"Officer, tum mujhe jaane do. Badle mei tumhe main khas information deta hu. Yeh sauda acha hai na? Woh gaddar jiski tumhe talashi hai. Main tumhe uska naam batata hu. Woh mera saga beta bhi nahi hai! Usey maine pala hai sirf ek maqsad keliye! Tum log usey khatam kardo. Waise kisi kaam ka nahi raha ab woh. Kambhakt kab se ek mukaam tak ki kamyaabi hasil na ki, aur kitna waqt zaya karliya!"

Samrat frowned at his abbu's frantic cries. He also witnessed a tussle between his abbujaan and the officer. The video suddenly ended.

"Humare investigative officer ne chalaki se tumhara naam bayan karwadiya Haider se. Lekin woh bhi kam chalak nahi tha! Humari qaid se bhag gaya. Surely iski badi sketch banayi hai usne." Abhimanyu said this with a hint of disappointment, "Jaate jaate, usey laga hoga ki tum ab uske kaam nahi aaoge. Toh usne tumhe expose kar dia. So what do we have here?"

Samrat glared at Abhi. It was rage mostly by what he'd heard and seen. His beloved abbujaan abandoned him then? Just like that, Abbu revealed he was not his son, and called him incompetent, when he was risking his life every moment in the air base living as an airforce officer?

I did everything for Abbu out of love and respect and Abbu sounded so cold, careless.... Samrat had these thoughts while Abhimanyu replayed the video a couple more times. Samrat himself had to turn off the TV, screaming, "nahi yeh jhooth hai! Yeh nahi ho sakta!"

Abhimanyu placed his arm on Samrat's shoulder. His tone kinder, sensing the other man's mood.

"Sach toh yahi hai, Samrat. Ye log tum jaise logon ka fayda uthate hain. Tum sirf unke maqsad ko hasil karne ka ek zariya aur kuchh nahin. Tumhe lag raha tha ki tum sab kuchh apne abbu ke liye kar rahe the, lekin uske liye to tum sirf ek chess piece. Jiske zariye woh tabahi macha sake. Tum nahi to koi aur..."

Samrat curled his fists and closed his eyes in silence. How did Abhi read his mind? He wasn't sure.

Abhimanyu kept speaking.

"Tum yeh keh sakte ho ki yeh jhooth hai, mera kiya hua fareb hai. Lekin yahi sach hai, Samrat. Mujhe nahi pata abhi unka kya plan hai, kya maqsad hai. Haider Sheikh hume nahin bata raha tha! Woh yaha se bhag bhi gaya ab! Aur us hathiyar ko chod diya jiska usey ab istemaal nahi karna tha. Woh hathiyar tum the, Samrat. Par main maanta hu ki there's more to you. Tum sirf uske hathiyar nahi ho. You can't be just a tool. Air force officer bhi reh chuke ho tum. What do you say?"

Samrat fell silent for a long moment. Then his eyes shone with resolve.

"Khuda Kasam, Abhimanyu. Main un logon ko unke maqsad mein kaamyab hone nahin dunga. Unko pata bhi nahin chalega un per waar kiya kisne. I promise you."

Abhimanyu didn't recognise the voice that came from the man he's come to know as Samrat. Though stunned by his companion's sudden change of heart, he seemed to notice the desperation in his eyes.

"I believe you, Sam..."

Samrat scoffed at Abhimanyu.

"You believe me?"

Abhimanyu nodded. "I have no choice but to believe you. It is my best bet. Tumhari aankhein mujhe keh rahi you can be trusted. But you can go ahead and prove me wrong. Then I will find another way to stop you... and take you out."

"Abhimanyu, tum..." A shaky laugh escaped Samrat; he sighed. Conflicting emotions raged inside him but he let them fuel the officer in him. "Now I understand unhone tumhe leader kyun chuna."

Abhimanyu laughed. "Bas, makkhan lagana band karo aur kaam par lag jao, as the Samrat we know, okay? Hum Haider ko wapas apne kabse mei lenge. Main tumhe batata hu kya karna hai."

Samrat took a moment to reply but his reply was firm. "Yes, sir!"

The transformation was gruelling but instantaneous. The fury that filled him was gigantic. He thought he was doing things for his Abbu, for the greater good of the mulk he called his people. The world labelled them terrorists, but to him they had been revolutionalists. Right from childhood he put away every personal thought, did everything Abbu said, as if it was Khuda ka Farman. Every act of violence, every misdeed was to make abbu happy. To earn his love and praise. In the end what was he to abbu, only a pawn? Abbu called him "bete" but those words lacked true meaning. They may not be blood related which he was never aware until now, but was that enough to throw away their bond?

Ties in the mulk, blood-related ones are a bit stronger. But even they were susceptible to debauchery. Abbu's love and praise were all a ruse. If only he, Jahan/Samrat, had realised it sooner...

Abhimanyu's eyes are telling him, "it's not too late. Now can begin a new mission, to undo every wrong and make it right."

Working alongside Abhimanyu turned Samrat into a true soldier, true Samrat. Between the life of deceit and violence amongst destructive people and the life of an honorable officer who strives for his country, it was simple which identity he had to adopt. He went back to the officer everyone trusted he was - the team that gave him respect and taught him the true meaning of valour.

Haider and his cronies renewed their efforts to breakfree of the other imprisoned terrorists and the seized weapons from the air force. In the end Samrat ended up shooting his abbu, Haider. After the incident was dealt with, which was easy as he played the double agent - the terrorists' plot was foiled for good. His link with the terror outfit was never exposed. The air force authorities only praised his "double agent" skills.

Abhimanyu gave him the chance to keep living as Samrat. The others swore to keep his secret and accepted as he was. They were all magnanimous people with high ambitions and principles. He felt like a sore loser being next to them - despite them saying he shared their abilities. He was reluctant to stay in the force, as deep down he felt he didn't deserve it. But the Hawks, including Tanvi, persuaded him otherwise.

***

"May I come in, Abhi... Er, sir?"

Samrat salutes Abhimanyu after entering the latter's cabin.

"Samrat, baitho." Abhimanyu points to a chair. His serious eyes land on Samrat.

"Abhay sir bahar gaye toh, I'm here to hear your official explanation. I need to hear why your flight schedule has to be changed at the last moment."

"Sir!"

Samrat stiffens in his seat. Abhimanyu heaves a small sigh.

"As your former superior I am disappointed in you Samrat. And as your friend I'm worried. Ek officer ko apni sehat ka pura khayal rakhna chahiye.

Samrat nods. "Yes sir! Yeh dobara nahi hoga, sir!"

"Main tum par kaise yakin karlu, Samrat?"

The question stings. Samrat flinches. These days nobody trusts him to care for himself, which is... valid for many reasons, yet it hurts. Abhimanyu breaks the heavy silence.

"Marna kitna asaan hai na, Samrat? Aur jeena kitna mushkil..."

"Han, Abhi... Lekin kisi ko mauth se bhi azaadi nahi milti. Chain nahi milti. Main samajh sakta hu tum mujhse kya kehna chahte ho."

Samrat reaffirms what Abhimanyu once told him as a means of staying on the job after Haider was apprehended, this is penance. Everyone supported Samrat/Jahan's new life. Everyone wanted him to live his new life. But to him, this life is only a way to penance and can't be lived in any other way.

"Daro mat, Abhi. Main marunga nahi. Mar jaunga toh kaffara kaun karega?"

Abhimanyu leans against his desk; more stilted silence prevails.

"Bahut akela tha jab tumne mujh par vishwas kiya tha, hara hua tha. But you believed in me, Abhimanyu. It is because you believe in me that I will work. I will keep working until my last breath. Work is all I got... That's your answer. I overworked because wahi meri ibadat hai ab. Lekin I promise you, main apna khayal rakhunga. I won't ever make myself useless again. I will be careful so I can dedicate myself to work every day."

Abhimanyu sighs. "Work is all you got, really?"

The images of Tanvi, Farhan, and all the hawks' faces pop into Samrat's head. He shakes off the images.

"Yes..."

"I want you to rethink. Well, you're dismissed. Because I'm believing in you again to not repeat your mistakes."

"Thank you, Abhi... Sir!"

Abhimanyu's eyes are devoid of emotion. He certainly wants to say more to his friend but now is not the time. Duty comes first. And perhaps as long as Samrat is committed to his duty, he will be okay.

Samrat exits the cabin after giving him a crisp salute. As he makes way to his post, he thinks, "kyun ateet ke pannon ko khola hai aaj maine... Shayad isliye ki woh kitab kabhi band nahin hui..."

***
🌀TBC🌀

Please note: there will be some Urdu words in Samrat's vocabulary. I'm not well-versed myself so there will be less. But I will write the meaning of words I use below in the author's note,

🌟"Kaffara" = "prayashchit"

🌈🌝AN: Next is more of Samrat/Jahan's past and pain which he expresses to Tanvi? Is there an end to his pain and self-hatred? Will he ever be happy? (he will but expect angst. and yeah some fun moments coming too, to add to the balance) Read on to know more! :)

Please V & C if you're reading this story . It will boost my morale. I thank the very few amazing people who added my story to their reading list, and have read too. Thank you 😊