English Article
Ameer Hamza/Lahore
“5…4…3…2…1… Happy New Year!!!” Everyone shouted from the top floor where the party was going on, while 30-year old Danish was lying on bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about his past. Danish’s room was right below the place where the party was being held but it did not matter much to him, as during New Years, he stays awake all night, thinking about his wife Alina who died 2 years ago. It was not some ordinary natural death. She was murdered. Danish blames himself for her murder as he use to be a police officer, an honest and a brave one that is. He arrested a big-time gangster 5 years ago. The story about this arrest ran over all the news channels of Pakistan. It was one of the most popular talked about story of the year. Danish even earned a medal for that arrest. He was quite famous.
Danish stopped thinking about it and tried to sleep. He closed his eyes and was nearly drowned in sleep when suddenly he started hearing screams and shouting,”No! Don’t do this! She has nothing to do with this! Kill me!.” With all this shouting, a woman was screaming in pain. BANG! Danish woke up. Everything was silent. The beats from the music kept banging from the top room. Danish knew it was the nightmare of his past that haunts him every new year. He sat up on his bed and tears started flowing out of his eyes. “Please forgive me, Alina. I didn’t wanted this to happen to us.”, he whispered to himself, while moving his index and middle finger on a deep and long scar across his chest. The scar keeps reminding him about that day.
It was New Year’s day. Danish and Alina were attending their friend’s New Year’s party. The party was a long one and lasted till 1:30 am. Danish and Alina were driving home, talking about the party and their future when there way was blocked by two jeeps. Danish quickly applied brakes in the attempt to avoid a collision. The car stopped. Danish gave out 3-4 long horns but the jeeps did not budge. “Hey! what the hell are you doing, you drunkards? Clear the way or I’ll have you arrested!”, Danish shouted out of his car window. “When a bird gets freed from its cage, it makes up its mind to never go in the cage again, no matter what happens.”, a voice said from one of the jeeps. The voice sounded familiar to Danish but he could not put his finger on who it was. Someone came out of the jeep, followed by twelve men carrying AKs and shotguns in their hands, with pistols tucked in their holsters. Alina was scared and held Danish’s hand tightly as reached for his gun. “Please don’t go.”, Alina said, shivering with fear. “Come out, Officer. An old friend wants to say hello.” the man spoke out. Two riflemen approached the windows of the car and aimed their guns towards Danish and Alina. Both of them slowly opened their doors and came out. The strange man grabbed a gun from one of his men while the couple slowly walked closer. The face of the strange was becoming clearer and clearer. Danish was surprised. “Ding! Ding! Ding! you must’ve remembered now.”, said Goli bhai, the gangster Danish arrested 3 years ago. “It has been so long. No hug? What type of a friend are you?”, Goli smiled as he walked closer. Danish looked at Alina and held her hand tightly, ensuring that everything will be all right. “You know, our elders used to say that as you sow, so shall you reap. You’re an educated fellow, you must’ve read about it, no?” Goli said,looking eye to eye towards Danish, while sliding his finger across the handgun he is holding. Goli slid his shirt, from its collar, to his right, uncovering an old bullet wound on his right shoulder. “Remember this? The bullet that gave a huge blow to my business of smuggling arms and drugs. The bullet that changed my life forever. If only I had moved a bit to the right, I swear you would’ve been celebrating your New Year’s with God.” Goli held Danish by his neck and aimed the gun towards his head at point blank range. Alina started breathing faster. Her heart-rate was uncontrollable. “NOOO!!!”, she screamed at the top of her lungs. Goli looked at her. “God is amazing, no? We were seeking for the turtle but got the mermaid as a bonus.” Goli laughed along with his henchmen. “Hold him.” The henchmen behind Danish kicked the back of Danish’s knee, pushing him down on his knees and held him tightly. “Our elders have also taught that when someone gives you something, return the favour by giving the double of what they gave you.” Goli said as he pulled out a dagger. “Time return the favour.” Goli placed the sharp edge of the knife on one side of Danish’s chest, pressed deeply and dragged the knife across his chest, leaving a deep long cut on his chest with blood pouring. “Let’s double the pain, shall we?” Goli loaded the handgun and shot Alina in her knee without any second thought. She screamed in pain and fell down, crying.
Goli looked at Danish, who was shocked at the sight of Alina crying in pain. “You know, I’m not here to kill you. No, I’m not that kind-hearted. I want to make you suffer like I did in that prison. 3 years I had to rot in there. I want to make you suffer. Hey! Hold her up!” The henchmen behind Alina picked her up, who was still crying. Goli aimed the gun to her head. Danish shouted “No! Don’t do this! She has nothing to do with this! Kill me!.” Goli looked right into her eyes. “Sorry, sister. Its nothing personal. Just business.” Goli said in a calm voice. Alina screamed. BANG!. Everything went silent all of a sudden. Alina’s body fell down like a doll. Her eyes were wide open and were staring right towards him. Danish was not able to speak. He wanted to scream but could not. Goli aimed the gun towards Danish. “Happy New Year, Officer!” Goli shot Danish in his waist. The blood loss from the cut and the bullet wound made Danish unconcious and he fell on the ground. Someone called the police after hearing gunshots. Danish was rescued but Alina died on the spot. That sight of her staring right towards him with her dead eyes haunted Danish for upcoming years. He resigned from his job and left everything behind, living alone in some old and rotting apartment.
He lays back down on his bed and starts staring at the ceiling, when his phone starts ringing. He ignores it, thinking that his friend must be calling to advise him to return to his job and make his life better than it is. The phone keeps on ringing and it starts to annoy him. He picks up his phone and notices that its an unknown number. He gets confused that who might call him and at this hour? He answers. “Ex-cop Danish speaking?”, an unknown person speaks via the phone. The voice is distorted, which suggests that the person on the other end is using a voice changer. “Who is this?”, Danish asks, rubbing his forehead. “Introductions are not important. Let’s talk business. You want Goli bhai, right? I have his location.” the person explains. The mentioning of Goli bhai caught him. Thoughts started rushing in his minds. Danish collected himself and replied,”Why?” The person on the other end chuckles,”It seems like he is our common enemy. Plus he is in a vulnerable state. He lost a huge contract again and his henchmen are slowly him. The remaining are them twelve which were there that night and-” Danish interrupted him. “Wait a second, how the hell do you know about that night?” The person replied,”I have my own sources. So, are you ready to avenge your wife or should I ask someone to do this job?” The person replied. “I’m in.” Danish accepted the job. It was now or never for him. “Good, there’s a car waiting for you outside with weaponry you’ll need to defend yourself. Good luck, kid.” The person hung up.
Danish was tired of these nightmares and was dreaming to get his hands on Goli. The dream was finally becoming a reality. Danish wore his jacket and walked out. He noticed an envelope by his door. He tore it open and shook the contents out. A car key and a note came out. “Open the trunk to celebrate your New Year with a bang!”, the note said. Danish gripped the keys tightly in his hands and walked down the floors and out of the building. There was a car infront of the building. He pressed the unlock button on the key and the car flashed its lights, signifying that the car is unlocked. It was not one of those fancy cars you see in movies. It was more like economy tier car. Danish open the trunk and noticed a handgun and an SMG along with some bullets. Danish closed the trunk and drove off to the location that was written on the paper clipped on the rearview mirror.
Upon reaching the destination, he did not stop to make some strategy. He just drove through the rusted gate, breaking it open, and into the compound. The guards were alerted and ran to see what is going on, with their rifles in their hands. Danish came out of the car with his guns armed and started shooting through the guards, making his way to the man he was seeking, Goli. Goli was scared to his soul, seeing his men getting shot through the CCTV cameras. Goli had already lost alot and Danish was lucky that he got this oppurtunity. He kicked the door open and noticed Goli whimpering behind his desk. He shoots the desk multiple times until Goli jumps out of it, scared to death. They both looked eye to eye at each other. “Please let me go, man. Here, take my money. Just let me go, please!”, Goli tossed a bag full of money towards Danish while begging for his life and crying. Danish was not buying any of this. The cost of the murder of his wife was too high pay. Without saying anything, Danish shot Goli’s limbs, causing him to fall down. Then, he aimed the gun towards Goli’s head. “Ahmad Gulzar AKA Goli Bhai, Happy New Year to you!”, Danish said and proceeded with a shot through Goli’s head.
It was done. Danish dropped the gun and took a deep breath. It was all done now. He was hoping that he will get sound sleep today. It was time to go home now. Danish turned around and sees a light, which flashes three times. It was strange but his confusion was cleared in the blink of an eye, as he feels sudden pain in his body like he was shot or something, which was true. He got three bullets stuck in body. Danish falls down, looking up at the shooter who is accompanied by some well-suited man, smoking a cigar. “You did a great job, Ex-officer Danish. But I’m afraid we don’t need you anymore.”, The stranger says with a grin. Danish’s thoughts were correct. This was the guy who informed him about Goli. It was too late for Danish to take the final shot at the guy because his body has turned weak due to excessive blood loss. The stranger pointed his towards Danish’s face and looked at him in the eye. “Sorry, kid. Nothing personal. Just business.”, the stranger said. Danish chuckled at the line. “Happy New Year!” and Danish’s lights go out with a bang. The stranger took over Goli’s business and became the next drug lord.
