-An early update for you guys. Couldn't wait to give you this blow ;) I feel like I woke up from a long writer's sleep. Let the game begin. 

(Unedited)

Inspector Khalid was made in charge of surrounding the village and carrying out its internal investigation. His first image of this sun-kissed Saggay Valiyan was dry, boring and extremely unlikely as Saleem's hiding place. But the authorities were very keen on getting it examined to the root.

As he sauntered toward the village with a proud gait, his chest protruding outward as well as his moustache, Inspector Khalid twirled his cane between his fingers. His troops followed at his heals, all covered in leaves and vines of all kinds from the woods. If they could, they certainly would have chosen a better path to reach here in style. But the woods were the only path connecting the village to the highway that stretched in front of the prison.

Like most of the province Punjab, Saggay Valiyan was a fertile land with most of its residents working as farmers and peasants. Men were in the fields when they saw this peculiar sight. Their hard working and strained faces stared back at the troops who were walking confidently towards them.

One old peasant mounted his shovel on his shoulder and walked up to the Inspector who stared him from head to toe, taking in his wild aura. The old man pushed the shovel into the earth and rested his forearms on the handle to stare back with authority.

"Who are you?" He asked. As one of the seniors of this village, it was his responsibility to guard and protect other residents.

Aqib Khan stood in the distance where he had been overlooking the farmers at work. He had held a prisoner hostage at his home and now the Police were here. He could not, at any cost, expose himself to them.

"Inspector Khalid from the Police Station. I am afraid we will have to surround this village for a while due to security reasons. A prisoner escaped last night." Khalid spoke authoritatively. He did not like to answer to this old man who had permanent lines etched behind his eyes, but he had to.

"Well," the old man spat on the ground. "We don't need your security. We can take care of ourselves."

In this country, nobody really trusted the authorities. If they were any good, they wouldn't have let the man flee from prison in the first place.

"I am sorry," Inspector Khalid swallowed his anger. "But this is not an option, it's an order. The escaped prisoner in question is a three-time murderer. And we are here to make sure none of you become his fourth."

Khalid stared into the hollow eyes of the old man who held them with vigor.

"Why are you interested in this village? Nobody cared about us ever before."

The men working in the fields had began walking towards them as well.

"Because we are sure the prisoner escaped through this route... and suspect he might even be hiding in here."

Inspector Khalid now turned his attention to the mob surrounding him and produced a photograph from his breast pocket.

"Has anyone of you seen this man?" The inspector asked, holding the image high over his head for all to see.

The old man's eyes widened with disbelief. He shot an anxious look at Aqib Khan who slowly shook his head in denial.

The inspector waited for some sort of response while most of the crowd stared at each other meticulously. But the ones that had been present yesterday dawn stared at their feet with their mouths sewn shut.

"I ask you again. Has anyone at all seen this man yesterday or today? He was wearing a black shalwar kameez and had injured his leg. Had a rugged beard. Thin and tall, anyone?"

No reply again.

"Well, this village is under constant surveillance from now on until further instructions. All of your houses will be searched. If anyone sees this man he reports to me or my men that would be surrounding this village from every side."

Aqib's heart sank as he realized how big a mistake he had made.

The ominous sight of the policemen had called for drastic measures. Abdullah stood inside behind the window as he pulled the curtain of his living room aside and peeked out at the mob. He needed to take a drastic measure or his dark secret might be exposed to the world He wished now that he hadn't made that mistake, but he had. All he could do now was to live with it and make sure it stays buried in the past.

Abdullah rushed through the living room with an old burgundy sofa set arranged in it, one that did not depict much of a living taste but was still considered a luxury in a village where people even lacked sleeping beds.

He took a right and opened the door that led to the stairs descending down into the basement where he had kept Saleem hostage.

Saleem had been busy in Tasbih, the type of oral prayer where you proclaim and glorify the Lord as you please. The reason why he found this prayer beautiful was that it had no boundaries and no set pattern. He could praise his God any way that he wanted to.

His legs had become sour now till the extent that they were numb. It had hurt the first few hours, but now it was as if even his legs had surrendered to will of the Almighty. Certainly He would not leave him alone when Saleem is struggling for His love.

The door slammed open and someone came rushing down the stairs, two at a time. Within a few seconds Saleem saw the familiar figure of Abdullah walking towards him. His hair was disheveled and his face depicted horror. He ran towards Saleem and turned to his back where he began undoing his wrists that were tied behind the pillar.

"What are you doing?" Saleem asked. He had not yet fulfilled his reason to come here.

"What do you think I'm doing? The police are here. You have to go, now!" Abdullah hissed as he undid Saleem's wrist. Saleem brought his hands to his front and saw the purple line tracing the skin that the rope had tightly bound.

"I'm not going anywhere." Saleem resisted but Abdullah was not having him a second more in this house. Saleem had to go.

Abdullah untied Saleem's chest and legs as he broke free and was able to breathe properly for the first time in two days. The present option seemed very welcoming, but the Imam had warned him that the Lord will test his patience in this matter. He could not succumb to his first test.

Saleem stared back at Abdullah who looked horrified.

"Saleem, leave goddammit!" He screamed.

"Don't worry. I won't expose your secret." Saleem replied calmly. His neurons still seemed to be feeling the rope tied where it was as if they were used to it.

"How can I trust you after what you did?" Abdullah hissed at him. His words stung Saleem, penetrating into him. Even after such struggle to be a good man, people still eyed him distrustfully.

"You mean how can you trust me after killing your mother on your own orders?" Saleem rebutted.

Abdullah's heart skipped a beat. He knew this, but hadn't heart it aloud in years. The horror of it bore on his shoulders throughout the day.

"You don't know how guilty I feel for that."

"Yeah... And you don't know how guilty I feel for my past as well, Abdullah."

Saleem's eyes brimmed with tears at the thought of his sins. Love for God has made his heart soft, something he thought was never possible.

"Why are you here? We had a deal that you would never meet me once the work was done. You came here because you wanted to blackmail me in keeping you safe until the coast was clear and you could finally run away towards a new life." Abdullah curled his nose in disgust at the treacherous murderer standing in front of him. "I knew a murderer could never be trusted."

There was a moment of silence before Saleem stood again with his back to the pillar and his hands turned behind it.

"I am not here for a safe haven, Abdullah. I am here for forgiveness."

"I forgive you." Abdullah sounded desperate.

"Yes, but the others don't."

"BUT-"

"I am here to ask for forgiveness from the people that I have wronged, Abdullah. And you aren't one of them."

Abdullah realized that either this man had lost his mind, or something incredible had happened within the confines of the prison.