REMARKABLE

37

Monday, 24th May 1996

1:16 PM

Munizeh pushed her hair behind her ears as she enjoyed the peaceful silence which she could only be blessed with when children were in school. She hummed to a tune under her breath, walking into the bustling kitchen to find Rasheed bent over the the kitchen Island, wiping it crystal clear. He picked the bottle of glint before spraying it on the entire marble counter and then, rubbed the cloth on it to remove the angry stains on the tiles, repeating the motion, again and again until he could see a silhouette of himself in the glistening marble.

"Baji, ik gul karni si." (Baji, I wanted to talk to you.) Rasheed said as he rose to his full height, brushing the back of his palm against one bushy eyebrow.

"Ji. Ji Boliyai, Rasheed chacha." (Yes. Yes, what is it, Rasheed chacha?) Munizeh uttered as she closed one of the over head cupboards, putting a small sprinkler of crushed black pepper on the counter beside a plate of an assortment of cut cucumbers, tomatoes and radish.

Rashed adjusted the red cloth, he was used to keeping on his right shoulder,"Baji, mennu chund dinnan de liyai gaaon jaana wa. Pichli Eid pe wi nai giya si, hor koi chutti wi nai ki kaddi. Malik da Bulawa aaya wa meray laye, mera jaana bohot zaroori aa." (Baji, I need to go to my village for a few days. I didn't go on Eid neither have I ever taken a day off. Malik has called me, it's important for me to go.)

"Aap ne sahab se kiyoon nahi poocha?"( Why didn't you ask Sahab?)

"Mein poochan ga o mennu mana wi karsakday aa, tussi jo akelay reh jaoo gay or ghar da saara kaam twaday sur tey aajaoo ga. Ik ohi kaam karan de te mennu paisay milde aa. Tussi pooch lao, Saab twaddi gul rudd nai kardaa." (He might not let me go if I ask him, you'll be left alone to take care of the whole house and It's what I get paid for. You ask him, he never denies you, anything.)

"Aisi koi baat nahi hai, Rasheed chacha." (It's not like that, Rasheed chacha.) Munizeh murmured with a soft chuckle as her cheeks heated.

"Ae khaali khooli mein nai ke rawan, baji. Ghar da hur mulazam ikko e gul karda. Koi baat manwaani aa tou baji no bol dawo. O aapnay aap e Saab ji se gul maanwa laway gi." (They are not empty words, Baji. Every person who works here speaks the same thing. If you want something to happen, say it to Baji, she'll convince Saab ji, herself.) Rasheed said, an insincere smile played on his lips as he twisted his moustache at the ends between his fingers.

"Kaam jaldi khatum kijiyai, Rasheed chacha. bachay school se aanay walay hain, aagaye tou phr aapko karnay nahi deingay." ( Finish your work quickly, Rasheed chacha. Children are going to be at home, soon and they won't let you do it, then.) Munizeh suppressed flustered smile as she shook her head, keeping back the pepper sprinkler in the cupboard before walking out of the kitchen as Rasheed nodded his head, returning to the task at hand.

🎇🎇🎇

Pir Khizan

Saturday, 29th May 1996

Rasheed glowed with happiness as he stood amidst his people.

"Malik! Hun mennu wi ik moqa de dio apni khidmat karan da?" (Malik! Please, give me an opportunity to do something for you too.) Rasheed said as he sat at Malik's feet. Malik, Malik Gulzar shah was a ruthless man. He was the head figure in Pir Khizan, a man who was reponsible for all the terror that reigned that in the streets of that Godforsaken place.