The Fallen Widow

25. The Fallen Widow

Author's note: The penultimate chapter- Next chapter is the final one !

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Time was of the essence now Shafiq was released. A raspy Wajahat Ali raced up the stairs to find Shah Nawaz early in the morning. He knocked on the door hurried and opened the door to find Shah Nawaz slumped in his chair. The bed wasn't slept in and Shah Nawaz didn't sleep much.

"Choudhary Saab." Wajahat Ali hurried he had no time for pleasantries.

"What's the hurry?" Shah Nawaz stood up. He'd spend the remaining hours drinking and repeating the events in his head. He couldn't get the sight of Meh'r-Bano in the dress out of his mind. She was stunning. He was now hungry for her flesh. 
"Did you call the police station to release Shafiq?"
Shah Nawaz rubbed the tiredness out of his face. "The panachayat will make a decision. Sunday is not far."
"No!" Wajahat Ali hurried an terrifying urgency in his voice. "He's dangerous, Saab. He said it."
Shah Nawaz turned. "What do you mean?"
"He said he would attack his wife with acid- disfigure her so no one would ever look at her again. He meant it." Shah Nawaz saw the horror in Wajahat Ali's eyes. There wasn't a shadow of doubt that a man like Shafiq would say it and not do it.
"When did they release him?" Shah Nawaz was panicked. He looked at his watch and it had been an hour since Shafiq was released. It wasn't something they wanted to risk.
"We need to stop him." Said Wajahat. "He'll hurt her."
"Get the car. Let's go!"
Shah Nawaz and Wajahat Ali raced out of the haveli. Shah Nawaz rang the police station who informed them he was released on his orders.
"Drive faster! To the garage! The bastard is a crazy man!" 

***

Events would soon spiral out of control now Shafiq was fresh out of prison red and angry. He had to settle his honour. He went straight to the familiar smell of metal and oil in his garage. For the past few days, locked up in prison, he had plenty of time to think about his plan on his release. First, to destroy Meh'r-Bano, so she lived a life a hundred times worse than death, then he would take his mother and father and leave Jahanpur forever. 

It was here he fought Mushtaq when he found two stolen motorbikes under a tarpaulin sheet. That man deserved to die, but he didn't kill him. It must have been Shah Nawaz who killed Mushtaq and blamed him. They had to get him out of the way in order to have his way with his wife. Shafiq sniffed the chemicals. He held the battery acid in his hand and looked at the transparent liquid. This was lethal. It could burn the insides out. His eyes widened. He had to balance the scale of dishonour. To gain his honour, to show the villagers that he was a real man, he had to do something tangent to prove it. He held the dangerous liquid, enough to burn Meh'r-Bano beautiful face. Who would want to look at her then? Her skin would drip like milk, she would be disfigured and hiding in the house, or die in a ditch! 

Carefully with a thick glove, he bottled the clear liquid in a brown glass bottle and tied it around his motorbike. It was time to balance the scales and avenge his honour. Meh'r-Bano had to be punished for spending the night with Choudhary Shah-Nawaz Qureshi. A harlot!

Shafiq rode on the rocky pot hole path avoiding the stones on the road. His grit his teeth with anger speeding to get home on time. The road home was a journey he took a hundred times. Every moment of the journey all he could think of was punishing Meh'r-Bano. Soon the villagers would learn of his manly behaviour and show him respect. Why didn't he think of this sooner? Even Choudhary Shah-Nawaz would be terrified of her face, he'd never want to lay his eyes upon her ever again.

A few cars zoomed past Shafiq overtaking him and showering him with dust. Shafiq kept his eye on the road and the bottle of acid. He couldn't let it drop. From behind he could feel a pair of warm headlights upon his motorbike then followed by blaring horn continuously beeping at him. Shafiq rode slower, yet still the car wasn't overtaking. The car was side by side with him. It was Wajahat Ali and Shah Nawaz.
"Pull over!" Wajahat Ali yelled whilst driving. "Pull over!" 
Shafiq nod his head and speeded ahead. They knew. They couldn't stop him.
"Gain closer to him!" Shah Nawaz yelled at Wajahat. "Stop him! I won't let him hurt my Meh'r-Bano!" Wajahat Ali speeded closer but Shafiq increased his speeded ahead.
"Follow him!" We can't loose him!
The chase grew faster and dangerous, overtaking and undertaking vehicles. Once again the car reached Shafiq's motorbike. Shafiq turned at Wajahat Ali.
"I spit upon you!" Shafiq hissed. "I spit upon your name." Shafiq yelled through the roaring traffic. 
"You may own this land, but you do not own the people. I will not do what you want." Shafiq yelled. "You killed Mushtaq and now you want me to divorce Meh'r-Bano. Never!" Yelled Shafiq.
"Speed up!" Yelled Shah Nawaz. "Get the bastard!"
"I'll knock him off the road!" Wajahat Ali grit his teeth. "The audacity of the scum."