Chapter 14

It’s tough to believe what you hear, but then, it’s toughest to believe what you see, especially if it is an incestuous relationship between cousins! I was horrified by the events of last hour. It was 3 am in the morning, and I was packing my stuff up. I didn’t want to stay in this house even for another minute. With what I had just witnessed, my life had already ended. My father who trusted these people the most, were the most dangerous ones, instead! Zakir was an asshole, both inside and outside, but this Sana? She was such a vixen, I came to know about her real intentions last night and my eyes literally bled!

They were both deep asleep in the drawing room itself, and I knew that they might not wake up before morning. Since Yusuf wasn’t here, so Sana might not worry about her infidelity being exposed!

I sneaked out of the house clutching my belongings tight, bidding it a final goodbye. I vowed to never return here under any circumstances. Neither did I tell father about what I saw, nor anybody else, it wasn’t the right time after all. But I was happy to have acquired an atom bomb that could destroy two families in one blast! Tomorrow were elections so the night was young, some shops were still open and people, precisely party members were strolling at night in streets, God knew why?

I thought about narrating Afzal the events of my memory from last night, but the mere thought of telling a brother that his sister was cheating on her husband with his cousin, shuddered me inside and I put the thought away immediately. It was disgusting, downright disgusting!

I had no place to go, but just my old home where I was planning the decline of Zakir since weeks. Sana’s house was father’s choice and I’m glad that I got to pay her a visit, at least her real intentions were exposed to me in right time. I reached my home and opened the door with the key I had in my backpack. The rooms were just the way I left them. I leapt on my uncomfortable yet safe bed, and immediately slept away. The journey so far was anyways too tiring.

* * * * *

In the huge house of Sana Yusuf Khan, Zakir Hamidi woke up from deep sleep, lying next to Sana on the big sofa in drawing room.

‘Dress up, Sana’ he whispered in her ear and kissed it.

‘Stop it…’

‘You remind me of college days you know, and I really love you for that. That’s why I could never move on from you even after you are married now.’ Zakir stroked her soft lips.

‘Zakir…’ Sana was moaning in sleep.

‘Come-on, wake up now, or someone will see us in this position. I have to go and cast a vote for myself, love…’ Zakir stroked her hair and she got up.

‘I’m sure you will win.’ Sana kissed him on his lips, Zakir returned the gesture by grabbing her behind.

‘Ouch! That hurts…’ Sana hit him lightly on his chest.

‘Sweet sister, who will you vote for? Your brother-brother? Or your lover-brother?’ Zakir gave her a keen look.

‘Who do you think I should vote for? Who deserves my vote according to you?’

‘Well, according to me, you should vote for your brother-brother. He should have the votes of at least his two sisters in his account!’ Zakir laughed out loud.

‘So much of over-confidence can be dangerous…’

‘Ah, it’s not over-confidence, its a silent belief. I know I’m the future chief minister of the state, and you are one lucky woman to be honoured by the chief minister in this way!’ Zakir winked.

‘Shut up!’ Sana threw a cushion at him, and walked out of the drawing room.

She returned after ten minutes with two cups of tea, and Zakir had dressed himself up, and was watching TV in the drawing room. It was 7 am.

‘Good morning, sweetheart! What a pleasant surprise…’ Zakir hugged her from behind and she landed on his lap, ‘I’m so jealous of that lucky bastard Yusuf, who gets to see and touch you whenever he wants’ he whispered in her ear.

‘Then you should have married me instead. The proposal was open, but you didn’t want to publicize our relationship.’

‘Sana, my career was ahead of me. Politics demands a lot of sacrifices, but that never meant I stopped loving you, did it?’

‘No, but this can’t continue for the rest of the life, you see? Tomorrow I may think about having a family…’

‘Sure you can, we can have kids.’

‘Ah Zakir, shut up! You can’t be serious. What if Yusuf finds out?’

‘Oh he never will, believe me.’ Zakir smirked.

‘Yusuf has already found out too much about me. Stupid Afzal asked him for money, straight on his face! I asked him not to, but he’s an ass.’ Sana’s expression changed.

‘A sad story of a poor brother, so moronic. You should have married me, you know? I could’ve given you much more than all this…’ Zakir glanced at the huge house, ‘And we could be together, forever…’ he kissed her hand.

‘And would you have introduced me to the world as your wife then?’

Zakir was silent, immediately. He had no answers.

‘I know what this silence means, and that’s why I stopped taking you seriously.’ she got up from his lap and sat on the sofa behind him. After sipping the tea and watching the condition of the valley in the morning news, Sana asked Zakir to leave.

‘I have a guest living at my home, and she wakes up at around 9 or 10 in the morning. Its 8 already. It would be better if you leave. Khala is anyways on the top floor, and I asked her to remain there for two days because of elections. If there’s someone I’m worried about, it’s that ‘kaafir’ girl – Kavya!’

‘She was in my party. I don’t know why the hell Afzal planned that idiotic press conference.’

‘Afzal didn’t plan it, Zakir. Her father came to him, asking for protection. The girl said you wanted to kill her because she was the only Hindu female in your party.’

‘What?’ Zakir was shocked. His assumptions were all being proved wrong and the game was something else.

‘Do one thing, don’t let that girl leave the house today, not even for voting. Keep her locked here, and I will return in the evening and interrogate her in my way, that bitch!’ Zakir got up and wore his Ray-bans. He signalled his men to take out his car, and went.

Sana had asked her doormen and security personnel to take a leave for two days, so that she could safely be with Zakir without anyone’s intervention. She herself double locked the front gate and main door of her home, which was the only entry and exit point. Without realizing that the bird she was trying to keep in a cage, had flew away last night only!