Chapter 18

The next morning started with a breaking news on all local news channels. Someone had leaked the video of Sana and Zakir making out, and it was all over the internet and the news. Every Kashmiri was cursing the entire family for playing games with them and making an emotional fool out of them! They knew that Sana and Zakir were two different sides of the coin, but this video proved it otherwise, and every single person of Kashmir was demanding answers to it.

‘This is a lie! We support Zakir Hamidi, and we know that his face is photoshopped upon Yusuf’s face.’ Some of Zakir Hamidi fans were walking the streets too, in protest of the video.

‘This is not a lie, but a bitter truth. If today we blindfold ourselves and not believe in this filth, we will be destroyed in coming decade by this venomous snake – Zakir Hamidi!’ some people who supported Afzal, were taking his side.

It was once again – Zakir v/s Afzal and on streets.

‘What the fuck is this?’ Zakir was blaring on the phone.

‘How will I know? You think only your reputation is on stake? What about my image?’ Sana shouted back.

‘I don’t give a flying fuck to your image, you whore! You are spoiling my political career, and this shit, it’s going to cost you very high, mind you!’ Zakir disconnected the phone.

Meanwhile, Sana’s doorbell rang. She was terrified to her spine. She was expecting a tsunami and the tsunami had arrived in the form of her husband – Yusuf – who was back from London.

Sana opened the door, she was right, it was Yusuf, holding two huge suitcases.

‘I trusted you.’ he slapped her across the face.

‘Yusuf, listen to me, please, Yusuf, whatever you are thinking isn’t true, it’s a move, it’s photoshopped.’

‘Even it might be photoshopped, it is my house, it is this couch’ he pointed at the same couch where Zakir and Sana made out, ‘And it is my wife in the video. Even if it might not be Zakir, there is another man, who fucked you in this couch, and it is NOT me!’ he shouted and slapped Sana once again.

‘Get out of my house. I’m divorcing you. The papers will reach you tomorrow morning.’

Sana knew that negotiation was useless. Infidelity of the wife was punishable crime in Islam, and Yusuf was only divorcing her and sending her away. She packed her belongings and walked out of the house. She didn’t know where to go. She was sure that Afzal will never accept her back. So, she decided to call Zakir after checking into a local hotel.

‘Zakir, can I come to your place?’

‘Yes, you are most welcomed! My servants are waiting for you and the lunch is ready!’

‘Really?’

‘No? What do you think? Is there anything else you want to damage too? You have no idea how much threats and hate-mails I’m getting right now. If you continue to keep relations with me, my political career is over! Understand? Don’t you dare call me after this call. Fuck off!’ Zakir hung up. He was more concerned about his political image than his cousin with whom he had a casual affair.

‘What a bastard!’ Sana locked the door and covered herself with sheets in her bed. She cried all night long.

The next morning, Zakir’s father Hussain called him inside his bedroom, which was more like a hospital now. Full of drips, glucose bottles, medicines and drugs.

‘What have you done?’ he spoke with difficulty with his paralysis affected face.

‘I’m sorry father…’

‘You have…’ Hussain turned his face away. Zakir knew he was too upset.

‘Father, please don’t cry. I said I’m sorry, and I will mend this mistake too. Please forgive me.’

‘I cheated on your mother, so many times, but the people never got to know anything about any of it. And you? You have made an entertainment show out of your personal life! Can’t you keep one affair, secret?’ his mouth was curling into weird shapes.

‘Father, are you alright? Nurse!’ Zakir shouted. Two nurses came running and checked his heartbeat which was dropping low.

‘Listen to me, there’s something I want you to know, before I die.’

‘What?’ Zakir was all ears immediately.

‘Abbas is not my son…’ Hussain let out a deep breath and the ECG machine beeped.

‘We are sorry, Sir. He is no more.’ the nurses said collectively.

Zakir was shocked. Ground slipped beneath his feet. He couldn’t believe that Abbas was not his own brother. He was not as shocked about his father’s death, as he was about the information he revealed at the last moment.

‘Then whose son he is? Tell me!’ Zakir jerked the dead body of his father, but it didn’t speak.

‘Sir, he is no more…Sir, control yourself please…’ the nurses pulled him away.

‘Whose son is he? Did mother cheat on you too or you adopted him? Tell me!’ Zakir’s screams were falling on dead ears.

Hussain Hamidi’s death was a big blow to Kashmiri-Politics. The man who ruled the state for over 30 years was no more. There was a huge crowd of people at his funeral ceremony but Zakir didn’t shed a single tear. His mind was filled with only one question – who were the parents of his ‘so-called’ brother ‘Abbas’.

‘With the funeral ceremony of Hussain Hamidi today, there’s another sad news for the people of Kashmir. The local police investigated hotel Moon Star, upon the complaints of the staff members and the police found out dead-body of Sana Hamidi. It appears like she committed suicide by overdosing herself with cocaine and LSD. Strips of LSD were found from her room, and the hotel staff was complaining about an unusual pungent smell from seventh floor room of Sana Hamidi. After opening the room by blasting the door with axes and rods, her dead body was found and it has been sent for postmortem in the local hospital. Only the postmortem reports will reveal the true cause of her death.’ the journalist gave another shocking news to the Kashmiri people.