MAFIA COLLATERAL (Mafia series #2) SAMPLE

Chapter 11

'Baba?' I went to my father who was sitting in his office. I knocked but he didn't answer so I entered anyway. He was sitting behind his desk, a sad expression on his face and his dark eyes stared into space.

'Baba?' I waved my hand in front of his face. He blinked and flinched a bit.

'Hmm?' He looked at me with a small yet sad smile.

'What's wrong Baba?' I inquired. He leaned back into his chair and looked at the ceiling.

'I just received word that your cousin, Waqas embraced shahadat in wazistan today.' He sighed.

'Oh,' I managed in a hushed whisper. 'May Allah grant him peace and a reward him a place in Jannah.' I wished. This was a sad moment and I felt very sad that my cousin died so young. But that was about it. When I looked at Baba, he was clearly grieving but their was a proud glint in his eyes. I didn't understand.

'You don't look so sad, Baba?' I asked. He turned to me and smiled at me but I could see that it was a sad smile.

'That's because it's not a sad moment.'

I got confused. Why would he say that? My cousin just died. Isn't it a sad moment? He must've seen my confusion because he gestured for me to come to him. So I went to him and he patted my head tenderly as he took me and sat me on his knee.

'You won't understand now bachay because you are very young. But the life of a soldier is short because when we donne our uniform, we know that we will be racing against the clock and all we pray for is a good death. And do you know what kind of death we wish for?'

I shook my head. He smiled, his eyes shinning.

'A noble one. A one in which we go down fighting. And the beauty of it is, that, it's the most greatest death that anyone can ask for.'

'A noble death? What do you mean by that Baba?'

'No death is greater then the one gained from fighting for two things. And do you know what those two things are?'

Again, I shook my head.

'They are for the sake of Allah and your motherland.'

I frowned in confusion. How could a death like that mean so much? I don't understand.

Sadia woke up with a jerk but moaned in discomfort when she felt the gauze over her right eye. She wanted to rub it to relieve the unease and drowsiness but couldn't. Her head was spinning but she tried her best to stay conscious. Her good eye looked up at the bright ceiling and Sadia knew that she was still in the infirmary. Her arm felt heavy and that's when she realised that she had left it stretched out for the IV line. Sadia tried to get up but her head wouldn't stop spinning so she remained lying down.

Why did I dream of that memory? She thought to herself. But it started to run the wheels in her head.

What had her life come to?

Just the other day, she was a celebrity doctor on her way towards a blossoming career and a good obedient child to her father and now......she was being held as hostage and being used as collateral against her father and the Pak army.

And that dream? Why did she dream of that childhood memory?

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"It's been twenty four hours." Shehryaar said as he viewed his men. Qadeem stepped forward while Zameer made no such move to reply.