{"id":379,"date":"2026-03-18T04:47:58","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T04:47:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/?page_id=379"},"modified":"2026-03-18T04:47:58","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T04:47:58","slug":"chapter-26-known-stranger","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/?page_id=379","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 26 : Known Stranger"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cNever give up hope, or all is lost.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cThe tall man with his back to us…so familiar…that voice…\u201d Phil frowned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cWish he\u2019d remove that cloth covering his head and most of his face,  and those sunshades, but he doesn\u2019t want to be recognized…,\u201d observed Ismail, trying to get a better look at the man in question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cThe boy sitting next to Afzal Rehman is his son, Kamal,\u201d Shahzad announced with a frown. \u201cHe\u2019s with the Jamali group, and he\u2019s the root of all the troubles with the youngsters. I\u2019ve always thought he was no good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               Ismail knew of the young man because Aisha and Adnan had mentioned their dislike of him. Was Kamal a part of the plot?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               Afzal Rehman had a neat goatee, and Ismail could sense the bully in him. It was not the first time that Ismail had seen his kind, and though he had always stayed out of their way, he knew how influential and savvy they could be. Ismail asked Shahzad about the others in the group. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cOne of them is Mullah Jamali. Who the hell is the tall guy with the cover on his face? I don\u2019t recognize the other two; they have slight accents. These three men are not from around here,\u201d Shahzad reckoned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cWonder who they are.\u201d Shahzad pondered. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to remain unknown; everyone knows everybody\u2019s business here. Someone has to know about the newcomers!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               Ismail sat cross-legged on the ground against the tree they were sheltering under, while Phil and Shahzad sat on his either side. The murmuring in the room was getting quieter, and Jamali was the one who initiated the talks. Ismail understood a little bit of what was being said and was glad for the translation by Shahzad to Phil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cHe\u2019s saying they\u2019ve gathered to confirm plans for the fair.\u201d Shahzad\u2019s eyes narrowed as he heard more of the conversation over the phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cThis business has to end, and Naseer Hussain needs a good lesson,\u201d the tall unidentified man insisted with his hand over his mouth to stifle his voice. \u201cThe boy has to die, and there\u2019s one way to do that while creating an incident that his generations won\u2019t forget!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cThat voice… where have I heard it before? Who\u2019s this guy?\u201d Phil wondered.
               \u201cSince they\u2019re watching so closely, hopefully, we can take down Naseer Hussain himself, along with the foreigners and other important locals and Lashkar; any other spy who insists on meddling in business that does not concern them!\u201d The man incognito went on to explain his plans for a suicide mission in the crowded fair; his hand still held a part of his keffiyeh<\/em> over his mouth to stifle his voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                For a few moments, Shahzad did not speak and just listened intently. He frowned, and after he took the phone from Ismail, he zoomed on the front of the man who spoke. It was then that Shahzad noticed the thick gold ring on the stranger\u2019s finger. The big black central stone caught his attention as he realized who the man might be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cThey\u2019re planning a suicide attack at the fair,\u201d Shahzad finally revealed, still trying to digest what he heard. What he had seen was as shocking. \u201cNo, no! Many people could have a ring like that. Was it his imagination?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               Phil looked at the frown on Shahzad\u2019s face. The young man had gone so pale Phil thought he was about to faint; understandable since it was his little brother\u2019s death that they were discussing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cThey\u2019re using Ahmad. They know the security is going to be tight and know of our alliance with the CIA and the army. But still they sound so confident; it bothers me,\u201d said Ismail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Ismail and Phil stared at the screen while Shahzad, unable to hold still, paced up and down but stayed close by to hear what was going on. It looked like tasks were being assigned, and the meeting was ending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               Suddenly, the door opened, and Afzal and Kamal came out of the house while Shahzad was in plain view. Ismail saw him drop to the ground and cursed himself for not having had the foresight to expect this. He peeped out from the side of the tree; sure enough, the two guys were looking in their direction and were walking towards the gate of the farm to check things out. Had Afzal recognized Shahzad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               They needed to move too. Ismail saw that the house was too far for them to reach without being seen. He looked around and saw the shed was closest to where they were. He considered the distance and saw Shahzad was already moving towards it. The grass around was tall enough to hide them. He shut the phone off and took one last look at the drone and started crawling too, as did Phil. They could retrieve the drone later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               He glanced back and saw Afzal pointing at them as they walked towards the fence separating the two fields. The three boys reached the shed and jumped inside. They found a sheltered corner and sat together, trying to catch their breath. Phil had never crawled so fast in his life, and he sat rubbing his knee, his pants covered in wet mud from the freshly watered field. He peeped out and saw Afzal and Kamal heading straight for the shed. Afzal must have noticed their movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               If confronted, Ismail wondered what reason they could give. He glanced at Shahzad, who was already thinking of running towards the house from the looks of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cAs-Salaam-Alaikum<\/em>, Fiaz Sahib!\u201d he heard Afzal\u2019s voice before he saw him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cWa-Alaikum-Salaam<\/em>, Afzal Bhai<\/em>, Kamal Baita<\/em>,\u201d Fiaz-ul-Muhabat appeared at the door of the shed and stood like a giant wall between the hidden boys and the two he confronted. \u201cThis is a surprise! What are you doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cWe were passing by my friend Tariq Bhai<\/em>\u2019s house and thought we\u2019d stop for a cup of tea,\u201d Afzal mumbled a lame excuse about driving by to get some fresh vegetables for his household.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cIf you had phoned me, I would\u2019ve had them delivered to you!\u201d Fiaz laughed, and the men understood each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               Afzal and Kamal walked back hurriedly, not wanting to tangle with Fiaz. They made excuses about having to be elsewhere and got into their vehicle and zoomed off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Ismail thanked Allah for saving them from the close call and saw Shahzad also breathing easy now. Phil sat behind the bales of hay, and he could not help but giggle at their situation. Ismail gave him a couple of punches on the arm before a smile appeared on his face, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Shahzad was impatient to get home, but Fiaz insisted the visitors stay for lunch, which the ladies were already laying out on a table outside. His agitation showed, and he wanted to get home as soon as possible to share his news with his father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cYou must relax, Shahzad Baita<\/em>!\u201d Fiaz laughed and put his massive arm around the young man\u2019s shoulder. \u201cYou know I\u2019ve seen this chap grow from a boy to a man; he has always been in a great hurry!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Fiaz-ul-Muhabat tried to make light of the situation while he worried inside. After all the hard work, evil men were still conspiring to destroy any hope for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cI cannot understand the psyche of these people,\u201d Fiaz remarked. \u201cHow could anyone not want peace and prosperity for themselves and their coming generations? It\u2019s a sad day for me too, Shahzad; when someone breaks your trust, it\u2019s like a death in the family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cWho to trust?\u201d Shahzad shrugged. \u201cMalik Rahman\u2019s brother killed him; now Afzal Rehman with his son Kamal and our trusted farm resident Tariq Khan; they conspire like faithful dogs of the foreign assassins, to massacre their people!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cNever give up hope, or all is lost,\u201d Fiaz shrugged. \u201cLet us concentrate on the  good people in the world. Anyway, with the fair coming up and the plans that we have just heard, we are going to have to work together as never before! I pray Allah gives us the strength and skill to overcome evil.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cWell, this has been a most enlightening visit, Fiaz Sahib<\/em>!\u201d Ismail declared. \u201cWe must get back to Naseer Husain Sahib<\/em> and brief him. Frankly, I think it\u2019s better to cancel the fair altogether. Many people could be killed or injured if they\u2019re going to plant bombs at the venue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cBut the whole objective is to get Ahmad,\u201d Fiaz-ul-Muhabat reiterated. \u201cYou heard they\u2019re using him as a suicide bomber; we must get to him before their plan succeeds!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cThis is too much for me!\u201d Shahzad said, putting his head in his hands. \u201cI don\u2019t know what to do!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cBe brave; that\u2019s what you must do! I have seen the worst examples of human nature and carnage, and I have seen the best too, and we have to work hard to bring out the best in all and work for a better life,\u201d Fiaz assured,  trying to calm the young man down though failing to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cShahzad, life and death are in His hands; I believe that we have our lives planned for us before we are born,\u201d Khalid proclaimed sincerely. \u201cNo one can erase a single line from the story of our life; we must fulfill our mission and do the best we can!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shahzad\u2019s suspicion about the identity of the spy helping Talib-e-Azad was proved later that day at the hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               Naseer Sahib had driven Aisha and Zeina to the Civil Hospital in Khar. Rebecca had begged to come along, and he only agreed when she promised to stay in the car with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cI don\u2019t think you\u2019re well enough yet,\u201d he argued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cTake her along for the drive,\u201d Safia suggested. \u201cThe change of scenery will do her good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cThe ladies are going to plant their bug and return,\u201d he stated. \u201cThere will be no need for us to get out of the car.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cAbsolutely!\u201d Rebecca agreed,  smiling innocently. \u201cI\u2019ll be as good as gold!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cThat\u2019s what worries me, Baiti<\/em>,\u201d he replied, and knowing Rebecca as they did, they all laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               They arrived at the hospital, and, with flyers in hand, Aisha and Zeina made their way to the chemotherapy unit. It was quiet there. All the six cubicles had patients as the curtains shut off each cubicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cMy sister? Gulnoor Begum<\/em>?\u201d Aisha asked the woman at the small desk. \u201cWhich bed is she in?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cWhy?\u201d the woman asked impatiently, looking up from the newspaper she was reading.     <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cI must see her for a minute,\u201d Aisha replied sweetly. I have to give her an important message.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cNobody\u2019s allowed inside!\u201d the woman said coldly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cIt\u2019s essential, please,\u201d Aisha begged, while Zeina slipped a 500 rupee note beside the woman\u2019s newspaper  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

               Quick as a flash, she pocketed the money and said, \u201cOne only; go to cubicle five. Be quick; I could lose my job if the doctor sees you! She still has 20 minutes left for her treatment of today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cYou have a big heart, Baaji<\/em>,\u201d Aisha gushed as Zeina dashed to the fifth curtain. She remembered Rebecca had told her that Gulnoor\u2019s burka <\/em>was light blue with light blue butterflies embroidered between the pleats that ran around the bottom of her garment. She had done this so that her burka<\/em> wouldn\u2019t be confused with others at the camp. And, there it was, hanging from a hook on the wall outside the cubicle, the dainty butterflies fluttering around the hem of the burka<\/em>. Zeina lost no time in inserting the tiny bug firmly in the top folds of the shroud, where it would be well hidden and yet functional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               She came out, and the women thanked the attendant, who didn\u2019t even bother to acknowledge them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cWhat a woman!\u201d Zeina remarked as they giggled down the stairs and raised their stifling burkas<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201c500 rupees is a lot of money here,\u201d Aisha said. \u201cShe would have let us in for a quarter of that amount!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               As they came out, they were happy to see the two people approaching them. Zakiya and Mirza Ali were equally surprised to bump into them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cAunty Zakiya, how nice to see you,\u201d Aisha hugged the woman while Mirza Ali gestured salaams<\/em> to the women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cAisha, Zeina; What are you doing here?\u201d Zakiya asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cThe usual!\u201d Aisha was quick to reply. \u201cDistributing the flyers; do you have any news about my brother Ahmad?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cIf I did, you would be the first to know!\u201d she replied, and they could see she was in a hurry to move on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cWhat are you doing here, Zakiya?\u201d Zeina. \u201cI hope you\u2019re in good health.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cYes, I\u2019m well, thank you,\u201d she replied. \u201cI\u2019m visiting a friend who\u2019s a patient here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cYou\u2019re coming to the fair tomorrow, aren\u2019t you, Aunty?\u201d Aisha asked innocently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cFor sure, I\u2019ll be there! See you tomorrow!\u201d Zakiya confirmed as she waved and climbed the stairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               They walked on silently when Zeina stopped and said, \u201cI want to see where she\u2019s going! I have a hunch, but I want to be sure.\u201d         <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Zeina returned with an incredulous look on her face; their doubts cleared, and the two girls realized they had just met with the enemy. They dashed back to the car that the chief had parked in the shade of a large tree. They tried to tell him what had happened, and Chief Naseer calmly said, \u201cYes, I saw Zakiya and Mirza Ali get out of that car. There\u2019s a child inside.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cOh, my God!\u201d Rebecca gasped as they passed the vehicle. A baby played with a woman at the back of the car. \u201cIt\u2019s Amu; Gulnoor\u2019s baby!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The minute the men had left, Fiaz-ul-Muhabat called Naseer Husain and told him what had conspired at Tariq Khan\u2019s house. Nasir Hussain updated Fiaz about their encounter outside the hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cI had my suspicions recently, Bhai Sahib!\u201d Husain concluded. \u201cAnd now they\u2019re confirmed!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cThere\u2019s no room for doubt, Bhai Sahib<\/em>,\u201d Fiaz-ul-Muhabat urged, and Chief Naseer Husain agreed, \u201cYes, now this is what we\u2019re going to do!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cNever give up hope, or all is lost.\u201d                 \u201cThe tall man with his back to us…so familiar…that voice…\u201d Phil frowned.                \u201cWish he\u2019d remove that cloth covering his head and most of his face,  and those sunshades, but he doesn\u2019t want to be recognized…,\u201d observed Ismail, trying to get a better look … Continue reading Chapter 26 : Known Stranger<\/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-379","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/379","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=379"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/379\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":380,"href":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/379\/revisions\/380"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}