandoned me… and I became a traveler on wrong paths. People like the Boss began exploiting my talents." Khurram's eyes welled with tears. Everyone stood astonished.
"Oh… oh… alright, tell me this: what game were you planning to play?" Inspector Junaid asked with a smile.
"One minute!" a voice called out loudly from behind.
Everyone turned their heads around and froze in sheer shock. Their breath caught in their throats. The most shaken among them were Hamood, Farooq, Farhana, and Khan Rehman.
(To be continued)
(Insha'Allah, the final episode of "Adhoora Khel" will be presented tomorrow)
