CHAPTER 50- FATE~ Farhan 💀

F A R H A N :-

Mina sits back on the couch after attaching the phone cable to the home speaker.

We all sit in silence, hearing the sound of impending heavy rain through the speaker. Which took me took me down on a déjà vu of remembering that day.

"Mama, baba." They both sit straight in surprise hearing his voice.

"My brother Farhan and my little Mina." The voice flows through the room.

I try shake off the goosebumps hearing his voice again.

"I don't know what the future will hold when you all will listen to this recording," his voice fells heavy.

"If we all are listening to this together it means everything went well. But if....if I am not there with you all, there are few things I want to say."

I gulp looking away from teary faces of my parents not knowing if I could handle this.

"It's twenty ninth of December 2015, time two fifty two AM. Here I am Fahad siddque sitting in my car outside my assigned station by the North Sea post. Ready with my proofs and evidences of Emir Gerdezi, tomorrow we have a last hearing. I am going to hide these evidences in my office to keep it secure. It's a small task, I know I would do it in a second. But...but.."

His voice shakes as he sighs.

"I have solved many cases in my job, but tonight....tonight seems different. There is a unknown fear in my heart. Something tells me it's not going to be okay. But I don't believe in all of this, if I did I wouldn't be in this profession, jumping out on any chance to save people without thinking of myself. But as I sit here a tiny part of me wants to back out and go back to my family. It's a tiny part, I would not consider this, because it overgoes my oath. I am reminding myself it's going to be a massive help for those who don't have a family. I am doing it for those, I know..no I believe with all my heart that my family understands me, and will always be with me no matter what."

I look at Mina who silently looked at the speaker as if imagining it's just not the voice but our brother himself.

I get from my seat and walk towards her, she startles when I sit beside her, she cries seeing me and leans her head on my shoulder,

"I prayed few hours ago and I just asked to Allah to help me guide to whatever is best for me, and my city. And I would like to say it to all of you too, whatever happens, consider a test from Allah, it was written. We couldn't have changed that. Try to accept whatever happens and try harder in the future. Don't burden yourself from any guilts, regrets, move on. Move on for something better, something special, past only brings pain."

I hold Mina's hand tighter hearing the shaky voice of our brother.

"Mama, baba, I am sorry if I couldn't be there for you as a son you needed, I am really sorry. You both are the greatest parents anyone could ask for. I am really thankful for yours love, support and appreciation throughout my life. I am sorry if I lead you down, I really love you both."

Mama sobs holding her head and baba comforts her, his own tears evident on his face.

"My siblings, Farhan and Mina, just...just be kind and always help others in need. You both will be beautiful humans, never forget your values and ethics. And my Farhany.."

I look down feeling the swamp of emotions rolling in me.

"Control your anger buddy, you have a good heart, never think any less of you. I have faith in you, you will do great in future. Your good heart will always make you win in future. Start opening your heart a little more, it won't hurt."

Mina squeezes my hand as tears roll down my cheeks.

"My little Mina..you pretty little girl. You are a superstar. Your brothers love you so much. Don't you ever let anyone dim your shine. Be confident and before doing anything be a good human being. In the end what matters is always your family. I love you my little rock star."

"Lastly all I would say is, to me all my life all that mattered was my family. Whatever I do or did was all for you all. I would go to any lengths to save you all, my strength, my power, you all are everything I need. Everything I am doing is for my family. Nothing more nothing less. I hope everything goes well, if it doesn't, don't be sad, just know that I fought, I fought till the last. I fought for my family. Don't dishearten or cry, I know what planned for me by Allah is better than everything."

"I love you all, just know that I never forgot you all, you all are my strength not weakness. Remember that. If Allah wills, we will meet soon Inshallah, till then Allahafiz."

Silence. That's all we could hear in the living room as the recording ends.

No one dared to look up to see each other. I know no one would want to look at each other after hearing the words of someone which we desperately needed to hear.

"What are we waiting for?" Mina nudges my arm, "Let's go." She grabs my hand and drags me to where our parents are seated.

I sit beside mama, and Mina beside baba. Without a second thought, my arms went around my mother as she sobbed on my shoulder.

Mina leaned her head on baba's shoulder, after wiping his tears.

"All these years," baba says looking at the phone, "We were in so much pain, wanting to hear Fahad's voice, anything of him and now we get it. It was right before us."

"And yet we were blind." Mama says.

"No." I say firmly, "It was written by Allah this way, think about it. We didn't opened his room until last night, we needed this closure at this point of our lives. This is all allah's plan, and it wouldn't have delayed for a day or a minute. It's miraculous."

"It really is." Mina agrees, "Who would know better than Allah himself? Bhai recording this, we getting this after so many years, we couldn't change this plan even if we tried to. It really is miraculous."

Mama looks at Mina with a proud smile, "Fahad said right, you both grew to be kind humans and we both are really proud of you both."

"Discreetly, I always asked Allah why he took away my son, but slowly I am realising, as painful as it sounds, it happened for a reason. The pain was insufferable, but look at the compensation, my two kids grew up so strong and kind. It's everything I could ever ask for." Baba says looking at both of us.

"Everything ever important to bhai was us, family. Unity. It's the least we could do." I say wiping my mother's tears.

Baba chuckles shaking his head, "Come here all of you." He spreads his arms wide and bring us closer. "We will protect each other."

"And we will find our other family member too." Mama adds.

"We will." Mina smiles.

"We will." I reply.

****

"Thank you so much for arranging my flight mr. khan, I am really grateful for it." I reply sitting down on my bed.

"No worries, Mr. Siddque, I know how tight security could be, and I perfectly understand the anxiousness of meeting your loved one." He replies.

Mahib khan, who I signed a contract with, contacted me this morning, saying how I mentioned going back to my wife to Ankara, and seeing the security around the airports and roads, he offered me to travel in his rented private plane.

"I am forwarding you the pilot's number, you can leave whenever you want."

"Thank you so much. You don't know how much you've helped me."

"It's the least I could do."

Shortly after our call ended, I silently sat on the bed and stared at the walls.

I reached for my wallet and open it, looking at the letter I kept in,

The cursive yet messy handwriting of my wife, written with so much love, and the feelings described, what could be more memorable than that?

I closed my wallet hearing a knock on my bedroom door, Mina pops her head in,

"Fanaa baji is on the line." She says.

I frown, "What did she say?" I ask following her out of the bedroom,

"She just said to give you the phone." Mina shrugs.

"Alright." I nod, "Where is mama?"

"I gave her migraine pills to her after breakfast, she's sleeping now. Took a lot of stress from last night."

"That's nice," I say reaching near the landline, "Also make a quick run to the office, baba might be stressing over there."

"Be right back." Mina says before going of to the office.

"Hello? Fanaa baji?" I ask picking up the landline,

"Farhan?" She asks frantically.

A pit falls on my gut, "Is- is everything good?"

"Yes, and I need to tell you something important."

"What?" I ask with anticipation.

"Ayesha is safe, I just saw her."

I fall back on the couch, my heart beating erratically, "W-what?"

"Yes it's true!"

I shake my head unbelievably, "Say that again."

She chuckles, "Your wife Ayesha is safe and perfectly fine."

I could feel my eyes water as I chuckle, "How- I mean, how did you found her?"

"It's a long story, but just so you know, she is perfectly fine and doing great, I saw her with my own eyes. Once you get here, I can take you to her."

"She is somewhere safe right?" I confirm, suppressing my joy.

"Yes I can assure you that. Just come back fast and get to your wife."

"I will, I will definitely. Thank you so much Fanaa baji!"

As soon as the call ends up, I get up from the couch and immediately make a run to my room,

"Bhai?" I heard Mina's voice as I step up on the stairs,

I turn to look at her and baba standing in front of the office door,

If my big smile wasn't enough, I exclaim happily, "Ayesha is safe! Fanaa baji found her!"

"What?" Mina jumps excitedly.

"Shukar Alhumdulliah." Baba sighs in relief. "Go thank Allah, Farhan. He answered our prayers."

"On it baba." I say before climbing up the stairs to reach my room.

The first thing I did was to go to the washroom and make wadhu before taking a prayer mat from the side table which I knew Ayesha kept it the last time we were here.

I offer the obligatory prayer to thank Allah and fall in a sujood, again with tears in my eyes. This time I was crying, being thankful to Allah, because he listened to my prayer.

"Ya Allah," I whimper, "I don't know what to say, you are really the merciful, the one who gives, it just took me one prayer. One prayer to get answer to my every question. To my every restless thoughts. Please forgive me for leaving you. I won't do it again. I am really thankful to you Allah, really."

I get up from the sujood, and take out my wallet to look at the letter.

I bring the letter close to my heart and cry holding it, thankful, great full, for everything.

Because now I understand, nothing is more important than your close relations. And leaving your trust on Allah will always result you in best.

***

"I still can't believe how I spend these two days. Felt like decades to me." I say to my mom who sat by my bed, watching me pack my bag.

"Patience always results good my child. And seeing your happiness, makes me happy." She smiles.

I shake my head zipping up the suitcase after keeping the wooden box inside it. My most precious gift.

"Did you observed what happened in these two days?" I ask sitting beside her,

"You tell me."

"All the words bhai said were true, unity is everything. If I were alone dealing with this, I don't what I would've done, but you all were with me, took care of me, stayed with me and worked as a team. If Mina hadn't called Fanaa baji, we wouldn't know about Ayesha. Baba even talked to the mayor about the road clearance, and you mama." I hold her hand,

"Never left my side."

"A mother could never leave her children alone." She says tapping my hand.

"I learned a lot of things in these two days mama." I say caressing her hands.

"And whatever you learned, will you imply it in your life always?"

I nod, "I will try to, but I know I will."

"Stay blessed my child." She kisses my forehead before getting up, "I will go set up lunch."

I watch at the door after she left and fall back on the bed.

I cannot describe how happy I am right now, knowing my wife is safe.

That's all I ever want, her to be always safe with or without me.

Exertion from these past two days and my emotions weigh me down, and I could feel my eyes drifting to sleep.

I was almost knocked out when a voice filtered my mind,

It's twenty ninth of December 2015, time two fifty two AM. Here I am Fahad siddque sitting in my car outside my assigned station by the North Sea post.

I open my eyes, realising he recorded it while sitting outside the police station where we was killed.

Ready with my proofs and evidences of Emir Gerdezi

I sat up on the bed, he had all the proofs ready with him, and out of all the places he choose to keep it in the police station, which possibly could be more dangerous?

He stopped going to his office three months before his death, so what was he doing there? That's practically the most unsafe place considering how he was accused of stealing, then....what was his plan?

I go to his room and look around for anything which could connect me to his idea.

I checked his file closet, his study table but I found nothing which matched with his idea of proofs.

"How could he think his office was the best place?" I mutter to myself.

The police didn't show any interest to his case, because they all were under Emir. They wanted him dead, so they put a little act and closed the case in two weeks saying it was suicide.

I was in grief all those years ago to think all of these but now that I think, things really don't add up.

My phone rings in my pocket as I close my brother's bedroom door.

"Farhan," Bilal says, "Any updates on Ayesha?"

"Ah yes, my cousin found her, she is safe." I answer walking back to my room.

"Really? Uff Alhumdulliah, I am so relieved. Your flight is arranged right? When are you leaving."

"Yes it is, it is later this evening." I reply, my mind still reeling in from confusion.

"That's great....are you okay? Your tone seems off. All good?"

"I don't think so." I sigh,

"Is it related to Ayesha?"

"No not her— where are you? Can we meet?"

"Now that you have mentioned, there is someone who wants to meet you, why don't you came by to my house?"

"All right, I will be there in ten." I reply taking out my jacket and car keys.

****

"He lived here all the time?" I ask stepping up on the stairs,

"Yes," Bilal sighs, "Returning home was too overwhelming for him, so he decided he would stay here."

"That explains your frequent visits to Istanbul." I muse walking along with him on the disinfectant hallway of the hospital.

Bilal nods, "I did not want to make a deal out of it."

"There's never a making a big deal for looking out to your loved one's." I say tapping his shoulder, "Trust me, I learned this."

Bilal sighs stopping in front a door, "You are right, but it still hurts to look at him like this."

I stay quite listening to him. "I hate how life plays, one minute, everything is normal and the next, you are trying to find a normal in these hospital walls."

"Don't say like that." I concise, "My mom always told me that Allah does not test a person more than he could handle. And looking around now, I am starting to understand it."

Bilal smiles, "You are right. Patience is all that we can do."

Taking a deep breath, he pushes open the door and I walk in after him.

The string smell of sterile floors and the sound of various machines was heard, my eyes fell on the person on the bed, wired up to many machines,

I almost stagger back looking at him, the last time I saw him he was a healthy laughing human, but now he was nowhere recognisable with his pale face and overly thin body covered in blankets.

"Bhai?" Bilal calls out stepping near the bed.

He opens his eyes and look around the room, he gives a painful smile, seeing Bilal.

"Look who is with me," Bilal moves aside, his eyes fell on me and I swallow the gravel in my throat before stepping forward,

"Babar." I address him, my voice thick with emotions seeing him like this.

"Farhan?" He asks hoarsely, I nod. He laughs as I sit on the stool beside the bed. "My friend's brother." He laughs reaching out to hold my arm.

"Yes it's me." I say, "How are you?"

"Not really good." He says. "How can I be good knowing I wouldn't be able to see my friend, Fahad."

His face morphs into grief, his eyes shining with tears, "I don't care what they did to me. I am still here, but they killed him. That's what they always wanted to do."

I look down, trying to control my emotions, "The killers will get what they deserve. Don't worry about it. Everyone will get justice, I promise you. My brother, you, everyone will get."

"I hope they really do." Babar says, "But first I need you to find the evidences Fahad collected. That's why I needed to see you."

I frown looking at Bilal, who looked equally confused. "But weren't the evidence stolen?" He asks his brother.

Babar chuckles before wincing, "You both don't know what it was working with fahad siddque. If that man could remember a face in a crowd, he won't ever place his evidence in such a easy place."

"So.." I start, "You are saying the evidence are still somewhere?"

"Not somewhere, think from his mind." He says looking at me.

"There were few pen drives we found." Bilal says, "One Alp delivered to us, second one which you gave. Third from Demir's son, and the fourth one which was with Fahad, when we found it, it was empty."

"Five. There were five pen drives." Babar says.

"It means the main one is still hidden." I say looking at Bilal, "Think about it. Four members of the group, he gave each one a separate drive, and the main one he kept it somewhere where no one could think of it."

"That sounds like fahad." Babar concise, "Think from his mind, where could it be."

I frown looking down. "I couldn't be sure. Bilal," he looks at me, "I think we need to recreate what happened five years ago."

***

"I could understand one thing. They really needed to wrap up any evidences against Emir, they sealed the whole police station." Bilal says looking around the empty police station in front of us.

I look at the alley beside the station and walk towards it, "If his car was parked here, how many chances are there that he was being spied on?"

"Let's see," Bilal looks around and points at the window, "Whose cabin would that be?"

"From what I remember, my brother's cabin's window was on the right. And on the left side was....Officer Karim." I frown looking around.

"If his car was parked facing the wall, the person looking from the window wouldn't be able to what he was doing inside." Bilal says.

The recording. He recorded it knowing, if he was being watched, no one could see what if was doing.

"How do we get inside?" I wonder looking around the sealed station.

"Wall looks good." Bilal says tapping the wall, before dragging a bin and climbs on it, "Safe to go, hop on."

I follow his lead and climb on the bin before hopping off the wall on the other side.

"There." Bilal points at a door, he pushes it slightly and it opens,

"So much sealing." I scoff going inside.

"Where was his cabin?" Bilal asks following me.

"Upstairs." I point, stepping on the stairs.

We both reach the first floor, there was no source of light over here, and all the dust covered the floors.

I open my phone's flashlight and start looking around for the cabin door.

I felt my breath knock out when the flashlight fell on the placard of the door with my brother's name.

"Bilal," I call out, "Here it is."

He stands beside me and wait for me to open it, he gives me an encouraging pat and I take a deep breath for opening the door,

We both stand by the doorframe looking at the dark room, no one daring to step in.

"We need to this." Bilal says slowly, "Remember what you said to me?"

I give him a nod. Looking ahead. "Let's do this."

I step inside and move the flashlight ahead, nausea crawls in me seeing the police tape around the desk.

Images seep in my head, remembering the last time I was here, I was called in to confirm it was my brother. And looking at your brother unmoving in his office chair is not a sight to behold.

"Okay think what might've happened." Bilal asks looking around.

I shake my head, spiralling back to reality and look around the desk, stepping above the tattered police tape.

"Alright so he must have had almost let's say five seconds to keep the evidence in his hands to keep it on the desk." I say pointing at the desk.

"And in that time the killer would've shot him." Bilal says.

I think about it for a minute before dreadfully moving the flashlight to the chair. The trail of dried up blood almost made me throw up, but I look away concentrating on Bilal's words.

"Could be." I muse looking around the room for something which could clue me about my brother's mind.

"Think about what he used to say, Farhan. His actions, anything which could help us." Bilal asks,

"I couldn't specifically think about anything." I mutter.

"Do one thing, take a deep breath and think meanwhile I will check on the cabin on this floor, officer Karim must've left something."

I nod and he leaves the room,

I take a deep breath and move the flashlight on the bookshelf behind the desk and check any book or file box which might seem relevant.

After all most not finding anything, I defeatedly lean against the desk and sigh.

I need to find something here, my gut says it's going to be important.

"Ya Allah help me here." I pray silently, moving my hands to grip the edge of the table.

I flinch when my hand accidentally knocked something on the desk.

Moving my flashlight on it, I frown looking at what looked like a photo frame.

Turning it around, I raise my eyebrows seeing it's our family portrait, which I remember clearly was from one of the Eid's function.

A smile touched my lips looking at the picture, it was our annual eid functions we used to host. Mama and baba were seated on a couch and had Mina between them, who was throwing a fit, I don't remember why she was crying but in this photo, baba was trying calm her down and mama looked tired of her antics, me and bhai were standing behind the couch, holding out stomachs, pointing at Mina and laughing.

So natural yet dysfunctional photo we had at that time. I didn't he kept this photo in his office.

..to me all my life all that mattered was my family.

I pause.

Everything I am doing is for my family. Nothing more nothing less.

His voice from the recording filtered my mind.

I love you all, just know that I never forgot you all, you all are my strength not weakness. Remember that.

Strength not weakness.

I look at the position of the frame from where it was kept previously, and I felt my gut tighten seeing how it aligned perfectly to the chair.

Not somewhere, think from his mind.

I lift the frame up and move the flashlight across it, when I lift it up, I pause hearing a shuffling noise from inside.

Setting the frame down, I flip it back and remove the cardboard from behind it.

I almost fall back on the chair seeing a small pen drive inside it.

I felt my breath getting short, when I see a small black object attached to it.

Carefully I detach it from the frame and lift it up.

It was a camera.

It means everything was being recorded..?

My breath almost knocked out of me and I fell on the chair behind me.

My hands shake seeing the camera in my hand.

And everything started to make sense.

He knew what he was doing when he walked in here. He knew he was going to be killed here. He knew it and yet he still walked to his death.

He knew no one would suspect a thing from his cabin. It would be locked after a suicide case.

The recording, the evidence stored here, the camera....

He knew someone was going to come here. Was he... did he knew I would come here?

"Farhan?" Bilal calls out, "Got anything?"

"Everything." I whisper looking at the drive and camera in my hand.

I sag back in the chair, stunned by my surroundings.

Everything, every evidence which I was finding for the past five years was under me. Yet I couldn't reach it, it took me one sujood to solve everything.

"I didn't heard your voice." Bilal voice calls out as his steps near the cabin,

"Farhan?" He asks but I don't answer, staring at the objects in my hand.

I hear him walking towards me, he stays until he gasps.

"You found it." He exclaims, "Unbelievable."

"Tell me about it." I chuckle, wiping the tears in the corner of my eyes. "All these years we kept fighting Emir, going to any extend to find a proof that he killed my brother, I left this city, formed a team. Did something I never wanted too, but the real proof was here all along, and we didn't knew?"

Bilal chuckles, patting my shoulder, "It's fate my brother, what's yours will be found even if is in between two mountains, and what's not yours will not reach you even if it is between two lips. That's the beauty of tawakkal."

I nod, "I understand it now."

"So what's next?" Bilal asks.

"Next?" I show him the camera and pen drive, "It's our win for justice."

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

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A/N:-

Finally the truth for Fahad bhai is out!!

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