Hanged in Pakistan
Hanged in Pakistan
Dubai Airlines landed in the city of Mumbai to carry the passengers to the city of Dubai. The plane would first land in Islamabad, Pakistan after which it would travel to Dubai. The resting period was for an hour. Vicky fastened his briefcase and boarded the plane for a business visit to Dubai. His brother, Rocky, waved his hand, wishing him the best of luck for venturing into a new project. Vicky had a smile on his face as he waved his hand at his brother who was rooted to a spot in the Mumbai airport. The plane slowly picked up steam as it rose to the sky. The gush of wind gave the much-needed momentum for the plane to fly high in the sky. Buildings and trees looked like specks as the plane moved away from the ground. Being an avid reader, Vicky pulled out a magazine and skimmed through the pages, devouring its contents. He also relished the magnificent atmosphere churned outside the window as the plane rolled on the clouds. Silence reigned supreme inside the plane since everybody was engrossed in their own work. Slowly, the plane descended into the city of Islamabad, Pakistan. Some of the passengers disembarked from the plane. Even Vicky got down from the plane to have some meals. Quickly the atmosphere turned grim. A piece of news broke out that the terrorists were to attack the airport. Everybody ran helter-skelter. The pilot of the Dubai Airlines was nowhere to be seen. Bullets stormed through the airport creating a commotion. Someone asked Vicky to escape from the place or else he would put his life in jeopardy. Unable to grapple with the ruckus being created around them, Vicky ran away from the airport, evading the bullets. Luckily, he escaped from the clutches of armed men who went on a shooting spree but did not know where to go in an unvisited country. He saw a man who chewed tobacco and spat out red juice on a white wall demonstrating the ill effects of uncleanliness. He quickly called his brother, briefing him about the affairs.
"I have a friend in Pakistan. Don't worry. I will get you the address in some time. He will help you to reach Dubai," he consoled.
After some time, he received the phone number and address of a person named Fawad on his phone. He quickly called Fawad and, as per his direction, reached his residence.
"Welcome to my home, Vicky! Rocky is a dear friend of mine," his soothing words brought some relief to his perturbed heart.
"Can you please help me reach Dubai? I have a meeting the day after tomorrow," Vicky requested.
"We are here to help you. You can stay in our residence for today. There is a lot of nuisance going on in Islamabad airport courtesy of terrorists. I will have to take you to Karachi airport. I will make the booking. You are safe here," Fawad said.
"Thank you very much."
Vicky could hear people speaking in Urdu outside. He felt uncomfortable to spend even an hour in a country which was prone to terrorist attacks. He was waiting for the next day to arrive at the earliest. He was served fresh meals and juice. Vicky felt shy in the beginning but Fawad's garrulous nature made him feel comfortable.
"Thank you very much for the hospitality, sir. It means a lot to me. You don't even know me, but still, the care you have shown is commendable," he praised Fawad.
"We treat guests as our gods. No need to thank me. By the way, I have booked a ticket to Dubai tomorrow afternoon. We will be travelling to Karachi tomorrow morning."
Vicky could afford the comfort of a room in the evening time where he could rest. With his back against the bed, he gazed at the blades of the fan anticipating a safe journey the following day.
Clouds meandered over the sky but the rays of the sun managed to pierce through them. The honeyed voice of the birds offered sugary delight to the ears of people. Vicky stifled a yawn as he rose from his bed. He squinted thanks to the stream of rays that gushed through the window. He was oblivious to the plan hidden beneath the clock of the house. Out of nowhere, the door was opened and his mouth fell open upon seeing the police.
"He is a spy from India. I have locked him to ensure he doesn't run away," Fawad said to police.
Vicky couldn't come to terms with the reality as he gazed at them in anguish.
"Why do you lie? I was on a business trip to Dubai. Unfortunately, due to a terrorist strike in Islamabad, I had to escape from the airport. My brother Rocky, asked me to contact you so that you would help me reach Dubai. I can show you my business card," he darted his eyes at the spot where he had kept the bag, but to his surprise, it was missing.
"He is a professional when it comes to cooking stories. His modus operandi is to get the secret details of Pakistan and reveal it to the Indian army," Fawad lied.
Pakistani cops did not let Vicky even utter a single word as they dragged him to the police station. Fawad had a snigger on his face as he glanced at the reproachful look of his guest. He had betrayed his guest who heavily relied on him to reach Dubai. Brimming with tears, Vicky realised that his phone, too, had been snatched away by Fawad. Painful events unfolded as he was beaten black and blue in a jail cell. Despite his repeated pleadings, they refused to accept his side of the story. They deemed him as an Indian spy who was a threat to their country. Eventually, they hanged him glorifying their decision. Vicky had to breathe his last in the country of Pakistan where he did not get a good farewell.
The astounding news of his hanging spread like wildfire, even reaching India. Rocky, who had turned on television to see the news jumped out of his chair in horror. His brother is hanged in Pakistan. The bitter reality penetrated pain through every cell of his body as he slumped on the chair. His raising heartbeats were a testament to the utter grief he experienced upon hearing the news of his beloved brother's death. Tears threatened to pop through his eye sockets.
Why was
he hanged? He had asked Fawad to help him reach Dubai. What went wrong? Did Fawad betray him? A myriad of questions cluttered his mind as he picked up his phone and dialled Fawad.
"How are you, Rocky?" a voice emerged from the other side.
"Where is my brother, Vicky?" he asked with anger mixed in his voice.
"He is hanged to death," his words were filled with menace.
"Why was he hanged?"
"Because he is a spy who is a threat to our country," he broke out into terrible laughter.
"How dare you betray my brother. You promised to protect and guide him but you showed your true enemy colours," Rocky gritted his teeth.
"I called the police and got him arrested for being an Indian spy. Please don't be gripped by anger. Never trust your enemy country. You won't even get the mortal remains of your brother. Let your life be filled with tears," he mocked.
"You will face the ramifications of your actions," Rocky vowed.
"Is it so? Aren't you not scared of the welcome he got in Pakistan? Would you also want to meet the same fate?" his tone changed.
"You deserve punishment for your wicked deeds," Rocky fumed.
"I have had enough of your nonsense. You can't do anything to me. You mourn the death of your brother until you die," he cut the call.
Rocky's blood boiled with rage coaxing him to avenge his brother's death. He made up his mind to somehow sneak through his residence and take befitting revenge.
Rocky waited at the airport anticipating Dubai Airlines. On the pretext of going to Dubai, he wanted to get down in Pakistan and hunt his enemy. The images of his brother flashed through his eyes evoking tears. The dreaded image of his brother being hanged in the enemy nation filled him with fury. The plane landed at the Mumbai airport on time. He boarded the plane and occupied his seat with his mind itching for revenge. The plane landed in Pakistan. He deboarded the plane. Since he knew the address of Fawad, he boarded a taxi and ventured into his home. He had grown a beard and a moustache to resemble a typical Pakistani Muslim. He got out of the taxi and glared at his enemy's residence. His face contorted with rage stemming from the death of his brother. He did a recce around the residence to extract information needed to capture him. Fawad had hired a car driver who exclusively worked for him. An idea popped up in Rocky's head.
One day, Fawad's car driver was smoking a cigar at the side of the road beside the car. He seemed to be relishing the smoke he was letting out of his mouth. Rocky scanned around to make sure there was no one to spot him. He quickly sprayed a powder on his face which made him go unconscious. He placed his body at the back part of the car after bounding him with the ropes. Thrusting himself against the steering wheel, he started the car to materialize at Fawad's residence. He knew Fawad would board the car. On the pretext of being his car driver, he honked, indicating for the owner to appear at the gates. Fawad immediately boarded the car and cued the driver to move ahead. This was his chance to abduct his enemy. He did not want to miss this chance at any cost. He started the car, changed the gear steered the vehicle to the left. As soon as he reached the deserted road, he brought the vehicle to a screeching halt. Fawad, who had been engrossed in his phone all this while, was taken aback.
"Why did you stop?" he asked.
Out of nowhere, a powder got sprayed on his face, which slipped him into an unconscious state. He got down from the vehicle, opened the back part of the car, and pulled the driver's body out. He carried him to the dilapidated bus station and placed his body over there after releasing him from the clutches of the ropes. Rocky had no enmity with the car driver. He also knew that someone would help him out. After rolling his eyeballs around, he slipped back to the car and raced forward. He had asked his private jet to appear at a secluded spot where he waited with his enemy at his disposal. The jet arrived at the scene. Before the Pakistanis could detect the presence of the vehicle, he transported the unconscious body to the jet and flew high into the sky.
Fawad got back to a conscious state as he opened his groggy eyes. He had no idea what had transpired after being sprayed with a powder. He was enclosed in a strange room which fuelled his fears. A hymn of a Hindu God sent shivers down his spine.
"Hare Ram Hare Ram! Ram Ram Hare Hare!
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna! Krishna Krishna Hare Hare!"
"Where am I locked? This is not Pakistan. A wave of apprehension brushed through his face as he mopped the beads of sweat that formed on his forehead.
"Vicky, Vicky, Vicky, Vicky!" a voice from outside the door pierced through his ears which made him shudder involuntarily.
He kept on banging the door but to no avail. After some time, the door opened, releasing his distress, but what he saw next caught him off guard.
"He is a Pakistani spy who has come to India to extract confidential data from our country," Rocky said.
"What the hell? I have no idea why I came here. You abducted me in Pakistan and now heaping lies about me," a dread formed in his gut.
"He is a professional when it comes to cooking stories. If we do not hang these bastards we will be compromising the security of our country," he warned.
Fawad got the taste of his own medicine. The police adorned his wrists with handcuffs before pushing him into the jeep. He kept on pleading with the police to release him, not revealing any facts about his life. Later, he spit out the truth but the police did not believe him. Eventually, he got hanged, similarly to Vicky. Rocky had successfully managed to avenge his brother's death. His anger had subsided upon hearing the death of his enemy who had wreaked havoc in his family. He looked at the sky, reminiscing the moments spent with his brother as his eyes brimmed with tears.