It was a large circular hall. Six numbered doors were visible along its walls. Door number one looked rather peculiar, whereas the rest of the doors appeared ordinary. In the center of the hall, seated on a tall, peculiar swivel chair with his legs spread wide, sat a stout, fair-complexioned man with reddish cheeks... Surrounding him in a circle stood a number of men with their arms folded across their chests. The stout man, turning with a stiff neck, surveyed them all one by one. Tied with ropes, Inspector Junaid, Ikram, Muhammad Hussain Azad, Liaquat, and Asad lay on one side of the room. Lifting their heads, they watched the stout fellow. Suddenly, the stout man's lips began to move:
"I am very pleased... because the task I entrusted to you men... you have executed it splendidly."
"Our lives are at your service, Boss!" they all proclaimed together.
"I know; you are my loyal servants..." He laughed loudly.
"Boss! Kaka, Baaja, and Baba... these three have not returned with Farhana yet."
"They will arrive... do not worry. That dish is a hard nut to crack... it might take a little time." The Boss spoke with a booming laugh.
"Boss! If you allow, may I dare ask a question?"
"Jaani! You have no need to ask permission. What do you wish to ask?"
"Thank you! Boss, why do you insist on kidnapping only Farhana?"
"Only Farhana..." The Boss broke into a laugh. "These people haven't come here for a picnic either; you fellows kidnapped them too."
"Oh... my meaning was... among Inspector Junaid's children, why is the emphasis solely on Farhana?"
"Inspector Junaid loves Farhana dearly. In other words, Farhana is his weak spot, his raw nerve, and you know very well that I enjoy playing with an enemy's raw nerves... then there is another reason too... Beware! Do not dare ask me that reason!" The Boss said with a roar of laughter.
"All right, Boss... I will not ask." Jaani smiled.
"Your assumption is wrong... I do not cherish Farhana alone... Hamood and Farooq are just as dear to me..." Inspector Junaid said with a smile.
"Oh, but I have heard... fathers love their daughters far more than their sons."
"Those must be other fathers who discriminate among their children... To me, all my children are equally precious."
"Oh... do you wish for me to summon Hamood and Farooq here as well?"
"You misunderstood again...?" he said sharply.
Hearing his reply, the Boss fell quiet... and then burst into loud laughter.
"What happened now...! Why have you started laughing like a madman?"
"Inspector Junaid! Mind your tongue; this is our Boss," Jaani said angrily.
"He is your Boss... not mine." He made a face.
"Never mind, Jaani... let him speak..."
"Stout Boss... you are a coward... Ever since I fell into your clutches... you have kept me tied up continuously..." Inspector Junaid said with a smile.
"Keeping you bound is my necessity. I will bring your companions here one by one and tie them up... When people like you are bound, the business of people like us thrives."
"You intend to bring my associates here, yet this Jaani was speaking only of Farhana," Inspector Junaid said.
"Farhana... Hamood, Farooq, and..." He paused mid-sentence.
"And... and who else...?" Ikram asked quickly.
"Khan Rehman... Professor Dawood..."
"Oh... it seems you are in the mood for a massive game?" Inspector Junaid chuckled.
"Mood for a game... Goodness! Th-this... this could be the title of some novel!" Ikram exclaimed, making Inspector Junaid smile.
"That is precisely the case... I am in the mood for a game." The Boss laughed too.
"Oh... well! Many people in this country have played many games, but what became of them? Everyone knows. Whenever anyone dared look with malice toward my faith and my homeland, I wiped them out with the help of Almighty Allah. If you harbor any such intentions, you had better desist, otherwise..." Inspector Junaid warned.
"Are you threatening me?"
"Not a threat; I will see it through, stout fellow..."
"You won't be able to do anything, Inspector Junaid." He smiled, then continued: "You see these men? They are top-tier brawlers. Taking a life is child's play for them..." The Boss laughed.
"Good grief! Don't speak such terrifying words," Ikram's fearful voice echoed across the hall.
"Then how terrifying should my words be?"
"It would be better if you didn't say such things at all," Muhammad Hussain Azad said in an anxious voice.
The Boss glared at him:
"Inspector Junaid... these companions of yours seem awfully cowardly."
"We are not cowards... If you don't believe it, pit one of your men against us... If we don't make him dance on his toes, change our names!" Ikram said, making a face.
"Drop it... How my men made you dance...! Have you forgotten that?"
"That isn't called making someone dance; it's called deceit and fraud," Ikram replied promptly.
"By the way, which one among these is that Afzal Papriwala?"
"That is me..." Jaani said with a laugh.
"But you are Jaani... supposedly the Boss's right-hand man..."
"I am that old Papriwala; changing disguises is not merely ordinary for me, it is child's play."
"Oh..." slipped from Ikram's mouth.
"And you certainly haven't forgotten us... have you?" two men said, stepping forward together. Ikram looked closely. One was the young man from the car, and the other was the taxi driver—the very taxi driver who had offered him toffees.
"That means I was brought here through systematic planning," Inspector Junaid remarked.
"Yes! When do you ever fall into our hands without meticulous planning!" Jaani smiled.
"Ikram... this Jaani is the very old man... whom you brought into my office," Inspector Junaid revealed, leaving Ikram stunned.
"But Sir... he..."
"Didn't you hear? He is a master of disguise... and he knows some craft akin to telepathy. In his estimation, he had subdued me, but I am no novice either... The moment I looked into his eyes, I recognized him." Inspector Junaid smiled.
"When you recognized him, why did you leave the office with him?" Ikram asked in astonishment.
"To uncover his true identity, I came along with him... and that was my blunder..."
"You called me, but couldn't speak... What happened then?"
"When I fled from there, I dialed your number from my mobile phone... I got no chance to speak... these men were pursuing me... In any case, I didn't hang up... You must have heard the conversations and footsteps over the line, which is why you arrived there," Inspector Junaid explained.
"Hold on a minute, Inspector Junaid, I had confiscated your mobile phone... Then how did you manage to call him from your mobile?" Jaani asked in disbelief.
"While you stood beside me in Chacha Kaami and Achha Mama's room, I deftly slipped the phone out of your side pocket." He smiled.
"Oh... I assumed... your mobile had dropped somewhere."
"Hey!... That means the phone is still inside his pocket!" Chacha Kaami said, startled.
"No... I took it out of his pocket and disposed of it... I broke the SIM card as well." Achha Mama laughed.
"Oh... oh..." slipped from Inspector Junaid and his companions simultaneously.
"If your chatter is finished, shall we talk business now?... But wait, let me check on Khan Rehman and Professor Dawood." The Boss spoke into his mobile phone to his operatives:
"Yes... I see... You are bringing Khan Rehman? Excellent... bring him quickly, but proceed here with utmost caution... Okay..." He disconnected and dialed again:
"Yes, brother... Where is Professor Dawood?... Excellent... arrive quickly..." He ended the call, switched off the phone, and slipped it into his pocket:
"Congratulations... Khan Rehman and Professor Dawood are also being brought here."
"Oh... oh..." slipped from Inspector Junaid's lips.
"And... and that Farhana..."
At that moment, door number one swung open and a man entered... Behind him, the door slid shut automatically. Walking in, he saluted the Boss smartly and announced:
"Boss! Kaka, Baba, and Baaja have arrived... Shall I bring them inside?"
"Is there a girl with them?" the Boss asked urgently.
"No, Boss... there is no girl with them."
"Gotcha...! His three fighters failed to kidnap Farhana! Magnificent..." Ikram lit up with joy.
"Oh... How can this be... How did those three fail?!" the Boss shouted furiously. "Bring them to me at once...!"
"Okay, Boss..." The man turned and reached the door. He turned around to salute the Boss once more, during which the door opened automatically. He walked out of the hall. Soon after, three men stood with lowered heads before the Boss. The Boss's face burned crimson with rage. Then his hissing voice echoed through the hall:
"Kaka, Baaja, Baba! You three could not kidnap a single girl... This is the absolute limit!"
"We are ashamed, Boss... Had we not fled from there, it would have spelled disaster." Kaka, Baaja, and Baba narrated the entire sequence of events from Inspector Junaid's home in detail...
"Oh... So aside from Inspector Junaid's children, two other people were present there... and you failed because of them?"
"They weren't merely there, Boss... they are still right there," Kaka said.
"Boss! We were three, and they were five... We tried very hard, but..." Baaja added.
"Oh... oh... What do I do now... Should I just leave them be? No, they must be brought here too... in fact, those two acting as Farhana's shield must be brought as well... I cannot afford any risks."
"Do you mean to say that not only Farhana... but Hamood, Farooq, Shazi, and Gaami will be brought here too...?" Kaka asked in surprise.
"Yes... I will not leave anyone roaming free now," the Boss declared.
"If you permit, I can go and fetch them here," Jaani offered.
"Not yet... Let Khan Rehman and Professor Dawood arrive here first... Only then will I send someone over," the Boss replied.
They began waiting for Khan Rehman and Professor Dawood. Inspector Junaid was growing uneasy. He knew... these days Khan Rehman and Professor Dawood were dealing with some health issues.
"Sir... when I could reach no one, I informed Khan Rehman about you... Hearing the details, he grew worried and said... 'I am coming'... Before he could arrive, these people brought us here," Ikram whispered softly.
"Oh... May Allah have mercy... The situation looks grim. I feel utterly helpless right now," Inspector Junaid said.
"Why feel helpless, Sir? Almighty Allah is with us. He has always helped us, and He will help us today as well... Insha'Allah..."
"Insha'Allah..."
"Sir! Why is the Boss gathering everyone here? What is brewing in his mind? What does he intend to do... have you made any guess...?" Ikram asked.
"I have no clue at all..."
"Oh..."
About half an hour later, the hall door opened and two short-statured youths entered... One of them was carrying Khan Rehman over his shoulders... They strode over and stood before the Boss.
"Shasha... Masha... You have done an extraordinary job. Your reward is guaranteed... Now lay him down before me," the Boss cheered gleefully.
"What happened to him...?" Inspector Junaid asked anxiously.
"No need to worry... He is merely unconscious... He will come around shortly," the Boss said with a smirk.
"Oh... praise be to Allah..." Ikram breathed.
"He is unconscious, and instead of grieving, you are thanking Allah?" The Boss laughed.
"We must praise Allah in every circumstance... because He loves grateful servants dearly... Thus, I thanked Allah... and also because Khan Rehman is merely unconscious," Ikram elaborated.
"Oh... so that's the matter," slipped from the Boss's mouth. Then he turned to Shasha and Masha:
"Shasha, Masha... Did you face any trouble bringing him here...?"
"Boss! He had set out to go to Inspector Junaid's house when we intercepted him along the route... He put up a brief struggle, but we overpowered him and brought him here," Shasha explained.
"Did anyone see you coming here?"
"Boss! We leave no traces behind," Masha assured.
"Bravo... I am very pleased with you..."
"Thank you, Boss...! If you are pleased, so are we..." Shasha said. Then they joined the other men standing in the hall... Now the wait for Professor Dawood began... Finally, a tall, heavily built youth entered the hall carrying him. He placed him before the Boss and stood with folded arms.
"Boss... Professor Dawood is at your feet... please accept him."
"Accept him... What does that phrase mean? Have you brought Professor Dawood, or some gift for the Boss to accept?" Inspector Junaid commented with a smile.
"Professor Dawood is nothing short of a gift to me," the Boss smiled.
"If you say so, I'll take your word for it..."
Professor Dawood and Khan Rehman lay inert on the hall floor. Then Khan Rehman opened his eyes, looking around in bewilderment... Noticing Professor Dawood right beside him, he sat up with a start... An exclamation slipped from his lips:
"Oh... what on earth... Professor Sahib! Why are you lying here, and what place is this?"
Then, as his gaze fell upon the Boss and his associates... he sprang to his feet.
"Y-y-you... who are you, and where am I... What is Professor Dawood doing here?" he demanded. The men smiled among themselves.
"Khan Rehman... you fell into their hands too... My friend, this is not good." Hearing Inspector Junaid's voice, he spun around, glancing everywhere... As his wandering gaze landed on Inspector Junaid... he stood dumbfounded. Out broke from his mouth:
"Good grief... you are here too?!"
"Not only me, but Ikram and Muhammad Hussain Azad are over here as well."
"Oh... oh..." slipped from his mouth.
"Ikram... you... you were supposed to head over to Junaid's house!!"
"And you were headed to his house as well..." Ikram smiled.
"I was on my way there... Two youths stopped me en route... I tried my best to slip past them, but my efforts didn't pan out," Khan Rehman said, carefully scanning the hall.
"Didn't pan out... That's the only trouble with that phrase..." Ikram smiled.
"Which trouble...?" Khan Rehman asked absentmindedly.
"That it never cooks... one has to eat it raw."
"Oh...!! That means you eat raw lentils?" Kaka asked in surprise. He was apparently a fan of lentils.
"You misunderstood... My lentils cook just fine, but the metaphorical ones never do. Right, Khan Rehman Sahib... am I wrong?" Ikram asked.
"No... you are quite right..." he smiled.
"I bear witness as well... Ikram always speaks the truth." Professor Dawood was rising with a smile.
"Oh... you have regained consciousness too," the Boss said.
"Yes, but who are you, and why is my friend lying tied up...?" Professor Dawood inquired.
"This is the Stout Boss, Professor Sahib... It is thanks to his courtesy that we are all gathered here," Inspector Junaid chuckled.
"Inspector Junaid! Why do you keep calling me the Stout Boss... Can't you simply say Boss?" the Boss protested with an ugly scowl.
"Why... does it bother you?" Inspector Junaid smiled.
"Yes... it truly bothers me..." he replied.
"Try your best... not to let it bother you."
"Try my best... What do you mean?" He glared at him.
"I mean: try not to feel offended... because you truly are stout." He chuckled.
The Boss was left scowling sourly.
"Stout Boss... release Inspector Junaid and his companions," Professor Dawood demanded.
"Whyyy...?" The Boss stretched the word.
"Because I am telling you to do so," he smiled.
"Your telling me won't change a thing... My word is law here, Professor."
"Professor Sahib! The Stout Boss is right... only his orders run here, not yours!" Inspector Junaid said aloud, prompting Professor Dawood to glance at him quickly. Inspector Junaid was smiling knowingly.
"Oh... right, right... I understand." He caught on.
"What did you understand...?" The Boss was surprised.
"Simply that your orders run here... not mine." He smiled.
"Thank goodness... you understood quickly." The Boss laughed. Then he looked toward Kaka, Baaja, and Baba:
"Inspector Junaid is tied up, so why are these two free? Tie them up as well... I am going to use the restroom... and mind you! Don't let them pull any tricks." The Boss rose from his chair... and opening door number 5, stepped inside.
"Don't tie us up..." Khan Rehman said in alarm.
"Why shouldn't we? We will obey the Boss's orders," Kaka said, picking up a rope lying near the Boss's chair.
"Look! I am not feeling very well."
"Doesn't matter... you're feeling well enough, aren't you?" Kaka laughed.
"B-b-but the Stout Boss has stepped away," Professor Dawood stammered.
"Why are you calling our Boss stout?" Baaja demanded angrily.
"Because he is stout... Now shouldn't I call a stout man stout... What kind of logic is that?"
"I don't care about logic... Just don't call our Boss stout; address him simply as Boss," Baba scolded.
"Very well... I will not call him stout anymore, but..." He smiled.
"Where did this 'but' come from, Professor Sahib?" Ikram smiled.
"What about 'but'?... It can drop in from anywhere, anytime. Don't you even know that much, Ikram?" Professor Dawood turned to him.
"Professor! Yield peacefully and let yourselves be tied... otherwise we will bind you by force," Kaka said, standing before them with the ropes while Baaja and Baba stood behind him.
"B-but I am not feeling well," he said fearfully.
"Professor Sahib! I am starving. Do you have anything to eat?" Suddenly, Inspector Junaid's voice resonated through the hall.
"Oh... goodness... I am starving too...!" Ikram shouted aloud.
"What a nuisance, now you people have started feeling hungry!" Kaka grumbled.
"It isn't Professor Dawood and Khan Rehman who are hungry... Inspector Junaid and Ikram are. After binding these two, we'll attend to Inspector Junaid's hunger," Baba chuckled.
"Well said..." Baaja agreed.
"But you forgot one thing..." Professor Dawood smiled.
"What did we forget?" Kaka made a face.
"Simply that Junaid asked me for food, not you."
"So you have something to eat on you?" he asked in disbelief.
"I searched him... His pockets contain some candies and toffees. Childish habits he has," the man who had brought Professor Dawood noted with a grin.
Except for Kaka, Baaja, and Baba, all the men were now seated on the floor.
"Oh... all right... Toss the candies and toffees toward them; they'll eat them," Kaka said with a smile.
"But they are tied up."
"So what? Candies and toffees are eaten with the mouth, not with hands and feet."
"You speak the truth, but one usually catches them with hands," the Professor chuckled.
"Sorry! We cannot untie their limbs. Toss the toffee or candy toward them, and they can catch it with their mouths; they can manage that much at least," Baaja said.
"Professor Sahib! They are right... Toss a nice candy toward me... Insha'Allah, I will catch it in my mouth," Inspector Junaid said.
"And Ikram, you... will you be able to do that?"
"Professor Sahib! I will try too... Take Allah's name and toss a toffee toward me." Ikram smiled.
"Okay... I am tossing a candy toward Inspector Junaid and a toffee toward you," Professor Dawood said, retrieving an assortment of candies and toffees from his pocket and holding them in his palm.
"Professor Sahib! Will you toss the candy and toffee to both of them at the same time?" Khan Rehman asked with a smile.
"I will try..."
"It would be better if we attempt it together."
"Fine... Take this candy and toss it toward Inspector Junaid, and I will toss the toffee toward Ikram."
"All right," Khan Rehman said, taking the candy from his hand. Then he looked toward Kaka, Baaja, and Baba:
"If you care to eat something too, you may take some..."
"We are not hungry; go on and feed them, make it quick. Get yourselves tied up before the Boss returns..."
"Okay... And if any of you others wish to have candies and toffees, let us know," Khan Rehman addressed the other henchmen seated across the hall.
"Feed Inspector Junaid and Ikram first... We'll decide after that," Shasha said.
"Decide...! Do you have to ponder before eating candy?"
"Yes! A pill swallowed without thinking can be a bitter pill indeed." He was the taxi driver, speaking with a grin on his face.
"All right... as you wish," Khan Rehman said and flicked the candy toward Inspector Junaid. He caught the candy in his mouth with astonishing skill.
"Wah... impressive!" slipped from Shasha's mouth involuntarily.
"Ikram! Here comes the toffee..." Professor Dawood said and flicked the toffee toward him. He, too, caught it neatly in his mouth with consummate skill.
"Aha... magnificent...!" everyone chimed in unison.
"Now, what's the plan? Who wants a candy or toffee?" Khan Rehman asked.
Shasha, Masha, Chacha Kaami, and one of the youths who had carried Khan Rehman raised their hands.
"Aha... there are quite a few sweet lovers here," Khan Rehman chuckled.
"Here... toss these toward them..." Professor Dawood handed him the candies and toffees.
"Professor Sahib! May I have one of these candies too?"
"No, you take this one. Those belong to their share." He handed him a distinct single candy.
"Since everyone is having one, give us some too!" Hearing Muhammad Hussain Azad's voice, Kaka turned toward him.
"Oh... Kaka! If you don't mind, why don't you hand the candies to our companions... You will earn a blessing," Professor Dawood said.
"Hand them over! I will deliver the candies to them."
"Th-thank you, Professor Sahib."
"You truly are very kind; many thanks from me as well..." Khan Rehman said, turning back toward the seated henchmen:
"Here you go, brothers... catch your candies and toffees...!"
All at once, he hurled five or six candies and toffees forcefully right at them. How could they catch so many candies thrown simultaneously? Every single one struck the floor. The instant they hit the hard floor, muffled miniature explosions erupted, releasing dense billows of orange smoke that rushed straight toward their noses and mouths... Caught utterly off guard, they succumbed to the fumes and collapsed unconscious one after another.
(To be continued)
