preference delights

A Game Of Shadows

"Fine then," Zarmeena crossed her arms. "Stay tied up like that. I'm not untying you unless you forgive me and accept my Triple T friendship!"

And just like that, the two stubborn fools locked themselves in a battle of wills, neither willing to back down.

They were so immersed in each other that they didn't even notice some unfamiliar steps approaching them.

MALIK VILLAS

Everyone encircled Warda, studying her pensive face while secretly impressed by Zarmeena’s swift actions.

"What should I do? Should I involve the police?" Warda pleaded, looking for their support.

"No, no, no!" Team Avengers screamed in unison, as if rehearsed.

"Aunty Warda, did you forget dash dash dash?" Jawad attempted to remind her of the ransom note.

"Yes, Aunty! Keeping Salaar safe should be our top priority," Sajad added, not just concerned for Salaar but also for his best friend, who was caught in the mess.

"Oh, Amma! What will I do? Where will I go to search for my Salaar? How can I, a weak and helpless woman, possibly do anything?  "Warda lamented dramatically, as if auditioning for an emotional TV drama. She was determined to prove herself to be sweet and innocent Zarmeena’s mother-in-law by portraying herself as weak, fragile, and utterly helpless. Meanwhile, the rest of the world? Nothing but criminals, every single one of them."

"Aunty, don’t worry! This is now Team Avengers’ missionto rescue the already-doomed Malik… I mean, Salaar Malik," Jawad declared, quickly correcting himself as he introduced his newly-formed detective squad.

"Team Avengers? Who are they?" Warda asked skeptically.

"It’s top secret. They don’t reveal their identities but are the best at their job," Dadi Shameen chimed in, siding with Jawad. It was the only way to protect the sweet, innocent girl (Zarmeena) from the weak, helpless woman (Warda). The two must not collideotherwise, the chaos they’d unleash might be worse than an atomic bomb.

"Okay, Amma, please do something! Bring my Salaar back… I don’t know where my child is right now!" Warda sobbed into Dadi Shameen’s arms, and the whole room sighed in relief.

Dadi gently sent Warda back to her portion to rest, allowing the others to strategize.

Once again, Team Avengers gathered around the table, sitting solemnly like world leaders at a crisis summit, determined to prevent the situation from deteriorating any further.

ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE

"There’s good news and bad news," Jawad began, sounding like a seasoned investigator.

"The good news is that the kidnapper is none other than Zarmeena, which means Salaar’s life is perfectly safe."

He paused dramatically before continuing, "The bad news? Well… to pull off this kidnapping, she probably used some questionable methods. And that could cause trouble for her."

"Avenger 2, did Aunty Warda mention where Salaar was last seen?" Jawad asked.

"She said he went to attend an army function. Fahad invited him to a cousin-and-friends party. Later, he stayed at the army rest house," Dadi reported.

"Okay, but Fahad must know where he is now," Sajad reasoned.

"Fahad said Salaar left the army restaurant early in the morning and left a written note for him," Dadi added worriedly.

"Of course! This has Zaro written all over it, she wouldn’t leave a single stone unturned," Ahmed said, beaming with pride for his sister’s efficiency.

"Oh, brother, don’t be so proud of her," Jawad countered sarcastically. "What she did is literally a crime."

"Alright, team, let’s get to work!" Jawad declared, now fully in commander mode.

"Avenger 2, go and dig for more information from Musa."

"Avengers 3 and 4, head to the police station. Gain Constable Naseer’s confidence and find out if any reports have been filed against Zarmeena."

"Avenger 5, stay with Aunty Warda. Officially, you’re there for moral support, but actually, you’re on spy duty. If she tries anything suspicious, report back immediately."

"And I, Avenger 1, will go and talk to Fahad, openly."

"Meeting adjourned!" With that, Team Avengers scattered, each ready to carry out their assigned mission.

JUNKYARD

When Salaar looked up, he saw a face that seemed familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.

"Zarmeena, there's someone behind you," Salaar tried to signal her.

"Oh, these must be my kids bringing food for us," Zarmeena said carelessly. But as she turned around, her expression shifted, softness replaced by hardness, disdain clouding her features.

Salaar pressed his mind, trying to recall where he had seen that face before. And then it hit him, this was the man who had lured Ahmed into addiction, the one who had fled after failing to deliver drugs to him. Before Salaar could think any further, Zarmeena sprang into action. She lunged at the man, slapping him hard across both cheeks, again and again.

"How dare you do something so vile to my brother? I will kill you, you bastard!" Zarmeena screamed hysterically.

Even Salaar, bound tightly by ropes, felt a chill at the fury in her voice. He wanted to stop her, but he was helpless.

With a forceful shove, the man threw Zarmeena to the ground.

"Zarmeena Khan, if you ever pull something like that again, your kids will lose their not-so-innocent lives, one by one," Awais declared, his eyes gleaming with a darkness as deep and consuming as a black hole. "They're all involved. And as for your husband, I’ll kill him and make it look like you kidnapped and murdered him."

A shiver ran down Zarmeena’s spine. Death itself seemed to whisper in her ear. What had started as a prank had turned into the deadliest game of her life, one where she would have to fight to save Salaar and the children, even if it meant sacrificing herself.