A man dreads to die, but more fearful is the thought of his own children dying before his eyes. For Aqib, it was an even dreadful thought, considering the death of his mother a few years ago, and that too by the hands of this same person, Saleem.

Aqib felt as if the air in his lungs had stationed itself within them, that they would just collapse under the sheer weight of this sight. A thick viscous massdropped between his chest, falling deeper into his stomach. Aqib tried to stand strong but his fragile heart was beating against his throat as his legs shook with fear.

Saleem unsure of what to perceive from the expressions of Aqib and Abdullah that stood in front of him.

Aqib and Abdullah had stopped dead in their tracks as if they had just seen a ghost. Saleem looked at himself to assess his aura and knew straight away.It was sad how they could expect such a thing from him. How heartless could someone be to kill a child? But it wouldn’t be strange coming from a killer like him. He had killed their mother and all this while it seemed as if he was playing nice for a breakthrough like this where he could easily capitalize. Convulsively, he pulled away his hand from Ali’s hair and retreated a step.

“Don’t worry, Aqib. I was just talking to the chap. He is a good kid, I tell you.” He smiled.

Aqib stood rooted to the spot with a dead expression.

“Come here, Ali.” He said, ushering with his hand. His hands were visibly shaking by now. For a moment, he had thought he would lose his only son.

Saleem’s heart sank at the sight. What had he become? No matter what he did he could not pull apart his past from his present. He had tried everything to be a nice person yet it was heartbreaking to see that people naturally were scared of him, like expecting something like this from him was only natural to them.

“I… I wasn’t looking to hurt the child, Aqib. I only asked him to lend me something that I could use to trim my beard.” He held the razor up to let Aqib and Abdullah see. “If ever I’d want to run away from here, slitting your son’s throat would be the last thing that I would want.”

Aqib looked up at Saleem’s watery eyes and hair that had were plastered against his head. He could see how heartbroken Saleem was.

“I’m sorry… I-” He broke off.

“It’s okay, really. You shouldn’t embarrass me by apologizing. I just… don’t mean any harm.”

Aqib stared at Saleem, utterly awestruck.

“How did you do it, Saleem?” He asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Do what?”

“From a murderer to what you are today, how did you find it in you to change? How did you turn back to God so late in life and find the courage to do what you are right now?”

Saleem mustered up the courage to reply.

“Somebody taught me to take that first step, Aqib. Everything just made sense once I did.”

A tear cascaded down Aqib’s rough cheek followed by many others until he looked up at the ceiling to hold them back.

“I forgive you, Saleem.” He sniffled. “I don’t know why but I do not have it in me to hurt you anymore.”

Standing beside Aqib, Abdullah was completely amazed at what was happening. All these years he did not have the courage to look Aqib properly in the eye with the guilt of what he had done for some money and honor, just to be the head of this powerful house. Yet this murderer had somehow found the words and the way to penetrate Aqib’s heart and rattle it till he gives up.

There are no two ways to go about for the rectification of your mistakes. There was only one way back, and Saleem had scurried through it somehow.

“Your brothers; the twins, or so I suppose them to be, I wish to ask for forgiveness from them as well.”

Aqib ascended the stairs back up with a heart that was finally light after so many months of soul searching. He had tried everything to calm himself since his mother’s death, yet he was unaware that his satisfaction lay in letting go. He came back after a moment with his twin brothers who walked side by side; they did everything together, Saleem supposed.

Once they had graciously forgiven Saleem, Aqib looked at him with an air of love.

“I will do everything to help you escape tomorrow morning. Though I do hope that you will spend the first few moments of your Eid with us!”

Saleem could not believe what he was hearing! Someone actually wanted to spend Eid with him! He felt special.

“I would be honored.” He beamed.

“Now go get a shower and change. I’ll show you the way.”

The old farmer knocked on the door of Pasha’s office, his bony arms visible from the loose sleeve of his kurta. Instinctively, Pasha glanced up for a second before returning to a file that he had placed on his fat legs while he sipped on a cup of tea. Probably some stupid farmer business. Pasha hated it, there were more important things that he had to do than solve the problems of people such as this one.

“Mr. Pasha, sir!” the old man coughed before entering the office. “

“Yes,” Pasha replied with an air of annoyance.

“I have information about the murderer, Saleem,” Allahditta glanced back at the door to make sure they were alone. “But I want to keep myself anonymous in all of this.”

Pasha was all ears now, listening intently. “I assure you, you will be anonymous and rewarded.”

“Exactly the sort of thing one expects from a great leader like you, Mr. Pasha.”