Locked in Iraq

Iqbal met with an accident in the wee hours of Sunday morning when he was driving the car on the highway. The speeding truck drove away without even stopping. The erring driver seemed to have escaped fearing repercussions. Iqbal sustained injuries and was lying inside the toppled car with his heart still pumping. Latif who happened to witness the accident quickly came to his rescue. He pulled Iqbal into his car and drove to a nearby hospital. Iqbal was admitted and the collision wasn't that serious so he survived. Iqbal thanked Latif for his much-needed help. Even his family extended their gratitude for the timely help. Iqbal's father Salman, an ex-military officer approached the police to carry out an investigation to zero in on the culprit. Iqbal had not erred while driving but the opposite driver seemed to have deliberately steered his vehicle at the former. The police began their probe. 

Iqbal and Latif got along well. After a month of bed rest, Iqbal was discharged from the hospital. He joined hands with Latif and both of them enjoyed bike rides, movies, and namaz together. They seemed to have gelled well as if they had a connection to their previous lives. They decided to enjoy their vacation in Iraq. Iqbal booked a flight to fly to Iraq. On the day of boarding, they got all the necessary documents to get access to the plane. They enjoyed the ride in the air before landing in Iraq. It was a planned vacation for a fortnight. They checked in a lodge. Fathima was the owner of the lodge. She gave them the key to stay in room no 20. Both of them relaxed themselves on a cosy bed before they ordered for meals. Everything was hunky dory. The duo seemed to be on the same page. Iqbal's phone buzzed pleading him to answer the call. He picked up the phone and received a piece of news that the truck that had hit him was seized while the driver was found dead. Truth seemed to be hidden beneath the cloak of his accident and the police were on duty to unearth the truth. Meanwhile, he had a sumptuous meal with his friend. Both of them spent the next two days visiting the famous monuments in Iraq. 

The clouds appeared to have forsaken the sky thereby allowing the sun's rays to operate in full swing. A meat seller inadvertently spilt a cover of meat while riding his bike. A street dog was in for a serendipitous surprise as it feasted on the meat. Some of the other dogs also wanted to savour the meat but they had no strength to confront a dog that was physically stronger than them. The lodge nestled against the backdrop of a huge hill seemed to be operating in a silent mode and it promised to reveal a twist in the tale. Iqbal woke up thanks to the knock on the door. He rubbed his groggy eyes and strode towards the door. He opened the door and was astounded to see the cops. He stifled his yawn.

"We have been informed to investigate the room," the cop said.

"What investigation?" he asked.

"You are selling illegal drugs."

"What nonsense? Who informed you? Latif, can you please come out?"

Nobody came out. Something looked fishy. Iqbal went inside his room but couldn't see his room partner. He gazed at the table but his phone was missing. Anxiety fuelled within him as he realised that he had been cleverly trapped.

"Who is Latif?"

 "He is my friend. We both came from India," he said. 

One of the constables came out with a plethora of drug packets which raised the eyebrow of the main cop. 

"How dare you sell drugs in our country? You are under arrest," he handcuffed Iqbal.

"Please listen to me. I have done no wrong. Wait for my friend to arrive," he pleaded but to no avail.

While he was dragged to the reception, he happened to see Fathima. 

"Madam, why the police is taking me to their custody?" he asked.

"She only informed about this drug deal," the cop said.

"What? Where is my friend?" he asked.

"Sir, you checked in the lodge alone two days ago. I don't know which friend you are talking about," she lied.

"She is lying. Please go and check in my room. You can find two suitcases," he said.

A constable went inside the room and came out with only one suitcase. The police did not listen to his pleas as he was pushed into the jeep. Iqbal stared at Fathima who looked stoic as if nothing happened. 

"I will expose you and Latif," he promised. 

Fathima met Latif in the coffee shop and both of them laughed when she briefed him about the episode. Latif and Iqbal had gulped down the pineapple juice the previous night. A drug was mixed in Iqbal's juice which made him lose consciousness. Latif had secretly vacated the room along with Iqbal's mobile the previous night to ensure the latter wouldn't have any evidence to prove him wrong. Fathima covertly placed drug packets in the room and tipped off the police thereby getting into their good books. Their plan worked to perfection and Iqbal got locked. Why did he betray Iqbal? It was he who had rescued his friend when the latter met with an accident. Nobody knew about the incident of the past which persuaded him to act against Iqbal. Latif was an Iraqi not an Indian. His father Mujeeb was a terrorist who infiltrated Mumbai and carried out a bomb blast. Iqbal's father captured Mujeeb in a cat-and-mouse chase sequence. He had hit a bullet in his leg which weakened Mujeeb thereby allowing him to apprehend the terrorist. The bomb blast had claimed the lives of plenty of innocent people whose families had to endure a harrowing experience. Because of the gravity of the bomb blast, Mujeeb was hanged to death which did not go down well with his son. He held a grudge against Salman who was the reason why his father not only suffered the ignominy of being imprisoned in a foreign nation but also was hanged in shame. His blood boiled as he couldn't save his father due to tight security. He had vowed to exact vengeance. He sneaked into India disguising himself to be an Indian and made a plan to target Salman's son. It was his minion who drove the truck which resulted in an accident. The collision wasn't that serious to make sure Iqbal wouldn't die so that Latif could get into his good books. When Indian police started an investigation, he was attacked by a fresh wave of apprehension which prompted him to kill his minion so that he wouldn't spill the beans to the police if caught. Then he planned a vacation to Iraq and smartly locked Iqbal in a drug scandal. He desperately wanted Salman to suffer seeing his son being hanged in a foreign nation. He planned to taint his image in India by making the drug news go viral.

Latif's evil plan had taken off in full swing. The news went viral and it didn't take much time to reach India. Salman couldn't believe his ears. He hanged his face in shame. All the news channels questioned Iqbal for being a drug peddler in a foreign country. 

Being an ex-military son, how can Iqbal stoop to such a disgusting level?

Salman's son is a drug peddler in Iraq.

How can a renowned father give birth to a disgraceful son?

It is disheartening to hear that an Indian is selling drugs in a foreign country. We all should hang our heads in shame.

The media reported the news with no stone unturned questioning the motive of Iqbal. Many reporters even gathered at Salman's house to bombard him with a myriad of questions. This turned out to be embarrassing for a military officer. It also germinated a seed in his mind wondering why Latif's name did not come out. Both of them had gone to Iraq together. His son is locked whereas Latif is roaming scot-free. An onslaught of unanswered questions plagued his mind. He couldn't grapple with the tons of questions fired by the reporters. To add to his woes, it was announced that his son would be hanged to death in Iraq. Latif watched the news channels and enjoyed taking pleasure in Salman's helplessness. He had been waiting for this moment a long time and finally, his evil efforts bore fruit. Iqbal tried everything possible to prove himself innocent but he lacked substantial evidence so the police did not accept his side of the story. Gripped by fear, he asked if he could make a phone call to his father but was denied. The situation looked bleak and out of his control as the preparation went in full swing to hang him.

Iqbal was taken to a spot where he was to be hanged to death. Tears welled up in his eyes since he even couldn't see his parents one last time. Salman and his wife had booked a ticket to land in Iraq. With moist eyes, they boarded the flight. Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined their son to be hanged in a foreign nation. Even on the plane, the fellow passengers disrupted their mood by asking uncomfortable questions. His son's image was completely tarnished. Iqbal sobbed like a child and cut a poignant picture. His face was covered with a black cloth. His hopes seemed to be dead and gone. An order was to be passed now to hang him. 

"Stop," someone shouted.

Fathima and Latif had been taken into custody and they had spewed out the truth but why? Iqbal was vindicated. 

Three hours ago:

Fathima and Latif had attended a rave party to commemorate the death of Iqbal. They smoked weed and drugs and also had drinks. They drowned in the pool of ecstasy and also had drinks. Out of nowhere, the police raided the party and these two were in an inebriated state and were out of control. They spoke the truth loudly which stirred the ears of the the police. Upon quick investigation, it was proved that Iqbal was innocent in the case and had nothing to do with drugs. They also seized the phone of Iqbal which was with Latif. They had used drugs to lock Iqbal but now the same drugs exposed them in front of police much to their distress. 

Present:

Iqbal couldn't fathom the truth which hit him hard. He never had an inkling that Latif had used him to avenge his father's death. Salman and his wife broke into tears when they saw their son. They heaved a sigh of relief when they got the intimation that their son had done no wrong. The news spread like wildfire and their respect was restored. Salman advised his son not to trust anyone blindly going forward. He did a press conference along with his son to ensure they had done no wrong.