THE BROKEN HEART [ONGOING]

4

Day four arrived, he sold his bed for hundred rupees, his cupboards for forty rupees, the table for fifty-six rupees, the curtains his wife had bought for twenty rupees and dishes leaving only two bowls for thirty rupees.

He counted his money. "416 rupees," he mumbled frustration filling his face.

There was no way they he was going to get ten thousand rupees in one day. It was hopeless. Maybe getting his kidney taken would pay out his debt. There was no way he was going to give his daughter up, not after she was the only thing closest to his late wife Sabrina. He carefully put the 416 rupees inside his pocket. He got up and walked out his apartment. He was heading for Zupa's apartment. The moment he got to the creamy building, walking up the stairs, the loud screams filled his ears. He felt his palms sweating. Two men appeared on the narrow passage. "Can we help you, old man?" one of the young men with honey brown eyes asked.

"Y...Yes, I'm here to see Sir Zupa,"

"Come this way," the other man with a broken lip said, leading him down the narrow passage with a serial of doors on both sides.

Women in revealing outfit moved past them. Most of them looked young, probably Najma's age. More were inside the open rooms, with old men. He felt his heart sinking as his hand balled into a fist. The building was a brothel.

Nicotine from the open rooms filled the passage as Mr. Khan and the young man moved deeper up the dark passage. The scream got louder when they got closer to a metal door before them. The young man opened the door as the sight of a bloody man kneeling before Zupa begging for his life came to Mr. Khan's view. "Please Sir. Zupa, please I will pay your money," the familiar man cried.

Mr. Khan's eyes widened realising he knew the man as Neo, the man who had bought his radio two days ago. Zupa violently pressed the handle of the garden scissors on Neo's hand as he screamed even more, blood splashing in the air. Mr. Khan looked away, his eyes brimmed with tears. The man with a slightly closed eye moved toward Zupa and whispered on his ear.

"Mr. Khan!" Zupa yelled, turning to face Mr. Khan. He handed the man with a broken lip the garden scissor he had been using to cut Neo's thumb and walked toward the open door where Mr. Khan was standing. "Hope you got my money."

Mr. Khan felt his hands sweating even more. He pulled out the 416 rupees and handed them to Zupa. "T...The rest I will bring tomorrow,"

Zupa counted it and lifted his eyes onto Mr. Khan. "You better or she's mine old man,"

Mr. Khan nodded dumbly. Night came and Mr. Khan couldn't sleep. How could he sleep knowing very well that he couldn't pay Zupa all his money the following day? He stared at his daughter who was sleeping on the floor. Many thoughts running through his head. "I'm sorry Sabrina," he whispered tears running down his cheeks as his hand ran on her daughter's hair.

The fifth day came. He asked Najma to don't go to school. He asked her to come sit with her on the building roof. He handed her the samosa. "There, take,"

Najma reluctantly took it from her father's bony hands. "Eat up," eating his samosa.

She shifted her eyes onto her father who was eating. "We should save it," she said.

Mr. Khan felt chills running down his spine. "We cannot waste, especially since Mister Zup..."

"Shut up!" Mr. Khan snapped.

Najma's eyes widened. "Eat up,"

* * *

Najma looked at her samosa no words coming from her mouth, only tears running down her cheeks. Mr. Khan stopped eating his samosa as a deep breath left his lips.

"Najma, I'm sorry," he apologized, turning to face Najma who was beside him. "I shouldn't have spoken to you in that way, okay?"

She nodded wiping away her tears. "Look at me," moving her face up, helping her wipe her tears. "Papa loves you don't ever forget that."

She smiled. "I love you too papa," hugging him.

Mr. Khan tightened his grip around Najma skinny body, his eyes spotting Zupa and his men from below, heading inside their building. "I am so sorry, I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me,"

Najma's eyes opened. "I'm sorry Sabrina."

"Papa," trying to move her head from his chest but his grip tightened.

"I will always love you Najma," Mr. Khan spoke in tears.

"Papa please!"

"We've been flightless for too long but now...now we fly Najma," his eyes shifting onto the birds flying high on the grey sky.

"Papa!" Najma cried.

He pushed his body forward as both of them dropped from the building, air rushing through their lungs, as Najma's scream filled his ears. His eyes closed, a smile appearing on his face. Blood splashed in the air. A pandemonium broke from the people below, seeing the two bodies of Najma and Mr. Khan who had dropped from the building.

THE END...

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hope u enjoyed my short story🤗🤗🤗like i enjoyed writing it❤️

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