[*Disclaimer : The following content is the longest chapter of the book till now..so dear reader enter this ocean of words at your own risk - Your well wisher 🙃]

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"Then learnt to do it "

Saying it ,Khaled turned around and walked towards Esber standing beside the secret door.While Emaan looked at his retreating back with shock and plethora of weird feelings that fluttered in her heart like million butterflies as she thought,

Ab trust krna kaise sikhty hai.?.( Now how do we learn to trust? )

You already trust him

Just zip it you traitor heart !

With bedlam characterizing her internal state ,Emaan walked towards the secret door.When Khaled asked Esber,

"Well don't you think electric torches will have been better than handling these ...as some people are too clumsy and childish to handle these fire torches properly "

Emaan exasperatingly looked at Khaled's back and clenched her fists as she thought ,

Whom does he think he is calling clumsy and childish!

"Well once you go down ...believe me this torch will come more handy " Esber smirked while Khaled and Emaan frowned in perplexion .

Before climbing down the ladder Esber added  ,

"Hold the ladder as I go down then you both come turnwise and the one coming last should remember to close the door and don't worry of dark as I reach down there I will light my torch with my lighter....okay.. understood ?"

Emaan and Khaled nodded their head in affirmative and Khaled crouched down to hold the ladder as Esber climbed down. As soon as Esber reached down ,he lit his lighter and dipping the torch in the stored mixture of sulphur and lime in a bucket kept at the corner ,he lit the torch with his lighter and shouted from down,

"Now come climb down one of you ..I am holding ladder from down."

Before climbing down ,Khaled slowly said to Emaan,

"I will go first ...if I feel something is off down there I will click my fingers twice and take that as a signal to run from here ...okay...and I am not taking no as an answer Dr Emaan "

Saying it, Khaled proceeded to climb down the ladder ,not waiting for Emaan's reply who looked at him climbing down the ladder with annoyance as she thought,

Iss insaan ne hamare dimaag or dil dono ki dahi bana di.

(This man has made a curd out of my both brain and heart).

As he reached downstairs ,Khaled looked around as Esber taking the torch from Khaled's hand dipped it in the mixture and then lit the torch by touching it with his own and passed it back to Khaled. With the two torches lighten up ,the surrounding was illuminated ,though the heavy darkness still dominated the area, keeping most of things veiled in its realm of caliginous thereby emulsifying the mysteriousness of the surrounding. But with the light of torches ,Khaled could make out that it was a long tunnel leading towards darkness while other side of the tunnel was blocked with heavy boulders. Gauging Esber's reaction and taking one look again at the surrounding Khaled looked up to call Emaan down but Esber beat him to it as he said,

"Sister ,what taking so long come down..throw your torch down we will catch it.....she scared of ladder or what ? Esber addressed the last part to Khaled who looked at him once and looked up back again thinking,

Hope so not ?

Untangling his thoughts ,Khaled nodded at Emaan who now finally able to see down with the torches being lit ,nodded back and throwing her torch down which being instantly catched by Khaled, proceeded to climb down while closing the door on the way and with continuous ranting in her mind,

Ya Allah don't let me fall...don't let me fall ..

With consistent rantings in her mind ,Emaan finally reached down, converting her rants into chants of gratitude towards her Creator. She looked up at the ladder with a smug look as if she had not climbed down a ladder but Mount Everest. But she came out of her reverie of self -glorification as her attention was drawn to the surrounding when she heard Khaled ask Esber,

" What is this place ....?"

"Let's move as I answer it ...as long way to go".

Khaled nodded while dipping the torch in sulphur and lime mixture and lightening it with his own torch, passed it to Emaan . As they walked with Esber leading them, with Khaled a tail behind him while Emaan maintaining an optimum distance walked behind them.

" Well you know Syria has been an hub of various civilizations ...and became a ground of numerous invasion and battles  so as a result many secret passageways were made all along the main cities of Syria ..including Aleppo for escaping at the time of emergency attack and other works which royalty wanted to keep it hidden....but with time and earthquakes and construction at numerous sites many secret passageways got closed and some are so deep that once you lost in it you won't come back to tell the tale of where it leads.....so don't end up entering any passages that will come along the way and keep following me.....and also beware of the rats..they are quite deadly...once one ended up biting my toe off that I had to get stitches ..." Saying it ,Esber chuckled loudly while Emaan gulping hard said in a croaked voice causing Khaled to turn his head sideways to check on Emaan from his peripheral view,

" R a t s!"

" Yeah sister rats ...the one with teeth in front ...oh how can I forget ...now we rarely find them in tunnels...so no worry of them"

Emaan heaved a sigh in relief when Esber added,

"As most of them were eaten by snakes "

Emaan wide eyed looked around cautiously when Esber added,

" And remember if you meet any snakes don't try to harm them or kill them ...just use the fire of your torch to scare them or better just run away from them as we don't know if they are really snakes or jinns in the shape of snakes roaming around as I have felt their presence and sometimes seen also..but don't worry." Esber ended with a chuckle.

Listening to him,Emaan who had been looking around glanced up with expression of fear and shock flashing through her face and body cordially as she whispered to herself,

"First rats then snakes and now jinns.. now only earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are left ...and I am sure even after that also he will chuckle and say don't worry".

While Esber turned around and grinning at them said,

" Though you two should be more careful as I have become usual here ...but you two are new and ma sha Allah beautiful too ....we all know jinns do have some liking towards beautiful humans".

Emaan gulped hard as to her annoyance after listening to Esber ,her mind had began playing dirty conspiracy against her as she felt the supernatural presence all around her . Looking around Emaan whispered every dua she could remember while Khaled said in a cold tone,

" I will prefer if you focus to make us reach our destination as soon as possible then to focussing who is beautiful or not"

Esber grinned and patted Khaled's arm as he was too short to reach his shoulder and said,

"Oye oye being possessive of your wife....don't worry I am a married man "

Khaled scrunched his eyebrows in annoyance as he said while gritting his teeth,

" She is not my wife she is just a colleague ...got that..."

Esber raised his both hands in surrender and smiling placatingly at Khaled said,

" Yes got it ..got it".

" Better ..now can we move!"

Esber nodded and moved ahead while Khaled looked back & cleared his throat to grab Emaan's attention who was lost in some thoughts.As she looked up, gesturing her to move ,Khaled turned around and walked ahead as he thought,

"Don't know about jinns...but with so much clearing of throat I am surely gonna end up having a soar throat".

Brain has weird system of working ,it stores, processes ,deletes & recycles the data at its own very whims . Sometimes the whispers of passing minutes are locked by mind in the realm of oblivion while sometimes the lost tale of past are digged out and exhibited and resonated through entire conscious as if they never had been a part of graveyard of memories .And these memories sometimes provide ease ,sometimes creates gashes of deeper pain and sometimes just tangle up the mind and intensifies the dominant emotion reigning the internal world . And this is what Emaan was experiencing as her mind had choosed to enmesh her mind with more fear as her conscious reverberated with stories of jinns that she used to make her father narrate to her .Her facination towards jinns during her teenage years was now taking a toil on her calm & composed self. But keeping her calm despite her thudding heart ,which was producing premonition of variant kinds ,Emaan whispering duas moved a little closer distance to Khaled.

" You know once I was going through these tunnel and I felt some presence and I ...."Esber continued with his stories of jinns while Emaan cringing at his stories whispered to herself,

" Ya Allah protect me....Mr Esber is usual so he is save ...and Dr Khaled ..well he is a Dracula I don't think any jinn will dare to attack him rather will run miles away from him...the only one left is me ..Ya Allah..."

Khaled walking between the two was getting annoyed as even though Emaan was whispering to herself but because of the enclosed tunnel ,Khaled could still hear her whispering some incoherent words along with consistent jabbing of Esber thereby increasing his headache ,

Ya Allah! I am struck between a buzzing bee and a ranting parrot!!

Having enough of it ,Khaled turned around to quieten Emaan but to his utter bewilderment he was left tongue tied seeing Emaan just behind him .He hadn't notice when she had started walking so close to him. It was the first time he was seeing her from up so close and in the golden light of torch she looked like an empyreal being , especially her eyes that looked back at him with shock ,with her black pupil magnified yet the brown part of iris still reigning it while the golden flare of torch 's fire reflected and gleaming in her eyes made Khaled feel as if the entire season of autumn had found refuge in her beautiful eyes while his heart was a leaf that had been waiting for this autumn to fall.

Shocked at his thoughts and him being acting out of  character by gawking at a girl ,Khaled quickly looked away muttering Astaghfirullah and jumbled up by all the thoughts piercing his conscious ,Khaled turned around and walked ahead long forgotten the reason of why he had turned back and lambasting himself for even turning around.

While Emaan blinked back at his retreating back equally shocked and perplexed .Putting her hand on her thudding heart she mused,

What just happened ...Did he just turned around to give me a mini heartattack and say Astaghfirullah looking at me......is he taken by a jinn or what ?

With confused heart and skeptic mind with her lips whispering duas ,Emaan adjusting the shoulder straps of the backpack purse ,followed them. While Khaled annoyed at his erratic beating heart and never ending stories of jinns, asked Esber cutting him in between his narration of his another jinn encounter,

"How did you find this place ?"

Did you ask him that cause you were annoyed at his stories or because you saw that she was getting scared by them!

Betrayal is excruciatingly agonising but when one feels betrayed by own mind and heart then more than agony there is benumbing confusion annexing the internal kingdom of physiology.And this was what Khaled underwent as he realised the thought that zoomed by his realm of conscious : his so-called fortified conscious. He groaned as he realised the mistake he had committed of turning around & the sin of not lowering his gaze had caused him to tangle up into .He felt that in place of his brain now Hamza was residing breeding ridiculous thoughts as he always had the knack of getting him hitched. Khaled came out of his reverie when he heard Esber,

"Okay as you say I will start my story from beginning"

Khaled scrunched his eyebrows in confusion as he asked ,

"From the beginning ?"

Esber turned around and walking backway said while grinning ,

"Well you just hummed in reply when I asked that should I tell my story from beginning"

Khaled looked at him with perplexion not understanding when he hummed in affirmative to this tiresome ritual when he remembered he had just groaned at his internal mess which was taken as a reply by Esber to his own question ,

Way to go I just plotted a way to make my headache more unbearable.

Mentally chastising himself , Khaled looked up at Esber looking at him curiosily .Giving him a slight smile he said,

"Yeah go on "

Esber grinned causing his eyes to close down and then turning around he cleared his throat before beginning to narrate. While Khaled just glanced sideways ,to see the shadow of Emaan following them and quickly looked ahead as Esber began his life tale.

"I was a child with no family and education but big dreams of becoming rich someway or other ...and when a heart is filled with too much of world ..it becomes easy for devil to lure you towards wrong path...and that's how my journey to con people began and eventually as I grow old I became expert in coning people and my special target were tourists..that's why you see my English is so good...even french ..vous voyez que je suis assez intelligent ( you see I am quite smart)" Saying it ,Esber chuckled, while Khaled again glanced sideways to check the shadow of Emaan following him and turned his head forward as Esber continued,

"I was earning good and I was happy my children weren't going through what I had experienced...but my wife she somehow came to know about me being a con man and she started lecturing me ,taunting me ,advising ,fighting..like she tried every way to make me correct my way...we men think because Allah has given us more physical power so we are superior than women and often treat them with contempt and think they are emotional fool ...but we are real fool to think like that.. me being a fool couldn't understand her ...I thought how my ways could be wrong as my children were happy they were getting education ,food ,clothes ...everything they wanted ....but I didn't understood that their wishes were being fulfilled through a wrong way ...and wrong can never produce right..."Esber's voice had become devoid of mirth which couldn't go unnoticed by both  Khaled and Emaan.

"One day my eldest son came and showed me a watch that he had stolen from his friend ...and to my horror my son was proud of how swiftly he had stolen the watch...there was no guilt in him....I was shocked and enraged at it that I ended up slapping him for the first time but then immediately regretted it as I had pledged myself that I will never hit my children or let my children be hit by someone like I was in my childhood. But when my son asked me why I hit him when he was trying to be like me....that shocked me I wanted my children to be educated ,to be respected in the society but not to be anything like me but  I was forgetting that being their father I was their idol and how could I stop them  saying it was wrong when all my life I had given reason to myself that I was doing right. And that day I realised and changed my way .And started doing odd jobs to earn money...though I couldn't bring my children things like before but I was happy that I was not setting any bad example to them .Then one day ,police came to my house and arrested me on the complaint that was filed by some tourist months ago .I complacently went with them and was sentenced for six months of jail .I was worried about my family but my wife assured me she will manage with her savings as it was six months only ...and it's was less of a compensation for all wrongs I had done. I went to jail thinking I will come out in six months unaware that I was entering into a trap of conspiracy played against me. " The tone of Esber had become grimmer.

"When I was arrested at the same time Jamshed Akim ,a snnobish son of a politician had killed an entire family just because a small boy of that family by mistake had scratched Jamshed's car . As it was time of election and such thing would have been disadvantageous to the politician's reputation ,the politician tried to hide it but media and opposite parties made the case sensational. Jamshed Akim was given a life sentence .The politician wanted to save his son yet didn't wanted to lose the election ,which is when he came to know about me :Jamshed Esber who was sentenced six months jail . And there he made a plan to decieve  people
..he played the sympathy card and saying that he will not appeal for his son in higher court because to him justice was important than his own son while on the other hand he made his son fly to some foreign country discreetly while I Jamshed Esber was made Jamshed Akim who was sentenced a lifetime imprisonment . I was unaware of this but I felt odd as even after completion of six months I wasn't released .I wasn't allowed to meet my family or write letters to them. I was confused which is when my jail inmates told me I had no chance of being released as I was in those cells which was alloted for life time imprisonment prisoners .I was shocked beyond comprehension ,I kept asking questions to cops ,I shrieked ,cried ,begged for answers but no one paid any heed to me when one day a drunk cop spilled out the entire conspiracy. I felt devasted being trapped in a such mess with no way out and I had no way to connect to my family to inform them about it but sometimes every way needs to be close down so that we can find our way back  to Allah . Isn't it amazing our Creator doesn't need us but it is HIS love ,care ...mercy what should I say... that HE guide us back to HIM...it isn't that HE needs our worship or us to glorify HIM ...well no one can glorify the way HE is meant to....but HIS sheer love and care for us disgraceful being....well not talking about you two ...you must be good ...talking about myself that HE brings us back to right path so we human can taste & realize the real happiness .."

Khaled smiled for the first time since he had been listening to Esber and said,

" We all are ungrateful beings ...no one can say we have been perfect ...Only our Creator is perfect without any fault ...if someone says they are perfect then they are telling a lie .....and we mustn't forget that our countless sins are nothing before HIS endless mercy..HE forgives us only at our thought of repentence.. so don't need to be hard on yourself when your Creator is not on you....."

Esber turned around smiling gratefully at Khaled while Emaan smiled seeing Esber's cheerful face ,his sadness dominant in his voice had whiffed off by the words of Khaled ,it was just like how she had felt when he had spoken to her after Jamal's death .She looked at Khaled's back as a thought alighted on the horizon of her conscious ,

Which side is real you Dr Dracula ..this one or the rude one..

Turning around Esber began again ,

" So where was I ....yeah ....so now I found my Rab in the engulfing darkness and when you find Allah then hope automatically finds it way through your heart . It is with this hope I survived one year in the jail when at one night there was an earthquake ...though prisoners in my surrounding cells had no hope that someone will come and save them and we will die by being crushed under the roof. But recently a new warden was alloted,young and still with a heart that throbbed with humanity ...and he saved us but with tremor increasing more and more causing a chaos to erupt among prisoners....few of my inmates and I took this opportunity to escape....some of the cops chased us and caught everyone but I escaped them somehow. It was moonless night and with tremors decreased and everything calm down ,the cops ran around the streets in search of me as the politician's plan would be disrupted if they couldn't find me. And in this chase and hide and seek,I ended up landing on Al Shams High School ...."

" Isn't it the school which was closed down after few years of its opening because children had started going missing ". Khaled asked inquisitively.

" Correct ...it was perfect for me no one had entered that place ...as it was named as a haunted place after unnatural disapearances of so many students ...so I had decided that until everything settle I would live there and then go find my family and it is when I lived there....I came across this secret passage ..."

" You mean to say this passage way opens at Al Shams High School ?"

"Yes ...as before being made as school this place was where royal poets and painters had their stays and had meetings ...so no one could thought of this place also having a secret passage..and it is when I came across this passageway I realised why children were going missing .."

" You mean they ended up finding this passageway but got lost in it ....and "

" Yes and...they couldn't find their way back as this was how secret passageways were build so that only those who knew the way around it could cross it and if enemy finds out he ends up being trapped in it....but who knew this technique to save lives would become a way of taking away lives.."

Khaled felt deep sorrow prevail his heart listening and thinking about the tragic way those children had died .The fear they would have experienced facing the slow deaths and the pain their parents had to bore ...maybe some might still have hope that their children will return . He clutched the torch in his hand tightly and looked sideways to check on Emaan .He knew she would be feeling more devasted cause of the kind of heart she bore. But he was left aghast as he found no shadow behind him .He quickly turned around only to have a surge of horror and terror prevail his entire being on not seeing Emaan behind him.

Hearing shuffling behind him ,Esber also turned around and seeing Emaan being missing, quickly walked towards Khaled who looked beyond anxious and worried .

"Where did the girl go ? " Esber asked in bewilderment but before Khaled could reply they heard a sharp noise resonate from the nearby passageway in the tunnel. Khaled without thinking ran towards the noise while Esber shouted at him ,

" Khaled wait...It could be dangerous"

"Like I care " Khaled without turning shouted back and ran towards the connecting passageway from which the noise had erupted.

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Walking behind Esber and Khaled ,Emaan had been listening to Esber's story ,quite taken aback as she wouldn't have guessed in her wildest dream that behind that incessant chuckling and grinning of Esber such sadness loomed. But wasn't it the condition of most sapiens ...acting as eccedentesiast hiding the scorching pain behind the mask of regular smiles. Lost in her thoughts and in the story of Esber ,Emaan felt she saw something  from her eyes periphery & as she turned her gaze ,she saw a small kitten walking into the diverging passageway .She shifted the torch in her left hand to see clearly when to her horror she saw a black snake tailing behind the oblivious kitten. Gulping hard ,she kept on walking, with passageway being left behind .But her heart kept churning with guilt .And not able to bear anymore ,she decided to go back and see ,if it was her illusion or a reality .Though she was scared as all the details Esber had provided earlier kept on circulating in her mind yet she felt guilt overpowering her any fear .Thinking it will just take a second to check and with the protection of the armour of Allah's words ,she turned around and glancing back at retreating back of Khaled and Esber ,she brisk walked towards the passageway . As she reached the passageway,she glanced again at Khaled and Esber both oblvious to her disappearing presence were walking ahead.Blowing out a breath she entered the passageway tentatively.

She had only walked a distance inside the passageway when she saw a cat hissing at the black snake she saw earlier and behind the cat ,two little kittens were trying to hide themselves when suddenly the cat falter in her steps causing the snake to tangle the cat in its grasp causing a shriek to erupt from the cat and kittens altogether .Horrified at this scene, Emaan quickly ran towards them with a thudding heart and before the snake could bite the cat ,she thrust the fire of her torch near the snake's face making it immediately recoil back and loosened its hold around the cat and hiss towards Emaan and slither towards her. Emaan moved back with quick steps when her legs got tangled up in her Abaya causing her to stumble in her steps and in her effort to stable herself resulted in getting the torch fall from her hand . Not having the time to pick up the torch as snake had reached too close to her ,Emaan gulping hard moved backwards .When at that moment Khaled sprint inside the passageway and his eyes fell on Emaan and following her gaze, he saw a big snake slithering near her .He instantly ran towards them and flicked off the snake with his torch . The snake recoiled before again hissing at them with threat causing Khaled to move infront of Emaan when Esber also entered the passageway and sensing too many human presence around it ,eventually the snake slither away through the tiny hole in the wall of tunnel.

Khaled huffed with his all earlier concern dissipating for his rage to overtake it .He turn to lash out at Emaan but to his perplexity, he saw Emaan crouched down before something .As he moved forward ,only to see a cat lying on the ground and two kittens licking the cat and purring in low noise trying to wake up the cat. Before Khaled could say anything ,Emaan spoke up ,

" She was trying to protect her kittens but ended up getting bitten by snake herself.....I was late.....again" Emaan whispered the last word to herself .

Listening to her ,Khaled quickly crouched down and moved his hands towards the cat only to find the cat's body cold . He pressed his lips as he realised the cat was dead but more heartwrenching was the kittens incessant tries to wake up their mother .When Khaled had touched the cat ,the kittens had moved back and waited as if thinking his touch could make their mother alright and when he removed his hand and their mother still remained lying on the ground ,they looked at Khaled and Emaan with anticipation and meowing at them. Khaled's heart clenched at this while Emaan couldn't stop the tears and they shamelessly rained down her eyes.

Meanwhile Esber came and standing near them ,gasped before he said gloomily,

" Allah !Allah! ...this is Cookie my daughter Hira's cat ..she was pregnant when she got missing few months back ...my daughter will be so sad to know that her cat died ..."

Khaled looked at Esber and then his gaze fell on the tears cascading down Emaan's cheeks. Sensing  Khaled's eyes ,Emaan turned her head away while discreetly rubbing off her tears. Khaled sighed looking away, wishing in his heart that he could say to her that she didn't need to hide her tears if she felt like crying .But knowing he had no right to say that and feel such emotions for her ,Khaled stood up ,and walked to a corner of the tunnel and crouched down and checked the soil .Esber frowned at this action and asked inquisitively while moving towards him ,

" What are you doing Khaled ?"

" Trying to find a soft soil spot in the tunnel!" Khaled said as he moved to other side of tunnel and crouched down to check the soil.

" But why?."

" To dig a grave " . Listening it ,Emaan  turned around to look at him .

Esber moved and stood next to Khaled as he said ,

"You going to bury Cookie...but won't you wanted to reach Al Firdous as soon as possible  .."

Khaled passed his torch to Esber as he said,

" Yeah I want to....but every mother deserves a proper goodbye ..."

Saying it ,Khaled picked a stone from nearby and began digging.Esber smiled and eventually sat down to help Khaled in digging .While Emaan sat their with her heart satiated with emotion of respect for Khaled and one more feeling that was still a mystery to her heart but not for much longer.

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After the mother cat was buried ,Emaan sat with the kittens and breaking down the kebabs into smaller pieces which Mrs Rahman had given her ,gave the hungry  kittens to eat. She didn't wanted to leave the kittens in the tunnel but she also didn't had the guts to ask Khaled about taking them .As in her mind she was still waiting for his outlash on her for going away like that . She felt sad and melancholic ,but she wasn't sure whether it was because she would have to leave the kittens behind or because of the one feeling incessantly gnawing her heart : the feeling of failing to save people ...she couldn't save the cat ,she couldn't save Jamal and she couldn't save her parents. She looked at the kittens eating kebab's pieces from her hands reminding her of their pain ... the pain she could relate with them ...the pain of loss of parents. The deprivation of parents love was universal whether it was for animals or humans ...the tear filled eyes of kittens and their consistent running back to the grave of their mother and coming back to her as if asking about their mother was so painful that no matter how much Emaan tried, tears found their way from her eyes to her face .

Khaled and Esber stood at a distance waiting for Emaan. Khaled had been looking at Emaan though her face was hidden in darkness yet he knew she was crying . He had come to know she was too soft hearted but this time he knew somehow that her pain also erupted because of her own sorrow...the sorrow of having no parents . He didn't knew why he was thinking too much about her .But just like the process of admiration and respect for Emaan was becoming uncontrollable for him so was the process of thinking about her .Khaled was engulfed in these turbulent thoughts ,when he heard Esber,

"Lm 'akhbarhum eank,
Lakunahum ra 'awk tastahimu fi eayni,
Lm 'akhbarhum eank,
Lakunahum ra 'awk fi klmaty almaktuba,
La yumkin 'iikhfa eatar alhabi ."

(I hadn't told them about you ,
But they saw you bathing in my eyes,
I hadn't told them about you ,
But they saw you in my written words,
The perfume of love cannot be concealed.)

Khaled quirked his eyebrows listening to Esber and turned his head to look at him,  who had a Cheshire grin plastered on his face ,increasing the annoyance of Khaled as he said in his cold tone ,

" May I ask whats that suppose to mean?"

" Well feelings....feelings of heart ....." Esber moved back as Khaled glared at him when Esber quickly added ,

" Of some poet ...feelings of heart of a poet...thats what I mean".

Khaled sighed and rubbed his forehead to calm his anger .He again looked up at Esber who still held the same smile as before . Khaled had began to trust him especially after his story but something of his attitude pissed him off and raised doubts about him and also not wanting Emaan to make another escapades ,an idea propped his mind ,though it was the last thing he wanted to do especially the stupidity that was invading his mind but still apprehensive about the safety of Emaan and doubts about Esber ,he sighed and deciding to go with his idea, he went towards Emaan and said in his cold voice,

" Dr Emaan we don't have whole day ...take the kittens and let's move".

Ignoring his chilling tone ,Emaan said happily ,

" We can really take them with us Doctor"

" Dr Emaan how many times do I have to tell you that I don't like repeating myself .."

Emaan twisted her face at the sudden change of mood of Khaled but still happy to take the kittens along with her, she let the changing mood of Khaled not affect her and stood up ,holding the two kittens. Meanwhile Khaled unwrapped the muffler around his neck and seeing that it was long enough ,gently took one kitten from Emaan and making it sit on his shoulder said,

"Dr Emaan put your right hand foreward .."

Emaan frowned as she asked ,

" But why ?"

" So that you don't go out for any other excursion of snake hunting "

Emaan clenched her jaw and holding the kitten in her left hand ,she put forward her right hand as she thought,

And Dr Dracula is back...His mood swings can even leave behind those of pregnant ladies..

While Khaled quickly tied the muffler around Emaan's wrist careful not to touch her in the process and then quickly tied it around his left hand wrist meanwhile the kitten sitting on his shoulder began licking his ear making Emaan press her lips to control her giggle. Khaled twitched his head a bit on being licked by the kitten and looked at the kitten who looking at Khaled purred slightly causing Khaled's lips to twitch up,.he held the kitten back in his palm and turned towards Esber who smirked looking at their muffler binded hands while Khaled scowled as he said,

"What ?"

" Nothing .." Esber chuckling turned around and moved ahead as he said,

" Why don't you put the kittens into the sister's  bag ?"

" There are small and will get scared and be suffocated if kept in bag and we can't keep the bag open as they might escape and it's not safe for them here..." Khaled said casually.

Esber only hummed in reply while taking the torch Emaan once held and seeing it was difficult for Emaan to hold a torch with a kitten ,walked with both torches in his hands . They had been walking over an hour ,when Esber suddenly stopped and asked Khaled and Emaan to wait for him while he went inside the adjoined passageway. With two torches gone ,and with only one torch of Khaled lightening the tunnel had made the darkness overpowering making the aura of surrounding area scary. Gulping hard ,Emaan whispered to herself,

"Ya Allah !Why has he gone inside ? Is he going to bring some men with him to kill us...what do you think Lilo?"Emaan whispered the last part to the kitten in her hands.

Khaled who had been standing next to her handling the agile kitten in his hand couldn't help but smile overhearing Emaan's whisper.It was amusing to him as the girl who can hurl a stone at him ,hit a man with a bat and couraged up to fight a snake all by herself was now scared and talking to a kitten . She seemed beyond his comprehension yet it was strange that a part of him :a part he was coming to abhor in him ,still desired to comprehend her.  Emaan looked up to voice her fear to him ,but was left shocked to see him smiling while looking ahead. She looked down while blinking back when a  thought flashed her mind making her gulp hard,

Why is he smiling.....don't tell me Dr Dracula has been taken over by a jinn ....

She tried to step away from him but then she looked at the muffler tying their hands making her mentally groan in annoyance.While Khaled feeling his left hand twitch ,looked sideways towards Emaan but before he could ask anything,Esber came out and said while grinning,

"Keep that torch aside ...and Come with me !"

Khaled and Emaan looked skeptically at him but when he again gestured them to come inside ,keeping the torch aside Khaled and Emaan followed him inside with tentative steps.But as they walked inside ,they were left shocked as they found a big tent in between the tunnel. Esber opening the tent's curtain door ,invited them in. As they stepped inside ,they saw two sofas kept adjacent to eachother with fire burning in between making the tent warm unlike the cold tunnel. There was stove with few utensils and few canisters of water with various emergency lights lightening the entire tent .And various blanket hurdle on the mattress at the corner of tent and next to it was a ladder standing connected to the wall .And in the middle stood a woman and a boy who whispered their salam while smiling at them . Khaled and Emaan replied to their salam with still confusion lurking on their faces and voices .Esber seeing their confusion said while smiling,

" She is my wife Sairah and my son Imad ...my eldest son Usman and my daughter Hira are above in the school.....there is always someone above to open the door ...Imad ..child do it ."

Khaled and Emaan watched as Imad nodding his head quickly climbed the ladder and then taking out a stone from his jacket's pocket knocked in a specific pattern on the wall  which supposedly turned out to be a hidden door . After a moment ,there was a small noise and eventually with a loud bang the door opened from which a boy peeked .Esber looking at Khaled and Emaan said,

" Let's go ..let's go " and then turned to his wife as he said ,

" Sairah you come too ".

Imad climbed out while Khaled passing the kitten to Esber opened the knot from his wrist while Emaan tried to open her own but eventually Sarah came to help her to untie it . Muttering her gratitude to Sairah ,Emaan followed Sairah towards the ladder and before climbing she opened her bag and taking the kittens from Sairah and Esber respectively, put the kittens inside it ,deciding to take them out as soon as she reached above .After all of them had climbed up, Esber said,

"Well.. my job is done ...from here you have to go to Al Firdous by yourself.....do you have any way to contact your colleagues......or the school has telephone ..you can use it ..it used to be dead but I have repaired it ..."Esber ended with a grin.

Khaled looked at Esber as he said ,

" I don't think anyone will pick up the phone as with so much casualties and patients to look after hardly any of them will be at office or at reception ....but I will give it try  but before let me use one thing "

Saying it ,Khaled asked Emaan who was taking out the kittens from her bag ,

" Dr Emaan you have my pager ?"

Emaan nodded her head and quickly taking out the pager from the jacket's pocket, passed it to Khaled .Khaled moved away as he paged the message to Hamza. Meanwhile Esber's daughter entered the room and squealed seeing the kittens,making everyone alarmed for a moment. Standing near her mother ,Hira excitedly watched the kittens as she asked,

"They like Cookie Abba....Did find Cookie this time?"

Esber helplessly looked at his daughter before crouching down before her and said,

"Cookie died habibti!"

Hira looked shocked and sooner her lips wobbled and she ended up crying hugging her father.Esber picked her up and tried to console her but seeing her crying uncontrollably ,Sairah took her in her arms and her brothers gathered around trying to cheer her up as she said while hiccuping in between,

" Ummi I made dua to Allah to bring back Cookie ...but Cookie died ...why Allah deny my dua..why"

Everyone looked helplessly at her and Khaled was about to move towards her when Emaan went up to Hira and tilting her head to look at Hira's face hidden in Sairah's hijab said,

" Hira Allah didn't deny your dua ...he took your Cookie but you know what HE gave you two kittens in place of her"

Hira abruptly stopped her crying at the words of Emaan and looked at her to see Emaan giving her the kittens to hold .Hira gently held the kittens and  stroking them lovingly she asked in between her sniffs,

"But they yours ?"

Though Emaan had planned to take the kittens with her as she had grown attached with them ,she even had decided their names : Lilo and Stitch .But for her happiness of a child was more important than her any plan .So nodding her head she said ,

" No they were always yours ". Making Hira grin and so everyone in the room.

Khaled looking down smiled, when in that moment ,his pager beeped to show a message of Hamza that he was coming to pick them up. As it was going to take some time for Hamza to arrive ,Esber asked them to move to the school's courtyard to warm themselves in the morning sunrays. As they moved out of the room ,the delicate sunrays had started peeping in the corridor attached to the large courtyard of the school while the courtyard was shimmering in the dainty sunlight when Khaled asked Esber ,

"So now you and your family live here  ?"

Esber took out his gloves to warm his hands in sunlight as he said ,

" Yeah I had no option ...no one ever visited this place and someone does we go back underground ...but now most of the time we live down only as fear of prisoners group increasing and most of the time I am away ....trying to find ways to bring food or earn money for my family ...and it's safe to be down there with snakes and jinns then encountering human who are worse than any snakes and jinns.. before this all chaos it was not this bad but with all this my family sometimes have to sleep without food...sometimes I remember those days when I used to earn loads of money by conning people and regularly had feast ...but I feel I rather remain without food then to make my & my family's stomachs filled with fire ..but still being a parent it's not a easy sight to see your children suffering...."Khaled looked at Esber who was looking ahead watching his children play with kittens with smile playing on his lips yet tears bubbling in his eyes told the actual state of his heart. Esber came out of his reverie when he heard Khaled ,

" I don't have money right now to help you with ..but this watch is branded ...if you will sell it you will get a good amount of money...and as I reach hospital I will try to send you money as soon as possible " Khaled handed out the watch to Esber while looking down as he never liked people giving him looks of gratitude as if he was doing a great deed cause as per to him it was nothing ...as he always felt that HIS Lord had blessed him with so much and in comparison to them these deeds stood no where .He always felt he could do more but he always seemed to fail to reach out to provide help to people to his maximum limit. And when he met people like Ali and Esber ,this gnawing feeling intensified. That's why he always liked to help people without letting them know  he was helping as he didn't wanted people to label him as a good person because he knew he was not .All he  wanted was to give his best in making the world a better place for every being. Seeing the watch still in his hand ,Khaled looked up only to find Esber smiling at him as he said,

"You are a good human Khaled "

Khaled internally groaned at Esber's statement while Esber continued,

" But keep your watch....it took me years to realise the Barakhà of earning money through hard work ....so let me be on it ...and don't worry I was given money for this job of making you two reach here " Seeing frown of Khaled he added ,

"Mr Rahman has already given money ...so don't worry ....I am not that good you know and I think Dr Emaan help is already enough "

Khaled scrunched his eyebrows in confusion and looked at Esber who was now looking ahead ,following his gaze Khaled looked infront to see Emaan sitting with Sairah in the courtyard stairs and though her back was towards him but he could still see her  taking out packets of food from her backpack purse and giving it out to Sairah, causing a smile to play on his lips unconsciously.

Emaan had been sitting with Sairah, watching Hira and her brothers play with kittens but she couldn't help but notice how haggard and weak they all and Sairah looked ,as she was ruminating when Sairah spoke up,

" Dr Emaan do me favour take cats with you ?"

Emaan looked inquisitively at Sarah and before she could ask anything Sarah added,

" See we don't have enough food for us so how will we manage kittens...they will starve with us...take them with you"

Emaan saw the tightly clasped hands of Sarah and pressed lips showing she was trying hard to stop herself from crying .Emaan heart constricted with pain and she immediately took out all the food Mr Rahman had given her . Whispering apology in her heart to Mr Rahman but knowing the food was much more needed by the family before her ,she handed all the refreshments to Sairah as she said,

" Please take these...this will help for some days and don't worry I will try my best that more food reach you somehow ...as Mr Esber told hospital is not far from here so I will try my best ...but please accept this and soon kittens will learn to hunt for their food so let kittens stay here as Hira will be sad if you send them with me ...and don't worry remember Allah is the Provider ...so please don't deny & take them"

Sairah seeing all the food couldn't help but let her tears drop from her eyes and quickly taking hold of Emaan's hands she kissed on them, while saying ,

" You are an Angel Allah sent to us "

Emaan's cheeks turn scarlet in embarassment but shaking her head she said ,

" No I am just a human....a mere servant of HIS..nothing else.."

Sairah smiled gratefully at Emaan when Hira seeing the food came running towards them ,but still being shy she stood behind her mother gaping at the delicacies from time to time. When Emaan taking one packet of cookies from Sairah ,passed it to Hira who initially hesitantly looked at her mother but seeing her mother giving her nod of approval, she took the cookie packet with a grin and whispering JazakAllah to Emaan ran towards his brothers and kittens to share it among them. Emaan was watching them with a smile when Sairah asked her ,

" If don't mind can ask you one question ?".

Emaan nodding her head smilingly looked at Sarah gesturing her to ask.

" Are you both married ?".

Emaan looked at Sairah horrified before she said,

"No ..not at all ..why would you say that Mrs Esber?".

" I am sorry ...don't get wrong your hand were tied when meet you two ..so...I .."

" Ah it was jus..tt because I ended up entering wrong tunnel ..so that's why I don't get lost Dr Khaled did that ".

" Oh ...is that so...I am sorry ...but it seems he cares for you ".

" No it's nothing like that...he is a good person he cares for everyone " Saying it, Emaan looked ahead watching Hira and her brothers playing with kittens while her mind echoed with one thought,

What is with everyone ...Abida asked me to marry him and now Mrs Esber has gotten us married  ...like my heart and mind are not enough to trouble me with stupid thoughts .

Esber turned to look at Khaled but seeing him smiling ,he smirked as he recited,

"Lm 'atahadath eank maehum,
Lakunahum qar 'awk bialhabr wal 'awraq,
Li 'ana alhaba la jawhar,
La yumkin 'iikhfawh.

(I haven't spoken about you to them ,
But they read you in my ink and papers,
For love has an essence,
Cannot be concealed.)

Listening it , Khaled turned his gaze towards Esber and glared at him but before he could say anything his pager beeped with a message from Hamza saying that he had arrived .

___________________________________________

Bidding farewell to Esber's family and kittens , Emaan ,Khaled and Esber walked out of the school to see Hamza standing leaning against his car .Seeing them walking towards him,Hamza stood straight and smiled and as soon as they reached him ,he gave Khaled a man hug while saying ,

"Assalamualaikum sadiqi qalb al 'asad ..good to see you in one piece ..."
( My Lionheart friend )

Khaled rolled his eyes while replying back to his salam. And then turning towards Emaan, Hamza nodded his head in respect before asking,

" Are you alright Dr Emaan?"

Emaan just nodded her head while looking down but before Hamza could ask anymore questions to her, Khaled interrupted as he said ,

"Hamza this is Jamshed Esber ...and Mr Esber this is Dr Hamza Alshamandi".

After a brief talk ,they bid farewell to Esber and walked towards Hamza's car. On reaching the car ,Khaled and Hamza at the same time opened the back seat door of the car for Emaan. Emaan stood near the trunk of the car ,confusingly looking back and forth between the two opened car door but then determined to go with her plan of avoiding Khaled to succeed in her test ,Emaan walked towards Hamza who was about to close the door but was left shocked seeing Emaan walking towards him .He opened the door wide and as Emaan slid inside the car ,he closed the door and looked up at Khaled smirking and wiggling his eyebrows at him. Khaled glaring at him shut the car door loudly and moved to sit at the passenger seat . Hamza smiling to himself slid inside the driving seat and starting the ignition asked,

" Khaled your mood looks off.. any problem ?"

Emaan who was looking outside the window turned to look infront while Khaled turned his head to see Hamza looking at him with a cheeky grin making him more annoyed as he said menancingly ,

" Hamza right now I am using my full will power not to end up killing you right here ...so if you wanna live then focus on driving".

Hamza raised his hands in surrender as he said,

"Well seems like I am a popular target ...Sidra also has been looking at me since she had heard about Dr Emaan with looks that if people could die by looks then I would have died several times...." Saying it ,Hamza pull the gear while Khaled rolling his eyes turned his head right and looked out of the window hoping to get finally be relieved of the chaos that his mind and heart had been sprouting . While Emaan smiled listening about Sidra,she was anxious to meet her and Yamama and everyone at hospital and finally go back to her job and be finally free of her prickling thoughts . Sighing she looked to her left and busied herself looking out of the car window with dhikr on her lips .But just like this journey ,where they faced different directions but their destination was same similarly they might try to make their hearts and minds divert towards different directions but the destination of their heart ,minds and souls was same : the destination called love for the sake of Allah .

__________________________________________

Positive thoughts become a luxury when negativity prevails in every sphere surrounding one. But yet Sidra and Yamama both fought every premonition that their heart sprouted every passing second after they had heard from Hafsa and Halima what had happened at Al Saf Street 16. And it is only after  Hamza had informed about Khaled's message that their hearts had soothed with hope. And now when Hamza had gone to pick them up,both were relaxed and busy in treating their patients yet in their hearts they were anxious and perturbed and their legs automatically kept on making excursions to the entrance area of hospital from time to time. And this time when they again sauntered towards the entrance area they saw Dr Fatima Melbos ,Dr Duraid , Dr Hafsa , Dr Halima ,Dr Albert standing in the waiting area. Before Sidra and Yamama could move towards them ,they saw Hamza ,Khaled and Emaan entering the hospital. Relieved and overflowed with happiness ,Sidra and Yamama charged towards Emaan and engulfed her in a group hug not before making her stumble backwards.Khaled and Hamza smiling moved forward to meet other doctors.

While Yamama moved backwards to look back at Khaled but Sidra tighten her embrace as she said,

" Oh Emaan.. I can't describe how much happy I am to see you alright Alhmadulillah...I was so scared and even had thoughts of astaghfirullah your....de..a.th!."

Emaan smiled at the concern of Sidra and patting her back gently she said,

" Alhmadulillah I am good and not dead yet ...but the way you are hugging me I might be dead by suffocation soon".

Sidra moved back and squinting her eyes slapped Emaan's arm as she said,

" You heartless woman ....I was so stupid to be worried about you.." Looking upwards at the roof Sidra dramatically continued,

"Ya Allah why did you gave me a heart which is so caring, loving ,humble ,filled with sweetness ,beauti....."

" Okay okay my caring, loving ,humble ,filled with sweetness heart carrier ...I was joking no need to complain to Allah" Emaan said holding Sidra's hands lovingly.

Sidra smiled back while saying  ,

" You forgot to say beautiful"

Emaan and Yamama chuckled at it and soon Hafsa and Halima came towards her but before they could say anything they heard a commotion near waiting area. Looking at each other apprehensively,they all walked towards it.

Khaled had been busy talking with Dr Duraid and other doctors in waiting area when his eyes fell on a group of doctors. And all his calm composure whiffed off, for anger engulfed his entire being as he spotted Dr Daniyal among them. Clenching his jaw, Khaled menacingly march towards him while Hamza noticing him walking towards Daniyal, muttering curses under his breath ran behind him and before Khaled could prance over the already frightened Daniyal,Hamza stopped him by holding Khaled by his shoulder as he said quickly,

"Khaled ..don't let your anger make you end up doing something stupid"

Khaled turned his head towards Hamza and gritting his teeth said,

"Stupid ...you think I would do stupid....and what HE did leaving Dr Emaan amidst those disgusting hyneas was like the most intelligent thing to do ..right?"

Saying it ,Khaled looked back at Daniyal with disgust and anger that made the moving steps of Daniyal to freeze on its spot.

" I know it wasn't ...but let's deal with it when you are calm and composed..."

Before Khaled could reply ,Daniyal spoke up with a wavering voice ,

" It was lo..logical decision Dr Khaled...I don't understand why are you so angry ...I decided to save three lives over one....if I had option I would have save Dr Emaan but..."

Daniyal couldn't complete as Khaled interjected as he seethed,

"Oh really ...I can see how much you wanted to save Dr Emaan that you are present here all calm and relaxed  and if it wasn't for Dr Halima we wouldn't have known what had taken place ...that Dr Emaan was in danger ...I must say your way of saving is quite innovative" Saying it ,Khaled moved angrily towards Daniyal but Hamza stopped him again as he said,

" Khaled let's deal with him when you are not angry "

" What makes you think I won't be angry any other time I will see him.....the guy is not even guilty Hamza for what he did ..."

Hamza huffed as it was becoming difficult to control Khaled when Dr Duraid spoke up ,

" Khaled ..Hamza is right...we will deal with this issue later ...our focus now must be patients and their well being.."

Khaled clenched his fists and looking down nodded his head. Seeing him getting calm Hamza let go off his hold. Khaled giving a menancing look to Daniyal ,turned around to walk away. While Daniyal blew out a breath and smirked looking around .But his smirk was temporary as Khaled turned around and punched on his face hard making him stumble on his feet and eventually fall on the ground.

Hamza gaped at Khaled with an incredulous look while Khaled jerking away his hand looked at Hamza and then straightening his jacket with a slight tilt of head said ,

" He deserved it ".

Saying it ,he marched towards the direction of his office while leaving everyone in the waiting area shocked especially one person that along with being shocked also had her heart throbbed erratically as if wanting its presence known to the heart for which it was destined to be entwined in both worlds .

___________________________________________

Bismillah

I am so so sorry ...I know the update was toooooo long but I don't know how but when I think of chapter in my mind it's of peanut size and when I write it ends up becoming a watermelon...I even thought of dividing it into two halves but then I dropped the idea ....and i hope no one slept and got bored while reading it 😅....

And also sorry for the late update...you see I get super lazy during winters ..

My Mind :You are lazy all year round..

🙄🙄🙄😑Okay let's just ignore that ...what I meant to ask you all is that was this update up to the mark or should I take a break and get rid of this laziness and then write....what say....to me I found it alright but we tend to become bias with our work so please give me your honest opinion🥺🥺🥺🙃

Also the poetry recited by Esber is not mine they are arabic poetry by an Arab poet ..don't know the name though🙈..

Presenting the little kittens mentioned in the chapter..

Lastly sorry for being a buzzing bee and a ranting parrot altogether ..

Before you leave please do recite ,

Rabbana aamana faktubna ma 'ash-shahideen
( Our Lord ! We believe ,write us down among witnesses). [Surah Al Ma'ida - 5:83]

Do remember me and entire ummah your special duas.

Faqat abd e Rahmana
Sadaf

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu🌼