" Welcome back! " , Shaahid slid into Saajid's room and closed the door behind.

Saajid grinned.

His room now looked like a municipality garbage dump where the trash of the entire city was deposited.

He had returned just an hour back, at 9 in the night.

Shaahid somehow made his way upto a chair and sat down. He was slowly getting used to untidiness.

" Thank you so much Shaahid bhai that my house didn't turn upside down. Otherwise, I was afraid of leaving Sakina behind alone all these months. " , Saajid kept grinning.

" Your bravery, that you trusted me completely. She could have really done anything. " , Shaahid shrugged.

Saajid grew somewhat serious.
" Has my sister gone completely insane? Is there really a chance of getting her back? "

" Of course she's gone mad, but we can completely recover her. The process is on and here I'm to gist it to you. "

" Oh damn!
Wait I'll change into my boxers first. "
Saajid said excitedly.

Shaahid made a terrified face.
" Ermm.. That I guess you can do after I leave. I don't think what I'm going to transmit is THAT exciting! "

Saajid made a sad face and settled down in his shirt and worn out trousers.

" Say then, if this dress looks suitable to you. "

" What's in the dress? " , Shaahid was confused.

Saajid looked startled.
" Everything's in the dress!
Have you seen people listening to prayers in bikinis?
Or to mournings in lehengas?
Or to lectures in shorts?

There's a mood to every type of thing you are involving yourself in. And every mood has some particular clothing. "

Shaahid stared at him for sometime.
" Okay, if listening to my plan wants you to be in boxers, I don't mind. "

" Go ahead. My mood just changed. " , Saajid blinked.

Shaahid sighed.

" Okay, so...
Sakina's only problem is that, she has completely forgotten the event of Salman's death.

Now, she is slowly drifting away from him.
At this point of time, if we can revive the incident of Salman's death, she will accept it this time.

And she'll believe it, getting rid of Salman completely. "

Saajid's eyes brightened.
" This is.....brilliant....!!!

But, how is she drifting away from Salman already? "

" You leave that to me.

I need you all to take part in Salman's death recreation. That's it. "

Saajid stared at him for sometime. As if reflecting something deeply.

Then said,

" I'll do anything that brings my sister back.

I trust you completely Shaahid bhai.

You see to it, that she's healed.

You see to it, that Salman disappears from her life completely. "

" I promise. " , Shaahid smiled.

___

At three next afternoon, Shaahid found himself following a beggar down narrow puddled obnoxious lanes below a flyover.

The beggar sometimes turned back and grinned, only then did Shaahid occasionally remember that it was Faisal walking in front of him. Otherwise his demeanor and get up were enough to make him momentarily forget who the person before was.

" Aah!!!  " , they finally reached upto a big cement cylinder below one of the pillars of the flyover.
" Here. Come inside! "

Inside? Really?
Shaahid felt like he would fall anytime.

The cylinder on both sides had temporary arrangements to hang curtains. Faisal went inside and beckoned Shaahid. He followed suite with a pug like face.

The inside really wasn't how tiny it looked from outside. Faisal had made a cloth bed on one side. On the other was kept a gas stove. Beside that was a plastic shelf that had clothes.

" Sit on the bed. " , Faisal said.

" WHAT THE HELL? How do you live here? " , Shaahid fumbled almost.

" Hehe. You have got only one life. You should see the extremes of everything. Poverty, wealth, health, disease.
Life is actually not that difficult here.
I earn almost two hundred everyday.
A man comes every morning, sells vegetables, fruits, rice, pulses in minimum price.

A girl comes to sell tea every morning and evening. She's an extremely smart kid. I learn everything important to my survey from her. "

" What did you learn? " , Shaahid was looking around the shabby little dwelling. Wondering, if he could ever stay here even if someone offered him one crore.

" A lot. I'll tell you once I get back. " , Faisal danced his brows.

" The beggars accepted you?"

" What's there to accept? I'm paying my rent. I stay on my will. "

" Rent? Of this cylinder? " , Shaahid dropped his jaw so low that he had to search for it.

" Of course! No place on earth is for free boss!! I pay 300 per month for this. "

" Will you be really staying here for a month? " , Shaahid sounded concerned.

" A month? I've fallen in love with this life. If I feel like, I won't ever return. "

Shaahid caught his head and sat staring at him.
" If Naseema ever gets to know it was my idea, I'll be hanged. Then chopped into small pieces and fed to the two German Shepards your father-in-law possesses. "

" Nah. Both of them like you more than me. The most that can happen is, my father-in-law will ask you to marry Naseema. Do that, for my sake. " , Faisal grinned.

Shaahid stared silently at the stove.
" You cook? You really do? "

" I really do. And there's no horror in that. " , Faisal frowned.
" By the way, like me, there are other people too here who are not actually beggars.

The girl I talked about, his father is a contract killer. Huge money. But he has kept his family safely here. "

Shaahid twisted his lips.

Faisal suddenly dropped his voice and whispered.
" And the dead surprising fact is, by my lawyer wits, I've almost gathered that, this man was appointed by your principal, Adnan Sami to kill Salman Siddiqui. "

" WHAAT? " , Shaahid widened his eyes.

" Yes. There's more to it.
Listen to me. " , Faisal sat properly.

Shaahid straightened as well.
Converging all his attention, to his friend.

_____

" Are you serious? I cannot sit here for four long hours without moving my long body parts. I'm sorry. " , Shaahid protested.

" Shut up. I said, shut...up!!! " , Sakina pushed him down on the chair.

" But why? Why me? Why not some bloody born-to-be-immobile object, like this violin, or this bed, or table!? "

" Ophho!!!! 
Why do people draw portraits? To capture the intricate details of a human who is subject to change with time. Will this violin or bed or table ever change?
You will change.
I just want to stop you from changing, on my canvas. " , Sakina prepared the white canvas and pallet with colors.

" But I won't change. I'll look this way throughout my life. Ugly and hideous.  " , Shaahid shrugged.

" Lol. Was that a tactic to make me say, ' Ohh you are not ugly, you are handsome ' , but I won't say that. " , Sakina made faces.

" Handsome is Salman Siddiqui.
Handsome, calm, shy, soft spoken, introvert.
Ummid miya once said that girls like men as such. Not men like me. " , Shaahid made a sad pupper face.

" Ummid miya?
You have a tremendous range of friends I must say. " , Sakina twisted lips.

" Range? I've only below standard friends. Confined to that itself.
Maids, shopkeepers, beggars. " , Shaahid smiled.

" Will you just stop blabbering shit and let me concentrate? ", Sakina sounded really disturbed. She began sharpening her pencil.

" Okay okay.
I won't talk. But did Salman call? "

Sakina now glared at him. Then made a sad face. But immediately turned angry again.

" I don't give a damn.

You, angle your face a bit. Right.
Now, don't move. "

Shaahid looked quite satisfied.
" But, what if I want to pee? "

Sakina stared at him as if she understood the crisis.
" Wait. " , she disappeared.

And returned with a bag.

" Wear this. "

Shaahid did not believe how serious she looked.

Because the bag contained...
Mammy Poko Pants.