Sitting in a big office, wearing his usual skinny jeans, t-shirt, and hoodie, Ahad waited for none other than Moosa Khan himself - The leader of the famous gang Black Eagles and his Boss. This will be Ahad's seventh meeting with Moosa in this month. In their last meeting, he was given a business assignment directly by Moosa, which was quite unusual because Ahad is a field worker and he is usually given orders through a trusted man of Moosa, named Sarmad. Moosa doesn't give orders directly, but there were two or three missions when Moosa not only led them directly but took part in the mission by their side. Ahad sighed and look at his wristwatch.
"How much longer?" He grumbled under his breath and glances at the newspaper on the table. He was about to reach for it, when the door swung open, revealing Moosa, followed by a familiar face of a teenage boy, who is often seen with him.
"MB, can't you reconsider your decision?" The boy said to him.
"We will talk about this later, Yawar. Now go home and wait for me there." Moosa said to the boy named Yawar and he obeyed, after releasing a dramatic sigh.
"Sorry for the wait, Ahad. Assalam o Allaikum." Moosa walks up to Ahad and reaches out his hand to him.
"Wallaikum Assalam." Ahad shakes Moosa's hand lazily.
"So, how was your trip?" Moosa asks while taking off his jacket and puts it on the back of his chair.
"I wasn't sent on a holiday." He throws a comment instead of answering Moosa properly. Moosa smiles lightly and leans back in his chair after offering Ahad a seat.
"I've already acquired all the information needed with regard to the deal and I've come to know how easily and wisely you handle your assignments, so there isn't any need to ask you."
"So, why am I being called?" Ahad jumped directly to the point.
"I wanted to talk to you and offer you a deal." Moosa also cuts to the chase.
"What deal?"
"I intend on making you in charge of our business."
"I am not interested." Ahad bluntly refused.
"Tell me, Ahad, what gave you the courage to throw my offer onto my face without any fear?" Moosa asks, looking at him curiously.
"I left my fear, along with everything else behind four months ago when I joined the gang." He answered with an expressionless face.
"Hm!" After a pause, Moosa said, "Ahad Murtaza ... what are you really after? If you are not drawn towards the power and money, then what do you seek?"
"I will find whatever it is that I seek, at the moment I realize what I am really seeking."
"So, you are really going to reject my offer?" Moosa asks Ahad after a long pause.
"Yes." Ahad answers firmly.
"And there is nothing that would change your mind?"
"No."
"Very well then. Ahad, I am ordering you to take the responsibility of being in charge of our business." Moosa ordered firmly with his eyes fixed on Ahad, who was fearlessly staring back into his eyes.
"Understood, Sir." Ahad said.
~*~
14 months later:
"Ready! One.... two.... three...." As Alina, Kanwal's twelve-year-old sister said 'start', both Kanwal and Mahnoor starts singing once again and Alina puts her fingers in her ears.
"Sub se mehangi hai...
(It's priceless)
Chalti rehti, Ruki nahi...
(It continues, it never stops or end)
Dosti...
(Friendship)
Teri meri aisi dost-"
(That's your and my frien-)
They have been practising for the farewell party of the final year students.
Being in the third year of college, Kanwal was dragged to participate by her classmates and Mahnoor forced her too.
They couldn't get any further with the singing because of the door banging sound. Both of them stopped singing and Alina rushed to open it.
"Here! Give this to Mano and Kanwal." They heard Hammad's voice and when Alina turns back to them, she held a small plastic bag full of coins.
"Girls, take it. I collected all the coins I could find in the house. Please, have mercy on our ears." He almost pleaded, addressing both of them and abruptly left, as he didn't want to miss the cricket match more than he had already missed.
Their mouth was left ajar in shock on how they were implied as beggars indirectly by Hammad. On recovering from the shock, they attacked Alina who couldn't stop giggling and start tickling her.
"Allah! ....Kanwal appi.... sorry...Mano baji.... please, sorry.... sorry." She kept apologizing in between her laugh but they didn't stop until she couldn't take it anymore.
Breathless as Alina, Mahnoor and Kanwal drop themselves and try to catch their breaths.
"Are we really singing badly?" Kanwal pouted.
"Don't believe whatever Bhai does or says when he is watching cricket." Mahnoor rolled her eyes.
"Yes, baji. Mahnoor baji is right. Don't believe Bhai or the birds which fall from the sky and died after hearing you guys." Alina said and quickly moved away from their reach.
"Anyways, what will we be doing with all the money?" Mahnoor sits up excitedly after shooting a fake glare at Alina.
"What do you mean 'doing'?" Kanwal said, also sitting up, "We are returning it back to Bhai."
"No, we aren't. He is the one who gave it, we didn't ask him to." She shrugs, "Alina, count the money. It should be enough for our ice cream." She winks at her and both start counting the coins.
"Ye kahan ki tehzeeb hai? (what kind of manners is this?)." Kanwal puts both of her hands on her hips, "Alina, stop counting. Mano, return this money to Bhai." Kanwal said to both of them in her big sister mode.
"Is this your money?" Mahnoor asks.
"No." Kanwal shook her head.
"Then you shouldn't be bothered about it. Besides, if you don't want to eat, then Alina and I can eat your share too." Mahnoor said, giving Alina a high-five. Kanwal chuckle and accept defeat.
