Their Last Season

"What was that, Sumi!"

Hamza exclaimed the moment they were in room.

They decided to stay in kanpur for a day.

Rahil already wanted this, happily welcomed them in his humble abode.

"Maybe, we are thinking wrong." Sumaiya tried to reason out.

" No, Sumi bhai is definitely hiding something.

I can't forget his posture of that day."

Hamza said.

He was perplexed.

Stuck in a puzzle, where the starting point wasn't mentioned.

"Ok, Relax Hamza, there must be some reason."

Sumaiya tried to calm him down.

" Sumi, I am telling, I won't let any injustice happen to bhabhi.

She is the woman of Khan villa, she is ours to protect."

Hamza told firmly to Sumaiya.

Sumaiya nodded placing her hand on his shoulder.

They were soon engulfed in the arms of sleep.

It was the last hour of night, when Hamza stirred.

He glanced at the clock.

It was tahajjud time.

The voluntary prayer offered in the last hour of the night.

He got up from the bed glancing towards other side to see his begum sleeping.

He got out of the bed with utmost care not disturbing her sleep.

He performed two rakah of his salah.

He raised his hands for dua,

"Oh! Calmer of heart.

Give harmony to this anxious heart.

Help me to see , the clear glimpse of the picture.

Help me to protect woman of my house.

Help me choose justice over relations .

Ameen."

He got up from the prayer mat.

It was the next day, when they were again in the restaurant where they had seen Hashir.

Rahil was there with them.

Hamza and Rahil talked to the manager he refused to give them any clue.

Then only Sumaiya noticed a waiter glancing at them again and again.

She signaled him to come outside.

She went near Hamza.

Signaled him to follow her.

" What happened Sumi? " Hamza asked her as soon as they were outside the restaurant.

"Let's sit in the car." She said calmly.

Rahil got confused, he was about to say something.

When Hamza signaled him to keep quiet.

He knew his Sumi.

If she was saying something there had to be some reason.

They sat in the car, where they saw the waiter of the restaurant coming towards them.

When he was near, Sumaiya took out 3 notes of 500 she forwarded it towards him.

Rahil gaped at her, his mouth hanging open.

He took it without a word.

Hamza understood.

He forwarded his phone towards him showing him a picture of Hashir.

"Do you recognise this man?"

Hamza asked.

"Yes." The waiter said.

"Does he come here often?" Hamza asked again.

"Yes, he comes here often with his daughter I guess." The waiter said.

Hamza froze.

Daughter?

The girl was his brother's daughter.

But then, I guess those words got registered in his mind.

A spark of hope was ignited within him.

" No Ma'am, this sir often comes with a teenage girl, the woman who visited there with him was here for the first time."

He replied to the question Sumaiya asked.

She turned towards Rahil,

"It's all about money sometimes ." She said with a smirk.

After hearing his reply, Hamza exhaled.

But still, who was that girl.

The road home was filled with uncomfortable silence.

The tension could be cut with a knife.

They reached Delhi.

Sumaiya was worried about him.

He wasn't speaking and his silence was louder than any storm.

"Sumi, rest well." He patted her cheek before going to the office.

She smiled.

.............

"Assalamualaikum." Hamza greeted the person on the other end.

"Walaiqumasalam, Chote Sahab." The person greeted back.

"Rafey Uncle, listen carefully to what I am about to tell you.

And it should be between us." Hamza said firmly.

"Ok, Sahab" Rafey agreed.

He was Hamza's father's most trusted man.

"You have to report bhai's activity outside the house to me."

Whom is he meeting?

Where is he going ?

All of it."

Hamza ordered.

He exhaled while leaning back on the chair.

Just then, his mobile phone showed a notification.

A message from his Begum.

"Please eat something."

A simple message , yet most lovable one according to Hamza.

It feels good to be loved back by the person you love.

.....

Sumaiya went to the mall to buy a sweat shirt for Hamza when she bumped into someone.

"Sorry, the man said before stopping in his tracks when he saw her.

Sumaiya recognised, he was the HR of the company who had visited that day.

Sumaiya found him looking at her intently.

She felt awkward.

Then her eyes found her wallet on the floor.

When she bent down to pick up the wallet, the man's reverie got broken.

He too bent down, for picking it up.

Just then his hands stopped.

He saw a picture in her wallet.

A person he could recognise anywhere.

Sumaiya took her wallet and went away but he was looking at her until she disappeared into the crowd.

"What was Mahira's mother's picture doing in the woman's wallet?" Danish questioned himself.

....

It was half day at college when Sumaiya, met her friend Rahila in the cafe.

Theyhad been trying to meet each other since long time, but couldn't meet due to their busy schedules.

"Long time no see, sweetheart."

Rahila exclaimed the moment she saw Sumaiya.

"We have talked on a video call just yesterday."

Sumaiya rolled her eyes.

" Yes, yes now you have got a husband, who will miss this single person" Rahila said dramatically.

Sumaiya looked at her with a deadpan look.

"Who would say, you are a lawyer looking at your antics."

Sumaiya snickered.

They both chuckled.

They chatted for some time.

" You know Sumi, I got a very complex case." Rahila told her.

"Ok."

"It's from the place near your in- law's house."

That caught Sumaiya's attention.

"What was the name of the place." Rahila said recalling.

"Yes in the outskirts of Fatehpur." Rahila exclaimed.

"Fatehpur." Sumaiya repeated.

" In that area of the village, the ratio of males to females is very unusual.

Females die very early there.

So I got a case in which a woman was forced to marry a man twice of her age.

Now she wants annulment.

She even asked for police protection."

My good for nothing boss has handed over that case to me."

Sumaiya nodded.

" The people there are narrow- minded." Sumaiya said.

Rahila nodded.

......

Sumaiya and Hamza were sitting in the balcony.

"Hamza are you ok?" Sumaiya asked.

Hamza looked towards her.

As if asking why this.

Hamza nodded.

"Are you really, okay? She asked again stressing at each word.

Hamza took her palm in his hand, caressing it.

"Yes, I am okay with you I always am." He said softly.

"I am always with you." She replied gazing at him.

The orbs collided.

The eyes articulated.

The hearts whispered.

The new rhythm of love was woven between them.

....

It was dawn, when Hamza's phone rang.

They both stirred.

Sumaiya glanced at the clock it was 4:30 am.

Her heart sank.

The moment she looked at Hamza's expressions she knew something was terribly wrong.

Hamza's face paled.

He turned towards her.

" Hashir bhai met with an accident."

These were the words which left his mouth.