" This is the one delicacy I have fought the worst battles of my life for. " , Faisal stuffed the meetha paan in his mouth and smiled in contentment.

Shaahid smirked and looked at his watch. They were seated at Faisal's empty chamber.

" What kind of battles? " , he yawned.

" Battles with Naseema's abbu. This man is very dangerous as a father in law. He cannot bear men with red lips. " , Faisal grinned.

" How do you bear men with red lips? Even I can't. " , Shaahid yawned again. He definitely had red eyes now.

" Don't sound so sexist. If women can color their lips, why can't we? Also, coloring them black with smoke is a better sign of manhood, is it? " , Faisal frowned.

Shaahid nodded.
" No wonder you became a lawyer. Even I don't have points against you. But the sad part is, we are seated for an hour but not even a fly came in looking for your help. "

Faisal laid back on his chair.
" Property cases are few, but give you a lot of money. "

" Hah. Property cases ain't few, but few people find interest in you. "

Faisal looked hurt.
This man was Shaahid's school friend in Nawaabpur. Some five years back, Shaahid was too happy to find him in Fareedpur. He was already a lawyer then, no doubt a flop. But he got married to a very rich girl. And stayed as a 'Ghar-jamaai' to them, without a bit of stress in life.

" Till date nor once did you predict my future. Don't you think as a friend you owe me some privileges as well? " , he sounded hopeless suddenly.

" I know I haven't. But that's not my fault. Nothing significant ever happens with you. Your daily routine consists of waking up, chewing those smelly leaves like a buffalo, sleeping in your chamber, and going back home. That's all. "

Faisal let out a long sigh.

" True that. I cannot deny too.

And hence, I've decided upon doing some interesting stuff.

That is, to research on the beggars of Fareedpur. " , he suddenly sounded cheered.

" Great idea.
But how? ", Shaahid had no idea how people could be so lame.

" Survey kinda. How they live, how much they earn, what they eat, how often they get diseased, etc. This will be so fruitful! "

" In the sense, how many of them are your prospective clients in near future regarding property matters? " , Shaahid raised his brow.

Faisal thought for a moment.
" Yeah.... Right!!
Though I just wanted a time pass, but, you never know! "

Shaahid too thought for sometime.
" But survey won't do any real benefit.
You need to go and stay with them to know the deal. "

Faisal's face dropped big time.
" What? Are you serious? "

" I am. "

" But... How will Naseema stay without me? "

" Just like how you will stay without her. Invest yourself completely if you want result. " , Shaahid yawned for the millionth time.

Faisal was deeply moved.
" I truly have to think about it. "

Shaahid silently nodded.
And checked the watch again.

" And what are you doing these days? Still a vagabond? " , Faisal asked unmindfully.

Shaahid grinned.
" This is always the last and the most unimportant question everyone asks me. Coz they have least expectations regarding a positive answer.

Disappointing you, I got a job at Allah Meherban Public School. "

Faisal squeezed his brows.
" Arey.... You mean that mountain sized Adnan Sami's school? "

" Wow! He seems quite famous. "

" Nah. I was his property lawyer regarding a legal transfer. Some eight nine months back. He is a bulldog. Just unstandable. " , Faisal made a puke face.

" Property transfer? "

" Yes. Some people do appoint me, for your kind information. " , Faisal spitted some residue into a pot. His tongue now looked like a vampire's.

" What... I mean...who's property? " , Shaahid turned inquisitive.

Faisal transferred another paan into his mouth.

" The man now has money of his own. But that wasn't always the case. His father died when he was a kid. They had quite a large export-import business. His father's elder brother, his uncle, took hold of the entire property thereafter. The man fed his mother and him for just sometime. Then almost forced them to move out.

He then studied good and set up his own school here itself. "

Shaahid twisted his lips. Not an inch did the man look like a struggler.

Faisal continued,
" Over the years however, Adnan built up some rapport with the uncle. The man unfortunately was childless. Hence, obviously after his death, his property would rightfully transfer to Adnan. And the money honestly, is huge.

He was almost sure that he would finally have his money...
But.. "

" But? " , Shaahid hardly gathered why he was so interested.

" But some four- five years back. Adnan's cousin, his aunt's (father's sister) son came to Fareedpur for the first time. His aunt had married a poor man on will and left home long back. Disowned. Now both the aunt and his husband was dead, their only son couldn't do great in life and chose to return to Fareedpur. "

" You mean, Adnan's uncle's and father's own sister's son? " , Shaahid interrupted.

" Yes. He first asked for a job in Adnan's school. Unwillingly, Adnan let him, just to look good to the uncle.
Then this cousin began meeting his uncle regularly, even began staying in the family house. It was his 'mama-ghar' after all. "

" Oh my god. He began confiscating the uncle who already did not have good regards for Adnan. " , Shaahid scratched the table.

" Absolutely. Adnan's uncle and father mostly never were very friendly as brothers. This uncle, Mansoor Sami didn't like Adnan at all.
Now, when he finally got another heir, his own sister's son, he was almost on the verge of signing the property to his name.
And the cousin mostly was very charismatic. Didn't take him long to almost convince Mansoor to do that. "

" Finally? Adnan got his share, or lost everything? "

Faisal smirked.
" Allah plays his own games.
The property had its owner chosen for itself.

Some eight/ nine months back, the cousin died in a car crash.
Mansoor got a stroke, he lies paralysed now. The property has been transferred to Adnan Sami. "

" Though I can completely guess, what's the name of the cousin? "

" How on earth can you guess a name out of the blue?

Anyways, I have a very good memory.

It's Salman Siddiqui.
And I sometimes wonder, if the accident happened, or was caused. " , Faisal threw a mysterious smile.

Shaahid got up. Seven thirty.
Time to go home, and face another cyclone.

____

Shaahid could not even enter the dining space leading to the staircase, when a saucepan came flying in his direction.
If he hadn't lowered his head in time, he would be lying in some hospital's emergency now (if people here were even generous enough to take him there.)

Sakina, like a ghoststruck, with hair sticking up, stood near a cupboard, throwing things on the ground and in the air.

A handful of servants stood like statues surrounding her.

" Hey!! You all disperse!! Why wanna hurt yourself? " , Shaahid shouted at them.

Sophia, standing at one corner, threw a glare at him and went away.

The cook too left for the kitchen.
Rest of the uninteracted bunch, vanished within moments. As if they were just waiting for someone to ask them to leave the spot so that they could get rid of a mad, 'ghost-friendly' mistress.

Sakina now was completely concentrating on Shaahid, her nose flaring, her eyes red.

Shaahid walked upto her. And grinned.
" I know you are angry on me. But trust me, overpossesive boyfriends need to be taught a lesson sometime. "

Sakina immediately took a glass and aimed it at him. But Shaahid caught it swiftly.

" Don't you think you are overreacting?
If he misunderstood us, that's his problem. Not ours! "

" You bloody moronic bastard!
He did not misunderstand!
You made him purposefully misunderstand me!!!

Why?
Why the fuck?

Now, once again he will not meet me, not answer my calls, might even leave Fareedpur!!

And I cannot take his ignorance!!!
His negligence!
I feel like dying!!
I'll kill you, you bloody... I... "

Before Sakina was about to hold a knife in real, Shaahid reached her and pressed a point below her neck, immediately rendering her unconscious.

He chuckled, while raising her in his arms to dump into her bedroom.

Sleeping Beauties looked good while sleeping. Not while attacking with knives and saucepans.

Sakina ji! The game has just begun!

.........

( Author's note : Rendering unconscious by pinching the neck is a fictional method first used in Star Trek. This is a fiction too.)