{"id":343,"date":"2026-03-18T04:21:38","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T04:21:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/?page_id=343"},"modified":"2026-03-18T04:21:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T04:21:38","slug":"chapter-15-the-sheikh-and-the-chief","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/?page_id=343","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 15 : The Sheikh and The Chief"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cPeople need every bit of help they can get.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cWhat the hell is this?\u201d Ismail stared ghastly ahead at the 14-foot high castle wall replete with battlements and a lookout tower next to the enormous steel gate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cThat\u2019s the Sheikh Sahib\u2019s<\/em> house,\u201d said Aisha proudly. \u201cIsn\u2019t it amazing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                They entered the vast compound through two guarded gates and found themselves in a different world. Gone were the grays and browns of the dusty streets and unrelenting mountains; here, there was greenery, flowers and shady trees everywhere with delicate fountains dotted around the beautifully landscaped gardens. In the middle of it stood an impressive double story mansion.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Aisha timidly joined Adnan and Ismail, who walked around the house looking at the roof while the boy pointed out the solar panels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cWho\u2019s this?\u201d Phil asked, wondering if he should shake the man\u2019s hand who was waiting on the side of the house entrance. He had become cautious, especially after the incident at the airport when a little older adult came up with outstretched arms, and Phil hugged him; wasn\u2019t that how guys greeted each other here? It turned out, the man was a porter offering his services, and the others had not stopped laughing at him!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cThat\u2019s Mirza Ali, the sheikh\u2019s manager; they have a lot of staff!\u201d Shahzad announced, indicating the men milling around the compound at discreet distances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               Mirza Ali motioned the guests to follow him to the gazebo in a shady spot in the garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cThe whole house is powered by solar panels. Sheikh Sahib<\/em> is an engineer himself and has shown me how it works,\u201d Adnan said excitedly while he made himself comfortable on an antique wrought iron bench.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cSomeday, we\u2019ll have electricity in the whole village. No power outages then! If I win the science competition, I\u2019ll get 100 dollars with which I can start a business of making solar panels.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cYou\u2019re very ambitious,\u201d Ismail smiled. \u201cGo for it once you have a good plan!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cAdnan, as I\u2019ve promised you before, if you win, I\u2019ll be your partner for the solar panel business!\u201d the sheikh offered as he joined them.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

               The tall, bearded man had a booming voice and a charming presence. Elegantly dressed in the traditional clothes, he cut an impressive figure in a loose white long shirt with a plain brown vest over baggy pants. He did not wear a turban but had a red and white checked keffiyeh<\/em> tied around his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Adnan beamed at him, and Aisha was happy too, proud to have the sheikh meet the foreigners. She thought of him as a prince with his impressive height and sparkling brown eyes. She even made the introductions as Shahzad remained quiet after greeting the sheikh. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cAhlan Wa Sahlan<\/em>! Welcome to my humble home,\u201d he greeted his guests, who smiled at his studied humility. \u201cSo kind of you to visit! Ah, Roddy, how good to see you again!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cAhlan<\/em>, my friend,\u201d Roddy replied as he shook the sheikh\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cAs-Salaam-Alaikum<\/em>, Sheikh Sahib<\/em>, I\u2019m Ismail,\u201d Ismail said and shook the man\u2019s hand with noticeable respect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cWa-Alaikum-Salaam<\/em>, Ismail! It\u2019s a pleasure to make your acquaintance!\u201d the man was pleased by the greeting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

               Phil watched and wished he had done the same instead of offering a perfunctory handshake and a \u201cHow do you do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Aisha was amused to see Zeina turn red when the sheikh bowed to her. Zeina put her hand on her heart and nodded to acknowledge his greeting.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

               Shahzad was just about to leave when Zakiya, Sheikh Sahib\u2019s<\/em> beautiful wife, who the brother and sister called Aunty, arrived with a couple of servants carrying trays of assorted drinks and snacks.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cYou cannot leave without having something, Shahzad Baita<\/em>,\u201d she insisted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               Zakiya and the sheikh made a perfect pair. Her exquisite features with lively eyes and dark skin were striking. Wearing an embroidered, red silk caftan and gold bangles and earrings, she was a picture of elegance. Aisha ran up to her and hugged her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cHow\u2019s my favorite girl?\u201d she hugged and kissed the girl affectionately,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cI\u2019m well, thank you, Aunty,\u201d Aisha gushed, nodding happily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cSheikh Sahib<\/em>, how long have you lived here?\u201d Phil inquired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cI came to this region to expand our family\u2019s oil business. My family has been doing business here for years, and we\u2019ve always had this house. We\u2019re actually from Saudi Arabia,\u201d he said and looked at Zeina. \u201cFrom the north.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                They exchanged pleasantries, making connections through people they knew back in the kingdom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cSo, how can I help you?\u201d Sheikh responded, looking at Zeina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cSheikh Sahib<\/em>, my dad sent his respects and asked me to meet you,\u201d Zeina recalled. \u201cAs you most probably know, we need to find our fellow UN worker, Rebecca Fainey, who\u2019s also a close friend of Phil\u2019s; she survived a bomb blast, and we think she\u2019d being held hostage by the Talib-e-Azad. We\u2019d greatly appreciate any advice and assistance you can give us.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cOf course! We\u2019re all here to help you find your colleague and to find little Ahmad too,\u201d Sheikh Sahib<\/em> added, looking at Aisha and smiling at her. \u201cI have a fully-equipped office here which you can use for meetings to make plans, do research, or send communications.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cWe\u2019ve been playing with the idea of going into the mountains to follow the leads that we\u2019ve received so far on Talib-e-Azad,\u201d Phil suggested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cThat, I\u2019m sure, will be necessary, but you must take care,\u201d Sheikh cautioned, leaning forward. A large gold ring with a central black stone caught the light as he gestured. \u201cLet\u2019s think about it. And after consulting with Naseer Sahib<\/em>, let\u2019s meet back here again? Allow me to show you around so that you can treat this place as your office.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cSheikh Sahib<\/em>, we need to leave now,\u201d Shahzad implored as he got up with Aisha following him. \u201cRafiq Afridi should be here in an hour to pick up our guests. We\u2019ll talk to my father in the evening, and Insha Allah,<\/em> meet again soon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cWhere are you both going?\u201d Zeina pressed, looking at Aisha. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cWe\u2019re going to Khar. I\u2019m always hoping for news of my little brother,\u201d she said, feeling important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cThis is a picture of Ahmad. I go around showing this to anyone who\u2019ll listen; asking if they\u2019ve seen him,\u201d Aisha took out a picture from her backpack and presented it to the guests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

               She stared at Phil and Zeina and saw genuine sympathy and interest on their faces. Encouraged, she continued, \u201cA few times, we\u2019ve met people who think they have seen him, but we\u2019re still hoping that one day we\u2019ll get a lead strong enough to get him back. Today I want to go to the Civil Hospital because people come there from all around the region for medical help; maybe even people from the mountains.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cThat\u2019s a firm commitment you have, Aisha,\u201d Zeina praised. \u201cDo you think I can join you someday?\u201d Zeina gazed hopefully at Shahzad and then at Aisha, and they both nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cWhenever you\u2019re going next time, let me know. I\u2019m always searching for an excuse to look around,\u201d Zeina offered eagerly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cAisha, here\u2019s Rebecca\u2019s picture,\u201d Phil demonstrated, opening his wallet and pulling out a photo. He glanced at the picture before handing it over, and Aisha took it very delicately, understanding how precious such reminders of lost loved ones were.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cLet me make a copy; I\u2019ll take good care of it and give it back to you this evening,\u201d  Aisha promised. \u201cWe can show both pictures around; if anyone has seen either, it\u2019ll help us find them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               Zakiya hugged Aisha again after she escorted them to the van. Zakiya whispered in the girl\u2019s ear: \u201cI hope you find some positive clues today, Aisha. Insha Allah<\/em>, Ahmad will be with us soon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was late evening when Chief Naseer, who had been attending an important jirga <\/em>in a neighboring city, returned home. He greeted his guests warmly with profuse apologies for his unavoidable absence. He was tall and stocky, with a soft yet authoritative voice. With his well-trimmed hair and beard, peppered with grey, he made an older version of his handsome young son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               After dinner, they sat in a circle on large cushions on the marble-tiled courtyard, apart from the other guests, who understood they had some business to discuss. Sharing a delicious dessert made of nuts that the chieftain had brought back with him, the discussions began in earnest. Adnan was told to go and occupy himself elsewhere, and he walked off angrily, hating being treated like a child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               Chief Naseer and Ismail talked as if they had known each other for a long time, and Phil envied Ismail\u2019s familiarity with the culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cLet me tell you a little bit about our situation here. The tribal leaders of the FATA valley need to take care of themselves, and we formed the Lashkar for just that reason. We\u2019re a council of seven leaders who run the Lashkar and have been doing it for the last 16 years. We\u2019ve taken it upon ourselves to make sure that justice and our peaceful way of life are protected,\u201d he emphasized, observing around to make sure everyone was listening and understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cTo achieve that, there are a couple of things we do to stop the unlawful activity and to encourage our tribal ways of life. We have about 200 villagers who have volunteered to fight, should the need arise. We also give land and protection to selected displaced families. As you probably know, our region has seen tough times, and people need every bit of help they can get.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               Talk turned to their current problems, and Phil noticed the critical tone of the discussions as a primary picture of the situation emerged. It was sobering to see the facts and options laid bare in front of them. If anyone imagined this was going to be a cakewalk up the mountains to recover Rebecca, they would have to think again.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cWe have a spy among us,\u201d Naseer Husain announced, lowering the mood even further. \u201cThis individual is working with the Talib-e-Azad and perhaps others; important information is being leaked, which is why the enemy remains a step ahead of us. All our efforts are at risk of amounting to nothing if we don\u2019t locate the infiltrator!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cAbba<\/em>, how did you find out?\u201d Shahzad asked worriedly; the thought that someone among them was a traitor was a shocking reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cWell, I discovered about leaks; that\u2019s what\u2019s important,\u201d the man replied firmly, probably not wanting to give away the names of secret connections and informants. \u201cIt could be anyone who has close contact with us; in fact, I believe this man to be in our midst.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cOr woman,\u201d Zeina remarked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cHighly unlikely, but possible,\u201d Rafiq Afridi replied. \u201cWe don\u2019t discuss important business with women; no offense meant Zeina Bibi<\/em>, but that\u2019s how we operate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cI\u2019m here sitting among you,\u201d Zeina pointed out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cYou\u2019re an exception, Bibi,<\/em>\u201d he smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cI\u2019m aware of this since our male-dominated way of life is pretty similar,\u201d she grinned. \u201cBut there could be other exceptions; women aren\u2019t averse to eavesdropping or finding out information from their husbands.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cYou\u2019ve raised a valid point, Bibi<\/em>,\u201d Chief Husain agreed. \u201cWe must be mindful of all the possibilities. With so many people around, it\u2019s hard to tell who the culprit is. Anyone from our large Lashkar could be, how do you say, a rotten apple in the barrel? We\u2019re quite sure someone is leaking information. There\u2019s leakage of our private council talks and secrets. All the signs point to the fact that we are compromised and have to proceed with caution in whatever we do or say.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cI\u2019m assuming all the council people are reliable since they\u2019ve been with you for many years,\u201d Roddy said. \u201cOne possibility could be that someone in the council is bugged?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cBugged? What does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cNowadays, and I\u2019ve witnessed that in many places, people have been using electronic devices to eavesdrop on conversations. The devices, though few, have been seen around this area,\u201d Roddy nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cWell, I never thought of that; perhaps someone is listening to us with one of these devices as we speak,\u201d replied Naseer as he narrowed his eyes. \u201cBut then again, they could be gathering their information by more \u2026 more traditional means.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Everyone seemed to nod their understanding of what he meant and its implications; their dilemma was not going to be an easy one to resolve, and they must tread with extreme caution.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cLet me say this,\u201d the chief continued. \u201cI\u2019m very pleased to have you all here; your presence makes me feel more confident about the chances of finding our loved ones. As you know, we\u2019ve tried to find my son Ahmad too, for the last five years, with no result. Now we need to change tactics. What we have working for us now is the publicity that your captive friend has received. People are becoming more aware and interested in our situation too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cThat\u2019s true,\u201d Phil added. \u201cWe represent the UN, and we also have a contact in the CIA. My missing friend\u2019s colleague who died in the bombing had a father who worked for the CIA in Peshawar, and he has promised to help us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Phil did not miss the look that passed between Chief Naseer, Rafiq, and Roddy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cPhil, do you realize that the CIA activity in the area could have been the reason for the bombing,\u201d Roddy stated to Phil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cYes, I\u2019m very aware of this; it should be all the more reason for the CIA to help us,\u201d he replied, and Naseer just nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cWhat else do we have? I have some ideas we can investigate, but we need to do that very secretively. I haven\u2019t shared this information even with the council as I knew you would be coming, and I wanted to talk to you\u2019ll first…,\u201d the man looked tired and asked Shahzad to tell his mother to arrange for some tea for everyone. Once his son had gone into the house, Naseer looked at Zeina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cSheikh Sahib<\/em> was talking about your father\u2019s possible influence and conveyed his offer of help to me. Thank you for that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cWe could use all the help we can get,\u201d he continued and bowed to Zeina.       Zeina nodded and bowed in return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Shahzad returned, followed by a servant carrying a large flask of hot tea and cups hooked onto his fingers, deftly balancing a bowl of sugar and teaspoons with the other hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cAbba<\/em>, we were thinking of going out into the mountains ourselves,\u201d Shahzad revealed as he sipped the steaming brew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cTell me more, my son,\u201d Naseer indulgently requested as he poured himself another cup of the hot milky brew, stirring in two teaspoons of sugar. \u201cTell me what you plan to do.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cPeople need every bit of help they can get.\u201d                \u201cWhat the hell is this?\u201d Ismail stared ghastly ahead at the 14-foot high castle wall replete with battlements and a lookout tower next to the enormous steel gate.                \u201cThat\u2019s the Sheikh Sahib\u2019s house,\u201d said Aisha proudly. \u201cIsn\u2019t it amazing?\u201d                 They entered … Continue reading Chapter 15 : The Sheikh and The Chief<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-343","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=343"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/343\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":344,"href":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/343\/revisions\/344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}