Assalam-u-alaikum everyone! A welcoming Sunday update for all of you. :) Here's where things start to get crazy. Keep an eye on the past and the present... there's a lot about Saleem that you do not know... even I don't. ;) 

The daily attendance register had been maintained in a dutiful manner. It was strenuous work; the guard in charge of the daily attendance would have his hands full with the duty. One had to visit each and every cell and assure that the resident was safely locked inside. It was because of the magnitude of this task that the daily attendance duty was circulated among all the guards. Once every fortnight, each of them had to carry out this task.

Shaam went through the worn-out pages of the attendance register. The left column of each page contained cell numbers with the inmates' name and three boxes in front of them, all ticked by the attendance guards. It seemed that this was the first time someone had tricked them, and the unexpectedness of that possibility had eluded the guard on duty that day.

"Sir, you asked for me?" A thin man in his baggy police uniform and patchy beard stood in the hallway outside Shaam's office.

"Take a seat." Shaam motioned at the black leather chair that sat opposite to him.

Once the guard sat down, Shaam walked to the door and closed it. He liked to keep his investigations private and securely to himself. The room was lit by nothing but the small bulb that hung from the ceiling directly above Shaam's desk.

Shaam still held the register casually in one hand as he paced in front of the guard and asked. "What is your name?"

That was a simple question. If it was going to be that easy, the guard thought he might as well cooperate.

"Nawaz." He replied, keeping it short.

"When I ask you a question, you give me all the damn information you have about that subject, so when I ask you your name you give me your GODDAMN FULL NAME, OKAY?" Shaam shot back. All his years in this field had given him an eye to assess the person to be investigated and what route to take. This particular fidgety one looked like he could easily be dominated.

Nawaz hadn't expected this man to be so tough. He immediately made up his mind to comply.

"Nawaz Rasheed."

"And you have been working here for how many years?"

Another easy one.

"Seven." Nawaz replied.

"Did you know Saleem personally in these years?" Shaam decided to push this a step further. Nawaz kept looking at the table, procuring an answer that could save him.

"I... I didn't. He was a dangerous criminal. Murderer! One naturally stays away from such people."

"So that is why you avoided him and put his attendance on the register when he was physically absent from his cell?" Shaam poked.

"NO! NO, I DIDN'T. I checked to see if he was in the cell and-"

Shaam threw the thick register on the table and then turned it so Nawaz could face it. He flipped open to the last page.

"Look at this," Shaam brought his index finger up to the first inmate and then slid it down the ticks placed in front of them for the nightly attendance. Once he brought his finger in front of Saleem's name, the guard knew he was in trouble.

"All of the others, before and after Saleem, have been ticked with a blue pen, but Saleem in particular has been ticked with a green one."

Shaam closed the register with a thud. The guard was sweating now and looked to be perilous.

Shaam banged hard on the table to assert his authority. "Now tell me exactly what happened or I'm putting you in that same cell for acting as accomplice to a charged felon for escaping prison."

The guard knew he had no choice but to spill the beans. Once he told Shaam all about that night, Shaam knew exactly what his next move should be.

A minute later he was in the prison mosque where only one person sat with his hands raised to the heavens, whispering and pleading from the Lord. The Imam finished his dua and turned his bright and smiling face to Shaam.

Someone banged on the door... once, twice, thrice. Aqib Khan turned in his bed and rubbed his sleep-filled eyes. It was six in the morning. Who in their right minds bangs on people's doors at this time.

Aqib rolled over in his bed and sat upright. The door banged again and he cursed under his breath. Whoever this was, he was surely going to pay for this. He had one last look at his wife and six-year-old son who were sleeping peacefully in bed, totally indifferent to the sound.

Aqib stood up and paced through the door into the lounge and towards the main entrance that banged again just before he harshly pulled the door open.

Inspector Khalid saw Aqib Khan standing in his vest, his chest hair peeking out through the neck hole, and flashed him a professional smile.

"Morning!"

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK-"

Before Aqib could proceed with his sentence, Inspector Khalid pulled up a formal looking paper and showed it to him.

"Prison orders. We are here to search your house." He stated blatantly.

"What? You can't- It's six in the-" Aqib stood in front of the entrance and tried to block them.

Inspector Khalid poked his cane on Aqib's stomach and pressed lightly.

"In my experience, Mr. Aqib, only those hurdle us in searching their house who have something to hide."

Or rather someone.

- Author alert: The next chapter is something you won't be expecting at all ;) 

Tentative date for next update: 2nd August, 2017.