Black Magic

Black Magic – Part 1

Bahawalpur is a beautiful city of South Punjab. It was founded in 1748 and was part of the former princely state of Bahawalpur. The state was ruled by the Abbasi family of Nawabs until 1955 when it was merged into Pakistan. A formal accord was signed between Nawab Sadiq Muhammad and the Government of Pakistan according to which the Nawab was allowed to retain the title and given a yearly pension of rupees 32 lacs till he died in 1966. The Nawabs left a rich architectural legacy, and Bahawalpur is now known for its monuments dating back to that period. The city also lies at the edge of Cholistan desert, and serves as a gateway to Lal Suhanra National Park.

I was born in 1930 in a remote village of Bahawalpur. My father was a servant in Darbar Mahal which was built by Nawab Bahawal Khan in 1905. My grandfather was a personal aide to Nawab Adnan Abbasi and was deputed head of all servants of the Sadiq Garh Palace and Noor Mahal. I was twelve years old when my grandfather died and my father brought me to his work place. It was there that I had the honor to meet His Highness Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi. It was in the Noor Mahal that I first witnessed the mesmerizing episodes of magic. It fascinated me so much that I out rightly decided to become a magician myself. My search for real magic took me to places which do not exist on any map. I met with strange people and weird creatures. I saw unspeakable things and went through many super natural experiences. I am now spending last few years of my remaining life at my birth place which is not much different from how I left it about seven decades ago. Having nothing much to do, I have decided to unveil the secrets and lift curtain from the mysterious world of magic. My name is Yousaf Jamal Shah and this is my story.

It was the summer of 1942. His Royal Highness had liked me a lot. I was still very young but had gained extraordinary height. My father was a short man and so was my mother. My exceptional physical features and fair complexion with golden hair spoke of many stories, few of which I heard from other servants during my three years stay in the Noor Mahal. My mother had served in the royal palace before my birth. It was here that she conceived me.  She was deported back to village to get rid of me but she decided against it. She was forbidden to return to palace. It did not matter to me much as our customs and traditions accepted such mal practices. It was as such considered an honor for a woman to serve her master in any way he pleases. I was nevertheless resented a lot by other servants due to the privileges I enjoyed at the royal palace. I had access to every part of the state and had a special place to stay. I was only short of being formally declared as part of the large royal family. His Highness had accepted me and proffered me a kind treatment. After two years of hectic grooming, I was deputed as a personal aide to His Highness Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi. I was only 14 years of age then but had a body of a fully grown man. My mental intellect was exceptional too. His Highness had recognized the same since my landing in the palace and had asked the royal tutor to teach me English and Mathematics. In only two years, I outperformed the other children studying from him for the past ten years. I was also taught weapon handling and firing. Sword and knife skills were also part of the royal syllabi. After two years of rigorous training, I was put to test. I passed out with flying colors and was henceforth assigned to the personal security detail of the Nawab. Duties read out to me by the detail in-charge were mostly of administrative nature but soon His Highness started giving me his personal errands. It opened up new doors to my vision. I was captivated with the aura and riddles of the new world. I was most intrigued by the marvels of magic. It started a new phase in my life and pursuing the new unseen world sent me out on a journey of mystique, secrecy and enigma.

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I was trying to sleep when Akbar came running into my room. My door was open. I never locked my door as His Highness often needed me at odd times of the day or night. In just eight months as his personal escort, Nawab Sadiq had started trusting me more than his real sons. I was often given tasks which no one even knew about. One morning, I was woken up by Akbar who was now shaking my shoulder violently:

“Get up Yousaf Shah, get up, get up”

I was dead tired from last day’s activities. Nawab Sadiq had sent me to a village in Cholistan desert which took me exactly eight hours of camel ride while going and eight hours of coming back. In the village I met with an old man named Nazir Bux. I gave him the message of His Highness. It was a very simple message. Nawab sab had told me in a very discreet tone while sending everyone out of the room. When the room was empty, he looked at me and said in English:

“Yousaf Shah, you are my most trusted man.”

“It is my honor, Sir.” I replied back with utmost respect while bowing down my head.

His Highness got up from his chair, came close to me and picked my chin up with his right hand. He would often talk to me in English especially when he had something confidential to tell me. While looking directly in my eyes, he said:

“Take my best camel and go to Garhi Allahyar. Find a man there with the name of Nazir Bux and tell him that the time has come.”

I nodded my head and kept standing there as waiting for his next order. He then put his hand on my shoulder and said:

“Go now. Any time you waste here will increase in my sufferings.”

I immediately turned around and headed to the stable. I selected the best camel. Took some food and water and departed in next half hour. I made my first stop four hours later where I fed my camel and then proceeded straight to my destination. It was about sunset when I reached Garhi Allahyar. Finding Nazir Bux was easy. The first person I asked guided me to a nearby clump of trees. When I reached there, the sun was setting but there was still the fading light. I could see a wooded hut in between two trees. I also saw some very old graves around there which sent chills through me. I was strong and brave but still had a mind of fifteen years old boy. A mystified stink was spread all around as well. I started having some very bad feelings but I had to complete my task. I got down from my camel after making it sit on ground. Carefully, I proceeded to the hut whose door got open as I reached near it. I froze. My breath got stuck in my chest. Taking few seconds to normalize, I announced:

“I am here to meet Nazir Bux.”

After some freaky silent moments, a trembling voice came from inside:

“Who sent you here?”

“Nawab Sadiq of Bahawalpur sent me.” I replied in a shaky voice.

Before I finished my sentence, a creepy person appeared before me. I was now really terrified. Nose on his face was extra-long. His eyes were so small that I could hardly see them. Rest of his face was covered with wrinkles. I so wanted to ask him his age which I guessed to be more than 100 years. The sun had now set and there was hardly any light. As I was still gathering myself, he asked in an icy tone:

“Do you have any message for me?”

I was now a little bit focused on the task at hand. Instead of replying, I asked him:

“Are you Nazir Bux?”

Without saying anything, he turned back and started to go inside the dark hut. He looked very old but was walking with a straight back.

“Time has come.” I said immediately after realizing that I may have to go inside.

He stopped, turned his head back full 180 degrees without turning his torso. In the dim dying light of the sun, I saw his stony red eyes. My vision got blurred. I suddenly had a feeling of weightlessness. I could feel my head spinning and teeth crackling. He had started walking again away from me. His head was still turned backwards with his eyes fixated on me. He entered in the hut and the door got shut behind him. I kept standing there thinking for a while as to what all had just happened. After many moments of bizarre emotional rollercoaster, I returned to my senses. It was dark now. Silhouettes of graves and howling sounds of dogs with a spooky creature in a hut in front of me, was spine chilling. I was sure that anybody else at this spot right now would have collapsed. I was not anybody else. I was destined to do greater things in life. I had a strong heart and a resilient soul. I waited for a while and then thought of knocking on the door. My sixth sense stopped me and I turned back to my camel. I had conveyed the message and now it was time to return.

I travelled all night and reached back in Noor Mahal at dawn. I knew His Highness would be sleeping so I went straight to my designated room in the palace. Despite my best efforts, I could not get those red eyes out of my head. It was sometime after the sunrise, when I fell asleep and started dreaming about the same freakish creature that I had met last night, I felt my body getting jolted badly. It was Akbar making a desperate attempt to wake me up. Without opening my eyes, I turned to other side and asked in a very painful voice:

“What is the matter Akbar. I just returned from a long journey.”

While still shaking my shoulder, he said in a bitter tone:

“Nawab sb told me to wake you up. He is standing here with me.”

I jumped up from my bed. There was enough light in my room to see His Highness Nawab Sadiq Muhammad standing in the far corner of my elongated room. I immediately stood up straight then bowed forward and said sheepishly:

“I am sorry Your Highness, I thought you would be taking rest. That is why I did not bother you after my return.”

I then lifted my head up. Nawab sab while still standing there moved few fingers and Akbar disappeared from the room. Nawab sab then looked at me and said in a swift tenor:

“Close the door and tell me everything.”

I hurriedly walked up to the door, closed it and turned back. Nawab sb was still standing in the same corner. I went close to him and narrated the complete story of my meeting with the strange creature and giving him the message. I also confessed of not entering in his hut as I was too scared to go after him. At the end, I said:

“I don’t even know for sure whether he was Nazir Bux or not…!”

“He couldn’t be anybody else. He was Nazir Bux for sure. I am only worried that why he has not yet responded to my message.”

At that particular moment, I spotted a shadow in the window which was right behind Nawab sab. All I saw was a long nose and red eyes. I was quick to point:

“He is here sir. I just saw him in the window.”

Nawab Sadiq turned back but he had gone till then. His Highness then did not waste a second more. He started fast pacing towards the door. Before going out, he said:

“Talk this to nobody. You take rest now. I will need you tonight with full strength of your body and mind.”    

I bowed down again and when I picked my head up, His Highness was gone. I left the door ajar and went back to my bed wondering about my next adventure. I felt a bit scared but I was too tired to worry about anything. It did not take me long to sleep.

(End of Part-1)

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Black Magic – Part 2

I woke up from my sleep in the afternoon. All my tiredness was gone but I was feeling too hungry. I came out of my room and headed to the kitchen. There were few servants making the evening meal. I asked them for anything to eat and they point me to a shelf which was still full from lunch leftovers. I sat at the same place and filled my stomach. I was getting ready for what was to come at night. I drank some juice and was poking around for some other good stuff. Kitchen staff knew about my unwritten status in the palace so they never bothered me much. I got a little surprised when the head chef said:

“We have a special meal to prepare for tonight. I would like you to leave the kitchen now so that we can do our work freely.”

I looked at him puzzlingly but said nothing. I walked out of the kitchen door and headed to the back garden. The sun was still up. I had not yet been summoned.  I went to the garden just to spend some time. It was there that I spotted Nazir Bux again. He saw me and then quickly went behind a big tree. I walked up to that place and as expected found nothing. While I was roaming around, I saw three dwarfs going towards the same tree. I followed them. They also disappeared behind the same tree. I searched for a secret door or some hidden entrance but could not find any. In the meantime, I saw Akbar coming towards me. From the distance, he signaled me to come to him. He was an old man. He had spent his whole life serving the Nawabs. I started walking towards him. As I reached nearer, he said angrily:

“You know I hate you Yousaf Shah.”

“And why is that…?” I asked in a naughty tone. I knew he did not mean what he said. His tone was changed now:

“My only errand left in the palace now is to keep searching for you.”

I asked surprisingly as I knew Nawab Sadiq is fond of afternoon nap:

“Who has asked for me at this time of the day?”

He came close to me and said in an inaudible voice:

“Begum Khair un Nisa is looking for you.”

Begum Nisa was the youngest wife of Nawab and I was strictly instructed by His Highness to remain away from her. She was about 25 years of age and was known for getting what she wanted. I had just one encounter with her which came into the notice of His Highness. It was the only time Nawab Sadiq talked to me a harsh tone. He told me in straight forward words to stay away from her or else I will lose my head. I had heeded those words very seriously. I was called couple of times before also by Begum Nisa but I avoided both the times making some excuse. This time however, I saw her coming down the stairs of the palace and walking into the garden. I told Akbar to go away and I ran for my life towards the same tree where I had seen Nazir Bux and the dwarfs disappearing. As I reached back there, I saw a small door in the tree which I can swear was not there before. Not thinking of anything else, I pushed it. It got opened and stepped inside. I did not bother about the consequences as nothing could be worse than getting my head chopped off.

I closed the door behind me and to my surprise it disappeared. I took a sigh of relief because there was no chance of Begum Nisa following me through this door but I got a little worried too. I had entered into a small chamber which contained four doors on its four walls. There was sufficient light there to look around although I could not see any light source. It was beginning of a strange life into which I was entering. Nothing was in my control and that was what I had started desiring; to manipulate and govern this world. My interest in mystique was increasing with each passing moment. My thoughts had run back to the real world where I was in search of this enigmatic knowledge. I suddenly got jolted as I felt the ground under me shaking. I returned into my dream world and I had to make a decision. There were four doors in front of me. I casually walked to the first door on my right. I opened it and stepped inside. I was back into the same chamber or some chamber similar to the old one. It also had four doors. I tried every door one by one but every time I returned back to the same place. Now I was in a fix. I realized that a lot of time has passed and now His Highness would be looking for me. He had told me in the morning that he had some important task for me which I had to do tonight. Earlier I was relaxed that I got rid of the trouble but it looked like that I have landed in some bigger problem. I now started getting panicky. I had to do something in a jiffy. I started analyzing the scenario. I had opened all doors in the chambers and was always returned back to the same place. Suddenly, something flashed in my mind and a smile appeared on my face. The only thing which I had not done up till now was to step back into the door from which I had come before it gets closed. I took few steps forward, opened the door right in front of me, pushed the door and kept it open with one hand and stepped onto the other side. At the time when I could see the room in front that I turned back and stepped into the open door behind me. Now I found myself standing in a room with a big fire burning in its center. Across the fire place, I saw Nawab Sadiq standing with Nazir Bux and three dwarfs. All five persons were looking at me in amusement. Nawab Sadiq smiled and then started clapping. He then said in a joyful tone:

“Well done Yousaf. You have made me proud.”

I looked confusingly at him when he clarified:

“Nazir Bux do not like you much. Your encounter with him last night did not leave your good impression. He thinks that you do not possess an intellect to be my advisor and confidant. I told him otherwise. So we planned this test for you. Whatever you saw or happened after you entered in the garden was as per our script. This little test proved that you are worthy of the actual mission on which we intend to send you.”

I was standing quietly and listening to each and every word Nawab Sadiq was saying. I was fully understanding it. After Nawab Sadiq paused, I said in a calm voice:

“I am glad sir that I did not disappoint you. I am however wondering that what if I had not thought of the solution to the door puzzle?”

“Then you would have stayed there forever.” Nawab Sadiq smilingly said.

I was busy talking with High Highness when Nazir Bux and his three dwarfs had started preparing a soup. It was very disrespectful to look away from Nawab sab while he was talking but I could see from corner of my left eye as to what was happening at the fire place. After he finished talking, Nawab sab also walked up to the fire place and so did I. After about ten minutes of spooning and tasting, Nazir Bux turned to Nawab Sadiq and said:

“It is ready.” He then looked towards me and said in a stroppy tone:

“You must be careful. A single drop of this potion can turn a human into ashes.”

I was now sure that Nazir Bux was not some human as he tested this potion in front of my eyes and nothing had happened to him. He got a small glass bottle from inner pocket of his shabby long coat and started filling it with the potion. In the meantime, Nawab Sadiq put his hand on my shoulder and said:

“Yousaf, my empire is facing a grave danger. We are expecting an attack from a terrifying creature who intends to kill me and destroy this palace. The ensuing conflict between us will result in death of hundreds of my soldiers and I will also get killed too. Luckily I know who my enemy is and where he lives. All you have to do is to put few drops of this potion in human blood and feed it to him.”

Some wrinkles appeared on my forehead as it was a little confusing. If someone poses His Highness a life threat, which might have been revealed to him by some spy or fortune teller then why not get him arrested or get him killed through anybody else. Why use some sorcerer to make a dreadful potion and then send me to do this job? I was thinking of this stuff and it looked like Nawab Sadiq read my mind as he said in a very worry some voice:

“He is not just a common man. He is a direct descendant of a special line of blood. He has been transformed into blood thirsty beast like his father.”

Nawab Sadiq stopped to take a breath and I popped up a question:

“Your Highness, why this creature would try to destroy you?”

Nawab Sadiq looked at me and said:

“Because, I killed his father some thirty years ago.”

Looking in air, Nawab Sadiq continued:

“His father lived in my state in a far flung village. I got reports that he drinks human blood and can’t live without it. People were too afraid of him. So I sent my soldiers who arrested him and brought him here to my court. He confessed his illness and I ordered his execution. Later I learnt that he had a pregnant wife who disappeared after his arrest. My spies kept searching for her and just a few weeks back, they learnt that after the execution of her husband, she went to Ajmer Sharif which is about 500 miles from here. She feared for her son’s life too. She remained hidden there till a baby boy was born. The baby was not normal. He had some mental defect. She named him Ghulam Mustafa and gave him to durbar attendants. She did not survive long. Just few months after the birth of her baby, she expired. The person who had taken her to Ajmer Sharif was her own father. He returned back to village after her death but never talked about it till his own days came to an end. He also died few months back at the age of 85. In his last days, he revealed the untold story of her daughter to some villagers. This was how my spies found out about his daughter and her son.”

Nawab sab took a long pause after narrating the whole story. I could not stop myself from popping up another question:

“Your highness, why do you need a special potion to kill him? Any one of your brave soldiers can do this simple job with the sword.”

Nawab Sadiq looked at me worryingly and said in a cold voice:

“I sent five soldiers for this simple task. Only one of them returned two days ago and told me that Ghulam Hussain has turned into some kind of monster. The soldiers found him in an isolated hut near the shrine and attacked him at night. No sword could penetrate his body. He killed four soldiers with his bare hands and drank their blood. He sent back the fifth soldier with a message for me.”

“What was the message, your highness?”

“The message was to tell me that he is coming. He also said that he has some unfinished business there otherwise he would have drunk my blood a long time ago.”

(End of Part 2)

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Black Magic – Part 3

Nawab sab continued after taking a deep breath:

“It was then that I decided to send you to fetch Nazir Bux. He was the one who actually executed Ghulam Mustafa’s father because none of my soldiers dared to go close to him despite he was heavily chained. His body had also become resistant to any normal weapon. It was Nazir Bux who made this potion some thirty years ago as well and we fed it to the monster after mixing it in human blood.”

I listened quietly and did not interrupt Nawab sab:

“Nazir Bux had predicted that Ghulam Mustafa will come to take revenge of his father. We did not know his name but we knew the monster had a wife who disappeared soon after his execution. Nazir Bux through his knowledge also found out that the monster’s wife had delivered a son who will come to haunt us. She was keeping her son at a place which could not be traced by any magic. Many fortune tellers also tried but could not find out his whereabouts. But we waited for him and prepared for him for a long time, and when he did not come then Nazir Bux went away to the desert and I stayed back. We assumed that the son might have also been executed by some other ruler. It was only recently we learnt that he is alive and that he is coming for us.”                                      

Nawab sab glanced at me like a scared baby. Our eyes met and I started looking down. He walked up to me and said in a shivering voice:

“Yousaf Shah, only you can kill him. I have full faith in you. You have the requisite abilities, skills and intelligence to do this kind of work. I will owe you my life.”

I looked up at my master. We had served his family for four generations. It was my duty and obligation to fulfill all his commands. But this time he was not giving me orders. It sounded more like a request from a person who knew his death is near. I got myself mentally ready for it:

“Your highness, I will go and I will kill that beast. Only one thing I ask in return is my freedom after I finish my job.”

Nawab sab stepped forward and hugged me. He whispered in my ear:

“You are free to go even now. You can take all what you need and leave in the morning. I will not hold your father responsible for your actions. I will not even ask you where you are heading?”

I had different plans. I did not want to betray him. I had too much at stake. In the morning, I first went to meet my father then I proceeded to my village where I spent complete one day with my mother. On the third day after leaving Noor Mahal, I sat in the lorry which took me from Bahawalpur to Fazilka. It was an eight hour journey which jolted every part of my body. I was young but it was my first experience of travelling by bus. The diesel fumes, dust and a bumpy ride was enough to tire me beyond my expectations. I had a good night sleep in a local sarai. Fazilka is presently in Indian Punjab. Before partition, there was no international border so I only had to change two buses to reach there. There was a vast majority of Muslim population in the town and I had no difficulty in mixing up with the people. Before my departure from Bahawalpur, Nawab Sadiq gave me sufficient money and also arranged my meeting with the surviving soldier who had brought back the message from Ghulam Mustafa. Nawab Sadiq was keeping him under guard at an isolated place in the palace. Nawab Sadiq feared that the soldier may tell the story to other people and it will then spread like a wild fire, and create panic and disorder in his state. The surviving soldier told me the easy way to reach Ajmer Sharif was to get into a train from Fazilka. It will take me straight to Jaipur and then it was only 3 hours bus ride to Ajmer from there. He also told me the location of Ghulam Mustafa. He was living alone in a house behind the shrine. Everybody around there knows him and respects him for the powers he holds. Ghulam Mustafa is maintaining a good name at that place. Local people are unaware of his lust for blood. He has attained some supernatural powers and people believe him to be some kind of saint. He keeps helping people and has thus earned a good repute. He is however keeping two servants who stay with him during day time only. The same servants also go to far flung places and bring back mentally disturbed or lonely people for him. The surviving soldier wanted to tell me more but Nawab Sadiq called off the meeting. He brought me up from the dungeon and said:

“Every time I meet him, he tells me a different story. He has lost his mind.”

I did not care much now as I was already on my journey. I had reached Fazilka and next morning I went to railway station and got a seat reserved for me in the first class compartment. The train had to leave next day at 9 am. I had another day to spend at an unknown place. Last night I was tired and therefore I slept like a baby. I was now fresh so I decided to explore the town. I ordered a breakfast at a small hotel of the railway station. During chit chat with the waiter who belonged to a neighboring village, I found out that there is a famous shrine near the old bridge of river Sutlaj. Pir baba of the shrine was known for his mysterious powers. I decided to go there. It turned out to be totally against the estimated distance and time explained by the waiter. There was no local transport available so I took a tanga ride and then had to walk for about one hour. I reached there at about 2 pm. I was standing at the bank of river Sutlaj which was presenting a magnificent view. I crossed the old bridge on foot and walked into a tree clump which was mostly covered with flags of different colors. There was an unusual strong smell, some of which I could recognize as that of cheap narcotics. As I entered the trees, I saw some two dozen people with long beards and dirty dresses busy in smoking hash and lying around looking into air. I however immediately spotted one person who was sitting outside a big mud room adjacent to a cluster of unmarked graves. I walked up to the graves and said some prayers. The shrine guard sitting outside the mud room was having a constant watch on me. I could see his eyes following me everywhere. After spending sometime at graves, I pretended to be going out of the area. The shrine guard suddenly, got up and told me that Pir Baba wants to meet me. I had no plans of going away but I did not want to give an impression that I came here with some purpose. I hesitantly walked back with the guard who opened the door and waited for me to enter the mud room. As I stepped into the mud room, I felt like to have entered into another world. It was the same room but heavily decorated and made very comfortable. Guard told me sit on a stool placed at one side and then went out and closed the door. My eyes were not yet familiar with darkness but suddenly got brightened again with a flash. I saw someone entering in the room from the side wall which had apparently no door. I was mesmerized with the appearance of the Pir Baba. He had probably spotted me much before entering the clump and was prepared to rob me. I may have seen some unexplainable things in the past few days but I was not any illiterate villager. The high class tutoring provided to me at Noor Mahal was good enough to make me understand the difference between fake and real. Pir baba which I was witnessing at that moment was a nothing more than a sham. I however kept my cool as the baba spoke in a heavy voice:

“You don’t belong to this place. Your fate has brought you here.”

I stopped my laughter and remained silent as he continued revealing obvious mysteries about me:

“You have a long journey ahead. You will come across many hurdles in your quest. I can see you getting into a sea of troubles. You are not prepared for what is to come. You need help.”                                           

As I was about to get up and leave, he said something which froze me:

“He will take his revenge. You can do nothing about it.”

I sat down on the same stool. He now had my full attention. I was waiting for him to say something more but he was now quiet. He was wearing a long green shirt which had many red patches on it. He was sitting on a comfortable seat, holding a wooden cane and looking into air. There was very less light in the room. The smoke which was coming from outside had made the vision murky. After a short while, I got up from my seat again and spoke for the very first time:

“Whom are you talking about?”

Pir Baba now turned his head towards me. He spoke again with his eye balls rolled upwards:

“You have a noble blood in your veins. He can’t touch you but it’s not your war.”

I could only see white portion of his eyes. I suddenly wanted to ask many more questions but the smoke started filling in the room. It was getting difficult to breath. Visibility became zero. I started choking and the room door got slammed open. The guard outside had probably realized that something was wrong. He came in and dragged both of us out of the room. I was still in my senses but the Pir Baba seemed to have lost his consciousness. The guard was getting panicky. While shaking Pir Baba’s shoulders, he looked towards me with frightened eyes and said in a freaking voice:

“Go away, you monster. What have you done to our Pir Baba. Go away, go away.”

He started signaling with his hand as he had also started choking. The drug addicts who were lying in the court yard started gathering around Pir Baba. Realizing that I may get into some trouble, I very quietly exited the place. I did not know who that Pir Baba was and how did he know about my journey? I knew that initial things he said to me were true to most people but the things he said later were astounding. I was flabbergasted. I could not do anything now. Going back there was dangerous. I had to catch a train in the morning and right now I had to reach back to my sarai where I was spending my night. I went across the river and while standing at the far bank, I looked back. The whole clump was now covered in smoke. There was no sign of fire yet the white smoke was rising up like a balloon. There were some villagers working in the fields. They also gathered and started looking at the scene. They all started reciting holy verses and then within minutes they collected their tools and emptied the fields. There was no use of standing there and looking at the rising smoke. I should either go and help the people in the clump shrine or return back to Fazilka. I thought for a while and then decided to continue my journey. This could be a planned distraction by Ghulam Mustafa who must have seen me coming. He was a powerful beast now and I had to kill him.                              

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Black Magic – Part 4

Recap: I was born in 1930 in the beautiful city of Bahawalpur. My family served the Nawabs and I was also trained and groomed in the royal palace. I was personally assigned a task by Nawab Sadiq to assassinate a vampire. I was given a deadly potion by Nazir Bux who was a wizard. I thus began a journey of my life which introduced me to many supernatural experiences. The task at hand was grave and dangerous but I was fully prepared for it.  

Now: What happened at Pir Baba ziarat in Fazilka was not a coincidence. I knew Ghulam Mustafa had something to do with it. It was not just a hunch but what Pir Baba told me before suffocating in the white fumes was alarming at one end but was quite satisfying at the other. At least now I knew that Ghulam Mustafa was aware about me and it made me more cautious. Pir Baba also told me that Ghulam Mustafa will be unable to hurt me due to some freaking reason. It was the only thing which was keeping me focused on the task. Otherwise what I had witnessed at the Pir Baba ziarat was good enough to spoke me and distract me. I reached back at my sarai at 8 pm and consumed my dinner. I went to sleep early as I had a train to catch next morning.

My train was to leave Fazilka railway station at 9 am and I was there in my first class compartment at 8.30. It was now 10 am and we were still standing at the station. I was seated in a coupe of four. Three other people sitting there were in fact a small family comprising of a middle aged couple and their young daughter who was almost my age. The man sat with me and the lady and her daughter got settled on the seat opposite to us. It was a small sleeper compartment, which contained two elongated bed shaped seats attached with the floor and there were two sleeping seats above them. It felt very awkward to me when the ticket checker came and the lady asked him to move me to some other compartment. She requested him to adjust some woman here. The ticket checker told her that there is no woman traveling alone on this train who could be adjusted with them. He then put a hand on my shoulder and said that he is just a boy. The ticker checker also told them that during the journey, if they get any problem from me then I will be derailed right there and then. The couple got satisfied and I was hence accepted by the family in their coupe.

I was attributing the reason of delay to Ghulam Mustafa when I felt the train moving. There was lot of pandemonium outside the window. Suddenly lots of people were trying to get on the train and few were trying to get down. Anyhow, it got settled in few minutes. As the train gained speed, the man told me to shut down the window.  I was sitting on the window side. I slid down the shutter. Window glass was so dirty and scratched that it was not possible to see anything outside. Now I had nothing to do. I took a look inside. All three of them were gazing at me. I felt very uncomfortable but probably they were nervous too. After some idle moments which seemed very long, I turned towards the man and introduced myself. He was very relieved to learn that I was a Muslim. I told him that I was going to Ajmer Sharif and was surprised to learn that they were going there too. The man was a school teacher. The couple only had one daughter and they were now going to the holy shrine to pray and ask for a son. A little while later, we mixed up well and were chatting like one family. I was indeed missing my mother whom I had left behind. I was keeping myself very reserved as I knew that any bad move on my part may get me off this train but I was having a feeling that the girl whose name was Shahzadi, was taking too much interest in me. I was avoiding direct eye contact with her but whenever I looked up I found her staring at me. After sometime, they took out homemade parathas with achar and also gave me one. I had never liked achar in my whole life so I ate the paratha, drank some water and then went on the seat above to take some rest. Within minutes, I was sleeping.

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It was probably afternoon when I got up and looked around. The train was moving at fast speed. The woman was sleeping on seat directly under me. On the opposing side, the man was sleeping on the upper seat and his daughter was sleeping on the seat below him. It looked like a perfect arrangement. Even while lying down, I could see Shahzadi. The man was facing on the other side so I started staring at her. She looked like a sleeping angel. Her hair was covering half of her face. The sheet over her had slipped down from her body and I was mesmerized to see such a pure beauty. I started thinking that why do this couple need a boy when they were blessed with this gift from the Creator. I was deep in my thoughts when suddenly I felt a need to go to washroom. I carefully got down and opened the door and went out in the corridor. There was no washroom in the coupe so I had to go to the common washroom which I had already once visited before start of the train. I came back to the compartment and closed the door. All three of them were still sleeping in the same position as I had seen them when I woke up. Something did not seem normal. Again Ghulam Mustafa came to my mind but I shuddered off my wild thoughts. There was no place to sit on lower seats so I climbed back to my seat on upper portion. I had to behave like a gentleman too or else I would be dropped off the train. I recalled the ticket checker’s remarks. So I closed my eyes and tried to sleep again but in vain. It was on that train where I learnt that the time does not pass when you have nothing to do. Next one hour seemed like an eternity. I suddenly felt relaxed when the train started slowing down and stopped at some station. It was now late afternoon and the sun was about to set. I got down slowly and went outside. I bought some eatables and hurriedly climbed back the train as it had started moving. I came back to my compartment and the family was still sleeping in the same position. It was now weird.

I put the food on my place and decided to wake up the man who was sleeping on the upper seat. I was tall enough to see him directly while standing on floor of the train. He was facing away from me so I shook his shoulder slightly. Nothing happened. Then I shook it with some jerk and the man’s body took a turn and fell towards me. I held him up with both hands. His head was inches away from me and I could see his lifeless open eyes. A cold shock wave travelled down my spine. I knew something was wrong all along. I adjusted the man on above seat as he was there before. I then checked the woman, she was dead too. The daughter was however still breathing. I checked her pulse and she was alive but unconscious. Ghulam Mustafa came into my mind again. I was sure he was trying to delay me for as long as possible. He was doing his best to entangle me but I was getting determined. I checked the compartment door and it was locked. I thought of escaping the scene as I knew I would be held responsible for these murders and put behind bar or even hanged without any proper investigation. I was about to get out of the door when I looked behind at the sleeping beauty. The yellow sun light sparkling on her face was creating a hypnotic illusion.

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It was early next morning when Shahzadi opened her eyes and looked at me with a strange expression on her face. She turned her head around and put her hand on her forehead as trying to remember anything. I was alone with her in that small room. I had gotten her out of that train when it stopped at a station after midnight. I covered her with a sheet and picked her up on my shoulders. There was nobody in the corridor so I walked up to the exit door and opened it. We were standing at a relatively darker place. I walked down on the platform and disappeared in a corner. She was light as a feather and walking with her full weight on my shoulders was not very difficult. In the background I heard the train whistle as it went away. I was now standing in middle of a dark street with an unconscious girl on my shoulders whose parents had been murdered by a lunatic sitting some 500 miles away. I guessed he must have poisoned their food. The poison did not work on me but that poor couple died for no fault of their own. Now I considered it my duty to save her and give her some respectable life. But first I had to bring her back to senses and then tell her as to what had happened. As I was still standing there, I noticed someone coming out of the nearby mosque. There was enough star light to see around and he had seen me standing there carrying something on my shoulders. He started walking towards me. I got careful but had to get help. He came close and said:

“Who are you and what are you doing here?”

I replied back in a very somber voice:

“I was travelling in the train. My wife is very sick and we need help.”

He paused for a while and then said:

“Follow me. I will take you to a Hakeem.”

I started going behind him. While walking ahead, he muttered:

“He will kill me for waking him up at this time but I am sure he will treat your wife. He is my friend and a very good human being.”

I said nothing and kept following him. After walking for about few minutes, he started knocking on the door of the last house on that street. The door got opened after a while and an old man appeared carrying a lantern in his hand. As he saw the person who was knocking, he said angrily:

“I told you Zafar Khan, I don’t pray at night. Get lost from here.”

He had not seen me yet. I was standing right behind the man who had brought us there. His name was Zafar Khan. As the Hakeem sab was about to close his door, Zafar Khan said:

“Listen, don’t close the door. I am not here to take you to mosque.”

“Then why did you wake me up in middle of the night?”

Zafar Khan replied:

“I have brought you a patient.” And then he stepped aside.

Hakeem now saw me carrying someone on my shoulder. He immediately gave me way in his house and without asking any question took us to his room. I dropped Shahzadi on the only bed in the room. I told Hakeem sb that we consumed food at previous railway station and then she got unconscious. Hakeem sb started treating her without any further inquiry. Zafar Khan who brought us there left soon after and I spent rest of the night praying for the life of Shahzadi.

(End of Part-4)        

Black Magic – Part 5

Recap: I was born in 1930 in the beautiful city of Bahawalpur. My family served the Nawabs and I was also trained and groomed in the royal palace. I was personally assigned a task by Nawab Sadiq to assassinate a vampire. I was given a deadly potion by Nazir Bux who was a wizard. I thus began a journey of my life which introduced me to many supernatural experiences.  

--------------------------

Now: “Where am I? Where are my parents? What happened to me?”

Shahzadi had regained consciousness and was asking some very genuine questions. She was still very weak and could not get up from the bed. She had recognized me as I had accompanied her in the train from Fazilka. I was however not willing to tell her as to what had exactly happened. So I quickly thought of a story:

“Our train met an accident.”

She looked a lot worried now. In her trembling faint voice she asked again:

“Where are my parents? Where am I?”

I remained quiet and she asked another barrage of questions:

“Our train met accident! When, where….what sort of accident?”

In the meanwhile, Hakeem entered the room. She looked at him and tried to get up. Hakeem told her to keep lying and take rest. Shahzadi now started crying. Hakeem looked at me suspiciously and signaled me to come out. We both walked out of the room and reached in the courtyard. It was early morning and weather was very pleasant. I looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. I had not slept for the whole night and was feeling very tired. Hakeem interrupted my thoughts:

“Who is she and where did you kidnap her from?”

Hakeem was an intelligent person. He had inferred correctly that she is not my wife. As for now, I badly needed a place to stay and some moral support, so I decided to tell him the complete story. I started by saying:

“She is not my wife.” I paused, and Hakeem held my hand and took me to a small kitchen. I told him to lock the door of the room where Shahzadi was lying. He went out and then came back saying that he has locked the door. We both sat on the small stools. He put some wood in the stove and then ignited the light. Dry wood immediately caught fire. Hakeem then placed a pot on the stove and put some water in it. He added some tea leaves, sugar and milk in the water and then looked towards me. With wrinkles on his forehead, he said:

“You are very young man. What made you kidnap her?”

I said promptly:

“I did not kidnap her.”

He looked at me unbelievingly and said:

“Then what happened? Tell me the truth.”

I rested my back on the wall as it had now started hurting. I had carried Shahzadi from railway station to this place. She did not weight much but I was feeling the pain now. I straightened my back and with a heavy voice said:

“I belong to Bahawalpur and serve the Nawab. I am going on a special task to Ajmer Sharif. I sat in the train from Fazilka. I was adjusted in a four seat compartment. This girl and her parents were my companions in the train. During the journey, the girl and her parents ate something and got unconscious. I realized it very late but by then the girl’s parents had died. She was also breathing very slowly. I did not know what to do. On one stop, I picked up the girl and came out of the station to find some medical help. This is how I reached to your house.”

Hakeem seemed unconvinced on my story. He filled my cup with the tea and said in a very serious tone:

“If relatives of this girl found out that she is here then they will burn my house.”

I replied: “Just relax. I can swear that I did not kidnap her. I have told you the truth.”

Hakeem said instantly:

“If you are telling the truth then tell me the whole truth.”

I took few quick sips from the cup. Tea had a good flavor. It relaxed my mind a bit. Hakeem sounded like a kind man. He was of my father’s age. He had a small beard with greying hair. I thought for a while and then decided to confide with him. I was though apprehensive that he may also become a target of Ghulam Mustafa but I needed to keep Shahzadi at some place safe. I could not take her with me to Ajmer Sharif neither could leave her anywhere else. So I told the whole truth to Hakeem. It was only when I ended my story that I realized that there is someone standing at my back in the kitchen window. I hurriedly went out of the kitchen door and found Shahzadi standing there. I looked towards the room door which was wide open. Hakeem also came out of the kitchen. He had provided a good chance to Shahzadi to escape from this place. She might have been on her way out when she probably heard me narrating my story and decided to stop and know as to what had actually happened. After hearing my whole story, she was still there. I was standing in front of her with my head bent down. She was standing in front of me with her swollen eyes. I could no longer see in them and whispered in a painful voice:

“I am your culprit. Your parents are dead because of me. I will take you wherever you will ask me to go and then will remain your servant forever. But I need to do one last task of my present master. Please stay here for few days. I promise you that I will come back and put myself at your disposal.”

I was waiting for her to say anything but instead she walked back in the house. She went into the same room and closed the door. I looked at Hakeem. He seemed a little furious:

“Why did you just think that I will keep your girl here?”

I looked in his eyes and said:

“Because you are a good man.”

A broad smile came on his face and he said:

“You have been groomed thoroughly in the palace. You know how to win the hearts.”

I smiled back at him and then we hugged each other.

Train from Fazilka to Jaipur went only once a week. I had to spend 6 days in Hakeem’s house to wait for the next train to pass from there. During these six days and seven nights, Shahzadi became first love of my life. She reconciled with what had happened to her parents. She called it the fate. She never wanted to go back to her village and insisted on going with me to Ajmer Sharif. I was not willing to take that risk. I was not even sure of my return. I had discussed it with Hakeem and he told me not to worry. He promised me that he will take care of her. She could not stay with him so he had shifted her to his friend Zafar Khan’s house. Zafar Khan already had eight children. One addition did not make much difference to him.

In the meanwhile I had become good friend of Hakeem. I knew I could learn so many valuable things from him. He had a task for me too. Was it friendship or bare necessity? Time was going test it soon.

--------------------------------

Train reached Jaipur six hours late. In those days, it was usual for trains to be late so everyone seemed contended with that. No worthwhile activity took place between Hakeem’s village and this place. Moreover as a precaution, I had purchased a ticket of economy class which in those days used to be called as third class. I was surrounded by so many unfamiliar faces. I had also been changing bogies and mostly travelled sleeping on floor of the train like rest of the people.  It was seven in the evening when we finally reached Jaipur. It was a big railway station which was filled with some kind of stink. Everywhere I looked, I saw people, goats and chickens. Getting out of the small train door was a challenging task. There were so many people trying to get on the train. Anyway, the train had a halt of half an hour there so I did not panic and stood on a side waiting for the rush to settle down. Finally after about fifteen minutes of pandemonium, things got normal again. I walked out of the railway station and decided to stay the night at Jaipur. There was a line of hotels in front of the railway station offering rooms to stay. I went over to a small hotel after walking down the road for about hundred yards. The hotel was deserted. I sat down on a bench and asked for a cup of tea. I had a small bag with me which contained couple of my spare clothes. The room rent as I inquired from the waiter was less than what I expected. I still had plenty of money with me. I also asked from the waiter about the bus to Ajmer Sharif. He told me about the bus station which was not far away. He also told me that the first bus to Ajmer Sharif leaves in the morning at 6. Second bus follows at noon. I decided to travel in early morning bus and have plenty of time available to me before I do some action at night. I gave one rupee to the waiter and asked him to wake me up at 5 in the morning. It was probably more than his imagination. I saw his eyes sparkling with joy and gratitude. I went to sleep as soon as I lied down on the bed. It was quite hot so I had removed my shirt and put the money and the bottle of potion under my pillow. After a tiresome train journey, sleeping on the jute bed seemed like a luxury.

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It looked like a dream. Smoke was everywhere. It was hard to breathe. I woke up coughing really bad. It was dark and nothing was visible in the room. I first thought of the Pir Baba Ziarat. It felt like the same. I however quickly realized that I was not in Fazilka. I was in Jaipur and it was smoke all over again. Ghulam Mustafa was trying hard to keep me away from his nesting place. He was gaining power and probably needed some more time before he ventured out on his quest of revenge. I was his biggest obstacle. All these thoughts flashed in my mind. Crawling on my knees I opened the door. Suddenly a blaze of fire came in the room. I ducked down on my belly. The corridor outside my room and the stairway was burning. Things were pretty clear now. I went back into my room and closed the door behind me. I knew I had to do something real quick before fire enters in my room or the whole hotel gets collapsed. Smoke from underneath the door was filling in the room. The only window there was shut hard. Wooden planks were nailed over the broken window. Despite my best efforts, I could not pull them out.

My room door had caught fire and it was burning fast. Heat and smoke was making my thoughts hazy. I was about to accept it as my last resting place when I felt someone trying to break through the window. I dizzyingly walked towards the window and as I reached there I collapsed on ground. I opened my eyes after sometime and saw the same waiter bent over me and trying to wake me up. In his background, I could see the hotel turning into ashes. There were people trying to put out the fire. I suddenly remembered as to what had happened. I was alive but was left with nothing to kill the monster.                

(End of Part 5)

  

Black Magic – Part 6

Recap: I was born in 1930 in the beautiful city of Bahawalpur. My family served the Nawabs and I was also trained and groomed in the royal palace. I was personally assigned a task by Nawab Sadiq to assassinate a vampire. I was given a deadly potion by Nazir Bux who was a wizard. I thus began a journey of my life which introduced me to many supernatural experiences.  

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Now: Ghulam Mustafa was proving to be a lot stronger than I had anticipated. His powers were increasing with each passing day. His delaying tactics was succeeding. I was though able to get out of Pir Baba Ziarat and did not waste any time there but I lost a full week in the village of Hakeem where I had left Shahzadi. I was at Jaipur now and was deprived of everything I had. I also did not have any news about Nawab Sadiq. I knew one thing for sure that he banked heavily on me. His highness must be worried that I have not returned with good news. He did not know that I had not yet reached Ajmer Sharif. It was my act of kindness which saved me last night. I had tipped the waiter beyond his expectation. He lived nearby and seeing the hotel at fire, he came running and got my out of the room whose access was blocked with fire. He had got hold of a ladder from somewhere and broke the window. I was not in my senses completely and the smoke was choking my throat and eyes. I was not thinking straight otherwise I would have gotten my money and the bottle of deadly potion which I kept under my pillow before going to sleep. In just half an hour, the hotel was burnt to ashes. Amazingly, the fire was not spreading to adjacent hotels. I could now hear people saying that the person who was staying here must be cursed and should be sorted out before he causes more destruction. The waiter whose name was Shakoor quietly helped me walk out of there. He dragged me into a dark corner before I heard people shouting at each other to look for the stranger. Someone said out loud, “there he is.” I heard running footsteps coming closer to us and I lost consciousness again.

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“He is regaining consciousness.”

I heard a sweet melodious voice. I thought for a while that I have reached to other side of the world. Then I heard the familiar voice of Shakoor:

“Saman, get away from him. He may be dangerous.”

I opened my eyes and there I saw the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life. Pallid skin, high arched brows, long thick lashes. She was bent over me and I could see myself in her clear blue eyes. A small streak of her golden hair had fallen down on my face. That was what had probably woken me up. She smelled like jasmine. I had forgotten to blink and breathe. Time had frozen. I did not want the spell to break. I just wished to spend my entire lifetime in that moment. I felt my heart ache with inexpressible emotion. I unsealed my parched lips and she put her finger on them. The icy cold touch made my burning body shiver. She smiled and disappeared. I was left astounding. The next thing I saw was the face of Shakoor. That was an anticlimax of a beautiful dream. Shakoor put his hand on my forehead and said:

“You are burning with fever. I don’t have any medicine at home.”

I, on the other hand was feeling tired but nothing more than that. I sat up and looked around. It was a small house. I was lying on a charpoy placed in the veranda. I saw the same beautiful creature standing behind the curtain hung over the door of the only room in the house. I turned to Shakoor and said:

“I am alright. I will leave immediately. “

Shakoor simply ignored me. He turned his head back and said:

“Saman, make some tea for our guest.”

He then looked at me:

“You will stay here till you fully recover. Saman is my sister and she will take good care of you.”

Saman was now walking towards the small kitchen which was hardly ten paces from the room but she took an eternity to reach there. Sound of her anklets was creating musical tones unknown to human ears. The whole house was filled with some kind of fragrance. Smoke had affected my brain. I was now hallucinating. I shook my head and gazed at Shakoor. I said in a straight voice:

“Brother, you saved my life. You have already done enough. Those people were right. I may be cursed. You should stay away from me.”

Shakoor looked in my eyes and said:

“I don’t believe in such stuff. You did a kind thing to me last night. Me and my sister had not eaten anything decent for so long. Both our parents died in last year’s flood. I used to work with my father in his shop which also got washed away. Since then I started working in this hotel where I only get paid in the form of leftovers at night. I bring the same discarded food to my home which I eat with my sister at night and save some for next day. You were the first customer at our hotel who gave me tip. I was able to bring some good food to my home last night. We ate and prayed for your long life. I was about to sleep when I saw flames rising from the hotel where I worked. I suddenly realized that you were sleeping in the hotel room upstairs. There was nobody else in the hotel as the owner left early and had given me the keys. So I ran there and dragged you out of the burning room.”          

Shakoor was narrating as to what had happened last night and I was staring at the kitchen door. I was waiting anxiously for Saman to appear and start the paused music. Realizing my distraction, Shakoor said in a bit annoying tone:

“Saman, how much time do you need to make a simple cup of tea?”

I felt a little embarrassed. Looking at Shakoor, I said:

“I don’t want to cause any trouble to you people. I will have tea and then leave. I would request for some clothes for which I can’t pay right now but I promise I will come back some day and make it even.”

Before I could finish my sentence, I saw Saman come out of the kitchen holding a cup of tea in her hina bridled right hand. I was sitting on the charpoy. She came close and extended her hand towards me. I was once again lost in her presence. She broke the spell:

“Tea. Do you need some bread?”

I looked up at her while holding the cup. She was trying to clutch a shabby dopatta on head with her left hand. Our eyes met and an intriguing smile appeared on her ample lips. I was speechless. She was waiting for my answer.

 “Saman, go to your room and take out my other shalwar kameez”

Shakoor interrupted and I started taking quick sips of the tea. I was still wearing the same dress of last night. Shakoor had covered me with a shawl which I had put on my shoulders.   

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I didn’t have any money so traveling by bus was not an option. I went to the truck stand and found few trucks getting loaded with different stuff. I inquired about any truck going to Ajmer Sharif. I was pointed to a terribly shaped truck which did not even seem road worthy. I made my way to that truck and found a person sleeping on ground in the truck’s shadow.  I was hesitant to wake him up as he may get angry and refuse to take me along. So, I sat beside him and started waiting for him to wake up at his own. I was still feeling tired of last night’s ordeal and decided to lie down as well. I don’t know when I fell asleep but I woke up with the thundering noise of the truck which was getting ready to move. I hurriedly got up from ground and went to the driver’s side. I waved at the driver and he got his head out from the window. I explained to him that I needed to reach Ajmer Sharif and I did not have any money. I was willing to do any work for him if he takes me along. I don’t know whether he understood anything or not because the truck was making deafening noise. The driver told me with his hand to hop up. Gladly, I ran to the other side of cabin and climbed up the steps and entered the truck. The interior of truck was even worse than its exterior. It was a free ride so I had no right to complain. The smoke produced by the truck was making the whole area foggy. I could see people covering their faces and signaling the driver to get out of there. The driver looked at them with a broad smile and then with lots of efforts he put the truck in gear and it finally started moving. It was less of a ride and more of a torture but I had a task to complete. I took a good look at the driver who appeared to be in a much better shape than his truck. Right now, he was like an angel to me who was helping me reach to my destination.

Three hours road journey from Jaipur to Ajmer Sharif took us some eight hours in the truck. It was a bumpy ride with many halts. Everywhere the truck stopped due to some fault, I thought of Ghulam Mustafa. I was getting very apprehensive. I was now so close to him and was expecting some major activity from his side. Burning of the hotel was certainly an attempt to kill me and so was the poisoning in the train. What happened at Pir Baba Ziarat was not a mere coincidence either. He was doing his best or was he? I was considering myself lucky to have survived all these attempts. It was probably in my destiny to kill that beast. He knew it that I was getting close. Different thoughts were boggling my mind… “Why is he not toppling down this truck? Why not force it to collide with some tree or skid it to the canal? If he was so powerful then he could have done such supernatural acts but perhaps he was not. He was getting all those things done through his men on ground.” It was making sense now. After all, he was just another human being who drinks human blood. Rest all were stories. I was now getting relaxed as killing this monster may not require any magic potion. I started imagining that I can do this task with my bare hands. I was a little skeptic though. But I needed a perfect plan and I desperately needed self-assurance.

I made acquaintance with the truck driver whose name was Lal Din. He was a middle aged man who was trying his best to make his both ends meet. We reached Ajmer Sharif in the afternoon and I helped him in unloading of his truck. He had brought bags of food grains for a local whole sale dealer. After getting paid from the merchant, Lal Din walked up to me and gave me two rupees. I refused to take the money but he insisted and I had to accept it. It was at that point of time I learnt the biggest lesson of my life that your good deed returns back to you and it is always in two folds. For the first time ever I looked up to the sky and thanked the All Mighty and asked for His help. I needed it too. 

(End of Part-6)                  

Black Magic – Part 7

I had reached Ajmer Sharif. It was getting dark now and it was not safe to visit Ghulam Mustafa at this time. Moreover, I needed rest too. Before departing from the truck driver, I asked for directions to the shrine. Lal Din was not Muslim but I knew people from all faiths go to the shrine. He was well aware of the route. It was only about thirty minute walk from where we were parked. I decided to visit the shrine and find someplace to stay there instead of wasting the money at hotel for food and shelter. I said good bye to Lal Din and thanked him again for his help and support. He hugged me and told me to pray for him at the shrine.

I reached the shrine at about 7 pm. Sun had set and the shrine was crowded with all sorts of people. There were adequate arrangements of lights and I could see old, young, men and women of all castes and creed at one big court yard. I felt at home after a long journey. I found a place in one corner and sat there resting my back with the wall. There were few people sleeping there and many others were busy in saying prayers. I closed my eyes. Ghulam Mustafa was nearing his end. He was a monster and an evil for this world. He was not only a threat to Nawab Sadiq or his empire but he was a menace for mankind. I had to eliminate him now or he will become too powerful.

I don’t know when I fell asleep. I was woken up by someone shaking my shoulder. I opened my eyes and looked at the stranger with amusement. He was a funny kind of guy with irregular beard, wearing a green robe with yellow and red patches at multiple places. He was constantly moving up and down and producing inexplicable sounds. He was holding a thick wooden stick and was banging it on ground. As I woke up, he turned around and started marching to one direction. I kept watching him profoundly. He went some distance then stopped. He turned around, looked at me and made a hand gesture to follow him. I was a little confused. I thought:

“Should I go behind him or stay here?”

He stopped again, turned back and gestured me to follow him. This time I had made up my mind. I had a feeling that I will be safe as long as I stay in the shrine. I got up and started following him. He was continuously dancing up and down and going into one particular direction. There were too many people passing through the courtyard. It was difficult to see him from a distance so I started walking swiftly. After reaching at the Western end, he disappeared. I can swear that he was there right in front of me and then in next moment he got dissolved in thin air. I shook my head as I might have been hallucinating. I was still feeling very tired and hungry. There was some kind of smell in the area as well which was making my head spin. When I was about to turn back and go to my spot, someone touched my right arm. I turned my head to the right and saw this man with a long thin white beard. He was wearing a white turban and looked like some very respectable person. I was mesmerized for a moment. I wanted to say something but words got stuck in my throat. He was looking at me smilingly. He then asked:

“You must be Yousaf Jamal Shah!”

It was less of a question and more of a confirmation. Very few people knew my full name. He was certainly one of them. I opted to remain quiet. He then put his hand on my shoulder and said in an affirming voice:

“I am here to help you. You should trust me.”

He then started walking towards a dark corner away from the lighted courtyard. I inadvertently followed him. My mind was reasoning with me to stop but my feet were not in my control anymore. After reaching to a series of rooms, he entered into the first room and left the door open. I followed him. As I stepped in the room, I saw two more people sitting there. One of them was the same dancing faqir who had woken me up and the other person was a young strong man with a small black beard. There was sufficient light in the room to see their face expressions. Faqir had a big smile on his face but the young man clearly had an annoying expression. He was not happy to see me and he was not ashamed of expressing it too:

“I told you Rehman Baba, this man is a pure trouble.”

The old man who had guided me to this room sat down and said:

“Sit down Yousaf Shah. We are here on the same mission. Kamal Khan prefers to work alone that’s why he is not happy to see you.”

Pointing towards the faqir, Rehamn Baba said:

“His name is Hari Singh. He is a Sikh and a very capable illusionist. We have hired him to help us in killing the beast.”

I was still confused as to how did they know about me. Rehman Baba seemed to be some kind of wizard. He must have used his magic or his super natural powers to find out about me. I was in fact a little terrified from him. So the first question I popped up was the same:

“How do you know about me and my mission?”

This time all three started smiling. Rehman Baba looked at me and said:

“You should first eat and take rest.”

He then pointed towards the food which was already laid at the table placed between us. The smell of food was overwhelming. I forgot about my question which was not yet answered and held the plate of rice in my hand and finished it in five minutes. I drank a glass of water and felt my heart sinking. My eyes started getting heavy. The last thing I remember was Hari Singh jumping up and down again and producing silly voices.

--------------------------

I got up early next morning. I was in the same room where I had met Rehman Baba, Kamal Khan and Hari Singh. There were only two charpoys in the room on which me and Rehman Baba were lying. Kamal Khan and Hari Singh were sleeping on ground. I remembered the events of last night and how I was drugged. I suddenly felt threatened. I slowly rose from charpoy and tried to sneak out. The door was locked from inside. As I opened the door, quietly stepped outside and froze. My heart jumped into my throat. What I saw was unbelievable. I had just left Rehman Baba in the room sleeping and there he was now standing in front of me with a broad smile on his face. It was still early morning. I looked around in the courtyard of the shrine. Sun was about to rise but most of the people there were sleeping. Very few people were up and saying prayers. I looked at Rehman Baba. He was still standing in the same pose. I initially thought that he is some illusion or my mind is playing tricks but then he spoke and broke the spell:

“Go back to the room. We are not finished yet.”

I replied to him in a distressing voice holding my stomach:

“I need to go to washroom. I seem to have eaten something bad at night.”

Rehman Baba got serious now:

“Then I will go with you.”

He started walking towards southern end of the courtyard where I could see some people standing in queue. I followed him like an obedient servant. While joining the queue, he whispered in my ear:

“We drugged you only to get you rested. You had a good sleep and are now fresh to take part in the operation which we will launch today to kill the beast.”

I looked at him suspiciously but said nothing. After a while we returned to the room and I was amazed to see Rehman Baba still sleeping. I looked back at the person who had accompanied me. He was a look alike of Rehman Baba or his twin but he told me to sit. I sat down on the charpoy and he sat on the chair. Pointing at the Rehman Baba, he said:

“We are brothers and work here for the same cause.”

He got close to me again and said:

“You must be wondering about us and that how do we know about you….”

He continued:

“Well, we are part of the shrine guards. We investigate wrong doings here and provide justice to poor. We had so many complaints of missing people but had no clue till we met a soldier from the state of Bahawalpur. We found him hiding in a store. He was terrified and was burning with fever. We brought him to our station, treated him well and fed him. We asked him about the problem. Initially he was hesitant but seeing our good behavior with him, he told us about the beast. We did not believe him at first but after he left, we started surveillance of the house of Ghulam Mustafa. We found nothing wrong there till we suspected that not everyone who goes inside comes out.”

The other three persons sleeping in the room were now getting awaked with our talk. Kamal Khan and Hari Singh went out to freshen up. Rehman Baba also got up and joined his brother in explaining me the background:

“After two weeks of surveillance, we were absolutely sure that two men did not return from the house of Ghulam Mustafa. It was then that we hired Hari Singh and sent him in the beast’s den. He acted as insane person and stayed there for three days. We started worrying and were planning to raid that house when Hari Singh came out on third night. The story he told us was horrendous.”

Rehman Baba stopped to take a pause and his brother started talking:

“Hari Singh told us that for one day he kept lying on ground acting as insane person. People came and went past him but on second day he was picked up by someone and taken to a basement. There he saw one person already tied to a pillar with chains. He was alive but did not seem to be in senses. Hari Singh was also tied to a pillar. A small lamp was burning there at all the times. The light was enough to see around. The murky light of the lamp presented a bone chilling scene. Human remains were scattered all around. It was a big room and its far ends were out of the visibility.”

In the meantime, Kamal Khan and Hari Singh had returned with breakfast in their hands. Rehman Baba had already left. They both sat down and placed the things on table. They all started eating and asked me to join in. I was wondering about Rehman Baba when his twin brother spoke:

“He is not coming back. He will keep a watch at the beast’s house till noon.”

I also picked up a roti and started eating it with tea. When we were finished, Hari Singh spoke for the first time:

“The things I saw in that basement were horrific. I saw two people come in there. They opened chains of the prisoner who was already tied there before me and dragged him to center of the room. They tied his feet to a rope which was attached to a hook in the roof. They pulled the rope and the man got hung upside down. They cut the man from his shoulder vein and he started bleeding profusely. They had already placed a bucket under him which got filled very soon. One of the persons picked up the bucket and took it upstairs. Before going up, he told the other man to dispose of the body.”

Hari Singh paused again. Talking about that experience made him shiver. I was having goose bumps too. My resolve to kill the beast was getting shaky. I was thinking about Saman and Shahzadi. I should choose between these two and enjoy rest of my life. Marrying both of them was another option which brought smile to my face. I looked up at Hari Singh. He started smiling too like he read my thoughts. I sheepishly hid my mouth with the right hand. Hari Singh started shaking his head left and right. Then he got up and started the dance of life and death.

(Continued…..)                   

Black Magic – Part 8

Hari Singh looked at me with his red burning eyes and said in a cold frozen voice:

“The man brought down the prisoner from the roof hook. Picked him up and took him to a corner behind me. I could not see anything but was able to hear the bone cutting and smell the burning flesh. After sometime, the second man who had taken the bucket upstairs also came down and joined the other. I was already half unconscious. I had not eaten or drank anything for past two days. The sickening scene in this room and the stinking smell of filth and burning flesh ware making me nauseous. After finishing their job of disposing the body, one of them commented that we now have good blood stock but we need to cut this skunk before he dies down here. That was all I heard before I passed out.”

Hari Singh was telling me the story. All other persons had already dispersed. I was alone in the room with Hari Singh. He took last few sips of the remaining tea and then said:

“I have done so many unspeakable things in my life but I did not want to die like that. I was often hired by Rehman Baba to do ground checks and help him in his investigations. This task seemed to be the last one. But I had not lost hope. I was tied to the pillar with a rope which was not very tight. I was a trickster and had many things in my robe. A lot of time had passed and no one came down again. I was neither fed nor cleaned. I was losing my energy and will to survive faster than I had expected. I woke up after sometime and started looking for a knife in my lower pocket. With some unusual turning of my arm, I was able to grasp the knife and eventually I cut the rope and freed myself from that hell. I came up the stairs and pushed the door which got opened. I was surprised that nobody was guarding that place but probably they did not expect anyone to escape from that place. When I came out, I found myself in the back yard of Ghulam Mustafa’s house. Going from the front side was not a good option, so I used all my remaining energy in climbing the back wall and threw myself on the other side. I reached back here safe and sound but in a lost state of mind.”

---------------------------

I was now aware that the people at helm of affairs of this shrine were in knowledge of the presence of a blood sucking monster in their premises. But how did they find out about me.  As Hari Singh had told his side of story, I was waiting for Rehman Baba or his brother to return and solve this mystery too. Hari Singh also went out after sometime. He told me to stay here and do not go out. After he was gone, Kamal Khan walked in the room and sat opposite to me. He looked at me in a rude way and said:

“Rehman Baba sent me back here to tell you as to how we found about you.”

I smiled but remained quiet. He continued:

“After we discovered the truth about Ghulam Mustafa, Rehman Baba decided to send me to Nawab of Bahawalpur to inquire about this monster. We had already met one soldier who was part of the team which was sent by Nawab of Bahawalpur to kill this beast. We wanted to know what else he knew about Ghulam Mustafa. I reached there and was told about all the background and was also informed about you. I was given potion as well which will make our job easier.”

I took a deep breath. I was now relaxed. I had lost my potion in the fire at Jaipur but it was good to know that Kamal Khan also has the same. I looked at him with smile and asked:

“How did you find me at the shrine?”

He replied with annoyance in his voice:

“We keep an eye on all those who come here and moreover I was given your description by Nawab Sadiq.”

I was now more than satisfied but still had one last query:

“So we are a team now but why are you not happy with me?”

He looked at me with suspicion and said:

“You act more than your age. I found out many things about you. You look like a trouble to me. And let me tell you frankly that I don’t trust you.”

I did not understand his logic of not liking me but he was probably considering me as his rival. I had to prove it otherwise to get his full support and help.

“What is the plan?” I asked abruptly.

He looked at me puzzlingly thinking whether to tell me or not. After remaining quiet for some time, he spoke:

“We are taking our turns in doing surveillance of that house. We now know that we cannot kill him directly. He may even possess magical powers to destroy us before we could even touch him.”

He paused for a while and I popped up my suggestion:

“We should mix the potion of Nazir Bux in the blood.”

He nodded his head in agreement with me then said:

“We also have the same opinion but how to do it is a big question. We can’t send Hari Singh again as Ghulam Mustafa and his guards know about him.”

I instantaneously said: “I will do it.”

Kamal Khan looked at me with a broad smile but then the smile disappeared from his face and he said tenderly:

“You may get killed.”

I was startled on his passionate worry for me but replied in an icy tone: “Yes, I know but somebody has to do it and I am the most suited person for this job.”

Kamal Khan then told me to stay here and went outside. After one hour, he came back with Rehman Baba and Hari Singh. They all sat down. Kamal Khan had also brought some eatables with tea. We all consumed it and then Rehman Baba looked at me and said:

“Kamal Khan told me that you want to do this job.”

I was now thinking that why did I volunteer for it. These people were in charge of the security at this shrine. They also have help of local police. They can raid that house and arrest Ghulam Mustafa. I was still thinking on these lines when I heard Rehman Baba’s soft voice:

“If we raid that house then we will not be able to hide the news that there was a monster living in our premises. It will severely tarnish the image of this shrine. We want to avoid bad publicity.”

Was I thinking so loudly that Rehman Baba heard my thoughts or did I ask him that question without realizing it myself? Whatever the case, he was an amazing person. His respect in my heart was increasing with every passing minute. I got to learn from him. I thought about that and then realized that he may be reading my thoughts again. A smile appeared on my lips. I looked up and found Rehman Baba smiling too.

After sitting idle for about half an hour, Rehman Baba spoke in a deciding tone:

“Here is the final plan.”

He looked at everybody one by one. We all were sitting attentive. Rehman Baba continued:

“Yousaf Shah will enter Ghulam Mustafa’s house from the back wall after mid night today. Hari Singh and Kamal Khan will take him there and help him in climbing the wall. Hari Singh will also explain the interior map to Yousaf Shah. Kamal Khan will hand over the potion of Nazir Bux to Yousaf Shah. Kamal Khan and Hari Singh will stay at the back wall. I along with my brother and few other guards will be on the front side. Yousaf Shah will go in, find the bucket of blood and add the potion in it and come out of the house before first light. We all will wait for him till then. If he does not come out till dawn then I will give the signal and we will raid the house from front as well as from back side.”

It seemed like a comprehensive plan. I was quite confident that even if I get caught, Rehman Baba will come and save me. Hari Singh explained me details about the interior of house. He also told me about the basement at the rear end from where I had to enter. I was hoping that everyone would be asleep after mid night and I will find my way to kitchen where hopefully I will find the bucket of blood. I will add potion in it and then sneak back to rear wall much before the dawn. That seemed like a simple and perfect plan.

---------------------------------

Back wall of Ghulam Mustafa’s house was about eight feet high. Hari Singh and Kamal Khan helped me climb up from outside. It was about 2 am and the moon was hiding behind a cloud. There was still enough light to see up to some distance. I crawled down from the back wall and landed on my feet. There were dry leaves all around which created noise as I stepped on them. My heartbeat was increasing with every inch I leaped forward. There were few trees in the backyard and I was taking their cover. I also spotted a slanted wooden door on ground which probably opened into the underground room where Hari Singh was kept as prisoner. I went past it and reached to the last tree. There was now open space till the main building of the house. The open space was not more than fifty feet and I could cross it easily in few seconds but moon was now clear of the clouds. Visibility was good. I realized that I could be spotted if I go through this open space. I waited for about fifteen minutes to let the moon to hide again. I looked up to the sky. Moon was shining with full brightness. Time was passing fast so I decided to go back to the rear wall and then walk along with it to reach to the main building. This way I was able to avoid walking in the open.

It took me another fifteen minutes to reach to the rear veranda of the house. I pushed the back door but it did not budge. It was probably locked from inside. I also remembered that the surviving soldier of Nawab Sadiq had told me that Ghulam Mustafa is always alone at night. Both the servants leave soon after last light and come back in the morning. I was although apprehensive that if it was Ghulam Mustafa who had been causing me trouble right from Fazilka then how is he allowing me to enter in his home unharmed? Why there is nobody here to stop me or to protect him. May be he is not here himself. My thoughts were going wild while I was searching a way to get inside the devil’s den. There were two doors at the backside of the house and both were closed. Then I started checking the windows. There were four windows at the backside and I found the third window unlocked. I pushed it with a little force and it got open with a small squeak sound. I froze at the spot. Few moments passed and nothing happened. My condition returned to normal and I step up the window and climbed inside. It was a small room with hardly any furniture in it. I paused there for a while to get my eyes familiarize with the darkness. There was only one door in the room which was ajar. I could see a yellow faint light coming from other side of the room. I had to go through it to reach the likely place of the bucket. I waited for another moment, opened the door and entered in the hall. The first thing I noticed was a big chair placed in center of the room with its back towards me. Someone was sitting on it as I could see his silhouette. There was a lamp burning in far end of the hall. My mind went blank. All my senses got heightened. A cold dreadful voice broke the silence: “What took you so long, Yousaf Jamal Shah?”                        

My heart stopped beating and I forgot to breathe.

(continued…..)

Black Magic – Part 9

I did not expect someone to greet me like this. None of my contingencies had catered for such an eventuality. I had planned to creep in the devil’s den, mix potion in the blood bucket and then sneak out from the back side. I had no plan of confronting him. I was a trained fighter and a self-proclaimed brave person but right at that moment, I was riveted. It may be because of the reason that I was immensely surprised. I was thinking that my life which had just begun has suddenly reached to an abrupt end. I started cursing the moment when I had consented to kill the beast who was now sitting right in front of me. I was lost in my thoughts when he got up from the seat and took few steps forward. My feet were stuck in the ground and my mouth was tightly sealed. I closed my eyes and started reciting the holy verses. I heard his laughter. He was standing so close to me that I could smell his breath. He stopped laughing after a while and then I heard his freaky voice:

“Open your eyes.”

I obliged. The dark room was now brightened with light. I looked at him and was mesmerized to see my own image. The only differences were few grey hair and red eye balls. Rest of his face was ditto copy of mine. It appeared as I was looking in the mirror but then my image smiled and I did not. I was dead scared. He put his hand on my shoulder and said in a relatively less bizarre voice:

“Don’t be frightened. You are my son.”

My frightening expressions got turned into bewilderment. I knew he was some kind of magician. It was possible for him to take my face and fool me in this way. But then I thought that why should he perform this act. He can do whatever he wants with me. The scene did not appear logical to my mathematical mind unless he was telling the truth. So, I decided to listen to him. I had no other option either. I took a deep breath and prepared myself for what was to come next. He was now holding a glass of water which he extended towards me. He asked me to sit down and drink the water. I took the glass from his hand and sat down on the nearest seat. I was a little reluctant to drink the water but somehow I engulfed it in one long sip. He went back and sat on the same chair on which he was earlier seated and revolved it towards me. Feeling no immediate threat to my life, I started feeling a bit relaxed. I opened my lips and heard my own strange voice:

“How come you are my father?”

He looked at his watch and replied:

“I think I don’t have much time left but I will tell you everything.”

He paused, looked at his watch again and continued in a wretched tone:

“Your grandfather was killed by Nawab Sadiq. He had done no harm to anyone. I don’t know much about him as I was born after he was executed. Your grandmother was rescued by her father who brought her here. She gave birth to me but could not survive. Her father handed me over to shrine guards and went back to the State of Bahawalpur. I was brought up here as orphan.  I was once visited by my father in law who narrated me the story of your grandfather. He told me that your grandfather had some weird disease. A devil worshiper advised him to drink blood which will heal him. He started drinking blood of animals and corpses. Someone from his village saw him doing so in a graveyard and thus the matter was reported to Nawab Sadiq. Your grandfather had never killed or hurt anyone still he was murdered. I inherited the same illness from my father. It is a strange kind of disease in which the patient’s body starts shaking uncontrollably. I would sometime fall down on ground while walking and my body shivered for hours. My father in law gave me the same prescription which was given to my father. This is how I developed the habit but it’s now a curse. I can’t live without consuming human blood.”

He stopped talking and lifted a bowl filled with the red substance. He started drinking from it. I looked at him and saw my own future fading in vain. I was though curious that I did not have any such problem till now so I popped up the question to him:

“If you are my father then why don’t I have this disease?”

He put the bowl on the side table then looked at me and said:

“You have it. It takes time to show its ill effects. I started having dizzy mind and shivering body when I reached the age of 20. You are still younger than that, I assume.”                 

He was right. So I will need to feed on blood too. I had this bizarre thought and I shook my head. A mere thought of it made me feel nauseated. The time was running fast. I knew that Rehman Baba and his party will raid this house at dawn. I had already spent almost an hour in the house with Ghulam Mustafa and the outside party must be getting anxious. I was left with very less time to get to know the whole truth. So I asked him:

“Ok now tell me that how come you are my father?”

He looked at me with an intriguing smile and started narrating the story again:

“When my father in law told me about your grandfather and what happened to him, I decided to take revenge from Nawab Sadiq. I was too young then just like you but was very emotional. One day I reached Noor Mahal and begged the guard commander there to enroll me. I was keeping small beard and used a fake name. I was physically fit and a very tall man. I was hence given requisite training of one month and employed as a guard initially on the outer perimeter but within few months I was shifted to inner circle. I was very efficient and obedient. The guard commander really liked me a lot. I was though unable to reach Nawab’s quarters but got in touch with your mother who worked there. I trapped her at first just to get an inside access but with passage of time I fell in love with her. I was too weak and alone back then. I wasted almost one year there but was unable to get even close to Nawab Sadiq. He is a very cautious man. He remains surrounded by his loyalists. So I decided to come back to shrine, increase my power and then return with full force.”

So he was really my father. There was no other reason for us to look alike. I still did not feel any sentiment in my heart for him. I certainly was feeling bad as I came here to kill my own father. I also felt hatred for Nawab Sadiq who killed my grandfather and was now after the life of my father. Both of them had done no harm to him. Now I had to ask him the real question which was boggling my mind:

“If you knew all along that I am your son then why did you try to kill me first at Pir Baba’s Ziarat in Fazilka then you tried to poison me in the train and then you burnt down the hotel where I was staying in Jaipur?”

He took another sip from the bowl and said softly:

“I knew you will think that it was me.”

I now asked him in a frustrated voice: “Who else would try to harm me?”

He replied subtly: “Nawab Sadiq.”

I was surprised. I asked: “Why would Nawab Sadiq try to kill me. I am his most trusted man. He sent me here to destroy you.”

He was still very calm: “Because Nawab Sadiq came to know that you are my son.”

He was continuously amazing me with each revelation. I had to ask him: “How and when did Nawab Said found out that I am your son.”

This time he again narrated the complete story: “You must be aware that Nawab Sadiq had earlier made an attempt to kill me. He sent his five best soldiers and I killed four of them. Sparing the fifth one was my mistake. The surviving solider before departing for Bahawalpur told my story to Rehman Baba who then sent Kamal Khan to Nawab Sadiq to ask more details about me. They knew me before as I was brought up at this shrine but after I grew older I bought this house and shifted here. I cut off all my links to shrine guards and got busy in my own activities. I did not bothere anyone in this area hence I continued unabated and unsuspected. Nawab Sadiq told all he knew about me and my father to Kamal Khan. Nawab Sadiq also told him that he has sent you to kill me just a few days ago. Nawab Sadiq also showed him your picture so that he can find me when I reach at shrine. Kamal Khan had also seen me so when he saw your picture he realized that we are related. He told Nawab Sadiq that you look exactly like me. This was when he summoned your mother and she was forced to tell the truth about her relationship with me. Nawab Sadiq knew that when you will find out the same then you will not kill me and instead may take your grandfather’s revenge from him. He therefore gave lot of gold to Kamal Khan to kill you before you reach here and also asked him to get me arrested in murder charges.”

It was now all making sense but then another doubt appeared in my mind as to how Ghulam Mustafa knows about the deal of Nawab Sadiq and Kamal Khan. To my this query, he told me about his inside man in Noor Mahal who keeps him updated in return for certain favors. I now looked at the watch and it was 3.45 am. The dawn was close. I had to do something or tell him at least that Rehman Baba and his party is about to raid here. Before I could say anything, Ghulam Mustafa spoke again:

“I knew this day will come and my son will come to meet me. But I have no future left in this abode. I will be arrested soon and the dead bodies in my back yard basement will render sufficient proof to hang me publically. Rehman Baba and other guards know about your relationship with me but they also know that you have not done anything wrong up till now. They sent you here deliberately. But I chose to die at my own terms. I will drink the potion which you have brought for me. This way, you will never be blamed for my sins. Rather you will be regarded as the beast killer.”

I was unconvinced but he continued: “I have also saved a lot of money for you. When you are free from here, you should go back to Hakeem where you left your Shahzadi. Someone will contact you there and will hand you over my legacy.”

I was holding the bottle tightly in my hand when he came and sat next to me. He touched my hand and it got opened spontaneously. His cold touch made me shiver. I looked in his eyes. I saw my own image in them. For the first time, my heart missed a beat. I was sitting so close to my real father. I couldn’t say anything. He took the bottle from my hand and mixed it in the bowl of blood. He was about to take it to his lips when I got up from my seat hurriedly and stopped him from drinking it. I took it from his hands and placed it back at the table. I then hugged him and without saying anything I walked outside. I couldn’t see my father take his own life in front of me.      

 (Continued…..)

 Black Magic – Part 10

I walked out of the front door of Ghulam Mustafa’s house. It was a dark street. Suddenly, Rehman Baba along with four other individuals carrying rifles appeared from one corner. Rehman Baba was not surprised to see. He asked me in a very calm voice:

“Are you alright?”

My head was bent down. My real father was dead. I had given poison to him. He was a monster. Yet he was my biological father. I was now feeling empathy with him as one day I may also turn out to be like him. I did not reply to Rehman Baba but he knew what must have happened inside. He told me to go to his room and stay there. He also advised me to wait for him and not leave the room till he arrives. With heavy feet, I straight walked to Rehman Baba’s room. The door was not locked. I went inside, removed my shoes and lied down on bed.

I woke up in the afternoon and found the complete group sleeping in the same room. Rehman Baba was lying on the second bed and the rest were sleeping on floor. I went out and returned after freshening up. No one followed me this time. I came back and slouched back on the empty bed looking in the air. There was so much going around but my mind was blank. It was indeed a sad day. As the time passed, they all started waking up. Kamal Khan went out and came back with food. We all ate it quietly. I did not ask them anything about the dead body of Ghulam Mustafa but I knew that they must have burnt him in his own backyard. After we finished food, Rehman Baba cleared his throat and spoke to me:

“We all feel sorry for your father and how he had to end his own life. I never wanted you to be the person going inside his house but this was the safest option. If we had attacked on that house then God knows how many people besides your father would have been dead. You saved many lives today.”

Rehman Baba then looked at Kamal Khan and said:

“Kamal Khan had taken money from Nawab Sadiq to kill you but I have convinced him not to do so. He will be going back to Bahawalpur tomorrow and he will return your head money to Nawab Sadiq. You have done no harm to us rather you have helped us in getting rid of a monster. From our side, you are free to go. I must however warn you not to return to this place.”

I looked at Rehman Baba and he smiled at me. I wanted to say something but he raised his hand and said in a very affectionate way:

“You can stay the night here and leave in the morning. Kamal Khan will accompany you till Jaipur and will give you enough money to go to anyplace of your choosing. You should both split up at Jaipur and should not head to Bahawalpur together. We are not part of your fight or your differences with Nawab Sadiq. My advice to you is to forgive him for killing your grandfather and live your own life.”

I did not say thing. I had no plans of going to Bahawalpur but my mother lived there. I had to make sure that she is alright. I also had to see if Saman and her brother were fine. Shakoor had saved my life and now it was my time to return the favor. Then there was Shahzadi whose parents got killed because of me. I had left her with Hakeem. I have to go back to her and fulfill my promises.

Next day, I woke up early in the morning. Kamal Khan brought some breakfast. We consumed the same and were ready to go by 6.30 am. I said goodbye to Rehman Baba, his brother and Hari Singh. Kamal Khan and I headed to the bus stop from where we were able to catch the first bus which was ready for Jaipur. It was almost three hours ride. We were sitting together but did not speak a single word. At 10 am, we got out of the bus at Jaipur. Kamal Khan gave me 100 rupees which were more than enough to take me to any part of subcontinent. Those were cheap days. It used to cost only Rs. 10 in train ticket to travel from one part of India to another. Kamal Khan left without shaking hands with me. He probably considered me as a monster too. I did not blame him for his hatred towards me. Anyone who knew about my father and grandfather will naturally feel disgust towards me. I had their blood running in my veins. I was destined to become a beast myself. I had to find a cure before it really becomes serious.

I was standing in the bus station. There were many people and few buses. Everybody seemed in a hurry. I was though relaxed. I had finished my job. I was ready to collect my prize. I thought about Saman and a broad smile appeared on my lips. I had to meet her before I go back. I had to thank her and her brother for saving my life. I was not familiar with the area but knew the general directions. The city was not that big in those days and I could see the tall minarets of the railway station right from where I was standing. I knew that Shakoor worked in a hotel near railway station which was burnt to ashes and I also knew his home which was in an adjoining street to the hotel. So first I made my way to the burnt hotel which was still in the same state. I asked about Shakoor from the hotels surrounding that area. Few waiters knew him but they didn’t have any information about his whereabouts. Then I decided to go to his house. I reached to the street and walked up to his place. I was about to knock on the door when I saw the lock and my hand got hung in the air. Someone walking in the street stopped near me. I asked him:

“I am here to meet Shakoor. Do you know where I can find him?”

The man looked at me with suspicion then spoke in a whispering tone:

“You seem Muslim to me. This area is not safe for you. I am a Hindu but I am against killing of our neighbors who have lived with us for centuries. We advised our Muslim brothers to shift to their own majority areas before the partition time.”

I looked at him intriguingly. It was 1946 and British India was about to be divided. There had been wide spread bloodshed and riots throughout the India. Muslims had started migrating to safer places. Jaipur was a Hindu majority area. It was still peaceful. I asked from couple of other neighbors as well. Someone told me that Shakoor had relatives in Karachi who worked at the port. It is likely that he might have gone to them. I was wondering that Shakoor and Saman had no plans of migrating when I left them only a few days ago. But then they did not have to reveal their shifting plans to me. Moreover, they might have been forced to leave because of the burning of hotel. I thought of going to Karachi port one day and look for them. I wanted to help them as they helped me in my worst time. For now, my next destination was Hakeem’s village.

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I decided to spend the night at a good hotel near railway station. I knew Kamal Khan is going to Bahawalpur in the train. Rehman Baba had advised us to split up and don’t go together. We can however go in the same train. I knew if I miss this train then next train to Fazilka would leave after one week. So I went to railway booking counter which was just opposite to my hotel and purchased a first class ticket to Fazilka. The train was to leave next morning at 6 am. I came back to my hotel room, took food and went to sleep. The waiter woke me up at 5 am. Railway station was crowded yet I managed my way and reached in my coupe fifteen minutes before the time. I did not see Kamal Khan anywhere at railway station. He must be travelling in some other bogie. My companions in the compartment were three men. After introductions I found out that the eldest one was the grandfather. The middle one was his son who was about 40 years old and the youngest one who was about my age was the grandson. The train moved from Jaipur at 7 am. It was one hour late and that was normal in those days. The older man in the couple kept sleeping throughout the journey while I had good chat with the other two. The grandson’s name was Mohsin. He was very talkative. I asked Mohsin whether he will be migrating to Pakistan but his father said that they have lot of property and agricultural land in Jaipur and around Ajmer Sharif which they do not want to abandon it. Right now they were going to see whether they can find some Hindu influential in Lahore who can buy their lands and sell them his property in Pakistan. They were skeptical of newly formed government compensating them appropriately. I wished them good luck. Soon Mohsin became my friend. He was a lovely boy still very immature. He would get off on every stop and buy something from the station. He would drag me with him too. I really enjoyed his company. Twenty years later when I visited Ajmer Sharif, I went out to find out about the family of Mohsin. They were influential landlords and locals knew about them. It was however heartbreaking to discover that they opted to stay back during partition. The whole family of Mohsin including the young and old, men and women and even children were butchered by Hindu mobs. Their women were raped and killed. The young children were put on lances. Their dead bodies were mutilated and hung with trees. Their fields were burnt and their houses demolished. This was the story of almost every Muslim family who stayed back in Hindu majority parts of India. Those who travelled to Pakistan had similar stories. The generation today can’t even imagine the horrific events of 1947 and sacrifices of their elders which they made to create this country that we so naively take for granted. I was though lucky that I lived in Pakistan and had nothing much to lose. I was in Lahore in the August of 1947. I along with many other youngsters provided safe exit to Hindus who wanted to migrate to India and ensured full protection to those who opted to stay back.

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I got down from the train when it reached the station where I had left my Shahzadi with Hakeem. It was middle of the night. Mohsin and his family were asleep. I did not wake them up. I quietly sneaked out from the coupe and disembarked at the station. I however stayed in one dark corner waiting for the train to move. I was in fact watching for anyone who gets down after me or follows me. I was sure Kamal Khan did not know about this place. He was paid heavily by Nawab Sadiq to kill me. Although he had promised Rehman Baba that he will spare my life and would return the money to Nawab Sadiq but I was doubtful. I had been looking for him at every station but did not see him which meant only one thing – either he was not on this train or he was deliberately trying to hide from me. It made me curious.          

(Continued…..)

                  

Black Magic – Part 11

It was a small railway station. Train stopped here for only five minutes and then departed. I was still standing in the dark corner and trying to identify Kamal Khan from among few people who disembarked from the train. These people also dispersed in a jiffy. There were couple of tea stalls but they were closed at this time of the hour. The railway station got deserted in less than ten minutes. I was about to move when I heard a leaf crack behind me. I froze. It could be some animal or just wind blowing the leaves. I was still assessing the situation when somebody grabbed my neck from the back side. His grip was stiff and his breaths were heavy. I knew he was Kamal Khan and he was there to kill me. He had taken a large bounty on my head and was obliged to fulfill his commitment to Nawab Sadiq. Rehman Baba had told me that Kamal Khan will return the money and will spare my life but I was skeptical. I was expecting anything therefore I was ready for him. Kamal Khan was observing me too. He knew where I was standing. What he did not know was that I was carrying a knife which I drove in his heart without even turning back. There was no other way to get rid of him. I took out all the things from his pockets which can identify him and dragged his body to a side. I had to dispose it off before somebody spots it here and links it back to me or Shahzadi. I had already spent few days here when Shahzadi’s parents were poisoned by Kamal Khan. I knew the area around. There was a dry well nearby and I threw his body there. Last time I left this railway station I had Shahzadi on my shoulders. This time I was carrying the murderer of her parents. He was heavy but I had to bear his weight. He had eventually met his fate.

---------------------------------

I was once again standing in front of Hakeem’s door. It was mid night. A small light in the mosque at some distance was indicative of the fact that Zafar Khan was praying there. My Shahzadi was in his house. Instead of knocking on Hakeem’s door, I decided to go to the mosque. I entered the mosque, did ablution and offered two rakats of prayers. I sat there and waited for Zafar Khan to finish his prayer. He took a long time but I had nothing much to do. He was not very glad to see me. He had worried looks on his face. After formal greetings, I asked:

“Zafar Chacha, how is Shahzadi?”

Instead of replying to my question, he said:

“Let’s go to Hakeem’s house.”

I suddenly got worried too. All my senses got heightened. There was something wrong. I stopped him and asked again:

“Is she alright? Tell me about her?”

He looked me in the eye and said in an equally repulsive tone:

“And I am telling you to lets go and talk in Hakeem’s house.”

I was losing my temper but I had to control it. I was tired from the journey and then I had carried dead body of Kamal Khan to the well. My mind was racing fast. I said nothing and followed Zafar Khan. He took an eternity to reach Hakeem’s house. He knocked on the door and Hakeem opened it after the first knock. It seemed like that he was waiting for me to come back. He knew about the train schedule and must have been expecting me. He hugged me and took me inside. He told Zafar Khan to go back to the mosque. He held my hand and took me to his room. There was enough light there. My dress was stained with blood and dirt. Hakeem looked at me apprehensively. Pointing out to my dress, he asked:

“What happened to you?

I was too desperate to know about Shahzadi. I replied to him in an impatient voice:

“Hakeem, first tell me about Shahzadi.”

He sat down on bed. I was dead tired so I sat down too. He then spoke in a desolate tone:               

“Shahzadi’s relatives including her fiancée came to our village last week. They took her from us. We resisted and did our best to stop them but they had come prepared. They also had support of police. We had no reason to hold Shahzadi. Police threatened to implicate us in her parents’ murder. We were helpless. I am sorry Yousaf, I could not take care of her.”

I did not know what to say. My head started spinning. I just lied down and closed my eye. I knew somebody was playing tricks with me. First Saman disappeared and now Shahzadi was taken by her relatives. She had a fiancée too. But how did they find out that she was here. They must have searched every place where the train stops. Only a month had passed when I departed from Bahawalpur. This one month was so eventful. I met two beautiful girls and at one point I had decided to make both of them an important part of my life. Then there had been a number of attempts on my life. I survived them all but lost my father soon after meeting him. I killed Kamal Khan. Then I lost both the girls. I was still a teenager and had been through some very tough challenges in my life. I did not want to lose anybody else. Hakeem was one such person. Right now I was more concerned about my mother. I must shift her to some safe place. But then I remembered that Ghulam Mustafa had told me that somebody will come here and give me his legacy. Should I wait for him or go to Bahawalpur?

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I woke up after sleeping for almost 12 hours. I was feeling very hungry and smelled something cooking up in the kitchen. Hakeem lived alone and was a good cook. His real name was Bashir Ahmed but he was called as Hakeem due to his knowledge about medicines and treatment of diseases. He inherited this knowledge from his father. I did not blame him for letting Shahzadi go with her relatives. She had made promises with me to spend our lives together but had never told me about her fiancée. I knew the name of her village. It was in the outskirts of Lahore. I had plans to go there after I get my mother from Bahawalpur but first I had to wait for the person sent by my father. Two days passed and I was getting itchy. Hakeem was also insisting on going with me. He had no future here in the village. He was about 50 years of age and wanted to spend rest of his life in doing some research and experiments related to his field. He could not do so here. He asked me about the blood of vampire and I told him the whole story. He understood the sensitivity of the matter and did not ask me more. I assured him that he can have my blood for tests when I turn into a vampire myself. We both laughed over it.

It was my fourth night at Hakeem’s house. I finally decided to go to Bahawalpur next morning and leave Hakeem behind. If that person comes after I am gone then Hakeem can tell him to come back again after one month. By that time I was sure of having taken care of the things at Bahawalpur. I had no intention of confronting Nawab Sadiq but if he came in between me and my mother then situation would turn ugly. Hakeem had arranged a bullock ride for me to a neighboring town from where I was to get a bus for Fazilka. The night was still young. It was quite warm and we both had brought our charpoys to courtyard. Mosquitoes were having a fun time with us when we heard a small knock on the door. It was very gentle knock yet we both heard it. Hakeem walked up to the door and asked in a discreet tone:

“Who is it?”

A faint voice from outside replied:

“I have come to meet Yousaf Shah.”

Hakeem looked at me and then opened the door. In the meantime I had also gotten up from the charpoy and was ready for the worse.

I could not see the face of the person who walked in the door. He shook hands with us. I told him that I am Yousaf Shah and he said that he knows as I carry the face of his master. He then said he was told to give me this bag. He was probably one of the servants of my father. He handed me over the bag and it was quite heavy. I told him to take rest but he wanted to leave immediately. He did not even stay for a glass of water and left in a hurry. It seemed like he was in some kind of danger or someone was following him. I had to be careful so I went outside after he left and looked around. I could not see anyone as it was very dark. I came back inside and carried the bag in the room. Hakeem lightened up the lantern and we opened the bag. It was full of gold and money. We took out everything from the bag and laid it on the bed. Hakeem estimated that the gold’s value must be in thousands and may be in lacs. He was not sure. Then we found one small pouch of dark blue color. It looked black in the dim light. It was about the fist size but we were mesmerized to see the things it contained. There were exactly 30 diamonds of different shapes and sizes in it. Then there was a lot of currency and some other metals which we could not recognize at that moment but later we found these to be very valuable. In nutshell, my father before dying sent me a fortune. He must have truly loved me and that was the only reason he never came to meet me or laid claim on me. He knew if he did so then he will endanger my life and that of my mother. I was now grateful to him. It was none of his fault if nature had made him a monster. I was to become one too. It was only a matter of time.

Hakeem held my shoulder and said that we must take care of this wealth before we depart to Bahawalpur. We feared that it will not be safe to carry it along. People had started migrating to Pakistan in small numbers. There were reports of attacks on the migrating columns resulting into lootings and killings. We sat down in the kitchen and started thinking about what to do with this treasure. Hakeem made tea and then said:

“I think we should divide it into three portions. You should carry one portion, I will carry the second and we will bury the third portion here in this house. We both will travel together till Fazilka. From there, you should go to Bahawalpur to meet your mother and I will go to Lahore. I have some relatives there. I will give you the address. You should bring your mother to Lahore. We will find some good place to stay and then leave your mother there. Then we can come back together to dig out our left behind treasure. We will again divide it in two portions and travel to Lahore in separate buses.”

I looked at him surprisingly. He had chalked out a very detailed plan. I trusted him. I knew he will not betray me. Those were the simple times. I thought for a while that even if he disappears, I will still have enough with me to start a new life. So I agreed with his proposal. We decided to move out without wasting further time. But first we had to divide the treasure in three halves. We started doing the same. I kept the diamonds with me as these were the most precious amongst the other things. Hakeem took the money and we started digging in the small compound of Hakeem’s house to bury the gold and other metals. We were trying to keep the noise to bare minimum. It was almost dawn now. We could see each other’s faces. And then we heard a loud knock on the door. We both stood still not knowing what to do next.           

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Black Magic – Part 12

We were startled a bit on the knock initially but then Hakeem realized that he had arranged for a bullock ride for me to go to the neighboring town. We had this plan made much before Ghulam Mustafa’s servant came with the treasure bag last night. We stopped our work and stood motionless for some time. Hakeem then went outside to check. He came back to tell me that it is the same person who has been hired by him. His bullock cart was standing near the mosque. Hakeem told him to sit and wait in the mosque. We then hurriedly buried the gold and other material in the hole and filled it up. The fresh mud gave a look of a newly dug place but the door will be locked from outside. There is no chance of anyone coming into this house as the whole neighborhood belonged to Muslim community. They did not have any plan of migrating to Pakistan anytime soon. We changed into new clothes, carried our stuff and locked the house door from outside. It was early morning now and there were people going to fields. Many of them exchanged greetings with us. The bullock cart was still standing near mosque. Hakeem went inside to search for its owner who had gone to sleep. He came out rubbing his eyes. He said nothing as he was paid in advance by Hakeem. The bullock ride took us almost one hour to the neighboring town from where we got a bus to Fazilka. We both were still travelling together but from Fazilka ahead, the journey was not safe. We decided to split up as per our program. I got into the bus for Bahawalpur and Hakeem got into a lorry for Lahore. Hakeem gave me address of his relatives in Lahore. He was carrying all my cash and I trusted him. I had no other choice.

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I reached my village at last light. I went straight to my house only to find out that my mother was summoned by Nawab Sadiq about a month back. She did not return since then. If Nawab Sadiq was keeping her prisoner then I alone would not be able to get her released. Nawab Sadiq can even put me in prison too where I might rot for my whole remaining life. I wanted to go to Noor Palace well prepared. The only person who can help me was Nazir Bux. I knew where he lived. It was not very far from my village. I decided to take rest and get hold of him on the next day. That night I spent in my own home was restless. I was worried for my mother but I knew Nawab Sadiq will never hurt her. He would keep her alive to trade her with me for his own safety. With that thought in my mind I went to a sleep after a long time.

Next morning I bought a camel and went to see Nazir Bux. I reached to his village by midday. His den was in the graveyard. I had come here once and that was not a very good experience. Nazir Bux knew black magic. He was a weird person. I had seen him performing acts which a normal person cannot do. I had nothing to defend myself except for my zeal. I knew facing one weird person is better than confronting the army of Nawab Sadiq. If I managed to convince Nazir Bux to help me then I can ensure safe return of my mother even without any bloodshed. It did not seem to be a sound plan but I had to try it.            

I knocked on the door of the hut. There was no response. I knocked it again with more force. There was still no answer. I was thinking of what to do next when I heard a sound of hissing and rattling. It was certainly a snake. I turned back and saw a big rattle snake sitting at some distance from me. I was brought up in a desert so seeing snakes was a common thing. But this was a big snake and it had no intention of going away. I stood still avoiding a direct eye contact with the snake. This is something I learned to avoid them. The snake however started moving towards me. I took out my knife and got ready to face it. The snake came very close to me and lifted its head up to bite. I ducked instantly and swung my knife cutting the snake into two halves. As I turned back to focus on the door, I heard the hissing sound again. I looked back and was amazed to see two snakes now moving forward to attack me. I got puzzled as there was no sign of the snake which I had cut into two parts. It looked like that those two parts had become two snakes. My mind was working fast as I did not have much time. If I cut any of the two snakes then these will reappear in double the number. I realized that it was the Nazir Bux playing his tricks again. Both the snakes had started attacking me from opposite sides. I was still carrying my knife but was careful not to cut the snakes rather I had to crush their heads to get rid of them. This solution popped up in my mind and I had to try it. I dropped the knife near my feet so as it pick it when required. I had to catch the snakes with my bare hands and crush their skulls. The problem was that both the snakes were attacking me together and I was unable to focus on catching either. I was concentrating more on evading them. I was about to pick up my knife and was thinking of sprinting from there when both the snakes jumped at me at the same time from my opposite sides. I instinctively took a step back which resulted in the snakes hitting each other. They were in the attack mode which meant that they stung each other simultaneously. As they fell down, I immediately put both my feet on their heads. They struggled for a moment and then went motionless. They did not die because of my feet as there was sand underneath them but their poison worked on each other. I did not want to take any chance so I picked both the snakes and as a ritual of the desert I crushed their heads with stones. I waited for them to rise again but nothing happened.

I looked towards the door of the hut which was still closed. I walked up to it and was about to knock again when it sprung open. It was dark inside but I did not hesitate to enter this time. I was terrified when I was here before. Nazir Bux will not be happy to see me again. On the other hand, I had come here to seek his help. I did not even pick my knife which I had dropped outside while fighting with the snakes. Anyhow, as I stepped inside the hut, the door got closed behind me. In few seconds, my eyes got acquainted with the darkness. I was now able to see Nazir Bux sitting in one corner with some sort of magical shield around him. I stood quietly in the entrance. Nazir Bux broke the silence:

“Why have you come here, Yousaf Shah?

I replied in a plain voice:

“Nazir Bux, I know you helped Nawab Sadiq in the killing of my grandfather and even you prepared potion which killed my father. I do not blame you for either of their killing. You were serving your master. I have come here only to get your help.”

Nazir Bux was still sitting behind the shield. He was such a great wizard yet he was terrified from me. I did not know at that time that none of his magic works against me. I was carrying powers which he was aware of but I was not. I was therefore somewhat confused that why he was hiding from me. As I paused, he questioned again:

“How can I help you?”

“You need to tell me about my mother. Where is she being kept and how can I get her out of there?” I revealed the nature of help which I sought from him.

He was still skeptical of my intentions. He wanted reassurance:

“I can tell you what all you have asked for and even help you in getting your mother back but first you have to give me your word that you will not hurt me.”

A smile came on my face as I replied to him.

“I give you my word. I will not take any action against you ever if you help me now.”

The magical shield disappeared. The long nose of Nazir Bux popped out of the corner first and then his remaining body. He was standing in front of me with his burning red eyes. This time he spoke in a shaky voice:

“She is being kept in the same dungeon where your grandfather was killed. It is in the basement of Noor Mahal and is heavily guarded. Beside the guards, I have put spell on her chains. If anyone will try to touch those chains, he will burn to ashes. I will go there myself. I know a secret passage into the dungeon and will get your mother out from there.”

I was surprised as to why has he has agreed to help me. I did not have to do much convincing. What I did not know was that he had guarded his den with the best magic he knew yet I had walked straight up to him. I only had confronted his magical snakes whose skulls I crushed with a little bit of effort only. I did not want to waste more time. So I said:

“Let’s go then. My camel is outside. I will give you a ride.”

Nazir Bux was still standing very close to me. It was like he wanted to touch me but was unable to do so. He seemed frustrated. He spoke again in a jittery tone:

“I don’t need your ride. You must go back to your home. You will see your mother before the sunset.”

I had to trust him. If he wanted to disappear he could have done before my arrival here. I agreed to his plan and said in a vigorous voice:

“If my mother did not come to her home alive by last light today then I will chase you to the last place on this Earth. I will find you and I will kill you, and I will kill Nawab Sadiq with my own bare hands.”

It was for the first time ever I saw him fearful. Color of his eyes had changed from red to yellow. He said nothing but stood at his place. I turned back and the door got opened. I walked to my camel and rode back home. I reached my home in the village after two hours of ride. It was afternoon. There were still three hours remaining in the sunset. I was wondering how Nazir Bux will go from his village to Noor Mahal, get my mother and then bring her over here in the short span of time. Well, he was a magician. He can travel faster. Time was passing by and sun was about to set. I was losing hope when I saw a camel coming from the far west. There was sun behind the camel but I could see silhouette of the rider. It was some women and I was sure it was my mother.

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Black Magic – Part 13

The camel rider turned out to be my mother. She looked much older and tired but I was relaxed as she was fine. She was glad to see me too. I spent the night in my home with my mother after a long time. She slept most of the night whereas I kept planning for the future. In the early morning, I went out and bought a camel from Wadera Rustam. He was annoyed on waking up so early but was eventually delighted to see the money. He did not ask many questions. I only told him that I want to buy his best camel. He looked at me from head to toe and said “do you have money?” I showed him two fifty rupee notes and his sleepy eyes got wide open. He took me to his backyard. There were about 20 camels sitting there and still enjoying early morning breeze. Wadera looked at me with his greedy eyes and said: “Select the camel, yourself. You can buy two camels with this money.” I knew I can get four camels with hundred rupees if I wait for the market to open in the adjoining town but I did not have time for that. So I only selected one camel and gave him fifty rupees. He kept looking at the other note but I hurriedly departed from his back gate.

I reached Bahawalpur with my mother by noon. I sold the camel for twenty rupees and went to the railway station. I bought two first class tickets for Lahore and went to a restaurant to eat and freshen up. My mother was a simple village woman who had spent all of her life either in her village or in the Noor Palace. She had never seen the outside world. She looked around with amusement but did not even ask me where we were going. She had a realization as to how the events unfolded and she was perhaps embarrassed for not having told me about my real father. I did not bring up the topic either as there was no point of discussing the issue any further. I now knew the reality and that was enough. Our train to Lahore was to arrive at 5 pm. We still had some time so we went to the waiting room.

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The train as usual was late. We reached Lahore on next morning. I had slept most of the duration of journey and was fresh when we stepped out of the train. It was a huge railway station but we found our way out easily. I was holding my mother’s arm with one hand and carrying a bag in the other. I also had the diamonds sewed in the secret pocket of my dress. I was not worried about them. I just did not want to lose my mother again. Anyhow, we sailed through the ocean of people and came out of the station to a relatively peaceful area. I spotted a lone tanga and headed to it. I told the address to the tanga wala who initially said that it is too far away but eventually agreed to take us there for not less than five rupees. We were new to the big city and he knew that too. I helped my mother to climb up the step on back seat and then hopped on the front seat. The tanga kept running for almost one hour and the tanga wala utilized this time in narrating us the stories about the historical places we passed through. Most of the monuments belonged to Mughal era. All the roads and the places looked puzzling to me but soon I became familiar with them. I was to spend a big chunk of my coming life there. Lahore was to become my second home. Right now I was praying that Hakeem does not betray me and he had not. We reached to the given address in one piece. The tanga ride of one hour was more tiring than our last night train journey. I gave five rupees to the tanga wala and knocked on the door of a big house where the tanga dropped us. There was no response for some time. I was about to knock again when Hakeem appeared from adjoining house. He opened his arms and ran towards me. We met like long lost friends although we had separated only four days ago in Fazilka. He took me and my mother to the house and smilingly said:

“You were knocking on the wrong door.”

I took a deep breath and said:

“Thank God, you are here.”

He took mother to an inside room and handed her over to the house ladies. He came back to where I was seated and said: “Were you expecting me to run away with your money?”

I remained quiet as I had constantly worried about that. He spoke again: “I could have done so easily. I could have given you a fake address of my relatives in Lahore. I could have even returned back from Fazilka to my village home and taken out all your gold and disappeared for good. But how would have I faced you in the afterlife. I am not a religious man but I have strong faith in Allah. I believe that you ripe what you sow. I have never been married and I have surpassed that age now but you are a son I always wished for. I did not want to disappoint you.” I felt quite embarrassed of having negative thoughts about Hakeem. He was a true gentleman.                  

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We spent next few days in finding a good place to establish ourselves in Lahore. Luckily there were far too many places for sale as most of the Hindu community was migrating from the city. We selected a big haveli having its entrances on multiple sides in the area of Garhi Shahu. It was an old building but was being kept in a tidy condition by its Hindu owner. The area was near railway station and I had purposefully selected it as I had planned to travel a lot in the future. We did not pay the owner as per his demand but we gave him far more than the prevalent market price in those circumstances. I named it Ayesha Manzil after my mother’s name. Hakeem shifted his relatives to the haveli after discussing it with me. They were to take care of my mother in addition to looking after the haveli. Hakeem also established his experimental laboratory in the storage shed behind the main building. After settling down everything, we planned to go to Hakeem’s village and get the buried gold.

The year of independence had begun and so had started the tales of horror, shock and dreadfulness. The roads and railway track leading into Lahore from border area were filled with dead bodies of young and old alike. Hindu and Sikh mobs were sparing nobody. Neighbors who had lived together for ages had turned into blood thirty hounds. No one could imagine that human life will go so cheap. Stories we heard from those who reached into the newly formed state were horrendous. We were very close to railway station so we also established a relief camp for the refugees in Ayesha Manzil. We provided them food and shelter till government set up its main refugee camp. More than 15 million people were displaced and more than a million were killed. It was a huge task for the government to look after these people.                    

Under these circumstances going back into Hakeem’s village seemed a distant possibility. We sat and discussed it over several times. There was too much at stake here. Our lives were priceless but what we left behind can solve our many problems for rest of our lives. Hakeem then gave the final verdict that I should stay back and look after Ayesha Manzil and he will go and get the gold from his village home. I protested as I wanted to accompany him. We had his relatives who could have taken care of my mother and few refugee families we were sheltering but he insisted on going alone. He did not want to risk my life but his life was precious too. Seeing our predicament and constant discussion, one of his relative offered to go with him. He was a distant cousin of Hakeem. He did not know why we want to go back but he would have guessed that it must be something more valuable than our lives. His name was Faizan and he was about 30 years of age. His wife and four children lived in Ayesha Manzil with us. It seemed like a suitable plan so I let both of them depart together on a returning train to Fazilka from Lahore railway station. I was sad by letting Hakeem go back to the hell. I bid him good bye and wished him all the luck. I never saw him again.

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It was my fourth month in Lahore when I thought of going to Shahzadi’s village. I did not venture out before as I had all the plans to bring her back with me. I therefore needed to establish myself here before I go out on any such task. Hakeem and his cousin Faizan had left for Fazilka one week ago. I wanted to wait for them before I open some other Pandora box. I had told my mother about Shahzadi and how her parents were killed because of me. I also told her that I have taken her revenge by killing Kamal Khan who had poisoned her parents. She supported my plan of bringing her here and was fascinated with the idea of marrying her with me. I intentionally did not tell her about Saman as I had no knowledge as to where she was. I only knew that Saman and her brother Shakoor had left Jaipur and probably had gone to Karachi where some of their relatives worked on the port. It was too sketchy information. It would be a wild goose chase if I pursued it. But I will find her eventually as she has an important part to play in my life. We can’t stop things from happening if they are written in our destiny and Saman was one such thing.

Time was passing by and there was no news from Hakeem’s side. It was only after three weeks that Faizan walked into Ayesha Manzil. He was in a terrible shape. His clothes were bloodied and he was exhausted. He narrated the story that they reached back to Hakeem’s village safe and sound. The village was deserted and most of the houses were burnt. There were dead bodies all around. They made their way to Hakeem’s house only to find out that the gold was gone. There was a freshly dug out hole under the tree. They decided to stay the night there and move back in the morning. While they were cooking food by burning wood at night that some people attacked on the house. Initially they pelted stones but then they broke the door and came inside. I asked Hakeem to run away but he insisted on facing the mob and talking to them. I did not stay there and ran away by climbing onto the neighbor’s wall. In the morning I returned and found Hakeem’s mutilated dead body. I recognized him from his clothes. I buried him under the tree in his own house and made my way back to this place by hitching a ride in a bullock cart.

I was heartbroken on the news of Hakeem’s death. He died to get my dreams fulfilled. He would still be alive if I had not allowed him to go. It all seemed my fault and I was guilt ridden. I couldn’t sleep at night. I got out of my room early in the morning only to find out that Faizan was missing. His family was gone too. Something was not right. Suddenly I started seeing loopholes in the story told by Faizan. I was a little too late to realize that not me but Hakeem was betrayed by his own cousin. I felt enraged. I had to find Faizan and take revenge of Hakeem and get my gold back. If I wasted anytime then he may get out of my reach. I was also thinking that my search for Shahzadi was getting delayed. It may cost me her life. I had to make a quick decision.              

    

(Continued…..)

Black Magic – Part 14

I spent next two years searching for Faizan, Shahzadi and Saman. I had some clue about all of them. Shahzadi was taken by her fiancée. I knew the village name of Shahzadi. I also had a clue that Saman with her brother Shakoor went to Karachi where their relatives worked at the port. I however did not know anything about Faizan except for where he lived before shifting to Ayesha Manzil. He was Hakeem’s cousin and that was all I knew about him. He had killed Hakeem and stole all my gold. He was on the run. More the time passes, farther he would get away from me. He therefore became my first priority. I searched all his leftover belongings and found nothing worthwhile which could lead me as to his likely hiding place. I sat down and contemplated. I knew he left early in the morning. The nearest destination to my home was the railway station. I spent next few days asking every person who worked at the railway station if they had seen anyone resembling Faizan. I checked from all tangabans, hawkers, stall owners, loaders, gate keeper, guards, ticket sellers etc., but did not find any clue. Then I decided to go to the place where he lived before shifting to my home.

I went to his old house. He lived there on rent. The landlord told me that Faizan hired the said house about three years back after he got married. He belonged to Fazilka. I already had this information. I was aware that going back to Fazilka with family was not a safe option. It was the end of 1947 and the anti-Muslim riots especially in India continued unabated. Although I suspected that he might have left the gold at his native place because he had come back to Ayesha Manzil empty handed. It meant that he had come to take his family. He would probably leave them at some safe place and then go back to Fazilka and bring the gold. I was thinking on the same lines and was a little disappointed when the landlord told me one more thing which increased my heartbeat. He said that once some relative of Faizan had come to meet him from Shekhupura. The landlord had also met him as this person stayed for couple of days with Faizan. His name was Hamid Ali and he did business of scrap. He had come to Lahore to find a buyer. It was a good lead which I got after wasting almost a week at the railway station. Time was running fast. I made up my mind that if I failed to find Faizan in Shekhupura then I will straight away go to find Shahzadi. Her village was near Qasoor city. Right now I was trying to focus on Faizan.

Shekhupura is about 40 KMs from Lahore, It was founded by Mughal Emperor Jehangir in 17^th century. I was taught about the history of Muslim rulers in India during my stay at Noor Mahal. I thought about the current scenario and reached to a conclusion that Faizan might have gone to Shekhupura to leave his family there temporarily. It was a needle in haystack and I had to grab it. I came back to Ayesha Manzil. I had two refugee families still residing there in my servant quarters. One family consisted of an old man and his wife. They did not want anything from government but still I got them registered at the main refugee camp. They opted to stay with me instead of the camp. I happily accepted them back. The old man’s name was Fazal Hussain but everybody called him Fazlo Baba. He started looking after the garden and the gate whereas his wife kept the things tidy in the house. She was older than my mother but gave her a good company. The other family was a mother with her two young children. Her husband was killed while saving them but provided them with an opportunity to escape from the Sikh attack on their train near Wagha. Her name was Sakina. She looked after the kitchen and helped Fazlo Baba’s wife in keeping the house neat and tidy. I had plans of sending Sakina’s children to school after settling down of the situation.

After getting the lead from Faizan’s landlord, I came back to Ayesha Manzil and made Fazlo Baba in charge of the things. I told him that I am going to someplace which may take few days for me to return. Even if it took longer, I told him where the money was kept in the house. My mother never asked me anything. I told her that I will be back soon. She just kept looking at me. Next morning, I sent Fazlo Baba to get a tanga which took me to the bus station. I found a bus to Shekhupura and boarded it in time to depart for its destination. The bus took about one and half hour to reach there and it was not difficult to find the scrap dealer Hamid Ali. I met him at his place of business which was filled with all type of metal, wood, plastic and cardboard scrap. The place was stinking like anything. I had to bear it for a while. I introduced myself as a scrap buyer from Lahore. He saw me with doubt as my age did not correspond to my business but my physique was good enough for him to believe in me. I even displayed him the money which I was carrying and his eyes literally popped out of its sockets. I gave him some advance and told him to get this whole scrap loaded in next few days and bring it to my place in Lahore. I gave him a fake address. I also told him that I needed a place to stay for one night as I have few more errands for next day. He happily offered me to stay at his house. It was about 2 pm when he took me to his place for lunch. We had food and then I acted as I needed a nap. He told me to take rest in the baithak. He went back to his shops. It provided me with a golden chance to go inside his house. We were served food by some women who never came in the room. There was also sound of some small child in the house. I still needed more information to plan ahead. I therefore went to the door which opened in the house and found it locked from other side. I knocked on it couple of times and then heard a female voice, “what do you want…?”

I replied instantly, “Can I get some tea.”

The female voice said, “Hamid Ali will be back soon and then you can have tea with him.” 

“I have severe headache.  Please make me a cup of tea.” I said in a begging tone.

“Hamid Ali had told me not to open this door.” She replied back and started to walk back. I heard her footsteps going away and knocked again and said more pleadingly:

“Please listen to me. I will pay you 5 rupees and Hamid Ali will never know about it.”

There was no response from the other side. Ten minutes passed and I started planning to forcefully enter in the house. The door was quite strong and will not break. I was thinking of going out and climb the wall but doing so in the broad day light would be risky. I was still standing at the door when it got opened and a lovely hand holding a mug full of tea appeared from other side.

“Here is your tea. Give me the money.” She said in a whispering voice.

I took the mug while touching her hand. She retracted her arm immediately and shut the door. I placed the cup on the table and said, “Here is your money.” She opened the door again and this time she stood right in front of me extending her right hand to get the money. I was not at all surprised to see her. She was though mesmerized to see me. She knew me well. She was Faizan’s wife. Before she could realize and turn back, I got hold of her arm and dragged her in the baithak. I put my other hand on her mouth and told her to remain quiet or I will kill her and her kid. She obliged and stopped resisting. I tied her hands at the back with her own dupatta.

“Where is Faizan.” I asked her in a blistering voice while holding my knife to her throat.

“I swear, I don’t know. After he came back from where you had sent him, he brought us here and told us that he has some urgent piece of work. He told us to stay here till he comes back. I suspected that something was not right but he did not tell me anything. Hamid Ali was very pleased to keep us here as he always had a liking for me. His wife is sick and he needed some attendant too.” She told me in one breath.

“Who else is here in this house?” I asked her in the same tone.

“It’s only Hamid Ali’s wife, me and my one small child. There is nobody else here.” She replied instantly. She was a beautiful woman and was at the peak of her youthfulness but her face had turned pale. Her eyes were wide open. She was terrified. She had started crying too. I was still thinking as to what to do next.

“What did Faizan do? Why are you looking for him?” It was her time to ask.

“Faizan killed Hakeem and took all my gold.” I dropped the bombshell.

Expressions on her face changed from fear to disgust. She stopped crying. Then she looked at me and said:

“I knew something was not right when he woke us up before the dawn and took us out of your house. I asked him several times but he did not tell me the truth. He however hinted once that our good days have started. So this is what he meant from good days. I hate him now more than I hated him before. I bore his child but never liked his greedy nature. I will do whatever you will tell me to do. I will fully cooperate with you.”

I remained quiet and freed her hands. She cleaned tears from her face and said:

“You gave us shelter and food and he betrayed you. He killed his own blood for gold. I will never forgive him. You just wait here. I will bring my child and go with you wherever you will take us.”

I had a plan to keep Faizan’s family hostage here and wait for him to come back with the gold. It was though a risky affair. Keeping Faizan’s family in the house was not a problem but holding back Hamid Ali for indefinite amount of time in his own house could bring suspicion. I immediately thought of an alternative plan. Now since, Faizan’s wife was cooperating with me I thought of taking them back to Ayesha Manzil.

It was only after one week that Faizan walked back into Ayesha Manzil with a bag full of my gold. He begged for my forgiveness and asked me to give him back his wife and child. He had killed my friend and took my gold. I was not a man of forgiveness yet I took the gold and let his wife decide about his fate. She was standing right beside me when from nowhere she took out a knife and pierced it though his heart.

“This is what you deserve. You killed my brother and I have taken his revenge. You must go to hell now.” She said in a hysterical voice.

It was only then that I came to know that she was Hakeem’s little sister. He had never told me about her. What else did he keep secret from me? Only the time will tell. Her name was Kalsoom and now I had to take care of her.

(Continued…..)

Black Magic – Part 15

I dug two graves in the backyard of Ayesha Manzil. Fazlo baba and Kalsoom helped me in the process. In the first grave, we disposed of the body of Faizan. We used the second grave for hiding of the gold bag. I was amazed at the courage and nerve of Kalsoom. Faizan was her husband. She was forcefully married to him. Hakeem had no say in it as he was already living away from his family due to some dispute with his four brothers. Kalsoom was Hakeem’s sister and so I gave her Hakeem’s room in the haveli. She was a little older than me. Everyone knew what had happened but opted to remain quiet. I talked to Sakina and explained to her the situation. She was terrified as she had already seen his husband being killed by the Sikh mob near Wagha. I offered her a safe exit and some money if she wants to leave but she opted to stay. My mother as usual said nothing.

The next task on my priority list was to go and look for Shahzadi. However I stayed back for six months. I thought that Faizan might have told Hamid Ali in Shekhupura that he was going to Ayesha Manzil to get his wife back. I was expecting Hamid Ali to come looking for him. Kalsoom told me that Faizan has three brothers back in Fazilka who might suspect that something is wrong. Six months passed but nobody came. The border had also been closed. Faizan’s absence from scene may create some doubts but for the time being everything was normal. Lahore city was flooded with refugees. There were still Hindu influential in the city waiting for suitable buyers of their property. I consulted with Fazlo Baba and bought few shops and couple of houses around Ayesha Manzil and rented these out. I gave the charge of these properties to Fazlo baba who hired two local guys to help him. I personally vetted these guys and allowed them to stay in the servant quarter. They would help Fazlo Baba in maintenance of my properties and in addition worked as sentries in the Ayesha Manzil. My enemies were suddenly increasing and I needed guards at my house that could look after the inhabitants of Ayesha Manzil especially in my absence. It was now time to pay a visit to Shahzadi’s village near Kasur.

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Kasur is located in the south of Lahore at a distance of about 50 KMs. Shahzadi’s village was Gandda Singhwala which was situated on Kasur-Firozpur road on Bambanwala-Ravi-Bedian Canal or commonly known as BRB Canal. This canal was constructed during the British raj. BRB canal originates from Upper Chenab Canal near the village Bambanwala and passes through Daska and east side of Lahore and terminates at the Sutlaj River. I had spent one week with Shahzadi in the Hakeem’s village before going to Ajmer Sharif. She had narrated me so many beautiful memories related to this canal where she used to sit with her friends and spend the hot summer days. I reached Kasur city by midday and decided to stay the night there before going to Shahzadi’s village. The border on Kasur-Firozpur road was also closed. There had been a sudden drop in the availability of transportation as most of the buses belonging to Hindu community had gone across the border. The only bus to Firozpur border was to leave in the morning at seven. Gandda Singwala was about two hour ride from Kasur. I reached there before 9. The village consisted of not more than 100 houses at that time. These houses were all situated together and were surrounded by vast fields. I could see BRB canal and thought of Shahzadi brought smile to my face. I did not want to raise any suspicion therefore I had come with a plan. I adopted the cover of a government representative doing survey of refugees in the area and any damage caused to the local inhabitants or properties. I was guided by one farmer to the Chaudhry’s house which was prominently located on far side of the village. I walked into the sitting area of the house with a procession of young boys and girls. I was carrying couple of registers and was wearing a Jinnah cap on my head. In the meantime, I was served with salty lasi. Chaudhry Yaseen came to see me after a while. He was an old man who had a wrinkled face filled with sadness and grief. He was accompanied by his two guards and a munshi. I introduced myself from the newly formed refugee survey department and inquired about any refugee in the village. I was told that there were a lot of refugee families in the beginning but few months back they all moved to Lahore for registration. Then I asked a question which silenced the whole gathering:

“Is there any causality in the village due to partition?”

There was a long pause before Chaudhry Yaseen started talking with utmost pain in his voice:

“This village contained most of the Muslim families. There were few Sikhs whom we allowed safe exit. No bloodshed occurred here but many of our beloved family members have gone missing. Last year, Master Jamil with his wife and daughter went to Ajmer Sharif on train from Fazilka but never returned back. Master Jamil’s daughter was engaged to my son Hashmat Khan. One whole month passed but there was no sign of Master Jamil or his family. We were getting reports of attacks on Muslims. My son Hashmat Khan gathered ten best men from the village and went out looking for them. It has been now over eight months. We don’t know what happened to Master Jamil or to my son and ten other men of my village. I beg you to please help us find our missing people. I am sure they must be alive.”

Chaudhry Yaseen literally had tears in his eyes. Everyone was saddened. The whole environment had turned gloomy. Hashmat Khan had taken ten men from the village with him and none of them had returned back. It was a little weird. I promised Chaudhry Yaseen that I will inform the appropriate authorities to look out for his son and her fiancée. I could not tell him that Master Jamil and his wife were killed in the train by Kamal Khan soon after they had left Fazilka. I had saved Shahzadi with the help of Hakeem. Shahzadi was taken away by Hashmat Khan from Hakeem’s village and they headed back to here. Something had happened in between that none of them reached back here. I decided to go there and look for them.

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I did not want to return to Lahore and waste more time. I told Chaudhry Yasin that I need a ride to Firozepur border as I have to collect some data from there as well. He gave me a horse and again begged me to look for his son. I promised him that I will do that. After consuming lunch with Chaudhry Yaseen, I started my journey to Ferozepur border which was about 15 KMs from the village. I reached there before the night fall. There was military check post which stopped me from going across but I pretended to be a Hindu and explained to them that my relatives live just across the border. Although there were numerous small tracks leading onto the other side but I wanted to remain on the main road. There was no well defined line or fence at that time which can indicate the border alignment. With some convincing, I was allowed to go across. There was a military check post on the other side also. I told them the same story and they also allowed me to go. It was about dark when I entered the city of Ferozepur. There was silence everywhere. The city looked like a ghost town. It was a Muslim majority area forcefully given to India. Most of the Muslim families here did not want to leave and hence were executed and their houses were burnt. Those who left were looted on roads and killed. I was riding on my horse passing through the deserted streets of Firozepur when I spotted the bus stand. A small cabin at its entrance was lightened and I approached it carefully. I looked around and got down from my horse. There were few buses parked in the stand but there was no sign of any human there. I knocked on door of the cabin and it got opened immediately. There was an old man who welcomed me with open hands. He was perhaps glad to see another human being. I told him that I have to go to Fazilka. He told me that presently there is no bus going anywhere due to shortage of passengers and non availability of fuel. I told him that I will give him my horse and some money if he arranged for my transportation to Fazilka. He thought for a while and then said that he knows a bus driver who lives nearby. His bus is parked here. He will go and talk to him.

Fazilka is about 100 KMs from Firozepur. I was the only passenger in the bus which almost took four hours to reach there. It was a bumpy ride yet we reached there safe and sound. The bus driver dropped me at the bus station and immediately returned back to Firozepur. Fazilka was as crowded as I had seen it first time about eight months back. I had come back to this city with Hakeem while going to Bahawalpur. It was my third visit here. I could see the railway station building from where I was standing. It reminded me of my train ride with Shahzadi and her family. I was then going to Ajmer Sharif to kill my own father but now I had returned here to find Shahzadi and Hashmat Khan. I spent next one month looking for them. I went back to Hakeem’s village and was devastated to find Hakeem’s remains in the crater which we both had dug to hide the gold. Faizan had killed him but eventually he met his fate. Hakeem’s sister Kalsoom was now at my home.

My untiring search finally provided me with a lead. I knew Hashmat Khan was moving with Shahzadi and ten guards. How is it possible that they disappeared without a trace. I went to all the neighboring places of Hakeem’s village and inquired from every living soul about this group. An old man in the adjoining town told me that this group of men with one girl had come to spend the night in the small hotel of the town. This old man worked in that hotel which was later destroyed and its owner was killed. The old man further told me that the hotel owner arranged a lorry for these people which took them next morning to Firozepur. The old man remembered exactly that the lorry driver returned on next day and told the hotel owner that his vehicle developed some problem so he stayed the night at Firozepur. I got the name and address of the driver who lived nearby. The driver with a little persuasion of money told me that he had dropped the group at Firozepur bus station and then returned back home on the same day.

While I was trying to spend that sleepless night in that forsaken town that something stuck in my mind and I jumped of the bed. The driver was not telling the truth. Is he hiding something? I had to find it out. It was middle of the night and I thought it appropriate to interrogate the driver again with the help of knife instead of money. As I got up from the bed, my head started spinning. My feet lost ground. I fell down and my whole body started jerking intensely. I was unable to think of anything. The image of my father appeared in front of my eyes before I passed out completely.                          

(Continued…..)

Black Magic – Part 16

I woke up after three days. My whole body was swollen. I could not get up from the bed at my own or even take a single step without support. The same old man who worked at the hotel was looking after me. I took complete one month to recover. The old man told me that I got unconscious in the hotel where I was staying the night. He was the only one in the town who knew me a little so he brought me to his home. According to his know how, I was possessed by some evil spirit. I knew the reason of my condition. It was the first attack of my disease. I had been told by my father that I will start having its episodes at the age of twenty. He was right but I so desired him to be wrong with regard to its treatment. I did not want to consume blood and become a monster myself. I also knew that if I did not treat this disease in time then its attacks will become more and more frequent, and I will eventually be unable to get up from the bed. That will be the end of my life.

I had tasked Hakeem to find out cure of my disease. He did his research and had told me once that there is probably some blockage in my brain nerves. The blood supply to brain stops temporarily which knocks me out of my senses. The blood supply resumes after a while but the damage done to my brain is permanent. It may be negligible in the beginning but as the time passes and duration of my strokes increase, then I may have irrecoverable brain damage. He told me that he had read about this disease during his research. No cure has yet been discovered for this disease. “But how come my father and grandfather got well after drinking blood,” I asked him. He did not have an answer to it but he told me another solution which may prevent me from turning into a beast. “You should try black magic,” he said looking away from me. I was a man of science and medicine. The solution given by him was unrealistic. But then magic can do wonders. I must have had some experience himself but I did not get time to know about the details.

Surprisingly, I still had all my valuables. I gave some money to the old man and asked him to check about the lorry driver who had taken Hashmat Khan and party to Firozepur. The old man brought me the news that the driver is missing since my arrival here. “He is a Sikh and he belongs to a neighboring village. He lives in this town and earns his livelihood by driving the lorry. He must have gone back to his village,” old man told me calmly. He did not suspect anything wrong but I knew there was nothing right here. I suspected that the Sikh driver must have taken the whole group to his village where Hashmat Khan and his group might have been killed along with Shahzadi. I was not sure about it therefore I had to verify it. There did not seem any other plausible reason for the missing of whole group. The old man warned me not to go the driver’s village as the whole village belongs to the Sikh butchers.

As I approached the village, it was almost mid night. There seemed some movement near the fields. I carefully got close to the place. It was a mud and straw hut under some trees and a man was sitting outside having a watch on the water distribution point. He saw me too and thought that I was someone from the neighboring village who had come to steal the water. He got up and took out his karpan. I however disappeared behind the fields. He kept looking for me here and there. He returned to his post after a while only to find me sitting at his charpoy. From his movements, I had inferred that he was an old man. Therefore I did not bother to hide from him. “Sit down quietly or else I will slit your throat,” I told him in a cold voice and all his energy got drained in a second. He sat down on ground and looked at me puzzlingly. There was enough moonlight to judge his face expressions. “What do you want?” He said calmingly. He was old but was wise to understand that he can’t win a fight with me. “I am here looking for Surdeep Singh. He is a lorry driver,” I asked him. “I know him well but what do you want from him?” He questioned me instead. “Listen old man, you will answer my straight questions or this will be your last night,” I got up from the charpoy and took my knife out. He also got up from ground. He was holding a karpan but he knew well that he is no match to me.

He assessed the situation and then said frustratingly:

“Ok, tell me what do you want to know and then get the hell out of here?”             

“Surdeep had brought a group of 11 Muslim men and a woman to this village in his lorry about eight months ago. I want to know what happened to them.” I threw a blind arrow and it hit the bull.

“We killed all the men. We cut their throats. We sliced their bodies into small pieces and fed them to our dogs.” He said in a chilly voice which froze me. “You can kill me now,” he said in such a deadly voice that it brought me back to senses. “What did you do to the woman?” I still had a hope for Shahzadi. “Do you really want to know?” He was now enjoying my condition. In a flash, I snatched his karpan and put my knife on his throat. He started laughing like a crazy person. Then he paused and said while looking straight into my eyes, “We raped her first and then we cut her throat. And then we sliced her body into small pieces and fed her to our dogs.”   

I regretted the moment when I had decided to come to this damn place. I was so disgusted and sickened that I started vomiting. The old Sikh was still laughing when I put my knife in his heart. I then cut his throat, sliced his body into small pieces and left him for dogs. I could hear sounds of hounds and hyenas when I started walking towards the road leading to Firozepur. I had made up my mind to come back here one day and give the justice to Shahzadi’s killers.

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 I reached back to my home but it took me another six months to recover from the trauma. It was a cold winter morning of 1951 when I came out of my room and walked into the lawn. Fazlo baba had turned it into beautiful garden. He was managing the things well. He had hired couple of more people including a gardener, a driver and a cook. There was good earning from the shops and houses which I had bought, and he was utilizing it appropriately to run daily expenses of Ayesha Manzil. I was talking a walk around when Fazlo baba appeared from nowhere. “Welcome back,” he said smilingly. I smiled back at him. He knew I must have suffered some big loss but did not ask me anything. “I can see that you are taking good care of the house,” I said in an appreciating tone. “You are just like my son, and this is my house too. Isn’t it?” He asked looking into my eyes. “Yes, of course,” I held his hand and said reassuringly. And then I said: “Fazlo Baba, I trust you with all my life. I would soon be going away and you know where everything is hidden. Please take care of my mother if I don’t return this time.” Fazlo Baba hugged me and kissed me on my forehead.

I had to find the cure of my disease before it damages me permanently. Hakeem had told me that besides drinking blood, the only other option left with me was to turn to black magic. The last six months which I spent locked in my room were enough to contemplate on the situation. Nothing remained of any interest to me. My mother regularly came to feed me and Kalsoom cleaned my room. She was a beautiful woman but what happened to Shahzadi repulsed every good thought I tried to have. I knew I will not be alright again till I destroy the whole village of Surdeep but I could not do it alone. I had to kill Nawab Sadiq too and I was too helpless to do it. I had to defeat my disease and the only solution which kept coming to my mind was in some super natural powers. The only person I knew who possessed these powers was Nazir Bux. I had seen so many magical things performed by him that I was convinced that he is the right person to solve all my problems.      

*******************

Nazir Bux proved to be a hard nut to crack. But I had my own way of convincing. He eventually taught me many spells like changing shapes, disappearing, reading and controlling the minds of people, communicating with animals, flying and various other real magic stuff. The only thing he could not do was to treat my disease which was causing great damage to my brain. I stayed for two years with Nazir Bux and had a total of four episodes of attacks. These weakened me a lot. I could fly and disappear but was hardly able to walk. Nazir Bux then referred me to his master who lived in Bengal. Nazir Bux went and talked to him but he refused to see me. He had seen my future. I was a monster to him who must be killed instead of helping me to get stronger. He also scolded Nazir Bux for having taught me few magic spells. Nazir Bux came back and was highly depressed. His normal face was freaky but his depressed face turned funny. I gave him assurance that I will never use these spells to harm anyone. Then I returned home to Ayesha Manzil and found everything as I had left it two years ago. Fazlo Baba was a good administrator. He had kept everything uptight. Instead of spending my cash reserve, he had saved a lot from the earning of shops and houses which we had bought around the haveli. He had also increased his helping staff. Everyone else there including my mother and Kalsoom were happy to see me. My mother got me married to Kalsoom who looked after me well. The disease was however killing me fast. I had to find a cure or start drinking blood. Kalsoom knew about an old man back in her native place who had taught medicine to Hakeem. He was a kind of wizard to her. Hakeem had never told me about him. One night when we were planning to go back to Fazilka that I suffered another attack. Instantly my eyes turned upward and my body started jolting. I knew it was the strongest of attacks. I was unable to see anything but I could hear screams of Kalsoom. I knew something was seriously wrong. It however turned out to be my last fits attack. Kalsoom could not see me suffering and had fed me her blood. I was a monster now who constantly needed blood.  (Continued……)

Black Magic – Part 17

Kalsoom had fed me her blood. I was a beast now. She kept on feeding me till I got better. After two weeks I was standing on my feet. I was feeling strong but was unable to go out in the sun. The sunlight burnt my skin. I was constantly fighting with my soul. I had thought of asking Kalsoom as to why she did such a gruesome thing but she did what every good wife would have done for her beloved husband. I stopped drinking blood when I got up from the bed. I was alright for few months but then I started feeling sick again. It was not the fits but I was having constant mild strokes. It was a reminder to keep drinking blood. Now I had tasked Fazlo Baba to arrange animal blood for me. I knew my grandfather had been surviving on it. It took me longer to recover but I was on my feet again. The cycle continued till I got fed up with it. Earlier, I had fits attacks every six months but its frequency was now decreasing. The real fits attack had diminished. But as soon as I try to quit drinking blood, I start having strokes. It was a vicious cycle. It was now becoming beyond worrisome. I knew I would soon be needing human blood to survive.

One year passed like hell. I had not stepped out of Ayesha Manzil. I could walk a bit and knew all the magic spells taught to me by Nazir Bux. I had written all the spells in my secret diary which I kept hidden. Not even Kalsoom or Fazlo Baba knew about its existence. One evening, I was sitting in the garden with Kalsoom. Her son from Faizan was now about 4 years old. He was playing with a cat which I had not seen before in the house. It was black in color and had red eyes. My cautious nature alerted me about something wrong. I called the nearby gate guard and asked him to call the Fazlo Baba. The cat would look at me after every few seconds and it sent the chills down my spine. I did not want to scare the boy and therefore I let him play with the cat. I saw Fazlo Baba coming from a distance. I got up and walked up to him. Kalsoom kept sitting and said nothing. “Does this black cat belong to this house?” I asked Fazlo Baba while pointing to the cat with my eyes. He looked at it unsuspiciously and said in a whispering tone, “I saw it today in the morning for the first time.” I told him to get rid of it after we go inside. He nodded and turned back.

Next day, I saw the black cat again. Fazlo Baba told me that he and his team of four men, two women and three children failed to get hold of the cat. He even tried poisoned meat but the cat did not eat it. Anyhow, I asked Kalsoom to keep the boy away from this cat. I became more cautious and started sleeping in a protective circle which Nazir Bux had taught me to draw whenever I sense danger. I was able to defend myself when I was awake but I needed to be safe while I was sick or when I was sleeping. Then it happened which I had suspected. I was sleeping alone in my bedroom when one night I got up and felt myself suspended in air. Initially I felt scared but I had experienced worse. I knew I was in the protective circle and nobody can hurt me physically. I only had to keep my wits in control and take deep breaths. I closed my eyes and starting feeling normal. I opened my eyes and found myself on the bed again. Then I saw two black cats walking on the side walls. They were trying to get to the ceiling but were unable to do so. I could disappear but I wanted to see who was behind all this. My protective circle was strong enough to keep them away from me. Both the cats then came down on the floor and turned into humans. Kalsoom always kept the night lamp on in my room. She still slept in Hakeem’s room with her son and never bothered me without my consent. My room door was closed. I was now able to see both the individuals. A smile appeared on my lips. It was Nazir Bux with some another weirdo. I sat up on my bed and said, “What are you doing here Nazir Bux and who is this other person?”

Nazir Bux kept standing quietly. He was in fact trying to hide behind the other person. The stranger spoke in a strange freaky voice:

“My name is Shamshar. I am a jinn. I have been sent by the master of Nazir Bux. I have come all the way from Bengal. I was tasked to kill you.”

My heartbeat was now raised. I knew I was safe in this protective circle but my family was out in the open. He could harm them or even blackmail me to come out from the safety of circle. I was still thinking on these lines when Shamshar spoke again:

“Nazir Bux has taught you some dangerous spells without the permission of grand master. The grand master is worried that since you have turned into a beast so you can use these spells to harm people. But I have noticed that you don’t even use them at all. I have observed you for over two months. You could have extracted so many benefits by using those spells. You can get any woman in the world. You can steal any amount of money. You can kill your enemies in an instant. But I noticed that you have not used those spells at all.”

He kept quiet and it was my time to speak, “I did not learn those spells to get any physical benefits. Yes, I have a woman to look for. Yes, I have some enemies to destroy but my sole purpose of learning the magic was to heal myself. You must have seen my condition when I undergo the fits attack. Up till now I have been drinking animal blood to get better. The only human blood I have ever tasted is that of my wife. I want to get better and do good to this humanity. I want you to please request the grand master to help me. I will forever remain in debt to him.”

Nazir Bux was still hiding behind Shamshar, “I have begged the grandmaster on your behalf. He has stripped me off all my powers and sent this creature to kill you. I had told him of your good nature and that you will not do any harm to humanity. He did not believe me but he has now seen it with his own eyes and I am sure he will go back and……”

Nazir Bux had not completed his sentence when both of them disappeared. The lamp turned off. There was a pitch darkness in the room when I felt somebody’s presence behind me. All my senses heightened. A chilly cold wave froze the sweat on my forehead. I considered of running out of the room. But then I thought that I am in the protective circle. I should stay here. It must be the jinn who is forcing me to get out of the safety of this circle. And then my body got lifted in air and I was thrown away from the bed. I closed my eyes for a second and prepared for the worst. Nothing happened next. I opened my eyes and found myself in an entirely different world. It was a big empty hall. There were fireplaces which were burning fast. I got up from the floor and started looking around when the main door of the hall opened. There he was, the grandmaster. I inferred it from his appearance. He was a tall and lean man. His thin long white beard was neatly combed and tied with bands. His head was shaved. His long snowy mustache was hiding his mouth completely. He had the same red flared eyes which Nazir Bux possessed and which Shamshar had. He walked up to me. My feet were stuck on the floor. He came closer and said, “So, you are the beast. I have been told that you drink blood and know some of my spells. I have also been told that you are a good person and want to treat your illness.” I wanted to beg him to teach me more magic. I wanted to beg him to teach me to heal my sickness. My tongue could not move. I was literally frozen. He then looked at me amusingly and said, “I will help you but then you will give me next fifty years of your life. You will be my slave. You will do whatever I will ask you to do. Do you agree to this deal?”

I was now shaken badly. The grandmaster seemed to be a good person. He ensured that I don’t harm anyone with the magic I learnt from Nazir Bux and now he is asking me to be his slave and do whatever he will tell me to do for next fifty years. It was tricky situation. I had to decide now. “Should I get myself treated or not?” But what will be left of mine. I will have to serve the grandmaster for almost entire my remaining life. He turned and started walking away when I spoke, “I wanted to meet you and beg you personally to heal me. But I am highly disappointed after listening to your part of the deal. I don’t want to get better and then become your slave.” He stopped for a second, and I talked again, “You have my answer now. Please send me back to my place.” Perhaps I was talking too much. He might hurt me or keep me his prisoner forever. No one will ever know about me.

In the next instant, I was back in my room of Ayesha Manzil. There was no sign of the protective circle. I was thinking of what to do next when the jinn appeared again. I looked up at him and asked, “What do you want from me now. I have told your grandmaster that I don’t accept his deal.” It was the day time and suddenly Kalsoom walked up in the room. She was accompanied by Sakina. They both had heard me talking with someone in the room and had come to inquire about the same. I told them to go back their rooms and leave me alone. They were not able to see the jinn. They looked puzzled but left abruptly. After they left, Shamshar spoke, “Grandmaster asked me to help you.” Ignoring all the dangers, I replied, “I am not willing to spend rest of my life as a slave.”

Shamshar spoke, “It was only your test. Grandmaster wanted to see that to what extent you are willing to go to learn the magic. The grandmaster has sent me to help you without any conditionality.”

I suddenly felt so contended. All my plans were about to materialize. I could once again explore the world. I will find Saman and I will take her to every corner of the world. I will help humanity. I will treat the sick people and I will carry the legacy of Hakeem to the farthest extents. I had to take care of Hakeem’s sister as well. Kalsoom was married to me as a necessity but she instead took good care of me. She had dreams too. I was thinking about her when I felt her cold soft hand on my burning forehead. I opened my eyes. She was looking prettier than ever. Her flowery lips touched my forehead. She then whispered in my left ear, “Shah Gee, I am pregnant.” It was the news every father wants to hear with a pleasant surprise. However my eyes got darkened. My heart sank. I knew my child will carry my gene and my disease. I did not want my child to suffer like me. Then I thought of the conversation I was having with the jinn. A ray of hope emerged. I could see light at end of the tunnel. But where has Shamshar gone? “Was I day dreaming?” I asked myself and closed my eyes again.                              

      

 (Continued……)

Black Magic – Part 18

Next morning, I woke up alone in my bedroom. Kalsoom must have left after I fell asleep. She sleeps in a separate room with her child. I thought of her and I suddenly remembered the news she gave me before I went to sleep. I was becoming father and then I also remembered my last night conversation with Shamshar before Kalsoom had walked into the room. I was still wondering whether that was real or had I imagined it, the door opened and my mother walked into the room. She had entered in my room for the very first time. We seldom had any conversation. I respected her from the core of my heart. I tried to get up from my bed when she spoke, “Keep on lying. You don’t seem well. You have not been well since you returned from Ajmer Sharif.” She sat on my bed side and continued, “You don’t talk to me much. I can understand that you are angry with me because I did not tell you about your real father. Now you are about to become father yourself. I came here to congratulate you but I am worried that your child may get sick too.” I was still quiet and thinking what to say when she held my hand and said, “I know about the strange creatures that walk in this house. I have seen them before too. Are they here to hurt you?” She had spent a lot of time in Noor Mehal and must have seen Nazir Bux or Shamshar before. Although they roam around in the form of cats but my mother was not that simple a lady as I considered her to be. However I needed to console her, “Mother, they are my friends and they are here to help me.” It was now my time to speak, “And I love you mother more than you can imagine. I was willing to destroy Nawab Sadiq if he had hurt you a bit and I will take revenge of my grandfather from him. It is none of your fault if I am sick. I will take care of you and look after you as long as I am alive.” She kissed on my forehead and walked out of the room as Kalsoom stepped in with my usual breakfast tray. Kalsoom paid respect to her mother in law who in turn greeted her with a smile. I was happy that they both were getting along very well.

One week had passed and I did not see Shamshar again. I had started planning to pay another visit to Nazir Bux when I saw the black cat. That night, Shamshar appeared in my room again and asked me to accompany him to the back yard of the haveli. I did not ask any question and started walking in front of him. I got out of the backdoor of kitchen and passed through a line of four quarters. Fazlo Baba saw me going to back area with a strange man. He was standing outside his quarter with the gardener. He looked me in the eye and inquired if everything was alright. I nodded with my head and went past him to the dark area. Shamshar followed me quietly. Pointing to one of the grave, Shamshar asked, ‘Whose grave is that?” There were two graves there and he was pointing to the grave of Kalsoom’s husband. I asked Shamshar, “Why are you inquiring about the grave?” It was dark there yet I could see his red flared eyes. “You will have to remain in this grave for 40 days,” His answer baffled me. “What!” That was my natural reaction. “Now tell me whose grave is that?” He was again pointing to Faizan’s grave. I then told him the entire story of how Faizan betrayed me and his wife and how he killed his cousin Hakeem to steal my gold. I also told him as to how Faizan was killed and that we buried him here. Shamshar started walking back, and this time I followed him quietly.

Next few days were spent in preparing me for spending 40 freaking days in a grave with the dead Faizan. Shamshar told me that this is the only way to learn to control various creatures like him and then use them appropriately. I asked him, “How is it going to heal my sickness.” He replied, “When you get to control the supernatural powers of this world then you will be able to find solution to your every problem.” I got convinced and was now getting ready to face the same powers when they are not in my control. Shamshar told me that he will keep a small lid open in the grave for flow of oxygen and that will be the only thing I will get in the forty days. He was teaching me how to live without food and water for extended period of time. He taught me how to lower my heartbeat and control the functioning of other internal body organs. Our entire body functions are controlled by sub conscious level of our brain. If we get access to that level then we can instruct our each body organ like heart, lungs, kidney etc to slow down their functioning thereby reducing the requirement of food and water. We also have sufficient body fat to supply requisite amount of energy required for our routine functioning of up to 20 days. If we reduce our routine functioning by half then we can survive for forty days without eating or drinking anything. Shamshar spent next seven days in teaching me to access subconscious level of my brain. I proved to be a good student and finally I was able to consciously regulate the functioning of my internal body organs. In the meantime, Shamshar was feeding me with food which was getting stocked in my body. I was to use it while lying down in the grave with the skeleton of Faizan.

The ordeal began on the darkest night of the moon. I had taken Fazlo Baba in confidence after asking from Shamshar. No one else knew about it. Shamshar and Fazlo Baba dug up the grave. They did not want me to exert. They wanted me to save all my energies for the coming forty days. I had also stopped eating for the last 36 hours to stop having any external body secretions. There was absolutely no place for that kind of stuff in the grave. It was pitch dark when I entered the grave. Shamshar had put stones in the grave to support the walls. He then put a plank over us and started filling the grave with dirt. I was feeling Faizan’s bone pinching into my body but it was least of my worries. After about half an hour of lying down quietly, I opened my eyes. It was pitch dark. I extended my hand above me and touched the upper plank. The sidewalls were about three feet apart. I could not see any hole above me but yet I was able to breathe comfortably. Suddenly I thought of lowering my blood pressure and regulating my internal body functions or else I will die of thirst in this grave. My lips had already started getting dry when I brought my heartbeat to less than half of the normal. I started feeling sleepy.

I don’t know how much time passed when I woke up. This time I was able to see sunlight coming from a small aperture in the roof of the grave right above my chest. I was probably getting oxygen from the same hole. I was barely breathing as my heartbeat was too slow. I started thinking about few spells I had learnt from Nazir Bux which could come handy in case of any trouble and there my mind was completely blank. I could not recall anyone of them. I tried to recall holly verses and I was surprised as I could not remember any of them either. Strangely I could remember few things but was unable to access many. Probably as I got into subconscious level of my brain, my conscious level turned into subconscious. It was a bizarre thought but I exercised self-control and did not panic. Faizon’s Skeleton was lying right next to me and I did not feel anything. The sense of fear had probably become unapproachable to my new conscious. While thinking of how to spend the remaining 39 and half days, I dived into the world of dreams again.

“Stop poking me,” I shouted out loud and opened my eyes. It was total darkness. I took some time to reconcile and then thought over it as to who could poke me in such a forsaken place. “I must have been dreaming,” I talked to myself but I felt the poke again in my ribs. This time the poke was real. All my senses got heightened. It took me some time to take my hand to that place because I was working on a slow body functioning. As my hand reached to that place, I was astonished to realize that there was nothing on my side. I extended my hand to left side and was flustered to feel nothing. “Where is skeleton of Faizan?” I thought to myself and turned my head to left side. The light beam coming in from small hole of the grave was enough to make me realize that I was all alone in this grave now. Shamshar had told me many things to be aware of but I had forgotten most of them. I was making no attempt to access my old conscious level as I was afraid that I may not then be able to control my internal body organs. I can survive without knowing as to what was happening around but I knew for sure that I will die without keeping my body functioning to the current level. The missing skeleton in the grave did not revoke fear or panic in me rather I was surprised a bit. I reduced my heart beat to 20 and went to sleep again.

This time I woke up and found myself out of the grave. I looked around. It was a moon lit night and there were lot of graves there. I started digging up a fresh grave with my bare hands. I tried to control myself and thought of running away from this place but my conscious was probably still out of my reach. Within few minutes, I took out the dead body from grave. I then bit my teeth on the neck of the dead woman and started drinking her blood. Suddenly I found many people standing around me. They started beating me with sticks. “I did not kill her, I did not kill her….,” I was shouting at top of my voice. I was then chained and brought to the court of Nawab Sadiq. Although he looked quite young but I recognized him instantly. I tried to tell him that I have never hurt anyone. I was a sick man who required blood to survive. I only drink animal blood and sometimes excavate dead bodies and drink their blood too. But I had never harmed any living soul. He ordered my execution. Next thing I remember was Nazir Bux mixing some potion into a bowl of blood. He then forced it down my throat. My hands and feet were tied to hooks on wall. I resisted a lot but then I felt my soul leaving the body and flying out of the dungeon. In next moment, I entered back into my body in the grave. I opened my eyes and felt myself lying in the grave. My heart was beating fast. I was breathing heavily. All my internal body organs were functioning at double their normal speed. My throat had dried up. I started feeling thirsty.                                                                      

(Continued……)

Black Magic – Part 19

I think only three days passed and I had already started feeling the thirst. I was still in my subconscious level so I reduced my heartbeat to half. Within minutes, I felt lethargic and went to sleep again. The forty days which I spent in that freakish grave is the hardest time of my life. It was not only physically tormenting but psychologically I was wrecked into pieces. I saw my mother giving birth to me then the next thing I witnessed was the burning of my father by Rehman Baba and Kamal Khan in Ajmer Sharif. I also saw what happened to Shahzadi in Surdeep’s village and I also got a glimpse of Saman sitting on the beach. I would have not survived this ordeal without the help of Shamshair. He had taught me how to control my mind. He had showed me that our mind is the most powerful tool given to us by the nature. We hardly use a small portion of it in our entire life time. The best thing about our brain is that the more we use it, the more active it becomes. While lying down in the grave with Faizan’s skeleton, I learnt about the miracles of mind. In real life, we see what we want to see. Our mind blocks all the negative thoughts or the things we don’t like. What we see is limited by our imagination. What if we imagine to be become invisible, will our physical state abide by our wishes? I learnt from my time in seclusion is that our physical body does not violate the laws of nature. We can however make our soul to travel to the supernatural realm. Soul is nothing physical. It is our consciousness. It is our imagination and our thinking. We can best describe it as our shadow. I learnt to control my mind. It enabled me to do wonders in life. I got answers to every problem and every challenge in the world. I cured my disease by isolating that part of brain which was making it happen. People did not believe me and tried to execute me for my knowledge.

The last few days in the Faizan’s grave were excruciating. The skeleton was back. Its absence was mere my own imagination. I was dug out alive by Fazlo Baba and Shamshair. I had turned into a skeleton myself. Shamshair had applied special ointment on my entire body which kept insects and worms away from me. I fully recovered from this ordeal in six months. Shamshair had long left. Kalsoom took good care of me. I did not have any more epileptic episodes. The day I stepped down from my bed, I felt as having conquered the world. The flashes in my brain were initially too powerful to control but with passage of time I was able to cool down my nerves and exercise patience. I could access and control every bit of my brain. I was able to move things with my thoughts, ignite fire by mere thinking about it, I was able to read other people’s minds and I could travel at the speed of light. Now was the payback time.

I talked to Kalsoom about Saman and she rather encouraged me to go for her search. She knew, I did not any feelings for her. I respected her for being my best friend’s sister. I had agreed to the marriage only on the insistence of my mother. Kalsoom was in 7^th month of pregnancy now and I was anxious to see my child before I go out to take my vengeance. In another two months I was blessed with a beautiful daughter and we named her Shahzadi. It was then that I departed to Surdeep’s village. I could have destroyed the complete village by mere sitting in Lahore but I wanted to see them burn in hell with my own physical eyes. I wanted to smell them rot to ashes. The fire inside me was burning high. I crossed the border at night and was able to reach Surdeep’s village by next evening. I could have traveled fast but I wanted to go their physically. Fazlo Baba did not let me go alone this time. He sent two guards with me. I had told them not to interfere in anything I do or else they will get destroyed themselves. They were only supposed to protect me while I was asleep and I hardly slept during this venture. That night turned out to be the last night for Surdeep’s village. I had not yet leant to forgive. The sun had just set when using my powers I collected each and every person of that village in an open field and rained fire on them. While standing on nearby mound with my guards, I did the most deplorable thing in my life.

Burning down of Surdeep’s village acted as a slippery slope. I never looked back. I destroyed my every enemy including Nawab Sadiq who had fled to England. I reached there as well and he was too scared to face me. I gave him a heart attack and that we enough for him to die. I also found Saman, brought her home and got married to her. Kalsoom was the most active participant in my marriage. I also went to Ajmer Sharif again. Rehman Baba was not glad to see me. He was though skeptical of my claim of having cured my disease. It was there that I learnt about the fate of Mohsin and his family who had opted to stay back after partition. I was really heart broken.

Amazing things I did with my supernatural powers require another life time to describe. At the age of 70, I am hiding in my village near Bahawalpur. My daughter Shahzadi had the same disease. I could not cure her and she died at the age of 25. My mother, Kalsoom and Saman were killed because of my actions. Fazlo Baba also died defending them. I made too many enemies. I destroyed too many people. Some of them had powerful creatures in their control which are hunting me for long. The safest place for me now is a small hut in the desert.        

(The End)             

Written By: Nadeem Alam
Published in Weekly Mag

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